JustGav04

Hey everyone. I hope everyone is doing well on their journey! I, unfortunately, am not. I got banded 4/09. The first few months went well and I lost about 35-40 lbs. But then my partner (of 4 years) passed suddenly and I kind of lost it. Basically my band became the least of my worries. I never even had 1 fill. I resorted back to old and horrible habits. I up and moved and detached myself from everyone and everything. :frown: I gained back about 10-15 lbs and pretty much stopped exercising. I am SO disappointed in myself, but when I got banded I was happy, motivated, and everything was going well. I NEVER contemplated suicide, but I am just extremely depressed. I'm sure I totally screwed up my band past the point of no return. I am too ashamed to even contact my surgeon's office after being gone basically 9 months, even though I recently moved back to the area. PLEASE PLEASE I am begging anyone that can help me out! I've gotten a lot of help and treatment regarding my loss over the past year. I feel I am ready to return to the care and attention I gave my band when I was first banded. I have the tools, but I have NO idea where to go from here. Thanks and good luck to everyone else!

Hey everyone! I was just banded April 9th and I've been losing. I haven't been able to get to a scale in the past few days, but since surgery I've lost at least 16 lbs! :wink2: Anyway, I'm 23 and really need help with a few things! 1. How does everyone who is young and still going to bars and nightclubs cope with the situation? ALL my friends are thin and gorgeous and we all love going out and dancing and having a few drinks! Being not even 2 weeks post-op clearly I'm not drinking, but in the future how does everyone deal with it when they go out? My brithday is in August and I'd like to go out and have a few drinks (non-carbonated of course!). What are some suggestions? 2. My friends and I are huge Pens fans and with it being the playoffs we like to watch the games outside the arena (when available), or at a restaurant or sports bar. The problem is this incorperates tailgating and places where sometimes Soup isn't even an option. I've brought in my Protein shakes, but it being a restaurant sometimes I feel self-conscious. Sometimes we go out with people who I don't really know and I'd rather them NOT know I have the band. How do I handle this situation of the restaurant not having anything I can get and handling my post-op diet in front of others? Thanks! My stomach is starting to really heal and I'm feeling myself getting hungry a lot more. I'm sticking to the diet so I don't mess anything up, but sometimes it's SOOO hard, especially being 23 and having such thin friends who love to go out and drink and just have fun! I don't want to be left out, I'm just struggling! THANKS AND HOPE ALL IS WELL FOR EVERYONE!!

Thanks guys! Haha...I consider young I guess more of a generalization...sorry! I know I've seen 80 year olds who are in better shape than me! Maybe they are the young ones :rolleyes2: I am starting to feel a little bit better about this whole thing! You're right about empty calories. I'd rather save them for nutrients and food, rather than a drink or two. I'm 2 weeks post-op and just added in the low fat cream soups and well blended no sugar added, diet yogurt. Not feeling too much restriction (maybe I've hit Bandster Hell?), but I've been doing my best to stick with it! Definitly looking forward to August...hopefully I can buy a cute summer dress!

1. LEARN TO IRISH STEP DANCE!!! I've been OBSESSED with Riverdance since I was 8! :crying: 2. Stop dressing like such a tomboy and shop at Wet Seal, Forever 21, Express, Charlotte Russe, Jones NY&C, and Cache just like the rest of my friends! :crying: 3. Plan a trip with my girlfriends to the beach! Complete with binikis, spa day, and laying out! :rolleyes2:

Hey guys! HORRAY PENS!!! 1-0 in the series! My diarreha FINALLY subsisded Wednesday afternoon. I drank some warm broth and decaf tea and that really helped. Ate some Jell-O too. Butterfly what REALLY helped me with the gas pains was walking with my hands above my head (sounds funny and looks funnier) and getting dissolveable Gas-X strips. Also a heating pad on my tummy helped a lot too. But walk as much as comfortable. As for pain, I took my pain meds (liquid Percoset) for 2 days post-op, but they made me tired and nauceous. I switched to liquid Rapid Burst Tylenol and it has worked even better than the narcotics...for me at least! Good luck everyone!

Banded 4/9 and down 12 lbs! Granted I know that has a lot to do with the 2 day pre-op liquid diet and afterwards most of it is Water weight but I'm still happy! Today I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a slow, but comfortable pace. The rest of the day, until about an hr ago, I had horrible diarrehea. The nurse said that could just be from the anethesia and CO2 getting completely out of my system and also the Barium swallow on the 10th. I'm hoping all that is gone by Wednesday so I can go to the Penguins playoff game against the Flyers! GO PITTSBURGH PENS! :thumbup: Hope everyone else is well!

The gas is usually caused by them inflating CO2 gas into your stomach cavity so they can easily access your stomach. The anethesia can cause nausea, vomitting, diarreha, and other side effects. The anethesia only made me a little nauceous, but the CO2 is really uncomfortable. Takes awhile for it to leave your stomach! At least for me, but it was well worth it! -12lbs!

Had my surgery Thursday, April 9th, at Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh! Dr. Corcoulas is AMAZING! I was scheduled for 1:30PM surgery, so I had to be there at 11:30AM. She requires that all her patients spend the night. Between 11:45 and 1:15 I met with the anethesologist, his assistant, 2 nurses, my surgeon's assistants (she had back to back surgeries all day), and a few other people. I was given the stockings that inflated to help prevent blood clots and the Heparin shot in my tummy. Next a nurse came and started my IV. I hadn't been allowed liquid past 10:30 PM the night before and it was now 1:15 and I was really dehydrated, so she had a rough time starting my IV. She eventually went to the next arm and it was a lot easier there. They gave me Parvadal (spelling?!) to help calm me down. At promptly 1:30 they wheeled me to the OR. I vaguely remember having a mask put on my face, but that's it. I woke up in the recovery room around 3, and asked constantly for my mother (who was upstairs in my room already). They said that I could see her soon! I felt REALLY nauceous so they put something into my IV and I fell immediatly back to sleep. I woke up at 5:45 in my own private room (thank God!). I also remember waking up surprised that I had a catheter! I'm thankful I had it because the IV was running at high since I was dehydrated and I kept peeing like a racehorse! It didn't hurt being in or coming out! I felt pretty good upon awakening. I had pain at the 5 incision sites, but the Morphine Pump REALLY helped! That thing was a lifesaver! I did have severe gas pains, but I was permitted to walk at 9:30, which did help. I had my mom and brother visit. Then my best friend came (I was soooo happy to see her) and my 2 other friends to visit me! It was realy nice to see them. After they left I had a nurse help me take a few laps around the ward (me and a few other Bariatric patients were on the 4th floor-Orthopedic-floor). I got really lightheaded and nauceous so they came and changed my fluids and told me to rest. I had a fitful first night tossing and turning. I ususally sleep on my tummy, but that proved impossible. I did eventually sleep and was woken up at 10AM for the Upper GI and to be discharged. I woke up with EXCRUCIATING pain in my left side. My port was on the right and I had been burping and walking, so my surgeon, after the Upper GI decided to take my temperature and check-in. I had a fever of 100.6 and was very lightheaded and still in a lot of pain so she decided to keep me another night. All day I was in a huge amount of pain. Most likely from gas. I did keep walking and it did eventually help. Woke up that night at 1:45AM and 4:45AM in a cold sweat and came sooooo close to throwing up. Thank goodness for the awesome and caring staff who every time immediatly got me anti-nausea medicine. This morning I woke up feeling better. FINALLY passed gas (through the back door, if you know what I mean lol) and felt A LOT better. Still have some gas pains on and off but the Gas-X chewables/strips really help! The liquid Percoset I've only taken twice today (early morning and around 4PM). Overall they figured that the extreme pain was due to gas and a possible infection at one of my port sites. I've always been suceptible to infecion, so they gave me a few round of antibiotics in my IV. The nurses and everyone was GREAT. So friendly and never lost patience. When coming home DO: 1. Bring a pillow to hold against your tummy..it really helps 2. Have Gas-X chewables/strips ready! 3. Have medicine cups ready to ration your jell-o/drinks I can't wait to start becomming the new me!!!!!

Just got the call today!!! APRIL 23RD!!!! :biggrin:

Definitly can relate to a lot of these! Being 23 (5'2"-216lbs) with skinny, tall, gorgeous friends makes me feel like a big blob of icky-ness! Especially when their tiny 130lb 5'6" frames feel the need to diet because they feel "so fat"! :party: 1. During student teaching having one 2nd grade class call me "Miss Sausage" (in front of my super skinny co-op) 2. Having the lady at the cosmetics counter ask me when I was due (nope, not pregenent!) 3. Going out to eat and feeling like the waiter/waitress is judging me if I get anything other than a small salad with non-fat dressing 4. Going to the mall with friends and having to walk around Forever 21, Wet Seal, banana Republic...basically anywhere other than Lane Bryant...and know that I will never be able to fit in their clothes. And getting questioning looks from the employees (or they just ignore me) 5. Sitting down a little too hard on a wooden chair and breaking the leg (in front of my friend)...mortifying! 6. Being in a bar, a few differnt occasions, and having people bump in to me and say things like, "Move your fat a**" or "I don't want to dance with the fat one"...I cried on a few occasions! 7. Getting stuck in an XL top at WetSeal (Idk why I thought I could pull it off)...having to get a friend to help me! 8. Going to Cedar Point and being too scared to ride a few of the rides because of the new weight limit restrictions. Too embaressed to see if I could fit! I've gone through my 6 months, met with my surgeon, had my psych and nutritional consult (passed!!)...now just waiting to hear from PPO Blue so I can get the rest of my tests (Upper GI, ets...PPO Blue requires you get "preapproval" before you get these other tests). I hope I get banded soon!!

Just in general, how much weight have you all personally lost in 3 months? Just curious!! Thanks!! :wink:

Thanks for the inspirational replies everyone!! I have my 5th/6th meeting on Jan 21st and then I'll be done with meetings/classes in February! If my insurance company (Highmark PPO Blue) approves the Bariatric Surgery Center at Magee Women's Hospital says the surgery is ususally scheduled the next month! I ask because 3 months post-op will (HOPEFULLY) be around June/July and I'd love to maybe be down a size or 2! Thanks again!! Good luck to everyone!!