MichelleInCA

Actually I wasn't kidding about the Ambien, which shows you how much common sense I have about medical care. Heh. I'll let things chill out and try some gatorade in the morning. Thanks again!

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice. I've stopped the Water even though my sister was pushing it on me! I feel better already actually. The doc hasn't called back so I don't have an Rx for anything. Would it be dangerous to take an Ambien so I can sleep through it? Thanks again everyone -- like my own little ER.

Thanks very much. I have a call into the doc on call. Hopefully he'll have a similar idea.

My doc says there can be irritation after a fill, especially if you eat solid food too soon. That would be uncomfortable, and you need to go back to liquids for a day to let the irritation heal. So I think it's normal! I'm up to 7.5 in a 10 cc Realize band and finally at very good restriction, 5 months after surgery! I'm so happy. Now it's very painful and uncomfortable if I eat too fast or too much. And I don't get hungry for 3-4 hours anyway. So I encourage everyone to hang in there, just like people here encouraged me. You'll get there eventually!

What keeps me trying, in spite of very slow weight loss, is recognizing that this is my last chance, and I can't fail! It was a 7-month process from my decision to do the band, until I actually got it. Now 3 months after surgery it's still not working the way I'd imagined. I need another fill. So my choices are to give up and eat like I did before, or eat as if the band is working as much as I can until it is adjusted perfectly. Here are a few tips a counselor gave me: Eat very slowly even if your band isn't forcing you to. Put your fork down between each bite. If you're presented with trigger foods (like chips or chocolate, for me), tell yourself you're not a person who eats those foods. Don't take the first bite. Stop eating before you're full. At least for me, there's a time delay between my last bite and when the band kicks in and makes me feel full. You have to learn to trust that that full feeling will happen. Make a cup of tea with a bit of diet creamer instead of eating that snack. Anyway, those are a few ideas. The main thing mentally is we have to think of this as a new, critical stage of our lives. We're not going to be the ones who don't make it with the band! We're just not! :smile:

Argh, I feel so far behind most of you! I've been stuck at 25 lbs lost for weeks now. I've had 2 fills, now at 5 cc in a 10 cc band. Other than a few things not going down well on the first few bites, I don't feel much restriction. I think I've been expecting the band to "stop" me from eating too much, and it just isn't doing that. I know I'm eating a lot less than before surgery, but the scale sure isn't showing that. Oh well, I'll have another fill next month and maybe that'll do the trick.

Oh my, this is so tragic, regardless of how she got the infection. I'm so sorry for you and your 3 young boys. I hope the military will allow you to stay with your sons indefinitely. My thoughts will be with you, Peter.

I had my first fill on April 15 (surgery March 5), 4 cc in a 10 cc band. For 3 weeks I felt nothing, then suddenly this past week I've felt restriction on and off. The feeling is like a bit of delayed reaction, where I'll eat too much and not know for half an hour, but at least it's something! Going in again tomorrow for more fill; I hope the doc isn't scared to give me a good shot of it. :thumbup: My doc didn't let me see the needle until she was done. I have to say I'm glad -- the sucker is huge!! I was grateful for the numbing shot first.

My doc said she does no more than 3 or 4 cc for the first fill depending on the patient's restriction level. Mine was "none" so I got 4 cc. I felt nothing for 3 weeks, then suddenly a bit of restriction! It went away again though. I'm going this week for another fill; I'll see how much she's willing to do for a second one.

Well done, Rukshanna! Are you feeling restriction? How did you manage to stick to the plan before your first fill?? You must have more willpower than I do!

Sorry, haven't been here in a while! Dr. Foster did my surgery at El Camino on March 5. Everything went really well, and I found ECR to provide great service. It doesn't seem as busy as other hospitals I've visited, so you don't wait hours for a nurse or anything. Dr. Foster is very competent, very no-nonsense. If you need a lot of emotional support from your surgeon, she probably isn't the best choice. She's more down to business. :thumbup: The whole experience was less traumatic than I envisioned for years beforehand, that's what I'd say. I had my first fill April 18... 4 cc's now in my 10 cc band. Unfortunately I still don't have restriction, so going again next week. I've been losing very slowly as a result, but I'm hopeful I"ll get to that sweet spot!

June is a very long time after your surgery -- have you asked your doctor to fill earlier, or why he/she won't? I would even consider finding another surgeon if mine told me to wait 4 months for the first fill! I'm having my first on April 18 (7 weeks post-op) -- a bit longer than I'd like but it's a scheduling issue. I feel some restriction, as in the first couple of bites can cause pain if I'm not careful about chewing, but honestly I can eat quite a bit still if I don't stop myself. I find a bit of a delayed reaction -- I get uncomfortable some time after I eat too much. I hope a fill will make the reaction speadier.

I didn't have any port pain right after surgery. A couple weeks later I had a bit of soreness for a few days, but that's gone now. I bowled 3 games 3 weeks after surgery, if that gives you an idea. :smile: I'm not sure if the choice of band affects your post-surgery pain that much. I've seen such variations here for all of them!

Yeah, I think the two companies are in fierce competition, which is good for us! I got the Realize on March 5. My surgeon said, in the end, both devices are quite simple and the differences aren't very important to their functioning. My doc also likes the fact that J&J is so big...but most of all the support website, which J&J must really sell hard to surgeons. I have been using the RealizeMySuccess site. It's pretty good, but honestly it has some minor but annoying bugs. Like it sent me two alerts -- one that I've gained weight and one that I've lose 25 lbs and should ask my doctors about changing my medication dosages. Neither alert is true based on the weight data I've put in! Also for the daily food diaries, there aren't enough foods in the database. Like, the Protein powder I use is not in there. So... I would say the site needs improvement, but yeah, it's got a lot of useful stuff and great potential.

I guess it's wrong, but I really want my first fill to restrict me like crazy! I know I'm eating about 25% less food than before, but it's not the band stopping me, it's just me "being good". Even so, I'm hardly losing any weight. Waahhh. I was so hoping I'd be one of those who lose 10 lbs/month all along. It's hard to adjust expectations w/o feeling like I'm blowing it already, 3 weeks out. Anyway thanks for the reality check and encouragement, it does help a lot.

Oh my, I think I would have lost my mind eating nothing but Protein drinks for another 3 days much less 3 more weeks! The bad thing is I'm losing very slowly if at all, because I am "able" to eat about 80% of what I could before surgery. So yeah, it's about forming good habits now.

I'm a big user of diet pudding with a dab of lite cool whip. :thumbup: My doc was so relaxed about the diet stages compared to what I read about here (and compared to the dietitian's warnings!). After 8 days the surgeon said to go to "Stage 3+" in other words mushies, but trying solids too. So now 3 weeks out I can eat just about anything. If I start too fast I get an immediate pain in my chest, but if I chew well and go slow, it goes down fine. I feel a bit of restriction and really suffer after a meal if I eat too much; I just wish the warning that I've eaten too much would come sooner! I hope I haven't rushed it, I really do.

It's so great for me to read these thoughts from everyone, because I've stopped losing too. Banded on 5 March, lost 8 lbs in a few days, and nothing more for the last 6 days. I'm able to eat just about anything and quite a lot of it, so now I'm back to relying on willpower, which was never my strong suit. I'm glad I'm not the only one waiting for the healing and first fill to come. It's just hard when you see people reporting big weight losses from day 1 on!

Hey all, I graduated to mushies yesterday after my visit to the doc -- only 8 days after surgery, and that was fine with me. Enjoyed some refried Beans with salsa like they were a gourmet meal. I'm not feeling much if any restriction though, which worries me diet-wise. I get full, but I can eat too much in a sitting. I'll get my first fill April 18, so until then my goal is to just stick to the new plan as much as possible. I have to tell the saboteur in my brain to shut the heck up. :thumbup: One good thing, my doc told me I could taper off to 0 on the Prilosec I've depended on daily for years -- the acid can't travel up past the band! I was very happy to hear that. We'll see if it finds a way, but she was confident it wouldn't.

Having been treated for depression myself (successfully!), I would urge you to get your depression treated first, then plan the removal of the band. The depression is the dangerous thing for you right now. Your surgeon could perhaps give you a referral to a shrink?

I have to say I agree that seeing the original surgeon could be really bad not to mention, just too late. This sounds like a life-threatening condition, and that Crazy8 could find a surgeon to just remove the band so she doesn't die of dehydration! Perhaps if she signs all sorts of papers not to blame the new surgeon he/she would do it. I can't believe an ER doc would refuse her!

Thank you! One thing I realized last night was to take the pain meds (liquid Loritab) right on time. Don't be brave like I tried to be. Ouch! I also have Gas-x strips at someone's recommendation here and those work for stomach gas. Finally, not to give TMI (too much info), but wow the bowel activity last night was something even though there is nothing in there. Sipping a Protein drink now in hopes it blocks things up a bit!

This is so terrible! Can you go to an emergency room in Oregon just to get the thing removed??

Well, I was banded yesterday and am home today! Overall I have to say it was much less painful than I'd expected. The docs did a great job starting the pain meds while I was out, and anti-nausea drugs too. I had just a bit of nausea the first time I tried to walk, then it was okay. I didn't sleep very well on the morphine-type stuff, I have to say. Now I'm home on Clear liquids and Loritab, and feeling quite well. Thank god I had no shoulder or gas pain that I've noticed. Good luck to everyone -- it feels great to have the surgery behind me!

I got my Realize band implanted yesterday! Home from the hospital and so far, so very good. Not much pain at all. Did the x-ray imaging thing, and fluid is flowing through just fine. My doc said the fact the band is not pre-shaped makes it easier to fit around the stomach loosely. And I can have my first fill as early as 4 weeks if I'm not feeling any restriction and heal up well. Happy camper, here!