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'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!

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

Hello everyone. My name is Brynn and I am 32 years old. I was banded this past Jan after struggling to lose weight naturally since, well, forever. I remember being very excited and motivated when I started this process. I thought it would be easy: have surgery, lose weight. I knew I would have to put forth an effort, but I didn't think I was going to struggle with weight loss as much as I had before... Before having surgery, I weighed 247. I now weigh 249...ten months later. Initially, I had to have all of the Fluid removed from my band due to swelling. I stuck with my post op diet for about a month and only lost 4 pounds. Considering how little I was eating, how hungry I was, and how much weight I was NOT losing, I became discouraged and gave up again (story of our lives, right?). When I finally was able to have my first fill about 3 months post op, I was (literally) ridiculed by the PA on my lack of weight loss. He put in 2ccs and pretty much insulted me the entire time. I headed home feeling worse than I ever had about my weight. I mean, who goes so far as to have a lap band done and still can't lose weight? I was embarrassed and disappointed in myself, and felt as though nothing was ever going to change. I cancelled my next two fill appointments since I didn't feel like seeing the same guy again, and I certainly didn't diet. I felt no restriction whatsoever, and decided this lap-band thing was a joke. I ended up back at 258 pounds, which is my highest weight ever. Finally, in August, I decided to go back in and see someone else. She was very nice and supportive; we spoke for a long time about where I was mentally and emotionally and it helped renew my resolve. She added 2ccs (putting me at 4 total) and sent me on my way. I began dieting again, but still felt no restriction and no relief from hunger. I was always hungry, and when I slipped, I was able to eat just as much as before being banded. What I always felt I needed was discomfort...I thought the lap-band would make me physically unable to eat larger portions of food and therefore, as much as I would hate it, I would lose weight. This just isn't the case. At 4ccs, nothing had really changed for me--I felt exactly as I had before surgery. As of yesterday, I had managed to bring myself back down to 249 and headed in for my third fill. She puts another 1cc in. No big deal, right? I left expecting more of the same for awhile. Well, today I wake up and eat three pork rinds (I'm trying to do the Atkins induction, so this is one of the few Snacks I can have). I chewed them well, but I started feeling very uncomfortable and stopped eating. My chest began to hurt...a lot...I figured something was stuck and tried to move around, drink Water, etc. I began gagging and vomitting up anything I tried to drink. I can feel it stop in my esophagus and there's no where else for it to go. The pain was quite severe. I put in a call to the doctor but they have yet to get back to me. So here I sit, unable to eat or drink, wondering why I can't seem to find happy ground anywhere. I'm definitely in need of some support from others who can relate. I don't know what to do if 4ccs feels like nothing is there and 5ccs makes me vomit liquids. I'm just so beyond frustrated at this point. I would really appreciate hearing from people who have had similar experiences, or some advice on how I can make this work for me (and how to get things unstuck!). I'm tired of failing at this process... Thanks for reading.

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. ><

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... =)

Hi there. I have Tricare Standard and found the approval process to be very easy. As with most surgeons, you will have to go through several screenings, including a sleep study, seeing a dietician, a psychologist, etc. Tricare may also force you to do a 6 month monitored diet program (although I did not have to do this). I went through several months of these pre-op meetings with my private physician, and received a letter from Tricare saying I was approved for surgery, but only at a MTF. It typically will default back to a MTF once approved. I was very upset, considering all of the time I had invested with my current surgeon. I called Tricare and spoke to a supervisor, explaining that all of my pre-op was done at a private office and that I did not want to go to a MTF, and it went through a second (very brief) approval process before they gave me the okay to have the surgery with the physician I had been working with all along. I was very pleased with him, and would never have wanted to do this through a MTF if avoidable. I believe the MTF basically reviews submissions and ASKS that you come to them for surgery. With Tricare Standard, however, you do have the choice of going elsewhere and they should approve you. So, if you ever receive a letter stating approval for a MTF, know that it can be worked around with a little effort. If you have Tricare Prime, however, I don't know what to tell you. I basically received a bill for $27,000.00 from the hospital...my co-pay was $25.00. Tricare is pretty wonderful about this surgery! Also, if all else fails, you can get great treatment at a MTF. Just make sure you research the doctors and choose the one you feel is best qualified. It may not be your first choice, but it's better than giving up entirely. Best of luck to you!

Hi Angie. I think you're probably right. I was advised soft foods only for the next 48 hours, I just didn't expect that after having ZERO restriction for months, 1cc would do the trick. But I did swell after surgery so I suspect I may swell with each fill as well. I definitely plan to be more careful from here on out. Hopefully this is what I've been needing to see results. I don't really have easy access to a support group where I am. My husband is military and we're in the middle of nowhere near a base. I think I really do need support though, as I haven't felt comfortable telling anyone other than my husband about the surgery. I'm hoping that using this site more will help me through everything. Are you scheduled to have your surgery yet, or still waiting for approval? I wish you the best.

Hey Jessy. Thank you for these tips. I will take it easy in the mornings and start with tea or coffee. I began sipping some Water later this afternoon, and it appears that whatever was stuck is now unstuck, but it sure was painful. It's hard to imagine going from no restriction to too much restriction with just 1cc, but hopefully this is what I need to really start changing my habits. And perhaps I simply started with solids too quickly afterward, as others have suggested. I'm sticking with liquids for the next couple of days. I know how you feel about those that lose 100 pounds in the first year. I'm happy for them, but also a bit jealous. Obviously, I haven't been giving this my all...so I know my lack of weight loss was my fault. I just expected so much more from this surgery. All that bull about not feeling hungry, feeling full faster, etc...it just isn't the case (at least for me). Even if the band doesn't allow me to eat, it certainly doesn't make me feel less hungry. And the new "full" feeling is not what you're used to. It's not satisfying, as I had expected it would be. When I spoke to the surgeon on call today about the blockage, he mentioned that none of his patients ever really feel full or not hungry...I felt like yelling, "WELL PUT THAT IN YOUR GUIDE AND STOP TELLING EVERYONE THEY'LL FEEL FULL ALL THE TIME BEFORE THEY HAVE SURGERY!" Hehe. I mean, I don't care how crappy it is as long as it ends up working, I just felt disillusioned. Either way, I'll definitely be using this site more. It feels good to know that others understand what I'm feeling. Thanks again.