kbinaz

The point is you can eat everything, just not a ton of it. My problem was always portion size. I couldn't just eat a cookie, I had to have twelve. I couldn't just eat half a restaurant meal, I had to finish the whole thing. The band helps me with my portion sizes. So I don't feel deprived, like there are all these foods I have to avoid, but I eat a little and feel full. I can go out with a group of people and not feel singled out by saying "Oh, I can't have that".

The thing everyone needs to remember is that just after surgery you may not lose any weight at all. That is not what you are supposed to be doing right now. HEAL!!! That's it. And do what your doctor says! You will lose weight but right now your body doesn't know what the heck is going on. You are only drinking liquids so you are super, super hydrated. Just relax. I know it is frustrating to watch the numbers on the scale go up, but they aren't "real" they are just due to this weird place you are at and your body is trying to adjust. Stop weighing yourself, that's the best advice I can give cuz you are just going to go nuts!

About a week, with modifications. Your port sight is sore for a while so gentleness is required. The standard positions won't work for a while.

I think if you do your research (and that's whether you have surgery in the US or elsewhere...) and choose an experienced doctor who is well known it doesn't matter what country you have surgery in. In the US there are what are known as Centers of Excellence and those doctors have to meet certain stringent requirements to be called that. They may have something comparable in Mexico but I don't know. My advice is to count ALL the costs, not just the cost of surgery. The lap band is kind of high maintenance - you don't just leave the operating room and never see a doctor again. The most important requirement after surgery is fills, and in the months after surgery you may need 4, 5, or even 6 to get where you need to be. My surgeon, who is 1/2 hour from my home, gives us free fills for a year after surgery and we are allowed to get more added ten days later if we find we don't have enough restriction. If I had surgery in Mexico I don't know how I would get the number of fills I needed to get to my sweet spot. There may be great ways to do it but my point is to do your research and take the fill situation into consideration. (If you have to pay for fills in the US rather than going to Mexico each time you needed one, realize they can be over $200 each and I've had 6) Also, consider what would happen if you had complications of any kind once you returned home after surgery - many US doctors are reluctant to take care of problems of another surgeon. There are also occasionally problems after a fill, so if you got your fills in Mexico and got home and had a problem (like being overfilled and not able to swallow even water, which does happen) where would you go for help? You need to know the answers to all these questions even if you have surgery in the US.

laphappy - we are very close in amount of weight lost. I have lost about 27 pounds and was banded October 26th so don't feel too bad! I know without the band I'd probably have gained weight in the past 5 months - when I look at it that way I can't really complain!

I agree with Jeni 85 - it is the most awful thing. I am sore ALL THE TIME because once I master something he makes it harder and when I get good at a certain weight he increases it! BUT that is what I am paying him for and I love him. I have worked out with him for almost 4 years and he stuck with me even though I never lost a pound the first 3 1/2 years (pre banding). He supported my decision to be banded and got right back in with me after my recuperation. He told me yesterday that he can tell I've lost 25+ pounds and I was so happy because he has been looking at my body for 4 years and he is looking at it professionally so it was a huge compliment that he noticed I was thinner. Anyway, it is a love/hate relationship. There is NO WAY on GOD'S GREEN EARTH I would ever do even half the stuff he makes me do if I didn't have him.So I keep paying him to torture me because I won't torture myself. I payed al that money for LB surgery I might as well get maximum benefit! And I have lost 7.5 inches off my abdomen since surgery (5 months!) Yeah for my trainer!

I was encouraged to start walking the day of surgery. I was encouraged to walk for 1/2 hour on the second day! (and every day thereafter!) I had to wait for weight training for 2 months! That was harder but I am glad I waited. My port sight still gets a little sore when I do crunches and ab exercises, and it has been 5 months.

I have been where you are and want to tell you that I got through it. I was a mess (long before LB surgery). What I can tell you is that if you eat the way you should eat after being banded and follow the instructions, it can only help your fibro. The low carb diet has been found to be the most helpful for people with fm. You don't need to exercise like a triathlete! Just walk. That is good for fm and will help you lose weight. I hired a personal trainer 4 years ago and was absolutely petrified that he was going to make me sicker and my fibro. symptoms have gotten 80% better since working out with him.We have taken it slow, but you would be amazed at the stuff I am doing and the weights I am able to lift! Exercise helps with sleep,too. The surgery just helped, it didn't affect my fm at all. I am basically fibromyalgia free and have had no flare ups since surgery (october of 2007) Don't be afraid to exercise. Just don't overdo it. Be willing to walk even when you are hurting.

They say the feeling of fulness is different with the band but I don't really find that to be the case. I feel full. It does take being in tune and listening to your body because there is a fine line between being full and being so full you are in pain. I have to know when to stop, which requires me to slow down and listen to what my body is saying. I didn't do that before the band, now I have to or I will have undesirable consequences!

The only number that matters once surgery is over is volume (the 10 cc or 4 cc number) The size of the band only matters when they are 'installing' the band - they choose the size (diameter) based on stomach size -they want it to be tight. I have the AP small band. It still holds 10 cc's but is smaller around than the AP large band. They both hold 10 cc's of fluid. It doesn't matter whether your band holds 10 ccs or 4 ccs or 12- or whatever- what matters is getting it filled so YOU feel restriction. All of them are totally closed when totally filled. Basically you would probably feel the same amt. of restriction if you had 5 ccs of fluid in a 10 cc band or if you had 2 ccs of fluid in a 4 cc band. Hope that clarifies.

I'm jealous! I wish my surgeon had put in 4cc's at surgery! It took me forever to get up to 4cc's and I still wasn't at my sweet spot. I think in general (I'm assuming you have a 10cc band) people start reaching good restriction at around 4 cc's - most take at least 4.5 so your doctor is starting at the low end of average for good restriction. I think it's kind of smart that he is doing that, but that's just my opinion - as someone who really struggled to find restriction and really needed it!

It isn't a hard and fast rule, it just seems that after a PB episode everything can get stuck for a while. I try to be really careful and eat softer foods for the rest of the day and I'm usually fine by the next day. You need to be careful not to get in the PB cycle because you can end up irritating your stomach from the constant abuse and end up having long term problems. Occasional PBs are not going to hurt you, just don't allow it to be a daily occurance. Switching to liquids or soft foods helps do that.

It kind of depends. I could eat anything and didn't have to worry to much about the size of my bites and stuff until my 5th fill, when I reached my sweet spot. Now I have to be pretty careful or I will have undesirable consequences. (PB's) That said, you are supposed to be able to eat just about anything. The thing is when you are properly restricted you have to eat differently - more carefully. You might not be that tight yet since you are only about 1 month out from surgery. I don't know how filled you are. That makes a huge difference. Remember...you should never be too tight that all normal food is too hard to get down. You should always be able to eat solid food like chicken. You just might need to eat really small bites.

Probably for all the same reasons already listed. I know several people who had GB and I think they look sick afterwards. I always try to go for the least extreme option and LB gives slower, more natural weight loss and leaves my insides the way God intended them. If there is ever a health issue I can have my band loosened and even removed if necessary. I see way too many people get fat again after GB and with the band I always have my tool that can be tweaked. I like eating sugar on occasion and fat is my friend and with GB you get really sick if you eat them. I want to eat birthday cake on my birthday and pie at Thanksgiving and not sit in the bathroom for an hour afterwards wishing I was dead!

I have no idea why you would be bloated now. I was bloated really bad after surgery but it went away after a month. Maybe it isn't band related. Maybe it is. You need to talk to a doctor either way.

Hi, I'm a woman but may be able to shed some light anyway as my husband is a male. (: Technically you could have sex probably the day after surgery. But I don't think even a man is going to want to do it that soon!!! But there is no reason for not having sex. The main problem after surgery is your port incision and port area are sore and very tender. Some modifications are necessary to be comfortable in every situation (sleeping, sitting, and sex) so as long as you can make the modifications necessary to not be too uncomfortable, you should go for it. Remember, though, this IS major surgery and there is some discomfort.

I also have the APS band. The "S" stands for small. So it means you have the AP band in the small size. I know my band holds 10ccs. So there was probably a misunderstanding. Sometimes people get confused with the bands capacity and the bands length (which doesn't really make any difference and depends totally on the size/thickness of your stomach.) If it is important for you to know, call them up and ask for clarification. I'm pretty sure, though, if you have the APS band it is 10ccs.

Are you losing weight? If you are losing 1-2 pounds a week there is no point in getting a fill. Why make yourself tighter and risk the side effects of that (PB'ing etc) if you are losing weight now?

I have my fills at the bariatric center where my doctor works. I get 1 year of fills for free. If you can get 4 for free, I'd go for it. I assume the doctor knows the nutritionist offers that. If the doctor charges for fills he/she shouldn't be surprised when people start going to the nutritionist.

Keep getting fills until you get proper restriction. I have a 10cc band and currently have 7.5 ccs in it. It took me 5 fills to get there. Don't feel bad about needing fills, that is how the band was designed.

I feel absolutely nothing when I get a fill. I notice extra tightness for a few days but that is it.

Thank you for that post! It is soooo true. We are supposed to be able to eat regular food, not mush.

They make sure they hit your port by removing solution - if solution comes back into the syringe they know they are in the right spot. (then they put that back in and add some more) My port is really easy to find - so they can just feel it for a second and bam - stick it in. Not all ports are that easy though. Honestly, the stick doesn't hurt at all and my doctor doesn't numb me first or anything. It is sooo much easier than I expected. I'm kind of a big chicken.

Diet: I was on clear liquids for 4 days (surgery day counted as 1) On day 4 I was allowed to start on 'soft proteins' which consisted of chicken, turkey,fish, cottage cheese, eggs, legumes (refried beans became my best friend), lowfat cheeses, and sugar free/fat free yogurt. I ate that until my first fill. Physically:Days 1-5 were pretty much just spent at home walking around like a very old woman-crouched over. I was allowed to drive 24 hours after taking my last pain pill, and I stopped taking them on day 3. I couldn't lift anything over 10 pounds for 2 months so no weight training - just walking or treadmill. By 1 month out, I felt pretty much normal in every way.

I agree with the advice to measure. I have only lost 25 pounds since my surgery October 26th, 2007. I thought to measure myself before surgery and I'm glad I did because I have lost 7.5 inches off my abdomen, 3"off my waist, 1.5" off my bust and 3" off my hips. I am thrilled. And it helps me feel better about the slowness of my weight loss!