moonbeam

Raelita, Thanks for the encouraging words. I really like your idea about a the charmes! I think I might just do that too! I would love to keep in touch and share the joys of success and also the bad moments to cheer each other on. You are right, we can and we will do this!

Yay! great news for you both. I just squeeked in before they go on holidays for a fill. They are letting me get one at 5 weeks so I don't have to wait 8. Thank Goodness! I can't wait for the band to start "working"

Thanks Amy I'm trying. It's hard to change old habits of thinking and to convince myself that this time will be different, when that's what I've said to myself ever time I started a new diet. BUT this time WILL be different because now I have this great tool to use, and it's not a fad diet or a magic pill, it's going to help me change my behaviour and hopefully my head and thoughts will follow.

Berry that sucks! Are you getting fills? I know that's only part of it, but shouldn't that help a bit? HUGS to you.

Thanks everyone for letting me know your experiences, it's good to know I'm not alone, and that there is a solution like the port being movable. I didn't know that was possible. Guess I'll worry about that down the road when I've lost the weight I want to lose.

HUGS! Thanks Lingling! :tt2:

Since surgery I've only lost 5 pds. (15 total including pre op diet loss) It's been a large bump from day one, but I've been hopeing it would go down.. it hasn't. I started out at a BMI of 35 and am told that's less than average..maybe that's why?

My port lump is very noticable. If you place your hand on my stomach you can feel it. You don't have to press, it's an obvious lump. It reminds me of being pregnant and haveing a foot or an elbow jabbing be. Is this normal? Will this go down? I had surgery just under a month ago. :tt2:

I was banded here on the 14th of April. A good experience thus far.

This may sound like an obvious question, forgive me I'm a "new" bandster and have not had my first fill.. but wouldn't getting a fill help with that? If it was all about will power none of I would be here in the first place right?

I wonder if I am alone in my fears. My fear that even though I have spent thousands of dollars, put my body through the trauma of surgery, have a lump that feels like a baby's elbow poking out of my gut, have this amazing advantage over the average dieter..even with all this.. I still won't lose weight and keep it off. :tt2: I worry that I won't be able to follow the simple guidlines, or that I will be the freak that this doesn't work for. I suppose this is part of bandster hell. Other than my port lump and the lovely frankenstein like scars on my belly I feel like nothing has changed and that scares the heck out of me.

BG, omg that's a crazy post op diet! I don't blame you for cheating! It's weird how different some Dr's are. Mine for instance had a strict pre op diet, but the post op had no guide lines for calories, just liquids, mushies and solids in that order. Within 3 weeks I'm eating regular food and having no problems with that. I can't image being on such a low cal diet. Hats off to you girl, you're doing a great job! Hang in there.

Hi Lilith, My post opp diet said liquids for the first few days, then when you feel up to it move on to mushies, and then if it doesn't hurt...go ahead and eat it. I was eating real food within 2 weeks. I double checked with my dietician and she confirmed I could eat what I wanted as long as there was no pain and vomiting. I am not just past 3 weeks and it's like I don't even have the band. I get full a bit faster but that's it.

I asked my doc about this for the very same reasons you have all mentioned. He told me I would have to work very hard to stretch it. As in keep eating after I feel full..and then some, and to do this more than a few times before the pouch becomes stretched. That and the fact that because the band hasn't been filled yet..there isn't much of a pouch to be stretched yet.

what is "normal" or the average for a fill?

That's the first I have heard about the surgeon taking out the gall bladder as a rule of thumb... mine didn't although they did fix a hiatus hernia. Is is normal to have the gall bladder removed? Do lots of people have this done?

It took me about 2 weeks to be able to sleep on my side/tummy comfortably again.

Ahh gas pain. Yes I had it. Still do sometimes I think? It's hard to identify the feeling. It's like a stabbing pain in my left shoulder, like a pinched nerve almost. I get it at the weirdest times. I have found walking, water, and gas x works. Also fibre.. I've bought some benifibre and have started to get things moving.. lol Every little bit seems to help. I have to remind myself my insides area different now. Sk how did you know if something was stuck? I've got no restriction what so ever, but I find if I do eat too much my port area hurts, and I get a bit of a stabbing pain lower down in my gutt. Is that stuck or just full? lol

Hey Canadian Girl, You can totally do this! I'm doing pretty good, although not too happy that I can eat normal food... if that makes any sense. I suppose I can't eat as much of it. I have to stop because if I don't it does get painful. It feels like a lot of pressure where the port is and a tightness in my chest. I'm having a hard time getting my brain to catch up to my stomach. My brain just wants to kick into old habits and keep on eating. I suppose it's all a learning process! Keep us posted on how you are doing!

Hi Canadian Girl, Yes that pre opp diet is crazy. I hated it. I ate a HUGE salad while my family was eating their supper. I found that at least that way I didn't have to sit there doing nothing and putting nothing in my mouth while they all chowed down. I also found having herbal teas's like peppermint helped. After surgery I stayed on liquids for about 2-3 days, and then went to mushies... then for me at about a week or so post opp I found I could eat what I wanted again. I spoke to Danielle (the dietician) and she said go for it.. if it doesn't hurt or make you vomit eat carefully and chew well. Everyone is different though.

Caltrate chewables are good. They come in vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. They are almsot like a chewy candy.. i have to stop my 6 yr old from eating them.

I feel so ripped off, these staples were not necessary it sounds like, so i wonder why the surgeons used them. P.S yay for those of you who don't have any problems and are happy with the results!

Staples! :-( and I'm not happy about it. My skin reacted very badly and became red and inflamed around them. They left them there for 2 weeks. The staple scars are worse than the surgery scars! My port scar..the big one doesn't seem to have healed right either, it's very bumpy and ridge like. I'm thinking about calling them and asking if that can't be fixed somehow... for pete's sake they are plastic surgeons! I know in the grand sceme of things it's not that big a deal, but I feel like crying whenever I look at it.

I was worried about that too. I have Bi-Polar II disorder. I was honest and had no problems. I really think it's about realistic expectations.

pharmagirl, I can totally relate and it's not a dumb question at all. I know personally I wasn't hungry often before the lap band journey (due to eating all the time I'm guessing...) so when hunger hit.. I didn't know if I was sick or what! Turns out I was hungry. It's hard to distinguish between head hunger and "real" hunger. Personally the physical hunger is way easier for me to deal with than the head hunger.