Elisabethsew

I've had 3 fills with no symptoms but many people have different experiences with the band so it doesn't surprise me that some people are negatively affected by a fill.

I had NO restrictions on caffeine pre-op or post-op. Best of luck to you on the up coming surgery.

Wow, everyone is doing wonderfully. Congratulations! I was banded on 3/30 and have lost 45 pounds so far. The hardest part for me was the fill process. My surgeon makes you wait a full 8 weeks for a first fill and, when I did get it, it did nothing. The second fill was double the first amount and gave me some idea of what restriction was but it was this last fill (#3, 8 days ago) that finally gave me proper restriction. Only one person has noticed my weight loss but my clothes are getting baggy and I will soon need to go to a lower size. The current slacks that I am wearing were skin tight before surgery and now they're dragging on the floor and slip right on so I can tell I'm making progress. I haven't had any serious complications but have vomited once after this third fill. I didn't chew enough, got the golf ball (make it a tennis ball) feeling/pain and ran to the bathroom. NOT pleasant. Because I was not restricted until a week ago and could eat anything with no problem, I am now learning to take my time eating, chewing well, and stopping the minute I feel discomfort. Because of needing a total knee replacement (arthritis) I am unable to work-out at a gym. I have gradually increased the amount of walking I do, work out in the garden and, in general, have a lot more energy. As for a NSV, being able to sit in MOST chairs and fit comfortably ranks high on the list.

Fat-free, sugar-free pudding, yogurt (regular and frozen), meatballs, meatloaf, mashed potatos, peanut butter, chicken salad, tuna salad, chunky soups, soft cheeses, soft fishes.

I'm almost 4 months out and have lost 45 pounds. My surgeon doesn't do a first fill for 8 weeks post-op and I didn't get restriction until my last fill (#3) a week ago.

A lot of companies are excluding weight loss surgery and usually won't change their policy for one person. Also, contracts come up for renewal once a year so you'll need to find out when the next enrollment period is.

Watermelon was a soft food for me and it was fine.

What size band do you have and how much fill did you get on #1 and #2? I had no restriction on fill #1, some on #2 but got to proper restriction for me on fill #3 (total of 6.5 cc's in a 10 cc band). I get the signal when I am full and KNOW it's time to stop. What you experienced on fill #2 was the swelling from the inflation. Now that the swelling has subsided and you can eat anything, it sounds like you need a third fill. Some people don't have a fill "kick-in" for 1-2 weeks but that was not the case for me. Call and schedule fill #3.

OK, here's the RN in me coming out. If you're having "different" headaches than those you've experienced, it's time to see an MD, have a CT scan or MRI and rule out any pathology. Different people have different experiences with migraines. For me, I am sensitive to light and sound, feel sick to my stomach, and need to lie perfectly still in bed.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've done wonderfully and are a role model for others considering the surgery.

Go for it! I think it's a great idea and many dogs are left alone for 8-10 hours a day. As long as you walk it before you go to work and make sure it has a sheltered area outside and water, etc., it will be fine.

For those of us in our 40's, you tend NOT to bounce back from the surgery as quickly as the younger people do. I am an RN and work 12 hour shifts and also attend post-graduate school full-time. I needed 8 days off from work to recover to the point where I was able to work. It took about 2.5 weeks to get my pre-surgery energy level back. You'll be back to work quickly... just don't push the recovery too fast.

YUCK. That not shaving is absolutely gross and I have no idea how European men find it attractive... can they ignore THAT? Hmmmmmm...

Because the stoma pouch is created ABOVE the stomach, the feeling of fullness occurs higher up than pre-banding. Until you get an adequate level of restriction, you either don't feel the "new" full sensation or it's minimal. On my 3rd fill I felt "proper" restriction. The feeling of being full is like a vase that you fill with water. Once the vase is full and you attempt to put more water in, the water has no where to go and spills out. It's the same with the band. Once the maximum amount of food goes in, the "extra" will likely come right back up... NOT pleasant.

Your weight loss is great. Granted, you might not have the fast rate of loss that some others have but you really have accomplished a lot. Don't sell yourself short and thank you for presenting a different point of view.

Have you discussed this with your MD? Maybe an esophagram would give you some answers?

Some of the best advice I ever got was, "Learn to forgive yourself and move forward." You can't repeat or change history but you certainly can make an impact in the future. Consider your band date as the "rebirth" of you and make you're mark on the world.

I only had to drink barium one time post-op and that was right before I left the hospital to make sure all was OK with the band. Thankfully, the amount was only about an ounce or two so it wasn't too bad. Some MDs do fills under flouroscopy with barium. Check with yours and you'll get your answer. Good luck with the upcoming surgery.

I have a cyst on my right kidney and it was found when they did the sonogram the day before they took my gallbladder out. Cysts are graded as 1,II, III, or IV. Grade one are benign. Grade II (the one I have) is also benign and the treatment is usually a yearly sonogram unless you become symptomatic. Grade III are usually treated surgically as they are considered pre-cancerous and grade IV are cancerous. The nephrologist told me that MANY people have renal cysts and don't even know it. I hope all goes well with your visit.

I hope you get some relief soon. Unfortunately, the motility problem usually is a signal that the band might have to be removed. Let's hope that your case is no so severe and more conventional treatment will work.

Why would you want to create problems when none exist? This post hurt a lot of people and I would vote to let it die rather than bump it up?

Let us know how it goes for the second fill. Hopefully, they'll get you to a proper level of restriction.

8 pounds down and 2 to go to make the 8/5 goal. Everyone is doing wonderfully!

I think it's good that more research is being done on ALL weight loss surgery and offered the professional article as an FYI purpose. My surgeon explained to me that just a few years ago, many MDs would not perform lapbanding on obese patients who were empty carbohydrate eaters. Now, that has changed and surgeons offer options in WLS based on eating patterns. Of course, the final decision rests with the patient. Hopefully, more studies will be done evaluating long term surgery results of the various WLS options currently available.

Since I'm in the medical profession and work in the same health care system that I had my surgery in, I often spend some chatting with the PA's in my surgeon's office. They said that the biggest problem they encounter with patients is that "more than you think are not truthful with us." It seems they have a lot of patients who WANT to be overfilled in an effort to lose the weight faster. Despite lectures that they can damage their esophagus, GAIN weight by DRINKING their calories, etc., quite a few of the patients simply don't care and refuse to have an unfill. Obviously, the staff documents this noncompliance with medical advice but they can't tie a patient down and force them to have an unfill. When I read the article I posted, I wondered if these people are the very ones who contribute to the complication statistics. Hmmmmmmmmmmm...