sberrys

I had my gallbladder out 3 months or so before I had my band put in about 2 and a half years ago. Honestly I think the gallbladder was worse for me. I remember feeling worse from it than I did with the band surgery. I was in the hospital for at least a few days w/ the gallbladder, but the band surgery was out-patient for me. It may have been because I was a bit sick by the time I got my gallbladder taken care of, I had let it go a little too long because I thought it was just gas pains. But as far as the incisions and everything I will say the recovery and pain level was pretty much the same. They make roughly the same number/length of incisions if they're both done lapryscopically like mine were.

Sorry this is long but I have a lot to get off my chest. I got my band in November last year. Almost everything has gone great. No complications, no vomiting not even once. The thing that has not gone great is the weight loss. I readily admit that a lot of that is my fault (mostly recently though) for making poor food choices, BUT I also feel that I was lied to by my doctor. They told me I would be restricted to eating maybe 3 or 4 ounces at a time. That has NEVER been the case. Right from the beginning I could eat way more than they said, with no vomiting or pain or anything like that. And then I would get hungry again before bedtime which never happened to me before! It has been this way the whole time I've had the band, with the 3 (I believe 3) fills I've had. The doctor has always scheduled the fills so far apart and never given me what I felt I needed. When I hadn't lost any weight when it came for the last appointment (maybe a month or two ago?) I was so discouraged that I just didn't go in because I was already stressed from other reasons and I didn't want to listen to the doctor lecture me about drinking milkshakes and such, which I did NOT do. I always eat solid foods, and I can't tolerate a lot of sugary sweets without getting sick anyway. He assumes that I do so because of the slow weight loss and he just does not listen. I could eat a double cheeseburger and large fries if I wanted to. Does that sound like 3 ounces? I don't think so. Even if you're eating only sensible foods, it can be difficult to lose weight if you're able to eat almost like you were before getting the band. I mean we got the band because we ate to much am I right? I lost almost the same amount of weight just doing the preop diet, and that was a huge struggle because despite sticking to the diet religiously it wasn't coming off. I feel like I'm darned if I do and darned if I don't! I started at 350, lost 18 before I got the band, and then 20 since getting the band. I had to spend $4k for the part the insurance didn't cover, so 20 lbs in 9 months, a good bit of which was spent trying to diet does not make me happy. I just don't know what to do at this point. I hate the idea of going back and him fussing at me because I've probably gained a few lbs back since the last appt. I've always told him I could eat way too much and had no vomiting whatsoever. Do I need to yell it in his ear to get him to listen? How would you handle this situation???

Thank you all for your encouragement. I can't remember how big my band is ugh! I can't remember if it's a 7, 8, or 9 CC band. But I do know that I have 4.5 CC's in it currently and that it's around halfway full. I will try to find out if I can get a fill under floro. Thankfully the director of the clinic has seemed very helpful in the past so I will send her an email with my problems, maybe she will step in and make the doctor listen. Crossing my fingers.

You need to try to get him to open up to you and be honest about what he's thinking and feeling. Sometimes when people are dissatisfied with their lives they think running away from it all will fix it, but that isn't realistic. Running away from the good things, ie YOU, definately isn't going to make life any better. Another thought... Men don't handle unemployment well, it makes them feel like complete losers, and makes them say and do things they would never have done otherwise. Ask him if there is anything you can do to help him find a job, help looking online for jobs, etc. But above all else don't say anything that could make him feel like less of a man - ie well I make enough money so we are ok. That is essentially saying, "You're not needed." Men want to be the breadwinners and often become resentful when they are not, even the most loving men can feel like that in this situation. It's our job to make them feel like they are still needed. Find things around the house that need fixed and ask him to look at it, anything that will remind him that he isn't worthless to you (outside of just saying it, that doesn't help a lot). It may help improve his mood.

Hello everyone!

Well if you are on clear liquids there isnt a whole lot you can do to get full, but I would highly recommend making some tasty home made broth. You could ask your doctor if it would be ok to advance to full liquids earlier since you are hungry. If you get the ok for this you can start having Protein Shakes and that will help a lot. Put some Protein in your sugar free pudding. I totally understand the desire to cheat when you're hungry but just keep in mind that you dont want to mess up your band by advancing too quickly.

Well here's the thing. You should be able to eat solids but since you havent really tried them yet it's too soon to say whether or not you are too tight. You also have to remember, there is swelling at first and you may find that after the swelling goes down you are at your sweet spot. Just a thought! :smile2:

If you're like me you wont be able to eat much at first but as the swelling goes down you will find you're able to eat almost like normal again until your first fill. I experienced some restriction with my first fill but not nearly enough. It may take several fills to get to the point of good restriction.

I agree, this is pretty normal and what I experienced too.

Hey guys check it out, we finally have our month listed in the 2009 Bandster section! Bout time they put it up huh!

I totally agree. Get a lawyer and make them pay to have everything fixed. You should also be compensated for what they have put you through - wondering why you were gaining, multiple misses of the problem, MULTIPLE SURGERIES. This is unbelievable. I feel so bad for you. :sad::mad2::bored::ohmy::sad: And every other frowney face out there. :Yawn:

I know exactly what you mean, I don't want to get "the look" so I've thought about it myself. I think the best thing for me to do is to go ahead and tell the truth and to hell with whatever negative thing they think about me. But with that said, if you feel too uncomfortable telling the truth, just tell them what you HAVE done. You HAVE exercised more and you HAVE eaten less. They don't have to know about the band on your stomach. Most people don't understand how the band works anyway and think it's like bypass, and as we all here know it's nothing like it. It's a tool and we have to use it. You have worked hard so don't let anyone make you feel like you don't deserve to feel good about yourself because you do!

Wow what a story! I'm glad that jerk got caught! The same thing happened to me last year only the guy side swiped us while trying to hop the curb because he was too impatient to wait on the red light. He looked like a total crackhead and yelled at us, "That's what you get for not moving!" Well where the heck were we supposed to go? Unfortunately he got away and they supposedly couldn't find who the guy was even though I had written down the tag. GRR!!! But yeah, God was definately looking out for you! haha :thumbup:

Another good exercise option is dumbells and resistance bands. Walking isn't the only option! :smile2:

Just speaking from my own experience which has been very good. The Good... It's working and I'm finally losing weight! I am also so lucky in that I have never experienced ANY nausea or vomiting through this process like many others do. The Bad... Unlike others, my hunger NEVER went away after the surgery and I felt ready for some fried chicken while I was sitting in the recovery room, my stomach was literally growling! The Ugly... While I did feel restriction in the amount I could eat initially, by week 3 I could eat like normal again and didn't lose anything else until I got my first fill at week 7! So not too bad for me. :smile2:

You're not a failure, you just need a fill. Another thing to consider... are you drinking while eating? I am having a lot of trouble breaking this habit myself and find that when I am able to not drink a single sip with my food I get full on much less and stay satisfied much longer.

Oh and I'd also tell them to visit lapbandtalk.com hahaha :smile2:

I'd just tell them the facts and not try to convince them one way or another. I'd tell them how things went from your perspective but emphasize that each person is different and the possible complications are serious. But then I'd tell them how much it has improved life. Only they can choose if it is worth the risk to them or not. I'd also tell them that it is NOT "giving up" or "admitting defeat". It's making a decision to be proactive about your weight in the most effective way you are able to. Simply dieting/exercising alone is too difficult for most. Statistics have shown only 5% of people who try diet/exercise alone are successful, and they may or may not be in that 5%. I mean there are tons of things I'd like to tell people but those are the main two I'd tell anyone considering WLS.

Salmon Tuna Lentils (Lentil Soup - yum!) Do an internet search for high Protein foods and you'll get some good ideas.

No, I can eat anything even bread. But you know everyone is different, some people have trouble and some don't have any like me. I believe most people don't have much trouble and are able to eat just about anything they want except maybe soft bread. Just remember, it gets better and will be worth it once it's over! Good luck and hang in there!

I got the band about 6 weeks ago. At first I couldn't eat much but now I am eating almost like normal again. Get my first fill next week so hopefully I wont be able to eat as much again.

I completely understand what you're going through. I had "Last supper syndrome" badly before I got banded. My husband has been dealing with it too. You just have to find it within yourself to work up the strength to make the right decisions. It isn't easy but it's worth it! And it certainly won't be your last meal. Personally speaking, I laugh at my mentality before the surgery, I can eat anything I want now, just in smaller portions. I wish I could go back and tell myself I didnt need to worry about that last supper because I still eat just fine. My tip is to not let yourself get to the point of being starved for something to eat, that is almost always when I cave and hit the first fattening food I can get my hands on. Also try to plan your meals ahead of time. If you have a plan you are more likely to stick to it than if you had no plan!

If it's purely a taste thing what you can try doing is gradually introducing artifical sweetner to your palet by using half regular sugar and half fake stuff. That was how I got myself used to splenda. I hated the stuff but knew I had to cut some of the sugar out so I started with 1/3 splenda, then 1/2 then 2/3 and now I can use only splenda and it doesn't bother me at all. Try this method if you can't find anything you like.

Yep sounds totally normal to me too. Don't worry, once you get closer to fill time you will be able to eat way more than 500 calories a day if you so choose. Enjoy it while it lasts! :tongue:

Any pills that are on the small side I just take without crushing and havent had any trouble. Whenever I need to take something that's about the size of a tylenol or bigger I split it in half with my pill splitter and it all goes down fine. :biggrin: If you have large pills that cannot be split you may need to talk to the doctor that prescribed them about changing you over to another drug that can be split or comes in liquid form. I took one of my drugs in liquid form for about a month after surgery. It was awful! :tongue: Boy was I happy when the doctor said I could start swallowing pills again! :angel_smile: