jdemzi

Mine is October 26th!! So excited AND nervous!

$12,800 in the Seattle area. Includes hospital (overnight stay), anesthesia, Dr., assistant surgeon, three months of post-op visits for free and one free fill. Fills afterward are around $195.

I had my surgery 12/22 and everything went well. I have felt pretty good since with good weight loss. But I worked the other night and since then have had a sharp pain in my stomach. Sometimes it is okay, but other times when I touch the area or sit in a certain position it hurts. The pain is on the left side of my stomach, high up (close to top of ribs). The pain is so tender to the touch, I don't like pressing it. Did anyone else experience a pain (maybe actual stomach/pouch that might be inflamed, or something else in my belly)? My surgeon is about 1000 miles away, but I will see him in a few weeks. I don't want to call unless it is something really abnormal.

I got really sick from the anesthesia, even though they gave me drugs before surgery to stop it. Afterwards, they tried 2 other drugs and nothing worked and I was so tired of throwing up all the time, so they finally gave me something that "knocks you out" (fenagrin or some such) and that was the one that worked, thank the Lord. I preferred to go home the same day, but my mom refused to take me home because I was sick. She made the right decision.

Yeah, the lidocaine (sp?) hurts, but that is it. I was laying down when he did mine, so I am glad I didn't have to see anything.

My nutritionist is super strict but even allows caffeine. She just wants us to be careful with pop after surgery and prefers we wait a few months. But she said coffee is okay, just because with the creamers and such. She prefers no alcohol because of all the sugar and calories, but unless you are a non-drinker (which I am) it is probably pretty hard to completely give it up.

No. I only feel my port when I touch the incision area and push in a tiny bit. I can't even tell it is there now. Before, when I would bend over it would hurt, now I am usually okay with bending over, etc.

Congrats Photo! I had more pain that I had with my gall bladder surgery and was pretty miserable. I know my surgery also lasted over 3 hours, but there weren't any complications-I guess. I was also pretty sick from the anesthesia and it took the nurse a long time and a lot of trial and error with the anti-nausea drugs before they found one that worked. The first 3-4 days were pretty bad but after those 3-4 days I felt better and better each day. About a week or so ago, I was having some pretty bad pain in my stomach area, but that has settled down. Since then, I have been pain free. I go back for my one week post op on the 24th, and get my first fill. Don't really feel any restriction, so I am anxious to get the fill.

Hi Rae and Idaho. Rae: Srinkath was my assist. surgeon, I love him! Idaho: I am in Pocatello!

I was banded on 12/22 and my Aunt Flo made her first visit since my surgery. I get cramps, usually nothing too bad, but still enough to make me take something. I certainly miss ibuprofen, and tried regular tylenol, which didn't do much. Luckily, I had a tylenol with codeine pill left over from a root canal. I think I may go and ask my surgeon for a 'script for tylenol with codeine for those times of the month when regular over the counter just won't do. Also, once in a while breaking the rules might not hurt, but you never know. Try to follow the Dr.'s orders as much as you can.

I don't think I will ever go back to caffeine. I might have a diet coke every now and then about 6 months+ post op, but caffeine is highly addictive and just cutting out diet pop makes me lose a couple pounds very fast. I find I only crave pop when I am dehydrated.

I have been taking iron since my one week post op. I was told to not take the ferrous sulfate iron because it is hard on your stomach, and I found the only other iron I could easily find (at Target) that was okay, Feosol, was very expensive. So, I went to vitalady.com and they have an iron that is easy on your stomach and you can't beat their prices. Vitalady.com really has competitive prices and many things that are hard to find (non soft gel vitamin E for instance). So, if you are looking for vits, check out vitalady.com. Although my multi-vit is the Flintstone's complete and that is the one thing I don't buy from vitalady.com. But anyways, I do take 150mg a day of iron. I will get my bloodwork mid-April and that will tell me if I am taking too much or too little.

I can feel my port right under my large incision. It is really close to the surface. If my doc misses it, then I will be very worried!

Three hour diet by Jorge Cruise looks good (I bought the book) and then I bought another book, Picture Perfect Weight Loss. I love his philosophy of making a choice between a high calorie food for a meal or lower calorie foods for a meal so you can eat more with the lower calorie-healthier foods.

I was banded 12/22 and have had good weight loss and some loss of inches that has been even better. Still on Clear Liquids, but allow myself sugar free pudding sometimes when I am really hungry. Will be on clear liquids until 1/23 when I get my first fill. Only have pain in my stomach area, no port pain. Incisions are all sealed up and healed fast. This website has been a great support. Thank you all!

Have had a heating pad on for about 30 minutes and it definitely helps! Thank you again.

Yeah. Thank you so much. I am thinking I am swollen in my stomach and it is causing tenderness. I am just going to take it easy.

You are so nice! Do you remember any key words and I can search too? I tried stomach pain, but I didn't see anything really. I don't think it is gas, but I just took some Gas X, and it is so tender to the touch. Hmmm...

No. I can feel my port right under my big incision. This pain I think is coming from my pouch. It hasn't been like this since recently, so I am not sure what is going on. No problem getting my mostly clear liquids down.

Probably helps to find a Dr first that way you know about how much you need to finance.

Depends on you and your surgeon. Some surgeons are strict and prefer you don't consume milk or sugar (low amounts only). Each individual is different. Some people don't tolerate the lactose in milk, some people don't do well with carbonation, some people don't do well with red meats, chicken, etc...

I got nervous after I joined this site and I am still a little nervous. However, I know that if I follow my doctor's instructions and follow the general rules, I should be okay. I also had my surgery done by a very reputable surgeon who has been doing this for a few years and who is very strict (one month of clear liquids following, for one).

I paid $12,800 including everything (anesthesiologist, assist. surgeon, etc) but the pre-op testing. Also includes 3 months afterwards of free visits and one free fill. Fills after are $195. It is a special the hospital and two surgeons are having who primarily do the surgery there. Great deal!

I thought it was customary to send patients home with antibiotics? I know not every surgeon does it, but I thought most did???

I am sure there are other surgeons who don't encourage the use of supplementing with Protein shakes or adding Vitamins, but that is what mine does. My surgeon has been doing this a long time and knows the difference between gastric bypass and lapbanding, so I don't think anyone here needs to worry about that. My nutrionist discourages the use of milk because many can't tolerate the lactose and because of the high sugar, so I take Calcium. Many lapbanders can't eat a lot of meat, esp. red, so I take Iron. You are generally not eating as much as most "normal" non-banded people, so I take multi-vitamins. I think the addition of B-12, stress B, calcium, multi-vitamins, zinc, iron, and Vitamin E is hardly a signal that a doctor doesn't know the difference between gastric bypass and the lapband. I think it shows that a doctor is extra cautious and wants his patients to be healthy and if he thinks taking vitamins will make someone healthier, then God bless him. I don't think not encouraging the use of vits and Protein Shakes speaks otherwise, I just think different doctor's have different experiences, different educations, and different training that helps define how they practice.