petuniap

Moving to Post-op....

Ginger1634, interesting that you had Dr. Fielding and he only cut 2 incisions. Dr. Ren was my surgeon but I could have sworn that as I was waking up from anesthesia, one of the nurses said that Dr. Fielding did most of my surgery. However, I have the standard 5 incisions. I was banded after you...on 4/27. Maybe Dr. Ren did the incisions and then Dr. Fielding took over? I don't know...it's a bit of a mystery to me. I've heard Dr. Fielding has good bedside manner...I only saw him at the info session though. I only met Dr. Ren once, she seemed nice enough but fairly quick...not surprising given how busy that practice is.

Sorry to hear you were in so much pain! Hopefully you will feel better soon. I'm 4 days out and I am feeling better. Or at least when I wake up...by last night I was in a good amount of pain. But Lortab is about the most effective sleep medication I've ever taken. I wish I had pain medication that didn't just knock me out though. I'm still not that hungry...but I have been dying for the taste of something other than Slimfast. I don't even know if I can have another one of those. Last night my mom took me the supermarket so that I could buy some different Soups..it was like heaven! I am using my magic bullet to blend everything...thanks for the tips to get one of those! Last night I had a dream that I accidently forgot that I wasn't supposed to eat anything and ate a piece of ham. I immediately panicked in my sleep! The psychological component of eating is strong. Hope all other recent bandsters are hanging in there!

Ah, the IV fluids...yeah, I went through a couple of bags of those. Plus as xavier mentioned, my body may be holding on to fluid as part of the healing process. I was banded by Dr. Ren at NYU Hospital.

Hi ALuv82, nice to meet someone who was banded the same day as me and also lives in New York. I'm also glad to hear that you are doing well so far. I was only in the hospital overnight...came home on Tuesday morning. I don't think the weight on the scale is water weight since I haven't had that much water in the last few days. I find it very difficult to get down the 6-8 cups of water that is recommended daily. I'm working on it though. Logically, I know I haven't gained 4 pounds since I was weighed at the hospital (I was 281 on surgery day) but its still frustrating to see it on my home scale. Today I am really feeling the "port pain" that everyone mentions. I wasn't really sure where the port was after surgery but I know now. I'm not too worried about not being that interested in food just yet...I wish I could stay this way!

I was banded on Monday...today is the most painful by far. I think it might be because I kept rolling onto my stomach while sleeping. Not hungry at all which I am relieved about since I was constantly hungry during the 2-week pre-op phase...just trying my best to stay hydrated. I'm not walking as much as I should be...gas pain hasn't been too bad. I honestly can't believe that this goal I've been trying to acheive for 5 years has finally been reached. Now looking forward to getting through liquid and mushy phases and starting to lose weight in earnest! Speaking of weight...I haven't eaten a single thing in 4 days and my caloric intake has easily been less than 400 cals a day and yet scale shows I've gained weight. What gives?

Please add me to the list...I'm being banded today...April 27. Soooo nervous!

I know what everyone is going through, I'm only on day 2 of my liquid diet and I'm dying. I'm trying to sit in my office and work but all I can think about is food and how much I really want to eat. It has given me alot of awareness about the role of food in my life and how important it is...I look forward to any opportunity to eat. It's a major mental issue that I have to conquer if I am to be successful in this journey. I have already cheated, a friend of mine called me to go out last night and since I hardly ever see her, I accepted. That was foolish because there is no way to go to a restaurant and not eat. I had some chicken and I actually felt uncomfortably stuffed when leaving..even though I could have easily eaten that amount before. I'm not beating myself up over it because a) I still have 13 days to do well before surgery, I learned that there are reasonable limits to my willpower and attempting to go beyond them is tempting fate and c) I am going to have to go into hibernation in regards to a social life for the next 6 weeks. I'll have to come up with some excuse for my friends as I am not telling them about the surgery but going out has to be off the table for now...otherwise, it's too hard. I've already started dropping hints at the office about a new healthy lifestyle as an explanation for why I am suddenly skipping the cafeteria. This is easily one of the hardest things I have ever had to do and it's so helpful to be able to read posts from other people who are going through it the same time as I am. Good luck to all!

I am thrilled you guy are planning to hold this conference in NYC! I have wanted to attend one for a long time even though I am pre-band. My preference is for NYC, but could make a NJ location close to the city. Would not be interested in VA or PA locations. NYC or bust! Can't wait to find out the details..so exciting!

I'm new to considering lap band surgery as well and this has been a great thread to read. So many of the reasons why people are fat echo my own. The depression, the low self-esteem, the use of food as drug to mask pain, the use of fat to keep other's at arm's length. As well as the sheer enjoyment of eating, the sensual almost sexual pleasure that food can provide. It seems like a lot to give up. I've been fat my entire life and the most weight I've ever lost was 40 lbs and that was just last year. But of course I've gained it all back and then some. I suppose I'm worried that the band will help with the mechanics of eating but I still can't wrap my mind around how to beat the emotional issues. Is it therapy and support groups and reading this board? Is that really enough to fight and actually win this weight battle? Thanks to so many of you for sharing.

I just attended the WLS info seminar offered at NYU Medical Center and while I fervently wish I could afford to have it done by Dr. Fielding/Dr. Ren, it's just not possible since my insurance excludes any type of bariatric surgery. When I called Dr. Fielding's office, they recommended Drs. Corvala and Rimbaut in Mexico. I'd love to read more from people that have had experiences with these doctors so that I can make a decision about which doctor to go with. Chrissy and lindaa, can I ask how you made the decision to go with Dr. Corvala? Did you find any other places on the web where people spoke about their experiences? I'm also concered about what happens if something goes wrong with my band and I am self-pay. Will I have to go back to Mexico to have it fixed? What have people's experiences been?