Hello everyone! I am 5'5" and weigh in at 235. I have scheduled surgery for March 11 and am very excited to finally get this done. I originally began looking into this in Sept. of 2003, and everything is now falling into place. I worry about getting enough protein and how my husband will react to my healthier lifestyle after surgery. He is overweight as well, but not ready to make a change. My biggest goal is to reduce or eliminate my insulin needs after surgery... it has been a rough road being overweight and diabetic. Can someone clue me in on what "PB" means?? I don't mean to be ignorant, but I was browsing a little and saw that abbreviation used a couple of times and don't know what it means.

Thanks!

I'm looking forward to being healthy and at an ideal weight!

Hi Chris, and welcome to the board! Please keep us posted on your band journey and how your insulin is affected. It will be terrific if you can manage your diabetes better with some weight loss!

"PB" is the bandster term for what happens when some piece of food gets stuck and can't go down. It stands for Productive Burp, but I think that's a misleading name for it. (At least, the way I experience this, it is.)

When something gets stuck and can't go any further down, you could be in pain until it comes back up. There is a wide range of sensations that people experience, from mild awareness to significant pain. And when the food does come back up, it can be a startling experience because it's often accompanied by copious amounts of "slime" (saliva and mucus your body has created to try to relieve the discomfort). But it's not like vomiting as you know it, because the food never made it down to your lower stomach and there are no acids involved.

The idea is that you learn from it to chew better and eat more slowly. It's negative reinforcement of a very effective kind.

Hi Chris, I know exactally how you feel.........my date 3/8 so we are almost surgery buddies and we are almost the same size--I have 5 lbs more---but close enough to share our losses ..........Good Luck to us both ...YAHOO !! karen

surgery date 3/8/04

DR Borao

240/--/165

Hi Karen! It is now 3 days since my banding and all is well. I am doing great on the liquids/pureed diet. How about you? I haven't stepped on the scale yet, but I just know I am down a few pounds because I can tell in my pants already! Surgery went well for me, but I still have some shoulder and neck pain from the air they used during surgery. I plan to start walking tomorrow for about 30 minutes. I will see how that goes!

Please let me know how you are doing... I know you had your band a couple of days before me.

Hi Chris, Yes I was banded last Monday and all went very good with the band but the DR found a large hernia when he was in there and repaired it so I had to stay an extra night, .... then the next morning when he came into ck me out he found my stomach very swollen from air and ready to rupture....................from there I ended up with a tube down my nose connected to a pump 2 hrs a day for a couple of days, NO FOODS NOT EVEN Water , morphine drip............6 full days in the hospital !!!! My surgeon is head of laproscopic surgery and trained in NYC and has a wonderful rep. and he insists that it had nothing to do with my band..........I happen to be one of those stats i guess. BUT now I am feeling good except for soreness from the hernia and came home from the hos. losing 9lb because of the circumstances. Now i am down 6 more since I just today went to full fluids. I am sure it will slow down now but that's OK I am looking toward the fall when I can tuck in a shirt again !!!!!!!! HURRAH FOR US !! So glad you did well and are on your way !!

karen

DR Borao

241/226/165

I'm so glad you are doing well now... how scarry that must have been for you! And no food/water -- I guess you got the "jump start" on losing your weight! Good for you that way, and I hope to be able to "tuck" soon also. I haven't gotten on a scale yet, but will do so at my MD appointment on thursday (3/18). My neck and shoulder still hurt when I breathe in deeply or if I'm upright for more than 4 hours... but I guess that is probably normal. My stomach is still "bloated" and sore on that left side where the port was placed and my intestines are making all kinds of noise... my husband thinks that is completely attractive.. NOT!! Ha! Oh well, all for the sake of progress.

Take care and keep in touch my little surgery buddy...

We'll be some hot babes by summer and fall, no doubt about it!