HeatherO

Your shoulder??? I have never heard of that before. I am having a hard time imagining a shoulder port considering our anatomy and the placement of the band around the stomach. If you dont mind sharing, I am very curious. It sounds painful to run tubing under your breast tissue. Was there much pain in your chest area post banding? Is it a low-profile port? Is the port area raised so that you can visibly tell where it is without feeling for it? Perhaps you can tell in the post-banding scan/x-ray if the tubing is routed under your ribs in the same location where you are feeling the tenderness. I am also interested to hear what the physician has to say. If your port is not in that area than it could not be the same situation that I have experience with. I hope you get a good explanation and feel better soon.

I had it in the beginning. I still have it from time to time after doing something different or more vigorous in my abdominal work-outs than usual but it has become rare. It was never bad pain, just discomfort and I worried a little about it at first. I did ask my doctor when I first had it. She mentioned that the port is stitched to my abdominal muscles and it could be that new exercise is causing that soreness because I am working those specific muscles. The issue has pretty much gone away. I went from being completely sedentary to daily, vigorous exercise for at least an hour. No soreness lasted for more than a week or two at most and was always minor. If you notice any redness or swelling or the pain becomes more intense or long lasting, you will need to get it checked out. Otherwise it may not be that big of a deal.

I am still certainly up for a get together with all takers. I am from the East side, Mayfield Heights area. I would be happy to travel somewhere more centralized in Cleveland. It would be really nice to have a group going. Courtenay, did you finally get banded? I havent heard anything new and I wonder how you are doing. Shawna, hows it going so far? We were banded 2 days apart so we are very close as far as time spent in the journey. I still would love to get together. IAmTess, I am so happy you have decided to join our losing team :0). I hope everything is going well with the surgery. Our start weight was only 1 pound different so we started from a similar position. I am currently down to 179 (have to update my stats). Please let us all know how you are doing once you are back online.

Kendra, I stumbled across your thread for the first time today. I am so happy to hear everything is going so well. You will be in my heart and prayers :0). I am looking forward to following your progress back on the road to health.

Congratulations!!! I am also starting to really notice NSV's now that I'm 4 months up. I can't wait for our next ones to keep on coming :0)

I have never had problems with pills post lapband, and I have excellent restriction now. I take a daily pill and just make sure to drink a cup of Water after. I do take chewable Vitamins because vitamins can be incredibly huge. You may find that you don't have a problem with reasonably sized pills as long as they are not a "prohibited for banders" medication.

Congratulationsss!!! Nothing beats closet shopping after your down a few.

I hope it has loosened up for you. I have to say that being on liquids for a day after a fill is important. I have found that I can PB every day if I don't take a day to let my stomach relax by going on liquid/mushies. For some reason, my stomach is sensitive in that PB's beget more PB's even on food easily tolerated. A PB irritates my stomach so it is like my band tightens up considerably and I have to readjust. When I originally thought I was too tight, I realize now and have since learned by experience that I was just not careful enough. I can eat solid Proteins without a PB, stay full and I feel I have hit my sweet spot. If I ever "goof" up by eating to fast or too much where there is a PB, I definitely take a day to get my stomach back to normal.

Your health is so important and an absessed tooth can be a miserable experience. You dont want a major infection being cleared up at the same time getting abdominal surgery. It might seem difficult because you are working on getting the band, but what is 2 weeks compared to the rest of your life :0) It will be done and over with before you know it.

There is no restriction on activity at all. It had no affect on working out, which I do religiously on a daily basis.

Maybe a mix is best. Perhaps you should eat the salad/chicken/etc first and save something sweet for last. Then you will start by being full to begin with.

It can be entirely different based on the doctor/insurance etc. There is no way to know how to compare without finding out their specific rates, portions due to the patient, etc.

I wouldnt wait another moment to see a doctor. You could be causing yourself serious harm by waiting it out. You may have already waited too long.

I had it until about 6 weeks out, and it was pretty intense. I still get a shoulder twinge of pain if I too much. I remember between 3-4 weeks out I was pretty miserable, it is kind of like the pain of your back being misaligned but it is in your neck/shoulder area. Luckily, I am fine now. Perhaps if you hang in there another week or two it will go away.

It sounds like you may have gone to a bad location. I am sorry that you have struggled and had such a difficult time with this doctor and facility. You are definitely correct in that it is difficult to find care here in the USA after you have had procedures performed in Mexico. I was in Hospital Angeles and I found the facility very clean and professional. Dr. Corvala performed the surgery. I was going out of my way to look for any "warning" signs as well, but none could be found. When I had any questions or concerns, everyone responded to my emails or phone calls quickly. My experience was very positive. The only issue I ever had was one male nurse wanted to change my bandages without wearing gloves and my husband said absolutely not. He put on gloves and everything was fine. My incisions healed well and quickly. Unfortunately, staph or other infections can occur here as well. My mother had a bypass operation in a Pittsburgh hospital and almost lost her life due to infection. She ended up in a nursing facility for more than a month to recover from the infection. If I were to give anyone advice, I would say take infection seriously. If you have puffiness, redness around the incisions, swelling and discomfort which are more than expected . . . have someone take a look at it as quickly as possible. Also, everyone should follow their wound care instructions without fail. If it says wash your hands, perhaps washing twice and making sure you carefully clean under your fingernails for good measure is even better. Afterall, it is your health on the line. As far as going to Mexico is concerned, all I can say is research, research, research . . . and when you think you know everything, research some more. Talk to people who have been there if you can. Forums like this are excellent for that purpose. This also means going beyond the list of reference people provided by the group/facility. Any patients with a bad experience/outcome are not likely to be on their referral lists . . . if you know what I mean. You can find professionalism and good results in many places, just as you can find subpar doctors and facilities everywhere.

Steak is certainly worth it and there is no reason to give it up. To be honest, steak is easier on my stomach than chicken. I understand the athlete bit. My workout used to be remote control surfing on the couch. I now work out vigorously every day at the gym and have started running as well. Sometimes I wonder . . . who is this person that I have become. I hardly recognize myself :0) It feels great!!!!

I have been doing a lot of "closet shopping" lately, lol. I think a lot of us who have traveled up and down on sizes in the past have some items in the closet that havent fit right for a while but we can't bear to part with. It has been great!!!!! I also love that I can see the transition in a pair of pants from skin tight . . . looks good . . . omg, i need a belt :0) Another nsv is just being able to go clothes shopping and find cute, non-grandmotherly clothes that fit well. I wouldn't give my band up for the worlddd!!!!!!!

I am very sorry this happened to you. Everyone I have ever spoken with who has gone to Mexico has had a wonderful experience with no issues, including myself. Did you get any information regarding why you ended up with a staph infection?

I have it too but I am not worried about being too tight. Cold Water can give me that feeling and i know that isn't too thick. I go slow on drinking in the morning but I can eat a banana or yogurt . . . you would think that they would be more difficult than cold water, go figure. I still eat healthy food without sticking to mushies but I just have to be careful with the Proteins and some veggies as far as time and chewing. I can drink just fine at night and I get tons of water in the second half of the day. However, I definitely feel that sensation in the morning and also if it is something really cold.

I agree, a small unfill may do the trick. I know it is really hard to get to the point where you have to make a decision to go back for an unfill. I had a problem my last fill (second) where I was pb'ing almost every meal for over a week. I had almost no restriction with my first fill. I made a decision to go back and get a slight unfill and so scheduled an appointment. While waiting for the appointment over a weekend, I decided to go on liquids to let my stomach relax for a little bit. By the time I reintroduced mushy and later solid foods, I was OK again. I don't PB now but I had to learn to chew more carefully. I also learned that I needed to give myself time to readjust to certain types of foods (like salad and chicken which are a cornerstone of my diet). I hope you feel better soon.

Carbs were my downfall before band. Now I try to avoid all carbs that are not in the form of healthy fruits and vegetables. At first I thought I can try just a little and it would be OK, but that was not the case for me. To eat a little carbs just made me want to eat a lot of carbs later. At first it was very hard, but once you break the carb addiction it gets much easier. The strange but amazing thing that has happened now is that my tastes have started to change. I am craving the good stuff and not as interested in the bad stuff. The things I used to have the worst cravings for in the past seem boring now. If you stick with it and avoid old eating habits for long enough, you should find that good eating habits become second nature. Right now you are in a tough spot only three weeks out, getting hungry with no restriction. You may find that everything is a lot easier after a fill or two. Hang in there.

Pre-band, I could eat alot if I was regularly eating alot. When I was dieting, my capacity shrank and less would fill me up. I think our stomachs can accomodate the amounts we are used to eating to some extent.

I wish you best of luck as well. Not all PCP's are onboard with WLS, regardless of the circumstances. At any rate, you may want to look for a new PCP. Even if you manage to get it approved without the PCP's endorsement, you will need a physician that you can continue to go to and share your experiences and health concerns with.

I think eating the right foods, following the plan and staying a little looser are healthier in the long run. Being too tight is unpleasant and not safe. It you are working on healthier eating you are already moving in the right direction. Maybe 1.55 or 1.6 is the right level for you. At this point maybe your fills need to be raised/lowered in much smaller increments, perhaps by .05. You know your current upper and lower range now so the sweet spot must be somewhere in between. I also strongly agree with Jack above. There is the band around our stomachs which needs tweaking, but the band around our minds is where most of the hard work comes in. :0)

I have only told my husband. Not even my teenage son is aware of it. I did not want to add any additional pressure to what was already a really personal choice. One of the reasons that I did not tell anyone is because I have a friend that had R&Y and has had limited success but is still morbidly obese years later. Some mutual friends sometimes comment about how she did not follow up with support needed. Everyone loves her and is very sad that she did not find the level of success she was looking for after taking such great risks. I dont want to be scrutinized at this level, even if it is well intentioned by people who love you for who you are. I am a very private person and I dont want everyone watching my every bite, or looking to see how my body changes. I am one of those people who blushes when someone sings happy birthday to me . . . . if you know what I mean :0). I dont want to be "different" or maybe have my weight loss discounted because I took the supposedly easy road before I have a chance to get into my new skin. However, I am finding success and people notice. People ask what I have done and I tell them honestly what I do every day: daily intentional exercise coupled with small portions of healthy food and elimination of processed carbs from my diet. I have decided that once I move out of the obese bmi range, if anyone asks sincerely how I lost it (and maybe is struggling in the same way I was) I will tell them exactly how I got to where I am. I want everyone who struggles like me to know what opportunities are out there that might help. I just want to move past the preliminary stages of weight loss on my own with the support of my DH if that makes any sense.