Rebeccalee

You are experiencing a very common symptom of the band. Worry! Because it is relatively new and few people know much about it, living with a band can cause us to worry about what every twinge might be. This doesn't mean there's nothing to watch out for, it just means that it takes time and adjusting to get used to our new friend. The main thing to watch for in the beginning is increased redness with heat at the incision sites, indicating an infection. Don't lift for a few weeks. Don't shower until the holes are all healed up. If you feel pressure or need to burp or pain in the belly, try Gas-X to relieve build up. Use only Tylenol for pain, not Ibuprofen or aspirin. Walk a lot. Take a stool softener if things aren't moving -- Protein drinks are digested like food. And most important...when you have questions, come ask for help. : ) Hope your recovery is quick.

So glad you are home, Darcy. Hope the new meds, and knowing what is wrong, will start you on the quick road to recovery. Sweet dreams.

My DH had his reservations and worries about the surgery. He also worried about the cost. I even think he felt a bit insecure about the changes our relationship would undergo, too. He talked about having the surgery, too, but he can't due to his own health concerns. With lots of reassurance, he is doing fine post-surgery. He waits as anxiously as I do for my weigh-in day and wants an immediate report. He is very pleased with my progress. And this is NOT because he was unhappy about my weight; he has NEVER said anything derrogatory about my weight. I think he might be looking for a good return for the investment. I have been careful to make him feel loved and attractive. I did start noticing how fast he eats and how much, so I had to adjust my attitude. I knew ahead of time that this is normal and was able to deal with it. I'm sure we will have more adjustments in the future, but a little extra awareness and thoughtfulness go a long way toward making it a smooth transition. Geez....guess that's been on my mind for a while... :rolleyes

:rambo Princess DeLarla, can you grant me a weight-loss wish? Congrats on breaking the plateau, Penni. Awesome losses -- both of you! This has been a most inspirational and entertaining challenge. Thanks to both of you. :Bunny

Good Morning Betty, I am doing better each day. I am sitting here at 11:05 (shame on me) eating an egg. And very happy doing it, too. I still have ocassional pains and the sore spot in my esophagus is still there and sometimes causes swallowing discomfort. It is so much better, though, that I think it will either heal up or I can just live with it. Yeah! Throat drops are helping a lot. My appetite is getting closer to normal now, so I'm not thinking about food -- or lack of it -- all the time. How's your wait going? Do you just have one pre-op appt. left? It helped me to have a trip planned right before surgery. We went with a group of bikers to Yosemite over Memorial Day and got back 2 days before surgery. I didn't have too much time to get antsy or think about it.

Okay, that is just TOO much to ask, Donali. Those of us at home should help out a little. So... Let's say Sat. eve. at 9 p.m. Pacific time I'll raise my glass to all the happy bandsters in Vegas. That's about 7 p.m. for you, right Betty? Cheers! Hope your trip is safe, memorable, and a whole lot of fun. P.S. All of you guys east of the Mississipi will have to figure that one out. Us West coast people just lump that whole area in "back east."

You have done great in a year! This next year should be a piece of cake ... without eating it, of course. Your pictures are great. You don't have too far to go to fit that dress. Keep up the good work!

So glad you are moving along with your plans again. Be sure you get going on healing those ulcers right away, especially the esophageal ones. Since I've been having trouble with that darn food tube, I know how difficult it is to eat anything substantial if you have pain in there. Do you have the same date or know when you'll be tattooing your tummy with "Lapband Only"?

Wow, you're a tough one, going back to work already! Take it easy. Glad everything went well for you both. You have your own little support group built right in!

Oh Darcy! I'm so sorry you have to go. Is your sweetie going with you? Actually, I'm really glad you have to go because everyone is worried about you, but I'm sorry he's gonna suck your band dry. I must say I'm relieved to hear he is going to look at your belly very carefully. Pack your book, because you probably won't get the really good pain meds that make reading impossible. :knockedou Pack fuzzy slippers that will match the lovely gown they'll give you. :Bunny Take a CD player and some soothing music. :guess Bring your favorite sippy bottle, if you have one. :lick Bring lotion and fingernail file and something pretty to wear. :rambo Okay, you're ready. You can cry until you get to the hospital, then you have to be a good patient. Okay?

But DeDe, , he has such a BIG tummy and I know he will eat them all! We just have teeny, tiny tummies and will share. And we won't mind eating them stale, either. Really, I don't think I've eaten any cookie yet. Hmmm..... must try that one. *NO! Don't do it!*

Oops! I take that back. Lisa beat me to it. She'll drive you and me both crazy with talk of fresh baked Cookies. :bandit Okay, DeLarla, hand over the cookies and nobody gets hurt! :knockedou

Darcy, you are such a trooper. (I know, you don't really have a choice in the matter. ) Don't you just get damn tired of Water?! You have every reason to feel sorry for yourself. We feel sorry for you, too. I wonder if that's our mind's way of keeping us healthy and sane: I don't feel right. Must do something. This is not the way I usually feel and will not last forever. (Otherwise, I'll go stark raving mad! ) Is the heavy pain letting up any or is it intermittent? I hope the doctor lets you eat when he calls. Or else tells you to come stay in the observatory. (That's the evil laboratory where they think of new ways to keep us from eating. ) Last night we went to Olive Garden in SF. I ate shrimp, so should have been happy, but the breadsticks just kept calling to me. I have eaten only a couple tiny bites of bread since banding and am scared to death to touch it, even though I could probably eat it. I don't ever want to pb and don't like that pain in the chest when something is stuck. I also don't really want to start eating bread. So... I wrap up a breadstick and put it in my purse, garlic aroma and all. Later on down the road I bit it, not tearing any off, and gave it to my husband to throw away. Is that crazy or what?! Somehow I think I am not helping here. :sick I will stop before I drive you crazy.

You look so great, Babs! I saw the pic on the other board, too. You have done such a wonderful job. We can all hope to do as well as you.

Hello all, We got back at 3 a.m. Hubby had to drive all the way home because I couldn't stay awake. I don't think I get enough calories for that kind of energy. I ate shrimp last night for dinner with only mild discomfort. I know, that's not exactly taking it slow, but I have been sooo hungry. It's not like my old hunger, though, but just a real desire to EAT something. So tired of liquids and softies. I am making progress. Still have something wrong, but hope it just gets better and better. "Spasms" seem to be better. I may go to see my PCP and try to find out if my esophagus might have been bruised during my moto wreck. I am feeling much better, though, especially psychologically, since I can eat some things now. We went to SF to do a pre-op for DH to have his shriveled, stone-laden gallbladder removed. Very disappointed as the surgeon said his symptoms didn't match, so she ordered 3 more tests and told him, "You don't look like you're having any trouble eating." (In other words, You're FAT!) OMG She had the manners of a surgeon! His local doc had said he was just to get the surgery set up, no questions asked. Ah well, more hurdles and more time in SF. Darcy, so sorry you haven't found out anything yet. At this point, another day must feel like an eternity. Be sure you keep that 23 hour stay as an option. We don't want you passing out in the street! I hope the nap and the heating pad work.

Darcy, I am thinking about you, sweetie. We are hopping off to San Fran again tomorrow. I will check before I leave in the wee hours, but probably won't hear how you are until late (Pacific Late) at night. Hope you are feeling better. Remember that it always seems worse at night when we are tired and it is dark. Hugs to you.

I wish I was going. I LOVE scary rides. And I could help drag that little DeLarla on right between us, Pen.

Contrary to popular belief, bikers don't wear leather just to look cool. The wind chill factor on a bike could kill. Put on your cool leather jacket whenever the air is lukewarm. You'll need it. Did your boss notice your bike, yet? Darcy, when will someone look at the xrays? I'm so glad your doctor is responding so quickly. We are all very worried about you. :sick

:banana: I am happily eating tuna. Less than quarter cup, but it is something! I can now eat yogurt, cheese and tuna. I'm very anxious to try harder foods, but trying to force myself to go slow. Since I still don't get hungry for about 3 hours, I'm trying to wait to try something else. Maybe I should stay up all night so I have more time to eat. I have a feeling I'm gonna gain back some of this month's loss. Does this mean I can't have any more ice cream?! DeLarla??? (running to the kitchen for a lowfat, sf, fudgsicle) Now if we can get Darcy's stomach gremlins tamed and DeLarla to quit growing aliens :alien .... and cutting their little heads off ..... Off I go to run some errands and then I must clean my filthy house. I don't have all that leisure time that you guys who go to work have.

You look absolutely fantastic, Shelly. People probably don't recognize you.

Sorry, Betty, I wrote it in my datebook so I won't mix it up again. :notagree: My poor calendar is so full of hubby's busyness (and mine ) that I can't keep it straight. I had thought it was only 2 weeks! Hey everybody who's hurting -- Let's all get better in time for Betty's surgery to help her not feel so nervous! :Bunny: If I tried to come over there and take your band, would you let me, Darcy? << BONK! >> I do hope you find out something today.

Fantastic loss, Greg! And you, Ms. Darcy, are going to town! Wow! Michelle that is awesome! :cheeky: Your 2 month loss is fantastic. I lost about the same this week as Michelle, but I was on liquids to do it. I'm at 187 this a.m. I've been weighing only twice a week, once for the group and once for my own official record on Thursday. It helps to have the scale in the garage and be out of town a lot.

It's good to see everyone taking good care of themselves. Darcy, you hang in there -- and don't be afraid to call back if they haven't called when they said they would. Patience sure doesn't get you too far with medical offices! Tell them it is urgent, you can't keep going with this overwhelming pain. Lisa, glad you are getting that wound looked at, too. Maybe they will give you a tummy tuck and just cut the whole thing off! Well, it's about 23 days for you Ms. Betty. Not that far, but oh so long!

I am taking Spanish classes, I want to become fluent. I have been teaching English for 7 years in high school and want to go back to teaching English as a Second Language or maybe a bilingual elementary class. Since hubby is a disabled vet, the VA will pay for my schooling. I figure this is my only chance to do it! I've wanted to be able to speak Spanish for many years. I also don't have to work full-time anymore, so I can go back to teaching what I prefer. (I enjoyed much of my high school teaching, but the last school I was in was a crusher!) I dropped out last Wed. before going to SF. I couldn't afford 2 more days off. I feel less stressed, for sure. I'm waiting to see how the pain is when I start trying to eat more. I'll post a pic of my bike (w/o me, since it's not here, probably) and me and hubby with his bike and the before and afters. Can't say when I will get it done. We go back to SF on Tuesday. DH ends up having 3 dr. appts. this month. Now that I'm not in school I can go with him.

Thanks, Betty! It kept bothering me that the other one looks so much younger than I really look. I suppose that can be a good thing, but I don't really know why it turned out that way, so I had DH take another one. I tried not to be messing around like a kid this time, at least not while he was snapping the shot. I might try again later. We went to a local bike day yesterday and they took a pic of us with the bike. I couldn't believe how FAT I looked! I had been feeling real sexy lately and that just shot me down pretty bad. :sick: I'm going to keep working on it until I get a picture that I really like. I'll post before and after sometime this week.