SashaWLS

Oh no!!! I feel for you!!!! I hope this gets fixed soon. You must be so upset.

I was also terrified. But I did it, and I've lost 26 pounds in 3 weeks and recovery wasn't that hard (besides some emotional stuff)... Definitely feel this was the right decision for me.

I wanted the sleeve and then got really scared once I heard about the numbers... Chance of death from the surgery is 1/200... In the band it's 1/2000... Having the sleeve stitch line leak stomach contents happens to about 1% of patients. Not that many considering, but you never know if you're going to be that 1%... And if it does leak, you're in agony and could be in and out of the hospital for as long as 5 months!! It freaked me out. Also, if you start to gain weight back (which happens over time, look at carny wilson) there's nothing you can do about it but to get your sleeve banded... if you start to gain with the band, you get a fill... I hear the sleeve is awesome for some people, but I didn't want to get it if it weren't 100% necessary. I decided to try the band and hope it works. If there are complications or problems, maybe I'd convert. Have you considered getting a second opinion?

I was banded April 18th, a week and a half ago... I was supposed to do liquids for 10 days after surgery, but when I got my checkup she said my esophagram looked really good so I could move on to mushies. When do you get to eat eggs?

This lemon sole recipe is super easy -- http://ooh.vg/Ji2uO4 My easiest regular dish is salmon... I get filets about 1-2 inches wide, drizzle with a little olive oil, salt & pepper, some sliced raw onions and garlic on top (tastes fine without the onion and garlic, too) and then bake it uncovered for about 15 minutes... Sometimes I do it in the toaster oven on tin foil if it's only 1 or 2 filets... I also do a stove-top tilapia on a regular basis and my 4yo daughter really likes it... I call it "sauce fish"... Use a big sautee pan... Saute 3 minced cloves of garlic in some olive oil until golden, add a chopped onion until soft, then add 1/2c dry vermouth and cook until half the liquid has cooked off. Then add 1 big can (28oz?) of diced tomatoes and let that simmer for 5 mins... Then put in the tilapia filets so they're not overlapping each other and spoon the sauce over them so they're covered... Cover the pan and let that cook about 5-10 mins until the fish is done (when it's flakey and breaks apart easily)... You can either serve the filets as filets with the sauce, or break up all the filets and mix them with the tomatoes and call it fish stew... Oh, and add some salt and pepper... I don't like salt very much, but you probably need some... Oh, and when I was a kid my mom used to just lightly coat some filets of sole with flour and cook them stovetop in a little olive oil. Totally simple, but yummy.

This meal was fine, I would actually consider it a huge success. But emotionally it's hard not being able to eat something you want to... That was my only point.

Thanks cocobean, I was afraid that was what was going on... But I did manage to eat 1 1/2 eggs, and 20 minutes later I'm definitely full, but fine. They were very soft eggs. I'm afraid of hard ones...

Yea you!! I didn't have too much pain either, but I sure was tired.

Do you need a fill?

Seriously the gross bandages are MUCH worse than what's under them!!! Three tiny little lines with glue on them. The bloody gauze is terrifying, but the wound is nothing... And you can't see the port.

If you're responsible, then it means you get to make the rules!! Just make stuff that you can eat and make them eat it too... White fish is on the mushy-diet list if that's where you still are, so why not make some lemon sole, mash up a couple of potatoes with butter and make some stringbeans? The whole thing will take 1/2 hour to make and cost about $15... It has to be a lot better then smelling Papa Johns! That sounds like total torture to me!!!!

I would think it depends more on the patient, no? My surgeon said that because I don't have sleep apnea or any other co-morbidities and am generally very healthy other than the weight, that I would be outpatient... But it sounded like he did a lot of inpatient surgeries as well..

I can't believe this, but I'm down 26 pounds???? In only 3 weeks? I lost 12 during the pre-op liquids, and now 14lbs in the 8 days since surgery? I'm shocked, and THRILLED!!!! I can't believe it. I didn't know that was even possible. And, at 8-days post-op, I finally feel really really good, like I'm over the worst of the recovery... AND I'm officially cleared to start mushies! Though I'm going to take that suuuuuper slow. Start with yogurt and fish and see how I do... Anyway, I cannot tell you guys how absolutely dumbfounded and happy I am. I could cry.

it depends on how loose your definition of soreness is... ACTUAL stomach pain, cramping, tightness, soreness, etc... That was probably the first 3-4 days. I'm now day 8 post-op and have a whole host of weird little things going on. I get cramps on my left side (like a runner's cramp) that are so bad I can't lie down on that side, which I know is from gas... My tongue is numb, I think it's from not getting enough water... I still sit up slowly, though I don't really feel pain... And being in a car still hurts if they hit a bump when it's going fast... But that said, if someone asked me "how's your soreness" I would say I didn't have any...

Hooray!

Sabrina, I felt the same way... Day 1 and 2 were rough, then it was pretty easy to just shut off the rest of the food noise. It has been the same for me through my first week of surgery. That said, I'm now cleared for mushies and I'm a little scared. It's one thing to just shut your mind off to food and say "that's not for me" -- I'm afraid that it's another to be eating... I feel a little nutso, but I still haven't eaten anything yet. I'm afraid to break the seal and let the hunger flow in!!

Congratulations!!! I just got my numbers today, too, so I'm sharing your joy!!! I've lost 26 since the pre-op (12 from liquids and 14 after) so I'm totally totally with you on the excitement on this new band!!

Hi there.. Are you copy/pasting the code they give you into your signature? Or the image? If you put te image in it won't work.

Good luck to you!!! You'll do great.

To those of you who have the surgery coming up, I want to give you a happy reminder of why we're all doing this... I just had my 1st post-op checkup and found out I lost 14 pounds since the surgery last Wednesday! And 26 pounds total since starting the liquid diet three weeks ago... I don't know what happened with Shirley or what her health was like otherwise, or what happens to the others who have problems, but remember that the overwhelming majority of people who have the band are fine. And the majority of people on here are doing pretty well, too. You have to make decisions based on your knowledge of your own body, and your own circumstances. Just think of all the people in the world who are out there, successfully going about their days and weeks, feeling thankful they have this, who don't think about coming to a forum anymore because they've just incorporated the band into their day to day life...

welcome to the other side!! The chest pain might be gas, btw...

Good luck!! It's scary, but this is the hardest part -- anticipation. Once you get the thing done, you just need to recover and that gets better every day. It's not so bad. The anticipation is MUCH worse that the actual event!!!!

I was banded 4/18, so 6-days postop... I seem to have developed sharp cramps in my left side, and can no longer lie on that side... I assume the cramps are just gas, but I'm surprised that I can't roll over. The first 4 days I was sleeping on that side, so it's weird that I can't stand any weight on it anymore... Was thinking about calling my surgeon, but thought I'd ask here first in case everyone has BTDT.... Ouch!

OMG!!! This is shocking, and very very sad and scary!

That must be so hard with a 17 month old!!! Can you get a friend, a babysitter, or maybe another parent to help you out during the day? It's so hard, you need to recover.