jakeblues63

I have a glass of wine or two without any problems and am 5 mo post op. As far as flying, I was told by my Dr that it would be ok but have fluid unfilled from band and eat very light or leave enough time after last meal before flight(s). Theory is because our stomach is smaller now and if there is any food in it upon take off and cabin pressure, you could bring it up or be very uncomfortable. Best bet is to call your Dr. Have a great trip !

Congrats on your surgery. This website is an excellent source for support. You should go to the chat section if you haven't already and ask as many questions as you can think of and there are people from all over the world that are very willing to share thier experiences. I would ask you Dr about flying after your surgery. I was told that flying too soon after surgery would strain your incisions as well as the cabin pressure from the plane would create issues if you had anything in your "new" stomach. Also, the gas that is used to inflate your stomach will be very uncomfortable for about 3 days post surgery, but that will go away through lots of walking. The gas will dissipate through your skin, not the other two routes. Stay true to your pre/post liquid diet and ask LOTS of questions. I was banded on Jan 12, 2009 and have lost 58 lbs total. I feel great and you will too. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to assist. Good luck.....

Gas pain took about 3 or 4 days to go away for me too and each day following surgery I progressively felt better. As mentioned above, keep walking as much as you can to help gas dissipate through your skin as that is the only way for it to escape, this will also help to keep blood clots from forming. Once that is gone you will feel great. good luck and you will do fine.

Congrats on your commitment. I think saggy skin is more associated with rapid weight loss versus the slower route of the lapband. But it depends on how much you have to lose as well. My readings on this topic tell me that when you lose weight at the rate of the 1 to 2 lbs a week, your body has an easier time naturally tighting the skin, and exercise will help too. I was banded Jan 12, 2009 and from my first consult to present have lost 46lbs and I don't have a big issue with saggy skin yet. In my readings as well they say to let your body do as much as it can before anyone should consider any procedure that requires removal of excess skin. Things are slow in the first month or two while your body adjusts and heals so the best is to try and stay as active as you can, be patient with yourself and your progress and drink as much Water as you can. Good luck.

Hello, Congrats on your surgery. I am 4 weeks post op and feeling back to normal. Since my initial visit I have lost 42 lbs. Most of your after surgery pain/discomfort will be from the gas that is used to inflate you so the surgeons can perform the surgery easier. In my opinion and experience this was far more painful than the surgery itself because in part I wasn't expecting it to be as bad as it was. I had my surgery on a Monday and it took until Saturday morning ( each day it progressively got better) for the gas to disipate from my body ( this is a normal reaction from the surgery). The bad part is that with this gas, it has to work itself out by walking/movement and burping or trying to pass it and medication won't do anything for relief. But keep in mind, IT WILL GO AWAY. Your trip to the theatre may be a last minute decision, I know I felt better on day 5, but not driving and going to the theatre better. Everyody heals differently though. Another thing they will tell you about driving and sitting too long is that you should walk at least 5 minutes every hour and move your feet at the ankles to keep blood clots from forming which is a common practice up 6 weeks after ANY surgery. Good luck, everything will go fine and don't rush things, especialy after surgery. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions.

Jack, I weighed 319 at my first dr visit and the day of surgery I weighed 288, it can be done just focus. The liquid diet I was on (BetterMD) was actually pretty good. I was concerned that I would get hunger pains, headaches ect. I can't say that I wasn't hungry but I wasn't starving and no headaches. The food dependacy is what got us here. Now we have to eat right and small amounts without the emotional attachment. You can do it, just relax, take a deep breath and make the commitment.

Thanks.......

Anyone have good advice for new Lapband candidates ? I've had all my approvals and waiting for my surgeon to schedule a date. What can I expect.... Thanks..