BlueEyedKitty

I was banded on 10-2. I am also single and live alone. My mom went to Mexico with me for the surgery, but no one stayed with me when I got home, although all my family members are close by. I stocked up on food, Soups, slim fast, juice, etc before surgery so I wouldnt have to go to the grocery store, but I ended up running to the store a couple of times anyway the first week, didn't have any problem lifting anything. I took 3 weeks off work, not because I thought I'd need it but because I could. Just started back to work yesterday, and while the time off was nice, it was also good to get back to work. I could have gone back after 10 days and been just fine. Energy level took 2+ weeks to get back to normal, I'm now counting the days till I can hit the gym for a really hard workout, getting bored with just walking. Slightly constipated for a couple of days probably a week after surgery. Took Milk of Magnesia which alleviated problem very quickly and painlessly. My doc said 3 weeks for sex. Haven't put that to the test yet. Surgery after weight loss appears to be a very individual thing, so I'm just waiting to see what happens. Good luck!!!!

Hi Mandy, feeling much better today than i did yesterday, thank goodness! I've had a little bit of a dry cough and maybe that had something to do with the soreness. I did have a little infection in my lower left abdominal incision, but I went to insta care on thursday and they cleaned and irrigated it and put me on antibiotics and it looks way better now. I think the biggest problem I'm having is trying to understand what my body is saying. I don't know that I can tell the difference between feeling hungry, full, stuck, gassy, etc. I'm just used to eating when I feel like it and stopping when I feel like it, and having to actually 'listen' to my body has not been an easy thing to learn. I've still got one more week off work, and my goal for this coming week is to make sure I get enough Protein and at least 1000 calories every day. Who knew I would ever find it difficult to get enough calories!!! I've dropped 20 pounds in 2 weeks, and while that's exciting I think it's a bit much a bit fast. I haven't been eating anywhere near enough calories because nothing sounds good and I'm just not hungry, so getting all my protein and cals in is going to be a big challenge for me this week!! Hope you're doing great!! Jill

Hi All! We'll I've felt like crap for about 24 hours now. I have pressure in my chest right about where my band is, and down lower on my stomach it feels bruised or something. Doesnt actually hurt, just a bit uncomfortable. I havent eaten much in the last 2 days, but I'm doing mushies and liquids. Its my understanding that if my band had slipped I wouldn't be able to get anything down, so I don't think it's that...it's just kindof like a very full feeling that isn't going away. I've only been banded 12 days and don't have a fill yet. Is it possible to have restriction without a fill? And if I was just restricted, shouldn't everything have moved through the band by now? I've been feeling so great so this is really bugging me!!!!:eek:

Welcome Newblew!!! Dr G and his staff are wonderful, you won't have anything to worry about! And you will find amazing support here on LBT. Congrats on starting your new adventure, you'll be "one of us" before you know it!!

Just thought I'd let you know how things are going... First, Mandy I was wondering if you were somewhere around when I was leaving, but I kept getting sidetracked and forgot to tell Dr V to say hi to you for me! Glad you had a good experience too. I know what you mean about the flights home. My flights were both short, just over an hour each, but we were on the ground 2 hours in Vegas then delayed 45 minutes on the tarmac, then a really bumpy descent into SaltLake which was really hard on my gut! So anyway, I'm doing awesome! I feel significantly better every day. The gas discomfort is mostly gone, I havent had anything that can even be described as pain, and haven't taken so much as a tylenol since I've been home. Was uncomfortable the first couple of days, had a hard time getting comfortable to sleep, but now don't really have a problem with that either, although rolling over in bed is still a bit tricky, and my cat is having a hard time learning "please don't jump on my tummy!" My incisions look great, healing really well, steri strips are starting to fall off now. I havent been hungry until the last 12 hours, looking forward to starting purees on wednesday so I can get a little more variety. Sunday dinner at my parents house yesterday sucked, eating yogurt while my parents and brothers had roast and potatoes, but oh well. The best thing of all though is that as of this morning I'm down 13.5 pounds in 1 week!!! YAY! I've still got 2 weeks off work, thinking of extending that to 3 just for the hell of it and just taking the whole month of october off. We'll see. So that's the update....hope everyone else is doing great!! Jill

I was just banded on tuesday, and I took just over 3 weeks off, not because I think I'll need it, but because I can. I've got 400 hours of sick time and figured I may as well use a bit of it because it can only be accessed for major illness, surgery, etc. I'm actually thinking of seeing if I can revise my request and just take the whole month of october off. I'm a sleep tech and don't do much lifting, but I'm on my feet for the first couple hours of the night till we get all the patients put to bed, and I just don't want to try to get thru a 12 hour shift if I don't have enough energy to do it.

Thanks Karen I'm feeling better all the time. I think Mom is better about the whole thing too. I knew she wasn't ever really worried about the surgery part, just the Mexico part. I've been walking a little bit. Think I may have overdid it this morning though. I went to BedBathandBeyond to buy a down comforter since we're supposed to be getting snow tonight. Been meaning to get one for a while and decided now was as good a time as any, but by the time I got home I was so exhausted! Not having any pain or anything, just tired. It was all I could do to pull the sheets off my bed, I think I need a nap before my flannels get out of the dryer!!! And I agree about the hiatal hernia part, I can answer truthfully if anyone at work asks why Ive been out for three weeks!! Talk to you soon Jill

Hey Utahns!!! So I'm now officially in BandLand:whoo: The trip to Mexico went very smoothly. Flew to SanDiego monday morning, my mom went with me, and we were picked up at the airport by Laura, Dr Gonzalez patient coordinater. My first impression of Tijuana was "OMG what was I thinking", which turned out to be a needless worry. The hotel was right next to the clinic, and after a nap at the hotel, I met with Dr Gonzalez (HOTTIE!) and Dr. Valenzuela (total sweetheart!). They went over the whole procedure, recovery, etc with me, then then I met with the dietician who was also great. Next morning was surgery. Last thing I remember was telling Dr G "please make sure I wake up, I need to get home to my kitty!". After surgery he said Oh I noticed that you had a small hiatal hernia, so I fixed that too while I was in there! I couldn't believe it...can you imagine a doc here doing that?, no they'd bring you back for another surgery and another $15000! They let my mom stay with me in my room at the clinic. All the nurses were great, and even though a few of them spoke little english, with my limited spanish we got by just fine. Like my mom said, it wasn't the new Intermountain Med Center we've got here, but the clinic was clean, everyone was very professional and I was well taken care of. Dr Valenzuelas son drove us back to the airport on wednesday, what a cute kid! He goes to college in SanDiego and was heading that way. Took about 45 minutes to cross the boarder and I was starting to worry that we would miss our plane, but we got through security in record time. The trip home was long(2 short flights, SD to Vegas, Vegas to SLC, but it made for a long day) and by the time I got home wednesday night I was so wiped out I could hardly speak! Im feeling better every hour, down 7 pounds already! I dont have a lot of actual pain, just discomfort and pressure in my chest and abdomen. I'll be happy when I can take a deep breath again! I can sleep on my right side but not my left, which has been a little frustrating, but I know that will get better too. I have very little energy right now so I havent been getting out and walking yet, but Im hoping that by this afternoon I'll at least feel up to a trip around the block. Anyway, that's the rundown on my banding trip, it was a great experience, no complaints, and now i'm officially ON MY WAY!!!!!!:banana Jill

After reading some of the posts here I have realized how very blessed I am to have such a supportive family! My parents actually loaned me the money to have my band (3 days ago in Mexico) and my mom went with me. My mom has been overweight for as long as I can remember, but instead of her being snotty or jealous about my decision, she has been so supportive, I think because she understands the pain I have had for so long being heavy. I am the oldest of 4, and my 3 younger brothers and SIL (who are all in good shape, one a marathon runner) have been great about it. The few friends I have told have been totally supportive. And as for the easy way out...I'm only 3 days into this journey, but there has been nothing easy about it. Eating cheeseburgers is easy...NOT eating them is DAMN HARD!!!!!!!

A sleep study is actually not that bad. I say that first as a patient who has been through it twice, and second as a Sleep Tech who performs sleep studies three nights a week. Electrodes on your head will watch your brain activity to tell if you are awake or asleep and what stage of sleep you are in. Apnea tends to be worse in deeper sleep stages. The wires on your face (by your eyes and on your chin) will also help determine sleep stages by muscle tension, and from the way your eyes move (in REM sleep which is when you dream). Wires on your chest will watch your heart rate/rhythm because when you stop breathing your heart speeds up, works harder since you're not getting oxygen. Remember, any time your brain has to choose between sleep and oxygen, it's going to choose oxygen! Thats why people with apnea never feel rested and are tired all the time, they think they slept all night, but their brain keeps them in light sleep stages where they keep breathing, instead of deeper sleep stages which is when you get your restful sleep. You will also have sensors or belts around your chest and abdomen to see if you are even trying to breathe, and wires on your legs to look for signs of restless leg syndrome. You will have a camera on you all night. In the lab I work in, we don't actually record the feed from the camera (unless the patient is doing something really weird), its just so we know if they're sleeping ontheir left, right, back, whatever. CPAP can take some getting used to, but once you do it can seriously be life changing! I have seen many people on this forum say things like "well, since I won't need cpap after I lose weight anyway I'm just not going to use it since I'm banded and losing now". This is not a good idea! In this lap band journey we are all on, we will have more sucess if we are getting good sleep and have the energy to get through our day. I have been on CPAP for about 2 years now, and have no intention of discontinuing it until I am at goal weight and have another sleep study to determine if I still have apnea. Apnea is hard on your heart, it can contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, not to mention that when we are wiped out from not having enough sleep, we often turn to sugar to make it through the day, which then makes us fatter, worsens our apnea.... Sorry if it sounds like I'm lecturing, but apnea can be serious. If you have taken the step of getting banded, a little tool like CPAP is minor.

Hi Cookie, I was banded the day before you were, and I've experienced all the same symptoms, except for stomach noises. Feels like my tummy's churning but its quiet. I've got gas pain, chest tightness, can't take a deep breath, etc. Been using gas-x strips although I'm not sure if they're really helping. Been walking around my house a lot, but haven't been outside walking yet, planning on giving that a shot tomorrow. Shoulder pain began tonight, but having had laparascopic surgery before, I was expecting that. The good news is I feel better today than I did yesterday, I'm down 6 pounds already, and I'm optimistic that in a few more days I'll be feeling pretty good. Hang in there, we're all in the same boat!

So everything went very smoothly. I feel like crap today but I was expecting that for a few days, and just looking forward to feeling normal again. Laura picked us up at the airport (my mom was with me), and took us to the hotel in the tower right next to the clinic. My first impression of Tijuana was "OMG what was I thinking", which obviously turned out to be a needless worry. After a nap at the hotel, I went over to the clinic and met with Dr Gonzalez (HOTTIE! website pic does not do him justice) and Dr. Valenzuela. They went over the whole procedure, recovery, etc with me, then then I met with the dietician who was also great. Next morning was surgery. Last thing I remember was telling Dr G "please make sure I wake up, I need to get home to my kitty!". After surgery he said Oh I noticed that you had a small hiatal hernia, so I fixed that too while I was in there! I couldn't believe it...can you imagine a doc in the states doing that?, no they'd bring you back for another surgery and another $12000! They let my mom stay with me in my room at the clinic. All the nurses were great, and even though a few of them spoke very little english, between my limited spanish and their limited english we did just fine. Lauras step son drove us back to the airport on wednesday, what a cute kid! He goes to college in SanDiego and was heading that way. Took about 45 minutes to cross the boarder and I was starting to worry that we would miss our plane, but we got through security in record time. The trip home was long(2 short flights, but it made for a long day) and by the time I got home last night I was so wiped out I could hardly speak! So i'm feeling slightly better today, down 5 pounds already! I dont have a lot of actual pain, just discomfort and pressure in my chest and abdomen. I'll be happy when I can take a deep breath again! I can sleep on my right side but not my left, which has been a little frustrating, but I'm thinking that should go away in time too. For those of you who have already been through this part, how long till the chest pressure went away? I have no energy and basically plan to spend the day on the couch with my juice and broth. So thats the travel/surgery summary...for all of you who have already been through it, Thank you so much for your encouragement and good thoughts, and for those of you who are shortly to experience this transition into BandLand, good luck and don't worry!!!! Jill

Hey Everyone, I'm back and banded!!!!:whoo: Too exhausted for the rundown of my trip right now, but will write more tomorrow after ive had some sleep. So when will I be able to take a deep breath again?? Feels like there's no room in my chest!!!!!

Thanks Sunshine!! I'm nervous but I'm ready! I feel like I've been on hold for the past month and that life will start again tomorrow :rose: I'll check in when I get home!! Jill

Omlagirl: I will be seeing Dr Gonzalez on monday and will post next week to let everyone know how it goes. As for what to tell your boss...I just told my boss I was having surgery and needed a couple of weeks off. Didn't say specifically what and she didn't ask, although a couple of my coworkers know.

I'll be heading to see Dr Gonzales in 4 days! I cant even believe it...i thought this last month would go so slowly but in fact it has just flown by. I'm excited, nervous, ready, scared, pretty much every emotion I can think of right now. I think all my grocery shopping is done, at least for the liquid phase. I've got plenty of books and movies to keep me entertained while I recover. Tonight I'm at work (im a sleep tech so I work graveyard) and this is my last shift for 3 1/2 weeks. :biggrin1: I've never taken that much time off in my life! I'm worried about what to eat/drink on monday since I cant take protein shakes on the plane...guess I'll figure it out when I get there. Any last minute words of wisdom from those of you who were just there? Hope you're all doing great by the way!!!

I know what you mean...I hope the Fat Girl in my head goes away, but I'm prepared for the fact that I may be dealing with her for a long time. This may be the first time in my life that I'm glad I dont have sisters though!! While I am the Fat Sister, I only have brothers, 3 very handsome younger brothers, and whether it is true or not I always think they're embarrassed that they have a fat sister. One of them is a marathon runner, and one of my goals is to run the Salt Lake 5K next spring when he runs the Salt Lake Marathon. I know all my brothers will be very proud of me when I look healthy and fit and beautiful, but I wonder if I will still be feeling that somehow I don't measure up to my "little brothers"!!

Maria, you won't be on CPAP during surgery, but after they remove the tube from your throat CPAP is very helpful in keeping your oxygen levels up. Beyond the surgery issues...If you do in fact have apnea, once you start sleeping better you will have a lot more energey, and in a weight loss journey, more energy will only be a good thing! Also, someone mentioned that once you start losing weight you will no longer need CPAP. THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE! It depends on the cause of your apnea. If your apnea is weight related, then yes, it will most likely be significantly or completely gone after weight loss. If your apnea is caused by decreased muscle tone due to age, or by anatomy (tonsil size, tongue size, palate arch, airway class), then weight loss may only have a minimal effect on your apnea. Prior to beginning CPAP (before I was a sleep tech) I had no energy, I was tired all the time, I never slept well, I always felt like I could sleep another 8 hours even if I had been in bed for 10 hours, and my memory was shot. Since beginning CPAP 2 years ago, I have slept better than I have since high school! I never set an alarm anymore because I just wake up when I'm rested which is usually 7-8 hours. My memory is much better, I have lots more energy and I'm not tired all the time. And I'm less grouchy! Untreated apnea can be very dangerous. If your brain has to choose between sleep and oxygen...its going to choose oxygen!! Apnea tends to be worse the deeper your sleep is, so you may think you're alseep, but your brain is likely keeping you in your light sleep stages and allowing you very little of stage 3-4 sleep, which is your restful sleep. Remember, CPAP can be a tool just like the band is a tool. If you are sleeping better, getting more rest, having more energy, getting more restorative sleep when your body can repair itself...all those things will contribute to your overall success. Good luck!!

I will be banded in 6 days, and I just have to say that everyone here is such an inspiration, I pray that I will have the strength and endurance and discipline that you have shown! And I cant wait to add my own list in a couple of months!!!! Jill

Ditto to all of the above!! Oct 2nd for me :peep:

Thanks Bubble, well put indeed. Started my pre-op diet yesterday and it seems like all I can think about is food. Stuff that doesnt even sound that good but I'm obsessing over anyway, WTF is that about?!!!!! I just keep coming back here to LBT every time I start thinking about what I wish I was eating, and everyone here reminds me that I CAN do this!!

Hi Never... I wish I had gotten a grip on my weight 10 years ago! I started college at 31 and am still working on my nursing degree, I'm getting banded in 7 days at age 34 and right now I'm completely freaked out that this pre-op diet is going to get the best of me! I am reasonably sucessful professionally, but still drive my 92 honda, and I'm single in utah where 34 and single is just weird. My younger brother (who is incredibly sucessful and drives a very sexy BMW) is actually lending me the $ for my surgery! We all have things we wish we had done differently, and things that we want to accomplish and haven't yet. I know it sounds trite to say it (and I hate it when people do it to me), but focus on the things you ARE accomplishing instead of what you're not, be proud that you are taking control of your life and health at age 22 instead of letting things get worse and worse for another 10 or 20 years. Believe me, many of us wish we had been that smart/proactive at 22!!!! Good luck!

Thanks Sunshine... I'm feeling better than I was the other day. Thankfully I don't have scary childhood traumas that I've been shielding myself from, just "fat issues" which I'm excited to get rid of, but I suppose it's just the unknown aspect of this whole thing...when will I feel better about myself, will I still be me but just healthier... Meditation has helped a lot in the last couple of days, need to remember to load my meditation CDs onto my mp3 player to take to mexico in case I need them!!!!

Hi Everyone I'm not going to go into a lecture about why you should use your CPAP if you've got apnea, your doctors have already given you all the reasons. But as a sleep Tech and also a CPAP user I will tell you it can be life changing once you get used to it. Don't give up! If you feel like you are having a hard time breathing with the mask on or that you are not getting enough air, your pressure may be too low. If it is difficult to breathe out against the pressure, talk to your doctor about possibly switching your machine to BiPap mode. This has 2 pressures, higher pressure when you inhale, and then it backs off tthe pressure when you exhale making it easier to breathe out. A few things about masks: If you hate your mask, you have the wrong mask. Masks are like shoes, just because one person thinks Nikes are awesome doesn't mean everyone loves them! Most people take about a month to get used to sleeping with the mask. DONT GIVE UP! For nose breathers I recommend the Flexi-Fit 406 or 407 made by Fisher&Paykel. This is the mask I use and it is always the first one I suggest to my patients if they are a nose breather. It's quite a small mask, very comfortable. The 406 is the smallest model and is for patients with a little nose. If your mask is leaking you either have the wrong mask for your face or it was improperly fitted/adjusted. IMPORTANCE OF GOOD FIT CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH! For mouth breathers I recommend the Quattro made by ResMed. This is what's called a Full Face Mask because it goes over mouth and nose. This is a new mask and in my opinion is much better than any other model of Full Face mask available. Full Face Masks can be a little tricky because they have a larger surface area they need to seal around. Nasal Pillows go IN your nostrils instead of covering your nose or nose/mouth. I personally don't like them and much prefer my little FP nasal mask, but many people love them. Your best bet for nasal pillows would probably be a Swift mask, also made by ResMed. The biggest drawback to nasal pillows is that they don't handle high pressures very well and tend to leak if your pressure is above 10-12, so if your apnea is severe and you require a lot of pressure, Nasal Pillows are probably not for you. Men with facial hair have a difficult time getting a good fit on any full face or nasal mask because the mask cannot seal against the skin around the nose/mouth. Nasal Pillows work best, but again only for pressures up to about 12. (This is not an exact #!!!!) That's about all I can think of right now, but if you have specific questions feel free to PM me. Good luck to all of you, and remember that having the energy to work out while we are all on this weight loss journey will be a huge bonus, and a good nights sleep will help give you that energy!! Jill Will be banded in 10 days! :whoo:

Hey Everyone...:eek: I don't know what my problem is, but I have gotten so ridiculously emotional the last couple of days! I'll be banded in 10 days, I am so excited, I'm happy, I feel prepared, I couldn't be more informed, I'm not having second thoughts, it's not that time of the month, and I cannot stop crying!! I don't know if I've got anxiety over this, if I'm having Last Meal Syndrome (could be part of it, starting liquid diet in 2 days) or what, but I feel like I'm just coming apart. Supposed to go to a party tonight, just a little get together with my brothers and my cousins, we're all really close, and I told them I have to work, which I don't. I just cant pull myself together long enough to hang out with family all night and I don't want to explain this to anyone yet. The only one of the group who knows is one of my brothers, and while he is completely supportive, he's a guy and doesn't get that girls can cry with no good reason at all! Did anyone else turn into a basket case before banding??? I can't figure out if I'm sad about saying goodbye to food, about saying goodbye to the old me, if I'm afraid of a new me or what, but this is exhausting!!!!!! Jill:faint: