A New Woman

Muscle Milk Light Milk Chocolate with skim milk. The only protein drink I like. Doesn't have the offensive smell.

I was going to also recommend Muscle Milk Light (be sure to get the "light" brand). The others were very hard for me to tolerate, mostly because the smell grossed me out. But I actually enjoy the Chocolate Muscle Milk Light.

I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not. Please give me your opinion. I was banded 3/12/09 with a Realize band. I'm very, very happy that I got my band. As of today, my scale indicates I'm down 29 lbs. Not stellar like some folks on here that were banded at the same time, but I'm still happy with the results. My confusion is this... I currently have 7cc's in my 10cc band. I've had 3 adjustments so far. My first adjustment was 4cc's, 2nd adjustment was 2cc's, and my most recent adjustment was 1cc. At my last appointment my doc was teetering on whether or not to adjust me because I had lost 7 lbs in about 5 weeks -- so a little more than 1 lb. a week. At that time I explained that with my first adjustment I felt no restriction (even with 4cc's), with the 2nd adjustment I noticed a difference initially but as the weeks went by it got less and less. The bariatric nurse said that she thinks this is a common complaint because people adjust their eating after a few weeks (basically they start to eat around the band). I really don't think I've been doing that and explained to her and the doctor why. So after our discussion we decided he would do another 1cc for a grand total of 7cc's. I am experiencing the same restriction (actually a little bit better) than I initially did after the 2nd adjustment. But I have to say there are still times I probably could eat more, but am stopping myself, and I have never once PB'd, vomited, or gotten truly stuck. I've had a few occasions I could probably count on one hand where I got that uncomforable sensation and I thought I was stuck but it passed after a minute or two. I do not seem to have problem with chicken or anything else. I don't eat hardly any bread but on the few occasions I've had a bite or two, no problem. Is this normal to have so much saline in my band and to not have vomited or PB'd or any significant problems. It just seems like I have so much more saline that most folks on here that I'm wondering why I'm not having any issues.

Thanks Melly! It's good to hear someone who has had a similar experience. It's not so much that I want it to go quickly (well, maybe a little), but rather it just seemed like a lot of saline to not be having issues like sliming or PB'ing. I do make a concious effort to chew, chew, chew, but I don't think I've mastered it yet. So it's just a little surprising. Good luck to you. When were you banded?

Thanks for your reply. I asked the doc at one of my first few visits and he said it was a 10cc band. I think I might ask the nurse to check my records to be sure. He answered me without checking my chart so I'm not sure if he was just assuming that was the size of my band. I do think it's odd that I'm at 7cc's and I still haven't hit my sweet spot. But I can tell I'm getting close. It just seemed like an awful lot compared to the other folks. Not that I'm complaining, but I sometimes wonder if the saline is truly in the band and not leaking. Have you experienced that intial sensation of restriction only to have it lessen in a few weeks? I've heard sometimes it takes a week or two for the restriction to kick in. I seem to be the opposite. Does anyone else think that this is like the nurse said, folks adjust their eating after a few weeks of being adjusted?

Living well and looking good is the best revenge! I say enjoy every moment of it.

Please try not to get discouraged. I know it's easier said than done. I started a blog a while back about how frustrated and angry I was during bandster hell -- after surgery and until my first fill. This is truly the most difficult time because it does rely on willpower since your band is not adjusted. My bariatric nurse told me that another reason besides shrinking the liver for the pre-op liquid diet is to give you a little boost with the weight loss because it will get slow until you hit your sweet spot. If they didn't have you drop some weight beforehand how depressing would it be to only lose a few pounds (or possibly gain) until the band can be filled. I had to wait about 7 weeks for my first fill due to scheduling issues which had my appointment later than I had to be for my first adjustment, and I was very upset because I was hungry and discouraged. Try not to go there mentally because it will get better. I'm not at my sweet spot yet, but I'm a whole lot better since I started getting my fills. My first fill didn't appear to give me any restriction (although I lost 2 lbs in 2 weeks). My second fill I am starting to notice that I am full a lot sooner and I think the scale is being more friendly. My suggestion to you is be conscious of what you are eating and how much, don't become too obsessed with the scale because it will "right" itself eventually, and make sure you have your first fill appointment scheduled so that you do not have to wait unnecessarily for your adjustments. In fact, make a few appointments in advance (you can always cancel them if you don't need them). Lastly, try and tell yourself you are not doing anything wrong, this is just the most difficult phase of the journey and you will get through this. Good luck!

Hello... had my first fill on Monday, 4/27. I got 4 cc's in my Realize band. Not having any restriction yet and no foods are getting stuck yet. Scale not moving yet. I'm okay with it because I know very few people get good restriction on the first fill. I go for another fill on May 11th.

Hello... I was banded on 3/12/09. I lost 12 lbs in the pre-op phase and since surgery I've lost another 7 lbs. But I really haven't lost any since I added soft foods back into my diet. My anger and frustration is that I still have not had a fill. I have no restriction whatsoever, looking for food a lot. Like someone else said on another thread, if I had the will power I wouldn't need the band. I'm reading about a lot of other bandsters who had their surgery on or about the same time as me and they've already had one fill. I couldn't get in for a fill 4 weeks post-op because my surgeon was going to be out of town so I was pushed back one week (5 weeks post op), then I got a call that my surgeon would be out of the office again so now I'm not scheduled for my first fill until April 27, 6 weeks post op. I called the nutritionist to talk to her about what I should or shouldn't be eating since I feel like I've just been left floundering on my own since I haven't seen the doctor since a few days post-op. She was helpful about food choices, but I'm still upset by this whole experience of lack of support from my surgeon. He only sees patients one day a week and is the only doctor to treat the bariatric patients. I don't feel like they explained bandster hell at all and how once the swelling goes down and until you start to get adjusted that it's a difficult time and what to expect. I'm just feeling very disappointed in myself, the surgeon's office, etc. I'm going to Vegas for my 25th wedding anniversary on May 17th and had hoped I'd be 2 months post-op and much further ahead than I am. I feel like if I had started to get my adjustments when I was truly eligible I wouldn't be so upset. I realize this is a journey but I expected more support than this. I think that if I'm not happy with my next appointment and subsequent scheduling of future appointments, I might switch to another bariatric clinic. This is not what I signed on for. (I realize everyone is entitled to time off, but I sure wish someone would have explained when I had the surgery that I wouldn't be losing weight at this stage.) Has anyone else felt like their surgeon just left them hanging in the wind?

Thanks for your input Melissa. As it turns out my surgeon's office would have done my fill sooner had it not been for the scheduling delays. I have been trying to do exactly what you say as far as making life long changes. I gave up pop (for which I was addicted) and am quite proud of myself that I have gone 2 months without even a sip and don't miss it. I have not had cookies, cake, ice cream or other junk and have been making very good food choices, just eating more than I know I'd like to be able to eat. Hence my frustration about the lact of restriction and lack of guidance from my surgeon's office. As I posted earlier, the nurse coodinator was very glad I brought that subject of bandster hell up since she is the one to instruct the classes. I've also begun to exercise on a regular basis. Somehow my lack of restriction and frustration on not really understanding this phase of the journey has been translated into me not following the guidelines of the program. That's okay. Whatever. I'm happy now that I've got the support from my surgeon's office. I have a plan in place for my first and next couple of fills and am more than happy to continue to make the changes necessary. I WILL be successful with my band. Failure is not an option for me. Also I am choosing not to focus any more on these last few weeks. I will, however, offer support and encouragement to others who are feeling frustrated like I have been.

**UPDATE TO MY DRAMA** I spoke with my nurse bariatric coordinator today regarding my frustrations. She was VERY gracious and thanked me for giving her my feedback. I told her that I was simply expressing my frustrations so that others could learn from my experience. She explained that although they try to be thorough maybe they didn't spend enough time focusing on this aspect. Furthermore, that she has done over 200 surgeries and still learns something new from each of her patients. I found it very refreshing that I could explain my frustrations and they be heard by the nurse (and not criticized or have her assume that I was eating the wrong foods, or had unreasonable expectations like some here told me). We talked about how easy it is to drink water, what foods I've advanced to and she agreed that I'm definitely in need of an adjustment. She also apologized for the phone problems and delays in appointment scheduling they had. To mitigate that in the future, she went ahead and scheduled me for some additional fills which we can cancel if I don't need them. So now I feel like we have a plan in place which is great. That is the kind of support I was lookin for and I don't think it was unreasonable to expect. And she certainly understood where I was coming from. Thank you to those who actually heard my frustration and didn't make it about something it wasn't.

Your point about bandster hell not applying to everyone is well taken. However, it sounds like that is not the norm, but hey this band is not a one size fits all and it's trial and error for everyone. I'm going to post an update to my drama so you'll hear more.

BoxerGirl: All I can say is thank you!

You know what, I'm not going to defend my research any more than this last thread. If you knew me, you'd know that I thoroughly research everything. Analyzing, researching and planning is a huge part of my day job. I know how to google and I did google. I read everything I could that I thought was credible. But I will say it again, no one outside of the lapbandtalk forum talked about bandster hell. No, my doctor does not have a weight problem. But his nurse coordinator did lose 150 lbs with bariatric surgery (albiet gastric bypass). They are in the business to treat patients and not only do the surgery but to provide the support and guidance all patients need. Neither of them talked about the difficulty of this phase and they should be educated enough themselves from treating other patients to talk about this phase. They certainly covered the pre-diet and other aspects of this band well. However, they need to incorporate this into their discussions with their patients -- at the very least at the post-op appointment. Just so I'm clear, I tried calling the nurse coordinator the week I started to notice the lack of restriction -- guess what -- NO CALL BACK! I tried calling the following week -- guess what -- problem with phone lines. I get my appointment pushed back, no call backs, and feel like I've been left hanging in the wind and I'm accused on this site of, let me see: *laying all the blame on the surgeon and taking no responsibility *not educating myself and "jumping into this" (I spent a year considering it) *not being aware of what I'm putting in my mouth *being told I have unreasonable expectations but then slamming me for expecting my surgeon and baratric team of helping set reasonable expectations. I could go on... I'm done

Thanks IndioGirl. I didn't mean to imply that willpower was not part of the equation. However, when I had the swelling after the surgery it sure helped tremendously with the willpower. I just want my tool and I want it to work. I guess that's why I'm so eager for an adjustment. Best of luck to you!

Thanks 2Flyguys: You are a very motivating person and have good points without being nasty. I don't mean to come off sounding like I'm blaming my surgeon for not losing. I, and I alone, am responsible for what I put in my mouth. I'm just disappointed that bandster hell wasn't explained at my post-op visit. They tried to explain other things, why not this? Initially, after surgery you think "Wow, this is great! I'm not hungry, I'm satisified on liquid's (mushies, etc.)." Then all of a sudden the swelling goes down and you feel like you did before surgery. It's just very discouraging when you don't expect it. I just think had I expected it more I would have been better prepared for my appointment delays. BTW, loved your other thread on what you have done to succeed with your weight loss! (Loved how you told the haters to stay away... Hard to believe how many uncompassionate people there are that have "been there...")

Katie: Thanks for your constructive advise. Really great to read. Directing my thoughts to my 26th anniversary gave me something to look forward to. thanks again!

First, let me extend my sincerest sympathy to you at the loss of your mother. Losing your mother at the young age of 29 is tough. It was terribly hard for me when I was 41 (3 years ago). Losing your mother is one of life's greatest sorrows. It's no wonder you deviated from the program. Second, wishing you the best of luck now that you are back on track. 30 lbs. down is awesome!

Thank you! Hug received! Backatcha!

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I did do a lot of research on the lap band but the only place I have even learned about lap band hell is here, thanks to people being honest and up front about these difficulties. I know I'm grumpy and probably had some unreasonable expectations. I guess I could have dealt with the 2 weeks delay if I would have understand this phase better. I appreciate your comments. You are kinder than many and didn't imply that I'm stupid like some others here.

Thanks but I still don't see where what you pointed out talks about bandster hell and how difficult this time is and that there is little, if any, restriction during the period after surgery until the first fill. I am no shrinking violet and am not shy about asking questions of my surgeon. But obviously, what I've read, didn't prepare me for the right questions to ask. That's where you rely on your surgeon to inform and teach you. Sorry, but I think it sucks. He should spend more time explaining to his patients what to expect after the post-op visit until your first visit. A lot was explained about the post op diet -- but he didn't talk about fat calories, only the type of food to eat and to make sure it was "soft" and could be cut with a plastic fork. But he didn't spend any time on the lack of restriction. I paid a lot of money (like everyone else here) to have this surgery and I am more than prepared to do MY part, but I expect my surgeon to do his part outside of the actual surgery and spend time on the challenges.

I'm sorry you think I am "mis-informed." I did a great deal of research on the band before my surgery and knew the life style changes that I was committing to. And I never thought the band was a magic bullet (and not sure how I implied that I did). That is one thing my surgeon was very clear about -- it not being a magic bullet. However, what was not explained to me was that during the healing phase you don't have restriction -- plain and simple. Even though I knew you had to get adjustments, I guess I expected that I would have the level of restriction I had after surgery. And I never read that in any research I did prior to surgery about bandster hell. The only place I have read about it is here on these forums. So, yes, I am disappointed that my surgeon did not explain that to me before I was put off an additional 2 weeks. I have read of numerous people on here who have had their first fill at or about 4 weeks.

Hello everyone! I was banded on 3/12/09 -- such an exciting day! When I first came home from the hospital I did feel a tightness in my stomach, I'm sure from the swelling. I didn't have much of an appetite and I definitely felt full while eating full liquids. Today I can move on to the pureed diet. I've been noticing the last few days that after I have new sensations. Instead of feeling full while I eat, the full liquids are still going down fine, I notice about a half our later that I feel a tightness in my back, just below my shoulder blades. It's not a fullness feeling like I expect in my stomach but a strange low grade discomfort in my back. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this my body telling me I'm full? I'd be grateful to hear from others.

My back pain is sometimes when I'm lying down or in the morning. But mostly it seems to be after I've eaten. It's also dull like yours. I'm not sure if it means I've eaten too much or the wrong things or it is just part of the healing process. Since it's not like I feel too full, and I honestly could eat more, I'm not sure if this a new sign that I'm full. It's confounding for sure.