DonnaB

Hi Sarah, I'd bet my band that you are suffering from a metal allergy. If you have a reaction to metal other than 14K and higher gold, that just screams METAL ALLERGY to me. Don't let it worry you too much, lot and lots of people have it. It may take a bit to clear up since this metal was not only on the surface of your skin but also subdermal - below the skin. I don't think I'd use a loofa - they're very rough - but I would definitely gently clean the wounds several times per day and reapply a topical antibiotic such as Neosporin. You should be aware that the active ingredient in Neosporin dissipates in a relatively short period of time and, if left in place, can actually harbor bacteria, so it's very important to clean the area several times per day and then reapply. As far as scarring goes, I've been using Maderma for scars ever since the wounds were completely healed. It seems to be doing a good job and my scars are getting lighter every day and have remained completely smooth and flat. I'm so sorry you've had the last couple of days from hell. I know how it feels to worry yourself to tears - I'm a worrier so I've totally been there! I'm pretty sure that once your staples are out you're going to be just fine. See you back on the board and please let us know what your doc said.

I don't know about Carb Solutions but I was gagging on every protein mix until I tried this: Mix your protein in 1 1/2 cups of fat free milk and add 3 tablespoons of sugar free fat free chocolate pudding along with 1 tablespoon of reduced fat creamy peanut butter. I swear it tastes like drinking a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. Using FF milk and SF FF pudding with reduced fat peanut butter really helps keep the fat, carbs, and calories under control. With two scoops of the protein mix I get in 40 grams of protein in that one drink. Good luck.

Hi Tybalt, Shakespear fan? My surgery was even easier than Kim's. The first night was the worst of it but I was still in the hospital and had an IV pain med that took care of it no problem. Went back to the hotel next day (I had surgery in Mexico) and lounged around without any real pain. I took one of the pain pills my doc gave me but only because I figured it would help me sleep, which I did off and on for that whole day. The next day my husband and I went out to a shopping mall and did some sightseeing. No problem. The next day we went around and bought souvineers and duty-free booze then jumped on a plane and came home! The worst gas pain I had was that day lounging around the hotel and it was totally managable. I didn't take even one more of my pain pills - I still have a whole bottle of them! I do recommend having some Tylenot PM Golden Vanilla Flavor - it doesn't come in any other flavor as far as I'm aware but I thought it would make it easier to find if you knew what the whole label said! Another good thing to do - at least for gas pain - is to stand next to your bed, bend over from the waist and rest your forearms on the bed resting your forehead between them. You can bend your knees slightly to make it a little more comfortable. It looks a little crazy but I swear it really helps with the gas pain. I would also start taking some chewable fiber tablets today or tomorrow (follow the directions). The faster you move your bowels following surgery the better you'll feel. Must be something about the gas. You'll do fine, every day a little better. BTW you're having surgery on my seven-week post op day and I've lost 25 pounds so far. Congrats on your upcoming surgery and let us know how you're doing.

How cute are those pictures! You should send them in to a magazine or a pet product company. I'll bet you could win a prize or maybe get free bunny food for life! Take care of your babies and keep posting pictures!

Don't deserve a fill? Oh my gosh. Don't do that to yourself. I'm no expert but, it looks like you had a fill in early Februarly and now it's late April; you haven't lost any weight for a few weeks; a whole piece of cake on top of lasagna. Honestly it sounds like you're ready for a fill to me. Stop beating yourself up. Of course you deserve a fill. You deserve to achieve the weight loss you've worked so hard for. Start making your band work a little harder. Not a lot, just a little. When you've got more restriction you'll start losing weight which will help to keep you motivated to make good choices. You can do this and you don't have to live up to some ideal to deserve it either!

Whoo hooo! I vote for a party at Plunder Bunny's lake house! :party:

Hi Rachel, Welcome to LapBandTalk. The best advise I can give you is to do your research. Look into your insurance plan, look into surgeons, find success and complication rates, be realistic with your expectations and with your ability to comply with the band rules. A lap band isn't a magical solution - it IS an amazing tool which, if used correctly, will help you to achieve your weight loss goals and to maintain them. This site, LapBandTalk, was an excellent source for me when I was still considering the band, so spend a few hours - or weeks as in my case! lol - and read as much as you can to see how successful people are and to find out how much effort is involved. Do yourself a favor and don't spend TOO much time in the 'complications' forum. It's a good idea to know what kinds of complications can occur, but if you spend too much time in that forum you will totally freak yourself out - at least I did! When looking at the complications, remember that most U.S. surgeons have an approximately 1 - 3% rate of complications (of course you should still find out about the surgeon you select specifically). Its a little scary but you should also remember that that means 97 - 99% of lap band patients have no complications. Those are pretty good odds but only if you're a gambler. See what I mean? Good luck on your weight loss journey, whatever you decide to do.

Hi Melody, Just thought I'd pass on this pearl of wisdom from my band doc: If you need to take a medication which is in a capsule form (this won't work with a pill that has a 'capsule coating'), drop the capsule into a little bit of Water and watch it for a few minutes. When the capsule looks wobbly - like a grape that is past ripeness and is starting to 'sag' - you can swallow the whole capsule without it getting stuck, without it hurting in your chest, and without those disgusting mix-it-into-pudding blues! Yuck! This made a huge difference for me as my post op antibiotics were big capsules and tasted so disgusting that just the taste almost made me vomit. Swallowing a gooey capsule is sooooooooo much better! If you're nervous about this at all, call your doctor and see what he/she thinks. Good luck. Let me know if this helped you out.

My doc used the subdermal stitches like plastic surgeons do, with a generous squirt of of glue! I also had steri strips which completely fell off after about 10 days. My first steri strip came off after only a few days and that little cut looks the best. My second steri strip came off after about 5 days and that little cut is the darkest! Go figure. I've been using Maderma for scars ever since the scabs at the ends of my port wound fell off and I think it's really helping. They all feel smooth and flat, and look fairly pale pink already. I am six weeks and four days post op today. I've heard people say that having paper tape on hand is a good idea. If I'd had some I probably would have re-covered where the first two steri strips came off but all's well that ends well. Best wishes on your weight loss journey Yoda.

Wait, you're on a strict liquid diet but you're going to try grilled fish with tartar sauce? Fish can be soft but I don't think it can be sucked through a straw! Hopefully you mean you'll try it when you get to the 'between mushies and solid food" stage, right?

Hi, I'm sorry you're having som much pain and if you really think your port has come loose from the muscle and moved, I think you should go to your doctor. I doubt if it's an emergency but I don't think I'd wait very long to have it looked at - you don't want to get adhesions or some other complication. I don't know if PBing can cause your port to move but I suppose anything is possible. Please keep us updated as to what's going on with you.

Welcome to bandland Dianna! I also had surgery in Mexico - Monterrey with Rumbaut. I hope you're feeling well and will continue to post on LBT. I see that you're from Texas, is that right? Where about in Texas? The reason I ask is that there are groups of people that get together fairly frequently and it's a lot of fun and a great support system. Next time tell us a little bit about you - I'm curious about why and how you chose Mexico and Dr. Rod - is that for Rodriguez? Are you a self pay and if so how much did the band cost you? Mine cost $10,600 for the whole package. Keep in touch.

Insurance companies are in business to make money. They will twist whatever information you give them to deny your claim. That's what they do. Here's MY recommendation (feel free to disregard if it doesn't suit your palate): find out what the insurance BMI requirement is - co-morbidities or not. Diet and exercise if you want, but be sure your weight when you visit your doctor equals whatever the insurance company requires it to be for approval - EVEN IF IT MEANS WEARING YOUR HEAVIEST CLOTHES AND SHOES AND PUTTING WEIGHTS IN YOUR POCKETS AND UNDERWEAR! OK, your doctor can't fudge the facts, it's against the law - but what your doctor doesn't know won't kill him/her and it very well might kill you. That's why I say do what you have to do to get what you know you need. I know, I live for melodrama but sometimes melodrama is a useful asset!

Welcome to bandland! I wasn't hungry for more than a week following surgery so I can't help you there except to recommend Isopure which is a great source of Protein - 40 grams per 20 oz bottle - and it's clear so it won't interfere with your Clear liquids program. I recommend the blue Isopure as the one that tastes the best. Well, tastes the least like a Protein Drink anyway! I understand that the protein will help you feel fuller or at least less hungry for a longer period of time than broth and other clear liquids alone. I will also recommend Benefiber mixed into broth or Isopure. Most people go through a period of the runs - not to put it too delicately! - followed by a period of constipation. In my experience, Fiber helps with both phases. The pain in the left side of your neck is probably from gas. Either that or referred pain from your esophogus (sp?). I got the best gas pain relief by standing next to my bed, bending forward from the waist and putting my forearms on the bed with my forehead resting between. You can bend your knees to make it a little more comfortable. It looks a little crazy but it really helped with gas pains for me - they went away after only a couple of days, for which I was very grateful. I think the fiber, passing gas, and moving the bowels did a lot to help with recovery from the gas pain. I know, TMI! But if it will help even one person . . . Good luck to you and please stay in touch with us at LBT.

I've had the mahi mahi from Sam's Club. It's a good texture and consistency, be sure to not over cook it. I like to marinade fish in Lawry's 30 Minute Marinade, the Sesame Ginger with Mandarin Orange Juice is my favorite. It's very good but if you're not into ginger, Lawry's makes 5 or 6 different marinade flavors. Another one I really like is the Lawry's Tequila Lime 30 Minute Marinade. I usually marinade the fish for an hour (if 30 minutes is good an hour must be twice as good, right?) and then bake the fish in the oven but it's even better when my husband grills it on the barbecue. One of our other favorites is Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends, Blackened Redfish Magic. It's good on catfish, tilapia or salmon (and redfish presumably - lol - although I haven't tried that), and then grill it or cook it outside using a cast iron skillet. It smokes too much from the blackened seasoning for me to want to do it in the house but it tastes great - spicy. Use lemon or lime squeezed directly on the fish or lemon juice mixed with a small amount of tartar sauce for extra flavor that smoothes out that spicy blackened flavor. I also have a recipe for a mushroom cream sauce thats GREAT on blackened fish but it's a bit high in fat and calories. I've never been a big fan of fish but lately I've really come to enjoy it. I'm so glad because I'm scared silly to try red meat but I get tired of eating chicken every day! Good luck.

Hi Mandy, I'm sorry about all the crud going on with regard to LBT, particularly, for your sake, the missing persons list and the loss of information. I would be upset about that too. I wanted to tell you that I did notice you weren't around but I didn't feel like I knew you well enough to enquire about you. It feels a little like trying to hang out with the cool kids in high school! How silly is that but I can't think of a better parallel. I understand that everyone likes to be part of a group but I can't help but feeling that if everyone keeps mainly to their own group and by posting mainly in PM you really don't give a larger group of people a chance to know you. When I say you, I mean all of us. I apologize for butting in to a situation that I'm new to, but I can't help but wonder if you kept more to the public forums, if your group wouldn't be bigger? The reason I'm posting this to you on the public forum right now is because I really think that a lot of PMing is a drain of information and occasionally acknowledgement. Obviously though, some PMing is a very good idea! lol Again, I'm not trying to butt in or make you feel persecuted. I just want everyone to stay around so I can benefit from their experiences. I guess that sounds a little selfish but I want it for everyone, particularly the newest members. I'm glad your feelings aren't hurt and I hope your knee injections go quickly with less pain than anticipated. Best wishes,

Hi Pepper, Welcome to bandland! You're probably a little depressed - I know I was as I wondered what I had done and why?! The good news is if you follow your surgeons instructions to the letter and work your band it WILL work for you. Drink enough water, that's the hardest part for me so far and it really makes a difference. I had surgery on 3-7-06 and have lost right at 25 pounds. I'll be going for a fill in a couple of weeks - I probably should have had one already but I feel restriction and I don't really want to push it. It took me years to put this weight on and I plan to lose it slowly so I won't shock my body or my psyche. You're going to do great. Keep us posted on how you're doing and let us support you!

In my understanding, overeating is the #1 reason for band slippage. My best recommendation is to use a food journal - I like FitDay.com and it's free - and write down your emotional issues at the time you go back for that second helping/grazing session. Another recommendation is to come to LBT more often and share with everyone here - the support is unsurpassed. Good luck and let us know what's going on with you please.

She can tell you to think along the lines of 160 pounds but don't you believe it! Just keep telling yourself 130 pounds - don't let someone else decide for you. I firmly believe people will live up or down to expectations and she's just given you encouragement to settle for less than your dream. Make your own goal then keep reaching till you get it. The only obstacle you can't overcome is the one in your head!

I can't choose for you but I think, if I were you, I'd find a doctor who wasn't prejudiced against OR for a particular WLS. Who's to say his reasoning is that he just doesn't want to spend time or money learning a new procedure and by denigrating the band he can keep his practice busy? I'm not against other WLS but I am an advocate for questioning my health caregivers' motives and seeking a second or even a third opinion. JMHO.

Dragonwillow! That was exactly what I was planning to do. I just recently bought the bracelet and now I'm going to keep my eye out for good charms. What can I say, great minds think alike. But why do you suppose you and I though of this? lol just kidding! How many charms do you have so far and do you have any pictures?

OK smarty! How do you post side by side pictures? What about videos? MP3s! Help! Help! I'm out of controllllllllll!!!!!!!!

Stop! Stop you silly people! DeLarla only posted this thread to research what kind of panties you all wear so she can outshine you at the Sangria Suarez! Don't any of you remember she said she was going to give out a prize for the best panties at the clothing swap! See Lisa, I'm ON TO YOU GIRL! LOL Having said that, er, I'm currently commando in the panties region and wearing a very unattractive, JMS, older-than- dirt, hook-and-eye fronted, no-support, white cotton over the shoulder boulder holder. Guaranteed to turn off ANY man regardless of their libido or testosterone level - post penal institution gentlemen included. EEEuuuck. Some day I'll wear the expensive good stuff. AND the erotic cheap stuff! lol BTW 44 years old, no kids, but I occasionally have a damp "chicken" depending on how bad I have to go and how long I've had to wait to do it! WAY TOO MUCH INFO! LOLOLOLOL Funny, funny thread. I am horrified and highly entertained - an excellent combination!

Hi tinaj, I was banded on 3-7-06 and have lost a total of 25 pounds so far - 17 of them post-op. I haven't had my first fill yet but I do feel full on a smaller quantity of food. Unfortunately, I'm still struggling to recognize when I'm full - I want to eat more than I need - and I worry about hurting my band/stomache from "pouch-packing". The hardest part for me has been to put down and/or throw away the food remaining on my plate after I begin to feel full. In other words, I'm still fighting the head-hungries. I suspect this will be the biggest challenge of being banded.

Welcome to bandland Dana! Don't worry about the water weight - just think how happy you'll be when it falls off!