Jodi_620

Hi Mommo and Welcome! There are so many areas to cover and I don't want to hijack Gregs thread. Feel free to PM me with specific questions I'll be happy to offer any advice you need.

Honestly, I didn't do much exercising for the first seven months or so, by then I had lost most of the weight. I walked and generally kept busy but no real program. I joined Curves this past January to tone up the saggy areas. Besides simply having the band, the biggest credit to my sucess was cutting out white carbs. Not carb counting just cutting the unhealthy processed and starchy stuff.

I second (third? fourth?) the Carmex recommendations for instant relieve. But I also agree that the underlying problem is likely dehydration. Concentrate on drinking plenty of non caffenated fluids throughout the day especially when you are sweating. Weird, I know but a good way to know if you are getting enough is paying attention to the color of your pee...if it is yellow drink more Water until it comes out clear.

You won't feel anything where the band is placed because the stomach does not have nerves that detect pain. Your esophagus is about 12" long and runs from your throat to your stomach. And that is where you will feel most band-related discomfort. What you are likely feeling is the pain and pressure of food getting stuck and/or backing up into your esophagus. The esophagus will keep contracting and trying to push the food down which causes strain and swelling. Concentrate on eating slower, smaller bites, chewing well and not overeating. If it is a burning sensation you may be experiencing GERD or reflux.

It usually depends on the individual plan that you carry which I would assume is the same as your co-workers. If your insurance company said it is not required then it probably isn't. I would request it from the insuarance company in print though.

That happened with me too. It lasted about a week and a half. Unfortunately the only thing to heal it was time...

Yeah, your current BMI is around 34. I assume you have some comorbidities (weight related health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes etc.) The typical guidelines are BMI of 35-40 with comorbidities or a BMI above 40 without comorbidities. Most insurance companies require this and many surgeons do as well. Not sure where you live but you could call around. I gained 9 pounds in order to be within the 40+ BMI category.

Not sure where in PA you are but I know where my Mom is (Western PA) every medical situation results in a huge run-around situation and to make matters worse, the choices of doctors are not so plentiful. But I agree with others, if possible try and find another surgeon or at least let the doctor know that either they get on the ball or you will move on.

You poor girl. That barium is hard enough to get down but to have it come back up.:bored: I hope you are able to get in for your Gastografin quickly and that you get answers soon. Waiting in a situation like this is so hard.

Hmm...is it sort of in the kidney area? (meaning lower back, off to the side) The reason I ask is that I got a pain there about the same time in my Lap Band journey and nobody can tell me why. I even had my gallbladder removed in hopes of losing that pain (it was full of stones anyway) but the pain did not go away. All the doctors can say is that it is muscoskeletal. I get it mainly when I am sitting and especially when I am driving.

So the pain you are talking about is acid pain? Advil and certain vitamins will do that to me. I can take the vitamins but I have to do it early in the day and drink a lot of water with it. If I take them too late at night I get a mouthful of stomach acid while sleeping. I cut out Advil completely and find that Excedrine works fine. Otherwise the only presription med I am on is Synthroid and it does not affect me.

It really depends on what caused your problem. Your surgeon really should have cleared this up with you. You say he would never fill you again, did he not give you any further explanation? The technical term for this is esophageal dilation. There are two basic reasons for it. Either your band was too tight or your surgeon did not place your band correctly. If the band was too tight, getting an unfill and allowing the esophagus time to heal is all that would be needed. If the band was not placed properly then keeping the band permanently loose or removal of the band may be necessary.

I did and had pain too. Mine was mostly intermittent pain that would travel from my abdominal area up my esophagus (the center of my chest). Due to Lap Band surgery we get a lot of gas and due to hernia repair, belching can be painful or impossible. For me, it was impossible which lead to excrutiating pain. Each episode would last a few seconds. I also had shortness of breath related to the hernia repair. I couldn't walk across the room or speak a whole sentence without getting winded. All of this lasted a week and 1/2 Otherwise I had incision pain which would pretty much be the same with or without the hernia repair. I had to sleep propped up for nearly two weeks. Bending and getting up from the sitting or lying positions was painful for about the same amount of time.

Also, I was told by my doctor that like bread, many people can't tolerate prawns (shrimp). I can usually tolerate it okay but I have to take it extra slow(more so than some other foods). I don't think I would have been able to handle it so early though.

I agree with your doctor. I was able to do a lot one week post-op. The port site incision will be the most painful, the others are barely noticeable. I couldn't lift heavy items or I would feel severe pulling at my port site. I could bend but had to be a little careful with it. Walking was no problem. Listen to your body and if you feel pain, stop what you were doing to cause the pain. Otherwise, keep moving.

The reason for chewing well is to avoid getting stuck. As you get fills you should be more mindful of how you are eating and eventually you will get accustomed to how well you need to chew. I am at restriction and have been aggressive at keeping good restriction and I personally have not needed to chew all my food to liquid in order to get it to go down but I do have to eat slower and chew more than I used to. There are also certain foods that require more chewing than others and there are certain days where I need to take it easier because I am suddenlty tighter.Like I said, you will get accustomed to it as you go.

I was told 800 calories.

I have had fills under fleuro and the water passes right through the band. Because shakes are thicker they pass through a little more slowly. I know for me, even 2% milk goes down a little slower than water. But really the shakes never really kept me full like solid food does. That is why we are told that once we have healed and gone back to solid foods post-op we should be eating solid food for each meal.

Two indicators to needing a fill are hunger between meals and/or slow/no weightloss. Sounds like you may need a fill.

The food will slowly pass through the stoma (the area where the band is...imagine an hourglass). How fast the pouch empties depends on how tight the band is (restriction). It will pass into the lower stomach and continue through the digestion process as always. At current restriction a 3/4-1 cup meal keeps me satisfied for about five hours, sometimes longer.

I would call again , you will likely get a different person who will hopefully be more helpful. But demand an answer on what your policy covers with WLS. I have UHC and had no problems getting answers. I do not know about your surgeon but most have insurance coordinators that handle the approval process, they are experienced in this so it is better to leave it to them (that is, once you find out if the procedure is covered with your policy)

No, as long as you are losing and not struggling with hunger, you do not need nor should you get a fill. But in my experience, once you lose so much the band will likely get looser (same concept as your belt getting looser as you lose)

What kind of diet does your doctor have you on at this stage?

The pre-op diet is about getting the fat off the liver, some doctors are more aggressive about this than others. It is a fear of attempting surgery and causing damage to a fatty liver. Post-op diet is only about healing not weight loss... some doctors are more cautious than others not wanting the band to slip. But in my opinion, although it is not the intention, the strict diet does help us to prepare for eating less and gets us on track for weightloss.

What kinds of foods are you eating? Certain foods can trigger your appetite. Is it due to head hunger or are you truly hungry or maybe both? True tummy rumbling hunger is normal at this stage. You will be relying on willpower until you get a fill or two. Head hunger is another thing. If you are not so much physically hungry as you are craving a particular type(s) of food then you need to look at what is triggering that. It could be stress, hormones or your diet. Are you craving comfort foods like breads, pastas, potato, sugars? That is what we reach for when we are stressed and the more we eat the more we crave it causing a vicious cycle.