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Most likely your port will be near you largest incision. For me personally it is about 2 or 3 inches to the left of my belly button, but I know it can also be under your ribs or some doctors will place it near your breast bone. This was the incision that seemed to take the longest to heal for me personally, and was tender for probably a good 6-8 weeks.

Everyone recovers differently, and though I was technically feeling well enough after one week, I wanted to get a little rest before going back to the office. I work for my surgeon, so I didn't want our patients to see me and think "wow, she looks like death warmed up." Because, when I'm tired or lacking energy, it is written all over my face and no amount of makeup can mask it.

I feel your pain, but I can top your 3 lbs gained in 3 weeks. I have gained that much OVERNIGHT. During my weight loss phase, I never lost weight at a steady rate. I lost some, lost some more, gained some, lost some, and so on. Food isn't the only thing that affects body weight; not all of that is within your control. Try not to let your scale mess with your head. You're the boss: put that scale in its place. Like, locked in the trunk of your car.

I'm not sure I qualify as having hyperhidrosis, in that I don't sweat too much while inactive , but I have always sweated more than the average guy when playing sports or working out. Currently, I'm the guitarist in a cover band, and after two or three songs, my shirt is drenched. I'm about 3 months out from DS - down 30lb or so - and no change....I'm still a sweaty beast on stage. YMMV

I have Anthem also and was approved within a week and also received a letter from the Ins Co stating they are covering it. I also received a letter from nurse/case mgr from Anthem letting me know she is available if I needed to talk. I was banded on 2/8. Good luck

Congratulations! Glad to hear your doing well. Even though it was only 3 pounds I bet it makes a world of difference in how you feel and look. I am also 61 and just last week had a breast reduction with a FNG and am doing great as well. The next surgery if approved will be my tummy. I have a lot of damage as a result of losing over 280 pounds. If my tummy turns out as great as my Breasts my back is going to feel so much better. I already notice a difference in the 6 pounds they took off my breasts.

Thankfully my Dr gave me my lab results and I just looked them over. I'm in normal range?!? The only thing I've done differently this past month is I haven't worked out nearly as much... Maybe only 4 or 5 times instead of every other day . Inventory at work but I plan on getting back on track next week after its over!

I am new to all of this and have only had one fill. Lately I have been on the go and very busy. I have not been paying attention so much to what I am eating or how fast. I have gotten stuck twice this week. The second time was this morning after eating some ham and scrambled eggs. I got stuck, it hurt like a sob, and it came back up. I really want something to drink, should I wait? If so, how long?

I think you are ok. I had surgury Aug. 22 abd I still have pain in my mchest sometimes. I have noticed that when I get hungry that is when my chest hurts. I told my husband I guess that is hunger pains. I started eating mashed pot. a week after my surgury.

@@LisaMergs I am right there with you and let me tell you, when that weight comes off and you realize that all that loose skin is pulling on your body, plastics is a must. At least for me it is. I started with a 5950.00 Brachioplasty and I just took a 19 week project to cover the cost of my Abdominalplasty and breast lift with augmentation. That surgery is going to cost around 18K total..... I started my new project yesterday and I swear as every hour goes by I have a secret smile on my face knowing that I just paid for part of my surgery. I think it stinks that insurance does not cover any of it. For Peres sake, obesity is a metabolic disease. And guess what, it is a disease that can and will end your life early. Why then is reconstruction not covered? I just simply don't agree with that. As I sit here all trussed up in my spanx that hold my tummy in....... It is BS and it needs to change. Just my two cents......

I was talking to someone who had the RNY and she is ready for plastics. She said to get everything done - all around the world TT, arms and boobs costs about $35,000. She thought it was going to be more. Uuuummmm...Any good plastic surgeons in Mexico? LOL! There are LOTS of good plastic surgeons in Mexico! I was able to get my breast lift with augmentation, all over lipo, and extended tummy tuck done by an excellent surgeon and stayed two full weeks in the recovery house there with 24/7 nursing care for something like $11,000.

oh my gosh tinker - i would take a guess that 99-100% of us here feel the same way as you - food is our everything - I know it was to me. Yes, it is a bit hard but it gets easier. It's taken over 1 year for me to really start feeling and making changes - not so much what I needed to eat and when, etc. but stuff like, throwing food away - oh my god - I almost killed my boyfriend a few times when he would take my plate away when I said i was full - or - being finished eating and watching others eat - kill me now!:omg: or not binging when I am upset or finishing a box of Cookies - well, you get my drift! You will find that band will help you but can't totally stop you - you can still derive pleasure from food and hopefully eat a wide range of foods (everyone is different here). You will also learn lots and lots of new ways to be and act around food. That's why the band is good - it helps you make changes. And it helped me realize why I was fat - it throws all your bad habits in your face and strongly suggests you make changes. Properly restricted means you should be able to eat three good meals a day - you will have to watch your portions - although properly restricted means you won't be able to stuff yourself to the gills either - or you will hurt bad. You will enjoy food again - and maybe more because it won't be ruling over you. And broth does get boring, ick - can you expand your diet (within docs orders - I could have popsicles, creamy but not too thick Soups, full strength juices, milk, hot cocoa, etc.? Also, ramen noodle broth is good) hang in there sweetie, you can do this, really!

Thanks for posting - I haven't been banded yet, but the worst week of my life to this point was just after I started taking anti-depressants, which left me no appetite for food. The endorphins hadn't started increasing yet, but I had no desire for the one joy/relief I had always known and been able to count on because of the side effect of the meds. I think it's fine to do some genuine grieving over the lost ability to eat for comfort and indulge. But someday, it will be worth it, and it will get easier every week. The sense of loss will fade and the sense of joy and ease of living will get stronger. Hang in there and have a good cry when you need to.

just have a drink, or order consume on the menu, and say you ate allready, or you have a medical test you have to do the next week, make light of it and you have no obligation to explain anything, just be cool and say nothing more tough but its gonna be ok

The three things my doctor looks for when deciding if I need a fill is: 1.) You are not overeating 2.) You are staying satisfied until your next meal 3.) You are losing weight Feeling restriction through pain, PB'ing or feeling too full are things you want to avoid while achieving the above things. If you are eating right and still feeling discomfort then you are too tight.

Hey all! Sooooo I am very excited as I just got my surgery date-August 13t!!! I would love to connect with a surgery date buddy out there. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. While I have wanted to surgery for years, I finally started heavily researching it, and found a surgeon. Made an appointment one week, the next week went in for all the pre-op work, and now I have my surgery date! It was important for me to get a single incision gastric sleeve surgery. One of the only ones I could find was Dr. Garber in New York. I am flying in from KY and self paying for the surgery. So that's a big monetary commitment but honestly, I know this is the right decision for me. Just wondering if anyone else has had the single incision surgery? What was your experience like?

No it does not unfortunately I'd love to know where I am in the contest but the position for each person changes every time you refresh the screen. It will be announced the first week of April though so I am trying to be patient lol.

Weighed tonight.... lost 30 pounds and surgery was 3 weeks ago t'mrw! I don't know if this is just average but I'm beginning to feel so much better! Finally feel like I can do this! 

Just be patient. It is impossible to eat as few calories as we eat post surgery and not lost weight. Your body is just adjusting. I have learned from many others on this site that happens to most of us within the first month and is often around week three and called the three week stall for that reason. If you do a search for the term you will see how common it is. Stick to your plan and you will be losing before you know it.

At my 1 week post-op i asked my dr if i should be able to drink a whole 10oz protein shake and he said yes because it doesn't stay in your pouch, it moves through (which is why it's important to sip...not gulp). I remember my pre-op appt with my nutritionist and she emphasized "bulking up" yogurt later on bcuz yogurt would pass thru your pouch too.

When I woke up from anesthesia, I was hungry, I didn't feel sick I wasnt sure if that was normal... You are soooo lucky. When I woke up from surgery all I could think about was the stabbing gas pain in my left shoulder. You got off easy! LOL I am having a hard time differentiating between head hunger and real stomach hunger. I am trying to sit with the feeling but when a person has eaten to "complete fullness" it is hard. All of us bandsters know how hard it is to make the changes necessary to reach our goal. Some are better at overcoming our old habits than others. I would suggest that you keep trying and pay attention to what works for you. Don't compare yourself to others and don't sabotage yourself by beating yourself up when you don't "measure up." Remember that each of us is on our own personal journey. You will lose as fast - or as slow - as you are willing or able to. It does require sacrifice and perseverance. "Bandster Hell" is just down the road for you. Read up on it on this forum so you know what it is when it happens and understand that it is a "temporary state". You will get better with the "head hunger" and "stomach hunger" the closer you get to your sweet spot. Please know that getting there can take several months and many fills. (But that is not written in stone - it depends on the person and how liberal their doc is with fills. You just might be one of the lucky ones.) I am bombarded with sights when I go to the store, tv ads about food everything seems amplified!!! How about you fight fire with fire and start doing some reading about changing your diet, achieving better health, exercise and overcoming emotional eating. If you can be effected by the sights you see at the store and tv ads, why can't you be effected by things that will make your lapband journey successful? YOU have the power to change what you see most often. Bet there are no ads for Cookies and cakes in an exercise video. Did you know that if you travel around the outer rim of a grocery store you will find that, that's where the vegetables and grains and dairy and Proteins are? Take a look. The cookies and sweet cereals and stuff like that are almost always together. You don't HAVE to go down that aisle at all. YOU ARE IN CONTROL - accept it. This band is a "tool" that can change your life IF you are willing to do your part. I have never realized how much my life revolves around food! I cant keep my mind off it. I bought a small note book to log what I eat. I am still recovering but I feel like I am "when can I eat again?" Look at you! You are learning already. YAY! That feeling of "when can I eat again" will subside when you are thinking about food differently. That will take time but you can get there. While you are logging what you eat try writing what you are feeling as well. After some time has passed go back and read how you were feeling when you ate a particular food and see if you still feel that way. Make note of the changes you are seeing in yourself. Take a risk every now and again and don't give in to the urge to eat something that you KNOW won't get you to your goal. Write about how you are feeling. And, most important, when you don't give in to the urge for something unhealthy, give yourself credit for changing and recognize that YOU have the power to change yourself. You can do this! And the band can be a great tool to get you there. And finally, three things: 1. Remember, the lapband is a "tool" not a miracle worker. You get out of it what you are willing to put in. 2. Don't beat yourself up. When you falter, start again. As you get restriction you will have fewer slips. 3. Read this forum, it is full of useful information and great people. Use this forum to your advantage. Take what you can use and leave the rest behind. (That includes my post too! LOL) All the best to you on your journey. Keep the faith!

Hi! I'm 18 years old and receiving the RNY on September 23, I start my two week liquid diet on Wednesday this week. I'm also looking for people my age to communicate with!

I am on purees again right now since I had a fill last week. I do cottage cheese and hummus. Cottage cheese has a decent amount of protein. I also do fat free refried beans warmed up and then I put them in a mini belnder with some fat free shredded cheddar and puree real good. I put that in a bowl and top with fat free sour cream, salsa, and guacomole. It is really good, I call it a burrito in a bowl. Oatmeal is quick and easy, and I have actually been eating baked potatoes(chew REALLY well and take small bites, TRUST ME!!!) with basically the same stuff on it as the beans minus the guacomole. Make sure you do your protein shakes. If you make them using Skim Plus you get like an extra 10 grams of protein on top of what the powder delivers.

Can it be? Ok so here is my story... 6 months ago i thought about having the gastric sleeve, i walk in to the doctors office for the first time just to ask if the surgery is right for me, my doctor said i should get it and i was very happy but the doctor surprised me and asked if i can have the surgery next day because someone had cancelled due to family issues. So i did it, started thinking about sleeve on the 5th of november 2012 went to the doctor on the 6th of november 2012 at 5 pm and had surgery scheduled for the next morning at 7 am the 7th of nov. Now, six months and 78 pounds later (5 pounds to goal) i started thinking about tummy tuck last week after i tried on a bikini. My tummy is not too bad but its not flat and never will be. I went to the doctor's office two days ago and he agreed on the tummy tuck and said he will call me for and tell me when i can have it done. He called me this morning and asked me if i can have it this coming thursday because someone has cancelled... Well i couldn't believe it at first, i am scared but i heard myself telling him yes!! I still cant believe that in two days i will have my tummy tucked and ill be almost at goal. I consider myself very lucky to not to have to wait for too long... I just cant wait till thursday is here and over with. IN case i didn't make it out for some reason, I want to thank all of you for your support and wish you the best in luck and i hope you get as perfect as you have always envisioned yourself! You are all beautiful/handsome and i admire your dedication to doing what is best for you. And here is my happy dance!!

i'm having my surgery july 29th ; i am on my 2 weeks diet; everybody i talk to says this is the worst part;; i;m looking for a goods change in my life