gentylwind

I wish you nothing but the best my dear. You misread me entirely.

The damage does not happen immediately. If you pop a stitch or two, you won't even know it, until something strains your band down the line, pops a couple of more and suddenly you have a slip that you won't even attribute to eating solids earlier than you should have...that if you had followed the rules and done it correctly, your band would still be secure, but because of the damage done early, a strain later on is more catastrophic than it would have been. I personally just shelled out 10K out of my own savings to have this done and have a very hard time understanding why anyone would go against doctor advise. It was by not listening to medical advice that we got fat in the first place. It makes no sense to rationalized it by saying we know our bodies better than anyone. If that were true, we would not have been morbidly obese to begin with. You have this chance. Use it.

Princess, I think first you need to chill and just concentrate on learning to do what you are told will work. The issues with your shape and body morphology are not going to be solved this quickly, and going from a 24 to a 6 isn't going to happen overnight. Before you can look at a size 6, just look at the plate in front of you and ask if what you are contemplating eating is going to push you toward your goal...or away from it. There's no in between. Focus right now on healing your body and learning to do what you are supposed to do. The rest will come later on.

Day four here and I am back at work and feelin' really fine. The scale took a nice hop downward yesterday afternoon and I have now lost my first 10 lbs, which rocks. I suspect I have lost more than that based on my clothing's fit, but the swelling is masking it right now. I started to get some shoulder pain while out Christmas shopping yesterday and it comes and goes. Its pretty tolerable, just feels like a bad muscle knot that needs massaging. I have zero incision pain at this point and only very mild soreness under my port site. No pain with coughing, sneezing, laughing or straining. Hunger has not really been an issue. I do get hungry, but three tablespoons of creamy soup or about 1/2 cup of regular broth or tomato soup and I am good for hours. I am having trouble getting in enough protein. I tried a protein shake yesterday and just about barfed. I can't tolerate it now for some reason, though they were fine before surgery. I also am not getting in enough fluids. I have a hard time drinking water constantly all day in tiny sips, so that is taking some practice and self-reminding. In all, I think I will be back to 100% by the end of the week. My first fill is in three weeks.

The gas people speak of is not in the stomach. Whatever you are belching out is air in your stomach from other things, but the gas pains that come (mine didn't come until day 3) is gas trapped in the abdominal cavity between organs from where they puffed it in there to help separate things for surgery. That takes a while to go away, as the body has to reabsorp it and then dispose of it. That takes time. It can't be passed via mouth or the other end...its not in the digestive tract. I am glad you are feeling good! I am on day four and feel fantastic, but did start finally having the gas pain yesterday. I thought I had escaped it. I didnt' want you to be alarmed if you still get it. Hopefully you won't.

A little fatty?! Nice. You're this child's mother and you call it a little fatty? I'll pray for your kids.

Frankly, you can still utilize some of his methods after having the band. You will still have to diet, still have to exercise. The band just increases your likelihood of success. Have another talk with him, find out what his worries are, but ultimately do what is best for YOU.

I had some diarrhea yesterday (day 2, I was banded on the 21st). Not too bad since then. Definitely not having to make any mad dashes for the bathroom. I went to the mall for three hours today, got me walking, did a little Christmas shopping. I have been tired, but not overly so. I will probably go back to work tomorow for a half day. I have not needed my narcotics today until I got back from the mall, having some shoulder pain from the abdominal gas. All in all I feel like I have really done amazing compared to most I read about here, and I am grateful. I even had a sneeze attack this morning and it didn't hurt any of my incisions. I am on full liquids for two weeks, then on to mushies. I can barely get anything in..I do okay sipping clear fluids, but if I go to creamed soup or FF pudding, two or three bites is all I can handle before I get uncomfortable. The scale is moving downward nicely.

1. Shrinks the liver to make surgery safer. 2. Gets weight loss started, making surgery safer. 3. Helps you and your doctor determine if you are committed enough to change the way you eat after the band is in place, which will be necessary for the band to be a success. 4. Gets your stomach used to much smaller meals.

Yep, it sucks, but its just a few days. Don't deviate from your postop instructions. You could screw things up big time and end up with complications down the road that you won't even realize are because of what you are doing now (such as popping any sutures that adhere your band to your stomach, that doesnt' hurt anything until a slipped band down the road). Hang in there. You have come this far. Dont' screw yourself out of a healthier future.

I have been doing well too. I can tell the band is there...I have restriction, whether they put fluid in or its just swelling I am not sure. I definitely can't eat much. I have a little bit of gas pressure. But nothing major. And my incision pain is almost all the way gone, as is the soreness. I too am a relatively young patient and I do think that helps with a quicker recovery. *knocks wood*

My friends keep suggesting knitting. I guess it can be a real passion and definitely keeps the hands busy! I am not as far out as you, so it may very well change, but right now, I am finding anything more than two to three tablespoons every four or five hours and I am in MISERY. I am okay with that for now, but hope I won't always be this full-feeling!

Yep, you definitely need to do more research and realize this is NOT a temporary thing. Its meant to stay there forevermore. It also is not a quick or easy way to weight loss. You still have to diet and exercise. It makes eating less easier, but plenty of people can and do fail on the band. You will not lose weight anywhere near as quickly as people who have had gastric bypass. And yes, most people who get the band taken off (usually due to complications and/or not following diet and eating restrictions) regain the weight very quickly. I hope you take time to look around this site and get very educated about what you are about to do. Good luck!

I agree completely. You can't say the band doesn't work when not taking advantage of the options available out there to make it work. There's definitely a reason the person you are getting fills from is cheaper from the sound of it. Go to someone more reputable before you start writing off the band.

My doc also said to get a minimum of 60 grams per day. So far, that's just not possible!

We had fun making homemade stock during my liquid phases. Just this weekend we made and strained homemade Scottish oxtail soup! SERIOUS yum, no sense of deprivation there at ALL. Get on recipezaar, make some homemade chicken stock or beef or vegetable. It tastes WAY better than anything in a can!

Yep, baths are NOT allowed until fully healed. Shower is okay after 24 hours. My surgeon suggested drying the incision lines with a hair dryer to make sure they don't retain any moisture. Other than that, showering is totally necessary to help prevent infection, so do it!

Day 3 postop here and I am starting to feel pretty darn good. I have a lot of tightness in my chest still and tons of tummy burbling going on. I apparently "overate" last night...had 3 TBSP of cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup of FF pudding and felt SO freaking tight in my chest. VERY uncomfortable. I won't be doing that again! My incisions are not nearly so sore...I have gone almost 24 hours now without pain meds...and I did a little Christmas shopping yesterday. I still get wore out though..I was in bed by 8 PM last night and slept through the night, but am staying mostly active during the day. I feel pretty lucky. I know the restriction will ease up some as the swelling continues to fade. My scale isn't moving, but I am not too worried about that right now. Just learning what is too much to eat is interesting. I find I am thirsty almost constantly and have trouble getting in enough fluids. All in all, I am doing better than I dared hope I would.

You get all of that and more with the RNY, so if you are afraid of it with LB, be aware it all happens with bypass too. Bypass has a far higher mortality rate as well. Have you gone to a seminar yet to find out more about the band? Keep in mind, much of what happens in terms of erosion, slippage, PB, vomiting, etc has a lot to do with YOU and whether you eat the way you are supposed to after the band is in place. For the vast majority of people it is controllable.

Yeah, anyone who thinks sushi is fattening doesn't know sushi! I don't know yet if I will be able to tolerate it (just 2 days postop here) but I sure hope so!

One inch up from my navel and about two, two and a half inches to my right. Definitely the most sore spot and pretty much the only one of my incisions that I have pain from.

Clear liquids for 24 hours postop, then full liquids for two weeks, mushies for two weeks, soft foods for two weeks, then normal diet. I get my first fill four weeks from surgery, so right before christmas.

Two days postop here, doing okay. I just got back from a little shopping trip to Target and ToysRUs for a little Christmas shopping. That went pretty good, though I feel pretty tired now. Even clear fluids are making me full and I am very thirsty. Not at all hungry. I have had mostly broth and diet V8. Had a little bit of thinned cream of chicken this morning. Kind of had to make myself eat it more than wanted it. I should probably try to get in a couple of Protein shakes too if I can today, but I doubt it. Just not hungry. I can see things on TV and think they look good, but the idea of eating is just unappealing. My belly area is rumbling like mad and I am passing gas like a champ. No gas pains today and the incision pain is not bad. I have only needed one dose of the Lortab today so far. I am doing good.

I guess I am really baffled why anyone would pay this much for a surgery this invasive and then not do what is known to cause success. It makes no sense. A few days of suffering for a lifetime of health is NOTHING.

Most people get sick from taking Vitamins on an empty stomach and this is likely what caused the heaving. I had diarrhea on the pre-op diet too. Liquid in, liquid out as they say. You will be fine. Just save your vitamins until after one of your Protein shakes.