SuzanneCollins

My walk of forum shame... Okay, I was banded 1/21. I returned from the hospital having gained 8 pounds from my surgery date. I stuck with my Clear liquids for a week and had lost all of the 8 pounds, plus 4 more, but I was still in severe pain. I visited my doctor on 1/28 and he decided to remove all of the Fluid from my band due to severe swelling. He said once the swelling had subsided, he would fill the band again. Now, I should note that from the day of surgery on, I never felt any relief from hunger. I felt very hungry all day, every day. Stomach growling loudly, the works. So I get home, and since my band was now empty, I started "experimenting" with solid food. I shouldn't have. I was still supposed to be on a clear liquid diet. Experimenting turned to eating (big surprise there), and I've had no discipline over the weekend whatsoever. I've been able to eat whatever I want without any ill effects. I've gained 3 pounds back and I'm feeling pretty ashamed and disappointed. I thought the band was supposed to relieve hunger pain, and it hasn't for me. Has anyone had a similar lapse or experience? Any advice on feeling better and getting back on track would be appreciated. Also, is there a medical reason why I'm not supposed to have diet soda? My instructions say no carbonated beverages, but does not specify why... Thanks =(

Thanks to those who gave me constructive criticism. I really hate seeing so many negative replies to people who come here admitting they had a slip in their eating. After all, none of us would be here in the first place if our eating habits were perfect, right? I'm back on my Clear liquids. I know this is all about willpower, I just thought the band would help by relieving some of that hunger. Hopefully, I'll get adjusted to it soon. Oh, and looking at a lap band surgery really helped me motivate myself back onto liquids. Thanks for that suggestion, Basimah. =)

The closer I got to surgery, the more nervous I became. And surgery doen't usually scare me. So I think what you're experiencing is normal. You're not just having a surgery, after all. You're changing the way you think about and eat food...for life. You're also indirectly going to change the way you look and feel, and the way people see you. All for the better, right? For me, it was very important to continually focus on what I really wanted out of this in the long run, because the short term effects are pretty unpleasant. Don't go in thinking it will be easy at first, either, because it probably won't be. I made that mistake. The best thing is to have someone supportive of your surgery decision there with you. Someone to push you forward when you want to turn back. Whether it's this site, a spouse, or a close friend, having someone on your side really helps. Best wishes!

Ah, where to begin... I was banded on Friday, January 21, 2011. We woke early and headed up to the hospital an hour and a half away. I went in to registration while my husband parked the car. I was quickly ushered to the check in area and told to undress. When I asked if I could go find my husband to let him know where I was, I was told I needed to get undressed now because my surgery had been moved up. Yikes! My husband walked in just then, so I changed into my gown and hospital socks, then watched as my husband stole 3 more pairs of hospital socks for home usage. I hopped on the gurney and a nurse arrived to start my IV. I patiently waited while she blew four veins in my hands before finally getting it right, all while mumbling to herself that I must be severely dehydrated. Actually, I had about four gallons of water the day prior and you just suck at your job, but whatever. Luckily, I don't mind needles. That is, I didn't mind needles until the heparin shot they gave me in my stomach later that night after surgery. It would have been nice if they gave those shots before your stomach was incredibly sore... Anyway, I kissed my husband and 11 month old goodbye and they wheeled me up to the pre-op waiting area. Once there, several nurses came by and asked me a myriad of questions, I met with the anesthesiologist, and my surgeon stopped in to answer a few questions I had. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled to the operating room. As they were taking me in, I was given something to help me "relax". Once we arrived, I scooted onto the operating table and commented on how many machines the room had. It was explained to me that this was normally a cardiac suite, and I suddenly blacked out. I was a bit surprised by this later, as I usually get to do a little count down when being put under. I woke up in recovery rubbing my eyes and being told by the nurses that I did great and to stop messing with my eyes! I was not in any pain, just very groggy. My throat was dry as bone and I desperately wanted water, but all I could have were a few ice chips fed to me as if I was a baby by some nurse. I wasted no time in asking how many incisions I needed, as that was a primary concern of mine before surgery. I was told I just had one incision in my belly button. I peeked down my shirt and saw a second mark just under my sternum, and the nurse said "oops". It wasn't bad, however, just the tiniest little scratch of an incision which was needed to flip back my liver. All in all, I was very pleased with the lack of scars I'd end up with. The belly button incision really is invisible. My doctor stopped by shortly afterward and showed me pictures of my stomach with the band on it and my liver. I think I said something like "creepy" and he patted me on the shoulder and left. I called my husband and asked him to come back once I was put in a room, then told the nurse I needed to use the restroom. She brought me a bedpan, to which I said no thank you, and talked her into letting me get up and walk to the restroom. This was about an hour after waking up, and I had no problem walking around. Another hour or two passed before they had a room ready for me, but I arrived to see my husband and son waiting for me, so that was nice. By the time I arrived in my room, I was in some pain, and they began giving me IV pain medicine. It didn't really help, however, and by about 2am I was in severe pain. I had a lot of gas pain, which I've experienced before and recognized, but I was also incredibly sore from the belly button incision and port placement; I was also feeling a tremendous amount of chest pain. Walking only made it worse. I was also coughing quite a bit and that didn't help. I couldn't sleep throughout the night, and by morning had developed two black eyes (don't know why). Headed home around noon on Saturday. The ride was bumpy and horrible. I was nauseated but maintained and climbed into bed as soon as I arrived home. Actually, I weighed myself before climbing into bed and saw that I had GAINED 8 pounds in the hospital. Awesome. Icing on the cake. Saturday night I began coughing up blood and my pain was at an all time high. I was getting chills as well. Called the on-call doctor who told me to double up on pain meds and get some sleep. Tried to sleep but couldn't and had run out of the limited supply of pain medication given to me by Sunday evening. Still felt awful Monday morning and finally went back to the hospital to be seen about the blood and pain. I was examined and told that the swelling caused by my band was severe, so they put a needle in my port and emptied the band completely...having it emptied really hurt my chest as I was still healing, but the needle going in wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was told the coughing up of blood was caused by intubation, which I suspected. They gave me more pain medicine and sent me home. They said my band could be refilled once I had healed a bit and the swelling had gone down. I headed home and finally managed to get a good night of sleep. Today I feel much better. I'm still sore, but I'm not crying and hating my life anymore. This is the first day I've felt as though getting the band wasn't the biggest mistake of my life. I had what I thought had been the worst abdominal surgery ever earlier in the year, and the band was far worse. I should note that I have a pretty high pain tolerance as well. I was just very shocked by how bad it was, considering all the stories I had read about other people. I guess I expected it to be easy...don't make that mistake!

Glad to hear you're feeling better. Did you have to be rehospitalized for dehydration or what?

Is the liquid Motrin a prescription, or can I get it over the counter? The liquid Hydrocodone (Lortab) is giving me nausea which is not helping me feel any better. Thanks to everyone else for your replies...still feeling awful but it's a little bit better today.

Hi there. I was banded Friday morning. The shoulder pain you are feeling is indeed gas pain. It can persist for about a week, sometimes more, and can be quite painful (especially when taking deep breaths). Walking can help but not always. When I had a c-section earlier in the year, the stabbing shoulder pain was the worst part and it went away after about 5 days. I have some pretty bad shoulder pain right now as well. As for burping, I don't know what the norm is, but I have been burping a lot since the surgery...a whole lot...so you definitely CAN burp. I too hear liquids going down, and I think it's because of the empty stomach and the fact that we are taking small, conscious sips. I imagine you will stop noticing it when you are comfortable taking normal sips again and you get back to regular foods. I hope this helps, and I'm glad to hear you're feeling okay because I feel absolutely terrible. This has been so much more painful than I anticipated, given everything I had read prior. Oh, and I came home home from my hospital stay having gained 8 pounds instead of losing it. =( So, you're doing great! Best wishes!

I had my surgery yesterday and felt okay immediately after. Day two and it's excruciating. Can't stop crying and feeling as if this was the biggest mistake ever. Oh, and I've gained 8 pounds despite having eaten nothing in three days. Someone tell me it will get better...I keep wondering if I should go back to the hospital or if this is normal. I never expected to be in so much pain after reading other people's experiences.

I'm doing a SILS band tomorrow (hopefully one incision), and my surgeon is attempting to enter through the belly button. Has anyone had this done? If so, does the belly button and abdomen look normal afterward? I've heard some negative things (unrelated to the lap band surgery) about surgical entry via the belly button. Anyway, if anyone has any insight on this topic, I'd appreciate it!

I had surgery Friday morning and began coughing several hours later and have been all through the night. I will get in touch with my surgeon, but in the meantime does anyone know what might be causing this? It obviously really hurts to cough right now.

I'm sure it varies greatly from person to person, but my surgeon said the swelling can last several weeks. Take it easy and try regular doses of Advil if your doctor approves. Cold compresses may help as well. How was your pain level the day after surgery? Mine is pretty bad right now--more than I expected given how small my incisions are. Hope it fades quickly...?

Hi Lori, thanks for your reply and congratulations on your weight loss. Something tells me I will not have lost 25 pounds by next Friday...that seems like such an insane amount! I definitely won't be hard on myself if I don't quite meet my goal by 2012; I just want to have a clear target to keep aiming for. I'd love to hear more about how you're doing in the upcoming weeks, since we were banded just seven days apart. Best wishes!

Hello everyone, My name is Suzanne. I am 31 years old, married to a wonderful man, and just had my first son in 2010. I have been overweight since 5th grade. Slightly at first and throughout high school, then ballooned to about 250 pounds in college. I have tried many diets, exercise, personal trainers, etc. I did lose about 70 pounds once through Atkins, but slowly gained it all back. After I had my son, I weighed 230 pounds. Then I managed to gain another 22 pounds, putting me at my current weight and all time high of 252 pounds. I'm unhealthy and embarrassed, and I desperately want to change. I've been thinking about the Lap Band for a couple of years, and finally started seriously pursuing it in October. And while my surgery is set for Friday, I'm still struggling with the idea of it. The two people I have told (my husband and mother) both tell me that I can lose the weight without it if I really try. But they are also the first people to shove Cookies in my face when I tell them I'm on a diet. I feel as though I SHOULD have the strength and willpower to just say no to food and do this on my own, but I don't. I never have and fear I never will. Is the Lap Band a cop out? I don't know. I just know that I want to be healthy, have more energy, and be able to walk into a store other than Lane Bryant for clothing. My biggest fear right now is failure to lose weight even with the Lap Band. I mean, how humiliating would it be to have this drastic surgery done and still not lose weight? It's the most terrifying thought to me right now. Please tell me someone out there understands how I'm feeling... All of that being said, I'm excited and determined. I don't want to set mini goals. I have ONE goal, and that's to be 135 pounds by December 31st, 2011. It's not going to be easy, but I am hoping to find encouragement and support from those who have gone through and are going through this process with me: ALL OF YOU!

Everyone is different and most people will hit their "sweet spot" about 4-6 adjustments later. While some feel no hunger immediately after surgery, others don't, and some never at all. A few even elect to switch from the lap band to gastric bypass because they never feel satisfied. Rare, but it does happen. I would advise you to keep up the good work and address your hunger with your surgeon. Keep getting your fills and hopefully you'll find a happy medium soon! Best wishes...

Hi there... I know how you feel, as I have been very motivated at times and able to lose weight easily if I put forth the effort. But my problem wasn't losing the weight, it was keeping it off. And after years of losing 50 pounds only to gain 60 back, I really had lost hope and resolved myself to being what I was: fat. I never thought I would have the means to get this surgery, but once I had insurance, I began pursuing it. In fact, I am in the hospital now recovering from my surgery. I'm nervous. I don't know if this will change my life as I hope it will. I just know that dieting didn't work in the long term and I needed something better. I needed a tool that would keep me physically and mentally in check in terms of what and how I eat for life. Yes, we probably could struggle with dieting constantly and keep moderately slim, but who is happy doing that? Not I. I view my Lap Band as a physical behavior modifier, something motivation alone can't offer. So, can you lose the weight on your own? Absolutely. Will you gain it all back? Likely, but certainly not unavoidable. I just know that, in my case, I was never going to be forever thin on my own. If you can relate to those feelings, then I think you should pursue the surgery. And you can always give it another year or two before you decide and see how you're doing. It's a major decision and will require changing your eating habits forever; I am still daunted by it all... Best wishes...

Thank you all for your stories and encouraging words. I think I would have chickened out had not been for this site. Had my surgery this morning and writing this update from the hospital (my insurance, unfortunately, forced me to spend the night). Everything went really well, my belly button incision isn't even visible, and I loved my surgeon (Dr. Enochs in Raleigh). I am very, VERY sore.

Thanks to all for your responses. I didn't have many responses when I left for the hospial and almost told my surgeon to forget going through the belly button before surgery this morning, but I'm so glad I didn't. I can't even see the incision at all! I did have to have a second tiny incision to flip my liver back, but it's very small and would just look like a scratch once healed. All in all, this was much less brutal than I imagined, though I am VERY sore. Thanks again!

I'm having surgery Friday and no pre-op diet was required. I started dieting a couple of days ago voluntarily, however, and started all Clear Liquids today. I figured it would help me get past the cravings early and start disciplining myself. Well, I'm HUNGRY (of course)! Should I just eat and enjoy these last few days of good food, or am I making the right decision?

Ugh. Thanks. I'm leaving for the hospital in an hour and I'm so nervous... =/

Congratulations! I just found out I was approved this past Friday and I'm going in for my surgery in two days. Seems like I've been waiting forever and now it's happening too fast...weird, right? Ugh. I'm so nervous! Best of luck to you on your big day!

How did you do it and how did you feel? Were you still hungry after the surgery but simply disciplined...or was it easy because you were not hungry at all? I've heard mixed results in terms of hunger levels, so I'm really worried about struggling through hunger after I'm banded on Friday.

Hey Rachel. I'm doing my shopping today for surgery on Friday. I only have to stay one night though, so it won't be much. Here's what I'll be sure to take with me: Lightweight robe Slippers hair bands Brush Lip balm Isopure Zero Carb fruit Protein drink (if they let me drink it...) Deodorant Baby Wipes for freshening up in bed Travel shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, and facial wash Socks Fresh underware / bra My Nook for reading Cell Phone Gas-X Strips (recommended by doctor) I think that's about it?

Hi Nena - Congratulations! I'd love to support each other through this. Jewals - We are about the same weight now and being banded close together. How much do you hope to lose? I'd love to chat more through the mailbox on here. Again, thanks to all for the support and understanding. Getting more nervous as the big day approaches. I'm glad I found this site.

C.J., you are doing an amazing job. Congratulations! I am being banded Friday, but I can tell you from my past surgical experiences that the shoulder pain (which can be VERY, VERY painful) is indeed from your surgery and will pass. I had a c-section earlier in the year and the weird shoulder pain I experienced afterward shocked me, as it was so much more painful than any other aspect of my surgery...and I was in A LOT of pain. The best thing you can do is keep moving. It will clear up within a few weeks; some people experience it a bit longer than others. Your story is just what I needed to hear right now. So happy for you, and keep up the amazing work.