doodleallday

Yeah, I agree. Thanks for your well wishes with getting an appointment. Leave it to me to recognize the necessity over a holiday, lol. I have actually requested my surgeon before and the PA still did the fill. It angered me. No offense to the PA, but I'm paying to see the surgeon. My surgeon only sees lap band patients on Wednesdays, whereas the PA sees us on Mondays. I specifically scheduled a fill for a Wednesday, requested my surgeon, and the PA was who filled me. Frustrating! I mean, she's really nice and caring, but she's horrendous with needles!

Thank you so much for posting this. I went for my 1st Year Post-Op checkup on the 28th and lied to the PA. She asked if I'm feeling restriction and I am. But when she asked about heartburn, she asked if I have it maybe once a week. I lied and said, "Yeah, about once a week." The truth is that I have it almost every time I eat, ever since I got my most recent fill, back in late November. I have 7ccs out of 9ccs and that recent fill was form 6cc to 7cc rather than a simply 6.5cc fill I had been expecting. I lied to the PA because she's HORRIBLE at fills and, although I'm numb and can't feel it, I have to deal with the bruising later that day and it lasts for several days. She misses the port somehow, nearly every time, and then has to wiggle the needle around and find it. Makes me cringe just thinking about it! That said, I'm glad I read your post. Because I'm having the worst heartburn and I hate that it feels like I've got a volcano going on in my chest. All I've eaten today was a bite of scrambled egg, a nibble of bacon, a bite of grits, and some lemonade. Yeah, that's some acidic food right there, coupled with the bite of spaghetti I tried to eat twenty minutes ago. But I'm SO TIRED of feeling this burning sensation. I'll call them first thing on Monday. I regret not being honest this past Monday.

It honestly took me until I got to what I consider my "sweet spot", nearly a year post-op for me to experience acid indigestion. I've never had issues with heartburn before in my life until this most recent fill which put me at 7cc/9cc. I know I need a slight unfill, but I'm still a giant baby about the needles. (No, I'm a giant baby because the PA who does the fills SUCKS and can never properly find my port, so she has to stab me and wiggle the needle around and, while I'm numb and can't feel it, I feel the bruising the next day!)

Unfortunately, I'm in the same camp as Mems. I have heartburn, now, in addition to the burping. And you're lucky if you're able to burp "all the way". My stomach/esophagus make these crazy noises that my coworkers have deemed "fireworks" and then I'll start to burp but the burps never follow through and out my mouth. (Sounds gross to describe.) Now nearly every time I eat, I get what feels like hot lava in my chest. I'm sick of this, but at the same time, I'd rather remain -86lbs and counting! I just need to switch back to a healthier diet and stop thinking I can eat things like spaghetti or grits. Oh. And I'm a year out, still "burping" even if they don't make normal burping sounds.

Ugh. It's so humiliating when my stomach gurgles its silly post-op burps that sound more like "fireworks" than a genuine burp. Particularly when the entire room I'm in is silent. This happened during an exam a few weeks ago and my friend three rows over told me after, "I wanted to throw you a muffin, you sounded so hungry!" I laughed and said, "I was anything but!" (I'd scarfed down a few peanut m&m's the professor had passed out. Major mistake.) The second time was last night during Scattergories, as everyone was silent, trying to come up with words that started with the letter "R". My crush started laughing. (Thank goodness he knows about the surgery.) Have you guys had any embarrassing stories about stomach noises or other such things post-op? Do you have any suggestions for suppressing the ridiculous noises?

I did a search in the "Twenties" subforum for "rewards" and came up with nothing. Figured I'd start a thread to collect all of the rewards we buy ourselves for our weight-loss, exercise goals, and NSVs. What kinds of things have you already earned as a reward for your hard work and/or what are some of the things you're working toward?

Alright, this is getting ridiculous. Tell me I'm not alone in this, please! Banded 12/30 Period 01/06 gone 01/10 Period 01/15 Still What gives?! A coworker said it happens to her every time she has any type of abdominal surgery. But I'm on the b/c implant, Implanon, and haven't had a TOM since March 2008 when I spotted for 21 days!

@Laurr925: I'm sorry you gained +10lbs when you had that 1cc removed, but that was after a -17lbs loss from dehydration and such. It was probably just your body returning to its current homeostasis. Sounds like the ex(?)fling is able to see just how svelte you're getting, even if you yourself are not enjoying the numbers as much as you'd like. I'm excited for you! I can't wait to hit 220, but right now, my latest baby-goal is 240. My Own NSVs: 1. I pulled on my Lane Bryant Red-Triangle Size-5 jeans (idk what that translates to) and they were so friggin loose. I wore 'em anyway cos I'm bloated this week (TOM) and barely made it down the first aisle at the grocery store before I had to pull 'em back up so I didn't look like a white-girl-wannabe-thug, lol! 2. When I pulled up at the grocery store mentioned in #2, I looked over at the car next to me. Two guys were sitting in there, their window down, and they turned over and looked at me. And then continued to watch as I walked into the store. (Too bad I wasn't wearing my "daaaamn that's a nice ass" jeans, but whatevs!) I stood in the frozen foods section, texting a friend about a song playing on the radio, when those same two guys walked down my aisle, strolled past, and turned their heads as they walked by me. It was bizarre. They didn't even buy anything! O.o Idk, I refuse to believe they were checking me out, bc I looked like a bum, but maybe they were. Either way, it felt good to be noticed. :ohmy:

Oh, wow! I haven't heard of someone having panic attacks before, but it makes a lot of sense if you're prone to them. Going under is a pretty scary thing, mostly because there's always that risk of not waking up. And then when they woke you up, you probably had a panic attack trying to figure out where you were and what was going on. I don't think the IV meds could've given you an issue like that. I know it hurts to stand up straight, but make sure you try to push yourself to walk around the house a little each day, especially Day 3. That's when it's crucial that you walk around to break up the gas bubble(s) that were inserted to inflate your body cavity so the doctors could work easier. If you don't move around, that gas will only increase in pain until you move. Unfortunately, it's not digestive gas that Gas-X will help.

I was banded 12/30/08 and have been eating regular food for nearly six months. For lunch today, a coworker and I ordered Chinese Take-Out. I got chicken with broccoli and steamed rice. Bite #1: piece of broccoli, tiny piece of chicken, rice Bite #2: same without rice Bite #3: same without rice I've taken 3 bites within the past hour (I know we're supposed to eat for 20 minutes and that's it, but I'm working through lunch) and am so uncomfortable. I don't know if my stomach is telling me I'm hungry or if I might PB after another bite. Does anyone know what it feels like to feel full when you know, even with the Lap Band, you still have plenty more room? What do you do to remedy this? Do you just wait on digestion to kick in and eat a couple hours later, or do you continue to eat? :biggrin: I don't think this is an issue where my band is too tight, nor does it feel as if it has slipped. I've come across this problem with certain foods before, namely Pasta. I don't feel the need to PB or burp, I just feel that empty growling but full.

You act like I pay attention to user names! LOLOLOLOL! But you're right- Andrew is a pretty masculine name. :tongue2:

I thought, perhaps, the title of this thread was about whether or not you'll be able to contort yourself in certain positions to perform oral sex- I didn't expect it to be whether or not it's okay to swallow. LOL! The only liquids you should avoid are beer and soda. Everything else is okay, as far as I know. The band doesn't give you a gag reflex. That isn't how the band works. The band can make you PB if you eat too much, but that's entirely different from a gag reflex. A gag reflex is a reflex contraction of the back of the throat,[1] evoked by touching the soft palate. The band is around your stomach...you gag when something touches the back of your throat.

LMAO! I'm glad you clarified that. I was honestly sitting there, staring at your wife, thinking she didn't appear to lose very much over a 2-year period. But then I realized the groom (you, sir) had gotten QUITE thin! Excellent work!!!

Holy cow! You guys blow me away with your success! Not to mention all of the inspiration I get when I read through here, especially with Jane, Drew, and Laurrs little stories of NSV success. (I apologize- those are the only names I can remember off the top off my head.) 12/30/08: I tried to hide the fact that my 22s were far too tight. :thumbup: 07/20/09: I cleaned out my closet and threw out the 22s and the 20s. I picked up a pair of 18s that haven't fit in two years, the "skinny jeans" style in particular (oh, the irony of a fat girl in skinny jeans cracks me up every time I wear them), and those suckers fit!!! Not just "like a glove", but loose! :ohmy: ...and they made my posterior look cute once more! :thumbup: I'm still waiting on my old size 16 Gap corduroys from 8th grade to fit. Along with a number of vintage tees and retro dresses to fit that Mom bought me years prior, that never fit properly.

Thanks, guys! Oh, wow! I didn't even think about all the amusement park rides!!!

I know the thread is entitled "the one thing", but I made a list for my Lap Band Scrapbook last night (yeah, I'm a dork) and figured I'd go ahead and post that here because it never hurts to see everyone's NSV goals. If anything, maybe it will remind someone of something they forgot to look forward to and inspire them to work out extra hard that afternoon! And hopefully that will do the same for me as I read the responses of others! #1: More than anything listed below, I cannot WAIT until I am able to go shopping and purchase adorable clothes with my friends in "normal" department stores and boutiques. While I enjoy helping them pick out cute clothes, I'd much rather sift through the clearance racks for my own self! Others I'm hella excited about in the future: able to shop instore @ Victoria's Secret (I'm a 42DD/DDD now and have to buy bras online.) able to sit with legs crossed like the lady I am able to rock a cute sundress and not look pregnant able to kayak (I think the weight limit is 250) able to skydive (plan to do this in August!!!) able to wear the following sizes: 16, 14, 12, 10 able to walk perfect in high heels no more double chin visible collar bone able to dance at clubs and concerts with confidence able to strut around comfortable in a swimsuit able to look cute wearing things above-the-knee thighs that don't rub together as bad can no longer fit into Torrid/Lane Bryant/etc.

Wow! 45-60 minutes of walking daily is incredible!!! I have an irrational fear that, if I were to take up a daily routine like that, I would run into a plateau and not know where to go from there. I cannot imagine spending more than an hour on cardio every day. I was looking through the "Twenties NSVs" last night/this morning (the first 5 pages, cos it got to be 5:47am rather quickly, lol) and one person mentioned they work out twice a day! My face: O.o;?! I just finished up that third week of my "Make It Work" lifestyle change (Idk, I love Tim Gunn...) and, after the fourth, I'm rewarding myself with an hour-long full-body massage before I "kick it up a notch" with 4x/week. I know what you mean about getting comfortable with having lost the weight to a point where you quit working at it and things just pile right back on. But the most I've ever lost was 61 lbs in 2004 and I was still at 216 when I went away to college freshman year and put it all back on. The gym was too long of an uphill walk. Talk about an ironic excuse! LMAO! I've had a "good cold beer" post-surgery. The carbonation isn't as terrible as soda. (I haven't touched soda! Not willing to take that risk!) But I couldn't drink even half of a Smirnoff Ice. It just wouldn't all fit like it used to. If you do attempt to drink a beer, definitely wait until you're done with your post-op diet regimine and back to eating solid foods and such. Then open the beer and stick it in the fridge with the lid removed and let the carbonation kinda fizzle a bit. Still tastes the same... unless you love head on your beer and then I can't really help ya there. Except I've heard of people taking something like Gas-X before drinking.

That's awesome! Yeah, we all had a zillion hoops we had to jump through. Both your insurance company and your surgeon want to make certain you're absolutely committed before altering your body in such a dramatic way. Congratulations on being able to see that "light at the end of the tunnel". Good luck! Stay on top of your appointments and let us know if you have any questions or need advice along the way! :smile:

Honestly, the surgery itself wasn't a big deal at all. The nerves didn't set in for me until I heard a nurse say, "IV" and that's only because my veins roll, so I wasn't looking forward to it. There's also a Heparin injection they give in your stomach, which wasn't exactly comfortable, but it's no big deal. Just try not to think about it. Once the Verced kicks in, you're golden! :smile: I went in for surgery 12/30/08 and was under the knife by 1:30pm. I had to stick around in "Step Down"/"Recovery" for a while because I was dehydrated and didn't have enough Fluid to urinate 8 oz as the doctor had wanted post-op. They put a bag of fluid through my IV and called the surgeon when I failed, yet again, to use the bathroom. Since my mom is a nurse (and had gone through the surgery herself 03/11/08), he didn't mind her watching me. I finally got his permission to leave and was home by 7:30pm that night. (I live about twenty minutes from the hospital, tops.) I don't remember much of the ride home, just walking from "Recovery" to where Mom had pulled the car around. And I remember climbing the stairs once I got home, having Mom help me position myself comfortably in bed, and passed out from the pain killers/post-anesthesia "La La Land". Recovery after the surgery, at least for me, was a lot faster than I'd anticipated. As a matter of fact, I was up the next morning, walking around, and rode with my family to the beach for our annual "New Years" celebration. I ate out with the family that night, but was so exhausted from the car travel and am overly sensitive to the Oxycodone (it makes me stupid-drowsy), so I slept right on through the "Ball Drop". The third day was probably the worst. Day one and two were no big deal- it didn't feel as though I had five incisions on my torso. I just felt achy. However, on the third day, my stomach started cramping horribly. They were the kind of gas pains that GasX only wished it could relieve. Mom seems to think they were from air bubbles created during surgery, that finally worked their way "out" and had to resettle my stomach tissues/muscle, or something. Whatever it was, all that would help was to walk. I paced up and down the hotel hallway as much as I could, though I went slow as a turtle, and it finally subsided enough for me to fall asleep that night. The fourth day, I was up and moving around, fantastic. Almost fully recovered. Even spent the afternoon shopping with my mother and sister. While everyone recovers different, depending on their bodies and their surgeons, I will tell you that anything is worth the success the LB will bring to your life. But do not, for any reason, regard the LB as a magic device. You still have to diet and exercise just like you would with Weight Watchers or any other program. It just helps you achieve goals long-term, rather than allowing you to yo-yo your way through. I made the mistake of ignoring the "eat right and exercise" part of the plan, so it's been seven months and I'm just now down -54.3 lbs. But I finally started to work out 3x/wk 3 weeks ago and the weight has been peeling right off! Let me know if you have any specific questions. I hope your nerves subside. As has been said before, it's normal to experience pre-op anxiety. You're lucky you only have a day of pre-op dieting. I had an entire month because my surgery had been postponed from 12/15/08 to 12/30/08.

Keep us posted! I wish you a speedy recovery! The first couple days should be pretty decent, but that third day is when I felt more pain and discomfort. I was told this had something to do with my body breaking up the gas bubbles in my torso from where my stomach had been inflated for the surgery. I don't know if that's actually the case, nor why it takes three days to show up, but Dad agreed the third day was his hardest as well. But chin up! It's worth it! Congrats on the weight you've already lost, btw!