KayleighsMommy

Sharon... first off. Congrats on your surgery. A couple of questions.... are you drinking your Water? Have you talked to your surgeon about the pain you are experiencing? I know it makes things a lot more difficult when you are unable to eat what you should, but you really should not be having a lot of pain at 6 weeks. When you do eat, are you chewing everything to mush? Not sure what kind of meat you are eating, but it could be adding to your pain (meat can be hard to break down and digest) I am by no means a doctor, so my best suggestion would be to call yours. As to your other issue of not losing weight, I did have the same problem. I was eating way too little and my body was letting go of nothing. At the stage you are at I would not tell you to eat more, but mention your concerns about the lack of loss when you see your surgeon about the pain.

Most people would tell you no. Honestly, I'm still on the fence about this. I am losing... though really, really slowly. So all in all I would have to say that as long as you do what you are supposed to do you will lose weight (even if it's extremely slow... like me )

My name is julie, and my email is kayleigh.n.me@gmail.com. Feel free to email me any time.

I am 3 months post op and have only lost 20 pounds since my surgery. I have been so upset about this. Now I realize I am angry. Not particularly about the lack of loss... more about the circumstances leading up to it. Here's my story: I decided in 2008 to have a lapband. I found a surgeon who seemed nice, caring and competent. I talked to a couple people on lapbandtalk who really liked him. My insurance would not cover it without a 6 month diet and I had a very painful hernia that needed a repair, so we paid the band portion of the surgery. It still ended costing close to 10K. The surgeon called me the night before my surgery to tell me he had accepted a job in another state and he wanted to give me the option of cancelling my surgery and finding a different surgeon. I elected to stay with him and have my surgery the next day. The surgery went well. It was quite a bit longer than anticipated because I had some mesh from a previous hernia repair that had balled up and grown into my flesh. he had to cut it away a piece at a time. I spent the night in the hospital and got out the next day. I had a significant amount of pain. It did not feel like gas, but still I took lots of GasX. It did not help at all. When I went in for my one week post op he was obviously high. Very high. At 3 weeks I developed a seroma (a Fluid filled pocket under the skin). I called him and he said to come in. He looked at it, poked it with his finger and said "Yep, it's a seroma. You can go home now" I asked him if he was going to have me get it drained, he told me he didn;t believe in it, as that can cause an infection. This was on Tuesday. On Thursday I called and told him it was getting infected. It was draining a dark color (should not drain, and the color should be clear/pale yellow) He said "You'll be OK. I'll see you on Monday". On Friday I called and told hm my temp was 101.6. he said "You'll be OK, I'll see you Monday". On Saturday my temp was 102.8. I had my husband take me to the local hospital. They did a CT scan and lots of blood tests. They admitted me and I needed surgery the next morning. I had 750 cc's (about a litre) of pus in my belly. I was an hour or so from sepsis. They left the wounds open and I was on 4 different IV antibiotics for 6 days. I left the hospital with a massive yeast infection, open wounds and a wound vacuum. When I went in to see him the next week he had the gall to say "I wish you had come to my hopital so I could take care of you" I did well with my weight loss, but I always had pain. A kind of pulling, burning pain in my chest and constant pain in my port area. I assumed this was not abnormal, just the price I had to pay for my weight loss. In 2 1/2 years I lost 113 pounds. It was quite slow towards the end, but I was still quite pleased. I was even planning plastic surgery even though I still had about 60 pounds to lose. Then one day I woke up with terrible pain. Called the surgeon who had taken over my care and his nurse had me come in for a unfill. It was Thanksgiving week and I was not happy about this, since I was going out of town in a couple of days. That night I was at a support group for a different surgeon. The pain got so bad I went to the ER there. It turned out my stomach was huge and emptying very slowly. I was told I had gastroparesis. I was in constant pain. We started a new insurance 2 months later. It took me a month to get into a gastro doctor. She did a EGD and found out I had a major erosion. My band was sitting in my stomach. The baratric department at Kaiser (our new insurance) scheduled me to see a surgeon and get the band removed. I was really sad about losing it. I was told I could apply for another surgery, but that it takes 10 months to a year to get it done. The band removal did not help my pain. i had chest pain and severe debilitating left arm pain. The only thing that can cure gastroparesis is a gastric byass. Didn't matter, I had to wait my turn. I found out a friend of mine (another one of his patients) who got her band 4 months before me had hers erode 4 months before mine. One is bad luck, 2 is a bad doctor. After 10 months (and 50 pounds gain) I was finally at the top of the list. BUT...... I was informed this surgery is elective and it was going to cost me $10,000. Even though it was the only thing that may cure my medical condition, it was still elective. So....now here I am. 3 months post op and down 10K and a whole whopping 20 pounds. I am so angry. Angry at what happened to me, angry after finding out he had been censured by the medical board for alcoholism, angry at the thought that the reason he put me off when I had my infection and I almost died was because he was high, and angry this idiot is still out there maiming people. Sorry for the long rant and thanks for reading it.

Best of luck. Let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it.

Sorry I don't have a simple answer for you. There are so many variables. I can tell you you have a couple of things in your favor: (1) You are young. (2) Your highest weight was never really super high at 278. A lot of it depends on how you carry your weight. I, for instance, have a very, very large pannus (the hanging party of your tummy) Mine comes down quite low. I came into this whole thing knowing I will need plastic surgery. So..... the long and short of it is that (in my opinion) pretty much everyone who qualifies for RNY will have some extra skin. Will it be so much that you need surgery? Sadly you probably won't know until you have lost the weight. Have you asked your surgeons opinion on wether you will need plastics or not? My band surgeon told me flat out "Some people I am not sure of wether they will need surgery. YOU will." So, most have some sort of an idea just by looking at your body type.

It truly is a life changing surgery. Everyone has some level of anxiety about it. If you are really ready to do this (and only you know that) You just kind of have to accept that this is the best thing for you and that you will do fine. Just remember we are here for you if you need to talk. We have all been through it, or are going through, the same things as you now.

Most insurance companies consider your starting weight when you apply your "official" weight when it comes to paying for surgery. I had to actually gain a few pounds to qualify.... I carried ankle weights in my pocket when I went for my first couple weigh ins) Of course, after I was accepted and in the 10 months I had to wait for my surgery I gained 50 pounds!!!! (I had just had my band removed when I first applied, I was loving that normal, for me <way too much> eating) I'm guessing your company will use your starting weight and not deny you if you lose before the surgery.

I'm sorry you are so frustrated. I am too, so I understand the feeling. You actually are doing quite well. You have lost 24 pounds already, right? That is 6 pounds a week. I know it does not seem all that good to you, but that really is a good pace. I know you are feeling hungry right now, but please try to stick with what your surgeon says you should have (most likely 1/4 cup right now?) That was one of the biggest suprises I got.... being hungry. Some people say you don't feel hunger (or fullness) for up to 3 months. I am 3 months out, I felt hunger from the beginning and still don't feel restriction. I just know we need to be mindful of portions and not overeat. I agree with the previous poster who recommended staying away from Soups right now (unless, at 4 weeks you are still on soft foods?) I'll tell you the same thing I have been told again and again (And I really do know is true) Just relax, do what you need to do and it will happen.

Dan, That doesn't sound like it. When I had my band I would physically feel full. I just knew that if I took another bite or two I would be seeing everything I had just eaten.... really soon. It could just be that what you are feeling is much more subtle. The fact that you are getting stuck (even for a brief time) is encouraging. I'm sorry this is taking so long to get right for you. Believe me.... I know how ya feel. I have been quite discouraged myself lately. I guess we both just have to hang in there and believe these things are going to work for us I am just wondering if Dr Chae is erring on the side of caution. Just curious.... does Water fill you up? (When I was inflated to a good spot fluids <drunk fast> would tend to make me full.... especailly Protein drinks). Anyone else with any words of wisdom for Dan???? Still looking forward to doing RR soon!!!

Well... I finally got what I have been waiting for. My bypass was a week ago (12/20). Doing well, was able to start my full liquid diet today. I was feeling week just drinking crystal Light, but feeling better with the small amount of light foods I am allowed now. Looking forward to seeing the weight melt off!!!

Dan. I'm so sorry you are feeling this way. Go ahead and whine, I will whine right along with you. I am having no better result with my bypass. All I can tell you is what people have been telling me. It will work. I have a friend who lives in Lakewood. She is in the same boat as you. She was banded in September (I think) and still is not feeling restriction. This is her second band. She saw the same idiot I did for the first one, and had the same bad result. Now, she is not feeling restriction with this new band yet. Perhaps we should invite her to our next RR night?? I wish I had some other insight for you than just saying hang on in there, you will ultimataely get where you need to be. It just sucks in the meantime. Have you lost anything yet?

I hear ya, my friend.

Hey Dan, Nora said you're still in Bandster Hell? I feel for ya. I'm in bypass Hell right now Evidently, when you have a bypass it takes around 3 months for the nerves to regenerate enogh to feel restriction. Grrrrrrrrr...

Hey. It's working again!!! It wasn't working for awhile. Now that it's working again..... Red Robin anyone??? I still have a $5 gift card til the end of the month I don't want to go to waste

Oh, man. I'm sorry. That just sucks. I don't have much in the way of advice, other than looking into a medical loan through CareCredit or one of those. You might want to check out this company: http://www.beliteweight.com/index.php I contacted them when I was looking to have my eroded band removed and a rny done. I think their prices were pretty reasonable. Good luck. I know how band it can be to lose your band.

Nope, I don't mind using the o2 at night. Not getting much extra energy.... but maybe that's cuz I'm starving to death . Just kidding, of course. Been really week and dizzy because of this liquid diet. 3 days pre and 7 days post. Tomorrow I get to start on full liquids. Looking forward to 2 T of mashed potatoes..... and I don't even like potatoes!!!!! I know it's just what we have to go through, but I'll still be glad when it's over.

The 18th should work for me!!!

Thanks to everyone asking about me Well, I am home. Surgery went well, other than the fact that he ran into a lot of scar tissue from the hernia mesh I had implanted. Took him longer for surgery than anticipated, though he said the bypass part went really quickly and well, expecially since he was expecting problems because of the scaring from the erosion. Spent 2 nights in the hopital Glad to be home, as you know no one can sleep there. Been having issues with my O2 levels while sleeping for years, so Dr Chae ordered home oxygen for me this time. Hopefully that will give me more energy. Dan.... wondering if it's helping you at all?? Still on Clear liquids til next Tuesday, then switch to full liquids. Glad it's finally over with. Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Hopefully in Jan??

Hey, that's a really good NSV. Congrats

All I can say is WOW!!!

Good for you!! Congrats on this positive change.

BTW. I forgot to say congrats on the weight loss on your own. Glad your wife is doing well with her band.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Glad you are OK, though. I agree with what you said about peoples first reaction always being to ask if you talked to a lawyer. I had a really bad surgeon, who nearly killed me 3 weeks after my banding by not taking care of me properly. Then 2 1/2 years later I needed emergency surgery for an erosion. Then I find out he had another patient erode around the same time I did. Cost her 10K for another band, costing me 10K for a bypass next week. But...... we signed papers saying that was a possible complication. I would be happy just to get back my original 10K spent for the band, as well as the money I will be spending next week for the surgery to correct the problem the eroded band caused. Sometimes it's not the money, it's just the principal.....

Good luck to all of you. I know you will love your band!!!