steveelea

I found Hot black tea was so soothing...I really feel for you Nicole74 and the others that have just been done and are in pain too. I was done in November 09 and I had pain for a good 2 weeks and wasn't back to doing my normal thing for about 5 weeks maybe 6. Some people swell more than others and I had major swelling for quite some time. I had a lot of pains in my shoulders due to gas but like someone else just said they muck around a lot inside your stomach and its not exactly minor surgery either. You just take the time you need to get over this and just do what you feel you can. If you are concerned about the pain can you call your Dr or nurse and ask them if it is normal, and if so can they give you anything stronger for the pain to help get you through?? I know I have had to have another 2 op's since then and I have been a real sook with my pain, but I take panadene max (probly diff in the states I am from australia) and with my most recent surgery I was given a script for pain relief panadene forte to help me through when the pain was the most intense. I think you will find that it will settle after a few weeks but if you are concerned call your Dr....thats what he/she is there for and what you pay them for too :wub: Take care and hope it eases for you soon (hugs feel better)

Thats fantastic Nean4488, sounds like its perfect for you. 2 pounds a week is so perfect you are going really well:thumbup: When I posted this a week ago I thought I had hit my sweet spot as I was only eating 3 meals a day and small portion sizes, now I am hungry in between meals again and my portion sizes are getting bigger.....just cant wait till I get that 'full feeling' after only a small meal again and it stays with me instead of slowly dissapearing only for the hunger to come back. 1 more week today till I get to see my Dr and I will get him to do a check on how much fill I have in my band. I am supposed to have 8cc in a 14cc band.

Hi Mel54, As far as testing for a leak I think that they need to inject a contrast dye and then xray to see if its leaking but I am not 100% sure....my Dr just kept checking the level of fluid in my band when I went for fills and he detected the leak in my port tubing that way, and by the fact that I was getting a little restriction and then all of a sudden I could eat anything and was starving. Those 2 things combined told him that there was a leak but I have never been tested so to speak with a dye injection. I think that if you just have your fill done under fluro, they can see the port placement and gauge exactly where to insert the needle so they don't miss but I am certainly no expert as I have only had the 1 fill by fluro.

I am no expert but I would be getting another fill asap! I have to keep going back every month until I am at my correct amount of fill, have great restriction and am losing good amounts of weight (I am not there yet) but 7 months is way too long.....get another appointment asap and discuss it with them. Good luck

Thanks again Astrasmom, and can I just say a huge CONGRATULATIONS to you for losing all of your weight and just about to hit your goal....you look fanstastic (I checked out your blog and its great) Well Done! :w00t: Sad thing for me about reading it is that I was banded in November 09 and weighed 150kg (330 pounds) and now still weigh 126.5kg (278.3 pounds) because I have had to have 2 surgeries to correct a non working leaking port in that time, and havent ever been properly at the correct restrictions so basically, it hasnt been working for me yet and I am doing all of this on sheer will power!!!! Just imagine all of the weight I could have lost if it was working properly :w00t: I definately have less restriction again so if I have less fluid in my band than what is supposed to be in there when I go for my next appointment, which isnt for another week and a bit, I will be demanding that they check the band, tubing and port with the dye that I have heard of that shows leaks, and that I never ever get another blind fill that I am only ever to get my fills by fluroscopy. My stomach looks like a war zone with all of the new scars they make in every surgery and I just don't know if I have the emotional strength to go through a 4th surgery for the same thing in such a short time again....sorry thats my vent and me wishing I could acheive what others have....On the upside at least I am not gaining :rolleyes2:

Thank you so much for all of that info Astrasmom....thats what I thought it should feel like. Since writing my first post on this about a week ago, I have slowly been able to eat more and more :smile2: I am petrified that I have another leak (3rd time) but maybe its in my mind Anyway I was getting everything stuck before this fill but now I am not and I just feel full after not so much food. As far as portion sizes go I am eating way too much though. I have to ask you Astrasmom....did you ever get food stuck, then after a fill it got better and went down easier but you just felt fuller quicker???? I have a 14cc (ml) band in and am supposed to have 8ml of fill in.....do you know what you have in your band and what its capacity is?? Sorry for the million and one questions :thumbup:

Well Said Lisa73 I am of the same opinion that you eat when you are hungry and if you are not losing weight then the band isn't right and you need more fill!!!! My Dr's go by results on the scales too. The only reason I would reccomend a fill under fluro is so that they can find the port and are not doing a blind fill. When I had my fill done under fluro I didn't have a barium swallow they just found my port and filled it and didn't check anything else, and it was so much easier for me than a blind fill as that is how I had damage done to my port twice by a very experienced well respected specialist. Then again I am really big and have a lot of tummy fat so mine is probly a lot harder to find than others. I am sure that many people get blind fills done and are fine but after what I have been through I would rather pay more money and have a fill under fluro than risk a blind fill and more surgery.

Hi all I think that I may have finally reached my sweet spot with my most recent fill. I was wondering out of interest how much other bandsters are able to eat when they feel like they are at the correct amount of fill in the band. Another question is what does your restriction feel like???? Do you feel full after eating your food, does it feel like it is sitting in your throat when you have had enough?? OR does it get stuck often???? How different does it feel when you have reached that perfect fill, like my Nurse calls it 'my sweet spot' Sorry for all the questions but I have found this forum to be fantastic and I love to hear about others experiences so I can get an idea of what others are going through. Sometimes just talking to your Dr and Nurse isn't enough as they haven't had the band and dont know what it really all feels like themselves. I have had non stop problems since I got my lap band (only 8 months ago) and have just recently had 2 port replacements within a couple of months of each other. My band/port has never worked properly (due to leaks etc) and to this stage and I thought that I would never get there....but I think I am close now maybe even there finally or very very close :ohmy: By my Dr I have been told that I should be able to eat a plate the size of a bread and butter plate (5.5 inches sround the inside of the plate) The one my dr gave me is divided up into sections of protein, carbs and vegetables (non starch) and at the moment I can eat just a little more than is on the plate and I am satisfied until my next meal. I am not sure weather to risk them fiddling around and getting a little more fill or just to leave it so I am keen to hear others stories on how they knew they were there at the right fill level. :present:

Thank you for your kind words KimmyTx :smile2: The Dr that I see has one of the best reputations, and so many other patients I have met that have been through him are fine and have done so well, so at first I thought it was just my bad luck....I am now starting to wonder :sad:. There are a few Dr's in this group so I think I might have to go ahead and try another one. This group is the founding group in Australia and are the most popular and certainly not the cheapest, but what they do is cover you for life so you pay once and thats it. If anything goes wrong your covered for any other surgery or surgeries that are needed for life. At the time I thought 'oh I won't need any other surgery I will be fine' :bolt: Famous last words!

I was banded in November 09 and have had 2 port replacements since due to a leak and the port flipping. I went in for my first fill since my most recent surgery and they poked around a lot still not finding the port. So my dr eventually sent me off for a fill under fluro but to a place that had never done them before. While they were trying to fill my band the tube popped off the needle and saline went everwhere, but I am assuming that it was what was about to go into my band not what was already in my band as I don't know if saline could escape from inside my band while they were trying to fill me, anyway I now feel a lot less restriction and I am not sure if the fill wasn't done properly or if they have yet again for a third time, puncured my tubing :smile::frown::ohmy::frown: I now want to find out how I can tell if I have any punctures or leaks in my port, my tubing or my lab band.....does anyone know if there is a way they can test to see this???? I can't just do the wait and see game anymore....I am soooo very stressed and just want to know whats happening and if I will need yet another surgery (I pray I dont and its all ok) Stressed, upset and very worried :smile2:

I have always had ports that are hard to find. I say port'sss becuase I have had 2 port replacements since my first lap band surgery 7 months ago....still my specialist tried to do my most recent fill blind and after trying many many times eventually sent me for a fluro fill. I would reccomend it for a first fill so that they know where it is as long as they are experienced and know what they are doing.

Hey Amy, I have had my fills laying flat, with a pillow under the middle of my back, and standing up. They have tried all different ways with me.

cshylton no wonder you are hungry, you have no restriction yet you poor thing.....I am sure in time the swelling will come down or they will take more out to ease it for you. Can you tell them that its uncomfortable for you and can they take more out earlier than your next appointment?? La Gordita I am so sorry to hear that your port has flipped. I hadn't hear about it before it happened to me and since have heard of a couple of people that it has happened to, even one of the nurses that works with my surgeon, her port flipped so it must be more common than we think. If you have pain and are at all worried I would make an appointment to see them again asap, as you don't want to feel uncomfortable. CharmedMist I too think that some Dr's do fills better than others in the way that they are with all the poking and prodding. Some are so rough and some are gentle....things we go through. danielle b sounds like your first fill will be easy as pie I know that more than a few of us have had setbacks, and sometimes I feel like when amd I ever going to get started....but I am trying to find the 'silver lining' as Sidney says. I am trying to look at my issues this way: In my 7 months of having my band on the down side I have had 2 port replacements and haven't even been up to excersising in between surgeries.... but....on the up side I have lost 22.5 kilos ( equal to 49.5 pounds ) so I can't wait to see what happens when I actually get started :thumbup: I still have a long way to go but I am on the right track!!! I find that this site helps so much talking to people about thier journy with thier band and the support has been amazing. Just goes to show that you are never really alone and you should ask for support when you need it, because it really helps you to get through these tough times and you realise that you are not alone :drool:

Hey Sherry I had a Seroma around my port that they had to drain, but it did take a few visits over time for them to get most of the fluid out. My Dr explained it to me in this way: He said it is a liquid bruise that can develop after surgery, that takes time to go down and sometimes they have to drain fluid, but that it should go down in time. I think from memory he said around 6 weeks. I was told that it does happen and they do see it. It's not overley common but it does happen and it's not usualy an issue. I am sure that your dr will be able to drain some more fluid soon and then hopefully they will be able to give you a fill. Keep up the fantastic work, you are going so well on your own....way to go what a great start

clhendrix2 I am soooooo sorry to hear you have to go through surgery again :thumbup: Firstly I can tell you it's not as bad getting the port replaced as it is having the entire procedure. I know how you feel that heart sinking awful feeling when you think about going through it again, but you know you have been going so well and just look at it as a minor setback. I have heard of ports flipping before, sometimes for whatever reason they just dont take?? Not sure why but my specialist said to me "her up thier (god) didn't mean for us to have foreign objects in our bodies, and our bodies are trying to heal what isn't ment to be there, so sometimes it just goes wrong but we can fix it" So guess our bodies are strong but, WE want our ports to stay put After my port flipped I was thinking about leaving mine as it was and trying to cope on what restriction I already had, but then I thought if my port ever needs to be accessed for anything else, then I will need to have it operated on then. So I figured I was putting off the inevitable and just got it done asap. You will be fine I am sure after this one. Doesn't your specialist cover the cost of any further operations you need done?? After all it was something that he did so he should cover it I would have thought I paid all upfront and have a garantee with mine for life so am lucky in that respect, and my specialist says we are responsible so we will fix it you don't need to pay anything further....maybe its worth having a look around at some other surgeons or having a chat with yours and seeing if they will do the same. Good luck and my thoughts and prayers will be with you Please let us know how you go :seeya:

48 hours after I start to really feel it for about 3 days then I seem to start to go on the mend. Everyone is different though and I guess the worse the swelling is the worse the discomfort. It takes me so long just to get over the after effects of the anisthetic though....I have foggy brain for ages, which I guess is nothing new really LOL I had my second port put in the same place as the first but it didnt take well as the operations were fairly close together, so thats why he has moved mine to a new spot this time. I am sure yours will be fine as you had a fair while inbetween your band and this port replacement by the sounds. I still had scar tissue there from the first port so it wasnt taking properly. I feel like frankensteins bride when I look at my tummy.....but people tell me that the scars will fade and its only been almost 7 months since I got the lap band in the first place, so I am optimistic that they will dissapear a lot more over time

Hi Everyone Hope your all going well Just an update to post.....I have had my new port (3rd and hopefully final time) put in the other day (15th June) I am still in a fair bit of discomfort and out of it on pain relief. I have now got 2 more scars and in total 3 inscisions this time (2 are 3 inches in length and the other is small nearer my belly button) I am trying to be positive but sometimes I just have my scared times when I am worried something else will go wrong again, but I think 3rd times the charm and I will blitz it from here on in :thumbup:

Thats fantastic news lotzasunshine....way to go:thumbup: I got out of hospital the other day but am still in a lot of pain.:thumbup: I had my 3rd port put into a new place and now I have 3 incisions to heal this time....2 of them are 3 inches long and one is smaller. I am in a lot of discomfort but hopefully that will be over soon and it was 3rd times a charm. Take care

Yes the bra thing is worrying me a bit as I have to wear an underwire bra.....boobs being not what they used to be :frown: So sorry to hear that you broke a rib.....thats horrible are you in any pain??? Thats great to hear yours is going well in that spot onikenbai

Thanks Sue I am glad to hear that someone else has it in that spot and is happy with it. I have a lot of trouble sleeping on my tummy where the port is now so I am hoping that it will be easier to sleep with the port in the new position. It's hard when your a tummy sleeper.

:frown: Me toooo LOLI was going to write this is my gorgeous body (i WISH) :wink5: I did take a photo of where my scar is but then couldnt bring myself to post my tummy for all the world to see....I would have just scarred people for life :Yawn: Anyhoo.....I should have mentioned the reason for my port replacement, its a long story but to cut it shortish this will be my 3rd operation in 6 months :tongue: Had the lapband surgery all went well, then after a few months I developed a leak in the port tubing so just a couple of months ago had to have the port and tubing replaced. The surgeon replaced it into the same spot and when I went to get a fill during this week just been, the dr couldnt fill it so back to the surgeon the next day and he tried and said, my dear it has flipped.....so praying that 3rd times a charm I am back in on Tuesday for yet another port replacement. They think that it flipped because of it not adhearing due to scar tissue etc. It's only day surgery but as you can see from the sexy diagram, I will have to have another inscision so I am guessing it will be pretty uncomfortable but I will just have to suck it up and get over it....it's only pain afterall :sad:

I am heading back in to the hospital this Tuesday to get my new port put in, and my surgeon is changing where it will be located. I have a diagram in a photo below to show you where my old port is and where my new port will be. It got me thinking where are other people's ports located as I am concerned that my new port although it will be easier for my dr to fill, may be in an uncomfortable spot for me. Any feedback on where ports are placed would be greatly appreciated. Here is the picture below....Red is where my new port is going and Blue is where my old port is (click on picture to enlarge for a better view)

clhendrix2 I am so sorry you had to go through all of that to get your fill.....but on the upside you didn't need surgery and they could give you a fill so that was great in the end. I feel for you with your bruising and swelling you poor thing....sending hugz your way :frown: My tummy is still swallen and distorted from all the poking and jabbing that I got for 2 days in a row as well...don't you feel like a human pin cushion I was wondering where your port is located?? I am going to post a diagram of where my old port (my port now) is located and where my new one is going and wondering where everyone elses is as I know that they do put them in different spots depending on the surgeon. I think I need to start a new thread for it though and have never posted a pic before so I will give it a go here too Red is for the new port and scar and blue is for the old port and scar

StevieVieth thats a relief that you have a good issue and that they know how to find it and are aware that it moves around clhendrix2, sometimes some drs are better than others are getting the right spot and getting the fill done. Let us know how you go after you have seen your other dr but if she checked it by ultrasound and all looked normal then it sounds positive. cshylton, I had a lot of swelling to start with and fluid around my port and they told me that was more common than you think, so they do see it a bit and they told me it usually resolves itself. It sure did after my first op its just the dr that did the fill pierced the tube or the tube kinked and I had a leak....nothing to do with swelling causing the problem and also one side of my stomach where the port was was a different shape and stuck out more than the other side of my tummy...also it sounds to me like the amount of weight you have lost already is amazing....I don't see why he would be dissapointed with that??? bambam31 :crying: I certainly wont be buying any lottery tickets any time soon...at least its easy for them to fix though just horrid that I have to go through another surgery yet again :frown: LapNYC I know how you feel being stuck with needles countless times as that has been the case with most fills for me, but they say the more weight you lose the easier the fills get as they can find it more easily so I am waiting for that day :eek: khunt719 My luck sure does suck, in regards to lapbanding anyway They do say 3rd times the charm so here's hoping...Hey can you ask your dr to see how much is in the band by pulling out the saline and checking again next time you go???? It will at least put your mind at ease and you would think it would help him to so he wasn't flying blind and knew how much he had to work with

Thanks for the kind words guys, and sorry to hear some of you have had problems with your ports too. I went to my specialist today and after trying to do a fill and realising that it was hitting the back of the port, told me that I am going in for surgery on this tuesday comming to get yet another port replaced. :crying: Well when he told me I said oh no not another operation and started to cry (then thought stop it you big baby and suck it up and get a grip) I thought well I guess it could be worse. He said that the port has flipped around and the backside of the port is facing out. He thinks that maybe as he placed the port where the origional one was (even though he cleaned the scar tissue up while operating) that it has not adheared properly due to the scar tissue. This time he is moving the new port (replacing the old port and part of the tubing to be safe) to just up the top just under where my ribs meet. The scar will be on my bra line so unfortunately he will have to make 2 inscisions. One where the port is now to remove it and one along the bra line to place the new port. Unfortunately the port scar now is around 3 inches long and so will the new scar be :frown: Dreading the recovery as I am a complete sook when it comes to pain I am begining to feel like the bride of frankenstein with all of my scars but hey, guess its all worth it in the end. He said to me that ports and me dont realy agree and I said tell me about it. I have had trouble since the start trying to have my port filled...there has always been problems so heres hoping and praying that 3rd times a charm :eek: