maestrita

Jodi, Your explanation is very good, and I think you explained what I was trying to get at. You don't feel it just sitting there around your stomach, but you do feel it in surrounding tissues. I do wonder, though. Why can you feel an ulcer if there aren't any nerves in the stomach? I am kind of fascinated by this. I think I am going to look it up in Grey's.

Thanks, Terry. I kind of get what I am not supposed to eat. I was hoping to find some ideas about what to eat. I have kind of exhausted the V-8 and canned veggies, and I will be happy to move into the next phase of mushies. I know I saw a thread or article like this, but I can't find it now ;(

This site is so massive. I have spent almost two hours trying to find the thread, article or blog or whatever it was about adding your first veggies that I saw before. I remember it being something like a list of ideas or recipes with veggies when you first are able to add them back in to your diet. Does anyone happen to know where that might be found? Thanks!

I was just banded last week, and I can feel my band and my port. It may be that after the surgery ick wears off you can't feel anything, but I can feel it now. It's hard to explain, but you don't feel it in the way I think you are asking. I imagined that I would feel it sitting there, and I don't. It's like you feel only where your stomach used to go is strangely not available and there is just a firm barrier there. It gets cold when you drink icy stuff, and you can feel it being cold longer than the tissues around it. I am realizing that it sounds grosser than it actually feels.

The port is different, though. I can actually touch my stomach and feel the port and what may be a small section of tubing, or may be a band of inflamed tissue, and it stings every once in a while when I am moving around, mostly if I bend over forward. If I am gentle, I can slide the tissue over the port some, and it like when you slide the skin around over your elbow and the bone doesn't move. I think that will likely subside with time. It is swollen quite a bit around the port, and if it doesn't begin to lie down eventually, I will talk to Doc to see if it needs to be moved. Right now, it looks like a marble halfway embedded in my ab wall. I will never get my six back with a lumpy port in the way!

Hang in there, Rabbit! I wouldn't speed toward a fill until you need one. I have read a couple of posts about folks who didn't need one for quite some time, and from one gal who never did. It will likely be clear to you when you are ready to move to the next step, don't you think?

For real, Nanook. I pay in excess of 15,000. a year for my insurance for my family, and it did not cover my surgery. I would hardly call insurance free. If it were, millions of my countrymen wouldn't be without it at this very moment.

It's my opinion that coming here to vent about the other people who are reaching out for support is inappropriate, and it is hurtful. Haven't we, as patients suffering from obesity, suffered enough criticism already? There are lots of physiological, gender/hormone-related, psychological, genetic, cultural, and lifestyle factors that contribute to obesity. To simplify obesity and weight loss issues would be ignorant and uneducated on my part. Having paid both for the insurance and the surgery, I am really motivated to educate myself on these issues. I wouldn't want to be a hypocrite.

Yeah, I know, this is a lot more than two cents from me, but just one final thought....If one has not ever plateaued in his/her weight loss efforts, I'd say that person is speaking prematurely and has yet to struggle at all with losing weight. If it's that easy, why would a person even need the band?

OK, let me be clear. Apple juice is not going to cut it. I have been at the AJ and benefiber consistently. I had also been drinking a mild senna tea every couple of days. If I'd known, I'd have taken the stimulant laxatives each day to avoid this. I, too, thought it might be like when I had my children. No, man. This is a whole new level. God I am glad to have this forum because I feel like I needed to post to warn folks, but I also kind of feel like I needed some debriefing after such a traumatic experience! I am laughing now, but only because it is over. Ooooh, Lordy.

I was banded a week ago today, and I had the most horrible experience today. I have to tell folks, even though it is gross, because when the doctor told me, I couldn't have imagined exactly what he was talking about until it happened. Excuse the description, but I just don't want this to happen to ANYONE unnecessarily.

At mid-day today, I found myself stuck in a public bathroom, late returning from my lunch break with Constipation so bad I thought I might have to go to ER. I am not joking. I am not being dramatic. It was so bad I chewed a laxative pill in desperation. I had a conversation with God because I wasn't sure I was going to make it. As sweat rolled down my face from the pain, I wondered how I was going to explain this to the school secretary.

Eventually, with a number of OTC remedies, I was OK. I did return to work in time to teach my last class, and after warning my freshman that I was in no mood, they were very kind to me as we finished out the day.

OK, I'll be done now, but if you find yourself in this situation, don't say I didn't try to warn ya.

Thanks Jack. I needed to hear that. I don't have the hunger, but I am bubbly, and it feels just odd. I needed to hear that it is going to feel better at some point. I feel bad for folks who can't be on full liquids to start. I've been lucky in that Doc said anything that'll go through a straw since Day 1. I think I did about 2.5 days clears, and I am on day 3 of full liquids. I think I'll be in this stage for another week or so before I move on to mushies. Thanks for telling us it gets better.

OK, I was banded last Wed, and my stomach still feels strange. It's not painful, but it's like I can feel the different organs and such. It is an ODD feeling. Occasionally, there is a pinch or a touch of gas, but mostly it just feels weird, both to the touch and the experience of it just being there. I was wondering when it is just going to feel like a belly again. Like I am hyper aware of my port and what I think is my band. Does that die down a bit after awhile, or am I always going to feel like I am altered? I imagine it must be something I either get used to, or something that subsides after the swelling is gone, right?

On another thread, a guy recommended the percussion massager for gas trouble. It works wonderfully. I am so glad I had one! I also got some mileage from the down dog yoga position, and making sure I was utilizing the laxatives. For me, the pain meds slow everything down, and that's when I get into trouble with gas. Having had lap surgery for another issue before, I knew to have the laxatives standing by. I recommend something gentle that you've used before, though. You don't want to make things worse by using a product that is too strong.

You are doing very well for weight loss. I don't see what you're worried about there. Before banding, I've never lost weight that fast. It sounds like you are moving around some if you're at a soccer game 5 days out, so that's good, too. Hang in there. It must get better or else all of the folks here wouldn't have done it, right? That's what I tell myself when I feel icky. Hope you feel better soon.

Shingles can be passed on because it is viral, though it might result in pox for some and shingles for others. We've had an outbreak of it at our school with 8 cases this year. Shingles is a herpes zoster virus, and it is very painful. I've not had them, but my assistant did get them this year. I was very concerned bc I've never had the pox, though do have the titer. I am fortunate not to have gotten them. They just have to run their course unfortunately.

TxAmy, I am so sorry you had to deal with the ex-thing, and hearing it hit a nerve I thought had been long dead. I had some similar exchanges when I divorced my first husband, and it hurt like crazy. Later on, I got the satisfaction of him coming and begging me to come back several times during the years that followed. I never said yes, but I did get some satisfaction in that he finally realized he'd missed a good thing. To this day, he still accidentally calls his new wife by my name, and I got so tired of hearing him do that one day, I said "You wish" when he called her by my name.

Just think how bad it is going to sting when we are super hot and skinny! I hope in that moment you feel the satisfaction and relief I felt when I told off my ex. It is so validating when someone has treated you poorly because of health/weight issues...

I am so sorry to hear that you've had trouble. Do get some rest and take care of yourself. Let us know how it goes.

How are you feeling today, Ebar? It sounds like it just kind of got hung up a bit, and I was wondering how you feel now. Did everything resolve itself?

Vala, that is a wicked good idea! It would not have occurred to me to use the percussion massager to break up the gas bubbles, but it ought to work like a charm. Thanks for the tip!

Hey Susie B, How long is your flight home? I wouldn't worry too much about flying that soon. It really is manageable unless you have some sort of complication. I forgot to tell you, though, I was feeling so super, I kind of waited a little too long to take my next dose of medication. I was still fine, but I could've been great if I'd stayed on top of that part. Let us know how it goes.

OMG, Malissa. I am so sorry. When you are up to it, write a little bit and tell us what had happened and how you're doing. I will pray for you.

I am up and moving around after my trip to Denver to be banded. I felt just fine until the second half of the next day, and then it was only this queezy feeling and achy stomach. Honestly, my throat and back hurt more than my stomach did afterward. How are y'all doing after the ops? I am loving Campbell's Soup at Hand!

Well, I went, and it was fine. I had meant to ask him how my liver was, but I kept forgetting. I woke up with a band, though, so I must've done something right. I hated that diet, though. It felt like I was eating bricks. I did not feel balanced whatsoever, and it was hard to find appropriate foods. I am glad that is over. I still don't know what caused the other couple of lbs to come on again toward the end, but this type of weight loss has been typical for me. I have always been so jealous of people who can just do the math with calories and exercise, and it just comes right off like they planned it that way. That has never been the course for me. In any case, eating bricks seemed to work for the purposes of shrinking the liver. All's well that ends well, right?

I was just banded on Wednesday and flew home Thursday evening (last night). The only thing that troubled me was pulling my bag on wheels was more difficult that I'd intended. Doc K, whom I think is wonderful, advised me to walk and walk and walk, so I was doing hotel laps hours after surgery. I was a little slower, but I felt strong enough to get through the check point, catch the mini-train, find baggage, etc. Oh, and remember to get up and move around during your flight so you don't get clots. Other than that, I didn't have any troubles. I just wish I hadn't had the bag to deal with, but it wasn't something I could check. Good luck!

Well, I didn't lose anything initially, like nothing for a full week, and then I lost 6 lbs in two days, then another lb, and now I am back up two lbs. My surgery is on Wednesday, and I am going to be sorely disappointed if this is not what he had in mind. It has been horribly hard (not a diet I would choose to continue), and it will be costing me hundreds of dollars to travel there (my ticket plus the ticket for someone to go with me as is necessary, hotel, rental car...). It will be really unfortunate if I have to reschedule because I didn't understand exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I am going pure liquid today.

I hope I've gotten it right. I will surely post again to let folks know what happens this week. Wish me luck!:confused:

Hey, do you guys want to start an 11-er group? I think it is so neat to have people who have our same day. It would be awesome to hear your stories, and to see how it goes for each of you. I am going to click around to see what features I can find on the site for a group. I think there is a social group tab, but I haven't looked at it yet. Let me know if you're interested! :cursing:

Are you all March 11 banders? That's my date, too. Aussie Trace is a March 11-er, too. If you're an 11-er, let me know, and I'll add you to my friends list. I would just love to know how it goes for you all, and I am so excited for us! We are going to be skinny and healthy and fun! Woohoo!

Yeah, Aussie Trace, we have the same band-birthday! Malissa and LouandBoosMom have our same band-day, too! It's going to be super! I am so excited for us all. Our lives are going to be great!