marie715

Hi 91vert! Welcome. I'm 9 weeks post-op so I can answer a few of your questions. The biggest lesson I have learned from being on lapbandtalk.com is that everyone's (and I do mean everyone's) experience is different. Some people are back to work in 2 days but it depends on what type of work you do. I have a computer job but I still took 7 days off work. Some people suffer from gas pains after surgery but I had none. So while it is interesting to hear about other people's experiences, you really don't know where in the continium you'll fall. I can tell you for me, the experience has been great. The weight started coming off with the pre-op liquid diet and has been slow and steady ever since. The general rule of thumb is that with the lap band you can expect to loose 1 -2 pounds a week. But you'll loose more at the start, of course. Good luck and I hope the surgery and post-op go smoothly and uneventfully for you. Marie715

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I am 9 weeks post-op and have done the same thing several times and also wondered 'Will I ever learn?' Your post made me realize that this learning process is going to take awhile and I'm going to have to be super vigilent for a long time. Wishing you good luck.- Marie

Hi Donna. Do you know how much fluid he put in your fill? I also got my first fill yesterday. The doctor said she put in 1.7 cc's and said "Now you should feel some restriction." But I was able to eat today. I had 5 oz. of fish for dinner. I was just wondering if your first fill was alot more than 1.7 cc's.

Thanks for this information. I have my first fill on Monday, Oct. 20, 2008. I'm curious as to how much my doctor will fill. She's very conservative. I hope I do get the 2cc's.

Welcome, Ed. You've been very, very successful with the band. Congratulations. Tell us some of your success tips.

Yes, JudyMarie, I was banded on Sept. 4th by Dr. Sarker. If you would like to correspond, please do. I would be happy to answer specific questions from you. Marie715

Oh, my gosh. How highly, I don't know unprofessional, unethical, SOMETHING, that he did not mention any of the problems he had to you. Please call back his office and let the nurse know what you overheard. It is your body and you have every right to know what is going on. If you want to wait the 3 weeks to talk to him, that's fine. But please discuss this incident with him at your next appointment. You've got to be able to trust your doctor 100% in this weight loss journey. Let us know what he says. He owes you an apology. I hope you get it.

Answers for me: 1) Yes, you remove all clothes and put on a giant hospital gown. Mine was so big it was like I had an entire sheet wrapped around me. You do get to put on those sock booties so that your feet stay warm and you don't slip when you get up to walk. 2) No post-op runs at all. Matter of fact, anesthesia usually tends to shut down your intestines. That's why at some time post-op, a nurse will listen to your abdomen with a stethoscope to see if she can hear any sounds. Your doctor has answered every question imaginable. Don't give asking your surgeon any question at all a second thought. That is what you are paying him or her for. Good luck. I am 4 1/2 weeks post-op and loving it. Marie715

The type of scale that you weigh yourself on, not a food scale. I threw mine out long ago. With PCOS, it got to be too frustrating to eat right, exercise, hop on the scale and see that it did not move. Just curious if anyone else who is banded has gotten rid of their bathroom scale.

Hi, I totally understand your story. When you said you were diagnosed with P.C.O.S, you said it all right then. I also have P.C.O.S. and have had the same problems loosing weight. I went through the same things as you did. Working out - no weight loss, lo carb diet - little bit of weight loss, etc. I got my band on Sept. 4th, 2008. I have lost weight but I am expecting that P.C.O.S. will make our loosing weight, even with a band, difficult. There is a forum for those of us with P.C.O.S. Do join us to share your story and to hear others.

My surgeon insisted that I get a scale so I did. I decided Friday mornings are my weigh in day.

gritar and kygirl31 - Congratulations to both of you!! It is some long journey to get banded, isn't it? I got banded on Sept. 4th and so far I am loving it. Good luck to both of you and to all October bandsters.

When I started the liquid only diet, my endocrinologist told me to inject 1/2 of the units of insulin I was injecting. I thought that was still too much insulin so I cut back to taking 1/3 of the units I was taking. Now I am on solid foods and this seems to be a good dose for me. As type II diabetics, I believe we'll spend alot of time tweaking our diabetes medications because as we loose weight we'll need less medication.

I was banded on Sept. 4, 2008. I'm a little confused about whether Soups are a good thing, a not so good thing or just neutral for those of us with lap bands. And I'm thinking about once we are past the mushies stage. I'm so used to soups being a great thing on every diet I have tried in the past 30 years so I think they would help with weight loss with the lap band also. But then we're told no beverages with meals because the liquid will flush the food through our stoma too quickly and we won't feel sated as quickly or for as long. So a chicken noodle Soup, for example, is bad because there is broth but is good because there is Protein and vegetables. That's what confuses me. Should we not choose soups because then we are not 'working the band' to its highest potential? Thanks, Marie715

This is a difficult question because you'll see that it can take anywhere from 1 month to over a year! There are so many variables that come into play to determine when you'll get a surgery date. The only suggestion I have is to just keep on top of everything yourself to make the process go as quickly as possible. Double check, triple check and quadruple check everything that you are told is going to happen. Good luck.

Ykemp, wishing you lots and lots and lots of good luck. Stay active on the boards. I think you'll enjoy it here.

Congratulations, Hessie! You look terrific.

I am one week post-op. I just signed on to lapbandtalk.com to ask the question of how long it will take before the port area is pain free. And here's my answer! I'm not getting terrible pain there but it is a nuisance now because I am pain free every place else. I guess I will just grin and bear it.

Cindi, Congratulations on your success. You are so cute! I like your attitude. I can tell that you are using the band in the way that works best for you. You're not getting lots of fills because 'everyone else is doing it.' That's the way to do it. I am at one week banded so I will use your attitude in the coming months. It is hard for me to imagine that I will actually be able to post one day that I have lost 57 pounds. Thanks for the inspiration.

Hi Kiwee, I was banded on Sept. 5th. You will most likely only have on a hospital gown. It's no big deal because the gowns are very big. I felt like I had an entire sheet wrapped around me. I know they won't let you leave your bra on because one of the incisions for the laparoscope is just under the bra line. And the heart monitors are placed on the chest, too. I don't know if there was anyone taking pictures or if the operation was video taped. I was awake for only about 1 or 2 minutes while in the operating room. One thing that did impress me was the efficiency and professionalism of everyone in the operating room. After I slid on to the table they said 'Here is the mask.' I nodded 'O.K.'. The mask was big so it wasn't like it was pressed hard against my face. I remember breathing normally 3 times and then it was over for me. The nurses were saying 'You're all done.' Good luck, dear. I know how excited you are!

Hi Cyndy, my husband was just like yours. He really didn't say much about the surgery as I was going through all of my pre-op tests but once I got a surgery date he said 'I just have to tell you, I don't want you to do this.' : ) I totally understood him. I told him that I fully understand that he has done everything in his power to get me to reconsider but I am making this decision for myself. I just wanted him to know that if , God forbid, anything went wrong, he wouldn't feel any guilt like 'I should have stopped her.' Fortunately, I was banded 5 days ago and thank God all went well. I wish you all the best in your surgery, recovery and new life.

Congratulations! You look 10 years younger already. Wishing you continued success.

Hi, I have been treated for major clinical depression for years now and it did not have any negative effect on my getting approved for the surgery. The medication I am on for it was simply stated as one of the medications that I am currently using. One of the best things about all of the medical and psychological testing that many of us go through prior to surgery is that they do identify problems that we may have not been diagnosed and treated for (such as depression, sleep apnea, high cholesterol). This allows us to begin treatment for these other issues while we continue on the process to get the Lap Band. Good luck to you.

HI DietPeach, I am 3 days out from surgery. For me, getting up out of bed is much, much easier than when I had a c-section or the hysterectomy. The difference is that our lower abdomen muscles are not effected by the banding surgery. So we can use them to pull ourselves up. Now, you do reach a certain point, in the getting up process, where the area by your port is affected and that hurts while you are getting up. I've been able to get up out of bed on my own but I do need something to grab on to help hoist me out. I remember having to hold a pillow to my abdomen when walking after the c-section and hysterectomy. I don't need to do that now, after the banding. For me, there is no pain as I walk. Good luck.