babsy

That's disappointing for you, but be happy that your doctor was smart enough to prevent complications and allow your body to heal before further surgery. It would be so much worse to have a band put in only to cause further damage, and later need removing. Big picture focus, this is only a teeny percent of the rest of your life, which will be longer and healthier after you lose weight.

Good luck

They sound s bit deflating, and that's a shame. Mine was the opposite.

My first visit was 6 weeks post-op. He was really excited about my weight loss, and called me skinny. Was also thrilled that I no longer need meds for my BP or reflux (had hiatus hernia repair too). He checked my wounds, and gave me a fill of 3.5 ml (4ml put in in surgery). He wanted to know if I liked the dietitian and her advice. He sat and dictated his report to my 2 referring doctors so that I could hear what was said. And gave me the opportunity to ask any questions without feeling rushed.

From now on I see another doctor for regular fills, the next one coming up next week. I'm told he's really nice too, so I hope so. He's also available 24hrs/day, 7 days/week for any urgent problems, so it will be worth getting to know him.

Hope your next visit is more positive.

This sounds to me like a fad diet, and I had the lap band because I don't want to do them any more. Like all fad diets, it sounds great, you lose weight quickly, and then it all jumps back on.

I too love closet shopping. Today I wore a t-shirt that I hadn't worn for 5 years, and put another 6 shirts from the spare wardrobe into my every day wardrobe. My work clothes that were too tight now fit loosely, and my pants are starting to look a bit clownish, but the smaller size is there waiting, about 1 kg away.

I'm also looking forward to buying new clothes, but want them to be small enough to last a while. Plus I'm going to Canada and USA for the first time in 8 weeks, and hope to buy some new clothes there. Though I will need some new ones suitable for living out of a suitcase for 8 weeks - not planning to do any ironing on holidays.

I am sad when I come on here now.. Everyone is losing more then me.. I am 277, was 290 day of surgery :biggrin: thats only 13 lbs since march 19. I am working out hard at the gym.. doing 40 mins of cardio 5days a week, weight lifting 4x a week ... My food choices havent been great but its still WAY less then i was eating before...

Hi

Please don't feel sad, that's a great loss. More than 2lb a week. I'm happy losing 2 lb a week, it's a healthy number, and what groups like weight watchers aim at. It took me 3 weeks to lose 2 lb. I lost 8lb pre-op, but since then I average 2lb a week except for those frustrating 3 weeks when I slowed down. This is a life change, won't happen in 3 months (but don't I wish it would).

Keep looking at the big picture, how healthy you'll be in 12 months, and for the rest of your life. And look at the other positives. Mine are I feel lighter when I walk, and don't take BP or reflux meds any more. Plus I've saved money - my work clothes fit again, so I didn't have to buy bigger ones. They were too tight when I got the band, and needed replacing.

Hi all

Glad to hear everyone's news. Isn't it a great feeling to be getting slimmer? I'm so happy (most of the time).

I had my first fill on April 9th, bringing me to a total of 7.5 in a 10ml band, and felt like I still had no restriction. I could eat anything, including steak and bread, and felt like I was controlling my portions with no help from the band. It took me 3 weeks to lose 1 kilo, when up till now I've been losing a kilo per week. Getting frustrated. My next fill is May 5th, and I tried to get an earlier one but I couldn't.

However, after the last couple of days I'm glad I didn't get another fill. I got stuck on Wednesday night, wasn't concentrating on chewing a piece of lamb chop. Ouch, now I've experienced sliming and PBing, and I wanted to never go there. Terrible pain for an hour, then still constantly upchucking for 6 hrs. Then I had a few sips of Water, and that wouldn't even go down so another couple of hours of sliming. YUK.

Yesterday, all I could tolerate was sips of clear Fluid, and today I can still only have a few sips at a time. It feels like the first few days post-op, so I guess I'm all swollen. I'll just keep on sipping, then go back on mushies when it feels OK. What an awful way to be reminded to chew and chew.

Apart from that, it's all good. I'm still shopping in my own wardrobe, and lots of my clothes are too baggy to wear any more.

I'm hungry too, and if I let myself could eat a huge amount. So frustrating.

I had 4ml put in during surgery. I wasn't hungry for 3 1/2 wks, had steady weight loss, and then looked forward to my first check-up and fill at 5wks. He put another 3.5ml in, and I feel no different. My next fill is booked for early May, and today I rang to get an earlier appointment, but couldn't. I didn't lose any weight for 2 wks, and since the fill have lost half a kilo. But I feel that is because I am trying so hard, without any help from the band.

I want it to be quicker. I know this is a life time solution, but I have an overseas holiday coming up in 9 wks, and want to buy new but smaller clothes for that. Aaaaghh, I'll just keep trying, and forgive myself for the odd slip up, which does happen sometimes when I'm hungry.

I ate normally before my first fill, which was in the morning. My doctor told me to have fluids for lunch, then thicker fluids for dinner, and start normal food the next morning.

I guess if he hasn't told you to change your diet beforehand, you don't need to. While there, he'll tell you what to do next. "Cause we've all been told slightly different, I'd just go with what your doctor tells you.

Thank you for your reply! Very helpful. No one told me it could be up to 12 mos for this site to heal completely. Did your doc numb you first before the fill? My band is so much smaller than most on this board. Mine is a 4cc capacity band & I have 2cc in it from surgery! The first fill should be interesting.

I worded that badly. It is usually healed fully in 6 weeks, but may not look fully healed for 12 months. It can also feel different, because cut nerves can take 12 months to heal. Mine looks quite 'raw' still, but is healed.

No, he didn't numb me at all, and I barely felt the needle go in, just a bit of pressure. It was very quick, and no sensation at all after that bit of pressure. I was surprised when he said he'd finished, and the needle was out. My band is officially a 10ml band, but the doctor said it really holds up to 14 mls. Mine now has 7.5 in it, and I don't feel any restriction, but I'm not hungry between meals any more. I haven't lost any weight for 2 weeks though, so maybe I need a bit more. I'll give it another week, then go and see him again.

Good luck with everything

Hi

I just had my first fill. My port site has healed well, but is still tender and looks pink. It will take up to 12 months for it to look fully healed.

No problem or pain with the fill, which was great. Had 4ml put in during the op, and 3.5 more now. Was hungry for a week, now can still eat everything without problems, but not hungry between meals any more. I'm thrilled with the whole process so far. My fill was also my first check-up and my doctor was as excited as me with my progress. Called me skinny. Such a good feeling.

Hi, I had that too, after sudden movements.

It lasted for 4 weeks, and really felt like the stitches were ripping out of the muscle. Especially if I coughed or forgot to be careful before I turned over in bed. I'm now 5 weeks post-op and it's so mild now it doesn't bother me. I didn't really find pain killers very helpful, because it comes and goes so quickly. Everything else is good, so a small price to pay for weight loss, normal blood pressure and no reflux since the op.

Hope it goes away soon.

I agree we shouldn't criticise anyone for the type of surgery. Different strokes for different folks. Most of us have to trust the surgeons judgement for what will be best, as well as doing our research, and understanding ourselves and how compliant we are able to be with a new lifestyle. Like with the reasons we are overweight - there are many common stories, but also many differences.

On this subject, I had an interesting time last week, with 2 of my patients.

One came in to get his 2nd band removed, and have bypass surgery. He had his 1st LAP-BAND®® 5 yrs ago, and successfully lost 90kg (198lb) before the band slipped. He got it replaced with another band, and it was never right. He was constantly vomiting, miserable, and ended putting back on about half of the weight. In surgery they found it was twisted and so was his stomach.

The other had bypass surgery 10 yrs ago, and has struggled with severe malnutrition for the last 6yrs, to the extent she was an invalid. She came in to have the bypass reversed, and is very anxious about putting the weight back on. She'd lost about 50kg.

I feel that I made the right choice for me, and so does my surgeon. But that doesn't make it right for anyone else.

Lisa;

Thank you for the Update....I am delighted to hear that you worked it out with your Doctor. I sensed that it was something that could be resolved with a bit of conversation.

I have to give you a LOT of credit for approaching your Doctor about this, for several reasons.

First, it is always a good idea, if possible, to stay with the Doctor that put the LAP-BAND® in you. He KNOWS how he "installed" it, and if he is good, he keeps track of how his patients are doing....it is best to try and maintain that relationship. Of course, it requires doing a lot of homework before you choose your Surgeon (if you do it correctly), and if you do your due diligence, then you will have selected a Surgeon that you will WANT to have a long-term relationship with.

Second, it takes a fair amount of gumption for some people to talk to their Doctor about the things that you have. People tend to be kind of "afraid" of their Doctors.

When I was a little kid, I had a Pediatrician that our family had seen for a long time. A very nice guy, I recall, but he used a bit of profanity (a very tiny bit, by today's standards). This bothered my Mother, so one day before I went in for a follow-up, she told me that she wanted me to say this to My Doctor: "Dr., My mother likes you very much, but she wishes you would watch your language a bit".

She COULDN'T say that herself, so she had a 10-year old kid say it! And this is the way many people are with their doctors....they are afraid of them. They shouldn't be, though.

It can be intimidating to talk to a Doctor, especially when you are going to be critical of something they have said or done. But, YOU did the RIGHT thing, and you have my utmost respect. You are taking care of your best interests, and that is to be admired.

As far as the smoking thing…..I understand your frustration about that. We do want our doctors to trust us. BUT….the fact remains that people DO lie to their Doctors. Patient Compliance is one of the biggest issues Doctors have. And because people tend to be a little afraid of their Doctors, they will sometimes lie when they have not followed instructions. So, many Doctors are inclined to be suspicious when their patients tell them that they ARE in compliance, when there is some evidence to suggest that they might not be, as in the case of the odor of smoke. But, he was wrong, and all it took was a quick conversation to clear that up.

I was pretty appalled at the almost universal suggestion by people in this thread that you should dump your doctor. I was also pretty disgusted by some of the names people were calling your Doctor when it was pretty clear to me that you, in fact, did have a good surgeon who was probably having a bad day.

One of the traits of a successful WLS patient, I think, is introspection. The capability and desire to be able to honestly ask oneself “am I doing EVERYTHING I can do to make this Band work?” And I think you exhibited that capability in the way you dealt with your Surgeon in this situation. You tried to figure out what might have been going on with him, and decided to confront him on it, and the result is that you now have a BETTER relationship with a good surgeon. You didn’t just get pissed off and dump him like most people here suggested you do. Internet forums like this one can really be a double-edged sword. You can find some good advice and support, but you can also find a lot of Boneheads who give you BAD advice and dump a lot of misinformation on you. You are clearly smart enough to be able to separate the good advice from the bad, and I think that will help you make good decisions, and make your band experience a good and successful one.

I think you might become your Surgeon’s example of a LAP-BAND® that IS successful!

Hey Spartan,

You are disgusted that people called her doctor names, then you call them boneheads? Double standard?

**UPDATE** I had to go back to the surgeon today to get a slight unfill because of reflux I've been having since last week. I told my doctor that I thought we had to have a discussion because I thought we didn't understand each other. I told him exactly how I felt about him not thinking I was successful, about not believing me about being a non-smoker, etc. It ended up that we had a very nice chat and he admitted that he is not all that gung-ho about the band as he was when he initially started to do them because since people can cheat and eat around the band they are not as successful. He apologized about the smoking thing and also said that he does not consider me not-successful and if I'm happy with my results he's happy. So although I'm not happy to have experienced the reflux, I am very glad we had the discussion. I feel much better.

Well done Lisa

Sounds like a good outcome. I hope you continue with your successful weight loss.

Barb

Apologies!

AIG = Big insurance company that received bail-out money.

CDS = Credit default swap.

Courant = Mathematical institute of New York University.

Almost as arcane as Aussie slang. :-)

17 lbs speaks to me. :-) Just out of curiosity, do you think equally well in kg and lbs? In the US, all applied math, science and most scholarly engineering is done in SI (metric) but in day to day life we pretty much exclusively use English units.

I take it a lolly means "candy" and not "lollipop"? My friend calls everything sweet a lolly. It throws me for a loop.

Hi Caffeine

Aussie slang? Arcane? My poor international students have trouble getting their heads around it.

Yep, lolly means candy, and lollipop means lollipop. I think better in metric for weight and distance, but am still familiar enough with 'the old way' to quickly convert it in my head. Height I understand feet & inches better. Weird, but I'm not young so I learnt English style at school, and have had to convert for work.

Hi

I've had me band for only 3 weeks and I love it now. I hated it on days 3 and 4 because I felt so crappy, mainly nauseated, but also pain. I wasn't game to take pain med's because of the nausea.

Now, I am losing weight without any effort. I'm not hungry, and that gives me time to make healthy choices. Like today, leaving work at 6pm, I walked past the chocolate machine, and thought I'll buy something to eat on the way home. Then the new me kicked in and said you don't need that. Previously, I would have been hungry, easily tempted, and ate chocolate. Today I wasn't hungry, so I stood tall, and felt my loose shirt moving as I walked away (instead of clinging to my belly). Much more satisfying than chocolate.

Hi, I've only been doing this for a short time too, but neither my doctor or nutritionist expect me to count calories. They say make healthy choices, and let the band do its job and limit portion sizes. I'm from Australia too, and there isn't such a focus on Protein, it's about balance. They do recommend a Multivitamin though.

It's working so far.

Savanna, I was banded on the same day, March 4th. I've lost about the same amount of weight, and still have 1 week of mushies to go. I feel ready for real food too, but I'm trying to be good. I feel great, back to normal energy. Just have some port pain occasionally, especially if I turn over suddenly in bed or lean up against something.

My first doctors visit is still 2 wks away. Don't know if I'll be getting a fill, got 4ml put in during op, and all is working well. Don't feel hungry, except sometimes before meals, and a small amount fills me up. Not sure if I'm eating so little because of the band, or because I'm scared of getting stuck or PB after reading all these posts. Doesn't matter either way, I'm losing weight.

Good to hear from the March bandsters.

My husband tries to be supportive, but he doesn't really understand. He does love me no matter what I look like, and after 32 years he has seen me looking good and bad. Plus, he's as overweight as I am, but sees no need to change. He doesn't have the high blood pressure or cholesterol I have, or the family history of cardiac disease and diabetes I wish to avoid. He had no objections, as he always supports what I do. He also doesn't question medical decisions, because I'm a nurse so he thinks I know more about it than he does (right).

Before the surgery, I was given a book on lap-band® surgery by my surgeon. I didn't ask him to read it, just left it lying around, and he read all of it and now has more understanding.

I do know that he will feel insecure when I get closer to my goal. Just experience. When we had our first baby, he felt insecure because he didn't feel as important. When I got my masters degree he got "funny" for a while, and eventually admitted he was worried I would leave him for someone smarter. When my sister got divorced he worried I'd divorce him too (no reason). Guess it's a fair swap. He tells me how hot I'm looking (even before I started losing weight). I'll in turn reassure him that I still love him and I'm not going anywhere.

I too think that relationships should not make you feel bad about yourself. No abuse should be tolerated, physical, emotional or verbal. This is not just for thin people, but for all of us.

Hi Babsy, I thought I detected the Queen's English before I saw where you're from. I have a friend from The Courant who does CDS for AIG. He's from Sydney.

Hi caffeine, nice to meet you. I have no idea what any of that means?

It's so weird to see people use kilograms for body weight. All my degrees but one are in physics, so I have a good intuition about kilograms...

I'll change my ticker to pounds just for you. I tried to add another but it wouldn't let me (or I couldn't do it). Funny you said the Queens English - I'm originally from England, but a long time ago.

I'm feeling really full after eating way less than a quarter of my usual meal. We had roasted marinated beef with roast potato and pumpkin, plus steamed broccoli. My husband served what he thought was an OK amount, which I put in the blender as I'm on mushies. I have a funny feeling under my sternum, which might mean I've had enough. I'm certainly not hungry, so I've stopped. Probably ate about as much as a jar of baby food.

You drink lots of Water. Water is what I struggle with. I always feel overful after one mouthful. I'm trying really hard to sip, and was always a slow drinker pre-band. However I did sometimes choke on water before, yet nothing else. Lucky the pre-op diet got me used to black tea, so I have that instead. Tough at work too, as I only get a break for coffee and lunch. I have water as well as coffee, but don't want to drink with lunch (exciting - a diet yoghurt). Just have to try and catch up with fluids at night. When I want to eat, a sugar-free lolly or piece of gum is what helps me.

Physics is way off my expertise. I'm a registered nurse, but my masters is in counselling. As far apart as they can get???

I was banded on the Thursday, with a hiatus hernia repair as well, and returned to work 11 days later on the Monday. My surgeon recommends at least a week, but my job is not sedentary. I'm a nurse, supervising students. I don't have to physically care for patients, but I am on my feet for 8hrs, 5 days a week.

I coped well, and have had no problems. If I had gone any earlier, I would have struggled. Before that, even half an hour at the shops made me feel woozy, so I made sure I did as little as possible leading up to going back to work. Luckily I have a stay at home husband, who took care of all chores etc., especially after I went back to work.

We're all different, and I think taking more time off will always be better than less if you can afford it (I couldn't, had signed a contract).

You are so close now. Good luck with your surgery if you do go through with it - only your choice.

I think most people have doubts.

Even though I had made an educated decision to have this procedure, the morning of surgery I looked in the mirror, and thought "I look OK, I don't need surgery", cause I could already see the difference my pre-op diet had made.

Then I remembered all the diets I have started before, always determined to succeed. And here I am, my heaviest ever. I have averaged an increase of 1kg/year for 32 years. For me - time to stop. If I could do it myself, I wouldn't be wearing tight size 18 pants. Haha. I can lose weight, but I'm even better at putting it back on (and quicker).

Now I'm 2 and a half weeks post-op, losing 2lb a week, 2nd week back at work, no pain, eating mushies, not hungry, and wearing clothes that were too tight a few months ago. So happy. Already walking taller and liking the mirror 'cause I feel proud of myself.

I must still be in post-op euphoria too then. I'm 2 and a half weeks post band, and have lost 8kg since I started the pre-op diet (nearly 4 weeks ago). The best part is that I still haven't felt hungry. I eat at meal times because I should, but because I'm not "starving" I don't go to the fridge and grab whatever's quickest. Instead, I plan what I'll eat, something that is healthy and nutritious, and that's all I will have.

I still battle a little in the evening, but that's head hunger because I had the bad habit of snacking at night. So now I prepare by having sugar free lollies, and diet Desserts if I really need something more (1 or 2 a week).

No idea how long this will last, but I'm enjoying it. I haven't felt full yet, but don't want to eat too much and get pain. I did have a 4ml fill put in in OT, so maybe this is working? I don't know. Don't see the doc for another 2 weeks.

Spartan, are you a physician?

Betsy, that was my immediate question to myself.

Barb

Firstly, congratulations on your great loss.

What I have read so far raises a couple of questions for me.

One thing I haven't picked up from this thread is what has this doctor been like at your previous visits? Is he usually supportive, and this day was just one bad day? In that case, I can see why you might want to persevere with him, and try to understand where he was coming from.

However, this is YOUR weight loss journey, not his. Did he ask you if you were happy with 50 lb, or if you felt like you needed help to achieve a greater loss?

This site keeps reinforcing that the band is a tool we use, but so is our doctor supposed to be in partnership with us. He is not supposed to be the big boss with a stick to punish us if we are "bad", or a bully who tries to make us feel bad about ourselves if we don't reach the goals he set (not our goals). He should be helping us reach our goals, with good advice, and we should be trusting each other.

If you feel that this was a lapse from an otherwise good doctor, it's OK to go back and try again. However, remember you are paying him to help you. If you don't get the service you are paying for, for whatever reason, or you no longer feel comfortable with him, find another doctor, and write a letter to let him know why. This is about you. If you need a doctor who is supportive, get one. Maybe he is a great surgeon, but not good on the follow-up side of things. If so, you've had the surgery, you are successfully losing weight at a healthy rate, and might not need him any more.

Personally, I expect more than just someone who can competently perform surgery. If he chose to specialise in bariatric patients, he should be prepared to give them the long-term support and follow-up required.

Good luck with your decisions and the rest of your weight loss.