I"m really curious as to what kind of things, experiences, information, mis-information or surprises that we learned after being banded. Here are a few of mine.

1. Use of NSAIDS - I didn't know that banded people were highly discouraged from use of NSAIDS. This is definatley a huge problem with arthritis sufferers.

2. PB's and slimming are 2 separate things. I think so anyway.

3. Recovery from LB surgery is not a piece of cake for all!!! Some of us suffer a bit more.

4. For those of us with Insurance coverage, insurance can change from year to year. Contracts are negotiated on a yearly basis and you may end up without fill and follow up coverage in the future

5. Contrary to some posts a port can flip and in my case the port detached. A second surgery was required.

6. Each person is so different with their band.

7. A cc band is different from a cm band. cm bands were the first bands.

8. The inital bands have a higher rate of complications and failures.

9. Getting banded is not an easy way out as we are sometimes accused of.

10. An exercise program is critical to succesful weight loss.

i got my band yesterday and yes the first thing i thought was what the hack did i do. i am still a bit nervous, i was told that the next day most people are up and back to work, im like ya right. i am currently on pain meds. i feel a tightness in my ribs when i take deep breaths, when i drink liquids i dont get the feeling of being fool anymore, i just feel like a tighness i my chest? i am confused on the new way to be full feeling is. What are you supposed to feel? i have little ones and feel really bad that i cant pick them up yet. what is recovery time? Any advice will be great.

i got my band yesterday and yes the first thing i thought was what the hack did i do. i am still a bit nervous, i was told that the next day most people are up and back to work, im like ya right. i am currently on pain meds. i feel a tightness in my ribs when i take deep breaths, when i drink liquids i dont get the feeling of being fool anymore, i just feel like a tighness i my chest? i am confused on the new way to be full feeling is. What are you supposed to feel? i have little ones and feel really bad that i cant pick them up yet. what is recovery time? Any advice will be great.

Blessedmommy, Hang in there. It will get better every day. What you are feeling is probably gas that remains in your insides when they put in the band during surgery. This is not gas in the stomach but gas that is in your insides and your body will eventually absorb it. Some people are lucky enough to not have this gas problem and some are the unlucky that do have to deal with it. It is also very common that you may also feel pain in the left shoulder due to the gas. This is also normal.

You can help your body rid of the gas by walking every couple of hours or when you are awake. You don't have to walk long distances at first but maybe 20-30 steps at a time or what you can tolerate. Increase the walking as you feel better. The more you move around the better for you, however, remember you just had surgery and don't over do it. You also need to sip small amount of Water throughout the day. It is important that you keep yourself hydrated. Be careful not to take gulps of liquids but take small sips. I am just giving you what my doctor told me to do when I was recovering right after surgery. You should call your doctor and let him/her know what you are experiencing.

As far as feeling full, I think you are asking if you should be feeling hungry. You are on liquids right? You will not feel hunger for a bit yet because your stomach and insides are swollen. Once the swelling comes down you will start to feel hunger again.

Recovery time is different for everyone and some people are ready to go back to work within a week, however, you just had surgery and everyone's body handles shock and healing differently. You should be feeling much much better within 1 week and I will say again that it gets easier every day and don't hesitate to call your doctor with questions. Please beware that your doctor is who you should talk to. I am only repeating what my doctor told me. I will pray for a speedy and healthy recovery for you.

Please let us know how you are doing. jake

Please let us know how you are doing. jake

Thank you guys very much for your feedback, I guess it is common to feel depressed after any surgery, I have to admit this really took a toll, the pain doesn't make it any better and is what feels you with regrets. Today I feel better, My wounds obvious still hurt and when I breath I still feel my left ribcage soar( THe port is on the left side). It is people like you that make us new bandsters feel better(emotionally). I feel better when I get feedback from people that are banded. I don't have friends and family who are so it makes it rather difficult to ask. I am still on liquids. Hopefully by Monday I can do the Darker Liquids. I want to be able to drink my Protein, (I would not want my hair to fall).

Thank You Jakealta

Hang in there. I sat for a whole week before i even attempted to do anything - thank goodness my kids are big. It was two weeks before i went back to work. Post op liquids are tough, but needed and you may feel weak from lack of solids and because your post op for a few days. I have never had a problem with my hair falling out. It is amazing how good those protein shakes are after you have been on clear fluids. Good luck.

Thats another thing i learned, you either learn to love or hate protein shakes.

1. I will never burp like a "real" person again. I only have hiccup/burps.

2. Being overfilled will not help me lose weight... only maintain/gain

3. The skin... the horror

4. When I have a good fill I can eat whatever I want (while remembering not to eat the crappy-for-you food)

5. Water is my new crack. I can never have enough of it. I even wake up several times in the middle of the night jonesing for a sip.

Recovery was painful. I wasn't prepared for the port pain.

The gas.....I have it from both ends all of the time.

Chicken is evil, makes me sick every time I try.

I don't miss the way I used to eat, the small amounts I eat now are what I think "normal" people eat.

I don't feel guilty about not clearing my plate.

I forget to slow down and enjoy my food when I'm really hungry and that leads to barf.

Throwing up isn't like stomach virus throw up, theres not stomach acids mixed in so its not as bad as I thought it would be.

Here's a couple more lessons learned or discoveries that I did not know or I had to learn the hard way!

1. Steak for me is evil!!!! The first time I ate steak I was stuck for 3 days causing me to either throw up or slime over and over again. I was ready to been seen by my doctor, when by chance I tried drinking a cup of pineapple juice, which I read on one of these posts. Wow!!!! I actually felt the thump when the darn piece of meat went thru the stoma.

2. Some people have sensitive stomach's that can swell for just about anything and of course that is me. The stomach swelling then causes problems again with slime and throw-ups. Getting the stomach (pouch) back to a normal, non-swollen state requires 1 day of Clear Liquids, 1 day of regular liquids, 3rd day mushy foods, then back to a normal diet. This was never mentioned to me.

3. Allergies (hayfever) affect the band big time for me. My allergies cause drainage into my stomach. The drainage remains in the pouch a bit longer and causes either heartburn or foamy slime. Liquids then become a problem until I take Zyrtec or ChloroTrimeton. I had 2 unfills because of this.

4. Not learning my lesson the first time and loving steak as much as I do (or did), I tried steak again this past Friday after waiting a few months. Saturday and Sunday were hell days for me. I could not get anything down but warm clear liquids, most of time. I was ready to call the doc again when I remembered the pineapple juice on Sunday afternoon. 1 cup and "THUMP", I felt it go down. Damb it, it was because I had a piece stuck again. I guess I will have to put my steak in the blender or just buy hamburger meat. :-( Don't think I'll be trying steak for while.

All our LB journeys are so different! Besides all the frustration and lessons and things learned after the fact, I would still have this done and so I say today. Jake

Here's a couple more lessons learned or discoveries that I did not know or I had to learn the hard way!

1. Steak for me is evil!!!! The first time I ate steak I was stuck for 3 days causing me to either throw up or slime over and over again. I was ready to been seen by my doctor, when by chance I tried drinking a cup of pineapple juice, which I read on one of these posts. Wow!!!! I actually felt the thump when the darn piece of meat went thru the stoma.

2. Some people have sensitive stomach's that can swell for just about anything and of course that is me. The stomach swelling then causes problems again with slime and throw-ups. Getting the stomach (pouch) back to a normal, non-swollen state requires 1 day of clear liquids, 1 day of regular liquids, 3rd day mushy foods, then back to a normal diet. This was never mentioned to me.

3. Allergies (hayfever) affect the band big time for me. My allergies cause drainage into my stomach. The drainage remains in the pouch a bit longer and causes either heartburn or foamy slime. Liquids then become a problem until I take Zyrtec or ChloroTrimeton. I had 2 unfills because of this.

4. Not learning my lesson the first time and loving steak as much as I do (or did), I tried steak again this past Friday after waiting a few months. Saturday and Sunday were hell days for me. I could not get anything down but warm clear liquids, most of time. I was ready to call the doc again when I remembered the pineapple juice on Sunday afternoon. 1 cup and "THUMP", I felt it go down. Damb it, it was because I had a piece stuck again. I guess I will have to put my steak in the blender or just buy hamburger meat. :-( Don't think I'll be trying steak for while.

All our LB journeys are so different! Besides all the frustration and lessons and things learned after the fact, I would still have this done and so I say today. Jake

So true, steak hates me too! I keep wanting a nice piece of steak..Every time I have tried I am stuck for days, too. I guess, eventually, I will learn to not want steak.

I enjoy a nice smoothy now. I have at least 1 a day on maintenance. There is very little foods that I enjoy anymore. I wish I could eat salads, but all the veggies get stuck, I am not a good chewer. My daughter, who also has a band, enjoys them because she is a good chewer. She, also eats steak!

Not that I am really jealous of her, she is down about 40 lbs in 18 months, and I am down 104. Everyone is different is what I have learned! Karen

I agree ..... steak is evil and just because I can't eat steak DOES NOT mean I'm too tight.

On a more positive and actually a win, win discovery. I find it hard to take a compliment about my weight loss, yet, at times when I need a little encouragement, a compliment really gives me a real boost. I've never been one for being the center of attraction, tis why I hate when my birthday comes around. Right now, I don't know how to act when I get compliments and comments concerning my weight loss. I actually get a little embarrassed. Because my wife knows me so well and after 28 years of marriage, she's having fun with making me want to hide under the table with comments. lol

I've lost 86 lbs. I went from a 46 waist to a 38 waist in pants (I think I wore a 38 in mid-school, holy smokes) My shirts were 3x and I wear a X-large now. I can actually do a 1 mile slow jog, where before I could slowly walk 1 mile with much fatigue and pain. I'm off 5 medications for multiple illness that were manifesting or was diagnosed with. I hope that I have slowed down my future job of pushing daisies. I want to be around for my grandkiddos. God willing!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that getting this kind of attention is difficult for me. I know it's a good thing, but, that is me and its taking time to get used to.

I still get scared of what tomorrow may bring, but, for now I'm gonna enjoy life to it's fullest. Jake

I agree ..... steak is evil and just because I can't eat steak DOES NOT mean I'm too tight.

You are absolutley correct! It does not mean that you are too tight. I can eat everything, including bread (well, most breads, that is), as long as the bread is toasted. I can eat chicken, hamburger meat, some pork, salads, fruits, veggies etc. etc., as long as I chew well. If not, PB's or slime, here we come. Here in New Mexico, we occasionally, eat a Soup called menudo which has beef tripe in it. Yes, I know many people gross out with it, but, the tripe is another food that I just get stuck with every time. No more menudo for me. :-(

I'm really one of the lucky ones that can eat most foods and I feel for those that can't. One thing that I was told was that something that you cannot have today, you may have in the future as the band/stomach adjusts. I don't think I want to try steak anymore though. Bummer!!!!!!

This one is for the ladies:

1. Your time of the month may affect the tightness of your band. Some people retain water/swell. I notice a little tightness just before that time.

2. And yes, keep pineapple juice around! It will be your best friend in the event you get stuck. I didn't get stuck often, but I kept a can in my car and one at work, just in case. And honest to goodness, it works! The papaya enzymes the docs recommend will work, too, but not as fast as the pineapple juice. That's what I've found.

3. Don't be impatient with this process. You will get there! For some, the weight comes off a little faster...not so fast for others. That's okay. Slow and steady wins the race. At least it's coming (and staying) off, right?

That my hair would get thinner. That somedays I would be starving and other days not want to eat at all. That I wood still have to drink Protein shakes daily to get my needed amount. That I would be cold when others are sweating.

That I would feel SO much better after only minimal loss. That I would wish I had done this years ago. That nsv's can be better than the scale moving down. That my family would be so supportive. That my friends and co workers would be so supportive. That I would inspire others to have this procedure too.

There are positives and negativesto everything I. Life, so for now I am trying to focus on the positives.

I wish I would have had it better explained to me that the feeling of "fullness" with a lap band is very different than "fullness" without one (or with a regular person's stomach). I didn't know that a full pouch would be more like a pressure in the chest (or what most people would probably go to the ER for if they felt that sort of pressure without a band. The dang thing HURTS). It's uncomfortable and should be avoided at all costs.

I also wish it would have been explained to me that the "right" foods (high Protein foods like chicken, eggs, whole grain breads, etc.) would be impossible for some bands to tolerate (like MINE!). Therefore, the Protein shakes or other means of protein MUST become a part of my diet for life...and they may become a part of yours for life as well. I am prevented from following a completely wonderful and healthy diet because of my band. I can't even do them in puree form on my lowest fill level. SAD and a major source of discouragement for me.

This "tool" does not work the same way for everybody. Not even close. I have people try to tell me how to do it "the right way"...but these fellow bandsters do not take into consideration that maybe...just maybe...my body might be tolerating this band in a completely different way than theirs. I wish I would have known that prior to taking this huge step as well. Honestly, I never woulda done it.

Weight loss is slow. I've only lost 24 pounds in 3 years since receiving my band. I don't feel it works for everybody. Not even the best or most compliant bansters. It simply does not always work. This band stuff is a complete and total gamble. Period.