irishstorm831

Hey there . I would do what your doctor/nurses tell you to do during your initial post op phase. However, as soon as I was allowed a full liquid diet (which for me began at week 3) I immediately started protein shakes as I knew I could never get in enough protein daily since I was not a big meat eater to begin with. I chose Jillian Michaels brand, vanilla and chocolate. I mixed with fat free milk a bit of ice AND here's the BEST part, added two tablespoons of sugar free instant chocolate or vanilla, or cheesecake, or french vanilla (you get the point) pudding mix. It thickens the shake AND adds a bunch more flavor and at like 30 addl calories for two tbs (some people like just one for 15 calories) I found it made ALL the difference in the quality and taste of the shake. I've used the 'trick' with each protein powder I've bought and it makes them all taste better. This might help you since many of them as outragously expensive. So try the JM brand (walmart $10 or $11 a canister).

Hey all :Banane20: Just wondering.....the title says it all really. When you break the 50 pounds to goal mark (currently if I was to have the goal of what the BMI calculator says I should weigh which is 119 I'd be 43 lbs away from that). In general, I recall the doctor's office looking at 6-10 lbs a month as being your 'sweet spot' for your band. I wonder though, at our stage, is that really our goal still. I find it is super hard to peel off 5 lbs a month at this point and I work out religiously, seven days a week. So, basically, I was wondering what the average weight loss per month is for someone at this stage of the game. Thanks for the advice :Banane20: and best of luck to all of you!

Hi everyone !! I am having two surgical procedures during the month of March. Both of them completely unrelated to my band. On March 1st I have a standard fill appt with my doctor and I'll inform him at the time that since I am NOT Having the surgeries at the same hospital that he works out of (and the facility I am having it done at does not have doctor's familiar with or prepared for an emergency unfill) that he should remove all Fluid (just in case of issues after surgery), then in April at my next scheduled appt I will start the whole darn process over again of starting from scratch. I could switch all my doctors around and have these two procedures done at the lap band hospital but I feel like they punish me for not wanting to travel 90 miles one way for two separate surgery dates. So, my question, has anyone else had to have surgeries that required them to remove their fluid, and if so, did you find that you gained during that time period it was out. Also, did anyone opt to not inform their band doctor about a procedure and leave the fluid in without incident???? I know I know that's sneaky but i'm just NOW getting to a restriction level that has me losing consistently!!!! It has taken me 4 mos to get to this point!!! ARGH! Anyways, hit me with some ideas :thumbdown:

Thank you sooo much for this posting. I JUST got out of the shower and had HUGE hair loss for the first time since the surgery. I was banded on 9/25, and its been 3 mos nearly to the day!!! I am so relieved that I'm not the only one and so grateful to hear so many of you have had new growth and that this won't continue! Thanks again for the posting.

I was banded in September 09, and I quit the day of my surgery. Wasn't something I was ready for but when I woke up from intubation I knew my lungs had had it. I was hacking and coughing and thought 'this is insane'. I had just gone through major surgery to change my lifestyle from obese to a healthy weight and I was gonna smoke???? Posh!!!! I am stubborn when it comes to decisions so once I decided I was done, that was it for me. I never looked back and I did it cold turkey. For me that was best. For you, a nicotine replacement program might do better, however I'm not a proponent of Chantix, as I have personal experience with family and friends having SERIOUS side effects while on that medication. Its why I never tried it. Personally...quitting smoking was much more difficult that this surgery or dieting. Its difficult and you will want to replace the smoking with snacking so make sure you stock up on sugar free mints, and anything else you need that's healthy to replace the cravings with. My personal favorite? Baskin Robbins hard candy, Cookies and cream flavor, sugar free, 1g fat per candy so use sparingly but NUMMY!!!!

I did end up calling the after hour service to inquire if I should be worried...which of course is a conundrum in and of itself as I was already worried, duh! They were actually relieved I called, and said its like a port issue due to the 'aggressive' unfill on Monday and that they want me to report immediately to the ER if a fever or increased pain occurs today. They will do a cat scan to lock onto the source of the pain and go from there. At this point, since my husband is a firefighter and is at the firehouse for 24 hours leaving me home alone with the 3 kids, I am waiting to see if I can hang on til tomorrow. Who knows...maybe it will subside or at least reduce. I just thought I'd share, as honestly? What other answer was there but to call the doctor's office!!!!

On Monday I went in to see my doctor for my second fill. I have a 10cc band and had 3 ccs in on first fill. He loaded me up with another 2ccs, but I couldn't keep down Water or saliva so he pulled off 1cc and I was fine. I have had NO issues since he did that. He did have a VERY VERY hard time finding the port after the initial 2 cc insertion, as I was already swelling and had vomited the water twice. So he had to push and push to get the needle in. But, seriously, I had no side effects other than tenderness for maybe 24 hours at the site. This morning however...I stretched and yawned and immediately doubled over in pain. I can't even touch the site without tenderness that causes me to gasp. It is located DIRECTLY at the port site, and not anywhere else. I have not tried to eat yet this morning, but have had coffee with out any issues. So, although its tender!!!!!! I have not called the doc's office as I'm thinking I might have simply done too much abdomenal work (I exercise daily) following a pretty aggressive fill/unfill. Any thoughts??

On a personal note...your weight loss reflects a tremendous commitment to using the band as the tool it was meant to be. Congratulations on that!

Another good point....re: esophagus. Hmmm, lots of things can affect this. I also wondered if people eat before going. I had been starved and had not taken any time to eat breakfast or lunch yesterday so I ate a yogurt on the way to the appt. The first fill I had gone at least two hours without food to be sure my stomach was empty so I was thinking maybe that has something to do with it as well? I have a 10cc band, so I'm at 4 cc now. You are at 4.4cc...what size band do you have?

Those are very good points. I did lose 60 pounds on my own over the year prior to deciding to have the surgery. My girlfriend, the champ with the 6ccs in her band lol, she had quite a bit more to lose than I did. Perhaps that's all it is. Or maybe my body just can't take 'large adjustments' at one given time. I have heard of people that hit a certain point and simply could not take any more fluid in their band. I also noticed that many people on our website here are increased in MUCH smaller increments. I'm at 4 ccs in a 10 cc band, 2 mos out of surgery, and I've seen some people take 6 fills to get that point. So I think I'll just do what I know works, and see what happens on January 4th at my next fill. Thanks to you both for answering!!!

What I mean is this....is it true that some people can go up and down by 2 ccs here, or 3 ccs there with little to no reaction whereas some of us can only go up 1 cc at a time? I went for my second fill today. I was originally at 3 ccs in a 10cc band. When I had my first fill, I did notice that I could feel restriction when I swallowed the Water after the fill, but nothing uncomfortable and nothing to worry about. For my second fill today, he took me from 3 ccs to 5 ccs total. I immediately had an issue the second I swallowed. I took a small sip, swallowed and thought 'uh oh'. I waited, hoping it was just a glitch, took a second sip and wham, knew I was in serious trouble. I tried to breath, calmed down, stood up, walked around, and thought 'crap this is what it felt like when I got food stuck'. I finally gave up and summoned the nurse and one look at my face told my story. Just then, all my own saliva and the water I had sipped flew back out. UGH!!!!! So he removed 1 cc of the 2 ccs he'd put in and wow what a difference!!! However, my girlfriend who had her surgery the same day and her fills the same time as mine, was able to handle THREE more ccs today (so she's at 6 ccs now) with NO issues whatsoever!!!! What dictates this? Why did I react that way when she seems to have no issues??? Is it truly simply my body's way of reacting? I just feel as if I failed a little bit today I guess.:thumbup:

Thanks for your reply and it does help to know that I am not the only one that has gone through this. Its not in my nature to walk away from someone, but I see your point. In my heart, I feel, she needs me, needs to be certain that just because I become thin I won't throw her away because she's large....her self esteem is at an all time low and I so wish she had had the surgery as well. I keep thinking 'hmmm now she'd be 2 weeks post surgical and down at least 10 pounds' and I think about how wonderful that would feel for her. But in the end I know you are right Its not about what I can do for her, its about what I can do for ME...and for me that means having people around me that are willing to support me fully (as I would them). I go next monday for my very first fill, I'm petrified!!!! Other than my husband, my two closest friends have no shunned me due to the jealousy issues and I feel like I have no one to talk to. When I get to feeling like that, I remind myself of something. I got fat alone, I'll get thin alone too. I didn't need anyone in the room with me while I ate twinkies and pizza, and I don't need anyone in the room with me when I peel off poundage and walk on my treadmill. LOL.