Daisalana

Well I had my first golfball pain today from water. I drink a big sip without thinking (I was reading the forum) and it hit me all of a sudden. I was nauseated and my stomach was tight and it was hard to breath.. so I just didn't move for a minute while it 'squish squish squished' down. Then I burped. Whew. I think I almost did this a couple times in the past few days. My body just wants water, so I just start drinking without thinking.. I've even taken a mouthful of water and spit some out once I realized how much I took. But I have to say, this does encourage me for my future weightloss! If this is how restrictions will feel once I get a fill, I should be good to go.

Denise- By hormones, does this include birth control?

I'm not sure how many people agree with how I did this. I got all of the statistical facts on what 'could happen'. I really tried to avoid 'complications' and 'removal' part of this forum till after my surgery. I had read some, and they made me nervous and worried.. and I had already decided 100% I WAS getting this surgery, I will not become bed-ridden and dead at an early age because of morbid obesity.. So.. I read all the support forums, the before & after pics, the happy yay-goodness stuff.. to keep me pumped. I did educate myself on the risks, and complications.. but I didn't read problem testimonials on it until April 17th. Reading them now, I'm not as scared.. because I'm not letting it affect my decision to get the band. Good luck with your decision!

Jennifur- We're both swollen from surgery right now and body is adjusting, I'm sure this will pass :eek:

Well I didn't mess with my belly since the surgery (Monday April 16th), but as of yesterday I took a shower and took the gauze off. A little later in the day my stomach itched, so I went to scratch it.. noticed about 4inx3in spot near my port incision is completely numb. I'm guessing it's been that way since surgery but I had not noticed it. So today, still numb as can be. Anyone else have this happen? I assume it's just severed nerves.. any idea if I'll get the feeling back, if I should be worried, etc?? It only bothers me because it itches occasionally, but scratching doesn't help. Let me know if you've experienced this!!

conrgats :eek:

The doctor I've decided to go with is great. He's very personable and friendly and I feel very comfortable having my surgery done with him However.. I wanted to bring up some of what he's said that made me nervous, and honestly the only reason I'm still going for Lap-Banding is because of the success stories I've seen from all of you. He had RNY done himself, and he told us his story. He has done thousands of RNY, and is a huge advocate of it. There were about 8 of us in this conference, and I was the only one wanting lap-banding. He kept emphasizing how, RNY is more successful, and that Lap-Band research shows only 36-38% excess fat loss. He said if he had to go back and do it again, he would do RNY again. But he would not do Lap Band. I asked him about this, and he said he doesn't feel it's as effective, and the 'dumping syndrome' is an effective tool to keep you on track. He mentioned frothing for lap band, which I assume is PB, but to me that would be just as reinforcing I think? Anyway, he made it sound like lap-banding doesn't help you lose a lot of weight. But looking at you guys, I see proof otherwise. Does this just have to do with lack of statistics in the US? He said those numbers were released by the makers of the Lap Band. He does offer Lap Band, and did not try to talk me out of it, but he did keep emphasizing why he would rather do RNY. At the end of it, I was the only one who said I wanted Lap Band. Others were on the fence, but from the session we had- all of them decided to go to RNY. Any thoughts? :phanvan

Didn't know anyone was still active on this thread. I talked with the doctor/nurses and everything was all sorted out. I'm banded now, and glad to be on this side! I'm very optimistic at this point.

I've been gurgling since I was banded Monday. On everything (well, I'm on all clear liquid diet), but I hate that I can't guzzle water right now. I told my family on our ride home from the doctor, how everything goes 'squish squish squish' when I drink. I felt/heard it. I don't hear the squishing anymore, but when I drink it almost always feels like a knot, and I feel it 'squeezing' through and I burp.. I don't burp anything up, but it's a burp.. I feel like I'm getting a lot of air or something. I don't like it.. but I'm not drinking in a straw, and trying hard not to 'gulp air'. I guess this is something I'll have to get use to??

I had thigh/hip numbness from sleeping somtimes. Completely unrelated to the band, but related to being overweight. I think that's a symptom of diabetes as well. Glad to know I'm not alone with belly numbness, was not something I ever read about so I did not expect it!

Sara, thats really encouraging to me! I feel I have adequate restriction with my band right now (doctor said he thought I would) without a fill. If I gulp too much water right now, I burp and feel a knot. I'm hoping when I know I can eat 'real food' again, that anytime I decide to be adventurous, the band will just keep me in line. To know if I am about to eat too much, it's there to remind me not too! Sounds like it did that for you :eek: I hate not being able to guzzle water right now, I'm very thristy at this very moment and sipping doesn't quench me.

Your current journal status is: Non-Existent :panic: Where'd it go????

I like the new look.. As long as the ads aren't 'pop ups', I don't mind them. I did panic about my journal. Since I just had my surgery I wanted to go update it, but can not find it. I will have to scroll back and see about clicking someone's signature someone mentioned. Also, I'm not sure if it got fixed, but when looking at a thread, the posts weren't formatted right and went double the size of my monitor, so to read them I had to keep scrolling back and forth ><

Yes, I figure I won't feel fills at all if I stay this way.. Just wanted to make sure this is a common severed nerve thing and not something going wrong!

Angie- LOL I always said I wanted girls.. my fiance says we'll likely have boys because his mom wanted girls and got 3 rowdy boys. My mom laughs when I say I prefer girls, and I know why.. she had 2 girls and a boy and me and my sister definitely were nutso emotional growing up LOL.

Morning guys! I feel a little sick today, might just be grogginess, but I feel like my stomach is unsettled. Had nothing but water so far this morning. I'm a little confused (but happy!) about my weight loss. I hear most people gain weight from the surgery due to fluids, then lose it quickly right afterward.. Well, I lost 6lbs from the surgery, and losing more weight quickly after that. Does this mean I am or am not just losing IV fluid weight? Should I be excited yet? LOL I don't feel like I've lost weight (Lord knows, my back still hates me) and I am only wearing housedresses right now.. but they don't seem bigger.. But the numbers are definitely dropping from before I had the surgery. I lost about 2lbs today! And.. that's with extra clothes on (robe and sweatpants.. I've been weighing myself in just a housedress). I'm very drained and tired right now..

Tracy-I went thru the same thing with sickness. Our office has been fillled with sick for months now. It just keeps going back and forth and I kept catching it every time around. So the week before surgery, anyone who mentioned being sick I handed out little anti-bacterial wipes for them to wipe off their desks and I thought about wearing one of those little masks!LOL --- I took my 'official' before pictures (full body ugh!!!) on Saturday night. I won't be posting them until I get some 'afters'! I plan on doing new pics once a month.

Terri- They kept me loaded up on demerol at the hospital, and I never got sick from it. They sent me home with liquid codine.. I have been trying to take it sparingly, even in the hospital I don't like being doped up, I just want the edge taken off the pain. I bought liquid tylenol and plan on using that today. But I feel SO much better today (I had a LOT of gas last night.. so hopefully that's why I was in pain and now it's all subsiding). Only pains I have now are being sore.. and when I burp/cough/hiccup/swallow too fast.. I get the knot and it hurts. The excruciating pain that I didn't expect is finally gone.. whew. I took a shower today and afterward, put betadine around the steristrips and put new gauze over them. They told me I didn't need to put anything over them (they had gauze) once I took my first shower, but I'm paranoid. They said the strips should peel off in about a week and I can take them off then. I will have to post pics of my incisions soon.. It's a little crescent shape starting mid-breast, wrapping down to my left side.. 5 of them. I think I figured out where my port is, but there is no unusual pain in the port incision vs. any of the others.. they're all just tender. It's only slightly bigger than the rest, and had 2 holes beside the incision (looks like needle holes?) They gave me a shot of blood thinner before the surgery, which surprised me.. it has left a decent bruise in my leg where they injected it.. Other then that, no bruising around the incisons..

Hey all.. Pain is a bit better today, I need to spend more time resting than sitting up I think. I'm trying to do too much.. When I drink water, I do get a lil bit of a pain today. I lost 3lbs since yesterday LOL. I'm not putting it on my marker thing though, because I don't know why I would have lost 3lbs in one day. Going to stick to updating my marker once a week instead of daily. I have had water, and about 2oz of Apple Juice, couple licks of a sugar free popsicle, and a tiny sip of a protein shake so far since I've been out. I'm still not hungry (It's a miracle!!!!). I haven't gotten dizzy.. I was a little nauseated last night (I guess I forgot to knock on wood when I posted I never felt nauseated), but I think it was from doing too much. I'm suppose to start working at home today, but I feel like sleeping. Good luck to everyone up and coming!!

a friend of mine who had GB told me tonight 'have you gotten dizzy?' i said no.. and i've not eatin in 4 days.. she said, drink some apple juice, cause you'll get dizzy. So far, not dizziness here (knock on wood).. but maybe try some AJ?

I haven't found anything that helps my sore throat yet

I peeked at the scale.. I was 323 pre-op (on Sunday) and I am now 317. Woot!!! ---- Just to add to my experience, I've been doing a lot of gurgling in my stomach and everytime I drink I feel/hear 'squish squish squish'. He ended up using 9.75 band and said it will probably be tight before I even get a fill. Also, my throat is pretty sore I guess from the breathing tube?

Hey guys! I'm back! I haven't read all the posts since last I was on, will have to do that later. I just wanted to check in with ya'll and let you know how it went.. As I stated before, my biggest concern was the catheder.. so I did make it 'pretty' down there.. So we drove down on Sunday and I had 2 hours to kill before I had to take the Magnesium Citrate. Went to dinner (my mom, g'ma, and fiance went with me), they all had delicious yummy food, I had french onion soup broth that was awesome.. then I took the meds, and was on the toilet for a little bit. That really wasn't as eventful as everyone built it up to be.. So next day we get there bright and early, I was number 2 to go, but there was no one around in the area we were at for pre-op. They wheeled me to my anesthesiologist, who was friendly, we chatted (kept me from being nervous), and we ran over some more medical questions.. then 2 nurse peoples came up (one girl, one guy) so I said 'Ok, so who is doing my catheter?!' and the girl laughs and goes 'We only do those for the roux-en-y' !!!!!!!! I died, I was like 'you guys don't know how much this makes my day, that is ALL i've been worried about!'. Then they gave me something to make me woozy and wheeled me more, and then I don't know what happened. I woke up.. in excruciating pain. I definitely was NOT prepared for this kind of pain. I was fading in and out.. they told me to cough, deep breath, then I'd sleep.. then someone said I didn't have to do the open, I was happy and when back to sleep. Woke up saying 'I hurt I hurt I hurt' and never felt like anyone was helping me (I was barely conscious)...When I finally came to in my room, family was there, and that Virginia Tech shooting was on the tv (around 10AM yesterday). I couldn't stay awake, so everytime I woke up, it was updated with new info, was kind of surreal for me in my doped up state. They gave me a little bit of ice chips, but said I'm not allowed to have a lot, and I was dying of thirst. I keep burping and hiccuping (even now) and it's soooo painful. I laid there thinking 'Is it so painful I regret it?' and I'm a tough cookie, I really though this would not be too bad for me. But I decided, a week from now I'll feel so much better and I'm still extremely excited to have had it done, so it still wins!! They kept giving me demoral, and since about midnight last night I kept asking if I could leave early (I hated being stuck in that room, on that bed..) They kept saying 'they will be in 'first thing in the morning' to do the swallow test then you can go', so around 2am (they came back every hour to check my vitals), I was wide awake and waiting for 6am so I could leave.. They didn't come do the test till about 10, and didn't release me till about noon. I have not been hungry yet, but dying of thirst. They gave me a popsicle (not a big fan) and told me I had to eat it to show I won't get sick.. I did not feel nauseated once.. the entire time. My only complaint is the definite pain. Even with pain killers I'm just loopy and stuff, but still hurting. I have bandages on, so don't know exactly, one nurse said it was 4 incisions. Doctor came in to let me go home and he hugged me and said it went great, ran through the rules again.. The 3 hour drive back home was bad.. we stopped often so I could walk around. My mom was driving like a bat out of hell, and the road was bumpy..lots of stops and gos. But we finally made it home, so glad to be home, glad to be on the otherside. Overall- Glad and excited to be here.. but definitely can't wait for a week to go by and be over this hump of pain! Good luck everyone getting it soon

Well, I put off too much stuff to have to do in the morning, so I'll be running around like a headless chicken then. I won't be posting until I'm on the other side!!!! See you guys then!

Hey guys! Started my clear liquid diet today. Hasn't been too bad, tried to keep busy. I had a sugar free/carb free/everything free-yet still delicious popsicle, sugar-free green jell-o.. tried making some broth but I must have mixed it bad, it was terrible!! But after tasting it, it turned me off of broth for now. Had 2 protein shakes.. lots and lots of water.. and I think I'll have one more protein shake sometime soon for 'dinner'. My doctor gave me Dolgic LQ for 'hunger headaches'. I took it for 'hunger stomachaches'. My stomach was upset and growling a few hours ago, but other then that I have survived so far. Tomorrow may be another story! We go to Anniston tomorrow for the surgery, so I'll likely post in the morning before we leave. Keep me in your thoughts & prayers Monday!!! And good luck to you guys being banded on Monday with me!