I was banded in Tijuana Mexico, on Oct.02.07.By doctor Lopez Corvala.

at the time i was 260lbs, after four fills am down to 220 lbs. but i feel i

can't get out of the 220 range.Thats why am glad i founded this site. I

don't feel alone anymore. I am part of a special group of people the Banders.Am hoping to return to Tijuana before the year is up,for one final check up by the doctor. Hope by then am less the 220lbs.:cursing:

Hi Bug, that's great news about the fill. Hope it does the trick for you. I am 5 days post-op and still feeling a little sick. My incisions still hurt and I can't eat much even though it's only liquid. I feel very full right away. I'm down 10 pounds now which is good. How long before you feel normal again? I have been experiencing shortness of breath. I had to go home with oxygen and thought it was the altitude change, but since back in Florida, it hasn't gotten any better. I read somewhere that the swelling causes the lapband to rub against your diaphragm and cause shortness of breath. I don't know if that's the case, but think it might be. I'm sure each day will get better or at least I can hope. Take care and stay in touch.

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

Welcome home and congrats on your band! If you are still having difficulty breathing you should probably call your surgeon. Did he put in a fill during the procedure? My surgical group doesn't do that but I have read on other threads of people having that done when their procedure was done.

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks Tigerlili, I am going to call the doc today. I think it's getting better each day though. Incisions don't hurt as much today and it will be 1 week tomorrow. I am down 13 pounds so that's great. Of course the diarrhea has helped with the weight loss--yuck!! I am going to see if I'm allowed to take liquid Imodium to help with that. Is diarrhea a common reaction after the band?? I am on full liquids now and maybe it was just something I ate yesterday. My surgeon does not fill the band at time of surgery so I am wide open and still can't eat much. I know that is probably just swelling, but it feels good not to be hungry all the time. I can't wait for my first fill, but I want to make sure I am all healed up first so I will probably go back in a month or so. Well, take care and keep in touch.

Thanks Tigerlili, I am going to call the doc today. I think it's getting better each day though. Incisions don't hurt as much today and it will be 1 week tomorrow. I am down 13 pounds so that's great. Of course the diarrhea has helped with the weight loss--yuck!! I am going to see if I'm allowed to take liquid Imodium to help with that. Is diarrhea a common reaction after the band?? I am on full liquids now and maybe it was just something I ate yesterday. My surgeon does not fill the band at time of surgery so I am wide open and still can't eat much. I know that is probably just swelling, but it feels good not to be hungry all the time. I can't wait for my first fill, but I want to make sure I am all healed up first so I will probably go back in a month or so. Well, take care and keep in touch.

Hi Sandy:

Congrats on that big step in your life (health). What I had was alot of

gas and shoulder pain, also my port incision took longer too heal, it was placed next to an old gall bladder incision. My band was also unfill. After one week I started eating soft scramble eggs, vienna sausage

(soft meats) yogurt and protein drinks. Ask your dr. when could

you get off liquids.Try not to rush in getting a fill, try waiting past six

weeks if you can. Sandy you"ll be feeling better soon. Best of luck keep in touch. Bug

(Ray)

Hi Skinnyme52,

I remember the bathroom blues part very well. I had a control issue it was so bad. I know several others who had the problem too. Now that I think about it tho, I think mine might have been partly because I am extremely sentsitive (sp) to sugar alcohols used in sugar free products. I had been eating a lot of sf pops and sf jello at the time. It really wore me down, but it did help with the weight loss...lol I hope you are feeling better now. Believe me, it does get better as time goes by. Take care....bev.

Hey Bug, I am feeling much better. My port incision is also just slightly above an old gallbladder incision and that is the sorest part of me now. Each day has gotten a little better though. I am down 15 pounds--yippeee!!! Not feeling hungry either, so I'm not rushing back for a fill until I really think I need it. I want to be all healed first. I didn't suffer with gas pains. The day after surgery I went to the Denver zoo and walked all day and the gas came out like crazy and I never had a pain since. I guess what they say about walking really works. I sat down when I was tired and sipped on water. It worked out fine for me. My only problem was the shortness of breath which I think is much better now that I'm back in Florida. The altitude in Colorado is hard to take normally, let alone right after a surgery. I am excited about each day now because I am seeing progress that I would never had expected by dieting in the past. I love that I can eat so little and not be hungry. What an awesome feeling. I really feel that I have been given the tool to lick this thing for good. How are you doing? Hope you are making a steady progress. Well, thanks for thinking of me and I will stay in touch. Take care.

Hellooo, Sandy

Glad to know your breathing as improved. By now you should be down

more then fifteen pounds "wow". I'm doing ok thanks. Sandy, by the

way what size band do you have? BUG! (RAY)

Hi Bev, yes it has gotten better already. I too have been eating lots of sf jello and sf ice pops. I was thinking that maybe it was the antibiotics that I was on. I have finished with them now and things are much better in that department. I am down 15 pounds so yes, it definitely speeded things up a little LOL. I am feeling better each day. Incisions barely hurt anymore and breathing is good again. I am getting tired of full liquids though. Today my husband had on all the cooking shows on TV and I guess my swelling has gone down, because I am feeling hungry again for the first time. I'm tired of creamed soups, but will do whatever I have to do to make this thing work. I don't want to screw anything up after having gone through all this. Thanks for thinking of me. Keep in touch.

HI Bug, Yes, I am feeling much better now. Breathing is normal again and incisions barely hurt anymore. I am down 15 pounds last time I weighed so I am happy with that. My band is the largest. The surgeon said I was in between the largest and the next smallest and he decided to go with the larger one. I haven't felt hungry until today. I think the swelling has gone down because I haven't been hungry until now. I think I will be ready for a fill in 4 weeks. I was hoping to go 6 weeks. Thanks for thinking of me. Talk to ya soon.

Hey Sandy~

Glad to see you are feeling better now! You are doing great with your weight loss! Isn't it nice to see the numbers fly off the scale! My dr. had me wait 6 weeks for my first fill. Once the swelling had gone down from the procedure I could tell I needed it. I wish I could have had one at 4 weeks though.

Remember small bites and small sips of everything, go nice and slow!

Hi Tigerlili, yeah it really is good to feel back to normal again. I know about the small sips, but I have no restriction so everything goes down just as it did before and I forget and drink fast. I know once I can feel the restriction that it will be the reminder I need to slow down. Old habits are so hard to break and I know it will take a conscious effort on my part. I will probably go back for my fill at 6 weeks. How are you doing? By your ticker it looks like you are doing fabulous. Keep up the good work!!!

It is still hard to remember small slow sips and chew chew chew...this was 32 years of a bad habit I am trying to break...so sometimes it hits me and then I am like....ouch...oh yeah...slow down...chew....ouch.

I am really excited for you that you are finally banded!!

I have been riding my bike with my husband and tonight we did a aerobic workout which ooooh so reminded me that I have no rhythm at all...it was great for an hour of laughing though!

Hi, Sandy...How's your wL coming along??

Will you be going to colorado for future

fills? If not have you consider where?

keep in touch, BUG!

HI Bug, I am going back to Colorado for my first fill and then after that will probably go to the fill center. You said you liked the one in St. Pete and haven't had any problems with them, so maybe I will do the same. Right now I am still having some lung problems. I am very congested in my chest and keep trying to cough up stuff. Of course that hurts the incisions so it's not much fun. I called my surgeon today and all I got was that I should call my PCP to have my lungs checked. One month before my surgery, I had pneumonia, but when the surgeon checked my lungs the day before the surgery he said all was clear. I just hope I am not getting a relapse. I do get hungry now and would like some solid food, but I am only up to mushies right now so I won't push it. I know by 4 weeks I will be dying for a fill because I will be constantly hungry. I will keep you posted on my progress. Right now a am down about 18 pounds so I'm happy. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

Hello, Sandy...I'm sorry you're not feeling very well!:thumbup: I know very well

the pain your're experiencing when you cough up. Please, take care

an above all try not to trow up. When you start feeling better, try

solid food...thinly slice or small portions.Sandy the great news is

you're down 18pds..:biggrin2:eventually all your symptoms will sub side.

cuL8r....BUG!

Hello Bug, thanks for thinking of me. I am feeling better. I went to the doctor and he said my lungs were clear, but put me on Levaquin (antibiotic) just in case and gave me some strong cough medicine with codeine. Well, after about 2 days, my cough subsided and I am starting to feel much better. He thinks it was just bronchial irritation from the tube down my throat for anesthesia. I am hungry again and feel like I can eat a lot, but I am limiting myself to 1 cup of food even though I feel like I could eat more. I think the swelling has gone down now and without a fill, I am feeling hungry. I think I will be going for my fill at 4 weeks. I don't feel much different now than before surgery. I have been losing very slowly also. I'll keep you posted. Take care.

Sandy