cakelly73

Left side under biggest incision, dont worry, your doc will find it.

I have had 4 fills, and am finally feeling good restriction. Your stomach/body needs time to adjust to the fill, some people dont feel any restriction until 5 or 6 fills, so if you are feeling some restriction after just one, you may be right where u want to be. The hunger will start to go away in time as well. Good luck!

Congrats on making it to ONEderland!. I have 25 lbs more to go, and i will be there too!...Was banded 8/31/11 and down 67lbs so far..its coming off slow, but its coming off. Keep up the good work!

Whoa this is better than facebook!! Lol. I think its wonderful that bandsters feel so protective over there choice and their band in general. However this is a public forum, where thoughts, opinions and expressions of all kinds are allowed. Lets remember we are all in this same weight loss game together, so lets play nice.

As they say...liquids in, liquids out :/..the battle starts right away, and you can either fight it, or throw in the towel. I am 7 months out, and i still have days where i question if this was the right decision. Going out to eat with my husband or friends is not the same anymore. I am either to nervous to eat for fear of having a stuck episode, or i sit there feeling sorry for myself because i cant enjoy it. BUT, i quickly realize, i am in control of this. And i know my limits, so i eat a piece of this, a piece of that, some of this, and im done. I can still eat pretty much anything i did before, just much much less of it, and im ok with that!

I start to feel like a watermelon is in my throat, and i have a few tiny burps in a row.. that lets me know, there is no more room in there!

I have the Lap Band and my husband has the sleeve..I went back and forth myself deciding which one is right for me..I knew i 100% did not want the bypass, and i was too chicken to get the sleeve. I have had no problems with the band since getting it 7 months ago. And i knew that if i did experience any major problems i can go in for a 20 min procedure and have it taken out. There are risks with all these surgeries. The sleeve can also leave you with permanent problems in the stomach itself. My husband become lastose intolerant within 2 months of having surgery, because they take out the part that digests dairy properly, so it sits in the lining of the stomach until you throw it up. If he even has a sip of whole milk, he will throw up 2-3x. And he will forever have to take Vitamins and/or shots to keep the levels normal.. He goes for bloodwork frequently, to check the levels.And for the first 3 months or so when the staples are still in your stomach you risk them splitting apart, and bleeding internally. These are obviously the negative aspects of it. On a positive note. It does work (just like band or bypass)...you are unable to eat large portions. But you still get that "stuck in your throat feeling" just like with the band. My husband is happy with his decison and i am happy with mine. Everyone is different, and will have diferent journeys. I wish you well with the sleeve. If my band ever stops working completely..i am going in for the sleeve!

Yes it is gas pain.. i had it bad too..left shoulder for 5 days, really intense. You have to remember they literally fill your insides up with air/gas to lift everything up so they can get to the stomach, and for some reason it gets trapped up there in the left arm, and takes sometime for it to pass through.. Try gas-x chewables.. they helped somewhat.

I lost 15 lbs the first week on liquids, but that has been the most at one time. It slows down drastically once you start eating normal again. At first its a letdown, because you expect to keep losing like that. But as long as you dont gain, your doing ok. Some weeks i dont lose anything, some weeks i lose 3 lbs. It is a constant battle, but one worth fighting for. Good Luck!

One week is plenty time to get adjusted. Depending on how much fill you get, you may not feel a difference at all, but take caution when eating..especially on a cruise where food is everywhere! I've had four fills and am FINALLY feeling restriction.

I agree the weight gain is mostly fluid and medication that was used during surgery. Once your body starts healing, you will see the weight drop. Hang in there!

It gets better every day, just hang in there.. The gas pain was the worst for me..and it was uncomfortable to sleep the first 2 nights. But just keep thinking how good you will look in few months!

FB is a social place to share and comment, if you dont want to share your true experience of the band, or let people on it know about the surgery, it may be a good idea not to even mention it on FB. If you are not ready to share, that is fine. I have told only a handful of people, and have not posted one comment, status or pic of me regarging the surgery. I feel it is noones buisness, if they see me in person and ask how i lost weight i will tell them the truth. When i reach my goal i will post a before and after pic of me.. and thank my surgeon in my status

Definitely gas-x!! and a heating pad as well. My gas pains were horrible for 4 days. Protein shakes and things for the "liquid stage" icepops, jello, water, crystal light. For the hospital stay (usually just overnight)...not much..laptop if u think you will be bored. DId you get a little plastic breathing apparatis to use to clear your lungs out? if so bring that. One thing i which i had in the hospital with me was chapstick!. My mouth/lips was sooo dry after surgery, and i couldnt even sip water til the next morning. Good Luck!

I feel your pain... had first fil llast week, and im eating more now then ever! I feel no restriction at all. Thankfully i havent gained any weight, and thanks to walking 45 mins everyday i have contunued to lose, but i just thought a fill would tighten you up at least a little bit to restrict you from stuffing your face! My Dr. does fills every 6 weeks!, so i have to wait. Just try to eat smaller portions even if you arent full, and start exercising if you are not. good luck!

In the same boat. Had my first fill last week, and im eating more now then ever. I have no restriction, and can eat anything. I am even able to gulp water down too. I havent so far gained any weight, but i thought the purpose of a fill (even if it is just your first one) is to feel some restriction that limits your food intake. Im thinking of calling my Dr. to see if thats normal.

i Had my first fill today (banded 8/31), and i too am noticing some gas issues. My husband has had the band for over years and to this day he still gets gas after a fill. Dr. says it is normal, and just your stomach adjusting to the pressure that the newlly tightened band may be causing. It should only last a day of so, anything more than that, you may want to speak to your Dr.

Im 7 weeks post op. At 3 weeks post op i was still in "stage 2"...pureed food...i didnt start to eat "real" food until about 5 weeks out. You should ask your Dr/Dietician where you should be at 3 weeks. All Dr's are different for some reason.

I was banded 8/31, and have no fills yet. I am due for one in the next 2 weeks. I am down almost 30 pounds, but only one size in clothing(and still same bra size). So i guess it depends on the physical makeup of your body. Your weight is just a number.. when you can wear 2 to 3 sizes smaller, thats awesome! I cant wait to be able to donate my fat clothes, and go shopping! And i agree, get plenty of water and protein. Good luck!

Same thing here. I was banded 8/31, lost over 25 lbs, no fills..am scheduled for a fill next week, but may cancel it. I havent had any "stuck" episodes, and nothing has come back up. I am hungry on and off, but try to have healthy fat free snacks. I think i may hold off for my fill until i start to gain weight (which i hope doesnt happen). I have read many posts about people losing over a 100 pounds without any fills, so it can be done! good luck!

I've been a medical biller for over 10 years. First thing. like the others said call your Ins. Co. and see what exactly you are responsible for. If your surgeon participates with your plan, then they should not be billing you outside of your 20%. If you are getting bills from any others..assistants, anesthesiologist, etc.. you should not have to pay for that (outside of your 20%). You did not choose them, so they should not bill if if something wasnt covered. good luck!

Were you prescribed any antacids from your Dr. after surgery? Sounds like it might be acid reflux, or GERD. And i agree with the previous post, you should be able to swallow pills. Definitely talk to your surgeon.

Anything is possible. Everyone is different, and will experience different levels of pain and discomfort. I had horrible gas pains, my anesthesiologist explained, its not actually gas itself, it is from when the gas/air is put in your abdomen to lift everything up during surgey, the gas hits some kind of nerve, and the pain you feel is from the nerve itself, and you can feel it all over your body. Mine lasted about 6 days. Day 2 and 3 was the worst. But it does get better each day after that. I took gas-x chewables, used a heating pad, walked as much as possible, and popped some tylenol 3. You will feel like crap for a bit, but will be totally worth it!!

They shouldnt be charging you copay after copay either. It sounds like the surgeon was to blame for the problems. i would def look around for a 2nd opinion.

Its very normal. I had bad shoulder gas pain and stomach bloating for about 7 days. And at 5 weeks post-op i still get some pains here and there. The tylenol w/ codeine they gave me did absolutely nothing, but make me sleepy. I had no interest in food either, which i guess is a good thing. But it does get better each day!