kat72

I agree with lovecats85, that it is ABSOLUTELY hard to go hungry. However, I do not agree that you will not be hungry after the surgery. I had my surgery 1 week ago, and I have been starving. Everyone is different, so maybe you will be one of the lucky ones like lovecats85, who knows? However, in my case, I have been very hungry, and, of course unable to eat. The protein shakes have helped some, but you are only able to drink a few ounces at a time, the stoma simply does not hold much after surgery. Although I am going through a difficult time right now, I am remaining positive and looking forward to the time when I am able to eat like a 'normal' person again. My point is that this is tough, it is not easy, but I believe that you will get through it. Stop worying, it will drive you crazy. You will be just fine. Keep telling yourself that you can do it, and you will surprise yourself at how far you will go.

BIGMAN and rpaniagua77, I was banded on Nov. 7th too. I'm able to get out of the house and do a little walking, but I am so sore around, not just my port area, but my ribcage area as well? (not sure if its my ribcage). I have difficulty breathing in deep because of the pain, and as soon as I try to have a sip of water or protein shake, boy do I feel that pain on my left side, about right under my breast. I was just wondering if either of you are experiencing this as well. I'm a bit freightened that maybe it is not normal. I also find that I am starving, but unable to eat (drink much). After a couple of sips, I feel as if I will burst! Have either of you experienced this? Nevertheless, CONGRATULATIONS to both of you!

Jini, I have to agree with giveyouthemoon; Try your hardest to tell yourself that you just don't want food right now. Do whatever you have to do to get your mind off of it, because it is a LOT harder after the surgery. I have been banded 1 week, and I must admit that it has been a living hell thus far. You will be so hungry, but you will only be able to drink liquids. So if you do not get used to it now, you WILL struggle with it later, after the surgery. You can do this!!! Keep trying, you WILL get through. Take care

Just wanted to know when I am supposed to start my protein slimfast drinks. According to my info. packet, I am only supposed to be on the clear liquids during my hospital stay and then start my protein drinks at home anywhere form 1-2 weeks/until my post-op appt. Just wanted to know when most of you started your protein shakes, mushies (apple sauce, soft eggs, etc.). Although I have not received a fill, I find that I am not able to drink/sip much broth or water (I think because of the heartburn, that pepcid is not helping at all, as well as the feeling of not being able to breathe too deeply. I feel as if I am in need of more nutrition, namely protein. Help, please.

Jini, no, I am not ready to return to work yet. Although I feel a whole lot better, I still have a bit of soreness in my port area. Because I work with children with special needs and lifting is involved as well as breaking up fights, I may take off several days, maybe 9 or so, which would mark my return after Thanksgiving break.

I am so nervous and scared that I am actually shaking. I check in in a couple of hours, and from there...I just hope and pray that all goes well for me and that the surgery is a successful one. I will update all of you as soon as possible. Thanx for everything, and take care.

So, everything went well, guys! I was banded Monday morning and arrived home yesterday morning. So far, so good. There is some soreness and some heartburn. Other than that, all is fine. So, for those of you whose surgery date is arriving, everything will be just fine. Besides, we will all be sending prayers and well wishes your way. Take care

I love that everyone is concerned about me; makes me feel special . I have been walking and sipping my water as well as doing my breathing exercises, so, hopefully, everything will heal up just fine. Many thanks to all of you.

Thanx so much for all of the ideas and encouragement. I had surgery Mon., and everything went well. As far as watching the videos, I could not do it. I think I would have chickened out if I had seen the surgery before hand.

Thanks so much to all of you for all of your well wishes. Everything went fine with my surgery yesterday. I just made it home. I have a bit of soreness, and I just felt where my port is. It feels so funny Other than that, so far, so good. I can't believe that the surgery is over. I thought that it would be the hard part, but I think that it will turn out to be the easiest part, and that NOW is when the hard part starts. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful support group. Take care everyone, and I'll talk to you soon.

Congratulations! You are doing great.

I know what you are going through. However, I only have to do a liquid diet for 5 days. I will not lie and tell you that it is easy. I have never drank so much water in my life!!! And, let me tell you, it has not been working for me anyhow. Today is my fourth day and it is getting a bit easier. However, this is truly one of the hardest things that I have done in my life thus far. The hunger cramps and the head aches have been driving me crazy. I can barely even sleep at night from the hunger pains. However, I do believe that it is worth it to shrink my liver so that the surgeon can have a better chance at peforming my surgery successfully. It is going to be rough, but you will thank yourself for sticking through with it in the end. I also have to admit that it has given me a sense of empowerment, being able to consume only 600-800 calories a day for 5 days. I have managed to lose 4 pounds in four days, so it does work. I have even cheated by having 3 oz. of tuna and a few wheat crackers for the past few days. Just get your head ready and dive right on in when your time comes. You can do it!!!

Sunta, I understand your fears and concerns. I too have had the same exact ones (and then some). For me, it took a lot of soul searching and honest answers to the questions in my head for me to finally make my decision of getting the band. I had been contemplating weightloss surgery for about a month before I came across the info. on the lap band. I had been so down about my weight issues that I was on anti-deprressants for depression and I was even contemplating a gastric bypass, even though I had read up on some very scary things that had happened to some patients. When I read up on the band, I felt as if I had found something that I might be able to mentally and emotionally handle. I felt, from my first time reading about it, that I had finally found something to aid me in my weight loss struggle. It just all seemed right. I felt that maybe this would be the route for ME to take. I am in no way criticizing the gastric bypass. I have a few friends that have had it done, and each one feels that they made the right choice and says that they would do it again in a heartbeat. However, I was not emotionally ready to deal with that particular surgery. Even though I have decided to go through with my surgery this Mon., I am still not 100% sure that I am making the right decision or that I will suffer no ill side effects from the band. I am still horrified at the thought of getting the band, mostly because of all that can and does go wrong with it as well as the horror stories that I have read here on the site. I mean, I will be walking around with a foreign object in my body for who knows how long?! That scares the sh!+ out of me. However, I am so fed up with being unsuccessful at long-term weight loss as well as being depressed about my weight all of the time that I am willing to take a chance with the band. All I can do is hope that all goes well with my journey and that I will be successful with the tool that I receive. I hope that this has helped you in some way. Take your time with your decision, do lots and lots of research. Attend some weight loss surgery support group meetings if you have the opportunity to do so; they helped me a bunch! If it all seems to make sense, it's probably because it does. Yet, if it does NOT seem to all make sense, you probably are not ready to make this life changing decision. Take care. :mad:

I am noticing that some people are having to do a barium swallow before their surgery. I had my pre-op yesterday, and I had the EKG and lab work done, but I was not required to do a barium swallow. Is everyone supposed to do this, or is it left up to the surgeon to decide whether the patient will do one or not?

I will be getting banded on November 7th At Scripps Torrey Pines in San Diego, Ca. by Doctor Sunil Bhoyrul, and I am so scared and nervous that I have not even been able to sleep for the past couple of weeks!

Well, I went in for all of my pre-op stuff yesterday. I'm all ready to go for my surgery this Monday, except that I am SUPER DUPER nervous and scared. I just pray that everything will be all right. Thanks to all of you for all of your support while I have been waiting. I truly appreciate it, and I will let you all know how things go with the surgery when I get a chance.

My therapist knew about my weight issues, so he made sure to prescribe me an anti deppressant that would not cause weight gain. I was on Effexor for approximately 1 year. I found it to work excellently. The down side is that it really gets you wired and its difficult to fall asleep at night. For that reason, I was put on Topomax to help me sleep, but I was so tired during the day. The mix was a terrible experience, but the effexor, alone, was awesome. It 'gets the job done' without the weight gain. I actually lost a lot of weight while I was on it. Cymbalta is very similar to that one.

Wendy, I am so sorry that you are going through such an ordeal. As far as how long it takes and the pre-requisites, I believe it is different for everyone. I was told (by doctors as well as others) that I would have to wait at least 6 months before a request for authorization would even be submitted. Well, that, fortunately, turned out to be untrue in my case. I started the whole process on August 8th, and I was approved for the band two days after my surgeon submitted a request for authorization. I will be having my surgery on the 7th of November. i was willing to tough it out and wait for 6 months, but it turned out that I only had to wait 3 months instead. Hang in there and keep fighting, because you never know when things might turn around for the best.

Way to go! Congratulations!

Welcome, helene!

Thanx a bunch, Kathy!

L.A., I just wanted to let you know that we are rockin' in the same boat. I also have pcos, which has caused me infertility problems as well as difficulty with losing and keeping weight off. I have been doing slimfast to lose my pre-surgery weight, and I began to wonder if I could do it on my own, without surgery. However, I started to realize that I have lost large amounts of weight in the past, only to regain it. I feel that the band will be my tool (along with a few other cards up my sleeve such as OA and therapy) to finally and successfully win my weight loss battle by aiding me in maintaining the weight that I lose. I think that it is great that you have had such willpower to lose the weight that you have lost. That truly encourages me. Do you feel that there is no chance at all, a small chance, or a great chance that the weight that you are losing will eventually return? This is just one of the many questions that I had to HONESTLY ask myself. Please do not think that I am tryig to be negative, because I am not. I just feel that for some of us, we now have a tool that might possibly help us to finally get to where we want and need to be (and stay there). If you feel that you can truly do this on your own, you might want to reconsider having surgery. However, if there is any doubt in your mind that you might succumb to old habits, you might want to proceed in having surgery. Of course, choosing surgery is a personal decision. Just know that whatever decision you DO make, you will not have to go it alone; we are all here to support you. Take care:)

Jini, congratulations to you!!! I'm so excited for you. I was also just recently approved, and I have been having the EXACT concerns that you are expressing-what if this does not work for me? I am also nervous yet excited. Hopefully all will go GREAT for both of us.

So sorry to hear of your bad experience. Thanx so much for sharing it with all of us. I wish you the best in your weight loss journey.

Ohhhhhhh, thanx so much, guys!!!!!!