CallMeJim

Hi Wayno-- I'd say I had some restriction after two fills but not a lot. Fills 3 and 4 really made a significant difference for me. Good luck!

I am grateful for the band. As a self-pay I do feel a little guilty about having to spend all that money that could have been put to many other good uses. If only I had better self-control! My DW is totally supportive and I am so fortunate. I have lost 100+ pounds four times in my life only to gain it all back plus more every time. My failures out there for the entire world to see. Talk about demoralizing! Now, for the first time I feel some optimism, hope, even a little confidence that (with the help of my new band friend) I might be able to finally gain control over this area of my life that has always controlled me. Yep-- even though the first few weeks after surgery were rough, I'd do it all over again. Good luck!

Ouch! So are you ok now? What happens next?

I just got fill #4 today. 1 more cc to bring me to 10.2 in my 14cc band. I feel like I have excellent restriction now. Will need to be extra careful with bite size and chewing! We have grad. paries next week so that should be an interesting challenge. Hang in there everyone!

I want to see the answer to this too. The main point my doc makes over and over is to limit my meals to <4 oz. in order to avoid overfilling my pouch and possibly causing a slip. He said to eat more frequently if need be, but be careful to limit the quantity. They spot potential slips under fluro and have to completely remove the fill for a period of time when that happens in order to avoid a serious problem. The cause, he said, is almost always overeating. Sure got my attention. He said one symptom of a possible problem in this area is the presence of heartburn/reflux when you lie down.

ChrisAnn-- that is seriously cool. You've made it to the Promised Land! Way to go! Hope to join you there soon!

Good idea-- I'll check it out. Thanks!

Cool. I hope to get to that type of restriction soon!

I have had three fills and go for #4 on 5-7. I eat less, but get hungry more quickly than I would like. My fills cost $175 so I would like to get to a place of long lasting satiety as soon as I can! My doc has emphasized solid protein and no liquid calories and I can sure see the wisdom in that. When I follow the rules, the tool works! I seem to get more hungry late in the day. Do you? How do you handle it?

I guess I'm doing ok. Much better than gaining! I can eat most everything, but get into trouble when I don't pay attention and eat too fast-- bites too big or not enough chewing. I am going for fill #4 on 5-7. Lookin' for the sweet spot! Hang in there everyone.

Thanks Chrisann- I'm out here. Just lurking mostly. Buried in work these days! Looks like you are doing great. Keep it up!

My doc said they are ok short term. I'm taking Celebrex right now for gout but will stop as soon as I can. My understanding is that the main concern is getting it through the stoma quickly so that it doesn't sit in the pouch for long periods. Is that right? Doc (PCP) suggested I break open the Celebrex capsule and sprinkle it on food. I haven't done that yet as the capsule seems to go down fine. I do split most pills before taking them though.... and take them with lots of water.

I've had three fills. 9.2 cc in 14 cc APL band. Third fill really made a difference. Things I was able to eat easily before no longer go down so easily.

I've heard some great things about Fage yogurt. Hoping to get some next time I am at the health food store in KC.

I last drank coffee on Jan 6-- the day before my surgery. I LOVE coffee and was a bona fide addict-- probably 1/2+ gallon/day fully "leaded." Never thought I could do it, but I just didn't want all that caffeine. Now I'm drinking hot tea--mostly decaf. It has only been hard when I feel drowsy at work and feel like I could use a little boost, but so far I'm hanging in there. Like Forrest Gump--guess I'll just keep going. The post above about decreased carbs reducing our need for caffeine is very interesting-- had never thought of that before. Cool.

Greetings All-- Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I ran into some serious problems a few days after surgery and was very sick for a couple of weeks. I'm pleased to say that all seems to be well now. I am into mushies and scheduled for my first fill 2-15. The problem is one I have had several times in the past. It is not related to the band, but it did affect my digestive system and I have really been through some "stuff." The worst part was some serious heaving/vomiting (my worst fear) just a few days after surgery. My docs were great and really helped me through. They checked out the band and said it looks great-- quite a relief. I get hungry, but also get full faster and am working on stopping at the first sign of satiety. That's foreign to me as I am used to blowing right through that stop sign and stuffing myself. Mushies have been quite a treat, especially since I barely even had Clear liquids during the time I was ill. Anybody have any recipes they particularly like? Hope everyone is doing well-- you're all knockouts! Jim

Here are a bunch of names folks came up with as possibilities. Vote now and the winner will be determined on Dec. 26!:clap2:

Let me apologize in advance if this doesn’t make sense and contains a bunch of grammar and spelling errors. I blame the drugs that are still coursing through my system! I had my surgery today (Jan 7) and thought I’d pass along my experiences in case anyone is interested and doesn’t mind wading through a long post. My wife has been super supportive (as always) and by my side every step of the way and I so appreciate that! We arrived at the hospital at about 1045 this morning. I filled out a bunch (more) paperwork and learned that they were running about 20 minutes behind, so they expected to get things rolling around 1220. I was no. 3 of 4 bands being done today. An interesting aside—they had 5 planned, but evidently one fellow got cold feet and backed out after reading the informed consent. It is a scary document in some ways, especially for a self-pay such as myself who is liable not only for the band operation, but also for anything additional if problems arise. We waited around for a little while after they weighed me and took my vitals. I really hadn’t been nervous at all up to that point. Eventually I went back to the preparation area, changed into a gown and some booties, and waited. Had to remove everything, even my wedding ring. The nurse had a little trouble getting my IV in, so the nurse/anesthetist got it done, and then added a bunch of drugs to the cocktail. My wife was allowed to come back and wait with me, and then my wonderful surgeon came by to say Hi and see if I had any questions. After she left we waited some more and something odd happened. I began to get really nervous and feel almost claustrophobic. It was really strange and I found I couldn’t lie still on the bed. Almost wanted to cut and run! We mentioned it to the nurse/anesthetist and he said that it’s rare, but about 1% of the people have a reaction like that to the drugs they put in the IV. He then added something FANTASTIC to the mix and I was A-OK! They took me to the OR, put an oxygen mask on me and the next thing I knew they were waking me up. I had NO pain at all at that point. The only thing that bothered me was a minor sore throat from the breathing tube. I have four small incisions and a medium sized one for the port. The whole surgery took 40 minutes and doc said it was “textbook.” She also said my liver was so small they had a hard time holding it with the retractors. Guess that’s a plug for the preop diet. I received the Allergan APL band. We were on our way home by 2:30 PM. Since we got here, I’ve just been relaxing, napping, drinking Clear liquids and watching the football game. I get up and walk around (up and down stairs) every hour or so to avoid blood clots and do some deep breathing they want me to do to make sure my lungs are functioning well. Believe it or not, I felt hungry almost immediately, but that has dissipated as I have gotten hydrated. I’ve been taking my liquid pain-killers and plan to continue for at least a day or two. My throat is still a little sore and my stomach is somewhat tender, but that’s it so far. I am on clear liquids until I have my band study Wed. morning and then I get to progress to full liquids for three weeks. After that it’s three weeks of mushies leading to my first fill. I feel so relieved to be through this and, so far, am very happy that I did it. YOU can do it too. God bless and wherever you are in this process, just take it one step at a time. Thanks so much for all the good wishes. Good evening. Jim

Hi Chrisann-- any better today? I hope so. My doc had me take the bandages off a couple days after surgery. So far so good.... Jim

Woke up early again today and got up to check my e-mail, etc. Started feeling hungry so I had a packet of powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury strawberry along with my well-chewed Vitamins. Actually made me FULL. This is really odd. Think i could get to like it. Wonder how long it will last? Pain much better today (so far). Just some soreness when I get out of bed or the chair. Also--removed the clear bandages that were covering my incisions. Will try to take a little longer walk later. Hope everyone has a good day! Can't wait to hear from the baby bandsters of yesterday and today.

Hi Diane-- Let's see. You are having surgery Tuesday and going back Friday. That would be like me going back today. Your job is more physically demanding than mine though (yes-- I'm a "desk potato"). I guess I'd say I think I could do it, but I'm glad I don't have to. I am off the narcotic pain meds as of yesterday, but still taking Tylenol. Gas pains were a real problem for me yesterday. Better today. Getting out of bed and out of my recliner were quite difficult at first but much easier today. I am getting ready to take a little walk too. I understand moving around is important and speeds recovery. If you have a choice about Friday, I'd try to get it off. If not, you will probably be fine, especially since it isn't a full day. Hope that helps a bit. Jim

Dang-- that's a normal night for me! I don't remember the last time I slept through....

Well, it's about 3 AM. Anyone else up? Surgery, and all the subsequent pain relievers and naps have messed with my sleeping. Comes in two hour chunks the last couple of days. Sleeping in bed is tough cause it seems like I wake up from the soreness whenever I turn over. So, I spend about half the time in my recliner and seem to nap OK there. Initially I didn't have any of the gas problems I read so much about, but then about 18 hours ago I began to feel it some. Not too bad though (yet). Took a couple of short walks yesterday which is supposed to help. I'm glad I have this week off work. How much time off does everyone else have? How long before you felt like you were really starting to feel normal again? At this point, I'd say my biggest issue is just the soreness at the incisions whenever I move around. How about you? Hang in there all-- healing is a process. Jim :notagree

Hi Suzanne-- I think everyone is different and you shouldn't compare yourself to others. You had major surgery six days ago. Of course you still feel it! I just ask myself if I feel better today than yesterday. If the answer is yes, I'm encouraged, and so far it has been yes. I bought some of the unflavored unjury Protein and put that in my soup last night. Didn't seem to affect the taste AND I got my protein. You might try it. Nuke-- wow--you are awesome! Hang in there. Be sure to keep the protein up-- that will help you feel somewhat full. Sorry you're having to go through this.

So-- is caffeine ok or not? I really enjoy coffee, but am willing to try and kick the habit if I must. What do you say?