Jim1967

I stayed over night for my surgery so I was using it even before I even got discharged...It just made its way to the trash a week or so ago.

Very true...I had my first fill today and you can see from my ticker I am very fat. I could not find my port at all but the Doc found it with no problems. She was not even the one who put it in....

Some people do and they are a lucky few. I thought I was one of those until the internal swelling went down. It's like a false positive on restriction so be aware of that one. I just got my first fill today. I have 5cc in a 11cc band. I am on liquids for 24 hours and then back to solids slowly to discover if this fill had any bearing. Like some of the others I had some expectations of restriction after surgery. Like MDGardenGirl said this is not a quick weight loss remedy. If you want to drop weight fast you need to look else where.... Will power is still huge even with the band and the band will not prevent you from downing a 600 calorie shake from McDonalds.

5 here with one of them being the large one where the port is...

So I got my fill today. Doc had no problem finding my port (just by feel) and it seems to be sitting just to the left of the big incision they made. Funny I still cannot feel it. LOL I guess that's why they go to medical school....Leave it to the pros I guess...

I usually do not eat them straight up as I am not a huge fan. What I do is put one in my vanilla shake to make smoothy. 1 cup of body fortress whey powder, 80z simply smart milk, 1 banana and a bit of ice and blend. 36 grams of Protein in that shake :-) Bananas are a great source of potassium and helps keep the charlie horses away... edit: 8oz not 80

Seems I cannot edit my posts either...Such as the typo and extra words in the post title. I can go into edit mode but I cannot save changes or go into full editor.

Hey Jason,,hang in there it will get better before you know it. Like Jean said keep moving so that blood pumps the way it supposed to. Good Luck!!

Figures....I started my journey in October and just got banded last month. Oh well it was still worth it I dropped 36 pounds in those 6 months and proved to the Surgeon I was on a serious mission to change my life style..6 months or 3 it doesn't matter I would do it all again. Cool thing is I have a max out of pocket with Cigna which I hit before this surgery so none of this cost me a thing... On a side note I recall a talk my Surgeon and I had about insurance requirements and he personally felt 6 months is way too long. He says most people do well short term and lose but by the end of the 6 months they are back where they started. He would rather do the surgery after a short amount of time when the weight was lost as it would be safer condition with the shrinking of the liver. Good Luck on your journey!!

Congratulations to you and your family!!

Good luck on your journey!!

Good Luck Lappyloo. It will be done and over before you know it and will be on here sharing your experience. Worse part for me was the gas cramps. I was walking the hospital halls two hours after coming out of recovery. Walking will help clear out that gas.

Everyone is different and has different circumstances. Look at me I am 5'6 419 pounds!! I did not get this way from being hungry either. You are not alone by any means. While I am a man I do have fertility issues as well which my Urologist believes my weight may have played a factor. I could go on about this but it's not about me. I think you need to really talk with someone and also find a support group that you like. I find keeping my goals and talking openly whether here or a support meeting really helps keep me in line. If your Doctor has a Psychologist on staff or can recommend one then go talk with them. Being open and honest with them as well as yourself can go a long way in finding your path to happiness and success. Over Eaters Anonymous may have local groups as well. Just a thought.... I wish you well and much success in your journey and please keep using this site and these wonderful people as a resource for support. Jim

Last night I did great. I put my fork down in between bites and chewed slow.....now I just have to keep doing it so it will become habit.

My Doctor and everyone else at the Center spoke at great lengths about the liver and how working around it can be very difficult and that shrinking the liver as much as possible prior to surgery would make the risk more minimal and his job easier. They explain that liquid diet is not meant to be punishment. It is meant to help ensure a safe surgery.

Let us know how it goes. My first fill is scheduled for Tuesday.

Had two solids weeks of no movement now finally down another 3lbs. I really need to stay on top of making sure I get the protein.

During the two week standstill I was not getting enough protein. Once I started weighing it again and actually tracking ensuring I was getting between 80 to 100 grams daily and then the scale started to move. I have at least one shake a day and that is 36g when combined with simply smart milk. thank you all for the encouragement and good luck to all of you.

Taking time off of work for an appt and then being told they cannot do it and to just make another appt a week later is a bit of a big deal....to me anyway.

I had an issue last night with dinner. I had 6oz boneless chicken and I don't know if I ate too fast or ate too much but wow I got major hiccups followed by some discomfort like the food was stuck and wouldn't go down. After walking for a bit the sensation went away.... I really need to concentrate on eating slow and pay attention to the signals. Perhaps a refresher from Bandwagon is in order

I have not yet had a fill. My first is scheduled next Tuesday. According to my insurance they cover it but I just don't know how much I will be responsible for. Typically my company pays 90%. This is in the Cigna policy: CIGNA covers adjustment of a silicone gastric banding as medically necessary to control the rate of weight loss and/or treat symptoms secondary to gastric restriction following a medically necessary adjustable silicone gastric banding procedure. Makes zero sense they would cover the surgery and not cover routine fills. I would definitely appeal the highest authority if I were you. Ridiculous....

Hang in there..it will get easier. Walking is the best thing you can do for the gas pains. You're not suffering from intestinal gas you're body is trying to push out the gas they used to expand your stomach so they could work on placing the band.

It's very normal...and I went through it even after a year of research and learning and attending classes. In the end I decided I couldn't go on the way I have been. I also decided gastric bypass was not for me. I had no interest in have my plumbing rerouted. It is a very personal decision that only you can make but yes it is perfectly normal to have doubts. Good luck tomorrow I am sure you'll do great!!

Typically that first month after surgery is really a healing time and weight may fluctuate or you could be one of those lucky ones who gets instant restriction and never need an adjustment. I felt restriction the first few weeks then it went away and I felt like I never had the surgery. I assumed it was nothing more than swelling from the surgery subsiding. Following a good diet is essential as the band cannot do all the work.

Congratulations!! Sounds like you have a terrific work ethic. Awesome.