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I was going to jit my Dr. up on this question next week when I go for my pre op testing about the gallbladder why keep it an take a chance on it having to be removed later, I look at it like this he will be in the same area so why not

Hey, Im one week out- do you think that my incisions are closed enough to start putting antibiotic cream, or mederma on them?

Hi - I have been fighting a sinus infection for over a week. I was put on antibiotics last weekend to see if that would help, but I swear the side effects are worse than the benefits! I notice I am a lot more sensitive to meds than I used to be. Anyone else? Well I guess the good news is that I may make my Easter goal! As of this morning, my scale showed 159.8, the first time I have ever been that low!

I was fine last week but now I am feeling hunger pangs. What can I do? I am on full liquids. Any advice? Lauren 326/318/175 Dr. Bertha 1/24/05

You are only a few days out -- most likely, it isn't heartburn as much as gas. I had that off and on for the first 2 weeks, then it went bye bye! jayme

Soooo.....Tonight I put my kids to bed and thought they were asleep but I was sitting with hubby on the couch and realizing today is six weeks until my surgery I proclaimed "Just six weeks until they cut my stomach open and life is forever changed!!" Just being silly and giddy ya know??? My husband said something to the effect of, "that's great sweetie," but his eyes never left the TV. WELL So about 20 minutes later I hear my 6-year-old crying in her room and so I go in and ask her what was wrong. "I don't want someone to cut my mommy open!" OH BOY did I feel GUILTY!!!! I did my best to comfort her and tell her I was just having a doctor check my tummy. I don't want to explain the whole weight loss thing to her cause A- she has a bad habit of going to school and telling EVERYTHING to EVERYONE and B- I've tried very hard not to talk about my weight struggles in front of my kids so HOPEFULLY they won't have the same hang ups about food and weight that I have. Anyway she went back to sleep but I feel like she wasn't satisfied with my answer....and really neither am I. So should I say something more? How do I explain it to her and my 4 year old daughter at the time of surgery/recovery etc What did you all tell your kids?

One of the reps was at a support group I went to this past week. She didn't say much about Protein stuff, but we did sample some of their Vitamins. They were not too bad - the calcium chew thing was outstanding! I did want to mention that she talked about a pre-op Vitamin that they make that helps get your levels evened out and gets you used to taking a supplement. I am not sure how it tastes because we did not sample that one, but it might be worth looking into. Good luck!

I'm soooo excited but nervous at the same time. Found out Mon. Insurance approved my surgery. been calling the drs office all week they say they will call me back then don't. hoping to hear from them soon the recepionist said i just need to schedule my surgery so i really don't know why i have to talk to a certain person who is always in surgery when i call. Maybe they have to discuss other things with me???

Your husband reached out to me last week and we spoke on the phone - very nice man!!! Didn't want anything from me, was just offering to answer questions and give advice. From they way I understood it, he acts as a sort of "medical tourism companion". He is NOT a coordinator and will steer you away from certain doctors and hospitals. It sounded to me like his years of experience and many trips to Mexico with WLS patients have given him a valuable perspective. He was certainly helpful to me!

hi i am going on soilds on monday from being on all liquid diet for three weeks scared to dearh on eating again what should i start with first i know the moister the better i also start work on sunday night 11-7a i was thinking of bringing a lean cusine meal is that ok i just don,t know what to expect when i start eating i don,t want to vomit or have pain some of these stories i read are really eye opeaners for me like erosions and slipping etc i am tolrating liquids very well do you think i will tolrate solids just as well also today when i was getting clered at work to come back to work the hosp dr told me he read that were they are findind the banded pt are having low calicium levels any one heard that thaks julie

Well... the pain is lessening every day. I haven't called my doctor yet, but I am going to do so tomorrow. I do not want to make the 2.5 hour drive tomorrow (unless they are really concerned), but I do want to find out what I should do if it worsens over the long week-end. Thanks everybody!

Your First Adjustment The first adjustment usually occurs about six weeks after surgery, although the exact time varies from patient to patient. The LAP-BAND® System is designed to help you achieve steady and safe weight loss, so don't be in a hurry. You and your surgeon will decide when the time is right for you to have your first adjustment. At your first adjustment appointment, you should expect to discuss your eating habits, exercise, and rate of weight loss. This will help determine if it's time for you to have a band adjustment. If it is, you can expect the following: An evaluation of your pouch size and stoma size before adjusting the band (this isn't always done. Your surgeon may or may not evaluate your pouch size and stoma size before the adjustment.) Adjustment of your LAP-BAND® System Evaluation of your pouch size and stoma size after the procedure to confirm that the proper band adjustment has been made. When the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System is first placed, your surgeon usually leaves it empty or only partially inflated. This gives your body the chance to get accustomed to your LAP-BAND® System during the first few weeks after surgery. It also allows healing to occur around the new LAP-BAND® System site. It's critical during this time to avoid vomiting and/or putting any pressure on your new small stomach above the band. The first time the LAP-BAND® System is adjusted is usually four to six weeks after surgery, although the exact time will vary from patient to patient. During the first year, most patients get between five and eight adjustments. Sometimes, small adjustments are made over the years. During each adjustment, a very small amount of saline will be added to or removed from the LAP-BAND® System. You may feel a pricking sensation during an adjustment, as the surgeon will use a fine needle to inject or withdraw Fluid from your access port, which is located under your skin. The feeling is similar to the pinprick you feel when you give blood. Sterile saline is used to adjust the LAP-BAND® System. Saline is a type of salt Water, just like your body's natural fluid, similar to tears. Adjustments are done either in the surgeon's office or hospital using a palpation method (simply pressing down on the skin to locate the access port) or via X-ray equipment (fluoroscopy). The surgeon may also use fluoroscopy to guide the needle into the port or to evaluate your pouch size and stoma size after the adjustment. As you take a drink of a special liquid (usually called barium), your surgeon will be able to watch it travel down your esophagus into the small upper stomach pouch, through your stoma, and into your big lower stomach. To get the best results, you may need more than one adjustment. The most common reasons for adjustments are not being able to eat without feeling uncomfortable or vomiting, being able to eat too much without feeling full, or not losing weight. Get into "The Green Zone" The LAP-BAND® System Journey is different for each person and the exact amount of fluid required to make the new stomach opening the right size is unique. An ideal "fill" level should be just tight enough to let you gradually lose weight. That means you should still be able to eat enough to get the nutrients that you need, while still reducing the overall amount you can actually eat.

Hi all... I had my first fill last week (See my banded stats below) and a couple of days after that I started having pain around at the band area after I ate. I started out with one meal...then now it's at every meal, or even snack. I starts up after I'm done eating and last for a couple of hours. It's a pokey-sharp-achy pain that I feel when I move around, not so much if I'm sitting still. I can feel it too when I take a deep breath after eating. Doesnt matter if I eat a lot or a little. I've been chewing super well, the only thing I'm guilty of is not eating super slow...but I do eat slow-ish. I stop when I'm comfortably full. Also a few days ago when I was lying in bed, when I first woke up I took a deep breath to see if there was any pain...and (holy moses) I felt a little pop. It did it every time I took a deep breath and pushed out a little. It has not done that since and I wont be trying to feel that again! I went to see my surgeon today, he made notes, he thought I might be too tight when I was talking with him in his office. He said he's had other people complain of the same thing. But my first fill was pretty small. He watched me swallow with my fill in, then took out my fill and and he watched me swallow the barium several different times under floro. He said everything looked good. They put my fill back in and gave my another .8cc's more. Now I'm on liquids for the next two days so not sure if it will act up again. My surgeon told me to come back in two weeks if the pain doesnt go away, or sooner if it gets worse. So what do you fellow bandster's think - has anyone had any similar pain? I've been doing so great up until this issue~!! Thanks guys!

Everyone goes through this so don't feel like the odd man out . Like Kelly said you are still swollen so focus on staying hydrated. I wasn't able to get all my liquid and protein in until after week two. I hated the powders and cound not bring myself to drink them. I use the Atkins low carb/low sugar drinks they are 11 oz and 15 gr per. At Target they run about 5.50 for a pack of 4.

You will be able to drink and eat again! I promise...your tummy is really swollen and has to calm down! Right now tho, you need to focus on staying hydrated and not on Protein. That is not important at this stage of the game! Your health is!! Sip your Water and broth and watever other liquids you can and don't worry about the protein for a few weeks. You will be fine!! Kelly

My husband is going to be soooooo excited that I came to this forum!! lol I have had multiple surgeries in the past and we have always had to wait about 6 weeks (all of them I was butterflied!! lol).This is my first labroscopic surgery so we weren't sure. Thanks everyone for all the info!! Rock on!! lol

I had to Google "anorexic" because I didn't even know how to spell it...clearly it has never been part of my normal vocabulary like fat, obese, overweight, etc. I was banded on Feb. 1, 2008 and to date I have lost 45 lbs. It hasn't been too terribly hard, but now that I have really good restriction I BARELY eat. Barely. I'm not even hungry. I think about food and I think about the foods that I can't eat, but then I think about the 45 lbs. I have lost and I don't want those foods...or really any food for that matter. I fear that I've created a monster by losing weight and feeling better. Just this past week I was able to put on a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in three years. They aren't even in style anymore but I kept them because I knew that one day I would be able to wear them again...so I cried like a little girl when they slipped on and buttoned up with no effort, pulling or squeezing. I digress....I have started to not want to eat because I want to lose more weight and I know that's not the right way to do it so I eat a little here and there throughout the day. I'm not ususally hungry at all in the morning and my band feels really tight, I have Soup for lunch, maybe a 100 calorie popcorn in the afternoon and soup for dinner and I'm fine. Am I the only one? I feel superior to food now and I don't miss it. I no longer plan my day around what I am going to eat or where or when. I just go about my day and if I'm a little hungry I'll have something. It's crazy....or am I crazy?

I too just had my first fill. I had to wait three months after surgery and received 5cc in a 11cc band...need I says hungry!! Definitely hope it gets better!

She is correct that if you don't get enough calories your lean muscle mass will go down. That being said, you are eating like a bandster. My trainer had me on 1200 calories a week and I did really well. Still to what your surgeon says. It will be worth it in the end.

Scheduled my first fill for 9/11. Vacation is on 9/27. Maybe I should reschedule for when we get back the next week. What do you think? Thanks, my little lapband family! :cursing: I love you all.

Hello all, I am new to the board, not getting banded until April 2010, but am already starting to stress about details! My family is supportive of my journey, but I've made the decision to keep the surgery private from my work. I work in a medical office with approximately 30 staff members. I will be taking a week off from work to recover from the surgery. My surgeon's post op diet plan requires 3 weeks of liquids followed by 3 weeks of mushies. The idea of this doesn't exactly bother me but I'm wondering how obvious this will look to everyone around me - we usually all eat lunch in one big lunchroom together. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to remain discreet while on a liquid diet? I think I have some ideas how to make mushies look less obvious, but I have no idea how I'm going to explain away 2 oz of Protein shake every 2 hrs. Suggestions? Help! Natalie HW/CW/GW 235/210/140

I also have about 7ccs in my band, and I also have plateaued over the past month or so. I've seen the scale go up and down so much I can't even keep track. My doc says that's what happens in maintenance. Since I've never made it to the maintenance phase the million and one times I've done Weight Watchers, I didn't know. Anyhow, he gave me a slight fill, and I have started back to walking daily, which I had stopped doing when we got 2 feet of snow dumped on us a week before Christmas. I also have sworn off chips, which were my personal downfall over the holidays. And... I am determined to go back to the pool starting this weekend!!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one making a fresh start. Good luck to everyone!!!

I just got my first fill today! I was kinda nervous but I have to say it was fast, easy and not a problem at all. The only thing that surprised me was when my surgeon told me that I could get a fill every WEEK til I felt the restriction that worked for me. I went into the office, the surgeon talked to me for a bit, I got comfy on the table with my arms behind my head, he felt for the port, found it and marked it with a pen. He then injected a tiny amount of numbing stuff and injected 4cc's into my port. He put a small band aid on and I sat up. He had me sip Water to make sure it would go down and voila! done! I am sure you'll do fine and after the first fill, you'll know what to expect and wont be nervous any more! Good luck!

This should be setting off alarm bells. You say you already have restriction but you are having a fill every 3 weeks. WHY? You have admitted that your mind is not in the right place and you are deliberately setting yourself up for failure by not following the rules by drinking with food. What do you think more fills will do? How do you think they will help? If you continue to push the food through then the band will not work the way it should. But what will happen if you continue the way you are is that you will end up too tight, you won't be able to eat proper food, you will exist on sliders which will not fill you up and will contribute to weight gain and you risk a slip, erosion and serious reflux. Does your Dr know what you are doing? If not then it is time to be honest. The band won't work if you refuse to work with it.

Its good that you have an appointment with your Dr. Gastritis is a complication to WSL and a possibility to what may be going on. Gastritis is treatable with medication and bland foods. However, I came down with a pretty severe case 3 months ago and nothing was working... I had my band removed last week because I couldn't live like that... The gastritis was in my pouch and so swollen, it was as if my band was filled to the max. I didn't have any slippage or erosion, just way too tight. My surgeon actually had to cut it into 3 pieces just to remove it. I don't want to scare you...its very possible none of this will happen to you. Just don't ever ignore any symptoms when it comes to your stomach. Good Luck