kbinaz

I gurgle all the time. It is the band, I think. Remember, food is going down like water goes down a partially clogged drain. Think about the sound a partially clogged drain makes. Sound familiar?

Don't stress out, you are doing fine~ Remember, everyone loses differently. I lost 12 pounds in the week after surgery, then didn't lose anything for at least a month. Then I gained 3 pounds. The way my doctor explained it to me was this: You need to look at your total weigt loss a year out from surgery. Hopefully it will be 50-60 pounds. When you look back over your life it isn't going to matter if you lost ten pounds each month or if a few months you lost none and a few you lost 15 or whatever. The end result will be weight loss. There are a ton of variables and nobody knows exactly what makes some people lose real steadily and some lose sporadically.

If you are losing 1-2 pounds a week you don't need a fill. Why make yourself tighter than you need to be?

It IS about being restricted and it drives me crazy when gastric surgeons or their staff say things like that. What the heck is the band for it not for restriction? If I could have lost weight without restriction and could have controlled what went into my mouth I certainly wouldn't have forked over thousands of dollars (self pay) to get a stupid band installed! Get scheduled for fills as often as they will allow you - preschedule them (I'd schedule 5, one every six weeks if that is how long you have to wait.) You can always cancel them if you don't need them. I understand that the band is a tool and you have to work with it and follow the rules, but the principle behind the band and why it was designed was to allow people to feel full with less food and stay satisfied longer. Until you hit your sweet spot you are not going to have any more luck doing that than you did before surgery. Don't ever let anyone make you feel ashamed or less successful because you need more fills. Fills are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign that you want to get the full benefit from a band that you paid for. Nothing wrong with that. You don't try to go out and drive your car around with no air in your tires do you???

I honestly think if all goes as planned and you are within "normal" range for recovery (some people bounce back, some take longer) you should be able to do the school without too much problem. I assume they let you get up and walk to the bathroom and stuff. I would get kind of sore being in one position for too long so I always looked kind of fidgety as I moved around trying to get comfortable but that's not a big deal. My advice would be to be willing to change plans if you feel you aren't ready for some reason. (have a plan :thumbup:

You are very normal - don't stress out! I lost (somehow) 12 pounds in the week after surgery. I lost maybe a pound every other week until I finally had my 5th fill (7.5 ccs in a 10 cc band) I got to my sweet spot and finally have great restriction and have lost 8 pounds in a month. Remember: Everyone is different and loses weight at a different pace. Many people struggle to lose any weight without proper restriction, which can take 4,5,or more fills. You don't know the whole story when you see weight loss reported on this sight. Some of the people with large losses started out with really high BMI's. Some lost a lot on pre-op liquid diets and are counting those losses. Some are just fortunate to be really fast losers! I'm definitely not a fast loser-never have been. Try not to compare your losses with anyone elses. (I know it's hard) Hang in there and be patient and you will get there! And hopefully I'll be right behind you!

Never heard anything about any of those things. I showered and wore deodorant the morning of my surgery. I'm still alive!

Best advice I can give you is to follow your doctors instructions! The other thing I tell people is not to freak out if you don't have restriction right away. It can take 5 or even more fills to get it and until you do you can eat like before. Don't worry, it doesn't mean the band isn't going to work for you - it just means you need another fill. Get fills when you need them and don't think they are a sign of weakness. You'll do great...good luck tomorrow!!!

Believe me, I know exactly how you feel!!! It is really hard not having restriction and each month when PMS hits and I loosen up and get really hungry it just gets multiplied. Even now, when I am at my sweet spot, I have trouble at my TOM because I can eat more and am much hungrier. I also gain like 2-4 pounds and then I get all scared and paranoid and think I am a band-failure. As soon as my period hits and I get mentally and physically back to myself the weight comes back off, I get extra tight to compensate for the looseness of the week before, and I settle down and behave. But right now you are in bandster hell and it is called that for a reason. Be patient...I know it's easy for me to say that and I didn't do such a good job of it when I was there, but trust me, you will get where you need to be. Just make sure you have 4 or 5 fills lined up and scheduled so you can get them as often as your doctor will allow them.

I think about that a lot...once I reach my goal weight there is going to be that looming fear of re-gaining. It is definitely something to be considered. But I think you are taking a wise approach. Weigh yourself often and if you see it starting to creep up,then consider a tightening. That is why the band is adjustable. It is our tool to keep control. Just don't go overboard, wait til you see yourself gaining. Hope that makes sense. Congratulations on reaching your goal!

My doctor says no "mindless" snacking. If you are really physically hungry you can snack. Like it was mentioned above, til you get the right restriction you aren't going to stay 'full' between meals. I had the same problem. I got full on relatively small amounts of food but the fulness didn't last until the next meal. I asked the nutritionist the same question you asked in this post and she said as long as the snack was food we should be eating (not cookies or ice cream but a form of protein) snacking wasn't bad. Once you are at the right restriction you should try not to snack but it is much easier (I am finally there!)

It totally depends on insurance. I was self-pay so I went to my seminar in August and had surgery in October. Very quick because I didn't have to wait for approval.

I took the year of 2004 as "MY YEAR" and decided to do whatever it took to get where I needed and wanted to be for once in my life. I hired a personal trainer (he's the best one at the gym I attend, has a college degree, not some slacker trust me!) I worked out with him twice a week and did a LOT of cardio two or three of the other days each week. I joined Weight Watchers. I faithfully attended every meeting and kept track of my points like some kind of crazy nazi-dieter. Every week I weighed in and stayed the same. Sometimes I went down 1 pound, then the next week I'd go up 1. This went on for a year. I figured, okay it took me more than a year to lose this weight, I'll be patient. It got to where I couldn't go to Weight Watchers anymore and not cry watching everyone else get their ribbons and stuff. So I went to a bariatric specialist (not a surgeon, he just does regular weight loss) He put me on a diet of meat, vegetables and fruit. No grains. No sugar. I did that for a year. I lost zero pounds. Then I went on one of those cleansing fasts for my liver because there is a theory that liver toxicity can make it hard to lose weight. I did that for 30 days and lost 3 pounds. (the average person who does the cleanse loses 22 pounds in 30 days and it was all doctor supervised and healthy) I waited a month and did the cleansing fast again. I lost zero pounds. I had a big breakdown in the nutritionists office. She threw her hands up and said she didn't know what to tell me. I was still working out with the trainer, by the way. Then I subscribed to a diet meal delivery service where three meals a day of The Zone Diet meals were delivered to my door. Did that for a month. Lost zero pounds. I have been working out with the same dear trainer since June of '03 and in August of '07 I finally decided to have lap band surgery. I am still not breaking any weight loss records as you can see by my ticker, but I have lost 25 pounds - over 10% of my total and 25 pounds more than I was able to lose without the band. I am a HAPPY CAMPER even with the slowness of my weight loss because for the first time in four years I have hope that I might be able to get to a normal weight. Don't let anyone tell you that it is impossible NOT to lose weight by taking in fewer calories than you expend because I am living proof that it can happen. Now that I am eating under 900 calories a day I am losing, and it is slow, but at least I'm losing. There is no way I could have stuck to a 900 calorie a day diet without the band. I feel for you and I believe you when you say you couldn't lose weight. I have walked in your shoes!

As said above, it isn't recommended that you drink protein shakes. The band works best with solid food not liquids (we aren't supposed to drink while eating, and a protein shake is drinking and eating at the same time) The food isn't sitting in your pouch like it is supposed to, it just goes right through like water. Occasional protein shakes aren't going to hurt you, but drinking them often is not doing any good.

I believe the number you are referring to is now much fluid a band holds. It has nothing to do with the actual size (length) of the band. It really doesn't make any difference, it is just different manufacturer's make different capacity bands. So, for example, if you have a 4cc band and have 2 cc's in it, it would be similar to having a 10 cc band and having 5ccs in it. There are also different sizes of bands (the length when layed out before closed - I have an AP band and it is the smaller one. That is just because of the thickness of my stomach. If it had been thicker they would have put the large one on and I think there are also extra large ones. That's my understanding of how it works. I may not have it exactly right, but I believe that is basically it.

You had surgery less than a month ago and are already filled to 6 cc's? It took me four fills to get to that point! Don't drink beer! Carbonation is bad for your pouch and it is just total empty calories. Try to commit to only eating calories not drinking them. Are you losing weight? That is the best indicator of whether you are filled properly.

Port pain is the one pain that sticks around after all the other ones go away! It sounds like that is what you are experiencing. I noticed it mainly when I tried to do too much - like lift something heavy or bend and twist too much right at first. It will lessen more and more with each passing day. Take it easy and let your body heal and you will get to the point where you forget the port is even there. (It took me about 2 months to get to that point)

It is common to second guess yourself. Stick with your decision and then do everything your doctor tells you and follow the rules and you will do fine. We all worry that we are going to be 'the one' that fails. And clearly all of us don't! If you commit to doing what you are supposed to do you will do fine! Good luck!

sweetpea2- believe me, we ALL cheat, we all do things not recommended by our doctors at some point and believe it or not you will too. It isn't helpful to have someone less than a week out from surgery telling you you are not doing a good job. It's kind of like someone with no kids giving you parenting advice. I'm not trying to be mean, but its a sensitive issue and those of us with food/weight issues have been told all our lives we aren't strong enough or smart enough or that we don't have enough willpower. My problem is that when I am hungry I want to eat. That is how God designed our bodies and is a great gift that we are that way. Hunger is not a bad thing or a sign of weakness,it is a signal from our body. After surgery we are not hungry for a while, but the time that lasts varies. About 10 days to 2 weeks after surgery I felt absolutely no different than I did before surgery. I could eat the same amount and though I tried really hard to follow my doctor's instructions the hunger sometimes won out and I ate quantities that were not recommended. The band is designed to work optimally when filled. It takes most people several fills to get the restriction needed to control their eating. I could not control my portions before the band so how could anyone expect me to control my portions with the band and no restriction? Why did you have the band? If hunger doesn't drive you to eat, why didn't you just lose the weight on a normal diet and save time and money? Just be aware that you are going to get really hungry and start feeling better physically and it may not always be as easy as simply not listening to your hunger. Please don't take this post the wrong way...I'm really trying to be helpful. I wish you all the best and hope you can continue to do well even if you don't have restriction! Just know that not everyone can.

Yeah! I am so excited for you! What a HUGE accomplishment. I am waiting and praying that I get there soon (I have 8 pounds to go to onderland!) Good for you!!!

I agree with everything said above and want you to know that I struggle with alot of the same issues. It is an ongoing battle, a marathon not a sprint. You just need to wake up every morning and recommit to doing this and eventually you will be able to slay those demons (probably never totally) and have more good days than bad. We are never going to be perfect at this. We can just keep trying and getting up every time we slip.

hs-hang in there. "Purge" on this sight or with a trusted friend, but don't purge in the toilet. Your wife has issues to deal with - I am sure that just as we banders have to deal with our 'stuff' our spouses have issues that are brought up during this process too. As you work through the stuff with your marriage, try to stay true to what you know is the right thing as far as eating goes. And don't hesitate to get help if you need it. Do they have a psychologist on staff where you had your surgery? That could be very helpful to you now. Try not to let the stuff with your wife sabotage the wonderful success you have had. I know that's easy for me to say....know there are a lot of really supportive bandsters out here rooting for you. Keep being honest!

I am VERY proud of you for coming on here and admitting to what has been going on. You are very brave. Just doing that was probably half the battle. I can totally relate to what you said about the eating disorder issue. I honestly think I am in the same boat and have even done web searches trying to find out if there is a disorder besides the two major ones. The way I think of it is I'm too lazy and love food too much to be anorexic and too chicken to throw up to be bulimic. I just eat and let it sit there then feel guilty about it. For me the band has actually helped my disordered thinking and I hope that you can get there too. This probably has something to do with the fact that PB'ing for me is a miserable,painful ordeal that I am just not willing to suffer through. If it were easy for me like it is for some people I might be doing what you do. (and I'm not going to sit here and claim victory because I am only 5 months out) It has allowed me to stop obsessing about what I should and shouldn't eat and just sit down and eat my meal and be done til the next one. I don't know why, I think it has something to do with the hunger factor. Anyway, kudos to you for admitting this, and I hope with the help of your therapist you can get to the bottom of why you are sabotaging your band. Keep in touch, it would make me very happy to hear how things go for you.

The one thing you need to avoid is getting dehydrated. I think not wanting to eat is not going to hurt you. (all of us can stand to miss a few meals, if you know what I mean...) Whatever liquid you can get down you need to get down. Find whatever it is that you can stomach and just get as much of it in as you can. You are not very far out from surgery so take it easy and don't stress about nutrition yet. But get the liquids in. If you can't call your doctor, it is a big deal and needs to be addressed.

The port sight is the bane of the banders existence for a while! Mine hurt for around two months- well maybe hurt is too strong a word, but it was uncomfortable. Even after two months I could still feel discomfort there after strenuous activity. Even now, five months out, I feel sore there after working out. I just think it is a huge issue having something sewn to your stomach muscle and it's just the one part of band surgery that lingers for a while. At least you know now that it is common and you are normal! While in the shower it really helps to let the warm water run over your port sight (as long as you are allowed to shower) You can also ice it, and that helped a lot too. By the way - it stays kind of sticky- outy and swollen for a while too.