JennyVA

I'm about 1.5 years out and I've been having the same thing for 4 or 5 months. I decided it was lack of fruits and vegetables (and pretty much anything other than protein) catching up with me and causing constipation. I'm trying stool softeners to see if that will help clear things out to relieve the bloating and the gassy feeling (and back pain).

It's been almost 5 years since I had mine and I'm still thankful every day that I did it. Yep, it hurt, but still worth it. I don't have problems with sensation, but my understanding is if they have to detach the nipple you have a high probability of losing sensation and you definitely won't be able to nurse. My doc didn't know if that would be the case until he got me into the OR, so I had to decide if I would be OK with that risk. Luckily, it didn't go that way for me. I've never been one to lose weight in my breasts, so weight loss was not an option to cure the back/neck strain I had. I've lost 87 pounds now with the lapband and have only lost band size in my bras, not cup. And so far they're staying up where they should. One piece of advice - don't let just any plastic surgeon do this. You need someone who has done a LOT of these. My mom used to work in the OR and watched so many women disfigured during reductions because their surgeon didn't think about the cosmetic part of things while reducing. You want minimal scarring, straight incisions and great stitch work.

ditto to the broken toilet seat, the stupid white chairs at restaurant patios, and seatbelt extenders on the plane. i also ran into the problem of luggage that was too heavy. i was already having anxiety about fitting on the plane (will i have to sit next to someone - and if so, please do not let them be fat too? can i ask for an extender without dying of embarrassment?) and then i'm told that my suitcase is overweight. :confused: it was then that i realized that when i lose weight, so will my luggage. plus size clothes are heavy!

You'll do fine on the liquids. One thing I did to help was empty my kitchen of anything I couldn't have before I went in for surgery. When it's not in the house, it's much easier to contemplate the correct options. Also, I think the fatigue from the surgery and the discomfort from the incisions took my focus off of food, so I was pretty much at a point where I had to be very aware of making myself ingest enough. Plus, I'm just so amazed at how disinterested I am in food. I don't know if I was just more mentally prepared than I thought or if the surgery just flips a mental switch, but it's really nice to not crave or be hungry. It was harder when I went back to work because I wasn't used to incorporating so much hydration throughout the day, so I kept forgetting and I did get dehydrated. Now, I carry a Water bottle (sometimes water, sometimes crystal light) with me everywhere, even when I'm running a quick errand to another office. It has helped a lot. I took a week off of work and went back the 2nd week. I wound up only making it until around 2:00 most days because of fatigue - not pain. By the 3rd week, I was still not 100% on energy, but made it through the day. I think anesthesia sucks the energy from you. I'm six weeks post-op now. I feel wonderful, I've lost 27 pounds, and I'm down a pant size!! My mood is actually more upbeat, and I didn't even think I had a bad mood before, but now I feel a difference. I didn't get a fill at 6 weeks because I'm not feeling hunger between meals and I'm continuing to lose weight. My doctor said that as I lose weight, my stomach will shrink inside the band, so there will most likely be a point in the near future that I'll know I need a fill. Otherwise, I don't have to go back until 3 months. I wish you well - and keep us posted! :biggrin:

I live in Charlottesville and I had surgery with Dr. Trahan on 6/23. I'm doing very well and I don't think you could be in better hands - that man even impressed my mother! Please let me know if you need any support - I start solids tomorrow, so it's definitely do-able to do 4 weeks without solids and still be sane. Will you be attending the MJH support groups?

I actually had an unfill the day after surgery. My doctor says that before surgery, he takes the empty band and flushes it with saline to check for leaks, etc. He lets the saline drip out and leaves whatever little bit is left in the band. I was miserable the day after surgery and he thought it might be that there was too much. He withdrew 2cc's, which is apparently more than is usually left in there at the time of surgery. I instantly felt better and have been great since then. (I'm two weeks post-op.) He said I might be one of those people who won't need a fill or won't need very much.

if you haven't already tried this for the gas - walk walk walk! i am 13 days post-op and the first couple of days the gas was driving me crazy. my doctor and one of the nurses at the hospital said walk - even though you won't feel like it. i made my friend drive me to the mall (for the air conditioning) and we walked the mall. i felt like an idiot: i looked like a bag lady in my sweats and no make-up/hair; i had my hand on my side because it just felt better; i couldn't walk fast and i ignored my friend's jabbering because i was so uncomfortable. for two days i walked as much as possible. (my dog loved it too) the gas started moving and passing out and i felt like a million bucks. the incision and port pain was nothing once that got out. so i say- WALK! (good luck )

Medicaid is definitely different from state to state. I work at a hospital in Virginia and we can only see patients from Virginia and West Virginia. West Virginia is covered in Virginia because they have such limited options for medical care in parts of their state - many of them drive 6+ hours to see us. Otherwise, no other state's Medicaid program is accepted in our state. Additionally, there have been recent changes to Medicaid programs and many states are now contracting Medicaid benefits with regular HMO companies. (Medicare is different - that's generally what we all get when we're 65 and over. That works anywhere in the country.) I do know that Medicaid even pays for Viagra, so I would be really disgusted if they didn't cover something like banding. I would do what someone advised above - call the number on your card and ask a) if bariatric surgery is covered and :tongue: which providers in your state participate. Good luck :cool2: