Jess55

I understand that completely. I knew I was fat, but never felt that way really until I saw myself in the mirror or a picture. I saw a picture of me a few years ago from when my parents and I went to check out the college I went to in 2002 and I got sick, I can't be that big. Or this may sound bad, but when ever I saw other morbidly obese people, I'd say to myself, I don't look like that. Now over 100 lb less than my highest weight if I look at myself in the mirror dressed, I'm not completely disgusted. Naked, I'm still disgusted, but I feel 1000 times better about myself now

Yes you can lose over 100 lb with the band. Also in your favor is the fact you're a man, so you will lose quicker than the women. From the beginning of my pre op weight, I have 111lb to lose. I'd already lost weight from my years of dieting and I've lost over 100lb. (not all with the band)

I was on mushies for one week. As for fills, I'm 5 months post op and just had my first fill Wednesday. Prior to that I was satisfied with what I ate and stayed that way for 4-5 hours. I started getting hungrier the past month, so finally got my first fill. My doc only put in 0.75 cc. So far it seems to be helping. I too, like you am kind of freaked to be to filled. I have yet to really get stuck, have had a few instances which I felt like I didn't chew enough and felt it go down slowly and slight pain, but don't think I was actually stuck. I really don't want the band to ever tell me no, I can't eat that, I just want it to curb my hunger, so I don't think I'll ever have to much put in. And like I said what was put in seems to be working right mow

My tickers at my weight from when I started the pre op diet

You might still be in "hell" after your first fill. Lots of people say their first fill does not do much for them.

I have a very physical job too. I'm an LVT, lots of bending, lifting on my feet all day, 10 hour shifts. I was more than comfortable going back one week post op. Though I would only lift no more than 25# dogs until week 3-4 post op, I think. Then I started picking up large dogs again. Some people it seems would not be comfortable with that though, I think it depends on your pain tolerance, mine is pretty high. I was a bit sore bending over but nothing intolerable to me. I had only taken the pain meds day 1 and 2 post op and not religiously either

I saw someone post about that they had one day a week where they ate higher calories. I started thinking, is this helpful? I usually eat around 1200 calories a day, sometimes 1300. My weight loss has been slower than a lot, averaging 1 lb a week, sometimes less. How many people have tried it and does it seem to work? I know I can't eat to low of calories. I just had a fill Wednesday and I lost like 4 lb on the 2 day liquid diet, then came mushies and my weight immediately started going up again, which I expected, but not by 3lb. I am thinking because I wasn't eating the 1200 calories, hopefully now that I'm back up on my calories it will even out.

Blah, I definitely feel a difference, but I was down like 4 lb on liquids, I knew I would go up a tiny bit when I started normal food again, but I went up like 3 lb. I'm hoping it's because prior to yesterday I was not eating enough calories (I don't lose at to low of calories) hopefully it will go back down in a day or 2.

Bile is yellow. But black stuff could be blood, blood that is somewhat digested looks black, I would be worried about an ulcer too, I would see your doctor. If it is an ulcer and it gets bad enough it could perforate your stomach. So I wod see the doc sooner rather than later

He's my surgeon, really nice guy and a great doctor. I have no complaints. I'm 5 months post op and just had my first fill on Wednesday. I've had no complications. He did the fill on Wednesday and I didn't even feel it. His PA, Doreen, who I switch off seeing him and her every other month is extremely nice too. I would highly recommend him I have to say to, not bad to look at either...lol

It will come, the first 6 weeks are sbout healing. You may lose weight quickly on the liquid diet, then it may stall when you start incorporating food, so try not to get frusterated. I lost my first week post op, then fluctuated for week 2-5 until I got my calories back up to 1200, yeah it was annoying, but I seem not to lose with to low calories. It is normal for that to happen. Just so you know

I'm a LVT and yeah we usually use cold compresses on incisions. Warm, usually only if there is an infection (helps get the drainage out)

I'm hoping less than a cc makes a difference, I had my first fill Wednesday 5 months post op because I started to get hungry between meals sometimes and sometimes I wasn't satisfied with what I was eating. So my doc put 0.75cc in. Seems like such a small amount. I am an LVT and I draw up syringes of meds and stuff al the time, so I know how much it actually is. I'm hoping it will help.

I got my first fill wednesday and I dropped like 4 lb. I was contributing to just doing liquids for 2 days. I figured once I started eating (ate mushies today) a little bit would come back. I hope it's not the case. I will see come Tuesday my official weigh day and see how much I lost.

You are really only required to lose weight iv your doc tells you. So if he never said anything, you really don't have to. It would be good but not required

Never heArd about the no gum rule, doesn't matter to me since I don't chew it, for one of the reasons I have really bad teeth and I'm always afraid of pulling a filling out. But it seems all doc have different rules. I just found out my doc has no problem with me taking NSAIDs. He said the no NSAID rule was for bypass patients. I'm so happy I found this out, now I can hopefully get rid of this tendinitis inmy shoulder. As for carbonation, there is this woman in my office who is banded and she is constantly drinking soda. Not sure if it's done anything to her, but I know she had to have her band fixed last year due to a slip from a stomach flu.

I had one too. After doing some research I realized I'd had all the symptoms but being how I usually am just ignored them. Heartburn and reflux not all the time, but since my surgery (besides like 10 days after I did have severe heartburn) I've not had any. Also the reflux is probably what caused my enamel on my teeth to be so bad. My dentis one time asked me if I vomit, my response was, do I look bulimic?!?

Not made to wait, prior to this I was satisfied and went about 4 sometimes 5 hours before I started to feel hungry. Within the last 5 weeks or so is when I started to not be satisfied at meals and was getting hungry earlier. @B-52, I'm glad I went this far, I was hoping to be one of the ones that went all the way without a fill, but I felt my loss was slowing because I felt like I was eating a little more. On liquids yesterday, I am down 3.6 lb from yesterday, holy shit! Not sure if a little will come back once I start solids again, but it gives me a decent jump to be about 3 lb from onederland. One more day of liquids, then mushies. It seems harder ythan last immediately post op

Yeah, it is the ricotta, sauce and cheese. I saw someone posted it a long time ago.

You need to see a doctor, not wait it out. Coughing up blood is not normal. Being intubated should not cause that.

I had my last supper the night before I started my pre op diet. It worked out because it was the night of my jobs Christmas party. So I had a good time there and stayed on my diet the next morning. I would have been to afraid to do it the night before surgery, in fact the night before I was at work and I was so bored of broth, I just didn't eat anything. Of course I had to do the broth again after surgery.

Wow that's large. I'm 5 months out and just had my first fill today (hadn't needed one prior) and he gave me 0.75cc. Felt it was pretty small, but not sure if I really need to much. We'll see how it goes once I go back to solids in 7 days I guess since I have 2 days at each stage. Hope your fill works out for you!

As the title states, I'm 5 months out (though my doc today kept saying 6 months - was banded 12/20, so that's 5). This past month or longer I've been getting hungry quicker and not feeling satisfied with what I am eating. So I brought it up at my appointment today and he decided it was time for my first fill. He only gave me 0.75cc. Not a lot and at $100, I really hope it does something but I know first fills don't always do something. I now have to be on liquids for 2 days, mushies for 2 and purès/chopped for 2 days. Sucks because I'm hungry, but it is what it is. Is it silly that I'm excited to make the baked ricotta again, because I actually really enjoyed that and haven't had it since my mushy phase.

Umm, I think you are confused. Omnipaque is a radiodense contrast material. They use it to highlight things. Mainly I've seen it used for myelograms, they inject it into the epidural space to see where a spinal compression is. The only use I can see it having with the band is it will show up on x-ray, so I guess they can see if it is leaking. I can't imagine it could fix a leak, since it is a liquid and dies not expand or anything, only to detect one. There is no way to "sweat" out a fill, only if there is a leak

Started cardio at like 2 weeks and weight machines like 4 weeks