kbinaz

Hi! We had our LB surgery on the same day and I have only lost 18 pounds, so hopefully I have made your day!!! I don't know what size band you have or how much they put in your first fill, but if your doctor is anything like mine(very conservative with fills) you probably don't have enough restriction yet. I have had four fills so far and only started feeling restriction with that fourth fill. My fills were 1.5cc's, 1.5ccs,1.5cc's and 2cc's. That totals 6.5 cc's and I am close but not at my sweet spot. So do not despair, you will get there! Can you get your fills closer together? Are you feeling a lot of restriction? I am allowed to get fills every two weeks if I need them. I am confident that fill number 5 (2/19) will get me to where I need to be. My doctor assures me that once I get to the right restriction I will lose weight. Some of us will lose it slower...remember there are all kinds of people on this sight, some have 200+ pounds to lose, some only 50. Some drank 2 liters of soda a day, some never drank any. Some ate a lot of fast food, some didn't. Some never exercised, some were exercise fanatics...so our bodies respond to our new lifestyle in different ways. If you were drinking 2 liters of coke a day and suddenly stop, that alone is going to cause you to lose a lot of weight. I never drank soda or ate fast food, so my body isn't making as big an adjustment as others who did those things. Anyway, what I am trying to say is not to compare yourself with others on this sight. You don't know what their story is. Some doctors give 5 cc's for the first fill, and that person is going to lose weight sooner than the person who got 1.5 cc's the first time. Be patient! Get the fills you need! Follow the rules for eating with a band and it's gonna come off. And remember you have a fellow 10/26-er doing this along with you and having the same frustrations!

The pain from surgery wasn't that bad. To me the worst part was the port pain - the port is 'installed' by attaching it to a stomach muscle (in most cases) and that hurts. Nothing unbearable, just discomfort. The port site was what bothered me the longest and is what you need to care for the most as it really needs to heal so your port is safely attached for a good long time (like forever!) If you need to do that much lifting on your job I would suggest maybe taking more than a week off. I was instructed not to life anything over 10 pounds for 2 months. If I forgot (I lifted my grandson once) I felt it the next day in added soreness at the port sight. AFter surgery I was not in a lot of pain, other than maybe the first day.It got progressively better each day after that. But there was still soreness and discomfort (It's major surgery~) and I didn't feel 100% normal for about a month. Certain things bothered me - bending, wearing anything that rubbed on or even touched the port incision,turning certain ways. Again,not excruciating, just sore. I didn't feel weak after surgery. The worst I felt was the last day of Clear liquids, and I was able to start on food on day four after surgery and could eat soft Proteins so I was back to feeling normal by day four. (surgery day was day one) As far as dealing with people around you, that is an ongoing issue that you will have to deal with the rest of your life. There are always going to be those people who think it is wrong to have weight loss surgery,or won't understand why you felt the need to do it, but it is something that is very personal and only you know when it is time for it and why.I just politely tell them that this was what I felt I needed to insure myself a long happy life. If they don't like it they can disagree all they want but it won't change the fact that I had the surgery!!!

I had Lortab elixer (liquid) and only took it for the first day. Then I switched to regular old Tylenol. It helped with the pain when I needed it, but made me feel weird and gave me strange dreams and the second day it seemed more important to me to feel 'normal' mentally than have total pain relief...and the tylenol did fine. I didn't have that much pain, more discomfort.

You shouldn't have discomfort after eating, so if you are (and you have been told by your doctor that you can) it is usually because of one of the following - eating too fast, taking too big of a bite, not chewing enough, eating something really dry (like reheated chicken breast). Other than that you are at the stage where you should be able to eat anything. Try sitting down and relaxing. Take a dime sized bite of food and chew it until it is the consistency of applesauce. Swallow it. Wait and feel if there is any pain. If not, take another bite. As you eat, listen to your body for clues that you are reaching fullness. (Not really fullness, but a feeling of satisfaction -'I've had enough') Stop when you get that feeling. You shouldn't have pain if you do those things. You may still have some swelling from surgery, and that makes you tighter, so even without a fill you can feel the restriction that causes those troubles. If it persists, call your doctor.

Oh, and I forgot, when that happens you really need to take it easy next time you eat because it happens easier once it has happened. Be really careful for a few meals - eat something soft til it feels better.

That kind of shoulder pain can either be from surgery still (from the gas still) but mine didn't last that long. Now when I feel that pain on my left side it is usually because I ate something too fast or it is too dry or crunchy and doesn't want to go down. (I tried Chex Mix. Wrong on many levels but mostly PAINFUL) Make sure you are eating slowly, small bites, and chewing til the food is the consistency of applesauce when you swallow. Dry chicken really gives me that problem, too. I add cottage cheese to it to moisten it.

Your port sight is the area that will be uncomfortable the longest. I still feel some paint there after exercise. I wonder if you should be doing step aerobics yet. I had to wait two months. I had to just walk for the first two months. But, yes, port pain is common.

My band was $11,500 and with everything included it came to around $15K (that was all the pre-op testing etc.) Be careful as you are checking prices and find out what exactly is included. My doctor has a very intensive education program, a nutritionist, exercise physiologists etc. and I get their services free. All my fills are free the first year. The main thing for me though, would be to make sure whoever you go to is a good educator. I see people on this sight all the time who don't even know what they are supposed to be eating post-surgery and I can't imagine having a doctor just do surgery on me and send me home. The lap band has a real learning curve and there are lots of things you need to know before going into this so make sure you find a doctor with a good program. (a good thing to check is for centers that have been named "Center of Excellence" that means they have passed a number of criteria for being a really good gastric surgery practice.)

48 should be high enough to qualify, even without co-morbidities.

You feel hungry because you are hungry! That's totally normal. Not everyone who had surgery on the same day or same week as you will start feeling hungry at the same time. It is different for everyone. (and everything about the band is different for everyone so get used to it!!!) The band is not ready to do it's job when it is 'installed'. They just put it around your stomach and, without adjustment (fills) it is just sitting there and you can basically eat like before surgery. You have restriction at first because you are swollen from surgery. Some people don't feel hungry for one week. Some don't feel hungry for one month. Some don't feel hungry for six months. You are healing. You are put on liquids and soft foods because it is important for your new band to heal. You aren't supposed to necessarily lose weight right now (although some people do and you might.) Concentrate on healing and obeying your doctor's instructions and once you start getting fills you will feel less hunger. It can take several fills to get to that place, though. I have had four and am not quite there. So the main thing with the band is to be patient. It is a slow process. Let your body heal.

No. Absolutely not.

I read about that alot on this sight and I never, ever heard that from my doctor through all the extensive education I had to go through about the band. I feel like they informed me really well on everything to do with the band, and I think they would have told me if that was a possibility. I wonder sometimes if some doctors say that to scare us out of eating too much.

I did basically the same thing. I had my little 'breakdown' while waiting to be wheeled back ( I did go on a cart). The anesthesiologist had already talked to me and the nurse had very kindly told me exactly what was going to happen and all of a sudden I burst out crying and couldn't stop. It was awful. All I could think was that they were going to cancel my surgery because A. my nose was too clogged from crying! B. I was mentally unstable. The kind nurse (and my hubby) talked me down. But let me tell you, I was really, really ready for them to stick the medicine into my I.V. so I would just go to sleep and be able to stop thinking about everything!!! And everything turned out fine! I think it was pretty normal, thanks for sharing that it happened to you, too!

You should follow your doctor's instructions. I'm assuming he gave you some! If he didn't give you any you should ask him. My doctor had me on soft proteins starting on day four (surgery day is day 1) (cottage cheese, chicken, refried beans, l.f./ low sugar yogurt) and it helped with the hunger. Remember you may be kind of hungry til your first fill.

Elastic waist, loose fitting - you will be swollen and sore and it will hurt to have anything constricting or rubbing against your incisions - especially the port incision. I'd wear no bra, or if you absolutely can't do that (I couldn't, the world just isn't ready for that!) wear a sports bra that isn't real tight. Easy shoes (slippers?) because you can't bend down to get regular shoes on. For work after surgery the same stuff will apply for a week or two - jeans and tight pants hurt, dresses are great - just remember the swelling, things might not fit the same after surgery so gather your larger stuff (and enjoy wearing them for the last time!) and wear that.

Hopefully your doctor will give you explicit instructions as to what exactly you need to do. My doctor gave me so much info (we had to attend pre-op classes) I felt very confident going in and had everything ready. If they don't offer you all the education, ask lots of questions. Most of what you'll need has been written already in the above posts. For me personally the best thing I did was get off caffeine slowly before the surgery so I didn't have that post surgery killer headache.

You are doing fine. I'm seconding what everyone above already told you. I had the same experience and I know it is frustrating but it is also very normal. I think I type this response twenty times a week but am happy to say it again so here goes....Your band does not work until you A. Have it filled to the proper capacity for you (find your sweet spot) B. Are eating solid foods. Right now you are the same exact person as you were before surgery, except for the band around your stomach that is now too loose to really restrict anything and that blasted port which is healing and causing you much discomfort. Your job right now is to heal. That is it! I know you want to lose weight! I want to lose it too. And I would sure like to lose it faster. But you have to be patient and get healed then get your fills and only then will you lose. Some people do lose during that pre-op phase, but not everyone does. You will get there so just hang in there. By the way, look at my ticker and notice I have lost 18 pounds total since October 26th! I lost 12 pounds the first week and only six more in the 3 months since. I have had four fills and am still not at my sweet spot. So no, I don't think you are doing anything wrong!!! Just enjoy the 18 pounds. P.S. when was the last time you lost 18 pounds in 2.5 weeks??? I never have! :smile2:

Here is a typical day: B- eggs and fruit (apples or strawberries) or 1 egg and refried beans and salsa, or 1 cup greek yogurt (20 g protein in one container!and NO fat!)with fruit. L-sliced turkey lunch meat and salad w/lots of veggies or chicken and hummus with cucumbers. D-turkey burger w/no bun, vegetable (salad or a cooked one), or some other form of chicken and another vegetable!! (I do a lot of turkey burgers from Rachel Ray recipes- she has a zillion variations on turkey burgers so you get a lot of variety) or I go Mexican and have ground turkey, refried beans and shredded lettuce and tomatoes - a tostada without the tortilla - I use the greek yogurt as sour cream!! I am not real restricted, so as I get tighter the turkey burger will shrink, I'm sure but this gives you the idea.

Every doctor has a different diet post-surgery. The key is to make sure you know what it is! I had to go through so much education that there wasn't a doubt in my mind what I was going to be eating from day one right on through the first month. But not all doctors are that informative, from what I've seen on this site (hard to believe you'd do gastric surgery on someone then not tell them what to eat). I'll tell you mine just to give you an example and then you need to find out from your doctor what he wants and follow what he tells you. I was on clear liquids from day 1 (day of surgery) to day 4 On day 4 I started 'soft proteins' which included chicken, turkey, fish,eggs,cottage cheese, refried beans, low fat cheese, low fat/low sugar yogurt. I stayed on soft proteins until my first fill. After the fill I had to do clear liquids for 3 days. Then, I could eat normally! (well, normally for a banded person!) (again, your doctor will tell you what that is)

Yes. Life without pizza would be no life at all, as far as I'm concerned. I don't have it often, because it isn't the best weight loss food. (I haven't had it yet,actually) I would probably go for the thin crust and be really careful but I'm going to give it a try once I'm closer to goal weight.

I had the same problem. It's hard to eat three meals a day/no snacks when you are starving between meals. I agree with julie (above) that it makes a huge difference what your meals are. Be sure they are dense proteins. My nutritionist clarified to me (when I complained about the no snacking) that they don't want 'mindless snacking' but if you are really truly hungry you should have a healthy snack. And cottage cheese won't keep you full for too long. Try something more substantial. And if you are past the soft food stage, adding fiber helps, too. Like an apple or some strawberries or whatever, along with some protein. You could have cottage cheese and strawberries or something like that. After your first fill you should be eating solid foods more than soft foods, that is how the band works best.You need the food to sit there at the top of the band for a while to feel full longer. It is also pretty probable that after only one fill you aren't restricted enough for anything to sit there for any length of time. That is how it was for me. Schedule another fill for as soon as you are allowed. (and be thankful your doctor gave you 4 ccs to start with!!! I'm jealous!!! I got 1.5 for my first fill!)

I'm sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I would hate to have each fill be such an ordeal. That is a shame and I can't help you on that one - hopefully there is something they can do to fix that problem. As far as your lack of weight loss, please don't get discouraged about that! It isn't that your fills "Didn't work" it is that they weren't enough, your doctor wants to fill your band gradually because he/she doesn't want to risk overfilling you which is also a miserable place to be! Once you get the proper restriction you will lose weight, there are a lot of people on this board who are right there with you in 'bandster hell' and not losing much yet. It isn't user failure, trust me. Maybe, since your port is so difficult to access, they would consider giving you a bigger fill each time you go in. Or maybe they will decide to correct the port - I have heard that the surgery to do that is much simpler than the first surgery. I'm sorry you have to go through this. Don't despair, I'm sure they will figure out what to do for you.

Hi, I gave up both soda and coffee (carbonation and caffeine) before surgery - I was really worried about it. I love my diet Pepsi. I weaned myself off both coffee and diet Pepsi before surgery and it wasn't bad. (well, it was bad for a day or two but if you do it slowly it is bearable- I just made it 1/4 decaf, then 1/2 decaf, then 3/4 decaf etc...) I stayed off carbonation and haven't missed it at all. I had the same experience as the person above when I took a sip of it it tasted horrible. Coffee was a different story. It was the one thing that really bothered me because it is such a ritual and so much a part of my social life. I have one cup in the morning and sometimes one in the evening. I stayed off it for a month and couldn't do it anymore. My doctor didn't say to never have coffee again, but said it can effect blood sugar levels. He did say no carbonation ever and I chose to stick with that one because the issue would be with the actual function of the band and I didn't want to risk that. Again, every doctor is different and the bottom line is we each make our own decisions about how much we are going to stick to the rules. I am, in general, a gestapo like rule follower! The coffee rule was the ONE rule I couldn't follow and that is the ONE I will break and I will do everything else I am supposed to!

It is a decision that nobody can really make for you. Most of us on this board had to make it, too, and it is tough. The best thing I can advise is to get educated on both surgeries and figure out which one meets your needs. There are pros and cons to each. The lap band is much less invasive and drastic - there are no off limit foods with it, although some people have trouble with specific foods as you will read here on this site. The weight loss is slow and gradual with the band, and that can be frustrating but I also feel it is healthier. Statistics show that after three years the weight loss is the same for LB and GB. So keep researching and you will figure out which is right for you. Good luck!

There is no reason you can't have fiber - in fact fiber is good. For the first month or so after surgery (depends on your doctor) you will have to eat only soft foods and at that point getting fiber is hard. Once you are all healed and are on your way you can eat as much fiber as you want. The reason bread is hard is because it won't 'liquify' or get real soft when you chew it, it kind of turns to a big blob and it's hard for it to go through the band but that isn't from fiber. The other thing you might have heard is that 'fibrous' foods can be hard on the band but that is different from fiber. Fibrous foods are like asparagus and celery - with those fibers you can see- they don't go through the band easily,either. (same with citrus fruits, the membrane doesn't break down.) I eat a ton of fiber because that keeps you full (and regular!) and really helps keep you healthy on many different levels. I eat a lot of berries and apples and vegetables that have a lot of fiber, just not stringy fiber.Hope this helps!