newlifebegins2017

I am one of those people who refused to take 'no' for an answer. I had two insurances and they both turned me down. I decided that I had to do this for my life, my future, and my health. I decided to have my surgery done in Mexico. It was $7,500 compared to the almost $20,000 here in the states. At that point, I started looking into small loans and kept getting rejected. My husband and I pay for most items with cash so very little credit. I finally had to get an advance from my mom's credit card. I told you all of this to say, if you want this bad enough, there are other ways to get it done. Good luck to you.

This is an awesome thread! My NSV are starting as well. I can no longer wear my wedding rings ( I still need to find ring guards). I had to buy new (smaller) shoes. My feet are no longer a wide width. I have went down a bra size and a full cup size as well. I also had to buy smaller underwear. My outer clothes are about to the point of falling off, I'll have to be buying new before too long. I also no longer have the knee pain like I had before I lost this 40+ pounds. Everyone is noticing the weightloss and commenting on how good I look. I feel so much better and I feel better about myself.

I am in the same boat. I was banded on the 20th. I have not had a fill yet. I feel no restriction since the swelling went down after the surgery. I am losing weight slowly but I know I am not eating the proper foods. I have decided to somehow get back on track with my food intake. I guess I need to go back to the basics and journal everything. I do know one thing. I felt so much better when I was limiting the carb intake so I am going to go back to a very low carb diet for a while and see if I can get off the carbs (or most of them anyway) and attempt to stay away from them. Bballmom, you might just need another fill in order to feel that restriction that you want. Try to do what I'm going to do and go back to the basics and focus on eating the proper foods and amounts. If you still feel like you are not losing or don't have the restriction that you want, then go in for another fill. Keep us posted on what you end up doing.

Thank you all for your responses. I'm going to have to figure out what I am doing wrong, if anything. I went to the doctor and weighed myself for the first time in since the surgery. We are talking two weeks but we are talking two different scales. I haven't lost a pound, not a single pound. :tongue: Just how is that possible? Looking back on the last two weeks with the full liquids (pureed foods) I am wondering if I just haven't been getting enough calories in to support weight loss. I was told by my surgeon not to expect any weight loss in the first four weeks or so but it seems like everyone I know is losing weight after being banded. Why not me?? Frustrated to say the least. :thumbup:

Way to go!! That's awesome. :w00t:

I have good news! I have now been able to sleep on my sides for an hour or so at a time. Both sides, even the port side. I am a happy camper. My back had been aching so much from sleeping on it all the time. Now it won't hurt so much.

What diet plan are you all going to be following when you get to regular food? I know we are supposed to focus on Protein first so I am guessing that many bandsters are following Atkins or South Beach. I had hoped I could say "diets" were behind me when I got my band but I realize that I do better when I stay focused on what types of food I should be eating. I've done Weight Watchers in the past with some success but I'll never be able to consume the points on a daily basis. I've got two weeks until regular food and I'm just trying to get things figured out. I did order two cook books for Lap Band people so I'm sure they will help me out. Let's hear what you are doing or plan to do.

Way to go Bella! It feels so good to progress to that next stage.

I am doing great! I have very little discomfort now and I'm sleeping better than I have in two weeks. I am looking forward to switching from full liquids (pureed) to soft/mushy foods on the 4th. I'll be on the soft foods for two weeks and then I'll switch to regular foods on the 19th. I can't wait. I will go to weigh in later today at the doctor's office. I can't wait until I lose enough to weigh here at the house. I'll post an update when I get back from weighing in.

You are welcome. :tongue2:

rhc~I'm glad you found the info that you needed. The cost is quite minimal compared to surgery in the US, especially for self pay people. Just a word of advice that I am sure you've read before. The down side to having surgery in Mexico is securing a fill doctor in the states. Be sure to find a fill doctor before being banded in Mexico, no matter what doctor you choose. Good luck to you.

I showered the day after surgery but was told to avoid letting the water stream over the incisions too much. I was told to avoid soaking in a bathtub or a hot tub or even swimming in a pool for those 2-3 weeks. Something about possible infection in the incisions.

My post op directions tell me that I can't have a bath or soak in a hot tub until all the incisions have healed and the scabs are all gone. 2-3 weeks or so. I hope this helps.

Well, the pillow under my side didn't seem to help. I did take some Tylenol before going to bed last night and I think that did help with some of the tossing and turning discomfort that I am feeling. I will be taking more tonight since I think it helped some. I am not generally a pill popper and taking pain pills or any other pill is just not something that I can get used to. I guess there are lots of new things that I will have to get used to with my new band. I sure hope we all get to sleeping better real soon.

Sharon, I think that being hungry is part of my problem as well. I wake up and my stomach is growling like crazy. It seems that since my surgery my stomach is much louder than it used to be.

I had posted this same question on another yahoo group that I belong too. I got some interesting answers and thought I'd share them with you all. At least I am not alone in this problem. Many people suggested getting a pillow or a body pillow and putting it up under my stomach when I'm on my side to help support it. (I had never thought of this). I was also reminded about using a heating pad. They told me it would increase the circulation to my stomach and increase or speed up the healing process. I hope this will help myself and the rest of you as well. Maybe it will help me get a good night's sleep.

I am having some issues. I had my surgery last Tuesday. I still can't sleep on either side. I expected to not be able to sleep on my port side but I didn't think it would affect the other side as well. Does anyone else have this problem? What did you do to make it easier to sleep? I tend to toss and turn a lot in the night. I like to start out sleeping on one side and I'll end up on my back but right now, if I turn to either side I am waking up to pain. Not excrutiating pain, but pain nonetheless. Any ideas would be great! Thanks

Congrats on your band! It sounds like you are doing pretty well so far. Keep us posted.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Kuri and his staff. The hospital is nicer than any I've seen in the US and the hotel is also very nice. The language barrier is a bit difficult but they do try to have an interpretor available.

Hello and welcome from a fellow Missourian. I'm from way down south. You are right about this site being educational and informative. I have learned so much since becoming a member.

I am still on full liquids until the 4th of February. My BIL was banded the same day as I was (the 20th) and he's been liquifying all sorts of foods and drinking his meals. He's had biscuits and gravy, chicken fajitas, tacos, meatloaf and other regular type meals. I have been a bit more conservative. I have had Cream of Wheat cereal, chili that was blended to liquid and some beef stew that was blended to liquid. I guess I'm going to have to get a bit more adventuresome because this same food over and over is going to get real boring. I would just recommend experimenting and just make sure it is in liquid form while you are on full liquids. I am looking forward to the soft/mushy stage coming up.

Wow! You all are doing great. I got banded on the 20th and I'm still having some problems with some mild pain near the port and especially if I bend over. I try not to bend over of course. I was told not to worry about getting a fill until 6 to 8 weeks post op, something about healing properly. I guess all surgeons are different. I was also told that I may not need one for quite a while, depending on my weight loss. He said as long as I was losing weight, I wouldn't need a fill. I am wondering if I should go ahead and get a fill anyway to secure more weight loss.

I did something very similar about a week before surgery. I had clothes in my closet that I would never wear no matter what my size. I donated 2 large trash bags full of clothes. I only kept the basic clothes that I knew I could wear in the next few months. My closet looks better than it has in years. It was a great feeling once it was done. Sort of a liberating feeling.

Wow! I was told that I can't even think about having a fill until after 8 weeks. They want me completely healed up before having a fill. They also told me to not worry about a fill until I've gone a couple of weeks without losing any weight.

My surgery went very well. I was up and about just as soon as that darn catheter was removed. I had lost 24 pounds on my pre-op diet. I had 4 weeks of it so I'm glad I lost some. I am six days out now and still a bit sore but usually only when I forget and bend over and try to pick something up off the floor. Other than that, I am doing 100%. I am on day 3 of my full liquids stage of diet. It's interesting to say the least. Things taste just like they are supposed to but the look and the texture sure are different. I hope everyone else is doing great after their surgeries.