emmylou

They began to die down for me around week 2 as far as intensity. I took Xanax (sp?) and the pain killers to try to help relax them. I still had them, though not at all nearly as intense, up to a week and 1/2 ago. Seems the need to burp would trigger them. I discovered that if I took quick steady mouth breaths that the burp would sometimes ease on out. I couldn't force them anymore.

They suck badly and I feel for you. I guess it just takes time for everything to loosen up a bit? I hope they pass for your quickly.

I think I was back somewhat in the saddle around 2 weeks post op and very carefully. LOL It's in full great swing now at almost 6 weeks post op. I continue to lose weight and gain confidence and it seems to spur the libido right along.

Mine covered:

Preop psych eval, dietitian pre op class and one post op, two years post op fills and office visits, surgery (the outpatient center, anesthesia, the band, etc.), lifetime support group and some other stuff that I can’t think of now. My package was $17k.

I did the pre op blood work, sleep study, barium swallow, and other testing through my insurance, but they didn’t cover WLS.

I've wondered the same thing. I've read people here say they're full, but I wonder if it's satiety? I'm curious to see in the future. I'm on purees at the moment and I eat when hungry just until I'm not hungry. I have not experienced what I would consider fullness as experienced before surgery. I just get this nice ok I'm not hungry anymore and stop. I get hungry often and wonder if I'm eating too much. If I eat something thicker, like hummus, I stay satisfied a few hours. I think that most of my mushies are just sliding on through. I guess next week it will get better once I begin soft foods as far as satiety.

What is ROSE?

Restorative Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal and they go through your mouth so no external incisions.

Your stomach pouch or stoma (the connection between the pouch and small intestine) may have stretched in the years since your original surgery, reducing the feeling of fullness after you eat. This incisionless surgical procedure restores the size of the pouch and stoma similar to the original post-surgery proportions. Using a new advanced and specialized technology called EOS (EndoSurgical Operating System) that uses very precise surgical instruments, we can create and suture folds into the pouch to reduce its size (in volume) and at the stoma to reduce its size (in diameter). We perform the procedure entirely through the mouth without making any skin incisions. Because of the lack of external incisions, the ROSE procedure is expected to provide significant advantages to the patient including:

• Less risk than more invasive traditional open or laparoscopic surgery
  
• No postoperative abdominal pain
  
• No significant recovery time
  
• Absolutely no scarring
  
• Outpatient surgery (patients go home the same day)
  

I'm still healing and not so concerned about gaining or losing right now. My weight in my signature is from my first post op on 7/16 when they took my weight. I have another 7/30 and will post the new weight then. I won't get obsessive about losing until I'm on regular food and have been cleared to kick arse and take names exercise wise. Right now, I'm just walking and enjoying mushies. They'll be time to scale obsess later I reckon. LOL

I'm not sure where you are located, but my surgeon does perform BOB's and ROSE. I accidentally attended their free webinar on BOB & ROSE when I was checking them out for banding.

More BOB info from their site Advanced Weight Loss Solutions :: Weight Loss Surgery :: Types Of Procedures :: Band Over Bypass

My surgeon's office said no lifting over 10lbs for first 6 weeks, nothing too strenuous for the first 6 weeks but walking, riding a bike, resistance bands, etc. were ok, but not to over do it.

I totally appreciate the need and the want to jump on it and get it going, but I'm gonna wait it out until I'm all the way healed up and cleared before I go back to Curves and bust arse again. I'd rather take the time now than to start early and possible screw something up! :smile2:

Mine is about 3-4" above my belly button in the center. I was expecting it to be more upper mid section toward the side like in the diagrams, etc.

I too noticed that the left side of my port incision was red and mine was actually infected. First I emailed a pic to the PA (trying to save an office visit LOL) and she called me and told me to just keep an eye on it since sometimes sutures want to come out of one end of the port incision for some reason. If it got worse after a day to come in so they could take a look and prescribe anitbiotics. After a day or so the redness around the area got better and there was less drainage, but the incision itself is still red. I have a suture sticking out and can see it. If it's still there this coming Thrusday, I'll have them take care of it at my second post op appt. I ain't pullin' nothing out! LOL

I would call your surgeons office, that's what they're there for. :tongue2:

I must admit that purees do rock. I'm not sure why I was nervous. Perhaps I was looking at my new stomach as this tiny thing in which nothing will fit anymore?

Now my concern is eating too much. I'm not sure how much to eat. I've been eating when hungry and until I'm not hungry, but not until full. I don't know what full is and don't wanna push it. I have noticed that if I eat something thicker like hummus, I get satisfied and do not feel hungry as quickly as I do if I eat green Beans and mashed potatoes.

I'm still supplementing with shakes, but am enjoying purees. Thanks everyone!

I did and had pain too. Mine was mostly intermittent pain that would travel from my abdominal area up my esophagus (the center of my chest). Due to Lap Band surgery we get a lot of gas and due to hernia repair, belching can be painful or impossible. For me, it was impossible which lead to excrutiating pain. Each episode would last a few seconds. I also had shortness of breath related to the hernia repair. I couldn't walk across the room or speak a whole sentence without getting winded. All of this lasted a week and 1/2

Otherwise I had incision pain which would pretty much be the same with or without the hernia repair. I had to sleep propped up for nearly two weeks. Bending and getting up from the sitting or lying positions was painful for about the same amount of time.

Ditto neighbor. Thankfully my "burp spasms" ended last week. I guess I just needed to let the hernia sutures "loosen up" a bit? I'm now able to burp without pain. I had the trouble breathing deep for a few days, and then the spasms. I would take a combo of xanax and lortab and would relax the spasms and me (since they were painful and freakin' me out!). The pain (for me) was bad enough to make me regret having surgery! You never believe it while it's happening to you but it will get better! Try to walk or get out. I did circles in my house just to move some.

Also, the surgeon told my husband that I may not even notice the hernia repair. I think if you have suffered with the hernia prior to surgery, you just may well feel great after it's repaired. I didn't know I had one and wasn't suffering other than controlled heartburn.

My midsection muscle soreness went away last Wednesday. My only pain now is incision tenderness. Other than that, I don't feel like I've really had anything done to me. :thumbup: I'm able to sleep on my belly just fine too for the last few days.

Down 20 since beginning liquids 6-23. :thumbup: We'll see what happens now that I'm doing purees.

It's soo much tougher to do when people around you are eating regular stuff. I can only imagine trying to do it with kids as well!

I went on strike as far as cooking for the last month, I cooked only what I could eat (wasn't much). DH either cooked stuff I didn't like (but the smells would make me want it sometimes) or eat out. Check online for some broth recipes. I decided I'd had enough plain chicken broth early on and made hot and sour Soup broth. I lived on that stuff for two weeks preop and postop in addition to my muscle milke shakes, Diet V8 Splash, Diet Decaf Tea (Turkey Hill is good), Diet Snapple, boxed Soups by Imagine (found 'em cheaper at Whole Foods).

I don't know how long you've been on liquids, since surgeons directions vary wildly, but I think being on a 14 day preop liquid diet prepared me for the 14 days post op liquids. I went through my "crazy woman" stage at days 4 and 5 preop and cheated when the stakes weren't as high.

I've been on liquids for a month, but that ended tonight though wasn't supposed to until tomorrow). :smile: I'm about to post to my blog about how stoned I am on purees right now. LOL

Hang in there! Preop liquids was hell for me, post op wasn't so bad until the last few days. Keep your eyes on the prize that is only days ahead of you! Purees baby!! LOL Even though I was nervous to begin purees, I'm all for it now! LOL

Thank you guys! I’m excited to have something other than liquid, but afraid of what it will do to me, i.e. upset stomach, pain from over doing it/not knowing the limit, getting hungry 15-30 minutes later even after having a Protein, getting liquids in between meals etc. Just general transition anxiety I guess. I reckon I’ll have it again in two weeks when it’s soft chews and I’ll hate to see me when it’s regular food! LOL I’m attending a band support group tomorrow night and will pose my fears. I’ve already mentioned my anxiety to the surgeon at post op and he said just to take it slow and listen to what my new stomach is trying to tell me. I’ll give it a shot!

Hi everyone, I haven't been banded... yet. Am hvg surgery on Aug 7.

Right now tho, I am struggling with my hypoglycemia on the pre-op diet. The low calories (about 1100-1200) combined with exercise means I am always right on the brink of having my blood sugar plummet. So if for example, I miss my 10 am Protein shake I am pretty much guaranteed to have a headache or be tired in the afternoon. I work so a) I need to feel ok, and I get stuck in meetings etc and sometimes miss my "feedings".

Did anyone else struggle with this on the pre-op diet? What worked for you

It's funny that I do not "crash" when I'm on low carb diets. The pre op was more mentally tough for me in wanting yet more crap that I wasn't allowed to have than crashing from not having enough sugar. I did not set out to exercise on pre op liquids because I KNEW the my cal/carb restriction would make it near impossible to function AND exercise and not starve worse that I was already. If I was hungry, I drank even if it meant going over my daily cals, but I kept my carbs below 50/day and always in ketosis. My liver had shrunk well anyway! I

My glucose tests from a few years ago revealed I'm insulin resistant (the PCOS thing). Before beginning my preop liquids, if I had myself a hearty McDonalds Breakfast (mcgriddle or bagle sandwich) I could guarantee you I'd crash in a few hours and have to eat something else to stop the shakes and cold sweats. It ain't fun. This would usually happen with any carb overload followed by nothing for a few hours.

If I'm consistant on a low carb diet, I never crash like that. I guess the crash follows a spike?

I am fearful and having anxiety about beginning full time mushies Tuesday. I did mess around yesterday with a tablespoon of mushed up fries and ketchup and stopped once my belly wasn't rumbling (though it began again 30 minutes later and I had a shake.) Even though my belly wasn't by any means feeling full, I wasn't hungry either and I stopped. I wanted to continue to eat though just because it was sooooooooooo freakin' good.

My fear is that I will push it and experience pain or stretch my pouch. I'm also afraid that I will not be able to get all the liquids in between eating puree's. I went shopping today and got all kinds of stuff that will probably last a damn month though purees are for 2 weeks.

I'm excited to taste something OTHER than chocolate Protein Shakes again but fearful of screwing up too. Is this normal? LOL

The psych lady at my surgeons office mentioned that some people (usually men) find that they get enough restriction just by having the band there and never feel the need for fills. She said that women typically need fills because of all the estrogen. I'm not sure how the estrogen comes into play, but I thought it was interesting.

That's great! I hope to have the same outlook when I too reach maintain mode. :smile:

I find GasX melti strips work more quickly and are more effective (for me) when dealing with intestinal gas than the chewable or pill forms.

I wouldn't mind burping since I can't do that all they way on my own just yet. :scared2:

Do you know if you had a bonus hiatal hernia repair during surgery? I did and couldn't take deep breaths for almost 5 days. The surgeon told my DH (not me) that I may have trouble taking deep breaths or I may not even notice the hernia repair! I would "pant" a little if I was walking somewhere (even slowly). I too would have the unexpected body reflex of "take a quick deep breath". I also began having spasms in my esophagus because it appears that the surgeon took away my ability to burp when needed.

All of this stuff has eased and I can pretty much breathe like normal now. I called the surgeons office a couple of times ANY time I felt something unexpected or weird to get their advise.

It's funny you should ask. I thought I would be able to tell where mine was by the incision, but I'm not sure. I have a general idea where it "could" be, but I'm afraid to press.

All of the literature shows the port being on the left or right up around the rib cage right? My largest incision is about 4" above my bellybutton smack dab in the middle of my belly. I should find out tomorrow at my post op where the sucker is.

My hunger came back as gurgles after a few days and has progressed to knowing for certain that I can now starve again. My surgeon suggested getting on the shakes as soon as I could tolerate Water well, and that's what I did. They also said anything that begins as liquid and can be sucked through a straw could be permitted.

Post op liquids hasn't been so bad (14 day pre op liquids was hell for me) though I'm trying to get as much protien in as possible. I've been having boxed Imagine Soups for lunch and dinner, they seem to help as well as the muscle milk light that I've been putting away to keep my protien up.

I hate to admit it, but I think the pre op diet prepared me for now. I think about food sometimes when I allow myself to get too hungry, but if I stay on top of it, it's usually not a problem.

I'm hoping to start mushies next Tuesday and I reckon I'll begin cooking again. LOL I've been planning menus in my head of stuff I'm curious to see if I can get it into a food processor and still come out tasting good.

I guess we just have to hang in there?

Thanks everyone for your replys. I'm actually shocked to read all those who are taking childrens chewables. My nutritionist said not to take them that they didnt have what was needed for an adult. I was just hoping I could find something other than this Orange / Citrus flavor.

Thanks again!

The ones I just posted have children and adult dosages on the label.

I am taking Childrens chewables, with Iron. Right now the Walmart brand. They taste good, and you only need one. Some of the brands you need two.

What is cool is that they are way cheaper than adult chewables. You can compare the labels too, to see the nutritional values yourself..

Me too. One of the brands suggested by my surgeon is available at Walmart. They're OneSource Active Kids Complete (has 100% daily for iron). A bottle of 250 was $8 I think. They take me back to the days of thinking Flintstones Vitamins were candy. They're sugary, but they get the job done.