jennifer1

have you tried icing where your port is? they sent me home with an ice pack, but i was so out of it i didnt see it till days later after the swelling went down. my worse pain was the first 3 days, but i got better everyday after that. i too felt like my stomach was was riping apart everytime i got up/down, laughed, coughed or sneezed. you can always call your doctor's office, that's what there there for. dont ever feel like your being a pest. best wishes!

wow your doctor is awesome!!!! best wishes hun on getting preggos!

i feel your pain. my insurance excludes all WLS! it pisses me off that Medicaid will pay for it! WTH!!!! ugh! but i didnt let that stop me. i took out a low interest credit card, took on some extra weekend work and that's the ONE bill i dont mind paying every month!! lol

I'm assuming when you mean off restriction you mean once you go thru all the phases of liquids, mushies and soft foods. well you can really eat what you want, but of course healthy choices are encourgaged. I was told i wouldnt be able to eat certain foods, but everyone's band is different and the band itself changes what it tolerates some times. my list of no no's is slowing growing but right now it's carbonated beverages, steak, chicken breast(no matter how moist or how much i chew) and i just added rice to that list. I am able to eat bread although it's harder to go down and i just figured out today that certain french fries(yeah i know not a good choice) arent my friend anymore. My band is kind of fickle and some days it tolerates things better than others. Unfortunatlely you will learn by trial and error. Once you get stuck on a food, trust me you will have NO PROBLEM not eating it again! LOL! hope this helps.

i was self pay as well and while cost was a factor, the after care was more of a concern.. you need to be able to access your doctor for your follow up visits. i know some people go to mexico, but that just scares me to death. i think in the long run having your hometown doc may be better.

i have to same problem with slowing down eating...congrats on the jeans!!!! my weight on the scale doesnt seem to be moving but i'm down to a 16 from 20's so i gotta be doing something right! LOL! Keep up the great work!

i'm almost 3 months out and i still get shoulder pain. ugh! sometimes i get it if i eat too much and sometimes i have no idea what causes it. so far i havent found anything that works to make it go away(walking gas X, massage, heat.) But everyone doesnt get it, so you may be one of the lucky ones.

here here! i am right there with you. i am almost 3 months out and i'm stuck between 17-20 pounds lost! wth!!! i lost 15 on the pre-op diet! ugh!!!1 soooo frustrating. i work out with a trainer 2x's a week and another 2x's on my own. i've gotten stuck and slimed several times as well. sometimes i feel like i dont have a band and sometimes i do. i'm so embarrassed that i havent lost more by now, but i have lost clothing sizes. froma 18/20 to a 16...i just dont understand why the scale is going the wrong way, but my clothes tell me different. i know they say muscles weighs more, but could i be gaining that much muscle. really! i was contemplating another fill i'mat 7.5 cc's, but i'm going to wait it out. i've been told in the beginning you will lose more inches than pounds.. well hell how long is the "beginning" going to last! ugh! i feel your frustration!

i am almost 3 months post op and i still drink a Protein shake for Breakfast sometimes. it's really for convience and i'm not a big breakfast person jennifer

great job ms. lady i was wondering how you were doing!

yes, please dont condem yourself if you fall off the wagon once. just dont let it continue. get up dust yourself off and get back on track. i didnt cheat during my pre-op diet, but have i ate 100% perfect since the band NOPE! i dont beat myself up, i just keep on moving. this is a process and we cant change overnight! best wishes

i was wondering the same thing. i feel like i'm gaining and losing the same 2 pounds for the last month, but i have definelty lost a clothing size. so since my goal is a clothing size and no pounds i'll take my lost inches anyday!!!

there is a thread on here about surgery day stories, where people have posted their experiences, you'll get to see how different it is for everyone. my surgery was on a friday and i went back to work the following thurs(and i'm a therapist, so a pretty laborous job). i was in a lot of pain the first 2 days, but everyday was better. i was banded on may 20th and i'm a slow loser. i have gone down froma 20 to a 16, but the scale seems to be stuck around 18-20 pounds...ugh. i dont know if you are single, but i am and i needed someone to stay with me the first two nights, mostly to get in/out of bed, cuz that was extremly painful. i didnt have an appetite for like 3 weeks. i had the left shoulder gas pain you hear about and i still get it from time to time..ugh! it helps to have a good support system in place. hope that helps some. feel free to add me as a friend and PM me any specific questions you may have. best wishes!

i was disappointed with my first and second fill. nothing changed. finally with my third fill the ball is rolling. albeit slow, it's moving. It takes some people a couple of fills to get to the "sweet spot". i was hoping i wouldnt be one of them, but oh well! 3rd filling and counting! LOL

i was confused about what restriction was for a long time. i kept waiting to want to throw up after eating like 3 bites of food, and well that never happened. i have learned that first and foremost i MUST SLOW DOWN my eating. i have figured out that i am full way before i realize it cuz i eat too quickly. I am always rushing. ugh! also restriction is being able to go about 4 hours without being hungry and i do have that. so my challenge is to eat slower so i will realize that i am satisfied and not stuffed! i dont know about you, but stuffed post band is way worse than stuffed pre-band.

yeah me and white meat are no longer on speaking terms..lol! no matter how juicy it is my band doesnt like it. gets stuck everytime no matter how well i chew. i know white meat is healthier, but i'm content with sticking with dark meat. Me and steak no longer converse either! LOL

also, dont be alarmed but after surgery once you start eating mushies and soft foods you may also gain weight. your body is going to go thru and adjustment phase, so dont be alarmed.

i have the same problem, but i'm not sure mine is related to the band. i am doomed to wear wigs for the next three months at least, while i apply cream from my dermatologist on a daily basis. I would recommend you go to a dermatogist and see what they say. i also have hypothryroidism and wore sew-in weaves for over a year. i think mine is a combo of all those things, plus genetics. i literally have a bald spot on my left temple and on the top of my head. i was devistated, but i'm praying that it grows back, and i will take better care of my hair in the mean time. i feel your pain.

I totally feel you on the slow weight loss. I am about 2.5 months out and cant seem to get past 18 pounds. I do know i'm in a 1X shirt down from 2X and XL scrub pants for a 2X. I try to focus on that. I want to go in for another fill, but i'm trying to hold off, for fear that i will reach my band limit in the first six months. i'm at 7.5 cc's now but i'm not sure how large my band is. I'm going to try and hold off till sept and then maybe get another fill. The thing is it takes me longer to get hungry, but i feel like how much i can eat has decreased all that much, but then again that is inconsistent.

I went to the dermatologist about some hair loss(totally unrelated to the band). Long story short I cant do anything to my hair for 3 months except wash/shampoo and wear wigs! i cried like a baby. no weave!!!!!ugh! but on a totally opposite and positive note, when i picked up my prescription from walmart i decided to buy a pair of XL scrub pants( i usually wear 2X and they are too big) and lo and behold i can fit them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!! HAPPY DANCE HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!

best wishes on your consult. in the end this decision is purely about you. you will hear stories that say the lap band is great and some that say the opposite. in the end do your research!!! it has been the best decision i have made, and of course it's not easy, but nothing worth having is. this site will give you the good, bad and ugly plus a lot of support. please feel free to friend me and PM me with any questions. i was banded a little ove 2months ago. jennifer

i was petrified to do any ab work. i am a little over 2 months out and have had no problems with ab routines. my trainer always checks in and make sure i'm ok with whatever he has me doing. the only exercise machine that i cant do is when you lay down on the machine and curl the bar up towards your butt. this presses on my port and is uncomfortable for me.