lompocbander

Katydid, I would have to agree with your GP. In my opinion, and in my experience, the difference between surgeons is HUGE. For example, when I had to have my thyroid removed (cancer), my endocrinologist highly recommended one surgeon over another, though both were board certified, etc. etc. and working within our same medical group. After, the results were amazing; no pain, no scarring, not a single problem. My endo said that he can look at a patient's scar and knows which surgeon did the work; the good surgeon does a good job, but the great surgeon performs a miraculous job! So, when I decided on a band I did my research. I found a surgeon that does the operation hundreds of times per year, as well as gastric bypass. (On the day he did my surgery, he did three others.) Of the many, many hundreds of operations he had done, he not only had never had a single death, he also had never had a single major complication. That is, his bands don't slip, his gastric bypasses don't leak, etc. etc. He wasn't the cheapest doctor around, though. However, I know better than to be "penny wise and pound foolish" (as my ma taught me!)--getting the band done correctly can save the cost and time later in getting it corrected. And, having my own business, any time taken off of work to be sick is expensive, so getting things done right was not only important to me health-wise, but also financially. Please, reconsider. If the doctor you have been using has so little regard for your health that he is willing to allow you to suffer with the problems you are having, I think you need to look elsewhere. Do the research on whatever doctor you consider: how many times does he/she do this kind of operation? With what rates of complication? Here is a way I do some of my research on doctors; I talk to my GP or other trusted doctor and ask "if you (or your wife) were going to get this operation, who would you go to? Why?" As far as the money goes, I'm guessing friends and family will help out with loans to get you through this if you can't come up with it on your own. Or, perhaps you might be able to work something out with the doctor (that's what I did, I make monthly payments on what I owe.) Anyway, we are all concerned about you and want to see you get the best care possible. I just think your GP is right, and remember that doctors rarely tell a patient to find a different doctor unless they really think there is a good reason for you to do so.

How much does your band hold and how much was put in?

I have some family that is supportive, and those, I have reached out to. Other family is not the supportive type, and those I haven't even told about the surgery. I figure that can wait for some future date, after the weight is gone and I'm stabilized at my target weight; they've shown themselves not to be supportive during past times when I tried other weight loss efforts, so I don't expect them to be supportive now. I work so many hours that finding time to do a support group where I would have to drive an hour to get there and and hour back just doesn't seem worth it to me now, but that's why I asked, to see if I'm missing something important. As it stands, I have just about enough time in the day and week to work, exercise, do my artwork, spend time with my husband, visit family, sleep and keep up the house, and that's about it. Something would have to be dropped to add in group meetings, just doesn't seem worth it.

Best of luck, all of us are sending prayers and thoughts your way. And also towards your surgeon that he may do the very best job possible. (And I wish I could send you my surgeon, he is the best, but let's hope all the positive vibrations do the trick.) As you go under anesthesia, picture yourself surrounded by loving friends, all picturing the best possible outcome for you, helping everything go perfectly, helping you have success with the operation and the fastest and smoothest healing with the best outcome ever. (There's been a lot of research on the effect of positive thinking on outcomes from surgery, it is really possible to make things go better through these techniques.) So, we're there with you in spirit, surrounding you with a circle of love and attention, making sure that everything goes well, that you are well taken care of, that you know you are deeply appreciated and important. Good luck! We are waiting to hear how well it all went! :smile::thumbup:

Thanks for asking! Got 1cc in an 11cc band. He just poked in the needle and filled, no problem there. I don't feel any different, but one cc isn't much fill. I'm really not sure how much fill I should have...now that the pain is finally gone (it took me almost 6 weeks to heal and get off the liquid diet) I'm hungry all the time, but food gets stuck so I don't eat a lot. But I think I'm still confused about how it is supposed to feel. The doc isn't much help with questions (but he sure is a good surgeon.) I mean, for Breakfast today I had one egg and about 1/4 a potato. It got a little stuck, but not bad. Now, half an hour later, I'm really hungry. From what I've read, that isn't how I should feel, so I'm guessing more fill should help. I don't have my next appointment for another 6 weeks. Anyway, in the meantime, no big deal. I'm used to being on a constant diet anyway, always being hungry and never full--I mean, it's why I wanted the band in the first place, since to just maintain a weight I need to keep my caloric intake low and exercise high, but I want to do it without always being hungry and feeling deprived, so waiting a little longer to get to that point is just no big deal for me.

Good luck! You made a good decision, and you will be happy to see that it works for you!

Dan2001--TOO FUNNY! I love it!

My husband didn't either! I told him that, though I valued his opinion and wanted his support, it was my decision and that I would obtain support elsewhere if I needed to. I also let him know that I hadn't decided between the band and bypass (during the deciding phase). He did some research and came down heavy on the side of band, if I really HAD to do something. (His weight issues and mine are opposite, all our marriage I've had to make two versions of dinners, one with low fat and low calorie for me, one with high calorie for him, as he is very thin and it is hard for him to get his weight up, while it is hard for me to get mine down.) When I had the surgery I asked him to go do something else, not hang around the hospital (he has little patience for medical stuff). And his tolerance for being helpful after lasted about two days--poor baby, he just isn't the nurturing type! But, we've been married just about forever (since 1972) so I'm used to this and not at all bothered by it. Anyway, I think there were a few things that bothered him/worried him, and so I dealt with these, either directly or indirectly. I'm guessing you might have similar issues. 1. He won't admit it, but he feels insecure when I am "sexy". He feels like other men look at me and desire me, and he doesn't like it. So, he undermines my efforts to lose weight. The only way I can counter that is indirectly, as he can't admit the issue. I just have to make sure he feels completely and unconditionally loved. 2. He worried about the surgery and possible danger. I countered that by giving him the statistics on mortality and complications on this surgery type generally, and then specially from my surgeon. That took care of that. 3. He worried about how me being out of commission would effect him. (Hey, he is a guy, not to be sexist or anything.) I made sure he knew I would be cooking for him, even if I wouldn't eat it, would get stuff prepared and frozen ahead of time, would not need his help after the surgery (lined up a sister to assist), and made sure that I was ahead financially to be able to afford some time off work (being self employed.) So, maybe try making your own list of what you think would be his main objections, or see if he can help you with that list if he is a more Enlightened kind of guy, and then knock them down, one at a time. But the best argument is that you want to live and be here for him as long as you can, live to a ripe old age, and hey, look around you--you don't see any fat old people, do you? That's because fat people don't LIVE to be old, they die much younger.

OK, so I just got back from my first fill--it went ok, got 1cc in an 11cc band. But my doc isn't very helpful, isn't much into answering questions, makes me feel dumb for asking them, kinda rolls his eyes. (And it bugs me that he doesn't remember me from one visit to the next ). Anyway, I told him things get stuck, but that I am constantly hungry. He found that very odd. When I asked if food getting stuck like this was normal, he said I should be in a support group. I told him yes, I am, in an online group, then he said "well, I think you need to go to a group with other people, meeting in a room." Hmm. I don't especially want to drive an hour to go to a support group, and I also think an online group is getter because we get to support eachother 24/7, not wait until the next meeting. But I can see the point in that it's kinda hard to point at my chest and say "my food gets stuck HERE, is that happens to you, too?" So, what do you all think?

I go in for my first fill on Tuesday. I'm worried as I already can't eat much and don't have any fill! Hopefully it won't restrict me too much...

Wow, I was banded 12/22 and I haven't started solid food yet! I haven't had a fill yet, but even soft food gets stuck for me. For example, if I eat scambled eggs that are too dry, I take a bite, it seems like it went down fine. Then I wait for a half a minute, take another bite, wait, take another bite. That's when I realize the first bite never DID go down and now all three are stuck! It hurts for a few minutes--maybe three minutes, but it feels like a LOT longer, then it all goes down. Don't know if it is different for other people, but that's how it is for me. I'm working at eating things a little more solid. Tried some fish, but I think I'll wait for a while before I try it again! Good luck on the solid food, hope you can do it faster than I've been able to do it!

Thanks for the encouragement, I sure hope so!

Thanks, Jack. I just keep thinking that if I wait, it will get better. And it is getting a little better every day. Last night I slept from 10pm to 6am, the first night I've slept through, and woke up in only moderate pain. Maybe I really am on the mend. Reading other posts, it looks like there are some people that never quite have smooth sailing with the band but keep it anyway.

I was under the impression that the surgery would be fairly easy to recover from and that I wouldn't miss too much work. Now it's four weeks post op and I still am not feeling so great. Slept off and on a good part of the day today. In the past four weeks I've probably put in three full work days. :tounge_smile: Especially difficult since I run my own business, and if I'm not working, there's no income! I had a hiatal hernia repaired when the band was done, and now I've been told that makes the recovery a lot slower. It feels like I swallowed a large pointy metal Christmas ornament that is poking into my esophogus, heart, stomach, intestines and any other body parts nearby. It's both sharp pain and dull pain, and still wakes me in the middle of the night. Now I'm at least sleeping five hours or so at a time, but still wake up feeling like everything is on fire. It's the normal process of healing, I understand, as there is no fever or sign of anything wrong other than it being painful. I am just looking forward to the day that I am back to my healthy self again!

I was under the impression that the surgery would be fairly easy to recover from and that I wouldn't miss too much work. Now it's four weeks post op and I still am not feeling so great. Slept off and on a good part of the day today. In the past four weeks I've probably put in three full work days. :thumbup: Especially difficult since I run my own business, and if I'm not working, there's no income! I had a hiatal hernia repaired when the band was done, and now I've been told that makes the recovery a lot slower. It feels like I swallowed a large pointy metal Christmas ornament that is poking into my esophogus, heart, stomach, intestines and any other body parts nearby. It's both sharp pain and dull pain, and still wakes me in the middle of the night. Now I'm at least sleeping five hours or so at a time, but still wake up feeling like everything is on fire. It's the normal process of healing, I understand, as there is no fever or sign of anything wrong other than it being painful. I am just looking forward to the day that I am back to my healthy self again!

I'm a quick healer--mine were healed within a week, completely closed, no scabs, just nice pink lines. Now I'm 4 weeks out and there's no more lumpiness around them. I'm waiting to get my fill since I am still internally sore and can't yet eat solid food, just liquids, but I was wondering where my port is? How do you know where it is? I keep trying to feel it, but I don't feel anything that seems like a port.

Hi all, I'm new here, but looking forward to having a mutual support group! I'm 4 weeks out from being banded, healing very slowly, still on liquids (can't eat anything even semi-solid yet, it gets stuck, and WOW, does that HURT!) I was scheduled for my first fill next week, but I have moved my appointment for two more weeks off, no way I need a fill when I can't even eat yet! But, the good news is, since I started with the pre-op diet and have had to stay on liquids for a month since, I am already down 30 pounds of the 110 I am trying to lose! I am looking forward to eating food again, some day...

It's unlikely that it is "stuck"--there's nothing for it to "stick" onto. The band is not so tight that the gum won't go through the opening. I think if you're drinking and still peeing, that shows that you're passing fluid through, so there isn't anything obstructing the passage. If it was stuck, you would feel it and your body would try to eject it back out--that's my opinion. By now I think you've probably figured out the gum is not a good idea, right?

I'm four weeks post op but still in quite a bit of pain. By now I am supposed to be able to eat scrambled eggs and tuna, etc. but even though I eat very, very slowly it really hurts and gets stuck, so I'm sticking with liquids for now. Even yogurt can get stuck! I had an hiatal hernia that was fixed at the time the band was installed. I was up and walking around as soon as I got to my room after surgery, but they kept me overnight as my "vitals" didn't look good. I was planning on taking a week off work, but the pain was so bad that three weeks later I was still not able to do much but walk, sip fluids and sleep. Now I am off pain meds but still wake up really sore, and can't quite get anything much down. My doctor says the pain is because the hernia repair involves a lot of stitching of the muscle tissue. Normally I heal incredibly fast, so this has been a real surprise for me. I insisted on getting an upper GI, and everything looked textbook--restriction right where the band is supposed to be, and no hernia. Anyone else here had a hernia repair and had pain for so long after the band was installed? I just want to start feeling good again! I'm beginning to wonder if I will always have this pain?