vivelaja

My MD removes his patients bands within 3-5 years with the expectation that weightloss and lifestyle changes will occur during that time. I hope I can live up to that expectation otherwise, I will have to consider the more drastic surgery.

I had my 4th fill about a month ago and initially was excited because it was the first one where I really felt a difference. But then in the first week, the gas came. I get it when I'm hungry and when I eat. I have these incredibly loud, bubbly sounds coming from my stomach that are very embarrassing and very uncomfortable. I work in close proximity to my colleagues and everyone hears my stomach. The gas is so uncomfortable because its just stuck and can rarely pass from either end. I feel it in my upper stomach, my lower stomach and sometimes even my lower sides (anywere there's intestine). I was given GaxX and Probiotics and neither are helping. I can eat without discomfort if I'm careful and am not eating anything now that I wasn't eating before this last agressive fill. I would appreciate suggestions since I'm having a difficult time working with this bubbly, noisy stomach. :wub: Thank you.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Years ago when I was fit, I was in a laundromat with my son and an extremely obese woman fell and was unable to get up. While we waited for the PD to send help, I thought about going over to her on the floor and trying to offer some comfort but I did not. I'm not fully sure why I didn't but a part of it was that I was embarrassed for her. B-52, if you have an opportunity to offer kindness and encouragement to someone who is going through what you have been through, perhaps you should consider being "a little forward". Just choose your words carefully-it may make a huge difference to someone at your gym. I hope that one day I will be fit again and will have the privilege of offering encouragement to someone. By the way- you look great!

Good Morning to all! I'm just learning how to maneuever through this website and am really glad that I found this group. I'm an ex "gym rat" (at least I was 25 years ago) who is trying really hard to get back into the groove of being strong and fit. I remember how confident I felt and how missing a workout was never an option. That is until I missed one, then missed more then stopped going all together. Anyway, regarding gym shoes, I joined a gym 2 week after my lap band surgery and hired a personal trainer at that gym. I initially planned on buying a new pair of gym shoes right away but after my first workout with the trainer, she decided that my balance and gait were issues that needed to be worked on in conjunction with my fitness. Our gym floor surface is cork from end to end so I work out just in socks. I will eventually buy new gym shoes this spring when I begin venturing out to the track to walk, but for now, I like the feel of my feet on the floor and seeing how I no longer topple over during our balance excercises. My trainer also gave me info on a few stores that sells the non-mainstream gym shoes that are supposed to provide more support and cushioning. I was initially really nervous about going into the gym at my level of fitness and my weight but I'm fortunate that I found a small gym where people are very serious about improving their fitness. There are a few athletes trying to up their game and a few post heart attack patients and a few people trying to lose weight). I'm slowly feeling the "gym high" coming back and I'm really excited. My only concern is that the cost of 3 weekly sessions is so incredibly expensive. Best wishes!

For me the decision to move forward with weight loss surgery was a no brainer. Physically, I had been feeling so slow and sluggish (and sick) due to my weight for so long that I felt like this was almost my last chance at feeling physically better and feeling better about myself. Additionally, unsuccessful attempts to make significant long term changes on my own were always unsuccessuful so I really felt like I had no choice. The only decision that I had to make was which type of surgery to have. I settled on the band based on research and personal reasons. I know several individuals who are obese but who have not decided on surgery or have no interest in surgery and I think thats ok. My advise is...research, research, research and move forward (or not) when you feel that you know all the pros and all the cons. Good Luck!

PS: To not be heavier than the quarter backs playing in today's super bowl.

This is a great topic. Thank you for posting it. I have so many goals-I hope that I can reach as many of them as possible. Some of my goals are: To be able to wear a fabulous pair of high-heel, thigh-high leather boots instead of the boring boots made for big girls with big calves. To be physically fit enough to take long walks on the boardwalks or on the beach like I used to do. To board a plane and not have to worry that my seat mate will be offended if a part of my body touches theirs. To experience the world as a non-obese woman. To be an example to my children who are both overweight.

My MD did not ask for any special type of prep diet prior to my first fill which was 2/1/12 other than the norm lap band eating . I was supposed to go back to liquids for one day and mashed food the 2nd day after the fill. I don't think my band stops my hunger, it does however, limit the volume of food that I can eat so I feel physically unable to eat more even though I know that I've only eaten a small amount. I've had two unpleasant incidents and both occurred because I had not eaten enough that day and was overly hungry when I finally ate in the evening. The first incident was my first day back at work (pre-fill). I immediatly reverted to my old habit of not eating most of the day so I was STARVING when I got home. I ate a small bowl of lentil Soup that pre-band would have been nothing for the old stomach but was too much and too fast for the banded stomach. OH MY GOD, I thought I was having a heart attack. My left shoulder, my side and my chest hurt for about 10 minutes! Thank god I had already discovered this forum and had read about this reaction to eating too much too fast. The second incident was yesterday when I ate a boiled egg-I thought I had chewed it enough but apparently, my stomach did not. For about 5 seconds, I felt like I couldn't breathe, then I felt like I was going to vomit. I then felt the food becoming unstuck and finally, sweet relief!! My theory is this surgery works because of fear (at least for me). Fear about experiencing those 2 incidents again so I'm going to do my best to watch my volume, my chewing and how fast I eat. I also need to try to eat more regularly to avoid getting so hungry. My advise is just the basic that most of us were told before our surgeries: (eat quality Protein first, eat slowly and regularly to avoid that starved feeling, etc). If I'm not starving, I have more control. I hope this helps. Good luck to all this week and Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Yeah you!! Congrats!

I was also feeling really gross about my appearance. I was tired of hearing "you have such a pretty face". In my head, I was hearing "you have such a fat ugly body". Its only been about 5 weeks since my surgery and since then I've lost a few lbs, hired a personal trainer and work out 3 x per week. Even though its clear that I have an incredibly long journey ahead of me, I'm feeling so psyched that I've finally started the journey. It feels so good to be doing something about my fitness and my health instead of just feeling horrible about myself. I was not expecting to feel better about my appearance before losing a significant amount of weight but here I am feeling great just because I'm taking action and doing something about it. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel after the first "dreaded fill" but I'm up for the challenge. I already feel more confident and attractive and wore 2 dresses to work this week that I have not been able to fit for OVER 2 YEARS!!

I'm 4 weeks post surgery and have Aetna insurance. With this MD, the approval process was quick and stress free. However, this was the 2nd MD that I was working with for the surgery. The first one took almost 2 years and they still had not submitted the paperwork to the insurance after 2 years. They did however send me for thousands of $$ in pre-admit tests before even submitting the pre-cert to Aetna. I concluded that because this MD was affiliated with a hospital's weight loss program, they wanted to be able to gouge my insurance for as much as possible. I finally left after 2 years and no pre-cert submission to my insurance. The second MD's office was able to schedule all my insurance requirements (dietitian, psych, sleep test, etc) and compiled my pre-cert packet in 6 months. Only after Aetna approved and a surgery date was set did they order the pre-admit tests. I've concluded that the process can be slow or fast depending on the efficiency of your MD office staff and of course the coverage requirements of your specific Aetna plan. Good Luck

Hello, I just joined this forum after finding the site via a google search for stabbing side pain following lap band surgery. I'm 7 days post-op today and the only discomfort that I feel is on the left side of my body. My left side hurts, my left shoulder hurts and the lower left side of my abdomen hurts. I have zero soreness in my incisions (they just itch). Before reading your post, I was wondering if I had possibly overdone the walking since my surgery. I was up and walking within hours of the surgery and have been doing a lot of walking for the last 3 days (Christmas shopping in the mall). I was prepared for shoulder pain since thats a well documented post surgery complaint but the side pain is concerning. Was the ultimate reason for your side pain just gas? How do you feel now and how long did it take for you to begin to feel better? Thank you.

Hello, I just joined this forum and saw your question so am responding because my pre-op diet was during Thanksgiving. My MD did not require a full liquid diet until 24 hours before surgery so I was not totally famished. He did however, put me on a VERY low calorie, bland diet (fruit, veg and 4 oz chicken or fish) about 1 month prior to surgery. I live alone so am not constantly seeing other people eating whatever they want to eat which is helpful. I emptied my cabinet and fridge of anything other than what I was supposed to eat to avoid temptation and I also made sure my stomach was full before going to my family's get-together. Nevertheless, it was hard but I just tried my best to focus on my goal which is to lose 150lbs and to have knees that are not always hurting. I totally love clothes and have a lot of dresses still with tags that are too small for me. I took them out and looked at them and tried to imagine how good it will feel when they fit. No matter what time of the year your surgery is scheduled, there would have been a holiday or ocassion where people gather and eat a lot of good food. Try not to focus on what you're missing-instead, focus on your ultimate goal. Best wishes and good luck with your surgery.