elizabeth_ahmad

For me, birth control pill has stopped and reversed all the hair on my tummy, back and arms. It has significantly slowed the growth of my chin whiskers, their color and thickness. It really depends on your ethnicity and hair type as to how hairy or thick the hairs may be and it depends on your individual hormonal profile how your body reacts to PCOS, BCP, Metformin, Vaniqua or Spirlactin (hair meds). That being said, loosing weight will also help PCOS symptoms. You can see significant improvement in loosing just 10% of your current body weight.

Some of it may be eating or drinking too fast. It could also just be gas as your body is trying to work the kinks out after banding and learn to move food from one place to another. If it is a hiccup after you eat, it could be your soft sign that you have eaten enough. I know it is mine. It takes about 6 weeks for the body to completely heal after the surgery. That being said, I have never had any issues with my port site. I qualified for single incision laproscopic sugery (SILS) lap band surgery. My port is placed below my belly button where they did the incision. It is the place my doctor always puts the port in SILS Lapand. Otherwise, he usually puts them on the right side of the abdomen just below the rib cage. It is more of a dr's preference when placing the port. Some do it for aesthetic reasons for the patient others for convenience when filling.

I got weighed the day of surgery in the gown and booties. I think they do it for anesthesia purposes.

From what I have read in medical articles, the heavier you are the less effective birth control can be so I would think the loosing weight would make the ring more effective. Also, when you loose weight, it causes your hormones to readjust because fat makes estrogen like compounds. As that is happening, it can cause disruptions in your period. It you are concerned, take a home pregnancy test or go to the ob/gyn or pcp for a visit to check for pregnancy or hormonal imbalances.

I got banded on 11/29. I literally had gas until the 2 week mark. There are two different reasons for gas. One is the left over gas from inflating your abdomen for the band. That takes about a day or two to completely absorb into the body, until then you'll have an irritated diaphragm (from the gas) which causes chest and shoulder pain. The second is the nature of the digestive system. The entire digestive system is in constant motion called peristalsis. When a person has surgery in the abdomen the whole system either slows significantly or stops for a short period of time. It can take almost two weeks for some individual's digestive system to get back in synchronized motion. Until then, you'll have gas, bloat, and other issues. Personally, I did not find Gas X of significant help. Walking did help some as did laying on my left or right side on the floor for periods of time. Laying on my back caused gas to accumulate directly under my band, and it did not want to escape. It was very uncomfortable. The gas got easier to deal with as well as pass as time went on.

Remember most people who are happy and not having problems do not post so much on these sites. A lot of posters on these sites are the ones with problems. It does not reflect the whole. Slippage and erosion happen in 1-2% of cases. Slippage usually occurs with vomiting and overeating. That is operator error in the case of overeating. Erosion happens for unknown reasons sometimes, and in others cases, it is doctor error. Doctors sometimes put more sutures into the stomach or suture the stomach too tight to the band. The more experienced the doctor the less likely to make those mistakes. These sites are informal and rarely have anyone with expert advise on them. I would advise you to talk to your doctors and staff.

It really depends on your doctor, your medical health and your insurance. I know that in my case I went in at 5:30 a.m. in 11/29. I had surgery at 7:30 a.m. and was sent home at 2:00 p.m. the same day. In my case, I qualified for single-incision and had no co-morbidities. I am just fat. LOL. After the surgery, I had a liquid meal (italian ice and hot tea). I swallowed with no problems. I got up and walked with no problems and urinated. I had a follow up call from the hospital and the surgeon the following day. I had my two week check up yesterday, and they did the barium swallow then. There really is no one size fit all with any stage of the Lap-Band Surgery.

It is not as simple as calories in vs calories expended. Our bodies react very differently to different calorie sources especially if you have a metabolic issue (PCOS, metabolic syndrome, syndrome X, insulin resistance, thyroid issues, Cushings Syndrome, etc.) There are plenty of documented cases of women with PCOS being vegetarian, on a diet, exercising and still gaining weight. I do believe most people who are obese have diagnosed or undiagnosed metabolic issues. I have PCOS and know for a fact that if I eat normal portions I gain weight no matter what. I have been eating on a salad plate for years and still was weighing 265 lbs when all of this started. In order to loose weight, I have to eat portions that fit on a dessert plate about what my 3 year old would eat. I cannot eat that portion without being ravenous. I got the lap-band to help curb hunger. I do get tired of doctors and others saying that there is no way a person cannot be loosing weight or even gaining on a limited diet. It happens all the time. If you are not loosing weight on a limited diet, perhaps you should see an endocrinologist and get a workup done to see if there are metabolic issues or other medical issues. Of course, see your PCP or pharmacist to find out if any medications you may be on is causing weight gain or slow metabolism.

It sounds like you are describing cystic acne. That can be a symptom of PCOS. You really should go see an ob/gyn or an endocrinologist and have your hormones checked. Even if it is not PCOS, getting a blood work up is a good thing to see if anything else may be awry. PCOS is an endocrine disorder that affects 5-10% of women in their reproductive years. PCOS stands for poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. It is a not a disease as there is no known cause, but a syndrome (list of symptoms). There is a correlation between insulin resistance and PCOS as well as obesity, however; PCOS can develop in women at any age and weight. PCOS symptoms include weight gain, mainly in the abdomen, cystic acne along the jaw line and chin, absent or irregular menstrual cycles, male pattern hair (chin, chest, back, etc), male pattern baldness, inability to loose weight or looses very slowly no matter what the amount of food or exercise, infertility and miscarriage due to hormonal imbalances usually involving insulin resistance and too many androgens (male hormones) in the body. Many women with PCOS also suffer from depression and skin issues, like eczema, have elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. PCOS cannot be cured, but it can be managed with medications and life style changes. I have PCOS. I developed symptoms at age 16 but was not properly diagnosed until 24. I have been struggling with it and my eating forever. I just got banded on 11/29. I hope with weight loss, some of the symptoms will decrease. Oh, don't try popping cystic acne. They are so deep seated that you will only get minimal release, and it will only inflame them worse; or they won't pop at all without a razor to open it. They can also leave nasty scars. You can try hot cloths on them to relieve the pain and try an over the counter hydrocortisone cream to relieve the inflammation. You may want to consider a dermatologist to see what cleansers and medications that may work for your acne. Good luck.

Good evening, It sounds like you really need to look into finding a therapist or psychiatrist to help you address your issues with food and how those relate with the rest of your life. Lap-Band is only physical. Some of us only have physical issues to deal with, but most of us also have psychological issues that must be dealt with. Until you get the treatment you need, it will difficult for you loose weight and keep it off no matter what bariatric procedure you choose. From your language usage, I presume you live in the UK or in a country that is part of the Commonwealth. Those countries usually have nationalized health care which does have some financial benefits. Try to find a therapist or psychiatrist who specializes in eating disorders. Good luck! I know it can be difficult dealing with the emotional issues, but you made a life changing decision to get the Lap-Band. Get the help you need to be a success for yourself!

I was told by my Nut and Psych to eat on smaller plates and use smaller utensils. I bought some dessert plates and toddler plates along with toddler spoons and forks for the house. I need to find some cocktail forks, etc to take with me in public when I eat at work or at a restaurant. I think the idea is to help one measure and eat smaller portions and to "trick" the brain into seeing a full plate instead of a large plate mostly empty and feeling cheated on portions. There is so much portion distortion in our society these days. Go back half a century and compare food portions as well as plates. It is shocking how much food Americans push down into their bodies without a second thought whether they have weight issues or not. I am only 34, but I remember when a medium drink today was a large growing up, a small cup the medium, and a child's cup was a small. I can also remember when McDonalds's came out with the original supersize. I also have lived through seeing eating out as a once in a great while treat to everyone eating out weekly. We have a whole food culture built around large portions and convenience not wholesomeness and taste. Those of us who do bariatric surgeries, of whatever sort, have to learn how to eat like our ancestors did before the portion distortion age in order to be successful. It is going to be hard to fight culture and it effect on our bodies' chemistry. My two cents.

I am just tired of eating sweet stuff. I am also suffering from intermittent bouts of dizziness and weakness from lack of food. It will get better. You will be able to do all those things you want to do and more! Good luck!

I am not there yet as I am not banded (Nov 29). My Nut said 1 oz is 2 tablespoons of a mushy/soft food. My mushies/soft food with texture plan is 2 oz of Protein and 1 oz of veggie/carb at every meal (6 minimeals every 2-3 hours apart). Hope that helps.

Any one else like me and getting tired of all the sweet stuff on their preop diet? Muslce Milk, ff/sf pudding, etc? I have a recipe for savory yogurt. My husband is from Pakistan. In the subcontinent, yogurt is eaten sweet or savory. They make lassi and raita from yougurt. Laissi is like a milk shake that can be sweet or savory. If you are going to make it savory, use nonfat plain yogurt, a splash of Water, ice and a bit of salt. Toss it in the blender and blend until smooth. If too thick, add more water. I happen to like mine thick. If you want it sweet, put a bit of sugar or sugar substitute instead. Raita is a side condiment that is used to dip pakoras, or other fried goodies, in or as an accompaniment to curries, tandoori meat, dals, etc. Most have cilantro, mint, or other veggies ground in along with salt, red pepper and cumin. The plain raita is just plain yogurt, a bit of salt, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Mix well and enjoy by itself. My Nut suggested the following for portions for yogurt for the pre-op liquid diet: 12 oz ff plain yogurt or 8 oz of ff plain greek yogurt I hope this helps others who could use a break from sweets.

My Nut has Carnation Instant Breakfast sugar free as part of my pre-op and post-op liquid diet. I mix it with ff milk, ice and a 1/4 banana as per my Nut's instructions. It tastes good. Even my 3 year old will drink it. However, my Nut did say that they are not considered my Protein shake post-op but one of the two mini-meals I can have in addition to the 4 Protein Shakes. She recommended Medifast, Pure Protein or Muscle Milk Light as the protein shake. Medifast is too expensive and not available except online. I am using Muscle Milk powder with Water and ice. The RTD Muscle Milk is a bit too sweet, but I can handle the powdered for some reason. I am getting tired of sweet taste though. I don't really have a sweet tooth. I'll be so glad when I get banded next Monday, 11/29. Then it'll be a couple more weeks then I can have mushies.....the taste of savory!