SoccerMomma73

SO, I am constantly reading about dumping on here....don't do this or that, you'll have dumping. In reality, of the dozen or so folks I know who have had RNY, 1has occasional dumping if she's really really bad, the others have none. Is it just something everyone here is concerned about or is it really that common and my friends are just lucky?

You should be resting with occasional small walks....and likely feeling exhausted. You had major surgery, your body needs time, you likely have gas from the surgery as well as swelling causing pressure in your gut. Be patient, this takes a while!

As older and wiser ans recently unbanked, let me add I detail about the band that doesn't seem to be getting mentioned in doctors offices. I had my band about 2 1/2 years, had a lot of issues starting about 6 months out. Was out for the 4th of July weekend, started getting dehydrated, stoma swelled closed, had 2 receive 2 liters of IV fluids because I could swallow sips, spit, anything. Had an unfill but things never were the same again. This summer my band slipped and had to be removed. The plan was removal with conversion to bypass. Once my doc got inside there wa a fairly significant issue with scar tissue and inflammation so he took out the band, closed me up, and sent nt home for 6-12 months to heal before bypass. I have a friend who had the same experience however when she went back a year later, her doc got inside and closed her up and sent her home. He said she has so much scarring from her slip tat she can ever have another WLS. So, the band is reversible, yes. But often I hear 'if it doesn't work I can have something else done' and that may not completely be true. I'm not anti-band. I went from a 24-26 to a comfortable 16. I look and feel better and am off blood pressure medicines. I couldn't do that on my own! Just remember there are long term risks that aren't really well know yet becaus this surgery hasn't been around all tat long. Also, look into the sleeve, I didn't see it mentioned above but it falls somewhere between a band and a bypass. Good luck with your decision. I'm thrilled you ar taking it seriously and researching!

Clear liquids that morning, nothing 4 hours before the fill....at least for my doc.

So 2 1/2 pounds a week is bad????? Gotta love a doc who holds fills hostage! Okay so, as a warning look at where I am right now. Bandless. If you are keeping liquids down I would switch to liquids for a couple days, if not better after that you have got to get checked out!!!! You don't want to hurt your stomach and/or cause permanent damage. Be very very careful.

I used turkey Italian sausage instead of meatballs, fresh spinach instead of frozen, added a couple cloves of garlic and it was the bomb!!!! Thanks for the idea!

Also...in the future if you get stuck (on something other than a donut because I'm pretty sure you learned that lesson!!!!) you need to go back on liquids for a day or two. Getting stuck causes swelling, swelling causes tightness, tightness causes more sticking, etc. give your belly a break, nothing solid for at least 24 if not48 hours after an incident like that. Good luck and be patient with yourself, this isn't easy.

That said, sometimes I do want to whine about it all!!! That's why I'm here

I read all the threads and see the newbies saying they are getting the band because it's easily reversed and want to yell HELLO!!!! It's not that easy kids!!!! I mean, in the grand scheme the surgery (both getting it in and getting it out) was fairly easy but I know my doc is guilty of glossing over the long term consequences even now! But this is the same man who essentially chewed me out for having a slipped band (truly, I think it's because it hurts his stats....) and would not even consider the possibility that it was anything other than my fault, can you tell he makes me warm and fuzzy??? I was not the perfect band patient, I should have exercised more and I did occasionally hit the ice cream for dessert with my son but the first year I followed pretty much all his rules to a T and was having issues even back then. But I also wasn't a bad band patient. I didn't eat the stuff I wasn't supposed to eat, i ate small portions, focused on Protein, small bites, and chewed my heart out. I can only recall getting truly stuck once (cheese stick about 6 weeks post op, scared the hell out of me!). My issues seemed to be more reactive or inflammatory in nature. Allergies or sinus drainage killed me, the week before my period was horrible, my son gave me a GI virus that was almost the death of me (this is actually where I think the slip started), stress tightened me up and sent me back to liquids as well. I stopped posting a few years ago because of the animosity amongst the posters. I came here for support post-op when I was starving to death and couldn't figure out what was wrong and left because of the band nazis who knew everything and anytime there was an issue it was your fault, always your fault, never a chance that sometimes stuff happens. I've been reading the bypass and sleeve boards as well and just don't see the hostility there that I see here sometimes. Makes me sad that when we're supposd to be supporting each other sometimes we chose to tear each other down instead.... Thank you all for your kind words, I will be fine. I always am! I don't know if any of you remember my story or not but I'm the girl that 8 1/2 years ago walked out on an abusive husband with a 5 day old son and $50 in my checking account....and now I have just the most amazing young man and we have such an amazing life. This is simply a bump in the road. Sometimes the bumps hurt but they're there for a reason and hopefully make us stronger in the end.

I forgot to mention the God awful reflux and waking up at night with acid coming out my nose... You can eat rice???????? OMG so jealous!!!!!

Oh I'll be fine, but thank you. The waiting and not knowing when are driving my OCD planning everything out self nuts. However, to put my minor issues into perspective, my mom is a renal failure patient who has been on the transplant list for 15 months and God only knows how much longer she will remain there. Truly, I have no right to complain.

Now being band free for 10 days (and feeling better than I have in months!!!) I will say that my 2 1/2 years of banded life helped me develop significantly better eating habits and made me realize I won't die if I don't eat XXX (insert any of the many foods I couldn't eat while banded here). I realized this As I ate my glorious 6 inch sub and apple slices today at lunch. 3 years ago it would have been a foot long, chips, and soda, I'd say that's not too bad of a trade! Sorry if it seems I've hijacked this forum but just working through A LOT of stuff as I adjust to non-banded life and wait for my bypass. I realized earlier this week I have some anger associated with all of this. (originally I thought it was all shock and disappointment). I picked the band because it's not permanent, if there a complication it can be removed, yet, here I sit with some degree of permanent damage and scarring....I'm not placing blame, don't start yelling at me, just saying this is a surprise I wasn't prepared for. I assumed the band came out and everything was back to normal. Bad assumption on my part! But anyway, thanks band for teaching me I won't starve to death if I don't give in to those cravings! I owe ya one! (but you owe me many more)

Put it in after I was asleep, took it out before I woke up, if it wasn't for the goo (lubricant) wouldn't have known they had been digging around down there now that was for a band and later for a band removal, dunno if bypass is different.

Better I hope :/

For me it started with nausea after eating and throwing up often, did liquids, calmed down, then when I restarted food when I ate I got excruciated chest and left shoulder pain that lasted hours OR until I threw up which magically cured the pain which proved to me I was up a creek! By the time my doc got me in I could slowly sip warm clear liquids and they would pass but anything else, even protein shakes, caused pain and came back up. Barium swallow or esophogram clearly showed the problem, surgery a few days later because of the size of the slip.

Good luck!! Points for the brave factor!!!!

I had mine taken out last week and have to wait 6-12 MONTHS before I can do anything else. The thought of regaining all that mess terrifies me!!!!

If you had surgery you probably had IV fluids, every time I've had IV fluids I've gone home 8-12 lbs heavier.....should be gone in a few days. Try not to fret too much!

I tell my patients 25 lbs = 1 inch.....however, that math gets scary for the really heavy guys....

Very similar story, stomach herniated too badly for slip to fix, lost band last Wednesday.....apparently waited so long with symptoms before seeking help my stomach had significant damage and I have to wait 6-12 months for a revision.... Good luck!! FYI, not to discourage you, but it appears that once you have a slip, even if it repairs itself, you're much more likely to have another slip than someone who has never slipped. Be careful!

How have you done since June????

At the time, it was heaven!!!!!!

Pre-op my doc is strictly liquids....and pickles. I thought he was insane until about day 3 when I was dying to chew. That crunchy pickle was AWESOME!!!!!!

Genetics plays a huge part in skin elasticity as well....how big you were, how long you were that big, smoking. There are a ton of variables. Sadly, you can't tone skin, but as mentioned above, you can tone what's under it which can help!