Sooverit!

Mnn I was wondering do you need to wait 5-6 weeks with every fill? My doc already hinted that she is not agressive with fills. I haven't really gone back to exercising dailly which I know willl help too. But I sure hope my next fill will feel like it did post op or near that. I don't want to sound like a Scroog but I can't wait for alll the decadent holiday food to leave this hou:w00t:se!!

"Are you measuring your meals? Are you counting your Protein?" and the answer is, well, yes at first, but then I don't feel restriction helping me eat less and eventually I stop... and she has this " tsk" attitude. Hi there: So sorry you are going through this frustration. I am new to the band and only 3 wks out so I'm probably not the best person to advise. I am experiencing what you are going though.too...I had that initial 15 lb loss 2 wks post op which was a mircle for me as I'm not at the age that it's easy to loose weight like it was but I feel no restriction with the Realize band right now. I really enjoyed having the restriction in the beginning with the swelling. I felt full on small portions and I felt like a success.. Now after paying oout of pocket and having cheated with Christmas goodies ...I feel pretty down. I am praying the first fill will make some difference. I know that eating Proteins first does help with appetitie. Then a veggie and a startch last. Have you made hard boiled eggs and kept them handy ....I eat one and it either makes me feel sllightly stuck or totallly fills me up. Funny how bad food or "slider" food go right down. I wish you had a more support. Have you gone to the monthly meetings? I hope for both of us we didn't go through this for nothing.

Tamara..I'm a fast healer like you but remember you don't want to get in a position of throwing up....that is the one thing I was told could make the pouch slip in the band but other than that listen to your body. I think it's vomiting often that can really do damange. I was thinking I could never had shrimp@ Maybe now that you have no restriction you can but remember after a fill it may not be the same so take caution with the shrimP 111

I was banded on 12/3 and after the first 2 weeks I barely know I have a band. However, when I ate crackers I did get a bad reaction. Even tho i ate them the band way by chewing more than we did, I had what would be a stuck moment but it wasn't as bad as I have read. However I would be careful about the foods that are restricted for now......ckicken. bread, rice, crackers, stringy fruit

Thanks BB also CRACKERS a no no....I had a PB on them at 5 weeks...

Was told NO CHICKEN for at least a few months!!

so sorry problem with this notebook! kEEps

I am 2 wks post op as well M and I am on solids (soft) as well. I was

Did i read you right ? You were banded 2 weeks ago and your on solids already ? The fact that you PBed 2 weeks post op or not , I would be on liquids for a day or so . Im baffled at the fact that your on solids already . that amazes me . Mindy I

Terrible! So sorry....I would look for another fill doc. ...let the house go and take it easy! feel better soon...you poor thing ...keep us posted

It's crazy how every surgeon is different. I am 2 weeks out and was told I can go on solids (soft) It feels like a year! So strange...I guess because you go through a lot of changes in that time. Nothing felt as good as that post op restriction from swelling. I lost so much water weight and felt great. Today I'm going to walk the Mall for hours just to stay out of the house. Not working now doesn't help either. Also going to drink water constantly and hope these 3 weeks doesn't cause too much damage.

H Lisa, welcome back and I wanted to thank you for posting this...this was very responsible and good of you! I had a ruptured appendix years ago and was given Morphine. The symptoms you listed were exactly what I experienced while on this pain med! The sleeplessness and anxiety lasted all through recovery which was very counter productive!

I'm a newbie but a life long dieter and I say first I would say throw out that scale.!!...it's such a trap. This is a lifetime process. I saw on the new Doctor's show that when we eat very few calories from BAriatric surgery and our body gets used to it ...it will become a fat making machine. SO as soon as you are healed and you can have a fill and you are settled into this...you can up the calorie intake and eat more. Now it's just about healing. best toyou,

I've read that PMS causes your stomach to swell which makes the band tighter or something to that effect and you will feel more restriction. I have lower back pain too and I think I'm going to drink more. My urine is dark not a good sign ....focus on drinking liquids more and not letting yourself go without eating for more than 3 hours at his time. I was told to eat a protein every few hours at this point to keep strength up and aid in healing but also to not get to the point of hunger. Carry the protein shakes in your car or purse so you don't get to that point of hunger! I agree hunger now is more a cramp in my stomach also. It's great actually. The signals are stronger now....the full feeling, the hungry feeling and that bored I want to eat for sport feeling. I can actually know the difference now!! In my opinion it's much easier to battle "head hunger" when you are NOT hungry and satisfied. I also noticed that if I eat it has to be a very satisfying food or I will feel deprived and want more. As long as it's really tasty and protein dense I feel satisfied and grounded up in the food processor of course.

I am twelve days post op and feel just right. I am losing well but I don't go on the scale as I just use measurements to tell how much I am losing. It looks like the last thing to go on me is my stomach. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for the swelling to go down? I sure look like I did when I was 4 months pregnant. Can you believe even my glasses are loose on me! :rolleyes2:

Hi Jacqui: I get nervous thinking I've broken this amazing devise or more likely myself when I get pain near the port. Do you know what the current stats are on percentage of people who have flipped their band or had slippage? thank you in advance.

Thank you Tyme and Gently I really didn't know the fill is after 4-6 weeks. I think I misunderstood or read incorrectly, I am so relieved I really wasn't ready for a fill yet. I can tell I am losing restriction especially at night but I still feel in control for the first time in decades! thanks again.

Hey Gentlywind: Thanks for this informative info! and WOW great new updated photo!!! It's a dream come true .isn't it?..I have to pinch myself. I feel like I almost look 10 years younger. You look fabulous! I quit smoking right before surgery because my cardiologist told me to "clear out my lungs for surgery". Unfortunately I went back to my 3 or 4 a day. I don't even enjoy them anymore it's jsut something to do besides eat. I will attempt to quit as soon as I get the rest of my excess weight off or possible sooner:thumbup:. Best to all,

I thought you lose quicker if you are heavier and younger to start out but I was a 37 BMI and all the clothes in my closet are getting BIGGER! ! I have to pinch myself to believe this is real. At age 49 I tried everything from working out 2 hrs a day at the gym to eating only salads to lose weight and nothing worked. This is a really good dream come true.....I feel free and lighter than i have in many years!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wink2: I hope nothing happens to change this. I would just enjoy it as I sthink as soon as our bodies catch on to whats happend it's gonna go into survival fat storage mode and actauly then we have to eat more and exercise. best to you:tt1:

What are they waiting so long to give you a fill? I think I am getting a fill on Monday and I had my surgery on 12/2. Stay hydrated too...go back to mushies. I find that if I eat often (especially proteins) I lose weight more then when I dont' eat as often or as much. Are you staying active....that helps alos.....good luck

I have what they call here a RANT: I'll make it short though but I was surprised that it effected me so much. With the fat coming off my emotions are more raw somewhat. I changed PCPs and the doc I got from my list was a woman doc I would say bourderline mobid to extremely morbidly obese. She told me lst year she was going to become a FILLDocUS doc. Well I come in for a check up on my eyes which are bothering me and she doesn't even aqsk me how the LB surgery went. Finally she asks if I had it ....told her 10 days ago and she says "OH the nurses and I had to check we didn't think you "qualified" for this surgery.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Firstly I have Hypertention, borderline diabetic, and I'm 96 lbs over weight. I have a large frame so I can carry my weight well and look bearly when I get overweight. What ignorance. She ended up not getting to studying to be a FIll Doctor which is okkay with me I would go to her anyway. She thinks I was approved for the surgery because I found a low BMI study but I would have been approved with a 35 BMI in NYC and almost anywhere!!! :wink2: Look for new doctor now!

I remember the dry mouth well. I had experienced that also for the first few days. It's probably from the pain meds etc. I kept a huge water bottle with a spout you can open and close like a water cooler on my night table with a sleeve of plastic cups. Just keep drinking ...the dry mouth reminds you. You will feel completelly different in 3 or 4 days. Hang in there...

Is it worth it? Now that I'm on the other side 10 days post op, I can say it without hesitation YES, I'm worth it!!...my health is worth it, my self worth is worth it, my physche is worth it!! I feel so much more relaxed now that I am not trying so despartely to cover up a huge layer of fat I was carrying. Also my joints, bones, heart, and metabolsim are thanking the inventers of the Lap Band!!