BetsyB

No, the fluid's not from the band; the amount from even a full band would not be significant enough to show up. Are they looking closely at your gall bladder and liver function? Your pancreas? Gall bladder disease can be triggered by weight loss; it's not something that can be pinned on the band, per se, but rather on the changes in your body. It's FAR better to say goodbye to a diseased gall bladder than to hold on to the weight, though---as miserable as the process leading up to cholecystectomy is. I hope you get good answers soon, and are quickly on your way to recovery.

It depends on your personal and family history. I just had an ECG (electrocardiogram), but many patients also have echos and/or treadmill stress tests.

The gas added to the abdomen has to get out of the body somehow! It diffuses into digestive tract, and is expelled. Whether it's headed up or down (both can happen), Gas-X helps with the pain caused by the gas moving into the digestive tract. Walking helps even more.

Bob, the gas diffuses into your gastrointestinal tract, and is eliminated that way. There may be some burping, but it tends to move out through the bowels. Cure, I was surprised at the difference between surgically-mediated gas pain and typical gas--it can be pretty alarming if you don't know what to expect. I'd had 2 previous abdominal surgeries, so I knew what to expect. Still, it hurts like hell---way more than you anticipate. If you're concerned, call the doc for reassurance and recommendations. Even the drive-thru clinics offer support to their patients. I have the best surgeon on the planet, and he didn't give bari-bears or anything of that nature; I think that is the exception, rather than the rule. You can comfort yourself by pressing any pillow to your abdomen, a la bari-bear. A hot Water bottle (not TOO hot) or heating pad can help, too. But walking, walking, walking, Gas-X, and Vicodin did it for me.

I had a warm protein shake made with 8 oz. Almond Breeze (the refrigerated kind--VERY good!) and 1 scoop of Inspire Dutch Chocolate Cake protein. DELISH!

I'm ten days out, and could EASILY go away for the weekend. I can't even imagine putting beer into my belly at this point, though--carbonation is the last thing that would work for me. If you revise your expectations and re-define fun, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it, though.

I was told no coffee--it's not just the caffeine that is an issue (in fact, it's not the main issue at all); it's the acids in coffee that can be irritating to a new pouch. So, for 6 months, no coffee. I tapered off caffeine during my two-week preop diet. I'd done away with coffee by then, but still had my diet soda thing to deal with (carbonation is also a no-no). By the time I hit the OR, I was detoxed--and it was WAY easier than I thought it would be. Previous attempts were a nightmare, with the headaches. But gradually withdrawing a caffeinated drink a day did the trick very nicely.

I haven't told many people, but as people ask, I do tend to tell them. Sometimes, I can sense that it's a gossipy-curiosity question, and I don't give all the details, but in general, I do tell. Why? Because when I was struggling so hard to lose pre-banding, one of my son's fathers came to pick up his son, and mentioned he'd lost weight---and told me how when I asked. At the time, I was on the fence about banding (had been thinking about it for a very long time), and his experience with the surgeon I was considering gave me the nudge to move ahead and explore banding. If I can gently help someone else, I want to do that. So I'll tell.

Other peoples' reactions can be so difficult to handle, can't they? For those who questioned whether I was 'big enough,' I gave very simple, factual responses (without revealing anything terribly personal). Things like, "My surgeon and insurance company have very stringent guidelines about who qualifies for this surgery; I fall within their parameters." People have all kinds of different reasons for chiming in their dissent. Some are saboteurs. Some are genuinely concerned about your well-being. Some simply like to hear the sound of their own voices! If you believe your mother is genuinely concerned about operative risks, taking her along to a preop seminar can work wonders. My husband went to my first one with me, and was immediately reassured. My (adult) daughter went to my last preop seminar, and her jitteriness vanished.

I'm a former smoker, so I really do empathize. BUT, wound-healing really will go so much more smoothly if you can hold off. Hold off as long as you can to give your body a chance to work its miracles. And then, really try to limit the amount you smoke. It really makes a huge difference. Maybe even more importantly in the short term: you were intubated just a very short time ago. Your body needs to mobilize the secretions from the surgery and adding more gunk to your lungs just isn't a good idea. I stayed in the hospital overnight (surgeon policy), and my O2 sats (as a 10-year nonsmoker) were lousy enough that if cigarette smoke were added, it really would have compromised my health. Add to that the increased chance of blood clots that smoking brings... It's not worth it. Your body can handle conquering more than once vice at a time. I understand the addiction; quitting was the hardest thing I've ever done. But now's not the time to pick up a cigarette. It can cost your life.

Why one earth wouldn't your surgeon give you another fill?! Is it just a matter of timing (i.e., too soon since your last fill)? I would go BONKERS if my doctor weren't on board with really maximizing the potential of the tool he was willing to implant in my body.

Count me in! I'm a "fresh" postop, and not yet experiencing much in the way of restriction; a challenge will be a good motivator to stay on track even when I feel like gnawing the legs off the furniture

I would, in fact, consider this an unnecessary extra; my stomach could not tolerate supplemental aminos BEFORE being banded. Supplementing them now would be painful. But eating a wide variety of proteins from various sources pretty much ensures an adequate intake.

My doctor recommends three meals with SOLID Protein each day, too--it is more filling than protein supplements. BUT with reduced stomach capacity, the three-solid-meal thing quite often does not meet my protein needs. Inspire whey protein isolate shakes (bariatriceating.com) are awesome (best best BEST on the market), and make it easy to bump up protein.

Ha! Hilda is perfect. Now you need one of the PBS "She who must be obeyed" t-shirts :mad: Mine is named The Governor. It's kind of fun to talk about The Governor--although it would probably be even more fun if I lived in a different state!

For me, it's not really related to chewing--but yes, there are things that don't ring my bells any more.

If you can, fill your pain med Rx ahead of time--one less thing to worry about. (I also got my bariatric Vitamins in advance--chewable instead of the caps my surgeon provides.) My diet advanced from clear liquid to puree 3 days post-op, so having good Protein, a Magic Bullet, some broths, etc. handy to make "meals" is helpful.

Quick question: how far out are you from banding? I ask, because on second reading, the statement I've quoted stands out a little. I'm freshly banded, and I expect to see my doctor every 6-8 weeks for the first year--I've been told to expect that, for fine-tuning, and that visits will then taper to 1-2x/year. I know it's very frustrating, especially if you've got other issues gumming things up. But maybe if you just accept this as part of the game plan, it will be less so.

My preop diet was 2 weeks long and consisted of 2 Protein shakes a day and one meal of 4 oz. lean protein and 1/2 cup nonstarchy vegetable. I could choose the brand, as long as its nutritional info fell within certain parameters; I used INSPIRE brand available at bariatriceating.com. I felt fine during this diet, albeit hungry at times. There were a couple of times I allowed myself solid protein instead of a shake (in other words, had two protein meals in a day)---but I made sure that I stayed within the same parameters that I was given for the nutritional content of the shakes. I did not become dizzy, nor did I lose a tremendous amount of weight. (I think I lost 8 pounds, but this is partly because I eliminated refined carbs from my diet years ago; I just didn't get that dramatic, "Hey! Whatcha doing?!" response from my body.) The last couple of days preop were clear liquid. By then, I just didn't really care all that much about what was going in my mouth!

Welcome to the world of weight-loss message boards. Sadly, you're fighting a loosing (JUST KIDDING!) battle. This is a ubiquitous pet peeve, and has yet to be solved, despite thousands of posts just like yours. (Believe me, I understand; I am a writer and editor.) If it makes you feel better to vent, more power to you. This is an error, however, that thousands upon thousands before you have tried to correct to no avail. Other egregious errors that will chafe are apostrophe abuse (APOSTROPHES ARE NOT USED IN PLURALS), they're/there/their confusion, and (*gasp*) text message-style abbreviations (u no?). And lots of punctuation issues, even in the posts of retired teachers. It can drive you bonkers if you let it. Don't let it

This is a really great question. Actually, it's fairly common for injury to occur during CPR, even with correct compression technique. Ribs break, lungs get perforated, etc. A band injury is definitely possible. Of course, the aim is to restore life--so as you noted, a band injury is better than death! The key, though, is being able to quickly identify and treat any injury that might occur as a result of CPR. Wearing a MedicAlert is really important. Check Fashionable Medical Identification Jewelry & Medical ID Bracelets for some really nice options. No one even knows I'm wearing one (well, no one who's not looking; it does have the caduceus symbol in red on a tag to identify it as such)--it looks like a nice bracelet because I wear the Medic-Alert tag on the inside of my wrist.

Are you doing clear liquids? That might give your poor tummy a chance to rest and heal.

Check with your doc; mine does NOT want ointments or creams of any type applied. How soon after banding were your staples removed? I was pleased my surgeon left mine in; I return tomorrow (Day 7) for removal. When I had my last c-section, staples were removed on Day 3, and I did experience re-opening of a segment of the incision--not just the small cratering you've described, but a complete reopening. It was NOT a cause for concern, and it persisted for a good month, at least. I was told to keep it clean and dry, open to the air (no bandages), and avoid using any creams. Please call your doc to see how s/he'd like you to handle it. In the meantime, I'd leave off ANY dressing unless clothes staining is a real issue. ETA: the yellow drainage you describe is normal. Wound drainage progresses from red to yellow to clear over time. Green? A big concern. Yellow? OK. Let the Water gently run over your incision sites when you shower. Pat dry. Signs that indicate something worrisome going on are increased redness and swelling, increased pain, FEVER, and pus (thick greenish drainage).

Elfie, I'm willing to accept that. I don't have a particular issue with carbs; while I may want and crave them, I don't experience any sort of physiological reaction when I eat (or do not eat) them. I do eat "cleanly," and avoid refined carbs to maximize my health and loss. But it's not to avoid symptoms. I think there are probably as many different answers to WHY as there are people. My point was that for ME, identifying what's going on in my head is useful when I'm trying to change my behavior. It's not required--I can white-knuckle any kind of change. But for long-term success, I do better if I'm able to say, "Oh, I've just hit the 30-pound down mark, and the last time I weighed this little, x, y, and z were going on. Wow, that was uncomfortable; I wonder whether approaching this weight again is stirring up feelings that are causing me to get in my own way." Obviously, that does not mean that other things (types of foods eaten, and so on) don't require change. It just is helpful. I made the distinction between alcoholics and addicts in that, while it's great for an alcoholic to recognize what triggered his/her disease, once it IS a disease, that knowledge is relatively useless. If you withdraw alcohol, life-threatening physiological responses occur, and medical intervention is required. I hadn't considered that for some, banding might represent a similar sort of medical intervention to help treat carb addiction. Interesting to ponder.

I'm Realize banded, too--and my doctor's recommended diet (pre- and post-restriction) IS low-carb. Right out of the box, we're advised to fill up on good-quality dense proteins--in measured portions. Did your doctor provide you with similar guidelines? I know it's difficult when there's no restriction yet---and of COURSE I understand how you're looking forward to that restriction---but TJ's right: the behaviors have to change NOW. The band is a tool, but it's only part of the solution. You'll hit the spot and it will be way easier--it really will. But until then, there may be some white-knuckling involved as you do YOUR part.