shortgal

I had no fill in band after surgery, but had some swelling so that gave me some restriction for about two weeks. Then the hunger returned but I really just followed my old weight watchers diet becasue I did not want to gain any of the weight I had already lost. The band increased my willpower and I was able to stay on plan. I have had varying degrees of mild restriction, that never lasts very long, between the next fill. And I am 3 1/2 months past surgery and still don't feel like I've hit my sweet spot. So what I'm saying is hang in there and don't expect the first fill to be magic. The process of the band is meant to be slower than other WLS methods, so we need patience. If they fill you too fast and you get too tight, it can lead to problems, so the process is there for a reason. If your Dr. uses floroscope to fill you might reach restriction a little faster. I've had seven fills ( yes, seven) and still need more. I've had 2 cc's at the first one and 1 cc at each one after except the last one which was small becasue I was feeling tight the night before the fill. My first fill was 3 weeks after surgery and then most of the others have been about 2 weeks aparts.

Welcome! Hang in there. Everyone complains about the liquid pre-op diets. You have one week left, focus on that.

I forgot to mention, once you're banded you should consider joining the support group for the month in which you have surgery. You'll be in the same place as that group and it can be very helpful. I'm a regular on the November 2007 group and check in with the Ct. group as well. There are groups for those that have to lose a lot and those that are almost to goal and age related groups, like those in their twenties or thirties or forties etc. Always easy to find someone on the forum in the same situation or questions etc that you might have, so look around the forum. Once you get used to the layout of the forum it gets easier to find these.

You found us! Can't help on the pre-op diet. I saw Dr.Ehrlich about seven months before I had surgey and their pre-op was different then. Low calorie Atkins type. But after surgery, I used the Atkins shakes once I passed the clear liquid stage. Have you seen the nutritionist yet? If not, they will give you lists of foods for each stage of eating. I would suggest you try a few of the post op shakes to see what you like before surgery. They recommend the Isopure for the CLEAR liquid stage and some people do not like the taste. I don't mind them and still drink them if I need to get more protein in. They have lots of flavors. And if I drink just half the bottle I get 20 gms of protein for only 80 calories. Check out a GNC store ( Trumbull Mall) or a vitamin Shoppe ( Milford across from the Mall). I'm sure others from the Ct group will check in and say Hi as well.

86 pounds is fabulous. Just try to hang on to your weight loss and not gain until your fill and you'll be fine. Think of it as being on maintenance. You've had a small set back, it'll be ok. It's not a race, it's the rest of your life. Concentrate on all the victories you have so far, smaller clothes, fewer meds maybe, walking better, looking younger etc. What is it about YOUR new lifestyle that is affecting your husband negaitively?

I used to faint when I had blood drawn. Years ago when i got married they did blood testing, well b'fast ended up in the parking lot. The more often I had to get blood drawn, the better I got at it. Still have some apprehension, not so much from the blood draw but just embarrassed that I'll pass out again. Now if I think I feel faint, I just tell the person drawing the blood that I have a history of fainting. The fills usually go okay and they have found the port on the first try MOST of the time. The other times it hurt a little, but just the kind of hurt where you say "ow" but it isn't like shockingly bad. I prefer not to look!

From what I've read on the forum, once your band is already adjusted well, a very small fill (like .2cc) amount is usually all thats needed.

Welcome, I'm from Ct and had the same surgeon. Why not join the rest of the Ct family on the local support group page? Scroll down on the main page to the "Support" Section, then look for USA, then click on CT and you'll find us. I was a self pay, too. Don't regret it but I was hoping that would be my plastic surgery money!

I wish I could tell you the first fill will be the magic one, but that doesn't always happen. A first fill under floroscope will generally get you closer to good restriction than fills without, but with floro doesn't guarantee it either. Just try to hang in there until it comes along. It's a process and I think you can actually learn a lot about eating and signals your body sends you about being satisfied that will help you long term. Most of us have been through this and get through it and you will, too!

At some step along the process, you'll probably meet with a nutritionist that will explain ( and hopefully give it to you in writing) the different phases of eating from pre-op to post-op. In general the pre-op diet is to prepare you for surgery by helping to shrink your liver which is in the area the Dr will work and the post op phases are to allow your stomach to heal after surgery. Some Dr. have patients do a liquid protien pre-op diet, other Dr's use a low calorie high Protein diet and some Dr.s adjust the pre-op diet based on the patient's starting BMI. Post op diet usually progresses from clear liquid, to fill liquid, to pureed, to mushies, to soft, to regular. The time frame between each stage varies with each Dr.

I agree it matters where you carried your weight and how much overall you lose. My arms are already getting bad and my thighs will be a mess by the time I'm done losing. My boobs sag but bras help that. No way to cover arms and legs at the beach! I keep warning my husband to be ready for the PS bill.

It sounds like you had the wrong size band from the beginning. You might be one of the people that a larger band would have been better for. You might have to just keep your band at a lower fill and lose weight slower with a lower restriction. Slight restriction would probably be better than not having a band at all.

I agree, let the Dr. help you decide how much to take out, but I think you're on the right track. Let us know how you make out today.

Oh Cindy, that is too funny. I know you've been busy with the new store, but you just have to get a few new pairs of pants! Besides, I'm sure the old baggy ones are not showing off your fabulous weight loss. Good for you two lbs to the half way mark!

So glad to hear you're better today. You're only a few days post op and already sounds like things are improving. You'll always find advise on the forum as you go through each post op phase. Always helps to talk to people that have been there before you.

Every one is different but I was not in pain for a full month more like one week and felt normal by end of week two. I have five scars, four are small, less than 1/2 inch and my largest ( the port scar) is approx two inches. Compared to the scar I have for my previous gall bladder surgery, which I had before they did them laparscopically, the port scar is much smaller. My gallbladder scar is diagonal and about seven inches. Of course it's faded to white now. I'll have to wait for the new scars to fade to white. As far as not eating mass amounts of food, that is true and isn't that the whole point of getting the band? After healing and post op swelling and before your band is filled to the right level for you, you might be hungry, so if you want to continue to lose weight during that time, dieting can aid that. That's what I did and the band did give me a little extra willpower to do that.

Complicated free? No, but neither is diabetes or a heart attack which anyone of us could be headed for. Lots of Dr. appts.? Yes, initially but again imagine how many appts. you'd have if you get diagnosed with a medical condition that takes a few visits to first diagnose properly and then more to get the condition under control. For me, I have had many office routine visits related to the band. Pysch exam, nutritional exam ( same day) consult with surgeon, pre-op testing, actual surgery and several band fill appts. The fills appts are quick, I am rarely there more than 20 mins. Depends on your Dr. and your body's reaction to the band. You might need fewer visits for fills than someone else.

That is always the first thing I say to people when they ask how much I've lost. "Well, I don't have good restriction, yet". I too, am tired of saying that and feeling like I have to explain why I haven't lost more. I have a friend that had GBP a few years ago and she always says how slow I'm losing, but for me, this weight loss has been faster than any diet I've done, but I am annoyed the weigh loss is significantly slowing down! As I mentioned, I'm ravenous today and I just keep eating things today. Cereal, 4 oz leftover chix breast, Atkins Protein Bar, 2 bottles of flavored water and about 15 almonds and I'm still watching the clock for dinner time. I'm about to have an apple becasue i know they take me 20 min. to finish. I need to be at 181 by end of this month to stay on my dress weight goal. That's 3 pounds to go in 2 weeks. Let's pray to the restriction gods, that they hear us for this next fill. I wanted an appt for tomorrow instead of Thurs, but they are in a different office (farther away) so that's how I got stuck waiting until Thurs. Bummer!

My pre-op diet was not different (for my Dr.) b/c of the hernia. But while they allowed clear protein drinks, they do not want their patients to have protein powders for several weeks. Yes, I had a lot of shoulder pain. I think the shoulder pain is worse with swelling in general and we might have more swelling b/c we had more surgery. The heating pad helped a little, but time was what helped the most. After one of my fills, I had a very mild version of the shoulder pain, again probably related to swelling after the fill. I really believe some of that pain is related to the vagus nerve that runs in that area. By day five, I was feeling much better and second week went much smoother. I was able to tolerate clear liquids in the first few days, but had very little appetite. Hang in there, but don't let yourself get dehydrated.

Try thinner (clear) liquids instead and take very small sips. You probably have a little more swelling around the band from hernia repair. I had a hernia repair as well and I could barely drink Clear Liquids the first few days. Some warm chicken broth might go down ( I couldn't tho") there was something about it that bothered me for the first week. I was told no Protein powder for the first couple weeks. Try light apple juice or sugar free Jello or Isopure CLEAR pre-mixed drink. They have lots of flavor and lots of protein. You can get them at GNC store or Vitamin shoppe.

I am still tracking my calories, not as faithful counting my Protein so that might be part of the problem, but I am choosing the right foods and I am not going over 1200 calories. I also walked twice this past week, so I am starting down the exercise path. Walked 45 min ( 2.5 miles total) and about 1 hour ( 3 miles). I guess since I lost the thirty pounds I have to lower my overall calories as well to 1000. Without better restriction, I'm finding that hard to do. Today, I feel absolutely ravenous. I had b'fast (Kashi go lean Cereal 3/4 c with less than 1/2 c skim milk) and I keep staring at the clock to see if it's lunchtime yet! Last week I did one day of liquids and still the scale won't move. Not gaining, but not losing either.

Several people on the forum describe feeling very lightheaded, fainting type feeling. I've had that, too. I think it is related to the vagus nerve. The tightening of the band (and some swelling following the fill) must distrub the nerve. You can do an online search of vagus nerve for more info. Be careful driving if you don;t feel well.

Call your ins co. ( the number is on the back of your card) and ask them if bariatric surgery is a covered procedure. If they say yes, ask them what requirements they have.

Don't leave the hospital without asking exactly what you should be eating for the first couple weeks. Good Luck.

sharona, Sorry you've had problems. Hopefully they are resolving and you'll be home soon. Antibiotics can upset the stomach, so maybe that was the problem? check in with us again soon.