kizzie

Hi Nancy! Unfill!?? madness. I am loving this restriction! hopefully there will be some good weight loss along with the normal monthly 'bloating/water retention' weight loss! I can sure handle this three days a month! I shall have a few tablespoons of tuna tonight.. just to get the Protein in!. thanks for reminding me!

Just wondering if anyone else can REALLY feel their restriction when they get their period. I have read before that 'some' women can feel it a bit. BUT LORD! I am so tight!. I had my first fill last week- only . I felt some restriction the first day after my fill then nothing much. 'Aunt Flo' came to visit today and bloody nora do I know it!. I ate 2 tablespoons of yoghurt for Breakfast before feeling the tightness, at lunch I had 2 tablespoons of gazpacho before I realised that lunch was officially over!.. and no hunger pangs either! (My first period was actually the day after banding so I wasn't really aware of the effects except added pain!!!) Anyone feel the effect of their monthly visitor as much as me?:frown: I am quite happy with this added restriction as I think I was eating a bit too much prior to my fill.:crying: I wonder how long it will last through the week though? Maybe only the first day. I have been stuck on 18 pounds down for the last 2 weeks!. It was all 'guns ho' and then just stopped. Shouldn't complain I guess considering it IS 18 POUNDS OFF!!... :eek: Just ready for a bit more to come off now! Imagine!! natural restriction with your period!.. so something GOOD does come along with Aunt Flo!!.. ha.. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/images/smilies/MSN/teeth_smile.gif

maybe you could try your fill doctor. Have him check it under 'fluro' at least he will know if it is accessible. My doctor did an xray and fluro.. he couldn't see my port in the correct position at all. Which is why he immediately opened me up and moved it. hope that helps. no point in the band being adjustable if they can't adjust it!

Hi Travel Lady I am actually doing really well now. On Monday they moved the port under LOCAL anesthesia, so I was awake throughout. I am sure they could do it under twilight if you ask. I just have very bad port pain from my reposition on Monday. Much more painful than post op band. I know it will get better.. but annoying to be back to no showering and taking care of the incision site again.. never mind. Am back on track again. Have lost the 2 pounds I gained last week after my infection. I hope to get on a role soon. thanks for your comments though.

Hey there Thanks for your recommendation. When my port was under my boob, my wire was sitting right on it, like close next door neighbours!. I had to cup my hand over it when I walked and shove my thumb under the wire. Unfortunately for me non wire bras don't lift my breasts the same way and the added weight on the port was just as uncomfortable. I also get sciatica without a wired bra... About 10 days after my op I didn't feel port pain any longer. I believe the swelling had subsided and it wasn't pushing into my wire. SO I had a few days of relief... then, as I stated above I needed it to be repositioned as it has flipped when I went for my fill. Good advice for others though.. and I will say that once my swelling went down my port was much more comfortable and I would have been happy with it. best of luck

Hi Melody My surgeon said that once the swelling went down the port would be more comfortable. I was apprehensive at first but after 2 weeks it did become more comfortable and I didn't feel it at all for about 10 days. BUT......a couple of days before my 4 weeks post op date I had extreme port pain! So this past Monday I went for my 4 week check up and first fill. He tried 3 times to get the needle into the port. TO cut a LONG story short after many different scans etc I had surgery that night to reposition the port as it had flipped 180 degrees. He tells me he believes the extreme pain I was in a few days before was it flipping over. He has an amazing success rate with all of his band patients. I am his first to have a flipped port. I am not sure if it is because I am so large chested, but I would presume that it was because my bra wire was bashing into the port area before it had time to heal. I will have to ask him if he has put the port in that region with larger chested women before. I am very large though 38HH.. so I am not sure how many women of that size a surgeon would come across daily??.. But then again he is an obesity surgeon so maybe he has. Do you have your port high up under your boob?.. Please feel free to message me with any concerns or questions you may have. take care and congratulations on your band!! Kizzie

Hello Jack You are quite right about the chills. I didn't actually get them until an hour before my stitches removal appointment. I did have the pain for a few days prior to that. Thankfully for me, my fever increased once I was in the hospital, so they saw when I was having my stitches out my infection progressing. Not sure why my port flipped. I personally think it was because of my large chest and the wire from my bra pushing into the port before it had a chance to heal into the muscle. I had terrible pain with it up to the two weeks mark. It was at its worst at the end of the first week. As I said, my doctor has a great success rate and hasn't needed to do a port reposition or have a port flip in all the years he has been a surgeon. I must ask him if he has had anyone with size 38HH boobs before though!.. Am doing well, in quite a bit of pain again.. but bearable as I know where this is going now!.. Weight loss here i come! Kizzie

Thanks you guys. Great to know you are all here. Lots of pain today. It feels almost BURNT!!. I have stabbing pains and stinging pains!.. I also have a very nasty case of 'lady infection downstairs!!".. from the antibiotics so in a pretty bad way!!.. Hey ho.. must carry on as us ladies do.. Grin and bear it!.. thanks again for your support and kind words Kizzie

I posted this two weeks ago in my June 2008 support group. Thought it should go here too. Hope it is helpful to some. Yesterday I posted that I had developed pain under my lower shoulder and in my back. I was told repeatedly (or ADVISED !?) by another bandster that it is "ONLY GAS, WHY AREN'T PEOPLE TOLD ABOUT THIS". I hadn't suffered any 'gas' pain from the surgery since the first day. I was very lucky with that. So when this pain started to build up slowly from day 12 I thought I may have been coming down with a flu or kidney infection. I am two weeks post op with NO previous 'gas' pains from the surgery. I had severe chills and felt rotten and aching. I went to the hospital to have my stitches removed as scheduled. By the time I got there my temp was 39C/102F.. My surgeon was on holiday but I was seen by his superior who did an ultra sound and cat scan. He found liquid in in the diaphragm/stomach region. They admitted me straight away and put me on intravenous antibiotics and paracetamol. The liquids is undetermined. Either haematoma, abscess or 'liquid'... further investigation is going to take place if it doesn't subside. I honestly felt like I was dying last night. The pain in my back was horrendous. I could hardly move. I didn't sleep even with a sleep aid. Worst night of my surgery so far. This morning, my fever had subsided. My surgeon came in from his vacation to check me over himself. He said my band is perfect and that 'sometimes' these complications can arise. He said it was also very lucky I got myself to the hospital when I did. I had actually thought I may have just picked up a bug from the children I teach. I have to monitor my temperature closely and my pulse. Pulse is still fast but fever is down so am improving. Just a bit of advice. Really listen to your body. This site is for ADVICE only but the best person to tell you if all is ok is your doctor. I am home now with a cocktail of drugs. I also have breathing physio to do as well to strengthen my diaphragm. I have the rest of the week off of work 'doctors orders' so will rest and take it easy. OH was my first day on mushies yesterday! I MISSED IT!.. so I had some pureed mashed potatoes today. YUM. made me feel a lot better. thanks to those for their support yesterday. Kizzie UPDATE: LIQUID WAS ABSORBED BY MY BODY.. AND INFECTION CLEARED WITHIN 10 DAYS. AM DOING GOOD NOW.. (EVEN THOUGH HAD PORT REPOSITIONED LAST NIGHT AS SURGEON FOUND IT HAD FLIPPED 180 DEGREES WHEN I WENT FOR MY FIRST FILL!!) ______

I went for my first fill today and found that my port had flipped 180 degrees! incredible. The doctor tried three times to access it to no avail. I had surgery this evening to correct it. I had local anesthesia so was awake through the whole procedure. It was uncomfortable at times but they kept drugging me which was great. My port has been placed an inch and a half lower now. It was under my bra strap area. I think this is why it flipped. Anyway, I am home again now with 3cc in my band. I ate an inch of poached salmon, an inch of vegetable tortilla and half a cup of Soup. I felt FULL!!! and completely satisfied!!.. now THIS is what the BAND IS ALL ABOUT!! HURRAH!. I am so pleased that I can now get on with this and start to lose weight again. My surgeon has been amazing. He booked me into my surgery immediately. I guess the added benefits of being self pay. However, I am not paying for the reposition and correction, to my knowledge. Going to bed now. Tramadol is kicking in.. Stinging pain and will have to be careful again with the port. Just thought posting this might have been of some use to others!. Oh! My infection has completely gone now too. I was admitted 2 weeks post op with temp 102. I had liquid in my spleen area. If it happens to anyone it happens to me. My surgeon has an incredible success rate. Poor guy must feel he was given a DUD!! lol... at least I didn't hemorrage! which is my usual trick post surgery. Kizzie PS:I have posted this in the Post Op thread and the June 2008 thread. thought I should post here.. want it to be useful. Will post my thread about my infection too. Sorry to those who have come across me more than once!! __________________

Ok so what ELSE can go wrong!?? fingers crossed this is now it! what an amazing and eye opening first four weeks! I went for my first fill today and found that my port had flipped 180 degrees! incredible. The doctor tried three times to access it to no avail and with fluro too. I had surgery this evening to correct it. I had local anesthesia so was awake through the whole procedure. I personally love listening to the staff doing their jobs. It was uncomfortable and I did have pain at times but they kept drugging me which was great. My port has is now back where it should be and has been placed an inch and a half lower now. It was under my bra strap area. I think this is why it flipped. Anyway, I am home again now with 3cc in my band. I ate an inch of poached salmon, an inch of vegetable tortilla and half a cup of Soup. I felt FULL!!! and completely satisfied!!.. now THIS is what the BAND IS ALL ABOUT!! HURRAH!. I am so pleased that I can now get on with this and start to lose weight again. My surgeon has been amazing. He booked me into my surgery immediately. I guess the added benefits of being self pay. However, I am hoping not to pay for the reposition and correction, as I complained about my port pain and positioning from day one. Going to bed now. Tramadol is kicking in.. Stinging pain and will have to be careful again with the port. Gosh was about to start swimming this week too!! another few weeks to go again. All worth it though. I am actually very happy things have been sorted and I am back on track. Just thought posting this might have been of some use to others!. My infection (if anyone saw my post two weeks ago) has completely gone now too. I was admitted 2 weeks post op with a temp 102. I had liquid in my spleen area. If it happens to anyone it happens to me. My surgeon has an incredible success rate and I am his first flipped port! He kept repeating in spanish. "Incredible' . Poor guy must feel he was given a DUD!! lol... at least I didn't hemorrage! which is my usual trick post surgery. Kizzie __________________

hello I am so sorry about your slipped band/dilated pouch. It is very worrying and such an inconvenience especially when we are self pay. I actually don't have any insurance policy that covers anything to do with my lap band.I am a British expat living in the US, Europe and Caribbean. No insurance will cover me for anything but emergency travel. I am quite unfortunate with this. I have to self pay for everything. Thankfully the system with which I am in here know me for many years and have allowed me to pay in installments for anything after my basic lap band surgery.. I am HOPING that as the flipped port was not my fault that the surgery won't be any extra. I wouldn't be surprised though if they did add it on to my final costs. I really hope you get the answers you are looking for. Maybe you should speak to your doctor and patient care department at your hospital and see what they can do to help with the insurance company. Always good to have the professionals. They deal with insurance claims all the time. best of luck to you and I am so sorry I can't be of more assistance. Kizzie

That sounds like me!. I had really bad port pain for two weeks. Then nothing. A few days ago I felt terrible pain in my left side. Then nothing. I went for my fill today and the doctor couldn't access it at all. He looked under fluro and tried again. I was in the operating theatre for this and prepped for surgery. He found it had flipped 180. He went straight in and put it back!.. It took about an hour for mine. I had a local anasthetic.. not even twilight. I love to hear what is going on so it didn't bother me so much. I hope your fill goes ok!.. Just be prepared IN CASE!!!.. It is a simple procedure.. I was home 25 mins after getting off of the table!.. no worries!! for me it was a piece of cake!! Kizzie

I went for my first fill today and found that my port had flipped 180 degrees! incredible. The doctor tried three times to access it to no avail. I had surgery this evening to correct it. I had local anesthesia so was awake through the whole procedure. It was uncomfortable at times but they kept drugging me which was great. My port has been placed an inch and a half lower now. It was under my bra strap area. I think this is why it flipped. Anyway, I am home again now with 3cc in my band. I ate an inch of poached salmon, an inch of vegetable tortilla and half a cup of Soup. I felt FULL!!! and completely satisfied!!.. now THIS is what the BAND IS ALL ABOUT!! HURRAH!. I am so pleased that I can now get on with this and start to lose weight again. My surgeon has been amazing. He booked me into my surgery immediately. I guess the added benefits of being self pay. However, I am not paying for the reposition and correction, to my knowledge. Going to bed now. Tramadol is kicking in.. Stinging pain and will have to be careful again with the port. Just thought posting this might have been of some use to others!. Oh! My infection has completely gone now too. I was admitted 2 weeks post op with temp 102. I had liquid in my spleen area. If it happens to anyone it happens to me. My surgeon has an incredible success rate. Poor guy must feel he was given a DUD!! lol... at least I didn't hemorrage! which is my usual trick post surgery. Kizzie

Hi.. I have just come from the doctor and need to go back again in an hour!. He tried THREE times to find my access point in my port and couldn't get it. It was moving around a lot too. The pain of him pushing it around on my ribs was not pleasant. He was very lovely though and gave me a prescription for an anesthesia cream for next time. I had an xray and he still couldn't see it!!... PANIC!. I am now going into the Operating Theatre to use his 'machine'.. I think the fluroscope thing... in an hour so leaving here soon. I am a bit concerned that maybe it has FLIPPED!!! eeek. He weighed me and I have gained 2kg! He wasn't too impressed but said he would fill me and that would make a difference. Didn't even get the Vitamin results!. I think he too is concerned about a flipped port but didn't say yet. He also asked me if I had been touching it. . I haven't but again not too confident the thing hasn't been bashed by my bra wire. hey ho! will let you know what happens when I get back

Hey there. Congratulations on your weight loss so far!. Your story sounds similar to mine. I lost 18 pounds in my first two weeks and since then I have lost nothing. Granted I was on Clear liquids those two weeks. I was banded 18th June. I am almost at my 4 week mark. I was hoping to continue the weight loss but haven't. Like you I don't crave as much as I used to but I can still consume quite a bit without feeling any restriction. I am HOPING to get my first fill tomorrow. I get my blood test results for Vitamin deficiency, so hope he will fill me then. Maybe you do need another fill? I would just keep pestering your doctor until you are happy with the amount of food you are eating. I know since starting puree and mushies etc I have eaten too much. I am quite tempted to put myself back on liquids just to lose weight.. Unfortunately, I am no longer swollen or in any pain so I get hungry. I am hoping for a solution with my fill too.. best of luck Kizzie

I would certainly go with your gut instinct. You know your body.. although we do have to get to know how we react to this new part of us. Just take it easy. A food journal is a great idea!. Should keep one myself. Thank you so much for your kind words and your thoughts. I do appreciate it. I am on the mend, although quite weak and lethargic. I have, however, put myself (with doctor agreement) back onto very light fluids again. I was supposed to be on mushies now but I am not ready for them. take care!!

Hey there. I am pleased people are giving their advice and not just saying it is "GAS". I didn't have ANY gas pain past my first day of surgery. Then 10 days post op I began to have pain in my left shoulder at the back. It slowly increased in pain as the days went on. At 2 weeks post op I put a post out asking for advice, like you have, and was told it was just gas. One person repeatedly telling me it was gas. The pain was like a pulled muscle. The kind you get when you sleep in an odd position. A few hours later I had a high fever and took myself to the hospital ( I was due for my stitches to come out that day anyway). My fever was 100 by the time I got there. One of the surgeons came to see me and admitted me straight away. After an ultra sound and a CAT scan he diagnosed 'liquid' in my diaphragm/spleen/stomach region.. they think a haematoma which had caused the infection. I stayed in hospital for one night and am now back home with a week off of work. I am on antibiotics and pain killers for another 5 days or so.. (10 days in all). They said it was just one of the complications that can arise from this surgery. Yours could just be gas pains... but please listen to your body and go and see your doctor if you are unsure. This is the time to be a hypochondriac!.. you owe it to your body to take care of it and the new friend you have inside you. Bug those doctors as much as you need to sleep soundly at night. They are the experts. best of luck and warm wishes! Kizzie

I have been going crazy trying to make different flavoured soups/broths as I have 2 weeks on clears. I made these two this week.. maybe they will help others too. I just strained them and ate the broth. I am sure on the mushie stage you could blend them... here goes French Onion 5 onions roughly chopped 1 tsp Olive Oil (or pam spray to sautee onions) 4 1/2 cups of hot beef broth 1 tablespoon Worcestshire Sauce 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme 1 glove garlic left whole Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon sugar (or 1 package splenda/sweetener) *optional grated Fontina/Mozarella or another good melting cheese.. a few teaspoons per bowl 1. Take a frying pan and heat the oil. Sautee the onion until golden brown. (heat shouldn't be too high or the onions will burn). Add sugar here.. but NOT splenda 2. Add clove of garlic and coat with the oil and onions allow 2 mins to permeate flavour 3. Put hot beef broth into Soup pan and add the onions, garlic and rest of the ingredients.(include splenda at this point) 4. Cook on medium heat for 30 mins or until onions are soft but not disintergrating. 5. serve into bowls. *add cheese if not on clear stage!!.. lucky you!... YUM Chinese chicken Soup vegetables and chicken should be chunky to get best flavour from them and easier to strain for the broth 2 chicken legs and thighs 2 tsp olive oil or spray oil (1tsp to brown chicken, 1 tsp to brown vegetables) 2 scallions chopped (including green tops.) 4 cups of hot Water (seasoned) 1 cup of sliced mushrooms (shitake are best but any will do) 1/2 large red bell pepper sliced thickly 2inches of sliced ginger. Slice quite thickly do not dice or chop too small. 1 clove garlic sliced 1 teaspoon sesame oil Soy sauce or salt to taste. Pepper A handful Cilantro/Coriander leaves ripped into pieces. 1. brown the chicken legs in the oil on both sides until golden brown and leaving a light crust on the bottom of the soup pan. 2. add the water and garlic 3. Cover and bring to a simmer. Until the chicken meat is falling from the bone. 4. Remove the chicken from the stock pot. using two forks shred the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Add the chicken back to the pan. 5. In a frying pan sautee the scallions in 1tsp oil, add ginger,bell pepper and mushrooms. Sautee until vegetables are soft. Add one teaspoon of sesame oil and mix. this is for flavouring NOT cooking. Put all vegetables in the pan with the chicken and water. Cook for 30 mins on simmer. Check for taste. Add salt/ soy sauce and pepper... and drizzle with a little more sesame oil before straining. Top with sliced green onions/scallions/spring onions. Top with ripped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves. *a few tablespoons of sherry is also a nice touch..but not necessary. DELICIOUS..and a change from regular chicken broth! My friends ate the chicken and the vegetables with some of the broth I left..they LOVED IT.. this would also be nice with red chili added for some heat at the sautee stage. ENJOY

welcome keyRN!... Congratulations on passing your first week!!..

I am with Lunabeane on this one. We can only give advice from our own experiences. My advice is to listen to your doctor. I think as you have had complications it could be dangerous to go with the advice from people who are telling you to take in anything you have been told not to. My doctor was very strict the first two weeks. I had no Protein at all and he was totally against the heavy shakes (regardless of milking or watering down). I am so glad I listened to him. I had complications 2 weeks post op, outside of my band with a build up of 'fluid' which became infected. Had not taken his advice my problem would have been worse and would have included my band. This is the reason he made me drink clear fluids only and no Protein drinks. In spain we can only get the heavy milk protein shakes. Your doctor may say you can have the clear ones available in the US. Just keep in contact with him/her and follow their guidelines. Two weeks isn't too long in the grand scheme of things. Had I listened only to the advice on this site (one person told me at least twice my pain was 'Gas from the surgery..how do people not know this?") I would have been in serious trouble... Again this is a great SUPPORT network and full of amazing advice from the experiences of others who are so generous to give their time. At the end of the day.. it is your doctor you need to listen to. take care Kizzie

crikey!!!! poor you Cakegirl!! my Lord!.. I truly hope that medicine has advanced a lot since then. Certainly good to put out all experiences be it good ones or bad ones.. so people can really talk to their doctors about the things that worry them. Gosh.. that is just terrible

Mrs JJ .. your first few days are hard as your stomach is really swollen. I had no appetite for a few days and felt a bit of nausea. Just keep sipping those liquids. As long as you are hydrated you will soon know when to eat something else.. I would alternate broth with tea then fruit juice.. just had what I fancied at the time. I think, as long as you are getting fluids you will be fine. take care and rest up!.. paranoia is a good thing!!... I was totally yesterday and I believe it saved me from goodness knows what!!

Thanks you guys! I am SO relieved now. I still have the back pain where the liquid is situated but I know now that I will be ok. I dread to think what could have happened. I personally believe that we need an element of paranoia. We need to be thinking of all the problems that could happen. That is why I love this board so much. Hearing what other people have gone through and knowing what to look out for. It really helps. And heck if you do have gas at least you know it is gas and NOT a liquid build up and infection!.. Better safe than sorry.. Would hate to depart with my beloved band having just met and lost 18 pounds! Going to try and sleep now. Rattling with antibiotics OH! NY2LAGIRL... I had real mashed potatoes with a little butter and milk with a tablespoon of melted cheese on top. and some minced chicken in gravy.. I ate about 1 1/2 cups and felt in heaven with every savoured bite!!!...bliss.

Honestly for the patient there is no difference between the twilight and the general as far as memory goes.. in fact Twilight is so much better because you can go home almost immediately!. You won't remember a thing! If you are very concerned and nervous ask them for a premed.but really! my endoscopy was a walk in the park! I actually thought 'sedation' mean't AWAKE and relaxed. I didn't realise I had the TWILIGHT until the surgeon told me afterwards. I thought it was a general!.. you will be fine!!.. some people have very erotic dreams!!!!... something to look forward to eh!??