pixistix

I've heard it suggested to carry a small pillow and hug it against your stomach when you cough. Hope you're feeling better soon.

I'm right there with you. I finally just reached good restriction and it's like a whole new world has opened up. Before that, I was gaining and losing the same 3 pounds over and over. Now the band is really starting to work. Keep getting those fills and hang in there. It will get better.

Yes, don't worry about the scale while you're recovering from surgery. Your body has undergone a significant trauma and it will behave strangely for a while. Drink Protein Drinks, kefir, (whatever's on your post op list) and rest.

For me, it's been very important that I eat a healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. A Protein shake, some almonds, yogurt, cheese.... Something. Otherwise, if I let myself get TOO hungry, my judgment becomes impaired and I get mad cravings for JUNK!!! With a good snack in me, it's much much easier for me to make intelligent choices.

You're very newly banded. Frankly, you're body is still recovering from the trauma of surgery. I wouldn't worry too much about what the scale says right now. Just eat healty, exercise, get your fills, and it will all fall into place.

Before I had good restriction, it was very depressing. I felt like a failure and like it would never work for me. Nothing had really changed. Now that I have restriction, it's like the difference between night and day. Things are really starting to get much better. I can't eat anything like I used to and I don't want to. It's absolutely great -- and it will happen for you. Get your fills, eat as healthy as possible, exercise to the extent that you are able. But be patient! Big changes will happen when you have restriction -- that's when the Lap-Band actually starts to work! Please don't give up before the miracle!

Yep, just water for me too. I didn't even get a barium swallow test after surgery. I did one as pre-op testing (yuck). Now only when there's a problem.

My doc is pretty easy going. He just tells me to "take it easy" for the rest of that day. Though after my last fill, two days later, I had some swelling and regretted not chewing my food better at Breakfast that morning.... But for me, fills have been weird. From the second one, I didn't feel much. Then two WEEKS later, all of a sudden it was tighter. As I got closer to restriction, I needed to start being careful all of the time. (ie, taking smaller bites, waiting longer between bites, eating only a small amount of bread, etc.)

Yes! Don't give up! Restriction is just around the corner. I had a little restriction after surgery, and a bit more after the first fill. Now I have 7 CCs in a 10 CC band and, for me, it is perfect. It is like the difference between night and day. NOW I feel like I actually have a Lap-Band. Now I don't think I should stop eating. I simply can't eat anymore. After, for example, half a sandwich I'm full. I chew pretty thoroughly and I start to slow down between bites about halfway through my 1/2 sandwich (or whatever). In that waiting time between bites, I can feel whether or not it's okay to take another bite. When it's time to stop I can tell. If I don't stop at that point, I will get a very sharp pain in my chest. If I go past that (which has only happened once or twice), then it gets really gross. Sliming, etc. You can read all about that on this forum. But the big deal for me is that it's not hard to stop eating when it's time. I'm full, I feel good. I'm done. That old drive to overeat no matter what the cost doesn't come into play. It's a different sensation, and for me, right now anyway, it's working great. I've had good restriction for about 5 weeks and I couldn't be happier with it. Good luck to you!

Another poster has been very informative to me on this subject. Perhaps she won't mind if I quote her here: My hair is falling out by the handful too, but I'm thinking good thoughts, getting plenty of nutrition and sleep and hoping that it stops soon! :cursing:

Hi Trazola, All you can do is eat good nutritious food and exercise to the extent that you can. It's terrible waiting for real banded life to begin. I've had good restriction for about 5 weeks and it's WONDERFUL. Absolutely worth the wait.

Wow, yogurt is a nutritional powerhouse. My nutritionist encouraged me to eat yogurt and keifer. Weird. As far as "bandster hell," I had a terrible time with it. I slipped very quickly into bad habits and it was a terribly depressing time. The good news is... once you have restriction, it's a whole different world. After three months and two fills, I had 7 CCs in a 10 CC band. And only then did I feel like I actually had a band! And believe it or not, I think it was kind of a good thing that I had a few months to adjust to the new lifestyle. After surgery, I had some restriction. After the first fill, I had a little more. Now I have a lot. For instance, I made myself half a sandwich for lunch today and couldn't finish it. It's wonderful, but boy, it takes some getting used to! I wanted that damn sandwich! But I couldn't eat it. Couldn't. Period. If I had continued I would have had a sharp pain in my chest and eventually would have gotten sick. And I was able to stop pretty easily, because I was full. To me, that's the difference between having a band and not having one. Before, I couldn't make myself stop eating just because I knew I should stop. Now I have to stop. I'm able to stop and I feel good afterwards. Because NOW I have a band. When it didn't have enough saline it yet, it wasn't fully operational. Now it is. I would definitely echo what emjay and jensmallwood said about eating healthy, exercising to the extent you can, and hanging in there. It WILL get better. Best of luck to you all on your journeys.

Hi guys, I'm in Long Beach (Hi AmySunshine!) It's too bad most of us are so far apart -- we could start our own IRL support group! I was banded 4/22/10 and have had good restriction for about a month. Now I'm really starting to feel good. Good luck to all.

CIB was recommended to me as well, but they didn't mention sugar free. I was so miserable during the liquids phase, that I didn't worry too much about "dieting" till I felt better. And I found instant breakfast, with 2% milk, to be very comforting during that time.

The port is under your skin. They access it with a needle/syringe for fills. (Don't worry -- it's no big deal.) Ask all the questions you want. That's what we're all here for. Good luck!

My second fill -- for a total of 7 CCs in a 10 CC band -- did the trick. I have what I consider perfect restriction. I can still eat just about anything, just not very much. I had a little restriction after surgery and a little more after the first fill. But now it's like the difference between night and day. Now I really feel like I have a band!

I now have 7 CCs in a 10CC band and I think I'm at my "sweet spot." I'm very satisfied with the level of restriction I have now. But I'm really surprised that I'm not losing weight faster. I understand that it's a slow process and I have to do my part.... But I'm eating SO MUCH LESS than I was before, I'm just amazed that the weight isn't falling off like crazy! Ah well, I'm going to just keep at it and trust that the results will come.

I had terrible nausea post op, but it went away after 8 days. Just try to take it easy and rest until the swelling (of your stomach, with the band around it) goes down. As long as you can keep some liquids down, I think you're okay. If not, or if it lasts much longer, call your doc.

I had absolutely ZERO pain. Of course they give you narcotics in the hospital. And I took the prescription pain med for one day. I slept in a recliner for a couple of nights just to be on the safe side. But I never felt one bit of pain. The post-op gas pressure was uncomfortable in my neck and one shoulder. A heating pad helped a lot with that. I did have a fair amount of nausea for a week after surgery. Definitely give yourself at least a week to heal and take it easy.

My doc told me to take it easy for 4 weeks post op. Surgery is such a shock to the body, he said to concentrate on healing. Drink plenty of water, get enough protein, rest, etc.

I didn't experience that exact thing, but I did have quite a bit of nausea until the swelling from surgery went down. For me, that took 7-8 days.

If you're losing 1-2 pounds per week, you may not need a fill. Talk to your doc.

Doctors vary widely in how much they give per fill. For example, I've had two fills but the amount is 7 CCs (in a 10CC Realize band). That gives me pretty good restriction. With only one fill (5.5 CCs), it was still a major challenge to not eat way too much.

Wow, thanks for this info, Betsy. I hadn't heard that before -- I thought it was too little Protein. Good to know.

I can tell you that I had absolutely ZERO pain. Ever. Of course they give you anesthesia and narcotics in the hospital. And once home, I took the prescription painkiller for one day. And I slept in a recliner at first, just in case. But I never had any pain. There was minimal discomfort from gas pressure, in my shoulder and neck, which was alleviated well with a heating pad. But everybody is different. From what I read, many people rate their pain level at 3 or 4, on a scale of one to 10. I was very, very afraid of having surgery. But it was no problem at all. I did have a fair amount of nausea for about a week, but that went away as soon as the swelling from surgery went down. Good luck to you.