Puddin499

Thank you Jack, grossefemme, and beanbean. Your kindness and support really encourages me! I am forever grateful. Thank you and I wish you all the same success.

I am a "reborn" bandster, because I just had my port adjustment surgery this Monday. My doctor moved my port from my abdominal wall to the upper stomach area. I was originally banded back in February of this year, but my doctor could not access my port in order to give me a fill, even under fluoroscopy, so a port revision surgery became necessary. Thankfully, I was good and followed the band rules, despite not having any restriction all this time. My doctor told me to hang in there until I have the port adjustment, and as a result, I lost more weight. I am home recovering for a week, and so far so good. I do have some abdominal tenderness, but no gas. My doctor informed me that he did give me a fill during the revision surgery. I was so happy to finally have my first fill! Now, my doctor will have a much easier time to give me fills in the future. I have done my best to keep a positive attitude about the whole thing despite the setback, and I look forward to a more successful weight loss! :cursing:

I was a very big fan of Duran Duran, a "Duranie" we were called. I was sooo in love with John Taylor and knew I was gonna marry him! lol I had posters and pics of them covering every wall of my bedroom, and was beginnng to start on the ceiling! We Duranies also wore the fedora hats and jazz shoes. I happened to see them and also Wham! in concert ... thought I'd die lol. Did you have a day-glo t-shirt, too? Remember spray painting your hair to make colored streaks? My favorite was blue. Jordache and Gloria Vanderbildt jeans were so popular. M.J.'s Billie Jean video ... Blondie's "Rapture" ... and the British invasion of new wave music! The 80's were the best.

First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on getting banded! I actually was allowed to have mashed potatoes as a part of my full liquid diet, right after I got home. I didn't have it until it was close to the time I could have soft foods ("mushies"). I was also careful that I made sure the mashed potatoes were very soft, almost a little runny. The mashed potatoes were like liquid in my mouth, so there was no problem at all. The only thing was that it was a little heavy and I wasn't hungry for hours. The first time I ate it, I got really sleepy and fell asleep lol. I have had no problems with the mashed potatoes, and according to the fluoroscopy x-rays, my band is fine and in place as it should be. If there was any damage at all, you would be in serious pain. You will know beyond doubt if something went wrong. You should be fine, and I wouldn't worry about it. Again, congratulations!!!! :biggrin:

I actually wanted my coworkers to know, so that there aren't any misunderstandings. Only one was against me having the surgery. I have given them a very good education on how the band works, that it isn't a miracle surgery, and that the weight loss can be slow. Everyone is so supportive of me and they try not to tempt me with snacks. I feel more comfortable knowing that they now know ... and understand, too!

Thanks, Maya! I really appreciate your support on this. I made an appointment for tomorrow to see my surgeon. I will be discussing with him about my decision. If he feels it's absolutely necessary for me to have the surgery, I will go ahead and just do it. He is an excellent doctor, and it's not his fault he is unable to reach the port. I really need to have the band work for me and start losing this weight! I'm stuck for the moment! :confused:

I'm really sorry to hear that your port site is painful and irritating. You should seriously talk to your doctor and ask him to move your port to another location, or futher up, since it bothers you a lot where it is now. My port is also in the same location, at about the pants waistline. Since my port is very deep down, it doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that I'll have no choice but to have another surgery to move the port up. From what my doctor told me, the port is sewn down onto the muscle wall. It doesn't "float" around.

Hi Lucymae, That's what I'm afraid of ... the discomfort in that area. I really feel sorry for you! I hope that in time it will get better. When were you banded? I spoke to my doctor's office assistant yesterday, and she told me that while he's happy that I'm really motivated to lose this weight, my plan to lose some weight first so he can reach my port will not work. She explained that the adipose tissue is too deep. My rationale is that if I can lose some of this abdominal fat, won't the port be easier to access? Since I don't understand fully, I am going to make an appointment to see him next week to get a better understanding. Anyhow, it appears that I will have no other alternative other than to have a revision surgery.

To have some soreness after an attempted fill is normal, simply because of the palpation and manipulation of the stomach to locate the port, and it also could be from the needle sticks. I had some mild sorness also. This soreness should be temporary, but if it continues to bother you after a few days, be sure to let your doctor know about, without hesitation.

Lucymae, Wow, that really sounds uncomfortable, and I feel sorry that you have to go through that. I heard that the port at that location will stick out some, and someone even commented that theirs looked like a "button." Are you able to see yours? While it is most important to have the band work for you, and the doctor to be able to have access to the port, I don't think that I would want my port to be sticking out (I remember the nasty egg-shaped swelling I had for weeks where the port was implanted originally). I think have enough body image issues as it is! But the main reason is that I really don't want another operation, period. If I can work off a few more pounds and strengthen my abdominal muscles, I think that's a far better option than having another surgery,and it's certainly worth the try! I called the doctor's office Monday to let them know of my decision to not have another surgery to move the port, but I haven't heard back from the doctor yet. I am awaiting his professional advice. I will keep you posted! :huh2:

I talked to my doctor last week about the port, and as it turns out, the port was not flipped as I had mistakenly believed. It was in the correct position, everything in place. He explained that the port looked turned because he was tapping the side of the port with the needle, and the port tilted. Since my surgery in February, I still have not had a fill because the abdominal adipose tissue is too deep for the doctor to reach the port with the needle. Another surgery was discussed, to move the port upwards near the breastbone/upper stomach area, but I have second thoughts about it. I am going to try to lose some of this weight around my abdomen first to see if he will be able to access it in a couple of months.

Wendy, This is where my doctor wants to put my port. He wants to move it from my abdomen where he cannot reach it to the breastbone area at the top of my stomach. You say it sticks out like a button. I don't think I want my port sticking out like that on my body. I am trying to avoid having another surgery by taking off some of this abdominal fat on my own and exercising. Does that port sticking out like a button on your chest bother you? How does that feel with wearing bras? How attractive can that be? I've got enough body image issues. I'm just curious. Thanks.

I know this thread is old, but I found it while trying to see if anyone else out here had this same problem. My doctor also has a very difficult time reaching my port. He tried several times in his office, then next at the hospital under fluoroscopy. It was unsuccessful. He told me that I will have to have another surgery (although minor and outpatient) to move the port to a different location at the breastbone area. Well, when I got home after discussing it with him at his office, I had decided that I really don't want to have another surgery. Instead, I want to try to take off some of this weight on my own, and if in two months he is still unable to reach my port, I will reconsider having a second surgery. So now instead of having the band help me with weight loss, I will have to rely on sheer will power to lose some of this weight, just so that my doctor can reach my port. It's really tough, but I have to do it! I will now be doing 100 abdominal crunches every day to strengthen the muscle wall below the port. :::thumbs_up:::

TulipStar, Thanks for the reference. I will contact FairyFacade and "talk" to her about it. I'm also thinking to ask my doctor to let me try to lose more weight on my own before having another surgery, perhaps two more months, and then see what happens. Maybe also doing some crunches every day will help flatten out the stomach some by strengthening the underlying muscles. I really want to avoid another surgery. I guess I'd better get moving! :tt1:

Hi, After several unsuccessful tries at filling my band for the first time, my doctor decided that he's going to have to move my port from my abdominal area to the breastbone area. This is because he says there is too much adipose tissue on my belly in order for him to be able to reach my port. I really don't want to go through another surgery, but I know it's necessary in order to get my fills and lose more weight. I've heard having a port in this area, that it looks like a button or something sticking out. I don't like the idea of having the port there because of that reason. Has anyone had their port relcoated to the breastbone or upper stomach area? If so, what is your experience?

Hi, I'm an RN, and I can tell you that yellowish (pus) drainage, redness at the site, and a low grade fever are all signs of an infection. You need to call your doctor right away and let him/her know immediately. Good luck!

I understand craving for real food during the liquid diet stage. When I was on the full-liquid diet, I was allowed to have cream of wheat, which is very filling. I had to be sure it was "soupy like" by adding extra fat free milk, before eating (very slowly). 4 to 6 oz. is all you need in a serving (I ate mine from a teacup). :puke: It really helped me stay full and satisfied for a long time, plus it was a blessing to have since I'm not a fan of chicken broth!

When I was on the soft ("mushies") diet, I ate a lot of cottage cheese, and I found that Breakstone's had the best taste for lowfat, by far. I wouldn't dare touch 4% because of the high fat content. I find that just a small amount of stawberry Polaner's All Fruit spread and a dash of Splenda mixed in a serving size made the cottage cheese taste really good. Even though I am on regular foods now, I still enjoy cottage cheese for a meal, because the protein fills me up. I also enjoy a little bit of canned peaches or crushed pineapple (in fruit juice) in my cottage cheese. It really makes a nice meal, coupled with a small salad. :crying:

Hi, I know exactly how you feel, because this morning I discovered the same thing has happened to me! Last week, I was supposed to have my first fill, but my surgeon could not locate the port after sticking me three times. He said I needed to have the fill done under flouroscopy at the hospital. Well, the x-ray showed that my port had turned sideways. My doctor informed me that I will need another surgery to reposition the port. He also let me know that it will be a minor surgery, and done outpatient. I was a little shocked, but not at all upset about it. It's no one's fault, and I know my doctor is a very good one, and that I'm in very good hands. He always makes me feel comfortable and at ease. I got on the scale when I returned home and very happy to see that I had dropped 3 more pounds after a month of no loss, even without the fill! I had been very careful not to overeat, to eat healthy food, and watch my portions. So, don't worry too much about the surgery to reposition of the port. It will not be anything close to the original surgery, and you'll have your 1st fill and on your journey to weight loss success! :biggrin2:

Hey Ready, It's nice to meet you, too! Congrats on your success thus far! :biggrin2:

Hi, I'm very sorry to hear you're not doing so well right now. Vomiting after only two bites of food sounds like not a very good thing at all. It is serious. You should be able to get food down without vomiting. Too much vomiting may lead to band slippage. I would HIGHLY suggest you contact your doctor who did the fill immediately, and get it checked out ASAP!

The LapBand commercial has been running for more than one year in my area of northern New Jersey/NYC. Also, recently they have been showing another commercial from Allergan.

jrob281, Congratulations on your surgery date, and good luck to you! I'm sure you'll do very well!

Hi, I'd also like to join the Victorious Valentines. I had my lap band surgery February 18, 2008. I'm only 11 lbs. down, and I thought I should've lost more. Haven't lost any more lbs. in 3 weeks. I am still waiting for my 1st fill, however. I am trying to be optomistic!

Hi Lonestar! Thanks, and welcome to you, too! Congratulations on your surgery, and I wish you well on your weight loss journey. I am happy to hear you're feeling better now. How's the soft diet going for you? I agree, the future sure does look good ... for both of us!