Ailie

Congratulations and good luck.

Last Tuesday morning I was in a rush as I had to go out of town for my job. I was gathering up my Tae Kwon Do uniform along with a t-shirt. I didn't pay too much attention as I was rushing and didn't have my glasses on so I couldn't see the tag on the shirt too clearly. When I rushed into Tae Kwon Do that night to help out in a class, I put the shirt on and it fit a little closer than I usually like, but it fit. I pulled it off and this time I had my glasses on. It was my daughter's t-shirt...a size Large. I have not been in a size Large since I don't even remember when. I was doing a happy dance for the rest of the night.

Thank you so much for posting this. I'm on Diovan right now for my bp. I've noticed quite a few times lately that whenever I'm sitting down (or like today when I was on my knees in a filing cabinet drawer) that I get dizzy when I stand up. It seems to be getting more frequent. I think tomorrow I will take a trip down to the nurse at work and have her take my bp. I also have to call my doctor anyway because I'm due for some blood work. I was starting to wonder why I was getting so dizzy. Now I have a place to start. Thanks again!!!!!

I had the same thing happen after my first fill. I thought it was very weird and I kept telling people it was almost like it had the opposite effect from what it was supposed to do. I finally (after gaining 5 pounds) called the doctor for another fill. This one seems to be doing the trick. I lost the 5 I gained and am back to dropping again. I could not feel any restriction with the last fill. This time I do, so that's good. You may have to call at some point for another fill. Good luck to you all.

Don't beat yourself up over this. I was banded on July 9 and before my first fill I had lost weight. Since that first fill (which was last month) I was hungry all the time and eating way more than I should have been. I was afraid to go to the doctor as well, thinking, well, if I just lose a little of the weight I put back on (5 lbs.) then I can go in for my fill. I finally told myself, if I could have done this on my own, I wouldn't have been banded in the first place. I called the doctor on Thursday and went in for another fill today. I was afraid the doctor would be mad, but he wasn't. Everyone I spoke with today (the two nurses and the doctor) were all very understanding. This happens, especially so soon after surgery. They all explained that it can take up to a year of adjustments before you find the sweet spot and definitely call to get an appointment for a fill when you are feeling that constant hunger. Good luck!

OMG...thank you so much for posting this. I thought I was going crazy. I had my first fill about 3 weeks ago and have less restriction and am eating everything in sight. I kept wondering how this could be happening and was getting depressed about it. I finally called the doctor last week and I have an appointment on Tuesday for another fill. I hope this one gives me the restriction I need!

I'm really disgusted with myself. I was doing great and then I got my first fill (only .5 ccs because I was doing so well). And at the same time he told me I didn't need to come back for 12 weeks instead of the usual 6. Since I got the fill, it was almost like it had the opposite effect for me. I've been eating more than I should, and not always the right choices. I keep telling myself that I have to stop. I have been craving chocolate like crazy. I've been eating nuts like they are going out of style. At the same time I got the fill, I was on vacation from work, so I didn't really have a routine going on. I have put on a few pounds, nothing too bad, but I'm just disgusted. :thumbup: I'm still moving my body though, so that's good. I do Tae Kwon Do and have joined a gym to firm up the muscles that need to firm up. I think I'm going to call the doctor though and ask for another fill. I keep thinking, oh I can get myself back on track and then I think uhhhh, hello, this is why you got the band in the first place. Then I think, well, I better drop those few pounds before I go back to the doctor because he won't like it that I gained those few pounds. Why do we do this to ourselves? Or at least why do I do this to myself (I'm thinking though that I'm not the only person out there who thinks this way.) ugh! Anyway, thank you for listening. I had to vent for a bit. I will give the doctor a call for that fill.:smile:

Mine is more like the golf ball in the chest area. I got my first fill yesterday and wasn't really sure that's what it was until after the fill. Then it all made sense to me.

Actually all of my weight is in my belly...an unfortunate "side effect" of the polycystic ovaries. I had wanted to do it for years and finally, when my friends 70 year old mother had it done, I said what the heck. As for the plastic retainer, they wouldn't let me do that either.

I would absolutely do it again. I was sort of in the same boat as you. The week before surgery I ended up with an abscessed wisdom tooth. I called the surgeon and they immediately cancelled the surgery until after the tooth was pulled. I had to wait almost 2 more months. I went through a lot of second guessing myself. Am I doing the right thing? Why can't I do this myself? Maybe I should just say forget it, etc. I had my surgery on July 9. I feel great! Yes, the first several days are hard, I won't lie about that, but not so bad that I couldn't deal with it. Good luck and know you aren't alone.

I'm having problems with it as well. Tried it in pudding, applesauce, milk, water. Ewwwww. Finally I decided the lesser of all evils was the applesauce as long as I didn't mix it all together. I had to put a little applesauce on the spoon and cover it with more, put it in my mouth and swallow. Not ideal, but bearable...just barely.

I had to take mine out. I was so mad because when I went to put it back in the next day, the hole was already closing. So, now I have to get it re-pierced. Gonna wait though because I'm definitely going to have excess skin that I'm going to want removed. Once that's done, I'm getting re-pierced.

I did the overnight stay in the hospital as well. When I got home, I didn't really need him, but it was nice to have someone there urging me to keep up the walking and moving. And it was also nice to have someone pampering me instead of me being mom to everyone.

I had to take magnesium citrate as well as do the clear liquids the day before surgery. I know they wanted me clean, but I took the stuff and nothing happened. It wasn't really a big deal and thankfully it didn't taste too badly either. Of course I put mine in the refrigerator hoping that if it was vile, it would be better cold.

How it feels when you eat too much. I don't have pain, but I do feel like things are backing up in my throat (if that makes any sense at all). Of course, today is the first day I can have pureed foods and I think I got carried away. So, with tonight's meal, which won't be for several hours thankfully, I'm going to be much more careful.

I have 2 weeks of liquids (which will be done on Thursday - thankfully). Then I have 2 weeks of pureed foods. Then 2 weeks of soft foods and then food food. I never thought I would say this, but I'm really looking forward to the pureed stage. I'm so sick of protein shakes.

Had my surgery on 7/9. I was kind of upset when I got on the scale after I got home and realized I had put on 7 pounds because of the surgery. But today, I'm happy to report that I've lost those 7 pounds and have also lost 4 more pounds on top of that.

I was very worried. My original surgery date was May 21, but the week before I was to go in, I developed an abscessed tooth that had to be pulled and the infection completely gone before I could go through with the lap band surgery. I had the tooth removed on May 23, but couldn't get a new until July 9. I was in a complete panic up until the time I walked into the hospital. I was so afraid that something else would happen and I really wasn't sure if I would have been able to handle another wait. Luckily everything turned out okay and surgery went well :thumbup:

Right now I am full liquids until after I see the doctor on July 24. Basically I'm having carnation instant breakfast drink (sugar free) and skim milk. I have a few other protein drinks that I can tolerate (I have yet to find something though that is good). Wish I could offer more advice in that department. I'm able to do creamed soups as long as they are strained, same with broth-based soups. I"m so looking forward to the pureed phase.

I was banded on the 9th. I'm on liquids until I see my doctor on the 24th. I've been doing a ton of water, which has never been difficult for me. I've been straining some cream soups, vegetable broth. I've been doing the sugar-free pudding, sugar-free pops. Carnation instant breakfast drink is on the top of the list as well. Sometimes I will just have a glass of skim milk. I'm not so much hungry as I am just really looking forward to something more substantial, like tuna.

I'm in the what the hell did I do to myself phase right now. Of course I was only banded on Wednesday. I was doing okay with the liquids until today when I started to crave pasta. I have to be on liquids until I see the doctor on the 24th. It seems so far away. But the bottom line is, I will make this work and I am happy I did it (I will be happier once I move on to pureed foods though).

I was banded on Wednesday, the 9th. So far everything is going well, except for taking my meds. In the morning I have 3 pills (not including the vitamin) that I take and at night there are 4. I am crushing the ones that have to be crushed and opening the ones that I can open. So far I've taken the meds in Yogurt (really, really nasty) and in some applesauce (this was a little better). Is anyone doing this any differently? Any suggestions? I know they don't want me to get sick, and I can't guarantee that it's not going to come back on me at some point (that's how nasty it is). Any ides would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I am using short-term disability. Unfortunately it doesn't kick in until 5 days after going out. Until that time, I will be using sick time. I had my surgury on Wednesday, the 9th, and will not be going back until the 28th. That was the earliest I could get in to see my doctor to be released, and my company will not let me come back until after I see the doctor.

This is a great thread! My surgery was on July 9. I wasn't very worried about it, which kind of surprised me. I got to the hospital at 9:30 as instructed. They took me through the admitting process and brought me up to the surgical day area where I had to get into my johnny. Since it was also my time of the month, they gave me this lovely pair of mesh panties and a huge pad. Look out Victoria's Secret. I was in that room until about 12:30 or so. My dh was able to stay with me in there. Then they moved me to the pre-op room. The anesthesiologist came in. He was very nice. Unfortunately for him and for me he had a hard time finding a vein. I knew that would happen because I hadn't had anything to drink since 10:30 the night before. He did manage to get the IV into one hand; however, it wasn't running right, so he had to start over again on the other side. Once that was going, he gave me my first shot of heprin. Yes, that did sting a bit going in. Then I had to wait. They told me that my surgeon had an emergency surgery he had to do before mine, so it would be later than anticipated. My surgery was scheduled for 1:30 and they took me in at 2:30, so it really wasn't bad. The surgeon did visit with me before we went in. The OR nurse came in and put something in my IV to relax me. To be honest, I don't remember much of what happened after that. I vaguely remember getting into the OR, but other than that, nothing. The next thing I remembered was being woken up in recovery. I felt pretty good, not much pain. After a little while they brought me down for the swallow test. I was a little ticked off at the doctor who came in to watch as I swallowed. He said something stupid like, oh I tried to get that surgeon to do the band on me so I wouldn't have to work hard at losing weight. I looked at him and said, sorry to inform you, but this is going to be a lot harder than you can even imagine. He then said that's what they told him. Oh well. So after that I went to my room. I didn't sleep well that night because I don't normally sleep well anyway in a strange bed. Unfortunately the poor woman in the bed next to me was having some problems and people were in and out all night long. I really felt bad for her. I was also having back problems and the pain meds weren't even touching that. I couldn't get comfortable. I did a lot of walking that day though. The next morning the doctor came in about 9:00 and said that I could go home at any time. So, I was out the door by 11:30 or so on Thursday. I've been taking it easy, drinking my Water, going for short walks, etc. I feel pretty good. Each day the discomfort gets better. I think I may even try sleeping in bed tonight (I've been crashing in the recliner because it's easier to get in and out of). Good luck to everyone who is having surgery in the near future.

Hi there. I was banded on the 9th as well. I'm having some back pain, but I think mine is more associated with the fibromyalgia then anything else. I do have a ton of gas though and it's very loud. I was sitting in my recliner last night and my dh was next to me on the couch. All of a sudden there was this huge rumbling of gas going through my intestines. We both looked at each other and started to crack up. Hopefully that will go away before I go back to work. That would be very embarrassing.