enterprise01

Because sex is fun. And not everyone aspires to be married. I've been in a committed relationship for 11 years now and have no intention of getting married. Yet I'm certainly not going to deny myself (or my boyfriend) the pleasure and intimacy of sex.

My doctor did not require a pre-op diet. He just suggested that I not stuff myself the day before surgery. Although some surgeons say that a pre-op diet shrinks the liver and makes it easier to lift, other surgeons say a liver isn't going to shrink significantly in a week or two and that it really doesn't matter anyway because as long as it is a normal liver, they will still be able to lift it. I do recall in my seminar that the doctor mentioned something about higher BMI patients and said that he sometimes puts them on pre-op diets. I got the impression that there are more health concerns when operating on someone over 350 pounds and that the pre-op diet is mostly to skim a few points off their BMI before surgery.

Isn't it wonderful? I've tried Tylenol PM before and wake up so groggy I can hardly function. With Ambien, I wake up alert and fully rested. I think it's the best stuff ever made.

I tried laser hair removal on my "mustache." The doctor did 3 treatments, and it didn't work at all. I was very disappointed. I'm thinking of trying Vaniqa next.

Audree, I have to admit I'm getting a little bit jealous of you. You're doing so great and it all seems so easy for you. You've had a quick recovery, you're losing weight, you're exercising already, and you're having sex without pain! Is there any way you can send me some of your good fortune? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you for your success, but I'm envious, too. I'm still sore; the steri-strips haven't even fallen off my incisions yet; I still have sporadic gas pains in my shoulder; I'm ravenously hungry and have no restriction; the scale is not moving despite being really good on my diet; I can't exercise until the sutures dissolve; and every orgasm triggers a lot of abdominal pain. I'm getting depressed about all of this. The hunger and pain are really wearing me down.

I took Ambien with Darvocet and didn't have any problems. Your pharmacist could probably tell you if you can take Ambien and percocet together.

Sleeping comfortably was a big problem for me, too. And if I don't sleep well, I don't heal well. I'm 17 days post-op and still cannot sleep on my stomach. I got some Ambien and took one each night for the first 10 days. That helped immensely. I was able to sleep soundly on my back, which I normally can't do. I just love modern medicine.

I meant we haven't had actual intercourse since the surgery. My BF and I have been together for over 11 years, and he's very concerned about the pain that the orgasms are triggering. And so am I. We've fooled around 3 times since surgery and the pain is not diminishing any. I would have thought that as the healing process progresses, the pain would get better, but I'm not seeing any improvement at all.

I'm trying not to drink with my meals, but a couple of times I've had a few sips of Water with some of the more spicy dishes. For the most part, I've been good about waiting at least 30 minutes after eating before I drink anything. My hunger pains are also kicking in within about 2 hours of eating. I look forward to seeing you at the support group.

Hey, Mary, I'm glad to hear you're doing all right. I had the exact same thing with the nausea for the first 48 hours. And like you, I needed a lot of sleep. I think I took a 4 hour nap every day for the first week in addition to a good 10 hours at night. I hope the gas pains don't sneak up on you in a couple of days like they did with me. Keep me posted on your progress.

Here's a bit of delicate question. Has anyone had sex since being banded? I'm 16 days post-op, and my boyfriend and I haven't had actual intercourse yet, but we've fooled around a couple of times. I'm finding that having an orgasm causes contractions in the abdominal muscles, and it really, really hurts at this point. Is anyone else experiencing this? I wonder how long it will take the adominal muscles to heal from the incisions.

Hi, Terry, I'm one of Dr. Spivak's patients, too. I've had more than a dozen surgeries, and this one knocked me on my ass. Like you, I needed a lot help the first few days. And my hunger is absolutely ravenous at this point. I'm scheduled for a fill on 2/15. I think I've lost about 12 pounds since surgery, but I haven't lost anything in the past 5 days even though I've been really careful about what I'm eating. I've only had one minor slip-up. Today I had yogurt, cottage cheese, a little low-fat Pasta salad, and shrimp cocktail. I'm drinking a ton of Crystal Light, and I'm wondering if all the aspartame is hindering my weight loss. I'm starting to feel a little discouraged because of the lack of restriction at this point. I feel like I'm starving, yet I'm not seeing any change in the scale. I'm concerned that I'm not really learning to live with band during this post-op period because it's like the band isn't even there. I can eat fast and take big bites without any problem. If the first fill gives me a good amount of restriction, which I'm hoping it does, I'm probably going to be unprepared for the change. I'll probably go to Dr. Spivak's support group at least once a month.

Dr. Hadar Spivak in Houston charges $12,900 for self-pay and that includes surgeon's fee, anesthesiologist, hospital fees, and 1 year of fills/unfills. I have not had any additional costs except for post-op pain medication, which was about $30.

I'm not planning on exercising until my incisions have healed and the sutures have dissolved. Getting sutures sweaty is not a good idea. You're lucky you had the glue. My goal for today is not to overeat. I lost control at 10 pm last night and ate about 800 calories worth of cheese. So I'm trying to be especially good for the next few days to make up for it. I'm so anxious for a fill. I really need some restriction soon or I'm going to start gaining weight.

Yes, it's normal. I'm 2 weeks post-op and feel no restriction either. I'm scheduled for a fill at exactly 4 weeks post-op. Thank god I don't have to wait any longer than that. I'm dieting on will power alone right now, and it's not going to hold out much longer.

Ditto. It's hot as hell in Houston 10 months out of the year. Even naked, it feels like my blood is boiling. PJs would cause a heat stroke. Not to mention how physically uncomfortable they are.

Congratulations on deciding to make a change in your life. I'd start by looking through old threads in the Local Lap-Band Support for Tennessee. You'll probably find lots of info on doctors in your area. It will take some time, but just read, read, read, and then read some more on this website. Everything you need to know is in here somewhere. After you feel like you have a good understanding of what the band is all about and have some good references for surgeons, then call your insurance company and see if WLS is covered. If it is covered, ask about all their requirements and determine which doctors might be in or out of network if that is an issue for you. If it's not covered, start saving your money or look into financing options. Then go to a seminar hosted by one of the doctors. You may have to go to several seminars to find a doctor you like. And ask the doctors questions. That's why they have the seminars. Also, see if there is a local support group for bandsters in your area. You can always attend a meeting and talk one-on-one with people who already have the band. Good luck.

For breakfast, I love their Lowfat Granola Cereal and their NutriFlakes Bran Cereal. For lunch I like: Ham and Bean Soup chicken and Pasta in Cacciatore Sauce Chicken salad Fettuccini Alfredo Sliced Ham Spicy Oriental Noodles with Vegetables Whipped Sweet Potatoes with cheese and for dinner: Basil Chicken Breast with Tomato Sauce Chicken Pasta Parmesan Chicken Primavera with Pasta macaroni and Cheese with Beef Stroganoof Sauce with Beef and Noodles Tender Beef with Vegetables 3 Cheese Pasta with Chicken and for Snacks, I like their biscotti, cheese curls, honey mustard pretzels, and white cheddar soy chips. I think all of their meals that are supposed to be sweet, like the desserts or some of the breakfast muffins, are absolutely disgusting. They use some sort of artificial sweetner that actually tastes like salt to me. Their chocolate fudge cake was so awful that I gave several packages away to friends just to get rid of them. None of my friends liked it either.

That's exactly how I feel. For me, there's no point in eating/drinking things I don't enjoy. I intend to have my Starbucks mocha frap once or twice a month, but it will be a tall (small) instead of a venti (large).

I was on Nutrisystem for most of last year and gained 40 pounds. The portions are very small. After I ate my Nutrisystem meal, I'd still be hungry, so I'd go eat a regular meal, too. I'm planning on going back on Nutrisystem when I'm 4 weeks post-op. With the band, the small portions should work just fine. If you plan on tyring Nutrisystem, be forewarned that it will take some trial and error to find the meals that you like. Some of their food is very good, and some is disgusting. You get to choose the meals you want. They send you a 28 day supply of food, but you'll still need to supplement your diet with milk and fresh fruits and veggies. Most of their meals have added Protein and Fiber, and the fiber can cause some excess gas. It's nothing too bothersome, though.

I still can't sleep on my stomach, and I really miss that. The area around my large incision is very sore, too. I'm actually having more pain in the left side now (2 weeks post-op) than I did right after surgery. Every time I move it feels like my insides are shifting around. It's particularly bad in the evenings. On a positive note, I took the bandage off my belly button today and it looks like my doc gave me a little plastic surgery for free. I was born with a herniated belly button, so it has never looked very good. It seems that my doc removed some of the excess tissue when he sewed up the incision in there. It now looks like a normal belly button. Yay!

Mary, Good luck tomorrow. They told me to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. and I went into surgery around 10:30, so you are probably the first one up tomorrow. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Give us an update when you can.

I think my doc normally prescribes liquid Lortab, but in my case, he prescribed Darvocet (ibuprofen with a little codeine) because Lortab has caused me to vomit in the past. He did say to crush the Darvocet or cut it into small pieces before taking it. The problem with it "just sitting there" above the band makes sense. His nurse also told me I could take liquid Motrin if the codeine in the Darvocet bothered me. I plan on using the liquid Motrin for my next round of menstrual cramps.

No, I'm going to call tomorrow and make an appointment. Do you know if Dr. Spivak will be doing your fill?

It seems that most of the studies focus on the first 12 to 18 months of being banded. If you haven't reached your goal by 18 months, you're probably considered a failure for the purposes of the study. If you have a higher BMI, it will take longer to get to goal, so I can see why the doctor would say that people with higher BMIs skew the stats if they are only looking at 12-18 months post banding. Statistics can be very misleading, and it's important to understand the criteria on which the data was collected before you put any credence into those numbers. Wheetsin was totally right -- ask the doctor what those numbers really mean; make him explain in more detail.