i got my lap bad a week ago. i went through the process alone. didn't tell my family or any friends. i was banded on december 3rd and went to work on the 4th - tired but did ok for fear of people finding out. people around me think they are fat at 125 pounds. but i need support so i reach out to all of you.

is it normal to be hungry still? i have another week of liquids and have not cheated but it's getting harder. the gas in the back and stomach can be so difficult to deal with and my incision itches and hurts but is not hot to the touch, red nor does it smell bad - so should i not worry? can i put something on it?

i go to my dr. for a checkup on thursday. what is done on that first post op? why do they wait so long for the fill? and how do i know what is the right fill for me?

W84ME, I liked what you said about the secret being mine as long as I keep it to myself, that makes me feel good if I go fwd w/the procedure. I was feeling doubtful coz I didn't want to have to deal w/all the questions from people, they can be SOOOO annoying! But like you say, if I keep it to myself, who'll know except my hubby who'll of course have to know. Thanx for that statement, it took doubt away for the first time!

I had mild discomfort for a couple of days. Two times of BAD gas stuck. Nothing moved, band was fine. It felt like the band would have moved but it did not. I worried for nothing...hope this helps.

hi my name is lavette, i had my banding 10-04-06 i feel sick all the time.my doctor didnt give me enough information on what changes my body will go though i had two fills each one 1cc. but my doctor tells me i have over 3cc in the beginnig i lose 12lb in the last 4 weeks i gained 2lb and i still feel sick . can some one help by giving me the right information please.think you .

Lavette, explore this form. I have found all the answers by reading.

:think my name is lavette i got band 10-3-06 i have been sick to this time i am always full of gas sicknes filling in my stomack i have had two fill each one was 1cc but my doctor tells me i have 3cc i dont understand a thing about what i have done to my body all i know is that i want to lose wieght. i did lose 12lb before my first fill but gaind 2lb after the fills how can this be i last with no fills an gaind with two fiils can someone help me understand whats going on an what i am doing . :help: wrong.

it gets better. believe me. just use the heating bad and sip liquids as best you can.

anyone had the experience of just drinking the liquids and NOT losing weight? i'm getting really depressed.

My thought is you definitely need to touch base with your doctor. If you have questions, your physician has the responsibility to answer them. Only your doctor can examine you to determine if you have a problem. I am not being banded until 1/5/06 but I have emailed my doctor's office several times as I have come up with questions. This site is awsome and has definitely directed me to questions for my doctor. But only your doctor can diagnose you. Never feel bad about stalking your doctor or your doctor's patient coordinator....I sure don't.

Yes, hunger can appear after lapband surgery. Just make sure you stay on your diet you are suppose to follow. The healing stage is a minimum of 4 weeks. As far as a fill goes, my doctor did my first fill in the first 6 weeks. You may not feel restriction in the beginning and it make take more than 1 fill. I am on my 4th fill since June. Good luck.

amillerjones, I had my banding on monday. Insisted that for the ride home they give my some IV Zofran. I had an hour drive to get home and was not going to deal with car sickness. I am disappointed in the weak pain medication routine of tylenol or children's ibuprofen. Doesnt' cut the pain. I also have complications of shingles that really makes my life miserable on top of trying to heal. I find walking is the best relief for the gas pain and using a small pillow to protect my belly. It is the port site that hurts the worse for me. I cannot believe in this day and age, we have to heal with children's strength medications. Call you dr about the nausea cuz they can deal with that without you having meds in your tummy. take care, hopefully we both can look back on this in a month and give newbies what worked for us. take care of u, w8t4me

I totally understand wanting to keep this private. I work with all men, am the only female, and there is no way I would want them to know.

I guess it shows just how screwed up in the head you can get about this, when you are embarrassed (me) to being doing something positive for yourself and don't want people to know. Should be having my surgery in January. Take care

Hi, you can put neosporin on the incisions. The first 4-7 weeks is just about healing, not weight-loss, so don't worry yourself about getting a fill. Also each person is individual and your Dr. will "play" around with fills until you reach your "sweet spot." Also, I don't know what you mean by cheating, but the only one you will be cheating is yourself. If you eat what you shouldn't you can cause the band to slip or worse and end up losing your band. BTW, I also didn't want to tell anyone about my surgery. Only 2 people knows. My best-friend, and my daughter.

Flowerpot (in which I imagine a seed becoming a beautiful flower),

I, too am doing this alone. I have a few trusted friends who know, but they know better than to become my conscience. My family knows nothing about it. I am not telling anyone at work (they think the short surgery I'm having has to do with a recent kidney stone), and I have a good friend who lives far away, but has recently been banded and is on this forum.

One advantage is that my medical coverage includes a support group led by a dietician for people who have been through this. I hope there will be lots of good information to pass along from people with as much as 6 years working with the program.

My doctor says that it's good to get as much information or feedback as possible, and encourages this forum. But he also advised that everyone is different, and that we have to take things as they come. Some people take 2 days to be in the shape to go back to work, others take 2 weeks. Unfortunately, when doctors give definitive answers to these kind of questions, we take their answers as a tome from above, and worry about any of the variations of reality. And on a forum or in a support group, we get the wholw spectrum of reality that makes us understand our individual needs.

I will be banded in about three weeks. I coordinated it with work so it doesn't interefere with a project deadline, allowing for anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks.

I will look for your future posts.

Sivan

amillerjones

I finally thought this is rediculous having discomfort and the inablity to sleep due to my shingles and surgery. I called my hometown dr and insisted on Nuerontin for the shingles, a sleep med for a week, and then called the nurse of the dr that did the surgery and told her I needed some a little stronger than children's motrin. The nurse was shocked that the PA(physician assistant) didn't order thins for me. Again, we have to advocate for ourselves. I got a few Darvocet, a few Ambien, and Nuerontin. Guess what? I slept for the first time in days, my shingles pain in under control, and I am able move about, feeling functional again. I really believe in this day and age we have to advocate for ourselves with the medical world. I thought by being "strong and enduring the pain" was all I had. Talk to your dr. ahead of time and have a short term plan for pain and discomfort. My Dr.'s nurse has asked me to write up a short term pain control protocol. I plan in adding a medication for gas, and for those of us that ended up with watery stools, a medication for that. I am day 5 of banding and just feeling good now. If I had had those meds in the beginning I think I would be much further ahead. w8t4me

Flowerpot,

Don't feel alone, I'm here if you ever need to talk :eek:

:hugs:

Desi

Thanks w8t4me. I am doing much better now. It has been almost two weeks since my surgery and the pain is gone. I still don't sleep through the night, however. That is probably due to my kids waking me up and once they do; I can't get back to sleep.