shortgal

Call the Dr. for advice. Even on weekends someone should be on call. Are you taking tiny sips of Water? Have you tried letting a small ice chip melt in your mouth to get some Fluid in? do pain meds normally make you nausous? they can bother people when taken on an empty stomach. Sometimes they've made me feel worse than the actual pain that I took them to relieve. Yes, the gas pains can be terrible. Hope you feel better soon.

I know how frustrating it is waiting for restriction. It could take several fills until you get there, it all depends on how much your Dr. puts in at each fill appt. and how long between fills. I thought I'd never get there and now after last fill, I'm pretty close. I can feel some, but maybe not enough difference, still working on letting my head catch up to the signals from the band. Keep counting your calories ( or eating recomended portions) and track daily Protein until you get the right fill. Remember no drinking one hour after eating.

I am so sorry to hear this. Over the age of forty, I would think (hope) that a husband would be man enough to tell you he doesn't want to be with you and why and get out of the marriage before cheating. Sounds like you might have been unwilling to have sex with your husband before you had surgery, because you were overweight. It's terrible when we are ashamed of our bodies. I was overweight for much of my marriage ( to varying degrees) but still never hid or was afraid for my husband to see me naked and enjoyed sex, until I got to my highest weight and sex was just more uncomfortable. My husband also has a belly and that didn't help either. But he always told me how much he loved me and always wanted to have sex, that helped! Sounds like you have a lot to think about. Try to get your self image improved in your head, because all the plastic surgery in the world won't fix what's in your head, if your self image is distorted. I mean if other people are telling you you're a beautiful woman, maybe it's time to believe them and see what they see. I always had pretty good self esteem and self body image, but since turning fifty it's been much harder. I see wrinkles, a saggy chin, saggy legs etc. We start to notice the aging more is all. It's natural and it's a reality, not a distortion, as those things are really there, not imagined! We just have to be honest with ourselves about our physical faults. You've lost 112 pounds, be proud and start living. don't put your life on hold much longer, who knows how much time we have left. I wish you luck and wisdom as you sort your life out.

My port site incision was the one that bothered me more than the others but none was very painful. If the improvement doesn't continue then perhaps the surgeon should look at it, just to make sure and to re-assure you.

Had Gallbladder removed many years ago. I do get nausea from pain meds ( for some reason when the pain meds are injected rather than swallowed, the nausea isn't there) I did ask for anti nausea meds in the hospital BEFORE getting pain meds just in case. I have no nausea problems since being banded.

Vomiting is not good for the band. Maybe stay on foods you can tolerate that don't make you vomit unitl you can see or talk to the DR.

I feel terrible for you to not have support. As snowbird said it could be difficult for you, if you have some tough band moments, to not have the support at home. Trust me, you'll find it on this forum, if you need it from someone else. You must try to analyze where his insecurity and this feeling is coming from. Is he a controlling spouse as another poster suggested? OR is he just insecure that you might leave him once you lose the weight because he is just insecure? Big difference! And yes, if he doesn't become more supportive of your decision, he might have to face the fact you will leave, who wouldn't? I cannot imagine another person telling someone that getting healthy was a bad thing. What if you were in an accident and had some scars as a result or metal pins put in a bone? Would he feel the same way? What kind of love is this? You have every right to want this for yourself and don't let him tell you otherwise. You are just out of surgery and the first few weeks can be tough, emotionally and physically. It will get better. You don't say how long you've been married or how old you are. This could just be a bit of immaturity on his part showing through. We don;t have all the facts and are making some assumptions. Men like to buy boats, motorcycles, fancy cars, gamble, golf, drink with the guys etc and then tell us we spend too much money? Hey, this is worth it and for your health. If he doesn't come around... dump his sorry ass! You deserve better. Sorry, just my two cents! Please let us know how things are going. You'll find someone to talk to and unfortunately PLENTY of advice. Take what applies and throw the rest aside.

We all want the dramatic rapid weight loss to continue, but it just can't and won't continually. Your body has to adjust and you'll hit plateaus. When the scale doesn't budge for a while we worry that we will fail again like other weight loss methods we've tried in the past, but the band is different. Ask your self have you EVER before lost that much weight in that amount of time? You've lost at least two sizes in a short time! If you are tracking your calories and protein, then you know you're doing the right thing and after this little bump in the road the weight loss will return, most likely not as rapid as when you where on liquids only. Many people gain a few pounds after changing from liquids to solids. It's all normal. I recently hit a plateau even though I was tracking calories and protein so I knew I was eating OK. I even gained a little over a pound and then suddenly dropped three pounds. Who knows why these things happen, they just do. The important thing is to stay on the plan and know it will be over. As you lose more weight and get closer to goal, prepare yourself for slower weight loss. You'll weigh less and need fewer calories to maintain your new lower weight. You've had a great start, now concentrate on your new way of eating so it becomes a life long habit. Try changing your focus on how much you lose every day or every week, to how much you lose every month. This is just one of most likely, several bumps in the lapband road. some of the road is a lot of uphill and some of the road we coast down the hill.

I was banded a few weeks after you, but I've had six fills. Usually my fills feel tight for a couple days after, I think because of swelling and then it loosens up a bit. I just had a fill a few days ago and just started on regular foods. Just had b'fast (cereal) and that went down ok. Since you can get liquids down at least you won't get dehydrated, but if things don't get better by Monday you might want to call the Dr's office and let them know. A small unfill might be needed so you can eat regular food. 3cc's at one time, might just have been too much for you. Everyone is so different. My Dr gave 2cc's first fill and then 1cc each fill after but I go as often as every two weeks if the fill hasn't gotten me to restriction. The last fill is the closest I've felt to having a good restriction so far. I have a 10cc band.

I was self pay, too! Worth every penny I paid. Congratulations on the beginning of your lapband journey!!!

It is true veryone is different but the original poster stated she didn't feel she had restriction so everyone felt we should tell her she might not have enough fill for her and that there are people that need more to get the right restriction. It's great that you are able to feel restriction with less.

Ask your Dr about his fill schedule. how soon after surgery will he fill you? What are his guidelines for determining if you need a fill? Im my opinion from what I've read on the forum, some Dr's are way too conservative with fills and can make the patients wait a long time between fills. The band only partially restricts you at placement and after initial swelling after surgery goes down you might be able to eat much more than you should until you get the right fill level. During that time you need to use some willpower but it unrealistic for a Dr think our willpower will last very long. I mean that's why we need the band, right? I wasn't informed enough before surgery to know this or ask, but I have been lucky that my Dr's office started filling me about three weeks after surgery and is willing to fill me about every two weeks until I get some restriction. I've had six fills. Imagine if I had to wait a month between fills? Of course the amount the Dr will put in at each fill is a consideration as well. I had 2 cc's at the first and then 1 cc each time after. My last fill was Weds am and I usually get some swelling after a fill which can make me feel tighter for a few days and then previously it would diminish and I would have more hunger between meals. That might be the case this time, too but I have felt more satisfied between meals, so I'm guessing I'm close to my sweet spot. When I have an office visit, the nurse or PA and I talk about my level of hunger, satisfaction between meals and the quantity I am able to eat and we decide if a fill is needed. I am really comfortable with this. so I would think you'd want that as well. Ask as many questions as you can. Let us know when you have a surgery date.

You sound so dedicated, I'm sure you'll get there!

Jack, I know! It's so hard for me to believe that I could have success as well. It's truly a miracle. I had actually been eating fairly healthy foods before being banded about 75 % of the time. But I did overeat even healthy foods like yogurt. And the other 25 % of the time was enough to keep me obese. The band now allows me to make better choices 99% of the time and the consistency has made all the difference. My last fill a few days ago has given me my first real taste of the powers of the band. I don't know how long it will last but it is unbelievable to not have hunger or to eat a normal portion and have it last for several hours. I now know what the band tightness should feel like, not too tight but no hunger several hours after eating. Is this what "normal" people have felt their whole lives? Worth every penny I paid!

Have you asked a lawyer for their opinion? Did the hospital give you any blood thinners before surgery? Mine Did and one after the surgery. did a nurse come and make you get up and walk around? you already said you didn't get the compression leg things. That could be considered the "Standard of care" and if you didn;t get the standard of care you might have a lawsuit. i'm not a fan of suing hospitals, Dr's etc. but these precautions should have been taken. Perhaps you can convince the hospital to not charge you by getting an attorney. I was self pay and know how hard this would have been for me. I'm sorry you had this complication.

You CAN eat around the band just as you can eat around Gastric bypass. Grazing between meals, drinking too soon after a meal and eating slider foods can defeat the band. But with good but not too tight restriction of your band, it's just easier to resist. It just helps you stay strong and say NO more easily. I actually have some "bad" foods in the house from a christmas gift basket, like chocolates but I just let them sit there. Yeah, I know I'm amazed too! Before being banded when we bought our Halloween candy, the only ones I thought I could be "trusted with" were ones I hate. Starburst and Skittles. The leftovers are still in the cabinet, too. I don't suggest anyone that had an issue with food keep too much of the hard to resist foods around but now that I finally have better restriction and my band is working,my hunger is controlled. For many people, some days are just harder than others. Some days our bands can be tighter than other days so that could be a reason. Some days our cravings are tougher to resist, but overall a lot of people on the forum are having good success. Some have great success, some aren't doing as well. There are many reasons for this, but remember we all had issues with food before getting the band. So far after three months, this has been great for me. I am the lowest weight I have been in twenty years! And of course I tried many diets during those twenty years. Just my experience.

Let's pray they can take it out, that it's non cancerous and that it weighs 20 pounds! so the CT scan was ok to do even though our ports have metal? I never heard of a biopsy being inconclusive. You must be so confused. Are you seeing the Cancer Dr or the GYN on Monday? I was confused on that part. Try to relax, I guess less bleeding is a help to you right now. We'll be waiting to hear on Monday.

pizza is a bad choice. A small piece of grilled chicken or a salad would be better if you feel you must cheat. The bad choice of pizza will only make you want more bad food. If you resist the carbs, it will be easier to stick with the rest of the pre-op diet. Remember the preop is to hlep shrink your liver before surgery. High fat foods are not good for that. After being banded and you lose some weight, will you reward yourself with bad food because you deserve it? Sorry, not trying to be mean. I know it's hard to stay on any diet especially the pre-op ones and easy for me to say because I only had two days of Clear liquids after a two week low calorie low fat diet. Work with your Dr. so you get the best results possible for you to have great success.

Apparently, we were mostly our "inner child" before getting banded, so the thing that is helping us to be more "adult" is our band. I agree that too many people eat bad things and then wonder why they are gaining weight or not losing. HOWEVER, I have hit a few plateaus without ever being "bad". Yes, I get over them by staying on plan. I also think there are some crummy over conservative Dr's that make patients wait months to get a fill that they obviously need. I mean the band cant work if it's not adjusted to the person's needs. That's how it works. I know a few people dont need fills, but the majority of people do. There are people that say they've had two fills and they've been banded six months! I've been banded three months and have had six fills. True, the amount at each fill could be different, but if they can eat too much and aren't filled right for them, then how can we blame them for overeating occassionally? If willpower was our strong suit we wouldn't need the band. I also think we overrate big weight loses that were acheived by overly restricted people. There seems to be a rationale by some that only being able to drink liquids, months after banding is a good thing as long as big weight loss happens. The band was not meant to work this way. The goal should be healthy weight loss not weight loss by starvation. Yes, we need to be adults in all aspects of working WITH our bands and very occasionally we can let our inner child out for a treat.

Do a forum search instead of a google search. Use the advance search link. It is ABOVE the google search on the upper right portion of the forum page. You can enter his name and then highlight "doctors and hospitals" and results will come up.

A slow down in weight loss? How many fills have you had? Still tracking calories and daily Protein? Triplets.... WOW! Chasing them should be all the exercise you need! Welcome to the forum!

Well here's one bit of happy news for you. Your BMI is not 50, if your numbers were listed right...4 feet 11 in and 232, your BMI is about 46.5. See, you lost BMI just by asking questions on the forum. ( I'm short, too, and knowing my BMI, I had a feeling your number were off) You can type BMI calculator in a search engine and try it your self. Exercise and eating enough Protein will help with muscle tone. I would suggest at least five days off and then go back earlier if you feel up to it. I felt lousy the first four days and starting getting better after that. I also had a hernia repaired at surgery so maybe that made my recovery longer. Some people on the forum have not needed more than a couple days off. Read, read, read as much as you can on the forum, you'll learn a lot, even things you didn't know or think to ask!

Doesn't sound like you need a fill, but looks like you're close to goal. Weight loss will be slower the less you weigh. Most likely you are used to losing faster and expect it will continue. The fact that you are satisfied on small portions and stay full sounds like you're in a good place. Cutting out a small snack everyday ( if you have one) could make the difference. It's not easy for everyone to get down to 145 pounds over the age of fifty unless you exercise a lot. Are you writing down everything you eat and tracking your Protein? I'm not even close to where you are, so I think you're doing great. I know how much we all want to make it to our goals. Maybe you just need more time to lose the last ten pounds.

See you found the NY crowd, good for you. Have you considered Dr. Fielding? I see his name a lot on the forum and if I remember right, he's been banded, too. His niece ( i think) is on the forum and he did hers. Seems most people have been very happy with his practice. Sounds like they have an office in White Plains and the city. Hope I gave you the right info, I'm from CT, but have seen a lot of posts about him.

I think my inseam is about 26.5 also, it kind of depends on the cut of the pants and how they hang at the hip. Inseam length is different if you are shortwaisted as you'll have longer legs, that might be you short1. The point of wider leg pants is that they are supposed to balance wider hips, but when your short, it's tricky because they sort of swallow our short bodies. I generally look for slim leg pants ( Sorry Stacy, from "What not to wear") ( TV show)( she doesn;t advise that) but I am larger around the middle so if I buy pants that fit the belly/hip some of them have huge legs that just seem so large. I do find there are more choices and catalogs are labeling the different "fits" low rise, wide leg, slim leg etc. The Talbots pants I just bought are slim leg, ankle length pants. They were $98, so I plan to wear them until they don't stay up and I plan to wear them often until then (they're black) with different shirts because I'll never have a chance to wear them out either! And another thing I forgot, is what manufacturer decided that women with fat thighs and butts want big pockets on the legs ( carpenter pants) or big pockets on the butt? Hello, those places are big enough thank you. I guess if you are large but built like an apple with skinny legs, those work, but for "pears" ... ugh! Those are the two types of plus sizes they should make. Like garanimals for kids. Clothes for apples and clothes for pears. And what's with the LARGE floral prints. We are short! They overwhelm our tiny, fat (oxymoron) bodies! I am so happy that crying while looking for a new outfit is over.