WASaBubbleButt

Not sure about the docs you listed, I went to Aceves. I had complications but not surgical related. It was a problem I've always had, didn't know, and it wasn't an issue until I was banded. My doc stood by me, diagnosed it, and fixed it. He's great.

I wasn't, they used something different. I was glad!

You look great! You have every right to be proud! Congrats to you!!

Same here, Denise. Remember... 8-11 months. I'm slowly coming to terms with it. I can cover up crappy hair, I can't cover up fat.

It's so nice to have you over here, Wendell. You are I went to as a newbie and you got me through rough times. I have learned so much from you. I'm glad you are here. There is a lot of sanity here that does not exist over "there" at that 'other' place.

I have to tell one of my more embarrassing stories. It wasn't when I was banded but earlier, when I had hand surgery. It was twilight sleep so I was groggy but awake. I WORKED at that hospital, that made things even worse. I was laying there half asleep and half awake waiting for the surgeon and when he came in I started talking and talking and wouldn't shut my mouth. I went on and on about how darned good my surgeon looked in those scrubs. I suggested he start wearing scrubs on the floors instead of those snooty suits he always wears, the scrubs show a LOT more. They outline everything! The PA was the asst. surgeon and she kept whispering in my ear to stop talking, I'd be embarrassed when I woke up. To that I reminded her (loudly) that we were just talking about this yesterday, she agreed with me that he has the best butt ever! Now she didn't want to discuss it? Was she not looking at the same thing I was??? The surgeon was laughing, the PA was mortified, I was giggling and continued running my mouth about how those tight scrubs were NIIIICE! The nurses were laughing, the anesthesiologist was a friend of mine and he just sat there shaking his head and all I could think of was that I was being honest! I was so embarrassed I did my own follow up care. Each time the surgeon's office would call and leave a message saying they scheduled a post op appt I would call and cancel it. I was too embarrassed to go back and face him again. Then I had to have a return to work note from a doctor saying I could go back to work in the hospital. I had to have my husband write it and HE'S a psychiatrist. It looked like I had a break down or something. About three weeks after I went back to work my surgeon was on the floor. I saw him and RAN to the med room to hide, I was sure he didn't see me. I was wrong. He came in and I tried to keep my back to him so he wouldn't see it was me, well geez... he came in there because he saw me. I was horrified, I kept my hands over my face I was so embarrassed and I was trying to look like I actually had a reason for being in there. He finally asked if there was a problem. I said no, no problem. Just REALLY busy. He finally peeled my hands away from my face and was trying to be nice and professional. Finally he burst out laughing again and told me not to worry about it. He was flattered. He asked why I never came back for a post op appt. I acted like I didn't know I was supposed to. He reminded me that his staff kept making appts and I kept canceling them. I said, "OH! That was for a post op visit?" It was just getting worse. Finally he asked if he could see my hands. Well he was already holding them because he just peeled them away from my face. He was still laughing, commented that he did a good job and that I shouldn't worry, really... he was flattered. Moral to this story, when you are in OR just try not to speak. Especially if you work for that hospital.

Banding doesn't cause dumping but some people without any WLS can still dump, it's usually with dairy products.

With time you will find what works for you. LOTS of people eat oatmeal in the AMs. I think if you pick a number and don't go over that many calories a day, the rest will fall into place. There are no bandster rules, there are only bandster guidelines. You need to find what works for you and stick with it.

I'm with you on the pain after weight loss. My knee is really painful, I haven't figured out if it is tendonitis or a joint problem. I'm currently ignoring it in hopes that it will magically go away.

If you will copy the hernia part of your OR report it would help a great deal. What, specifically, did it say about the hernia? Did it say anything about sutures, size, anything?

Well, there are alternatives that are less than half the price. Then you figure in loans, financing, etc. Then you figure in the cost of groceries goes down DRASTICALLY and often times that pays the payments right there. Fewer Rx copays, etc. When it comes to this procedure there is always a way. If you want it badly enough, you'll get it.

Drinking barium wouldn't be dumping, dumping is something different. Immodium is wonderful for diarrhea. Do be aware that if you haven't started yet you WILL poop white. It's the barium. Take Tylenol or whatever your doc suggested for pain and give it time. The surgery tends to irritate a nerve in your diaphragm and it bothers that nerve all the way up your shoulder sometimes.

I have a confession... I use injectable drugs now. I use Toradol in injectable form. No taste, no mess, no grape, berry, or bubble gum flavors. Just a poke and it's done. I'm with you, liquid drugs are disgusting. Not sure how old you are but remember penicillin liquid from forever ago? They used to cover the mold taste with banana. I will NEVER forget that!

Just keep in mind that there is one thing most docs don't tell you about regarding bypass. Within 18 months to five years the inside of your intestinal tissue begins to grow again and you can absorb fat and calories. Dumping (eating sugar and getting sick) doesn't typically last forever, you can't bank on that being forever. After about 5 years or so you are left with diet and exercise again. Personally, I can't do that. If I could I wouldn't have had WLS. The mortality stats are much much higher for bypass vs. banding. Depending on the target population it is as high as 5%. Then there are complications such as leaks, strictures, etc. If you go over to ObesityHelp - Gastric Bypass, LAP-BAND® System, DS and Other Surgical and Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options. you will find a forum for revision surgery. The vast majority of WLS failures are bypass and they end up getting a band a few years after bypass. With that said... There are advantages to bypass. In your case there is a study being done now that shows that over 80-90% of bypass patients are in total remission from their diabetes within a week or two of surgery. The same results happen with banded folks but the results come with weight loss, not immediately after surgery. So the decision is yours. You have to know everything there is to know about every procedure, going to a seminar isn't enough. You have to read and do your research and do what is right for you. You might start here: Weight-Loss Surgeries Compared Take your time, be sure you make the right decision regardless of what it is.

I had surgery in December as well and mine is tender every now and again. Your port is sewn into the fascia, the connective tissue above a muscle and below the fat pad. As you lose weight there is less protection for the port, the fat goes away. If you bump it, mess with it much, etc., it can become tender quickly. There is always a risk of infection. Do watch for signs of infection such as redness, draining, red zebra stripes, fever, etc. and if you have any doubts whatsoever, check with your doc.

I agree with Wendell. The stats say that 80% of slips are fixed with a complete unfill and liquids for 1-3 weeks.

I tried it during a toothache saga but it's so gross it's hard to get down. My way of getting gross things down is to plug my nose and chug it. There is no "chugging" liquid motrin, it's like drinking bubble gum flavored karo syrup. It's just too gross. Gahhhh

I would go if I were you, it's a great way to see if you "click" with the doc. What if you hate them? What if they tell you how horrible banding is and how great bypass is? There are quite a few who do just that. I don't know if it is that they make more from bypass or what the deal is but I would go to a seminar and see if I even like these people.

You are absolutely correct. I kept starting over, deleting, hitting the back space key... I was having a hard time wording that post and you clarified something that is absolutely correct. Thanks!

I had stomach spasms, had them all my life and never knew it. After getting banded they suddenly became an issue. My stoma would spasm and close off to where I couldn't even keep spit down. It was horrible. Now I'm on meds to resolve it and for the most part, it works. It's not common at all, my doc has done 1400 bands and I'm his first. Dr. Jose Rodriguez has done something like 4000 bands and he has two people like me. But meds fix it so it's no big deal. I only know one person that is exactly like me, Julisita. I think that is her LBT ID. We compare notes often. Even with the above I still would do it all over again without any doubts. If you discover an issue with the band, you deal with it. You treat it, correct it, fix it, work around it, you do what you have to. Some people can't treat/correct the problem and they have their band removed. But the thing is, complications can happen with ANY procedure. The band is your best chance of safe and effective weight loss. Being banded is hard, but unlike diet and exercise alone (which we can't do and keep weight off) the band is the kind of hard *we* can do. I think that is the overall key about the band, it's the kind of hard we can do.

Pain just isn't a necessary factor to determine if someone has a slip or if they enlarged their pouch. There are people that go for a fill under fluoro and discover a slip but they never had a symptom. Enlarging your pouch wouldn't hurt, one wouldn't know until they either had a fluoro or couldn't figure out why they were eating so much with proper restriction. There is no sweet spot for them. It doesn't take barfing, PB'ing, or even nausea to see that there has been damage done. I know people get sick of my posts about the post op diet but it's my thing. Some post about exercise all the time, some post about nutrition, some post about sweets. For me it's the post op diet because that sets the tone for the life of the band.

I don't know about bariatric advantage brand. I don't know anything good or bad. One of the problems with any protein product is that you need to know the QA of the manufacturer. You'd think you can just go buy protein and it will do as it says but that isn't true. The problem is the raw materials. One month it is great quality and the next month it isn't. The two best quality proteins that I know of are Unjury and Matrix 5.0. That is not to say there aren't others, those are the two that I know of that are the best. They have the QA in place to make sure it is the same quality month after month. There are a gazillion products on the market, just do your research, find a quality product by a well known manufacturer, and one that doesn't make you barf if you drink it. Protein products are a big money maker anymore and everyone is trying to sell theirs even if it is really snake oil. There are even products to help people sell theirs over others. These are not designed for the better known manufacturers, but the little person that can't afford QA and is essentially selling snake oil. It's a big big business. So don't waste your money and get a quality product. Welcome to the UNJURY Homepage matrix 5.0 list of all sizes and flavors. Find all matrix 5.0 products at AllStarHealth.com

I had lots of complications the first six months due to an unknown problem that existed long before I had surgery and the band made it worse. My doc diagnosed and fixed it. I'm 12lbs from goal. I would do it again without a 2nd thought because I'd never be 162 without the band. It just wouldn't happen.

Most newbies don't know where their port is. They are shocked to see it is where they never dreamed it would be. They feel scar tissue and assume it is there, that isn't necessarily so. If you have a big gut you won't feel it. The port is in the fascia, connective tissue between a muscle and a fat pad. So your port is under all the fat pad in your stomach. You aren't supposed to feel pressure during the fill, you would only notice a difference in the way you eat and drink. If you have never had a fill you really can't know what it should feel like. I've had several fills and unfills and I've never felt a thing while it was being done except for the needle entering my skin. Guzzle Water and see if there is ANY difference between today and before your fill. And remember, as impossible as this sounds many don't notice a difference after a fill for a full two weeks. For a first fill it is not unusual at all to be able to eat more than 3oz. Fills should be taken in steps. If you hit your sweet spot on your first fill you'd likely be barfing your guts out. Most docs will give a newbie fill the first time. It is possible he missed your port but if he is any good he would double check and make sure he can draw out the saline to ensure it went in your port. Odds are, he gave you a fill.

I'd have to disagree with you. One does not need to experience pain or barfing before damage can be done if someone doesn't follow the post op diet. (Copy/paste below because I'm too lazy to retype) Eating solids during liquid phase: When you eat food your stomach has to churn and work to break food down so it can pass through the GI system. When you drink Clear liquids it virtually does little to no work. When you drink full liquids it doesn't have to work hard. When you eat solids your stomach has to work very hard to break down food. It almost looks like stomach spasms. Since it is the scarring and adhesions that hold the band in place and not the sutures (long term), when you eat solids your stomach is moving and churning and this prevents adhesions from forming. The other issue is that when they first started doing this procedure they made the pouch bigger than they do now. People were not losing weight with a larger pouch so they started making it much smaller. If you eat solids before you are supposed to you can actually push your pouch down and the adhesions that do form will secure the pouch in place but with a much larger size. You could end up with a larger pouch and weight loss will be very difficult. The only repair is surgical and then you start the post op diet all over again. I doubt most docs would redo the procedure because you didn't follow the post op diet. When you don't follow your doc's instructions you are only harming yourself. If you want the band to work, you have to do as your doc tells you. I think there should be a huge warning label somewhere that patients have to read before surgery. If you want your band to work you have to follow the instructions for EVERYTHING and especially a post-op diet. When you are doing clears/full liquids/soft foods remember that sugar, ANY kind of sugar or carbs will make you want to eat your right arm. Protein will kill hunger. It's the way your blood sugar and pancreas work. When you eat sugar your blood sugar increases. Then your pancreas kicks out insulin, then your blood sugar decreases and that sends hormones that tell your brain you are hungry again. When you consume protein it doesn't mess with your blood sugar much so your body isn't constantly trying to tell your brain you are hungry. Oh, you'll still have head hunger issues, but we all have that and that is a big reason we are fat. But mix head hunger with stomach hunger and we will fail. It's just too much. So cut out ALL sugar and most carbs, limit carbs to 30gms daily. Then bump up your protein and that should make it so you can manage post op diets.