deepinfl

PS..if you are having a problem with irregularity, there is a new product called ALIGN that works wonderfully. Just break it up when you take it. D.

Hi Everyone,

I just found this thread and am so happy to find others out there in my same boat.

I need advice. I was just banded on 10/15/09. I'm still on the liquids until I graduate to mushies on thursday. For the first week the scale was moving....and now...for the past 4 days, it's stopped...and not only stopped, but starting to creep up and I don't know why? I'm doing the same thing I was....BUT the big diff is that for the past 3 mornings, i'm taking metamucil in a glass in the morning, and some light plum juice (60 cals) in the evening to help with the Iron in the Protein drink (if you catch what I mean). would this account for a 3 pound weight gain in 2 days???

So wanted to know if any of you out there had similar problems a week out of being banded. I know i'm doing things right...pureed liquids, 4 oz yogurt, pureed low fat Soups, sf popsicles, v8 and apple juice...and tons of Water.

any advice you might have for me would be really appreciated.

Count your calories, liquids can add up to BIG calories. My friend, Patty was also taking a lot of juices and all. She wasn't losing. Turns out she was taking in a LOT of calories in all those juices. If you need liquids, use Crystal Lite or sugar free Kool-ade, don't do juices for liquid purposes only. Nutrition is a different matter, but quite frankly a lot of juices are not that healthy anyway. Some of them (like lots of apple juices) are just calories. So, my suggestion..count the calories you are taking in a day....D.

Hi Everyone,

I just found this thread and am so happy to find others out there in my same boat.

I need advice. I was just banded on 10/15/09. I'm still on the liquids until I graduate to mushies on thursday. For the first week the scale was moving....and now...for the past 4 days, it's stopped...and not only stopped, but starting to creep up and I don't know why? I'm doing the same thing I was....BUT the big diff is that for the past 3 mornings, i'm taking metamucil in a glass in the morning, and some light plum juice (60 cals) in the evening to help with the Iron in the Protein drink (if you catch what I mean). would this account for a 3 pound weight gain in 2 days???

So wanted to know if any of you out there had similar problems a week out of being banded. I know i'm doing things right...pureed liquids, 4 oz yogurt, pureed low fat Soups, sf popsicles, v8 and apple juice...and tons of Water.

any advice you might have for me would be really appreciated.

I agree with everybody else. Plateaus will happen..but they ARE annoying. Make sure that you aren't cutting your Protein down too much though! Sometimes people think they hit a plateau and they should cut down their calories even more...DON'T. Just make sure they are good calories. I drink Myogenix Myolean every single morning (I like chocolate Peanut Butter) and have for the last 1 1/2 years. I never start the day without it. I started it after my hair started falling out. Solved that problem right away so I'm sold on it. So, hang in there, the plateaus will pass but remember you don't really need a fill unless you are eating too much. The fill is NOT going to make you lose weight. Some people (like my friend) think it does, it doesn't. All it does is help you control your QUANTITY. So, if you are getting a fill just because you are plateauing it's not going to help..UNLESS you are eating too much. But, don't cut back on your proteins!!! Denise

PS..one thing I DID do was to make very very clear that I ALWAYS get sick from anaesthesia..ALWAYS. I must have said that 20 times and they kept telling me they would make sure I did not. Okay, so for the first time EVER whatever they gave me worked and I did NOT get nauseated from the surgery at all. BTW, I know it's unusual, but I also didn't have any pain and I needed NO pain relief!!! When they said what was your pain level, I looked at them and said I don't have ANY. I had a lot from the lapband surgery after I got infected, but this...slight discomfort..NO PAIN. But, that's probably unusual. One note: I started Iron pills, heavy doses of Protein and Vitamins 6 weeks in advance. That way when I lost the blood, and you DO lose a lot of blood with Lipo, I did NOT have to have a transfusion. I was the only person there staying in my recovery center that did not have to have a transfusion. So, do your homework beforehand and it will save you a lot afterwards. And, if you don't want a transfusion, take the iron (I can't usually take it because of the runs, but I just put up with it), take the vitamins, take the Protein Drinks and TELL them you do not want a transfusion unless it's an emergency. D.

I did NOT get a "defill" before my Tummy Tuck, Lipo and thigh lift. I went to Costa Rica on the advice of my bariatric surgeon. It was a GOOD choice. The price was great, the doctors wonderful, the clinic spotless and modern. I am now 3 weeks out and if it wasn't for the "airplane" flu I caught on the way back I would be great! But, I did NOT get a "defill", I could not see the reason, and I was TIGHT. There is swelling to be sure, but I did not notice any difference in my band. The biggest hurdle with the band was actually the PORT because when you wear the compression garment for 5 weeks, the port sticks way up and I have to keep massaging my midriff over so that it sits "down" and behaves itself. Otherwise, it can be a little touchy being squished like that. Good luck!! Denise

Please be sure to keep us updated so we don't keep worrying!!! Good luck!!! D

Well, good for you! I wish that when I had mine it had an overnight stay. I was in and out in just about 4 hours. Too fast and no pain treatment. However, now it's almost 2 years later, I have lost 140 pounds, 5 pounds BELOW my goal and I'm really glad I did! You have the rest of your life ahead of you and it WILL get better!! Good luck to you. Denise

Dr. Lackey no longer does surgery in Sebring. You can go to Dr. Grossbard in Zephyr Hills (Tampa).

QUOTE=deepinfl;1259212]Dr. Lackey has moved to an office behind the Lakeshore Mall. Also, my understanding is that he isn't operating in Sebring anymore, but I haven't confirmed that. Somebody just told me that, so take it with a grain of salt. I"m so glad that he did my surgery, it was one of the best things I ever did!!!

Sandie, I hope it turns out to be nothing. I was having a LOT of port pain and tubing, it turns out. The lapband surgeon told me to go to Costa Rica and get a Tummy Tuck and when they pulled the skin back they could fix the tubing and the port. Well, I did and so far, so good. Only problem is that the tummy tuck is nice and tight (GOOD!) but it makes my port stick out even more..kind of like an alien. :thumbup:

Oh well, I think (hope) it will be worth it. Won't really know until I heal well enough to start back to the gym. I think everything was kind of stuck in the fat before and then it had no fat and was just kind of wandering around (the tubing). At least that's the way he explained it. My surgeon said that the port is attached to the abdominal wall with just a couple little sutures. I hope you didn't rip yours!! Denise

I'm having pain in the portal area. Started getting bad when I had to push hard for a B.M. And it happened after offices are closed on a Friday. Now I have to wait until Monday to call the doc's office. Wish me luck.

I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience. But, count your blessings in a few things..one thing your insurance paid for it, most of us had to pay for it ourselves and second, based on your BMI on your ticker tape it looks like (like ME!!) you do have a lot to lose and as you do you will feel better than you have for a long time!! You will discover energy, vitality..NEW CLOTHES!!! If you are still on pain meds, is it possible they are giving you a really bad case of DEPRESSION???? That can happen and maybe that's what's happening. Get some GASX strips for the gas and drop down to liquid Tylenol. If it's been a week you are probably ready for that. Meds can have a really bad effect on our bodies sometimes. Get better and I hope every day adds a little more sunshine into your life. I have lost 130 pounds, half my body weight and it was one of the best things I have ever done. (and I had to pay $18,000 +!) My blood pressure is LOW, my cholesterol is LOW, my pulse is LOW..my dress size is LOW!!! woohoo!! It really IS worth it!! If it wasn't you wouldn't have done it in the first place. Take care!! Denise:smile2:

I know I didn't read every story posted in this thread, but I read several pages. I didn't come across a single one that prepared me for what I experienced.

Now, I will say in advance that the only time I have ever been in a hospital before was when I was 6 and had my tonsils out. I am almost 50 now. And I have always had a very weak stomach. Couldn't even watch MASH when it was in its original run because it was too bloody. But I have matured some over the years (I enjoy MASH reruns) and felt I was ready for this.

I was banded on Monday, Sept. 14. They did find a small hernia that they stitched up, but otherwise it was standard procedure. Everything went pretty much how others have said it would go. Except for my mental state. I was totally unprepared for the pain, the gas, the regret, the sense of having assaulted my body.

I'm not sure I'll ever get to the point that I think what I've been through was worth it. I am finally on an upswing and feel like I might survive. I turned a corner yesterday, mostly in part probably thanks to my dear hubby who unwittingly guilt tripped me into leaving the house. We went, of all places, to the grocery store. It was hard, but I was glad I did it afterward.

I have never experienced anxiety or panic attacks until this experience. I have to get a hard handle on my emotions to even take a shower. I have to hold one hand up against my chest so I can't see my incisions. I've had a total of two showers since my surgery.

I'm still experiencing the occasional gas pain. I've developed a kind of rash in certain parts of my body. I was supposed to go back to work today, but I can't even dress myself yet.

I applaud all of you who managed this procedure so well and only wish I was one of you. I know all this sounds like whining, and it is, I guess. But I have to whine to someone and I feel like those who have yet to come need to know that if their experience isn't like the majority, they aren't alone. Because I feel very alone, like a social outcast.

I will say my hospital stay was just as I was lead to expect. It went seamlessly, except for the hospital not having the insurance approval when I arrived Monday morning. the lady was nice though and did not force me to sign a waiver, and my husband told me that while he was waiting for them to give him my room number, the woman told him it had come through. The staff were all kind. The pre op room was crowded, but the hospital is planning to rennovate. I was unable to convince anyone to give me some anti anxiety med before general anesthesia as I'd been led to hope might happen. They didn't want me to have any meds until I'd spoken with the surgeon and shortly after that I was on the move, so then the point was moot.

I don't think if I had been sent home the same day I would have ever gotten out of bed, or the recliner in my case. My motivation to get up and move was "R" -- the male bariatric nurse who works with my dr. and was there for the surgery, followed me to my room, came back for a long chat after I was settled. He had warned me at the support group earlier in the month (he runs those too) that he would be there to get me moving. He offered a sugar free popsicle for every three laps around the floor. Being on pain meds, that was a good motivation and I probably did more than I would have had I not had the meds. I was lucky that the charge nurse for that night had to have dental surgery and couldn't cover his shift, so "R" filled in for him, so he came back by later in the evening, another motivator to get up and move around. He came back in the morning before I was discharged to go over some last minute things. I was the only patient the day of my surgery, so perhaps we got his undivided attention. But he was in no rush even considering he worked the day before and over night.

I hope I can come back at some point in time and write another post proclaiming that time makes a difference.

We'll see.

Your pictures look AWESOME! My understanding is that you will still have swelling till 5 months so imagine then because you are WOW! now!!! Are they not making you wear compression garments? Are you getting lympathic massages? Just wondered. Thanks for letting us in on this, that is such an awesome result!!

Hey folks. I have posted some new pics, including side views that show the swelling. Oh my. I still don't think it looks too bad considering I just had surgery 4 days ago though.

Here is the link:

Plastic Surgery Pictures, Videos, Photos, Pics, Before, After, Cosmetic Surgery

password: goobgone

Go to Costa Rica. I'm going on the advice of my lapband surgeon!! Just do your homework and go some place reputable. You are going to be paying a lot less money.

Good luck!! I'm heading to Costa Rica next week for Tummy Tuck, Lipo on waist, hips and saddlebags and upper thigh lift. Scared but excited!

I hope your surgery went really really well!! Denise

I was banded 1 1/2 years ago. I am having similar pains, in fact this is my 3rd "bout" of it. Pain is below left lung, feels like stitch only BAD, trouble breathing. 2nd bout bought me 2 days in the hospital and they said it was "weird" and must be asthma. I kept telling them it felt like my port. Now after all the posts I'm wondering if the tubing is pushed up under my ribcage. I have done the "exercises" that they say make it better, but no. I have had my gallbladder out, the pain was the RIGHT side and my back and it didn't feel anything like this. Gallbladder pain for me, was much worse right after eating, especially fatty foods. This left side pain doesn't seem to be dependent on whether I eat or not. Let me know how you go please.

I guess nobody is answering this thread anymore. Anyway, this is my 3rd bout with this, 2nd time ended up in hospital for 3 days. Couldn't breathe. This week going to a more experienced bariatric surgeon to look.

Okay, I'm in a pickle and I'm hoping to find some advice/help here. I'm an oldtimer - was banded south of the border 10/04. I lost a lot of weight within the first year (90+ lbs), then slowly it creeped back up (still down 30+lbs). My insurance wants nothing to do with my lapband. We have had some serious money issues, and we cannot afford to pay for me to go see someone (even though I've called about three different band doctors in Washington, and they have all refused to see me - due to me being banded in Mexico). I've been to the ER twice, both times they didn't know what the heck to do with me, gave me some numbing medicine for GERD, and sent me home. Here are my symptoms:

Painful breathing, can't really take a very big breath - getting increasingly worse. It feels just like the bottom section of my lungs are being agitated by my diaphram, which is being pushed up by my band - I'm not a doctor, but that's what it feels like.

Pain so bad it makes me cry - like tonight, when I can't sleep and it's 1am. It's a constant heavy ache, that a few doctors believe is acid reflux (although it seems to just sit at my band, and not come up at all).

Bloating in the mid section - I know this seems trivial, but I honestly feel that the whole area surrounding my band is just really swollen.

Never knowing if I will be able to eat - sometimes there is no restriction, sometimes it comes right up. I do the hot liquids either way.

I've emailed my Mexican doc to find out if I can have my band removed (after 4 years - 3 years of which have been a constant struggle, I'm ready to get it out). I don't know what it's like to just feel like a normal person anymore. I swear, I would rather deal with the weight issues than the constant pain I am in. I just feel like I'm caught between a rock and a hard place - no Washington band doc wants to deal with me, no one who isn't a band doc knows what they should do for me, and even if I found a band doc, I'm not sure I could afford it (and no, I can't get a credit card that would work). Any help would really be appreciated.:crying:

I know this was awhile ago, but I was wondering if you resolved the problem. I have had this pain off and on but never like this (since the surgery) and never more than a few hours (since surgery). This is the 2nd or 3rd day and I am so short of breath and the pain under my left rib around the port side is incredible. I'm going to stay on liquids a couple of days. I am wondering if I pulled something when I was doing some weights at the gym Friday and Saturday. I was doing twisting with a weighted bar and I'm wondering if I ripped out a suture or stretched it or something. Very painful! My doctor has quit doing lapband surgery in our town due to hospital issues so I'm kind of between the rock and the hard place also. If it lasts a couple more days, I will go to the doctor. I am self-employed and don't have health insurance any more. Sigh. ANYWAY, just wondered what had become of you???

Dr. Lackey has moved to an office behind the Lakeshore Mall. Also, my understanding is that he isn't operating in Sebring anymore, but I haven't confirmed that. Somebody just told me that, so take it with a grain of salt. I"m so glad that he did my surgery, it was one of the best things I ever did!!!

Oh yeah..sometimes it all comes back up. I have learned not to eat potatoes, they always come up, bread, etc. But, some things I can eat one day and not the next. Go figure. Just started to be able to eat lettuce. Wasn't able to before. Why doesn't ICE cream and chocolate come back up, that's what I want to know, hahahha.

Good luck to you. Wait till you get thin enough that you can feel your port through your skin. COOL because then you know you got rid of the abdominal fat. Be sure to get plenty of exercise after your recovery period, it will make that weight just fall off. I lost 120 pounds in 6 months!! That was going to the gym and doing cardio at least 3 days a week for 1 1/2 hours. Then I started running. Now I run AND I do weights because of all the loose skin. It was still one of the best things I have ever done. Good luck on your journey. D.

You are right, I need to detox. It was like that before my band, if I started even 1 M&M then it was a whole bag again and again. I'm like an alcoholic with sweets. It started when I started running half-marathons and they had chocolate after at the end. I thought I EARNED it and ate them and it started the same old patterns. You are definitely right, I definitely need to detox.! THANKS!! D

PS..good luck on your goal, you are almost there!! :thumbup:

Is anyone having trouble keeping their weight down AFTER their initial loss to goal? For over a year I never "cheated" once, etc. now I seem to do nothing but crave sweets. I'm trying not to eat them, but my weight is creeping up a bit and it worries me. I can't do this roller coaster thing again! The band is working, I get full quickly but I'm not sure why that I did great and now I am craving all the "bad" stuff. I'm still exercising, etc, but losing the confidence that I had when I first started the lapband life. I thought about getting a fill just to put me "back in the mood", but then I thought that was dumb since it's obviously still working as far as controlling the quantity of what I eat. Anybody have any suggestions on how to get back on the track?

I'm not sure if this is the same thing, but I feel a sharp pain in my left side also after I eat for about 30 mins. The best way I can describe it is it feels like a runner's cramp - or a "stitch" in your side (not a surgical stitch) - from when you're exercising and not taking in enough oxygen. It started for me after I got off liquids - I think its from getting full and it must be presssing on a nerve or something that is radiating pain to that spot.

Does yours hurt more when you take a deep breath?

I wonder what it is?:cool2:

Yes, worse when you breathe. I've been having it off and on after I had the surgery, but sometimes it's definitely worse. The last 3 days have been very bad, haven't been able to run. It may have something to do with the crunches I did at the gym with the weights. I just can't seem to do crunches anymore without it causing a problem. And, Lord knows my stomach NEEDS crunches!! I have a half-marathon in a week and I need this pain to be gone!!!!

Hello, I have been praying about my weight and I am positive that the answer is the lap band surgery. However, when I called the first Dr. in Alabama that I was referred to by my Dr. his nurse said that he cut off the surgery at 59. I am 65. However, I did not give up. I got names from internet and continued to call. Some Drs. will do it after 65 but is it more dangerous. Also, I am on Medicare and even though I called Medicare to see if I could qualify, it seems that Medicare doesn't certify everyone. I am not really discouraged but I want to find a Dr. in Alabama or Georgia that will do it over 65 but is very reliable and safe. I don't want to select the wrong Doctor. Any advice. Thanks so much.

My friend had the surgery the same day as me. Actually we became friends at the hospital! Anyway, she is 63. So, go for it!!!

Yes i just expierenced that...I called my dr and he said that i could have 1. Eaten too fast and the food went down tooo big or 2. i didn't chew good enough. he said to slow down and chew chew chew and try to stay away from the WRONG food... since then i have been fine...so maybe that was my problem.hope this helps....

Sometimes I wonder about these doctors! I have terrible side pain off and on and it seems to be about the same time my port is poking out through my skin more than normal. I am on liquids to see if it helps, but it's not..I wonder if it's possible for the band itself to sometimes get tucked or lie next to the lungs and cause irritation. I lift weights at the gym so I'm just wondering if I'm doing something unknowingly. D.

I was banded on te 27th with pretty much no gas pain at all, but directly after surgery, I started to feel a stonge pain under my left side of my rib cage. I can't figure out if it is gas pain or not, because I don't feel it unless I take a deep breath or cough. It almost feels like it is brused. It seems like where my liver is, could it be that is was brused during surgery? Has anyone else felt this type of soreness in this spot after surgery?

I have that left side (rib/lung) pain every once in awhile after more than a year post op. I'm having it right now and it lasts for days. I go on liquids and that usually helps but this time it's not doing anything. As for your liver, your liver in on your right side and when it hurts usually, but not always you have referred pain on your right side. That is not to say that it can't be that, but I understand what you mean. It is most painful. Sometimes I think that when I'm lifting weights at the gym I'm moving the band around because my port sticks through the skin sometimes more than others and when I'm having a bout of that, the port is really protruding outwards. I'm just hoping it goes away before a half-marathon I'm running next week!!! D.