Alexandra

Hey Babs, I don't have time right now to write a thought-out message, but I wanted to say I know you're not alone. You've been through some amazing changes, and you're also right up against a very trying time of life. (Mid-life crisis, anyone?) It's also par for the course when you have young children--I feel trapped much of the time, which has nothing to do with my weight. You're not nuts, and you have every right to feel as you do. My advice, for what it's worth--since I doubt you have any real desire to replace your family with the single life--is to use your imagination and find ways to break loose within your current life. On my list of things to do someday are: singing lessons, piano lessons, theater visits, getting something custom-fitted (like a suit), getting a makeover--I could go on and on. I do none of these things, which is probably why I feel trapped. My point is, though, that there are so many things I want to do within my current life that pining for a life I don't have is counterproductive. And try hard to get the message to your hubby. He's your partner in life and deserves to really understand what's going on in your head. Have faith and be honest, and in his love for you he'll surprise you.

Umonica what you're feeling is perfectly normal!! I was terrified about surgery--just the fact of having any kind of surgery is pretty scary if you're new at it. And this was only my second time ever under general anaesthesia. I comforted myself by thinking about all the millions of people who have successful surgery each and every day around the world. And no doubt there would be scores, if not hundreds, of general anaesthesia procedures in my very hospital the very same day. When I put it in that perspective my little 45-minute operation seemed very minor. Yours may be a little longer, but both procedures are ROUTINELY done via laparoscope these days, and it really is simple and quick. GOOD LUCK! I won't say don't worry because I know how hard it is not to, especially with little ones at home. Worry is normal. Just try to get some sleep and concentrate on the day AFTER. And give your baby an extra hug tonight. :mad:

I agree. Your surgery was recent enough that you may not yet be completely healed. You might have irritated a still-forming scar or something. It's probably nothing, but a call to your doctor is probably a good idea.

Ok, some perspective here. "Normal" people eat a whole piece (!) of pizza and don't kick themselves over it! :mad: What was "normal" for me, pre-band? Two slices, minimum, plus salad. Anything less than that is PROGRESS. I'm so happy that you got a good fill! This is the way it's supposed to be. 30 lbs down since March 2nd!?! Not too shabby, lady!

I remember you, too. Looks like you're doing great! :mad: Your doctor has the right idea, best to find out what it is and get it taken care of. Don't worry! There's a million benign things it could be. Take care!

Hi Jennifer! Nice to hear from you. Are you talking about thyroiditis? That is just an inflammation of the thyroid and should be treatable with meds, I'd think. I have hypothyroid and take meds for that, but it predates my banding. I don't know what might cause an inflammation; do your doctors have any idea?

Hi Cathy, Congratulations on losing 18 lbs! That's a great start, particularly if you're still pre-fill. If you haven't yet had a fill, the fact that your weight loss is slowing down (or has stopped) is definitely an indication that you need one. The band is not SUPPOSED to work well until it's properly adjusted, and for most people that means at least a couple of fills. Have you scheduled one yet?

All of my research pointed to the NORM being at least one fill about 6 - 8 weeks post-surgery. The band is designed to work when it is at least partially inflated with saline; without the saline there's no guarantee at all of any restriction. I've had two fills since surgery, the first about two months post and the most recent in February. I'll probably get another one in May or June. They're painless; the worst part indeed would be paying for them.

I don't have any words of comfort, just a {{{{hug}}}}}. My only treatment for killer PMS is a dark, QUIET room, but as we all know that's nearly impossible to come by. :mad: Hope it passes quickly!

Hi Joyce, I can vouch for the fact that staples don't hurt at all being removed. I hardly felt it at all. The material they're made of is sort of flexible, and bend easily when the doctor takes them out. Not to worry! :mad:

Nikki, I'm with Donali. Having a baby is, as you know, a hugely taxing physical feat. Don't worry about a few extra pounds if they are what your body needs to carry and nourish this baby! There will be plenty of time once the baby comes for you to get back on the bandwagon. Congratulations on the pregnancy, and please don't be hard on yourself!! If it makes you feel any better, there have been studies that support the theory that babies born to moms who count calories too carefully during their pregnancies are more likely to be obese themselves. So don't skimp--nourish that child right! :mad:

DeLarla, there are many people banded in Mexico who have managed to find US doctors for fill and followups. I hope someone will be able to point you in the direction of one, or maybe Inamed might have some ideas for you. But the bottom line is yes, you will need a fill or even several if you want your band to be its most effective. I too wonder where you heard that the band is "good for a year" without a fill?

Hi Brooke, Congratulations on getting banded!! Rest assured, what you're feeling is perfectly normal and nothing to panic about. As your stomach heals and swelling goes down, whatever post-op restriction you felt is going to naturally disappear, and when that happens hunger returns. From this point on you probably won't feel restriction until after a fill, and possibly not even until after an adjustment or two. DON'T WORRY!! You're on your way and this is just the first step of the learning curve. Welcome to bandland! :mad:

Hi Kataylee, Weight loss is not contingent solely on getting a fill--by that I mean getting one doesn't necessarily mean that your loss will start up again right away. That is, of course, the goal, but it requires our participation to make it happen. It is possible to get a fill, find you can't eat fast or much, find that what you do eat is causing discomfort, so you stick to soft foods and liquids. On a plan like that it's entirely possible to not lose weight. But that's obviously not playing the game the right way. The idea of a fill is to create restriction so that one can't eat fast and doesn't need to eat much before feeling full. But this only works if we eat solid food, and not very much of that. If we cooperate and don't consume more calories than we can comfortably take in by eating solids, then YES, weight loss will start again. That is absolutely the idea.

This is very interesting. I don't get hiccups often, but frequently I'll get ONE hiccup, or two or three, just after I've finished eating. Then they stop. I've just sort of thought of them as something that happens as my food settles.

Kombat, Donali is absolutely right. What you experienced during surgery is very unfortunate, and your healing phase will likely be longer than those of people with uncomplicated surgeries. I'm so sorry you had to go through that! :mad: But the good news is that it's over and the worst is behind you. Take care of yourself! Healing takes time and it takes REST. The worst thing you can do is to do too much too soon, even though it's hard to accept the limitations you might have right now. But each day means more healing and soon enough you'll be feeling fine. Good luck, and please let us know how you're doing.

Hi Michelle, Nice to meet you, and welcome!! Please remember that not only is 14 lbs in a month amazing, it's also PRE-FILL. You may very well see some of those pounds come back on before you get a fill, and that's perfectly normal and nothing to panic about. Your journey is just beginning and this phase can be difficult, but know that you have already gotten a great jump on the process. You're doing great! :mad:

Hi Ginger, I agree with Donali. There are occasions where I just ate too fast or had one bite too many, and at those times something has to come back up. In the last four months that's maybe happened three times. I don't blame it on my fill at all; I blame it on me. It's painful and disconcerting, so I do my best to make sure it doesn't happen at all. I think if it's happening so often that you are getting used to it, that's WAY TOO OFTEN. Either your fill or your habits need to be adjusted, because you are definitely running a risk of damaging your banded stomach.

Laura, wow, that's amazing! Congratulations on such a smooth ride. :banana

Hi Ginny, Congratulations! Your getting hungry is a good sign that you're healing well...it's perfectly normal and in good time. Now you should think about adding thicker types of liquids to your diet so you don't get so hungry you can't deal. I loved serious Soups when I was in this stage: things like bisques, oyster stew, all sorts of chicken soup and bean soup. Just make sure the solids are soft, chew the little pieces as well as you can and wait a bit between any bites that include anything beside liquid. As far as the gas goes, I don't have any advice on that score. Time is what it took for me to stop feeling the effects. I'm sure it will pass for you too, before long. Welcome to bandland, Ginny! :mad:

I just want to wish everyone who's about to go the distance the best of luck for a smooth surgery. Congratulations to all of you on taking this big step, and you're lucky to be starting at this time of year. What a great way to start a new season! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

Hey, congratulations! These things are just mind-blowing, aren't they? I've gotten them for years, by regular mail before the internet came about. I used to work for a well-known journalists organization and we got more than our share of wacko mail. These scam letters were so authentic looking! The first time I got one I have to admit I was intrigued, but thankfully no one was around at the time to see me thinking about answering the letter. You've arrived, Sue! :mad:

This question has been asked before, and I think the general consensus is no. The surgical procedure involves inflating the patient's abdominal cavity with inert gas, and the sensation (pain) of that would not be effected by the action of an epidural. General is the way to go, methinks.

Hi there! I think reading about all the things people experience over time can be a little intimidating, because you're seeing them all at once as though they're all happening now and to everyone. But these are mostly tiny things that happen only occasionally to a few people. I have only the very occasional discomfort which is ALWAYS caused by something dumb that I did. I never have any heartburn, reflux, or other pain. The "side effects" that I experience are what is SUPPOSED to happen with the band, the negative reinforcement I need to change the habits that got me over 300 lbs. I LOVE MY BAND.

Thanks, Tosha, that's a good tip! I've found that my thinning hair has reversed itself, and it was never bad to begin with. About two months ago I got a shorter haircut and that did a LOT to give my hair more bounce and fluff. At the time, I noticed there was a lot of new hair growing in around my face and along my part. This hair loss was really nothing compared to what happened after I had kids. :mad: