jbperry21

Hey everyone. I'm Jamie. I'm 28...and a half. I was banded on 3/31/08. I'm single and have been for way too long, no kids. Just me and my little dog. I've lost close to 30 pounds so far. I've had my first fill (well technically I've had one fill then 2 hours later an unfill, then a week later a fill). I'm really glad I stumbled onto the 20's board. Nice to have people around who are the same age. Oh, I forgot to add that I'm a college graduate with a business degree, but I'm actually going back to school starting this semester for culinary classes.

I had the same pain, but mine was due to an overfill. I hope you feel better!

I had my first fill on the 13th of 6cc in a 14cc band, it was too tight, so they took it out. I went back this past tuesday and they put in 3cc instead to see how it would do and I feel NOTHING! I have no idea when I'll be able to go back, waiting to hear back from the scheduler lady. I feel your frustration though because I was all ready to be restricted and I've got nada!

One of my friends that I've known since middle school that we've always had random hook ups, well I can't wait for him to see me once I lose weight. I've always been big and he's never cared. I haven't seen him in over a year now though because he lives in a different state, but I hope that'll be a good moment.

I can honestly say that I hope my sex drive goes up. I've been overweight for a very long time and I know that's affected it and my confidence. I don't even want to admit how long it's been since the last time I've been with anyone, so hopefully the future will be bright for me!

I've been banded for a little over six weeks. I had my first fill on Tuesday the 13th, well an attempted fill. I have the AP Large, which holds 14cc and the Dr put in 6cc. He said he normally does it under X-ray, but he was able to find my port and did it in the office. From everything I've read, it's standard practice for the Dr to make you drink some Water, make sure everything goes down okay, then if not remove or if it does, send you on your way. Well, Dr filled me, threw away the needle and gloves, said we were done and then said goodbye. No water, no asking how I was feeling, no nothing. Well, from everything I've read I decided I'd have a couple of sips of water when I got out to the car to make sure it went down because I didn't want to get to work and have issues. It seemed to go down just fine, then on the way to work I got the gurgly burps but felt okay. I got to work okay, then started to feel really tight in my chest. I went to the bathroom because it's the only private place in the whole store. I started to pace and hoped that it would get better. It didn't. It proceeded to get worse and worse and worse to the point that I couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe, and I guess I must have looked pretty bad because as I waited for my mom to come and get me and take me back to the Dr office I had three people ask me if I was okay. I don't think I've felt pain that badly in my life. (I've never had children, no other surgery, etc...closest thing I can compare it to was a gall stone attack that sent me to the ER in the middle of the night thinking I was dying!). I called ahead and told the receptionist that I was coming back in because the fill was too tight. She put me through to the nurse and no one answered, so I called again and told them I was coming immediately. I could barely breathe at this point and was gulping for air and clutching my chest. The pain was radiating out through my chest. Once I got to the Dr office and had to wait in the lobby for a minute or two, they took me back. He tried to get it out in the office, but he couldn't hit the port again. So, he said we were going to walk across the street to the X-ray place. I had to sit there for what felt like forever, though I'm sure it was less than 10 minutes. While in the X-ray room while they were getting me settled, he stated that he 'hated the lap-band' and told the X-ray tech in basically an I told you so voice that he had tried to steer me towards the bypass. They reiterated that he wasn't 'a fan of the lap-band'. I feel like this isn't normal at all, the whole not being precautionary in the office, then the inappropriate comments about the type of surgery I've chosen. It's not the first time he's basically pointed out that he thinks the bypass would have been better. All this posted is to get advice, opinion, etc. Tell me I'm overreacting if I am, please!

Had my fill this afternoon with the same doctor. He was much more sympathetic this time around and apologized for what happened the last visit. He said he was very surprised that it happened as it did, because 99% of his patients that he puts 6cc in the AP Large band don't even feel restriction. He wanted to err on the side of caution and only put in 3cc today. He made he drink a cup of water, then had me sit in the office for 30 minutes to see how I was feeling. I'm going to stick with it for now because the nurse I spoke to has made it sound like it might be difficult to get in with a different doctor. I'm being cautiously optimistic at this point. I came home, had a bowl of soup and I feel no restriction whatsoever...so in 2 weeks or so I'll see about going back and getting more.

My dr office submitted early because my work stopped covering WLS and I was denied because I didn't have 6 months. Without going into all the details, I finished the 6 months, submitted and was approved.

I had 6cc put in on my first fill on 5/13. An hour later I was rushed back to my Dr office and they removed it all, he didn't want to leave any in. It was too tight and I could breathe or swallow and had horrible pain. I'm going back tomorrow 5/19 and I'm hoping to get at least 3 or 4cc.

I am so glad to know that I wasn't overreacting or whatever. I tend to do that sometimes, but it makes me feel better to know that what I experienced is abnormal and my Dr really doesn't seem to be overly concerned. He was very unconcerned about the whole thing and not sympathetic to my pain or situation. I'm just glad the pain didn't start on my way back to work and cause a wreck or other serious situation.

He told me that 6ccs was standard for the AP Large band...I thought it sounded like a lot too considering most people seem to get 1 to 2 their first fill. I'm supposed to call tomorrow to get an appointment for Tuesday to get a fill. I'm definitely not leaving until I know for sure that I'm okay. I was surprised when he never even asked me to drink any water. I just wanted to make sure I'm not making a big deal out of nothing. I guess I'll contact the bariatric program at the hospital and see if I can switch to one of the other doctors after this fill.

Yeah, feeling it going through the tube was kind of weird. Mine was too tight after my fill and it took about 30 minutes before I knew that, so had to have it removed after about an hour or so of intense pain. My doctor wasn't very pro-active of making sure that I was okay after my fill though.

I used vitamin E and I think it's helped. My incisions are looking pretty good for 6 weeks out.

The doctor appointment went great. He did it in the office, no fluro, no x-ray, whatever. It went by like a breeze. Put 6cc in the 14cc band. Well, he didn't make me drink Water or anything, just said okay, and sent me on my way. So, I went to my car and drank a few tiny sips of water. They went down fine. On my way back to work I started having gurgly burps and I figured they'd go away. I felt fine other than that. Well, as time went on I started feeling really tight in my chest, then it got to the point of a horrible pain radiating out through my chest. I was like okay, this is going to get better, it's going to get better. I kept telling myself that and hoping it would. Well it didn't. So, I finally called my mom and asked her to come and get me and take me back to the doctors office. By that point I had no color in my face and was starting to believe that maybe it had slipped or something. I couldn't breathe, I could barely swallow, and the pain was unbearable to the point of feeling like I was dying. He tried to do it in the office, which took multiple sticks that I could feel very painfully, then decided to go to x-ray. I had to sit in the lobby over there for what felt like forever, though I'm sure it wasn't long. Mom was really worried I was going to pass out because I was so pale. He decided to take all of the Fluid out, though he asked me if I wanted to leave some of it in and I asked him what he thought since he was the doctor and he said take it all out. So I'm going to go back on Tuesday and they're going to put like 3cc in instead of 6cc. It was scary. Honestly, I think it all could have been avoided if my doctor was a bit more thoughtful about it all and more pro-active. He didn't even make me drink anything at all in the office or anything.

My solution for when I really need something sweet is: A glass of fat free skim milk with hershey's sugar free chocolate syrup and I have a spoonful of reduced fat peanut butter. That usually hits the spot for me, plus you're getting in quite a bit of protein for that little bit. I figure it's the closest I'm going to get to a Reese cup for a very long time!

When I first started eating solid food I couldn't eat very much at all. I have little tiny dessert bowls and I would put my food in there and that was all I could eat. I think it's because the stomach is still healing. I have my first fill on 5/13, so I'm really looking forward to that and not being quite so hungry and being able to eat more.

I didn't have a BM for about 5 days after surgery. Then I continued to have issues for about a week or so after because of the pain meds (they can cause constipation). But now I"m back to normal.

I have Cigna as well. My BMI was basically around 40+ for the five years, but they were pains about it anyways because I didn't have any co-morbidities. Just wanted to say I feel your pain and frustration. I finally got approved though and was banded a month ago.

From what I've picked up from reading other threads and posts from long time banders is that the reason they have you on the liquid diet is so that your stomach can heal properly and the band can get seated in the right place around your stomach while healing. If you're eating things that are not liquid, your stomach is having to work harder to digest it and is contracting and everything while it is, so it can disrupt the healing. Follow your dr's orders. They give them to you for a reason, not just to torture you. I was on a liquid diet for almost 2 months pre-op and post-op. It sucked something horrible, but that's what the dr told me to do. Just try to find other soups, liquids that you can eat if you aren't limited to just shakes.

My port incision and port are right below where my underwire hits on the right side. I couldn't wear a bra for more than an hour or two within the first two weeks. I'm a month out and I can wear a bra all day...though I can definitely feel a little pressure on my port that can get bothersome.

By the time they gave me the drugs to get rid of my nerves before they even took me into the operating room, I could have be paraded down the hall naked and I wouldn't have cared!

I was just banded on 3/31. I have a membership to a gym, but last week I went to my regular doctor because I was having some problems with my knee popping. There's no pain, but until I find out for sure what's going with my knee I can't really do a lot of walking. My knee cap is supposedly not lining up correctly, so it's popping and has caused some other problems. I've had x-rays done so hopefully I'll find out the outcome soon and it won't be something that requires surgery. So, that being said, suggestions on some types of exercises that I can do. I'm ready to start exercising because I'm feeling better, but I don't have access to a pool and walking even with the knee brace is still causing popping.

I was banded on 3/31 and I was actually starving like 3 days out. I heard so many people saying they had no appetite like 1 to 2 weeks out and I was like, what's wrong with me! But yeah, I was starving living on just the liquids, but it gets better.

I never took any phen-fen, but I still had to have the heart tests done. They said that was part of the requirements for the program my hospital had.

I was thinking of that the other day too. I'm not that far post-op yet, but I've held onto so many clothes whether they're fat or thin clothes that it's just going to be great to clean my closet and drawers out! Good luck with your decision though.