Pammy S Lewis

you're in good hands. cedars is one of the best hospitals in the world!

i have suffered from depression for most of my life but had been free of it for the first time ever for a little over a year before being banded. as a matter of fact, the main reason i needed to get the band is because of weight gain from antidepressants. anyway, i'm about 2 mos post op and have just been hit with horrible depression!! i read in some other threads that it can be common, but i'm wondering why. i'm thinking that it's because of the lower carb diet? i usually get anywhere from 30-50 carbs a day now, which is WAY lower than i used to eat (but eating too many is what causes weight gain for me). i exercise several times a week and am on a low dose of zoloft (which was working great before banding). i really don't want to increase my dose because it causes me to be hungry all the time and gain weight but feeling bad isn't working either. also, i definitely get in my Protein and Water every day and am taking Vitamins so it's not that. anyone else have depression after getting banded? any thoughts?

yeah, there are a dozen threads with people who felt exactly the same way. i definitely felt that way for a few days right after surgery. i felt like i'd made a huge mistake. but those feelings went away and it's been 2 mos now and i'm SO happy i did it. don't worry, that's totally normal to feel that way. and i upped my antidepressant and feel better now, so that's good. i just don't like to take a higher dose because it makes me hungry. hopefully the band will offset it.

the only one i can eat is honey peanut balance bar.

i had to go to a special event shortly after surgery too and had a vodka and cranberry juice (about 2 or 3 weeks after surgery) and i seriously thought i was going to pass out!! ha! i got so drunk it was ridiculous. so keep in mind that you've been on liquids and not eating much and it'll hit you really hard! my dr told me it was ok to have a drink but to be sure to drink a lot of water too so i didn't get dehydrated. but you should probably ask your dr to make sure.

yeah, i was only drinking half the water i was supposed to and kept having dizzy spells when i would stand up. once i started drinking more water it went away.

yeah, when i did the pysch eval i had to fill out a quiz and there were numerous questions about binge eating and it raised a red flag. i flat out lied and said no that i didn't binge eat and in the discussion he told me that i would have been rejected if i was a binge eater. good news is though that since being banded i feel free of it. i am no longer hungry all the time or eating when i feel down. i've been really aware of it and i think being banded can actually help somewhat with the issue. that's great that you found a therapist who could help and are back on track for surgery! good luck and thanks for sharing because i was wondering about this.

i take zoloft (which is what caused me to gain the weight in the first place) and i have been able to lose with the band but it's just a little slow. you might call the the psychiatrist's office and ask them to let you know if they have a cancellation so you can get in sooner or if they can try to squeeze you in sooner.

yeah, you need to call your dr. fevers can be a sign of infection so it's important to get it checked out.

my doctor said that the only complication he had had during surgery was when a man sneaked a cigarette right before surgery and he stopped breathing (they revived him). said it was a complication with the anesthesia and smoking right beforehand. i think this was unusual but you should discuss with your dr and let him know to make sure. and cold turkey is pretty tough, maybe try doing patches.

i have only been banded since 3/15 and haven't needed a fill because i have good restriction as is. i haven't ever thrown up and only got stuck once. i really hope that i don't ever have to get a fill because i feel like my good luck would end.

i was only 50lbs overweight when i got banded but i have lost 18lbs and i already feel vastly different about myself. and my sister was a size 24 when she got gastric bypass and is now a size 4. she was always overweight from the time she was a child and she said that it changed how she felt, in a positive way. at first she was continually startled by the reflection in the mirror but she said she got used to it and no longer sees herself as overweight.

my dr told me that statistically i could lose 50% of the weight with MINIMAL COMPLIANCE. i asked what that meant and he said that statistically if you try minimally then you will lose 50% of the weight but if you adhere to proper eating and exercise that you can lose all of it. not sure how true that is, but that's what i was told.

i had serious issues with low energy and needing to take a nap every day for about 3 or 4 weeks after surgery. i asked my dr and he wasn't sure why since i was eating right and taking supplements and my blood tests were good. but ask your dr. i have heard that it happens to some people. my energy level normalized though and i feel great now.

it's the ketosis. i've been using those listerine strips and they help but when i'm around other people i have to use a ton. getting tired of feeling self conscious about it though and hoping it will go away eventually.

did some research and there were studies done that showed that vitamin e oil actually doesn't help scars, despite popular belief. but i found a LOT of people online giving really good reviews for silicone strips so i bought scaraway on amazon and have been using for about 2 weeks and can already tell a difference. it takes like 2 mos though. they're expensive ($30) but that box will last the whole 2-3 mos.

yeah, i definitely had that problem. was banded on 3/15 and it lasted at least a month. only now do i really feel totally normal. i think it happens to some people.

was all excited about going out to easter brunch at this great restaurant overlooking the ocean. and then i remembered that it will take me all of 6 bites to finish. not so exciting. this is the first time i've gone out to eat. at least i'll have a pretty view while i'm taking those 6 bites!

i use fitday and they have an iphone app too.

ok, yikes what a mess! had 5 mimosas over the course of the day, half a crab cake, beer battered fish, and an entire peanut butter filled chocolate bunny!!! i've only been eating like 600-800 cal a day lately and i had about 1800 calories and 145 grams of carbs!! haha! wow. i will get back on track tomorrow but man! not going to beat myself up. i haven't cheated once over 6 weeks, so i know this won't be the norm.

ugh, keeping you in my thoughts. that's so tough.

yeah, i was self pay too and only 50lbs overweight. i called my pcp right before my surgery to discuss and hear his opinion. he and i have a really good relationship and i trust him but i wasn't going to necessarily let him change my mind. but i wanted to hear his opinion. of course, he said i shouldn't do it and that he has another patient who had complications and is now on dialysis because of it. i went ahead and did it and then saw him afterwards and he was fine and not judgmental. he said he supported my decision to do what's right for me.

what does it feel like when you have something stuck? i don't have any fill in so it hasn't happened but i THINK it may be happening right now. i have pain in my chest and keep burping and it feels like there's something stuck. haha! that's the only way i can describe it. does drinking Water help it pass?

bummer, drank 2 huge mugs full of hot tea and it didn't help. i'm not totally blocked because i can drink liquids and am not sliming or throwing up, so that's good i guess.

yeah, because i don't have any fill in i haven't ever thrown up. going to try drinking some hot tea to see if that helps it get through.