Elizabethdb

The gas is different. This gas settles up in your chest and you have to be sure to move to get it out. It does hurt, I wont lie that is most of the pain from your surgery. All I can say is KEEP MOVING. KDLee, I would definitly go to the meetings if I knew about them, but for some reason, she has never told me about them. I need some support, Im struggling. :smile2:

The gas is a lot of the pain. Your stomach also swells after surgery causing pain. I had pain ni my left shoulder for 6 weeks after surgery. It would hurt so bad at times that it was hard to breath. They say that is a nerve getting pinched by the band and it just takes time to get used to it.

You know, I had my surgery in July and I have yet to hear about any Support group meetings. I know they have them because I know of people that go to them, but I have yet to be told of a date to go to one.

The pain wasnt too awfully bad. Which for the first about week I lived off the pain killers so I slept all day. Pain wise, I think you could go back to work in about 4 days BUT nutrition wise NO.. You wont be getting much nutrition at all so you will feel down right crappy and just tired all the time. I know of one person that went back to work after 1 week, but she had a sitting job and she is actually the biggest success so far. Everyone else has taken at least 2 weeks off.

Miralax is highly recommended. My grandma would maybe go once a week before we put her on that. The doc put her on Miralax and she was then going everyday My grandpa calls it "the miracle drug"

Dr.Kaplan doesnt say much about taking pills. He even sends you home on pain PILLS. The only thing they say is dont take them all at once. I did that the day after my surgery and boy did it hurt. I can however take them all at once now. I was never told to take the Flinestones before surgery, it was after surgery they told me I would have to take them. Even then, I never remember to take them. hmm maybe that is why I get soo tired throughout the day. Its really your choice which chewable vitamin you want to take, they just recommend Flinestones because they are smaller and they dont taste like vitamins. We went down to Mother Earth Foods and their chewables are HUGE and they stink, I dont think I would be able to eat those, YUCK! They will go over all this stuff in your visit with Jeanie a coupe days before your surgery.

Yeah, I do both the Flinestones and Tums. LOL, I was in the hospital 2 weeks ago with a Brown Recluse Spider bite and when I told them I was on Flinestones, they laughed at me lol. I guess it is funny to see a grown adult on childrens vitamins. blynndas, Yes you can do the weight watchers diet as long as you jus keep up with the guidelines they have like writting everything down and going to see Lindsey everyother week.(Or however your insurance is set up) They also give some guidelines and help you out making the right choices. Its hard though. I mean, Im used to eating junk and stuff all my life and then suddenly change. It will all be for the good though.

I saw you mention that you are not getting enough calcium in a day. We are required to take calcium supplements after surgery. They highly recommend just taking 2 TUMS a day. Its cheap and easy.

The diet is mainly cutting calories and cutting portions. You need to get off carbs and carbonated drinks. They just work with getting you to eat healthier. I am 9 weeks out and I think I need to go back to Lindsey for seom diet counseling, starting to get back into some old habits. Dr. Kaplan wasnt too happy that I only lost 1 pound in a month. Gotta work harder. Now that I am working harder at it, my sugar is dropping. So I gotta work something out. .. You will end up going down to a 1200 calorie diet. Sucks at first, but you will get used to it. Good luck with everything.

Good luck :redface:

I had no problems sleeping in bed. I had to prop myself up so I wasnt flat but that is about it. If you have enough pillows and blankets to prop yourself up, dont waste your money. I used a blanket and 3 pillows for the prop and that worked just fine. It's up to you though

Congrats on the weight loss denise. Keep up the good work. I am going in today for my 3rd fill. I still dont have any restricion so hopefully this will do the trick.

Good for you! Welcome to "Kaplans Bandsters" An old co-worker of mine is having it done on the 29th also. It is nice to have locals on here who have the same doctor. Who needs Jeanies support group? who have our own. lol Good luck next week. I know you will be fine.

From what I understand, I havent had it happen yet. It is when the food gets stuck and your body produces saliva or something to try to flush it down but then that fluid just ends up coming back up and they call that sliming.

Ive heard of sliming. Maybe that is what they meant, it makes more since.

I mever heard anything about chewing gum until I came here. I mean, I guess it does make since, but if it does happen to get stuck, all they have to do is and EGD, thats where they take the scope down your throat and then they can get it. Its a simple procedure IF it would happen to get swolled and get stuck. Anyway, I guess its just up to the doctor and the patient.

Drooling?? Ive never heard of that. what were they talking about when they drool or whatever? I have not had any problems with drooling.

Welcome to Lapband Jennifer. I just had my surgery done July 14th by Dr.Kaplan. That 6 months will be over before you know it. Is Lindsey and Jeannie fighting your insurance trying to get them to pay for the preop stuff? I mean if your insurance makes you do the 6 month diet, then they need to pay for it. I only lost 10 pounds in my 6month diet with Lindsey. Men lose weight a lot faster then women do, its not fair. Keep up the good work.. I go in Monday for my 3rd fill, Im gonna tell Dr.Kaplan to FILL ME UP! I just dont feel much restriction yet, but it takes time to get to your "sweet spot" Its good that you and your hubby are both doing it. Are you doing it the same day? You 2 will be each other support. My mom and I are both doing it. We planned on doing ours on the same day but she started in the diet later then I did and even though she had 3 months of a physician followed diet prior to her doing the preop diet, she didnt have 3 months of exercise documented so she had to go the full 6 months. We are each others support system and my best friend also had it done so that helps. Being on here helps a lot to and it is so neat that I am actually meeting some of "Kaplans Bandsters" on here. Hope to here from you soon

What was your question??

You are not allowed to drive for a least 72 hours after general anesthesia. Even though you may feel fine, the anesthesia is still in your system slowing your reaction time down. You would be considered DUI if you would drive.

I had severe shoulder pain until about 6 weeks out. I talked to my doctor a couple times about it. First he suggested going to the chiropractor maybe something was out. That did ease the severity of it but then I would have it REALLY bad after I ate or drank something. He then told me I was eating too much, so when I cut my portions down even more, that is when the pain finally went away.. Even now, I am 7 1/2 weeks out there will be times,not often, that I eat too much and the pain will come back. Anyway, just a little food for thought there.

The only trouble I have had with pills was the day after my surgery I took all my daily pills at once and that caused a lot of pain. I myself, have had no trouble whatsoever other then that day with pills.

Don't ya just want to stick your finger down your throat and get it over with?? Just kidding. I havent experianced that yet but my doctor told me if you get in trouble with being stuck which sounds like you are, give it a little bit DONT DRINK, and if you do get scared about it go to the hospital to have an unfill to get it to move. Sorry I dont have much advice, but that is what my doctor told me to do in that situation. Maybe you should call your doctor to see what to do.

I dont keep track of how much protein and stuff I eat a day. I know I know, I should be.. I just make sure I get protein in with each meal. Like for breakfast I have a cup of cheerios with Pediasure instead of milk. Pediasure has about 7 grams of protein so that tends to hold me off a little longer then just milk. Im really not going by a certain diet right now. I am concentrating more on cutting my portions, knowing my signals that Im full and stuff like that. I dont go out and eat junk food or stuff like that. Right now Im just eating a lot of chicken products. I cant wait until I get to my "sweet spot" I have however finally cut my portions enough that I dont have pain after I eat so that is a good thing. I had a big lecture about that at my last fill because everytime I would eat I would get this SHARP pain in my left shoulder into my chest making it hard to breath. Dr.Kaplan told me that I am eating way too much at a time and that is why I was hurting so I am cutting my portions, not quite down to the cup size portion, but getting close. It takes time.

Im not sure of the time frame but I do know you have to have a history of trouble with your weight. They dont look it up though, they just asked me how long I have been stuggling with my weight. I tell them since I was born, I was 2-3 weeks early and weighed in at 9lbs 3 oz.