Dave_NW

Sorry you're feeling poorly. They kept me on the anti-nausea meds at the hospital, forced me to sip Water like crazy, and walk laps around the hospital hallways every hour. I had very little accumulated gas, and it dissipated quickly. By Day three I was feeling a lot more back to normal. Good luck! Dave

Raul, you need to get out of bed and walk. The pain is gas. Walking dissipates the gas, and the shoulder pain will go away. Get up! Trust me. Dave

Hey Bob! How are you doing? Time for an update! Dave

Congratulations, Duane! Those are awesome numbers. I was just banded two weeks ago, so am still getting starting on my journey. I hope to be where you are in six months or so. Thanks for the inspiration. Merry Christmas! Dave

Hi Justine. Welcome to the fun! Glad you found this site. There is a ton of info here, and answers to virtually every question you may have. Your decision to have surgery is right on track - I wish I'd done something years ago. I'd much rather be approaching this from the front end of my life, rather than the latter part of it. Good luck with your journey! Dave

Glow, note that Julie was banded in March of 2009, not 2010. So it's been nearly two years for her, not just one. Dave

Congrats to everyone on your successful surgeries! Wishing all of you a speedy recovery. Keep up the good work! Jess, just wanted to note that hoarseness can also be a sign of dehydration. Keep sipping those fluids! Dave

I've had a few of those. Feels weird. Not so much painful, as it is unexpected. I think it's your system adjusting to the band being there. After I few days I didn't feel them anymore. If it's a problem, you may want to call your surgeon's office and ask them what's up with it. I found wearing the restricting band they put on me after surgery was really uncomfortable after a few days, because the hair on my stomach area was starting to grow back. I was getting a razor itch kind of thing. Removing the restricting band and give my incisions "air time" helped a lot. After a few days that also subsided. Now, if I wear the restrictive band, I put a t-shirt on under it. Dave

Julie, that's good news that you're seeing your doctor. As I said initially, if the problems are that severe and consistent, then you need to figure out what's wrong. The band is a mechanical device. If it stops working, then it needs to be fixed. Good luck! Dave

Thanks for the encouragement. I agree things are adjusting to life post-op, and I will definitely enjoy the ride to figure out what I like and what I don't. I was never a major sweets eater, and after nothing but protein shakes these last couple of weeks, I'm completely sick of anything sweet. The idea of eating Thai food sounds great! I definitely want something savory these days. I dream of pureed Wendy's chili. LOL! I don't have Muscle Milk Protein Water here. I'll check for it. I have found Isopure protein drinks at GNC, which are fruit flavored beverages. Again, more sweets, but 20g of protein and 0g carbs in a 10 oz drink isn't bad. Some flavors are more subtle than others. I find the Apple Melon to be pretty good. For as tired of the liquid diet as I am, I'm also being faithful to my surgeon and his Nut's plans. As others have posted here, I have my whole life ahead of me to eat food; I don't want to jeopardize my recovery in the name of trying to cut corners. I'm meeting with the surgeon and Nut tomorrow afternoon, to go over the next phase of the recovery diet (pureed/soft foods) which I'm supposed to start next week. Maybe they'll give me time off for good behavior. Dave

That's a really interesting comment. I was able to eat anything pre-op (obviously - look at where I started this journey) - but post-op, my sense of taste has gone all crazy. Things I liked and looked forward to having before are completely unappealing now. chicken broth was never an issue before, but now, after making some up, I might have only a sip, and I'm done. I sit here thinking what do I want to have, and literally *nothing* sounds good. This is so weird. I sincerely hope when I move off liquids to pureed/soft foods in another week that I'll be able to tolerate/like the things my head is currently telling me I *really* want to have. I'd hate to get to that point only to find nothing tastes good. The journey continues... Dave

Hey Raul, welcome to the party! I know the day before surgery is stressful - part of you wants it over with, and the other part of you is wondering what you're getting yourself into. You've done your research, you know what to expect, and the rest will happen as it plays out. You're going to be fine. Three post-op tips: Sip Water till you can't sip anymore. Walk till you think you're going to drop. And use Gas-X strips to help dissipate trapped gas. Good luck tomorrow. Check in when you can, and keep us posted on your progress. Dave

Hey there. I can't help you with being banded Thursday, but I'm thrilled you're getting close. It'll be over before you know it. (Aren't you surprised the date is nearly here already?) Keep your head in the game, prepare before surgery so you know what to expect aferward, and try to minimize the discomfort after surgery. I'm two weeks post-op now, and I literally do feel better every single day. Good luck! Dave

Wow, thanks! I try to post things I think others would want to know about. I appreciate the good feelings. Love Australia. Spent a glorious week in Sydney a gazillion years ago, and would love to go back. Maybe one day! I'm with you on those damn Protein shakes - I've had three today already, and it's not even supper time. One thing about the coffee topic I learned - since being banded I'm apparently lactose intolerant. I do put a bit of milk in my coffee. So maybe that's the problem. Will keep trying, and we'll see how things develop. Stay tuned... Dave

I woke up from surgery with a catheter in place. I had no urge to urinate. My band surgery also included repairing two abdominal hernias, so I was kept two nights in the hospital. On the second day they removed the catheter, and then the fun started - they wouldn't let me go home until I had urinated enough CC's two or three times to show them my bladder would empty normally. No amount of forcing myself produced any more - it was like I had lost those muscles you mentioned. The nurse said it was after effects of the anaesthetic. They finally reluctantly let me go, and after the 90 minute car ride home, I had to go - bad! I've been going normally ever since. Go figure... Oh yeah, and my hospital discharge weight was TEN POUNDS heavier than I was on admission 48 hours earlier! Dave

I think it's more about trying to get you to adopt a new way of dealing with food, and how to make the most of what you have. If carbonation causes the pouch to stretch, then next time you eat you may eat more than you should, which could lead to further problems, and so on and so forth. Each little thing adds up, and could ultimately end in failure to lose weight. Dave

Good luck, Becky! Just try to relax, and let the process happen. It goes quickly. You'll be fine. A few words to keep in mind: 1. Sip water till you're sick of it. It helps calm your stomach, and really helps speed your recovery. 2. Walk. A lot. It will help dissipate the gas. The more you walk, the better you'll feel. 3. Gas-X strips are really, really helpful is helpng rid you of a lot of bloating. Best of luck with your surgery. Keep us posted when you feel up to it. Dave

I think it was Bob, user name btrieger, who posted his spreadsheet. It was very involved, and showed amazing results. You may want to search for his posts. He just had a panniculectomy done a few weeks ago, and hasn't been here much since. Likely still recovering. Dave

I'd love to enjoy a cup of coffee these days. Nothing like a good cup of steaming hot, freshly brewed coffee to satisfy things. I live near Seattle, and around here, good coffee is the LAW! But guess what? Even though my Nut says it's okay, I'm finding the taste absolutely awful! Doesn't matter what I do - I keep trying different brews and whatever, and I just can't get my head around the taste of it since I was banded two weeks ago. What's up with that? Dave

Can I just say how jealous of you guys I am? I'm referring to the people who are a week or so post-op, and who are already getting back onto soft foods, or even onto solid foods. Post-op, my surgeon requires three WEEKS of clear liquids and protein shakes, (no fun additives like pudding or Jello), followed by three MORE weeks of pureed/soft foods, before going onto solids again. (Today is Day 14 for me and I am *SO* tired of the liquid diet.) It'll be six weeks post-op before I get back to solids. My first fill also happens at that same six week mark. So many ways to handle the diet for this band... Dave

I was originally going to have gastric sleeve surgery, and in fact, spent a fair amount of time exploring that option. I'm in my late 50's, and felt I wanted the sleeve to do the work. Everything was fine till I met with my surgeon, and I discovered my insurance wouldn't pay for it. So I regrouped and moved across the aisle to lap band. In retrospect, the band turned into a better choice for me. I was banded December 6th. So far, so good. My feeling about both surgeries is that they each have thier place. The sleeve used to be the first step for gastric bypass patients, who would start with the sleeve, lose a hundred pounds or so, and then have gastric bypass, and lose another hundred or two. If you don't need to go that route, you may be happy not having that severe of a surgery done. As to which is preferable, you need to ask yourself what kind of person you are. Do you like to move around, be active, and maybe even exercise? If so, the band may be a better choice. If you're a total couch potato, or if you have physical limitations on your activity, then the sleeve may be better. You don't have much more than about 100 pounds to lose, so what happens if/when you reach that goal? With the sleeve, you may have to keep working to get your nutrition in to stop the weight loss. With the band, you'd be more likely to be able to maintain your weight once at goal. And there are plenty of people here who have lost over 100 pounds with the band. For me, the idea of having 85% of my stomach cut out, and the remaining parts reattached into the sleeve shape was one heck of a commitment. I really had trouble with that, because there is no going back. Once done, that's that. Not as severe as a gastric bypass, but still a major rearrangement of things. The band, by contrast, doesn't cut anything. It's the least invasive, and if problems arise, it's removable and/or replaceable. I'm very much in favor of that. And as you noted, if the band doesn't work out, you *can* have it revised to the sleeve or bypass. If you start out with the sleeve, you don't have that option. There is a fourth surgery being done now, called a vertical sleeve plication. It's different from the vertical sleeve gastrectomy. You may want to look into that. So my vote for you is to start with the band. You may find you will have the success you seek from that, without a lot of wear and tear on your body. Hope this helps, Dave

Maybe they're not the same guy? LOL!!! Dave, joking

I think if you're going to be using enough for it to make a difference, then you'd want the best type of Protein possible. As I understand it, isolates are best, then concentrates, and it works down from there. Dave

Julie, sorry you're having such a problem. Have you been through this with your doctor? If you're having such recurring sde effects, then something is probably wrong - either with your band, or how you're using it. If the issue is with the band, what steps does your doctor advise to take to correct them? A number of thoughts come to mind - slippage, too tight, band absorption. You should see your doctor and find out what's up. If the band itself is okay, then the other side of the equation is how you're using it. Are you eating right, chewing thoroughly, minimal portion sizes, and so forth. If you go back to how things were right after surgery, and start over, maybe things will settle down again. Spend a few days on liquids again, and see if things don't calm down. Then work your way back up to eating solids like you used to. If your concern is that you've *only* lost 48 pounds in two years, then I'd suggest you look at your diet. Weight loss is all about numbers, and balancing nutrition against calories. If your protein/carb balance is right, and your calories in vs. calories out levels are right, then weight loss *will* happen. Good luck! Dave