tadaa

I only poke in here every so often so I just saw your message...the month or so after surgery is your recovery period. I tell people to throw the scale out the window and stop worrying about losing weight during this phase. Your band is getting "seated" and you are recovering from surgery. If you lose weight, good for you, but that isn't the goal yet. Too often I read that some folks freak out because they haven't lost anything right away. By now you already know about how it feels after that first fill. You're now learning how to live with the band...eating small, chewing much and going slow. Try hard not to wait to eat until you are starved or in a hurry because your band is unforgiving and you'll get slimed or stuck. Not fun. Nope. Not even. The first couple of fills wear off pretty quickly so you'll feel hungry earlier than you expect. Apparently the lapband takes a couple of fills until all the empty space is filled up with saline...much like a garden hose doesn't shoot water right away...until it's filled. Don't be alarmed or worry that the band isn't working for you...it just takes time. Very few of us gained all of our weight quickly and likewise, it takes a while to lose it...and slow and steady is the way to go. I had my surgery in early December 2007 but I count my losses in the couple of months before too. I am very happy with my lapband and I'm glad that finally I've found something that feels like a safe and permanent solution. Keep up the good work! KJ

I'm from across the Great Divide so I won't be joining your Tennessee group but do just that...get involved in support groups and read read read and ask tons of questions because that's what will keep you informed and motivated. I was banded last December and have lost a total of about 50 pounds so far...most of it since banding.

Good luck! The advantage in self-paying is that this sort of agony wasn't included in the process.

I wonder if your doc had you stay away from drinking or sucking ice chips because of the nausea - I hadn't heard of that order before. I'm sorry you had such a tough couple of days. I too had quite a bit of nausea my first night...and after trying something else, went with tylenol instead which worked just fine for me. The first month was the most difficult for me, not because of the surgical recovery, but because I struggled so much with the liquids, then mushy diet. I missed chewing in a big way. Once you reach your first fill, it's much easier. I promise.