tigers1998

Simple question: Are fills painful? I simply dislike needles but I found I do better if I know what to expect upfront. Surprises are not good for me. Please let me know how your first fill went. Nervous here.

I had more first feel and I felt more restriction immediately. I stop whatever I'm eating when I get the stuck feeling. It usually happens more in the morning than any other part of the day. However, during my TOM, it gets so tight, I get stomach spasms when I try to eat. So I go on shakes and jello/pudding during that time. I asked the doctor, and I was informed that fluid retention throughout the body can cause band tightness. If you've had a problem with fluid retention in the past, may be something to look into. If like me, it happens only once a month....well we know the answer to that.

Update: my first fill was completed last Thursday. It wasn't bad at all. BUT, the doc did have to dig around a little to find the port. Wasn't really painful as much as annoying. I definitely feel more tightness.

Can you all eat chicken. I thought chicken was hard to digest?

Hunger/Cravings/Emotional/Habitual: [ FEEL FREE TO RELATE AND LAUGH WHILE READING ] If you have lived as a human on this planet we like to call Earth, you have experienced these different forms of eating habits. For some us, we have mastered the eating maze and are healthy and happy individuals. For some of us, we were just blessed with good genes that kept and continue to keep us skinny. Others may choose other methods of dealing with hunger and/or engage in habits that keeps them thin (but are in no way beneficial to their health): anemia, bulimia, drugs, even smoking (so I have been told). And then there is the rest of the world, the majority, who simply eat. Well as promised, I stated that I would share as I learned. So here we go. Three days ago, I started to have a strange craving for salt. I figured I just wanted something salty: French fries or something. The first day, I tried saltine crackers- didn't work. The Second Day, I broke down and got a small fry from McDonalds - after three fries and a terrible time swallowing it- I threw the rest away. I figured chips would hurt worse than fries so I didn't go there. By the third day, I was ready to pour salt in my hand and eat it. I ended up eating mashed potatoes with salt and Cajun seasoning. I wasn't really hungry nor did I want any of the things I mentioned. I just wanted the salt. We are conditioned to believe that cravings are ALWAYS remnants of are past BAD eating habits: nothing good can come of it. So I didn't mention it to the doctor. Well, I had a routine follow up scheduled the next day: blood, urine and so forth. Come to find out, I was Dehydrated. One of the symptoms associated with Dehydration is craving salt. Upon finding out this information, I told my doctor about the last three days. He listened and then he explained. There are several types of eating habits, but to simplify here are four main types: hunger or regular, cravings, emotional, and habitual eating. Hunger: Regular - Biologically Necessary Eating: When the food you have previously consumed has been digested and used, the body sends off signals to the brain to start the process of alerting you ( growling stomach, headache, and so forth) that you need nourishment. Insert a bunch of doctor talk here....and then arrive to the point. You need to eat small portions throughout the day to keep your system fueled and your blood sugar levels regulated. Cravings: Mostly a mental hunger but can occasionally be a symptom of a bigger health issue. Cravings are greatly linked to the wonderful neurotransmitters we call endorphins: the feel good stuff. Deserts, fast food, candy, and so forth can all be linked to cravings associated with the release of endorphins. Giving into a craving WITH MODERATION every now and then is not a bad thing. As my doctor has stated once before: deprivation is the mother of all diet breaking habits. Deprive yourself of something long enough and you will most likely binge when you do eat it. A few potato chips did not make you overweight OVER NIGHT. It took Several Bags of Chips over Several Nights to add the pounds. MODERATION is the key. Keeping a food log is a great help in this department. You will begin to see patterns in your eating habits. For example, when and what types of cravings you have and how you dealt with them. And if you find yourself craving something over and over again, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor or nutritionist. In some cases, as it was with my need for salt, there may be a greater medical issue at hand. Emotional eating: Well this topic needs no introduction and has a simple explanation: attempting to make us temporarily feel better through eating. We usually engage in emotional eating during times of Stress, Grief, Anxiousness, Indecision, Depression, Helplessness, and so forth. The best way to combat this eating habit, is to locate the source of the problem. Eating rarely if ever solves the problem that is causing the strong and usually negative emotion. Exercise, counseling, reaching out to others, and sometimes taking time to heal oneself are all great tactics. Once again keeping a journal of what triggers the emotional eating will help you get a better grasp on the problem at hand. NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE UNIVERSAL EATING HABIT ACCURATLEY NAMED HABITUAL (OR RITUAL) Eating: ITS JUST WHAT WE DO. I believe that most people indulge in this eating habit and the following are some examples of when we do it: You are going to the Football/Baseball/Basketball/Hockey game: Hotdogs, Chips, Beer, Liquor. You are going to the movies: Popcorn, Coke, Pretzels, Funnel cake, Pizza or whatever the concession item of your choice is. Its the Holiday Season: I must have all of the usual favorites: Grandma's turkey, Great Aunt's Caramel Cake, Your Spouse's Sweet Potatoes, Your Neighbor's Candy Yams, Christmas Punch, and so forth. The Girls Venting Session: must have Ice Cream of some flavor and LOTS of it and alcohol. The Birthday party: most have party favors and Cake. Men's night: Steaks, Burgers, Chips, Ribs, and Beer. You are bored and in the house doing nothing: Must. Eat. Whatever. Its just what we do. LOL. MOST of us do it and have been conditioned all of our lives to do it. This conditioning has been formed through family traditions, societal norms, peer influences, workplace etiquette, school related gatherings, church and community functions, and almighty MEDIA (just to name a few). The best solution to this is MODERATION. Also, start a new tradition of your own. When all else fails, before you eat something ask yourself the following ( I practice this daily): Are you hungry, have you eaten this lately, how do you feel, and what are you doing at this moment. I usually find that asking myself these questions leads to further questions and eventually to answers. I will either talk myself out of it or I will understand why I am doing it. MOST IMPORTANTLY, No man has ever survived without making mistakes, without setbacks, or without occasional over indulgence. It just happens. Do not beat yourself up about it. Just continue to move forward. You will only be as successful as you allow yourself to be. Surround yourself with supportive people, practice good habits, start new traditions, keep a journal, exercise, and ENJOY your second chance at life. You only live once.

First of all I am proud to be a member of this site. It is wonderful to hear the stories of those who have been banded and those in pre-band status. It helps to read forums about the successes and the concerns, the achievements and the lessons learned. However, I wanted to reach out to those whose journey to Lap Band was slightly different. You see, My journey began at birth. I was born with a defect that was not treated until July 10th but caused me many issues throughout life. I was never an overweight child or teenager. I stayed active and in shape BUT I was sick. As a baby, I couldn't digest most formulas and I had a hard time with breast milk. Ended up with PET milk and karo syrup. As a young child, I had multiple stomach viruses. At the age of eight, I learned that falling asleep after I ate lead to choking in my sleep later on. This was chalked up to having a weak lid (whatever that means) and bad family history. During my college years, I began to develop ulcers. I was placed on a daily regiment of Protonix and sent home. By 30, I was experiencing fatigue, slight hair loss, and pain whenever I ate certain foods. At 31, I had enough and I requested to be sent to a specialist. I had an Upper GI which confirmed the presence of a hiatal hernia. One I was born with. Told that I could live with it and sent on my way. At 32, the list of foods I was unable to digest without pain was growing by leaps and bounds: NO fruit, no raw vegetables, no cakes, no desserts, nothing with tomato paste, no spicy foods, limited greasy foods, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol. I virtually had to watch almost everything I ate. I was in pain when I ate and pain when I wasn't eating. My vitamin levels where awful and my immune system not the best. I was exercising but not losing weight. I was surviving off of starch. I met with the specialist who performed and EGD - or scope on my stomach. Afterwards, He said he understood why I was in pain. The hernia had went from small to moderate size, Gastritis, GERD, reflux, and signs of Sleep Apnea. My stomach was a hot mess. All relating to the fact that my Hernia was never treated and 33 years later the damage was evident. My part in it all: Im sure I sped the process along with my awful College eating habits - aka eating when I had a chance and not getting anything remotely close to proper rest.) I remember sitting through my Pre Surgery Informational Class shaking my leg because I was in so much pain: I had just ate chicken and mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Yes I know: not the best - but anything I ate caused me pain. Well, the doctor sat down and discussed my options with me. LapBand seemed the best option. As of July 15th, I feel so much better. I actually rest when I sleep now. My thoughts are clearer. Outside of the pain of surgery, My stomach feels much better. I did start the protein shakes a month before my surgery. Two shakes and one meal for four weeks, which greatly helped with the abdominal pain and agitation. Two weeks before surgery, I had a protein shake every 3 hours and water in between. NO food. Yes I lose 24 lbs before surgery: though I was not very thrilled during the process. My doctor informed my loved ones that not only where things better than he anticipated during surgery, but my surgery went well and everything looked good. I wanted to share this story with those who are experiencing the same issues. Please note that your journey may be slightly different: It may not have started with the desire to lose weight or high blood pressure or diabetes or bad cholesterol, BUT I want you to know You are NOT alone. Many adults suffer from Hernias they know nothing about. They are not aware of the symptoms and just think they have stomach viruses and ulcers. If you are living on Maalox or Pepto or Mylanta: I am talking to you. If Nexium and Protonix are not working: I am talking to you. PLEASE get checked out. Have your children checked out. What seems like a small problem may lead to very bad complications later on in life. There is a better way of life available to you. I am and aim to continue being a witness to this fact. Thank you for reading this. Good luck on your Journey. Most importantly, Love yourself ALWAYS.

I drink AdvantEdge Shakes. You can get them at most major chain grocery stores. I buy mine from Wal-Mart. Feel free to ask me anything. I will answer as best I can. I have done a lot of hilarious stuff since surgery and I keep a blog about all my experiences.

Banded July 10. Hands down the best decision I made. Also my first major surgery. To all the preops get your mushies and liquids in advance. Wear something comfortable to surgery, take your gas meds.

Wish you the best.

Congrats

Some of you know my story and others of you may be reading my blog for the first time. So I will summarize my pre-surgery eating habits so that you may understand the title for my entry. Before Hernia Repair and Lap Band surgery, I had a VERY limited diet. I was in pain when I was hungry and in pain when I ate. I also had a habit of regurgitating food in my sleep. Nausea, cramps, burning/stabbing pain all symptoms I was used to on a regular basis. Food getting stuck....yea that is an understatement. You name it I had it. Most foods agitated my condition, the list looking something like the following: carbonated/ caffeinated/alcoholic beverages, fruit, fruit juices (not even orange juice), products with tomato paste (spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, etc), raw vegetables, soup of the non creamy variety, cakes, pies, brownies, cookies, candy bars, and so forth. You are probably asking yourself the following: WHAT ON EARTH COULD YOU EAT? Well that's simple: starch mostly. Rice, pasta, bread, potato, oatmeal, ice cream, pudding, jello, mushy veggies, and most meats. My life was a daily chore of figuring out what food to eat that would cause me the lease amount of pain. Yes, I had meds but it was like taking sugar pills: no effect. Well, Life has changed for me in more ways than one since then. I sleep better, I experience no pain outside of hunger and the occasional gas/air dilemma (burping hiccupping etc). MOST IMPORTANTLY: I EAT WITH NO PAIN. For the first time in THREE years, I had a few bites of lasagna and a few bites of salad. Everything stayed down and hours later I was still pain free. My mom and I almost cried. These two food items alone would have caused me several hours of pain in my pre surgery days. It took this experience to show me just how SICK I've been for many years. What you EAT and DO NOT (OR IN MY CASE CAN NOT) EAT greatly effects how well your body operates. I feel better, I sleep better, and hopefully I will experience fewer illnesses in the future. I have a new lease on life because I am now able to eat a healthier diet. BUT it is still a struggle. I not only have to learn how to eat, I also have to retrain my mind not to fear pain when I eat. In many ways, It makes me feel like an outcast in most lap band groups. While many are fighting their way to portion control and healthy eating, I am fighting my way through fear and years of a non healthy but very restrictive diet. This is the true reason, I share all of my experiences. I know I cannot be the only one with this journey. It also the reason, why it is painful to me when others beat themselves up about eating food (healthy or junk wise). If you only knew what it was like to go so many years without being able to eat. It is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. Anyways, I am on my way to a better/ healthier life and I can't wait to see where it takes me. I wish the best to all of you. May your journey be one full of success and happiness.

Thank you

Yes Ma'am. I had stomach spasms for three days at one point. Yes I feel pain at my port site whenever I get up too fast from a seating position. All of this is normal. I am so happy you brought it up. I was starting to feel a little weird...lol.

IF YOU DO NOT POSSESS TOILET HUMOR OR YOU ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY IN THIS DEPARTMENT, THAN FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS POST! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NEW TO THIS LIKE ME, READ ON! Usually, I have imagery for every post but I felt that the imagery was best left alone on this one. When I began my blog, I promised I would be honest in all my experiences. Ordinarily, I wouldn't talk about it, but I feel its relevant information to have. The past three days, I have been feeling more and more bloated. I figured since I am a female and close to that " monthly nightmare" this was just par for the course. I mean why on Earth would I even dream that a LapBand would solve my post menstrual crazy time and subsequent physical discomfort. So I took some 'fix it" medication and moved on. However, the pressure kept getting worse. One trip to the restroom left me feeling like I just gave birth in the wrong direction. No breathing techniques really worked mine you. So I decided that it may be time to consult the nurse. So I called the office and stated my problem. I was immediately asked about my recent restroom habits. Since I had to think about it for a minute, I already knew the answer wasn't good. She said the dreaded "c" word: constipation. First of all, this is my FIRST surgery. I just feel the need to explain my naiveté. I had no idea that taking Pain Killers would cause a Back Up in the Wrong Place. She informed me to take a laxative and probably a stool softener wouldn't hurt. Although, I am new to surgery, I am not new to constipation. I am well aware that laxatives don't usually work quickly when it comes to me, often having to wait 48 to72 hours before I see results. So in my infinite wisdom I took two of each once a day (laxative and stool softener) for two days straight. Well, I did get results. Better than I expected actually. In the end, I felt bad for the bathroom. I also lost five pounds in three days. Apparently there is some truth to being Full of It. Anyways, I am drinking plenty of fluids and resting after vigorous exercise. I feel much, much better. Moral to this story: if you are taking pain killers and you feel bloated, chances are you may be clogged. I find the regular over the counter gentle stuff works ( I hate magnesium citrate ---- if you can do without liquid laxatives, I suggest you forego them. If they don't unclog you, the taste alone will kill you.)

It was the Percocet I was taking after surgery.

I agree and I guess disagree all at the same time. Yes your hunger will return. No you should not over indulge in fatty foods. Change however takes time. Don't be embarrassed that you ate chips. Just limit the amount you eat. Deprivation is the mother of all diet breaking habits. The best thing my mother (who lost over 100 pounds without surgery and has kept it off) ever told me was this: you strive to have a healthy diet as much as humanly possible. But when you truly crave something and you don't eat it, sometimes you over eat other things trying to compensate for the one item you are avoiding. It is not the fatty foods that make us lose control - one chip did not make you gain several pounds over night - it took several chips over a long period of time. So every blue moon if you have to have some chips than do so. Portion control is the key.

********I POST THIS FOR WOMEN WHO CAN'T FIND ANSWERS TO EXPLAIN NEW SYMPTOMS OF PMS AFTER LAP BAND******* I got VERY LITTLE FEEDBACK on my symptoms and NO DEFINITIVE ANSWERS. With that being said, I feel it is my duty to share what I experienced so that someone else wont feel as LOST as I did. Sorry this post wont be a funny one. SO....10 days after surgery, PMS is knocking at the door. Up until this point, everything was wonderful. I was eating small portions, no nausea, no vomiting, pain only at the incision sites. Resting well. Then it all fell to crap. First headache (normal), cramps (normal), lower back pain (normal): all normal. But then, stomach spasms (not normal), inability to eat (not normal), night sweats (only normal if I am sick - fighting infection), nausea, and insomnia. I wrote the nurse, she was unsure of what to tell me, I called the office of the surgeon (well their best guest - all related to pms - but no one has ever complained of the same symptoms). Even called the gynecologist, one nurse asked me was I experiencing the change - (I'm 33 years old. I definitely hope not.) I even asked about my symptoms in the forums...very little response. So here is the data: Cycle lasted 7 days. Stomach Spasms lasted for three days and were made worse by eating. From day 2 to day 5, protein shakes - saltine crackers (nibbled on throughout the day) - and water was my diet. Day six, I was finally able to eat in peace. Night sweats lasted five days. Cramps were much worse. Back pain about the same. Insomnia: ALL SEVEN DAYS. I just had my first full night's rest last night. Headache, first two days and the last day. Nausea lasted for three days. What got me through the painful stuff and nausea, Two Alieve and One phenergen twice a day. SO I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE ELSE. If I learn anymore about the why of it all, I will let you know. I still don't have any answers.

Glad I had this diet before surgery. However I understand the feeling of hunger. I agree with the previous poster. Have something at the top of the hour.

You're probably just healing. I had dermabond aka body glue on my incisions. It was quite bumpy until the glue came off.

First, you are not alone. I believe that most people have doubts before surgery. I also had doubts, although not so much about having the surgery as what the results would be. Having surgery was not an option for me due to my health conditions: only choice I had is what type of surgery I wanted to have: wrap or lapband. However, in the big scheme of things, doubts or doubts no matter the reason. You have dedicated many months to this, subjected yourself to several tests, and of course bills...LOL. Never can get rid of those. So you have decided to take action to better your health. Bettering your health is always a good decision. Emotionally, it never helps to look upon the past with regret. Regret only sows doubt and stifles growth. We experience things in our lives that change us: sometimes for better and sometimes (and only however long WE ALLOW IT TOO) for the worst. We cannot undo what has been done, only make changes for our present and our future. Whatever happened to get you where you are, was NOT enough to keep you there. And that is what you should remember. You may have been set back BUT YOU ARE NOT DEFEATED. Your spirit is still strong and that is a beautiful thing. HOLD on to that and FIGHT for your joy. This journey will have its moments, but there are great things ahead. There is no surgery in the world that will FIX what you think of you. Only you can. But in my eyes, you are still winning this fight and you will be VICTORIOUS in the end if you keep trying. So smile and starve the negative emotions of power.