HeatherO

There is a clothing exchange group on this website. You might even be able to set-up a trade.

The further you get out from banding, the less you have these feelings. For me, food was everything before banding . . . it has changed to an afterthought. I used to even have dreams regarding eating, now they are gone. The change in mind set is the hardest part of the journey . . . but you may be amazed by how much it changes in the first six months of being banded. Restriction really makes a difference in your outlook on food and life in general. It only gets easier as time goes on.

I am thankful that my band has gotten me down to only 1 pound from goal and a normal BMI in less than one year. I am thankful that my weight loss has helped me to become healthy and pregnant (afer having a child 16 years ago and thinking I would never have another). I am thankful to have support through this website, family and friends on this journey that helped me to lose almost 100% of my excess weight and to reach a goal that I never really thought was truly even possible. I am thankful that for the first time in my life, I will have achieved my New Years Resolutions. I am also thankful for the usual things, family, friends, employment, health, stability :0).

You look great. I can definitely see it in your body and more definition in your face as well. I hate to say "you have such a pretty face" because it is so cliche and not such a great compliment to those of us battling obesity. However, you do have great bone structure, love the cleft chin and your haircut is absolutely adorable and becoming. You look so much more happy and confident in your new pictures as well . . . the beauty just shines through. Congratulations and happy melting!!!

Some pain/discomfort is common with the port over the first few weeks regardless of where it is placed. I have read of others having it in the same location, they seem to do well with it there. Unfortunately a bra may not be comfortable for a while. My port is in my abdomen but I still was not comfortable with bras for a while. You might want to look into a sports bra - they might give you the uni-boob look but at least you will be more comfortable, lol.

The first couple of months after being banded, I couldn't understand why we had to go so slow either. Later, once I was restricted . . . boy did I ever understand why it takes a while. You just can't eat fast without getting sick when restriction is tight. You take a bite, chew it, swallow it and then your pouch decides if you can keep going or not. The bandster rules are something to be practiced in the early days . . . but later they are harshly enforced by your band with restriction.

You did the right thing by giving it a few minutes. Sometimes stretching your arms over your head or walking around some helps. Sometimes trying a little Water helps some people, but if I am really, truly stuck, the water can't go down either, everything is blocked and it makes me vomit which is dangerous for the band. Water can only help if I am partially stuck and uncomfortable.

I had this happen too at about 4 weeks out, but mine was caused from starting abdominal exercises again before I was ready. My doctor told me to back off and give it another 2 weeks. I agree you should call your doctor just in case. If there is any chance of infection it could be a much more serious issue. Does the port site look any different? Did you notice any redness, does it feel hot or look swollen?

I had it over most of the first month. My husband even joked . . . I thought surgery was supposed to help you get smaller, lol. I did indeed look pregnant. It went away quickly and was mostly just swelling. I am starting to look pregnant again . . . but this time I have a good reason, lol.

I had it for the first six weeks or so. It was very painful and sharp, kind of like a horse kicked me between the shoulder and neck on the left. The only ultimate cure was time . . . it does go away and I only get the occasional slight twinge now if I eat too much. My doctor also said and irritated nerve from the diaphragm, and I also had a hiatal hernia repaired at surgery. It seems like the majority of us with significant left shoulder pain had a hernia repair. Gas-X never helped it, because gas wasn't the problem. Tylenol never helped me either. The only thing that really helped me at all was massage, and taking a hot soak in the bathtub laying with my neck and shoulders in the Water (with my belly/incisions exposed to the air since you should never submerge them soon after surgery).

Mine is like that. I seem to have a sensitive stomach where restriction can actually change depending on factors other than the latest fill. I went for many, many, many months on my second fill and sometimes it would be very tight, very loose, just right and everything in between. Time of the month, stress levels, and many other variables can be at play. You can be sure that you are not the only "backwards" person out there, lol. I guess I am a little "backwards" myself.

I agree with the comments on drinking plenty of Water. Dehydration affects many people this way and this is the most likely cause . . . and it can be very hard to get the fluids in during the early days of banding. Vitamin and Protein intake at the right levels will also help you to feel better during the early days of banding. Restlessmonkey also has a point of watching out for bloodclots. They can be very, very serious and you want to make sure that any significant pain that is more than muscle soreness is reported immediately to your doctor. Walking is another part of a fast recovery, it also one of the easiest and most effective ways to help reduce the risk of blood clots. There is nothing that helps you to feel better and more energetic faster than to get up and get moving.

Some things that really helped me through this stage were as follows: * The best fix is time, and walking around. Even though you don't feel like you want to get up and move around, it does help you feel better later. Staying in bed does make it worse in that it takes a lot longer to feel better. * Taking a really hot bath also helps, but this might sound counter-intuitive. You are not supposed to submerge your incisions in Water so near to surgery, so I only had enough water to lie in it with my belly completely exposed to air. It really helped relax me and get rid of some of the pain. * Gas-X helps some people more than others. I got some limited relief from it. * There is also a chewable tablet called Nausene that you can get in grocery stores, pharmacies or Wal-mart that really helped with my nausea in the early days. I found that when I was first banded, it was drinking water that made me nauseous. I only used this a little over the first couple of weeks post banding, afterwards I never needed it anymore. Perhaps some of this information will be helpful for her and you can share it. I didn't want to send her an email out of the blue when she doesn't know me. This website is very helpful . . . even if it is just to read and not to post. I would highly recommend it because you can find great support here.

I posted this elsewhere but I just wanted to mention a few things that helped me out during the first things. I was one of those who went back to work 4 days later . . . but it really sucked and I was exhausted and grumpy. It is not uncommon to feel this way a few days out. The best fix is time, and walking around. Even though you don't feel like you want to get up and move around, it does help you feel better later. Staying in bed does make it worse in that it takes a lot longer to feel better. Taking a really hot bath also helps, but this might sound counter-intuitive. You are not supposed to submerge your incisions in Water so near to surgery, so I only had enough water to lie in it with my belly completely exposed to air. It really helped relax me and get rid of some of the pain. Gas-X helps some people more than others for the belly pain and tightness. I got some limited relief from it. There is also a chewable tablet called Nausene that you can get in grocery stores, pharmacies or Wal-mart that really helped with my nausea in the early days. I found that when I was first banded, it was drinking water that made me nauseous. I only used this a little over the first couple of weeks post banding, afterwards I never needed it anymore. Good luck, heal well, and just remember you are going to feel 100 times better in another week. Hang in there.

It is not uncommon to feel this way a few days out. The best fix is time, and walking around. Even though you don't feel like you want to get up and move around, it does help you feel better later. Staying in bed does make it worse in that it takes a lot longer to feel better. Taking a really hot bath also helps, but this might sound counter-intuitive. You are not supposed to submerge your incisions in Water so near to surgery, so I only had enough water to lie in it with my belly completely exposed to air. It really helped relax me and get rid of some of the pain. Gas-X helps some people more than others. I got some limited relief from it. There is also a chewable tablet called Nausene that you can get in grocery stores, pharmacies or Wal-mart that really helped with my nausea in the early days. I found that when I was first banded, it was drinking water that made me nauseous. I only used this a little over the first couple of weeks post banding, afterwards I never needed it anymore. Good luck, heal well, and just remember you are going to feel 100 times better in another week. Hang in there.

It is always strange being in a mixed group :0). I never explain (almost nobody knows) and just say that I am watching my girlish figure, lol. I don't want to spend all my time explaining. It sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving :0).

One thing I forgot to mention but really helps. If you are going to eat tortilla chips and dip, you can eat something first that will work kind of like a stopper or cork. One of the bandster rules is to eat your Proteins first, this also helps because proteins pass very slowly and things you eat afterwards get slowed down as you process the Protein. I can eat unlimited chips if I eat them before anything else, but if I eat chicken or something first, I only indulge in a couple of chips and am full. This actually works with any food that passes quickly through the pouch.

Chips and any kind of dip, queso and guacamole are my personal favorites, are no problem for me regardless of my restriction level. Even tightly restricted, I can eat them easily especially over time. Therein lies the rub . . . they are a slider food kind of like popcorn or ice cream. I will not allow myself to have them more than once a week but I try to make it no more than once a month. I can eat them, and eat them, and eat them and the band never says no because they slide right on through within a moment or two. Once chewed, they go right through the band without effort. You can definitely eat them post banding, but unless you are careful and limit them, you won't lose as much, stall or even gain. So just be careful and most importantly, be aware of how they might affect you.

Fills are sometimes fickle for different people. Even my fill doctor said that they do not require liquids after a fill because some people get restriction immediately and some people settle into restriction days or even a week later. Some of us can even get no new fill and have our bands tighten and loosen unexpectedly over time with no obvious explanation . . . if you are anything like me, I have a sensitive stomach which is affected by many variables unrelated to banding. San Diego Mom, It is possible that you may have gotten a double whammy in that your first fill started to kick in right when you got the second fill. I have also had fills tighten up over a short time. However, you might be OK with this fill level if you take it easy moving to different foods as long as you can safely get in enough liquids throughout your day (warm liquids might even help to loosen you up). How much of a fill did you get the second time around? My sentiments exactly . . . I agree 110%. Let's all lighten up over the holiday weekend, I don't think anything said here was meant to be hurtful.

I also have big losses after a fill. I always enjoyed them because they were usually preceeded by weeks of barely any loss. Now that you are tightly restricted, you might find that macaroni and spaghetti may be a problem. I find for me that I can only eat 1/3 of what I can normally eat if it is Pasta and I get sick so easy on it. Pasta can expand in your pouch in a very uncomfortable way at restriction. I used to love it, now I just don't want to hassle with it anymore.

The feeling fades over time, but does sometime catch you unawares. Deep down inside, I think my mind has not let go of being obese (I still am in my dreams, lol. My dream self isn't aware of the changes yet). I am now getting used to being thinner, but what I mean by this is that I no longer think about being big, only not really thinking about it at all. Most of the time, I am not fat me or thin me, only just me . . . . which is where I wanted to be all along. It is still a shock for me sometimes. Like when I am folding clothes and I see my medium sized t-shirts and look at them like, did some child forget their clothing here, lol? Not only do they look small, they look miniscule. Or when i look at a pair of size 8 jeans, they make such a slim sillouette when I am folding them that they look impossible. I can never imagine they would fit around me . . . but somehow, someway they do. My belly is growing right now because I am pregnant. My 8's are starting to feel too snug at the waist so I started wearing 10's occasionally that I still have in my closet. Eventhough I want my belly to grow and I am thrilled and happy about why it is growing, I seem to have an irrational fear of watching my body move back to being thick in the middle. It is like looking back 20 pounds ago with a big but and small belly . . . and then reversing it, lol. I guess i'll get used to the changes with time. I bet we all get used to them to an extent. However, I think we will never think about our bodies in the same way as someone who has never experienced being obese.

If it hurts so bad you are crying and at three weeks out it feels like day 1, I am concerned. Is it possible for you to call back and speak directly to the doctor or have the doctor call you? Comparing pain like this three weeks out to a boob job makes no sense to me. It doesn't make sense that you should still feel this way. Did you have pain like this from the beginning? I know you said it was intermittent, but I was just wondering if you could have pulled something or maybe your back is slightly out of alignment. Perhaps it is something other than the band.

My mother never used tampons, so I think that gave me my start of using pads. Unless I am swimming, I am just used to the pads. Another reason I don't use tampons is that I drink a ton of Water. I am constantly drinking all day, therefore many runs to the ladies room. My periods are really light so I don't have to change the pad constantly, but I would definitely have to change the tampon constantly.

I had mine the day after and it was no big deal. You are still able to get up and about after surgery, so either tampons or pads are easy to replace every so often.

Weight can affect self-esteem . . . but so can a lot of other things. You are still young and have just gone through some very big physical transformations . . . it takes a little time to adjust. Also, at 22 many of us are not quite sure who we are as a person, regardless of our weight. You should do some things for yourself that make you feel your best. Maybe a manicure, new hair cut/style/color, change in wardrobe, etc. If you focus on building yourself up as a person, the esteem comes naturally.