quileness

Yes, mine was very close to my skin for 9 months and always tender. Now I can't even feel it anywhere, but it doesn't hurt anymore. I was just in for a fill and even the nurse had a difficult time finding it. I have my one year post op coming up, so I guess I'll ask about it. I think I'm going to call my doctor on Monday about it. Can it poke back in and go floating around your abdominal cavity? =/

I was banded in January and was able to feel my port until just recently. Also, it was always sore and tender. One day I woke up and I couldn't feel it anymore. I've poked and prodded and I can't seem to find it, and the pain and tenderness have completely disappeared. Is this normal? I would be worried, except it's kind of nice not having it be sore all the time. =/

Tricare has (only in some cases) already forced patients to undergo 6 months of dietary counseling before approving the procedure. If your BMI is over 40, you may not have to do it. At least that's how it was when I was undergoing my approval process last year.

Sounds good...going to try this. I still battle the Starbucks demon daily!

I wish I had known I was going to be F**KING HUNGRY ALL THE TIME.

Hi. Thanks for your reply. I am beginning to feel better with the 5ccs. I'm definitely still hungry all of the time, but I'm noticing now I can't do the mindless eating thing, which is good. The other night I was fixing dinner for the family and, without much thought, threw a piece of food into my mouth to test it. Didn't chew well, had some pain, etc. At least now I feel the band's presence, and I'm really hoping I can start shedding the weight. My next fill is scheduled for December and hopefully I'll have adapted to my new eating habits by then and be able to have more Fluid put in. I'd really like to get to the point where I don't feel hungry all day!

For me, the band has never made me not feel hungry. I know that's what most people expect from the band, but more and more I am learning that (unfortunately) hunger and cravings are always going to be an issue. I feel off the wagon for quite awhile and didn't have any fills. Now I'm finally up to 5ccs and my eating habits are beginning to improve. I can no longer eat quickly or mindlessly, but the hunger is still there and may always be. =(

Hi there. I had one incision in my belly button and one tiny little hole just under my sternum. I opted for a "scarless" procedure and my surgeon did a great job...absolutely no scars ten months out. You'd never even know I had anything done. If you have a belly button incision, though, they seem to be the worst in terms of pain and healing. You have to be very careful about movements with them. Mine was worth it.

Thanks for all the tips. The band hasn't really helped me not feel hungry thus far. I can deal with the empty feeling during the day, but I literally can't fall asleep on an empty stomach. I wish I could. If I'm not full, I just lay there thinking about food. And it's definitely a sugar craving...if I try to eat something high protein I will still be "hungry" until I have some sugar. I think this is partially out of habit, but also because I'm doing a very low carb diet during the day. I wish I could find something that kills the craving without also killing my diet. ><

I'm great with my diet during the day but always feel hungry at night. I've tried drinking lots of Water, etc, but nothing seems to satiate me enough to not feel restless and I end up snacking...and snacking...and snacking until I feel satisfied enough to go to bed. I know this is putting a huge wrench in my progress, so I'm hoping someone has a good tip to help curb those nighttime cravings. Thank you!

Hi there. I had my surgery last year when my son was 9 months. The recovery was much more painful and difficult than I anticipated, and I can't even imagine having four children to run after. I don't know whether your in-laws have been told about your upcoming surgery, but having their help would probably be a good idea. You can always say you had to go in for a different type of surgery. I haven't told anyone about my surgery other than my husband and I'm very happy about that. A friend helped me out at home for a week and I simply told him I had my gallbladder removed. Your surgery might go wonderfully with you feeling fine three days out, but definitely prepare to have some help if you need it. I only had one baby and it was tough for a good two weeks. At the very least, have some options should you need more support. I wish you the best!

Yes, I completely understand. My husband seems to be a bit more understanding than yours, but he still picks up treats and eats them in front of me, etc. One thing I have learned is that you can't expect everyone around you to understand how hard it is and to change their lifestyle with you. I mean, be honest, if you didn't have a weight issue, would you ever give up yummy foods? I wouldn't. That being said, your husband should at least TRY to make things easier for you. If you haven't done so already, sit him down and have a serious discussion with him about how hard this is for you and that you could really use some help. Ask him to get his treats in when he is out of the house and to not bring bad, tempting foods home. If he won't at least pick up healthy foods for you along with the bad ones, make sure you're doing the shopping. In fact, do ALL of the shopping. Pick up foods that work for your diet along with some treats that only he will be tempted by. I basically get the treats that my husband likes but I don't. That way he has something yummy if he wants it and I don't care. It really helps. Also, this may seriously be an effort on his part to actually sabotage you. I remember my husband expressing to me once that he's worried about the change. About me getting all skinny and leaving him, or my personality changing, etc. Make sure this isn't an issue with your husband, and remind him of how much more beautiful he'll think you are once you've lost all that weight. It's a win-win situation, after all, and he should help you as much as possible. I guess it just has to work both ways. You're never going to live in a temptation free world, and will-power is probably the hardest part of dieting. It would be nice if he could refrain from eating anything bad in front of you, but it probably won't happen. Just make sure that you have heathly alternatives in the house. If he's sitting there eating cake and you're dying to have some, it helps to have a little weight watchers cake on hand. Or some sugar free ice cream, etc. I've found that even though I can't always stop myself from "cheating" I can lessen the impact by choosing better treats. There's no worse feeling for me than sitting there hungry with no food watching my husband gobble down something delicious. You must have choices on hand that will help you feel satisfied. I hope this helps... =)