GreenChrysalis

I am sorry to hear that you're feeling badly. Quite a double whammy to have your gallbladder taken out too. I know the sweet stuff gets old quickly, but you have to stick to your doctor's orders. Doesn't sound like you're getting in enough liquids or Protein. sugar free popsicles are a good way to go for hydration if you are having a hard time with Water, juice and broth. As for the protein, you really need to do your best there because you can't heal if you're not getting enough protein. There are unflavored protein powders and I know unjury makes a chicken Soup one so you can get it in without having the sweet shakes and powders. Sip slowly. I have to watch the clock because it's so hard not to guzzle, especially if you don't care for the taste. You're bloated after surgery anyway so your weight will fluctuate a lot but that does sound like a big weight loss, so maybe discuss that with your surgeon. You're probably just having gas pains, also. I had and still have it and it does cause chest pain sometimes. For me Gas X strips work the best. Good luck and keep us updated!

L.A., glad to hear from you and so glad that you're doing well. Yay! Getting in that water is challenging. I have to make myself remember to fill my glass. I really like Crystal Light. At work I use the "on the go" packets so that I can decide if I want water or flavored water. I also like to put lemon or lime slices in my water at home just to mix it up. I hope you tell us how your first fill went. Well, last night was monumental for me. First mushy! I had some soupy refried beans and some guacamole. It was so delicious. Maybe not the brightest thing to choose something that normally gives me gas (pinto beans!) when I already get bloated/gassy very easily. The problem is that today my gut is making little noises and I have to, um, hit the bathroom for relief. I work in a very quiet office with one other person so it's not like I can blame it on somebody else. My challenge is to walk more. I know it will help with the bloat/gassiness. But I have the usual excuses. It's cold outside. Where will I walk? I could walk the length of my street and back, at least. I live on a street with a cul-de-sac but it's off a fairly busy street. I have a walking DVD (Leslie Sansone) but that gets old really fast. Maybe I need more of 'em... Hope everyone is well!

Hi Amie! I am so glad that you had a good experience. I definitely felt like I was hunched over for the first few days and walking at a snail's pace. I'm two weeks out now and my port area is still pretty sore, I can't move my torso in certain ways or too quickly. But it's getting better. You'll get better too. Congratulations! The gas. Well, it's a whole new experience for me. Sometimes, no matter what I eat or how slowly and carefully I eat it, I end up feeling bloated. It's just not fun. Gas X, warm showers, the heating pad, asking DH to rub my tummy...they all help but it still takes time to pass. Last night, it was time I would've rather been sleeping! I know that I need to move more. I probably need to start walking after dinner, but there's nowhere very nice around my house to walk. I have some walking DVDs, so I guess that's the answer. Get off my butt.

Welcome Mithotyn! I will try to answer your questions. :thumbup: 1. Yes, many people have loose skin after losing a significant amount of weight. If you go back to the main page you'll see there's a section for Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery. When you are obese for a long period of time, sometimes your skin just won't shrink back with weight loss. There are a lot of factors there, including age, genetics, etc. I worry that I will have this issue, but I will cross that road if I come to it. Some say that staying hydrated and exercising can help. 2. I don't think so. I have never seen that mentioned. But that would be something to bring up with your surgeon, of course. 3. It depends on the surgeon, your anatomy and whether you have complications or additional things like a hernia repair. Mine was about 45 mins. 4. There is a thread for Michigan here that you could try asking on. Also try a search or the "Doctors and Hospitals" section. Good luck!

Hi Teaching88, check out the threads here. There are explanations of the surgery, including videos if you are so inclined. Everybody is different so I can only speak for myself. To me, the pain from the surgery was minimal. I was prescribed pain meds that kept the pain down. My surgery was outpatient and I was in and out in four hours. I returned to my desk job four days after the surgery. I was a little tired the first day but otherwise I'm fine. Some people take two weeks or more, depending on their job and how well they think they recover from surgery. In terms of scars, all surgeons do it differently. I had five incisions. Three of them are very small, maybe two centimeters in length. One is maybe half an inch. The largest is about an inch and a half. This is where the scope was placed and where my port is located. Good luck and enjoy LBT, there is a lot of great information and a lot of supportive people here.

Excellent post, thank you very much for sharing and for offering to answer questions and assist others. I am always interested in the stories of those who have been living with their band for a few years. Congratulations on your success and best wishes for the future.

Michelle, no worries, you did not step on my toes at all! I just wanted to explain why I felt the need to do the name change and all of that. I am glad that you have been able to set those boundaries with your family and come to peace with your mom. Thanks for sharing that with me. :thumbup:

If you are specifically interested in feedback on Dr. Ortiz (or any doctor), do a search for his name and see what you come up with. I had my surgery in another state (and would be happy to give you details if you like -- PM me), but before surgery I found local doctors willing to see me for aftercare. I am returning to my surgeon for my first fill but will use one of them after that. If you decide to go out of the country or out of state it's important to secure local aftercare. Some people use FillCentersUSA. From what I've read here, the level of satisfaction with them varies, it just depends on the provider in your area. Some people love their local FillCenters provider and others have had negative experiences. Good luck!

Hi Sobrien32. First off, nope, you shouldn't cheat. Make sure you're following that diet to the letter. Stop and ask yourself if you're really, truly hungry or if it's just head hunger. I had a headache for the first few days on my pre-op diet, because it was low-carb and my body had to adjust (yes, I know that's easier than liquid, but when you're a carb addict it's challenging). Just keep in mind that this is temporary, it's to make your surgery easier and you will get through it. I would avoid tempting food as often as possible, even if that means you need to get out of the office a bit more and take a walk or just take a break. My husband eats his junk food in our basement office so I don't have to see/smell/hear it. Good luck! You can do it!

Michelle ~ it is my journey, you are right, but my emotional/compulsive eating is very much tied to family issues. They have not been supportive of past weight loss attempts and my parents especially do not support the idea of weight loss surgery of any kind. My relationship with them is difficult and fragile. So it would be very unpleasant were they to stumble upon anything. As for nicknames, how about GC? It works for me. :blushing:

Congratulations Woofay! :smile2: I hope you do something really nice for yourself to Celebrate. A pedicure, a massage or something like that to really pamper yourself...you deserve it!

OK, people. I have gotten all paranoid about my family finding out that I had lapband and stumbing across this. I signed up here, stupidly, using the same username that I use as my email address. It's pretty unique so they could figure it out. The reason for my paranoia...I know a girl who was recently mentioned in OH Magazine. That led people to her OH profile, which led them to her blog...and she got more attention than she was bargaining for. Anyway, I have put in for a username change and I wanted to let everybody know that if you suddenly see "GreenChrysalis" here, that's me. In other news, the zero appetite status has worn off and I get hungry now. But I am not starving, I am managing it just fine by making sure I get in all of my Protein. That's not to say I don't want other things -- my DH eats pizza rolls in front of me, how dare he -- but I don't eat them.

Hey Kimmie, I am so sorry for this and I would be pissed too. My husband's insurance is UHC and his employer has a total WLS exclusion. I saw no point in trying to fight that as he is employed by the state. So I went out of state and self-paid. Good luck with this and don't give up...you will get there. There are a lot of people on here who have been through this with their employers and insurance, I am sure you can find some tips on how to get this covered.

Hey Dee, I am flabbergasted. I feel really bad for that other person, because what her doctor is telling her is contradictory to how the band is designed and meant to work. It's against everything I've ever read or heard about the band and goes against what Inamed/Allergan says about their own product. So that's seriously f-ed up, in my opinion. How are you supposed to have restriction if you don't get a fill? That's how it works! It's adjustable! I think that's what one of the best things about the band, myself. Yes, I know some people get restriction just from the band. But as I understand it, that's the exception, not the rule. Of course we would all like a minimal number of fills -- and I'm saying this before my first one. But I for one understand that this is how it works, and I will get fills as necessary to get restriction and maintain healthy weight loss. So you're right on the money, in my book. :biggrin:

I also went with Dr. Kirshenbaum in Colorado. It was $9950, plus the flight, rental car and hotel. I had a good experience. Many of his patients on LBT are here and they're a friendly group. Best of luck.

Hi smilingsoph. You need to speak to your surgeon and/or nutritionist if you're this hungry. Admit your mistake to them and then move on. My surgeon requires three protein shakes a day during the full liquid phase. Are you still in clear liquids? Most people do not have restriction at all before their first fill, so you shouldn't be so down on yourself. This is called "bandster hell" -- you're still healing so your band isn't working yet. You have to let yourself heal. Just hang in there, you can make it...:biggrin:

Hi feelgoodagain. My surgery was outpatient, so I checked in at the surgery center at noon for a 1 pm surgery. I was out of there by 4:30 pm. It really depends on your surgeon and your insurance company's requirements (some require an overnight stay, but I was self-pay). My surgery was on a Thursday. I went back to work on Tuesday and I have a desk job. I'd planned to go back on Monday, but I was too tired.

Hi Sherry and congrats on your surgery! I think it's probably normal to feel emotional after surgery, even when you're on anti-depressants. It can be a side effect of the anesthesia, or just from the stress surrounding the surgery and absorbing the enormity of your decision. So be good to yourself. As for the "knot", I had that off and on myself in the first week after surgery. It is likely gas. Have you tried Gas X strips? They helped me a lot. Also watch how fast you're sipping your liquids. If it hurts, then you need to call your surgeon. Hope this helps & good luck!

I just wanted to add that as you read here you'll see that there are a lot of different pre-op diets -- but they do all have the same purpose as others have mentioned. For the record, mine was 10 days and was basically the induction phase of Atkins (no sugar, bread, pasta, rice or potatoes). Many have liquid diets and have them for longer. My surgeon set the length based on my BMI, which was 43. Good luck!

I'm sorry about your reaction to the anesthesia, but it sounds like you're doing well now! I had a problem with nausea the day after my surgery, but after that I was fine. I also had some wicked belches, especially if I wasn't careful to sip instead of gulp. Keep us posted!

smsmithart, It IS hard giving up sweets, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. I don't know how long you have to do the pre-op diet -- I had to do it for 10 days -- and at the start, it seemed like a lifetime. Can you imagine the people who have to do liquid diets for weeks before surgery? But it went by very, very quickly. Just keep your eyes on the prize and you can make it. It helps if the person(s) you're living with supports you. My husband only ate things in front of me that I didn't like and therefore didn't tempt me. We always ate dinner together and ate the same thing. And I felt very proud of myself when Dr. K told me after the surgery that my liver looked great. I was feeling all happy since my surgery because I didn't have an appetite...then yesterday, it was back. Only a little, but still, when I felt that rumbling I got annoyed. It's a lot easier to stick to plan when you're not hungry! But luckily it's not insatiable. And this morning when I got dressed, I noticed that my pants were looser. I haven't worn them in two weeks. So I got on the scale (I've mostly stayed away from it, since I know this is healing time, not weight loss time) and saw that I'd lost some more weight. I know that people often put some back on when they go to solids, so I'll keep that in mind, but I'll take this anyway. Today's project: find a therapist. I hope all my fellow newbies are doing well and I appreciate all of you being there!

Only my husband, a handful of friends and online buddies know. No family. I am the Fat One in the family and I have always felt like I was under a microscope when it came to eating and weight...they were not helpful or supportive. Being fat was shameful and embarrassing and my problem to fix. I already know their views on weight loss surgery. It's a cop out, a quick fix, only done by weak people, cheating. I had no desire to deal with that, so they won't ever know if I can help it. I eat emotionally and out of stress, and I am in therapy to find new coping mechanisms now that food can't be comfort anymore. I am pretty new at my job, only about five months in. I only took a few days off after the surgery and told my boss that it was surgery, but I didn't tell her what it was. I work with a lot of nosy, gossipy women and I don't care to be gossip fodder for them. When I start losing weight and it becomes noticeable, I will say that I am eating healthier food and less of it as well as moving more. That won't be a lie.

Hi Aliwatt and congratulations! Did your doctor and/or nutritionist give you guidelines? Most of the time you start out on Clear liquids -- broths, juice, Jello, popsicles, that sort of thing -- and the progress to full liquids, such as cream Soups. There are liquid phase suggestions here. Let us know how you're doing!

1/4 cup doesn't seem like very much! Avocados are pretty much all fat, but at least it's unsaturated fat. Still, you need protein, so I hope that by tracking your food you will see if you're getting enough. When you only get 1/4 cup, you have to make it count. I have some restriction too at 11 days out. Some people do have restriction after the surgery, often due to the stomach swelling. So that's lucky for us. I get full very fast -- usually after 1/3 to 1/2 cup (my surgeon isn't as strict as yours about quantity). And I don't usually get hungry. Good luck and keep us posted!

I'd suggest poaching your ninja throwing stars. Keeps 'em nice and juicy. That's what I've heard, anyway.