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I had surgery on Monday Lap band with hiatal hernia repair that was large in size for my age the dr said. I am not feeling very good. pressure in the spot where they put the incision to lift the liver. Don't know if it is from the hernia or the liver is sore or what. Basically my entire left side still hurts. The worst is when I try to get out of bed, or have been sitting a while and get up to walk. My legs feel like jello or like they have weights attached to them. I am not happy with my recovery so far. I don't know if it is normal to feel this way or not. I feel like I have gut rot or something all day. I am regretting having this done. I keep having horrible nightmares that the drs were stealing my organs. It's what it feels like at least.

I don't even know where to begin but I have spent the last year doing extensive research on this subject. I was banded 4 years ago and was fine for the first 2 1/2 years. I suddenly began having major health issues and six months ago was finally diagnosed with ...you guessed it...systemic lupus and scleroderma. No problems before and no family members with autoimmune diseases. I nearly died last August and I was very close to suicidal by October from the complications before any doctors could figure out what was wrong. I am now on long term steroid treatment, immune system suppressants and collagen suppressants. I have destroyed my skin, blood vessels and tissues with the steroids. I cannot tolerate ANY, I repeat ANY sun exposure without developing a full lupus rash all over my body and vasculitus from the scleroderma. My quality of life is horrible. I am scheduled to have the band removed on June 21st and I am praying that at least some of my symptoms resolve and I will be able to reduce the medications. Now for those of you who wrote in that you think this is just a coincidence...my husband had lap band 6 months before me and about 6 months before me he started having medical issues and guess what...he has been diagnosed with scleroderrma as well. While I was getting an EEG recently I told the technician that I had recently been diagnosed with lupus and scleroderma but before I could tell her anything else she began talking about her friend that also was just diagnosed with lupus 1 year after she had lap band surgery. I hadn't even told her about my lap band! Coincidence??? Hardly, I think the risk of silicon to the human body is as big a coverup as nicotine in tobacco was several decades ago. Am I angry? You bet but not at my surgeon; he did a great job. I'm angry at the people who managed to blame all the problems of silicon on the gel form in breast implants and got the FDA to claim that solid silicon is inert. Dr. Douglas Shanklin did lots of research in the field of silicon poisoning and actually treated (and cured) a coworker of mine in the early 90's. He retired from University of Tennessee Medical Group in Memphis last summer and from the cold shoulder I got when I tried to get information from UT, he must have stepped on a few toes with his research. Anyway, Daemon you are on the right track...see the rheumatologist. If you don't get any answers, try a different one. You will be your own best advocate. I would also recommend that you think bat getting that band removed. Good luck!

Will one day of "cheating" lead you down a bad road? Will a beer trigger you to eat other foods you shouldn't? If so... don't do it. Honestly, you're way too new to the band to be "cheating", in my opinion.

You need a small unfill so you can tolerate the healthy foods and not have to resort to ice cream. Also, you should keep repeating this to yourself, which Lap Band Gal has on her blog header- "If hungry isn't the problem, then eating isn't the solution."

Hi there, I have been where you are....I am what I would like to call myself "a professional dieter". I have done it all....weight watchers, Jenny Craig, Southbeach, or whatever fad diet there was at the time. I went to extremes...starvation, purging, overexercising...you name it! The problem was that I ALWAYS came back to the food. It medicated me when I had any sort of emotion that I couldn't handle....stress, boredom, sadness, happiness, etc. The food was always there for me and comforted me. I was a closet eater too....drive through windows, eating in my car, etc. I hid wrappers so get rid of the "evidence", I ate off my kids plates, I (embarrassingly enough) ate out of the trash. I was and am powerless over food. I can't stop eating something that is not healthy for me if I start. In saying that, I became a member of Overeaters Anonymous in June 2009 because I was in a deep depression because my world revolved around my food, my weight, my dress size, etc. I was on TWO antidepressants which only helped marginally. Through the process of being OA, I have found peace and some semblance of control around my food. I am accepting now that I am a compulsive overeater. I am addicted to carbs (flour, sugar) just as an alcoholic is to liquor. I have found out WHY I overeat and how to manage it. OA has given me the coping skills to deal with those emotions that are unsettling and how to handle situations that come up without using my drug of choice. If any of this rings true for you, you may really like OA. There are meetings you can go to or even phone meetings so you don't have to travel anywhere, just sit in the comfort of your own home and just listen to what others' experiences are. I do not want you to think I am pushing this on you or anyone, it is just I have found so much peace over the last couple of years. I am off my antidepressants, I am calmer, I don't cry anymore......and I can see that I am meaningful and that life is worth living! Good luck. If I can help at all, let me know. Thanks, Katie

I had Surgery in June 2006 with Dr Cywes as Dr Baptista was not part of the practice yet. The Surgery was well and I did very well. Cywes does talk alot and pushes you. The only problems I have is after the Surgery there is basically no Maintenance that they push that is reasonable and affordable and basically have no desire to work with unless you are the new patient. .He is one of those doctors who yes is good, however, became to big too fast and forgot how he used to be.. Make sure you find a Doctor who shows intererst in you after the fact as well as before the fact..... Rick Kravette

I am not a patient of Dr Cunneen’s, so I cannot speak to any experience with him specifically, though I have met him, and he was present in the operating Room when I had my Lap band installed. However, having said that, I WILL tell you that my experience with that Medical Group, and Cedars-Sinai in general was absolutely horrific. The “surgeon” who installed my Lap Band was Theodore Khalili, who is now the Chief of the Cedars Bariatric group. Just THAT fact alone is enough to make me advise people to STAY AWAY from Cedars, and particularly Khalili. He did an AWFUL job on me, and when the problems surfaced, he ran like jackrabbit. No support whatsoever until I threatened a lawsuit, and then he acted like a three-year old whose toys had been taken away. In addition, Dr Cunneen was present during the surgery to oversee Khalili’s work….and the surgeon who REMOVED my lap band stated that the band had been installed INCORRECTLY. So, I would have to question Cunneens skill if he oversaw a procedure that was performed incorrectly. HH

Okay, so my hubby has a super active social life thanks to this club he belongs to. I avoided going to a few events since my surgery (pig roast/pinic, conecert/BBQ etc.) Well Sunday I am going to a big Irish Festival at a racetrack. There will be plenty of BBQ and drinks. I have no restriction but I have been pretty good with the diet (except I had a little more than just mushies-but nothing bad). I am thinking of having 2 beers and some BBQ food. I know there will come a day were I will get stuck or need a PB -but those days are nowhere in sight for a while. Would it be really sucky of me to enjoy the day with a beer and BBQ...yeah I know I can enjoy people's company and the festivities, blah, blah, blah...but really! Any thoughts? Did anyone else indulge a little more than they should have? Oh how I wish I had some restriction!!

Does anyone else have this problem? It is horrible, I am going to my family doc for it Monday. I drink, drink, drink my Water but my mouth feels like cotton. It has grown progressively worse since surgery. The only thing I can find is that it could be diabetes? I holy hope not...or a Vitamin decifiency? Thanks for you input!

First off check what you are eating. Make sure you are still on your diet. If it's not your diet then try changing it up a little to jumpstart it.