METALBAND

I am sorry for you are having pain. I was lucky to not get too much of the shoulder pain but I have had it in the past and I know it is horrible. I have read on here that if you get on all fours and put you butt up in the air, it shift the gas...I know it sounds crazy but that is what others have said. Also Gas X and a warm heating pad. Good Luck.....I hope it passes!

I can relate! I have just been banded so I am not there yet but even when I was thin, I thought I was fat. I see pictures of me now at 110 lbs and I remember hating them because my legs looked huge or whatever else I could say to make myself feel bad. Now I would give anything to look that bad! You have to really encourage yourself with positive thoughts, i know its tough because we have been beating on ourselves for so long. It scares me because my daughter is 12, 5'3" and 115 lbs and thinks she is fat! She is a ball of muscle and very athletic. I worry that like me, it will be a self fulfilling prophecy! So think thin thoughts....only, no bad ones! You must feel and look great, just focus on the positive. 80 lbs is huge!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!

Good Luck tomorrow, we will be thinking of you!

Quinn, I have had a great experience at BIDMC. Everyone was so nice and caring.My insurance would only cover out patient surgery and my doc would only do overnight so he got me out in 23 hours and it did not cost me out of pocket! That was cool! I was scheduled at 12:30, went into pre op at 10:30. Meet with docs and anesthesia etc. They explain everything. Surgery, recovery and up to room. Next morning to radiology where you drink barium and they watch it go through your band, if all is well, back to your room where you get a little Water, a couple of hours later you get some Protein shake, and then you go home. The worst part for me was that I was very thirsty and you cannot drink anything, but that is a small price to pay! I ended up with 7 incisions but most are tiny, One larger one for port and one medium, others will look like the size of a mosquito bite. Port is the only one still tender.....again a small price to pay to better health! I am one week post op and sadly I thought I would feel better by now. Do not get me wrong, I am getting better everyday but not as quick as I would like to. I had my gall bladder out 2 weeks before getting banded and I was back to work in 2 days so I had unreal expectations and being impatient does not help!! LOL Make sure you give yourself enough time to heal.....milk it for a week or two, just do not rush it! Go to the information sessions, talk with people, ask questions, and stay on this site!!! It will give you all the information you need....and then some! Best wishes.....I hope this helped.

Hey Quinn, I should have mentioned that there is a thread under general lapband discussions for July bands and also one for people on their 20's....again good luck!

I was banded one week ago in Ma!!! I am not an expert but just having gone through it I may be able to answer some questions. There is a lot of support here and everyone is so willing to help, it is just great! Good Luck,

Thanks for the tip...I did it today too! It does take hours to get it down but my next shake will have only one scoop. You are kind to reply, saves me from thinking I am getting the protein I need!

Alexandra....Please do not be so down on yourself. You/we do not have a great relationship with food or we would not be here. I/we would have done the same thing. Do not feel bad, you are such an inspiration to all of us. Keep your chin up, think of all the people you have helped since your journey started!! Take Care, Maureen

Ouch! That hurt!:drum:

If you are going to keep it a secret....make sure the heperon (sp) shots and the IV bruises can be hidden, My bruises are a give a way that I was in the hospital recently. I have to wear long sleeves to cover my arms! Just and FYI

Judy,,,you are strong and will get through this! I promise! Gayle...you are right, next year we will be dancing at the BBQ's in our new outfits! Michelle and Joesiebies, you are right, this too shall pass! What a great group of bandsters!!!

I am so sorry to hear of your misery but if it makes you feel better I am feeling the same way. I did not expect this at all! I am tired of drinking and would like to sink my teeth into some real food! The hard lump and pain is not fun either. But lets remember why we did this....it will be so much better in the long run. Cry on my shoulder anytime and lets share some whine!! Take Care, Maureen

I am with you band sister! I thought I would be much farther along than I am. I am supposed to go back to work on Tuesday.....not sure how I will do that??? I am tired, sore and hungry!! I am usually a fast healer and upbeat but this is more than I expected. I am going to change my name to Wendy Winer...... Feel Better, Wendy

Hello, I am home healing from surgery and bored so I am reading every thread on here!!!! My Doc told me for sinus problems to use Afrin spray in the teel color box. Lay your head back and give it a blast.....I hated it but it worked great! Good luck and thanks for letting a May bandster infiltrate your thread! I hope you feel better soon. Peace, Maureen

I couldn't agree more with Alexandra and Jachut. Enough with the candidates already!!! The entire Hollywood group. Before the Oscars the commercial said "Tonight were the worlds best will qather"!!! I kept thinking the worlds best what.....If they are the worlds best, the world is coming to an end. They are so small and shallow its unbelievable. They want it all their way, they want the press to make them stars and then when they are stars, they want their privacy! I know the press is over the top but hey they knew that when they were signing the checks.... And yes the Clintons, Dennis Miller was on Jay Leno friday night and he said in Hillarys book she said she had no idea that Bill was cheating. His reply was then you are not smart enough to be president-Ha Ha Ha.

Thanks for sharing some whine. It does make me feel better LOL. I just wasn't sure if it was me being miss impatient or if this was normal. Seems like we are in this together, same day, same pain!!! I am going back to work Tuesday and I do not want to be wincing in someones face, or growling for that matter! I just keep reminding myself that Life Is Good, and I am very lucky that these are my only complaints.....life could be worse! No more pity party! Have a great healing long weekend!

I do not want to complain because I feel very lucky to have had this surgery and there are people who suffer more than this everyday but here goes..... My band/stomach still hurt very much. Every sip I take hurts when it passes through. I have growling that is painful. I usually have a high threshold of pain but this is getting old! I feel like I should be getting better instead of just staying the same. My belly is very hard/swollen and I had the surgery Monday! I may just be too impatient because I had gall bladder surgery and was back to work within 2 days. I find that every few minutes I wince with pain, not exrutiating (sp) but still stops me in my tracks. That is why I have been on this site non stop for the last 5 days. I have missed a few of my kids sporting events this weekend because I have not told anyone about the band and I could not keep a conversation with the other parents with the pains that I get. Yes I would like some cheese with my whine!!! Please tell me this is happening to someone else...misery love company! Thanks for any insight you may have.......

My doc did not say they would not put in the band, he said that they may have to do an open procedure instead of lap if the liver is too fatty. Too dangerous to do it the lap way. I was not perfect but it is a good head start as to what to expect after being banded!

I forgot to mention that it was Tomato Basil and garlic and that I only ate 1/3 of the carton. Not many calories and it tastes yummy!

TwinMommy.....I just had a Campbells select soup with tsp of Ricotta cheese in it! (doc recommended cheese for the protein) It was very good. Felt like a nice plate of lasagna! Enjoy. My days are very similar to yours food wise. I am still hungry with bad hunger pains...not head hunger the type of growl that really hurts....but I do not want to be a Debbie Downer so I am just going to suck it up and be positive! Good luck on your journey

I had to have my gall bladder out 2 weeks before my band was put in. I too did not have any symtoms but the doc said it gets worse with weight loss so it was a matter of time anyway. He would not do it at the same time because of the toxins in the gall bladder are dangerous to the band and port. Good luck and stop in anytime!

I am so sorry to hear of your situation. Lets hope it is just extra swelling and it will go down on its on. Lots of well wishes being sent your way! ((Hugs)) Maureen

I buy the GNC flavored whey protein powder....cookies and cream is my favorite. I also buy other flavors including plain to add to just about anything. Everyone is different, you may find something else you like. There is a thread on just shakes that should be helpful. Maureen

Hey guys, I have been having a problem with so many shakes also. This morning however I made my shake with 2 scoops of whey protein....40 grams! It was a little thick and took me all morning to get it down but it is a start! I am trying to get all my water in but I know I will not make it! Good Luck......

Congratulations on your date!! I am day 4 since banding so just starting to feel better. One of my last meals was a burger with all the fixings but I was also on my pre-op diet so I did it a couple of weeks before surgery. Good Luck! Maureen