JanB23

I got my first fill today after nearly 3 months and they put in 6mls.

Saturday evening walk at Glenelg. Cant work out how to attach the photos. Will try again.

I was too busy dodging swooping birds on my walk today to notice any scenery. Mind you i live in a built up area, mainly homes and a few small parks, nothing as nice as your pics. At lunch time i walk along the edge of the airport near where i work which can be interesting, but i tend to stop and watch the planes instead of keeping a steady pace.

Congratulations!

My husband has been great. He did the pre op diet with me and walks with me and is also keen to keep our meals healthy. He is also reaping the benefits and has lost 9 kilo's. It really helps to have support. The kids complain that there is no snack food in the house but my daughter and one of my sons have also dropped some weight, my daughter walks with me too. My band is great for whole family.

My first post op visit was 5 weeks post op. My weight loss was good so doc said come back in 6 weeks. I begged him to see me sooner as my weight loss had slowed right down. Saw him 2 weeks later and he tried to do a fill but my port was surrounded by fluid and he could not access it. Then i was going on holiday and now he is on holiday so in just under 2 weeks he will attempt a fill under xray. Mean time, I am hungry, hungry, hungry and struggling to maintain my weight loss.

I am still waiting on my 1st fill!!!

I wore stretchy pants for about 4 weeks and left my bra off as much as possible in the first 2 weeks.(as instructed). There was no way i could put on a bra for the first few days.

I have had 7 laparoscopic procedures over the last 25 years. Shoulder tip pain is common and the severity i believe is dependent on how much gas is left behind. Your abdomen is pumped full of gas to separate things so the surgeon can see what he/she is doing and when complete they remove as much of the gas as possible. The pain usually reduces over a few days as the gas is absorbed. The pain was the worst when i had my band and lasted longer - probably due to the Frenic (is that how it is spelt) nerve involvement. I have found gas pain varies from under the diaphragm to either shoulder tips.

What is a flouro? Is it like an xray? I have to have a fill under xray in 2 weeks as doc couldn't access my port. Have to go to Day surgery clinic to get it done. I am so looking forward to getting a fill as i am 10 weeks post op with zero in my band and if it wasn't for the scars i would swear i had only dreamt i had WLS. I am struggling with maintaining my weight loss. Up half a kilo down half a kilo - i am going insane!

My mother used to tell me - hard boiled egg diets are good because it takes more calories to digest a boiled egg than is in the egg? I think i burned up the calories on the toilet trying to get rid of the aftermath of too many boiled eggs. Could be true i suppose!

I was taking benifibre twice daily and still only averaged BM every 4 days.(with difficulty). I am 2 and a bit months post op and have no restriction and have started eating more and BMs are almost back to normal. I assume once i finally get some restriction and my intake drops again i will go back to 4 daily. I have a suspicion that the fibre adds to my problem even though i drink plenty.

Maybe it depends on your starting BMI. I was up in the 50's.

I don't understand the American health care system! Here in Australia you choose the private health care policy that suits you best and pay your premiums or you rely on Medicare (public health system) and put your name on waiting lists for elective surgery and wait, wait, wait. Mind you i have private health and waited 6 weeks to have surgery and paid a $3000 co payment on top of my benefits and my sister went public and waited 2 years and paid nothing. Good luck with getting your surgery covered it must be stressful for you.

I had a 4 week pre op diet. The risk was if my Liver didn't shrink enough the procedure would not be able to be done "key Hole" and they would do a full open procedure - this happened to my sister for Gastric bypass - and she was cut from sternum to bikini line plus two other small incisions where they tried to do it key hole. I was lucky that i responded well to the pre op diet and despite a little cheating lost 11 - 12 kilos (my scales and the doctors do not agree). Seeing what my sister went through was good motivation as well.

I agree Zeniada! I start my post op band fit classes today. I am hoping it will help move the weight. I have not lost in 4 weeks. Having said that i haven't had a fill yet due to a minor complication so i have no restriction what so ever. If it wasn't for the scars i wouldn't even be aware i had weight loss surgery, i feel completely "normal". I can eat what ever i want - i am trying not to but some days it is hard, especially as i am on holidays from work so have no structure to my days. Back in a week so hopefully will get back on track and then get my first fill a week after that (fingers crossed). Keep up the good work everyone. With support and understanding from each other we will do our best to reach our goals.

Having the port fixed is really not a big deal. Nothing like the original surgery. This is good to hear. My doctor could not access my port but found a pocket of fluid and took out 20 plus mls. I now have to wait for 3 weeks for the doctor to attempt a fill under xray and i am worried the port may have flipped or will need to be repositioned.

I need a fill!! We have just been away on a road trip and i have been eating almost as much as before my band.I have no fill in my 10ml band. I have to have a fill under xray as my port is surrounded by fluid and the doctor can't feel it properly. He is away for the next 3 weeks and doesn't want anyone else to do my fill so i have to wait till the 25th. I really need to get back on track, luckily we did lots of walking and climbing while away so i only put on 1 kilo (2.2lb) but now at home i will probably not be quite as active. I am a bit worried about the port, as reading posts here, sometimes the port needs to be moved when a pocket of fluid forms (seroma i think it is called). Roll on the 25th.

I am 2 months post op with no fill. We have just done a road trip and i managed to eat an entire burger with the lot at a seaside cafe. It was huge and delicious and i only felt a little over full. I was amazed, shocked and feeling guilty. But got home last night and my weight is only slightly up so i am happy because the burger wasn't my only bad choice while away.

Band meals are frozen meals especially designed for people who have a band. They are about 200 - 240 calories a serve and are designed to be easy to digest. They have all sorts of things, pasta, curry, asian, shepards pie. On pre op i had 2 shakes and a meal and still have some in the freezer. Theyare great to take to work when i am running late or cant be bothered preparing something. Holiday is going well. Buying lots of clothes - but none for me - i will wait. Eating a bit too much i think - scales will tell when we get home - but walking heaps and going to the gym at the apartments where we are staying. Hope all is well with everyone.

Anna 89 - What?

I nearly had my first fill 2 days ago but doc couldn't access the port as it was surrounded by fluid that he removed (20mls clear yellow fluid). Any way he didn't ask about what or when i had eaten. I now have to wait till November till i get a fill under xray as the doc is going away. He specifically said i don't have to fast. Zeniada - good luck with your fill.

Someone on a different post suggested the fluid the doctor found could be a seroma. I googled it and it sounds similar - should clear up on its own but on a couple of old post here the port had to be repositioned. I set out this morning being good and having a shake for breakfast and a band meal for lunch - thought it might kick start things again. Well i didn't sleep well last night - for various reasons, so am very tired and grabbed chinese take away on the way home and ended up eating way too much and now i am feeling bad(emotionally, not physically). Just went for a short walk but am too tired to go for the long walk i need. Going on a road trip at the end of the week for 9 days so i will have to be really careful what and how much i eat. By the way my weight was up .1 of a kilo when i went to the doctors and the nurse was just short of saying tut tut tut. Doctor was great though - he just said i needed a fill and then i would start loosing again - then we hit the snare. Hope you have hit your sweet spot. Roll on 25th of November.

Went to the surgeon today and he was going to do my first fill - i am 7 weeks post op - haven't lost any weight in 2 weeks - my scales say different but thats another story. Any way doc couldn't access my port but removed 20mls of fluid that was surrounding my port - a bit of a mystery as to what caused the fluid - clear yellow fluid. Put the needle in 4 times looking for port and removing the fluid. Ouch! Any way i now have to have my fill done under xray. I hope the port hasn't flipped! Doctor wanted to do it next week but i will be interstate and then he is going to be away for 3 weeks after that so i have to wait till the 25th November. Apart from wondering if everything is OK i am hungry and starting eat more. I don't want to put any weight back on so i am going to have to be really strong and try to make good choices. Anyone else have fluid around their port?

Well i had my follow up appointment today and my weight was the same as 2 weeks ago so the surgeon agreed to do a fill. He could feel my port but could not access it. At first he couldn't feel it at all and stuck the needle where he thought it was and found a pocket of fluid that he drained a good 20mls of yellowish fluid from. He thought it was the antiseptic he put in at surgery that hadn't been absorbed but then said it was too much. He thinks maybe i had a reaction to the chlorhexidine he put around the port.( It did give me a nasty rash on the outside). Any way he eventually hit the port once the fluid was drained from around it but he couldn't find the middle after 4 tries - i hope the port hasn't flipped. Now i have to wait 4 weeks because i am away next week when he wanted to access my port under xray and then he is away for 3 weeks after that. He says he wants to do it himself - so no restriction for another 4 weeks! That worries me a bit but i am more worried about exactly what the fluid is - surgeons not concerned though .because i feel fine.