MistyD65

I am not aware of the band around my stomach except in relation to my eating. I don't feel like there is something constantly squeezing my stomach, like you might feel a belt around your waist. And I also don't feel my port, although that will probably change as I lose fat in that area. I feel as "normal" as I did before the surgery...as far as normal goes!:biggrin:

My doctor's plan is: Stage 1: Clear Liquids ONLY (in the hospital) Stage 2: Modified Full Liquids (Day 2- Week 3) this stage is basically clear liquids plus Protein drinks. Stage 3: Soft Foods (Week 4- Week 10) Stage 4: Solid Foods (Week 11 and onward) I was only averaging about 500 calories a day during stage 1, getting anywhere from 60-70 g of protein daily. Days 6-8 after surgery were the hardest. At that time I was only getting about 300 calories a day, but I found a higher calorie Protein Drink to add into the mix of drinks I was using and that helped. I didn't think I'd be able to make it for 3 weeks, but I did, and I'm grateful for that time away from food. The Inamed LAP-BAND literature suggests a thin liquid diet for the first 2 weeks, pureed foods for weeks 3-4, soft foods at 5 weeks. It also says that it may take a month or more for the "new stomach structure to heal completely and the LAP-BAND to sit in the right position." I didn't realize it at first, but during the surgery the stomach is kind of wrapped around the band and stitched to itself, making a sort of casing for the band - like a casing for elastic in clothing. This is one of the big things that needs to heal. If you don't mind watching surgeries, there are a couple of gastric banding surgery videos on You Tube. I found the one I watched to be very interesting and informative. Anyway, hang in there, follow your doctor's instructions and get ready to use your new tool!

I looked back through this thread and saw two people who seem to be in your area, crazycatlady. Check out Greythope and Rachelb123's posts on page 1 of this thread. Looks like there was a group meeting in the Woodlands back in April. It may still be active. You might try sending them a Private Message.:tt2:

I was on clear liquids + protein drinks for 3 weeks and today I moved to soft foods!! I had a bowl of potato soup and it was soooooooooooooooo good. That one more week will fly by Mary. And your stomach and band will thank you for giving them such a good healing and settling in period.:thumbup:

If you go to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Forum, then to the sub-forum "LapBandTalk Forum Frequently Asked Questions", there is a section about abbreviations! Here's the link: Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum - FAQ: Lap-band Abbreviations I've found it very helpful! :cursing:

Hooray! I'm so glad you got that straightened out. I've read more than one instance of someone having a fill and having no problems for weeks, good restriction without too much, then all of a sudden finding themselves too tight. Our bodies are doing strange things inside when we aren't looking! :w00t: When I went for my first post-op appointment, I made sure to ask my surgeon what kind of band I had, and its capacity. I've got a 4cc Allergan (Inamed). The vast array of band capacities is amazing.

That made me giggle. Was that a Freudian slip or intentional?:thumbup:

I've never in my 43 years swallowed gum. I seldom chew it for longer than 15 minutes anyway - once the flavor is gone, it's outtathere. About the only time I chew it anymore is when I'm flying. I did buy a pack of sugar-free gum a week or so after my surgery because of the bad breath from the ketosis I was in. It made me feel my breath was fresher, at least, even if it wasn't.:smile2:

Oh Gloucester!! I'm so sorry! We wondered where you were. We were at the Starbucks on 290 and Spring-Cypress...between Barker Cypress and Fry Road. Hopefully, as we start meeting, we can all exchange more contact information and avoid something like this in the future. And there WILL be a future! I've heard back from about 10 people that they couldn't make Saturday's get-together, but want to be informed about the next one. Let's look at the first or second weekend of September (6-7 or 13-14). And if anyone wants to get together before then, my time is pretty free right now. Just drop me a PM and I'd be happy to meet you for a chat!

It will get better! You are only a little over a week past your surgery. I slept in my recliner for a whole week after I came home because I was afraid of turning over onto my stomach in my sleep, since I usually sleep that way. And I KNEW that it would hurt. By the end of the second week I could sleep on my stomach, but I had to be really careful with the actual turning over...that was still pretty owie. Now, 3 weeks out, I don't give it a second though. I still get a twinge every once in a while, but nothing terrible. And I wore elastic waist pants almost all the time the first couple of weeks.

Request duly noted! :) BrownBear and I met today and chatted for over an hour! It was great. Can't wait to meet more of you.

I have to remind myself sometimes that the scar isn't just "skin deep". The incision went down through the skin and muscle to the abdominal cavity (please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm no student of anatomy lol). So even though all I can see is that scar on my skin, there's healing and closing up going on much deeper. And even 3 weeks out, I still sometimes get reminders of that fact...ouch!

I have to agree with Love on most of her points. I think there is a group of people who hear about the Band and jump on it as the next big weight-loss silver bullet. They don't do any research, don't take the time to look at the pros and cons, and what is really going to be required of them after the surgery. Some are lucky and end up choosing a surgeon who makes sure they understand that lifestyle changes must be made, even with the Band. Those folks either accept that and decide to go ahead, change their mind about surgery when they find out the work they are going to have to put in afterwards, or decide to go ahead and have the surgery but don't really intend to make changes. Others choose a surgeon who is happy to take their money, give them a little information, band them then leave them as "band orphans." This is a vast generalization, I know, but I've seen evidence of it. I understand where you are coming from too, Restless Monkey. I, myself, find it hard to imagine anyone approaching major and life-changing surgery without finding out as much as they can about it, and what life is going to be like afterwards. But some do. Yes, everyone is going to have their own experience, and each surgeon has his own idea about aftercare. But there are so many shared experiences that can be learned from. And yes, we are all grownups, but some of us are rule followers and some are not. And there are plenty of grownups who have the "I'm going to do what I want, the way I want to do it, and I don't care what anybody says." My wish is that everyone who choses Lap Band does so fully aware, accepting and willing to do everything that is required to make the tool work for them. I think that's the only way to really be successful with it.

I'm sorry Lora. I mis-read your initial post, and missed that you said you actually WENT to your doctor. I hope you can get some answers if you get in to see him again this week.

If you've been throwing up almost everything for 3 weeks, I think you should call your doctor again and INSIST that he see you, or at least do more than just brush off your concerns. Did he explain WHY he wasn't worried about it? Or offer any suggestions for eating without throwing up? How can he know if you haven't had slippage if he doesn't check you? Hope you are doing better soon!

Well, let me try this again. When I tried to post my last reply the site went offline...or something. I think people make up the Crystal Light then add the Isopure to it, but I haven't tried that myself. I taste tested the Icy Orange and Apple Melon Isopure, and they were ok, but I didn't buy any more of them. What I do buy and drink is Protein Blitz Fruit drinks by Designer whey. They are relatively new on the market - the only place I have been able to find them is Vitamin Shoppe. They come in Grape, Orange Mango, and Punch and I LOVE them! They taste like Kool-Aid to me. No clumps of protein or the chalky taste of the Isopure. They come in 20 oz plastic bottles and each bottle contains 30 g protein, 1 g sugars and 120 calories. If you can find them, I highly recommend them.

When I went in for my 10 day post-op appointment the nurse gave me a little packet from Allergan. In it was a "Patient's Guide to Living with the Lap-Band System" and a wallet-sized card titled "Lap-Band Medical Information". It has a place for your name and your surgeon's name and phone number and says, "This person has an Adjustable Gastric Band implanted around the stomach to assist in weight loss. Caution should be taken when prescribing potentially ulcerogenic medications or performing any gastric or abdominal procedure. Maximum fill volume is 10 cc." That information is repeated on the back in French, German, Spanish and Italian (I think). Perhaps this is what you have heard about. Maybe the other band systems have something similar. I'd be interested to know if there is something else out there, too.

I ran into the same thing the first week after being banded. My dr requires 3 weeks of "modified" full liquids, which is basically Clear Liquids plus Protein drinks. 2 ounces of a high-protein liquid every hour while awake and two ounces of any non-carbonated, non-caffeinated liquid every 15 minutes after the hour (not high-calorie and with or without protein). The goal is 48-64 oz of Fluid a day and 40-60 g of protein. I was doing fine till one week after surgery - staying towards the top end of the ranges for fluid and protein, but I had not counted calories at all. But by that 7th day I found I was really weak and shakey and even a little dizzy. And my stomach was growling so much it felt like it was trying to eat itself. So I sat down and figured out how many calories I had been getting each day; I was shocked to see it was only about 300. I called my doctor to see if this was normal and he said yes. So, I decided to find a Protein Drink with a few more calories and add that to my daily rations. Muscle Milk RTDs fit the bill...I got my calorie count up to 500, which is still low, but better than 300. My daily intake is something like this: 12 ounces of Labrada Lean Body shake, 12 ounces Muscle Milk shake, 8 ounces of Protein Blitz fruit drink, 8 ounces of beef or chicken broth for "supper" and at least 28 ounces of straight Water. Yes, I'm a bit hungry most of the time but it is bearable. As for having the strength to teach 1st grade..nope, wouldn't want to try it on so few calories (I used to teach elementary music - 35-55 children at a time...by myself). Have you asked your doctor for any recommendations on getting your calorie count up? How much longer do you have to be on this stage of the diet? I move to soft foods this week, thank goodness! I hope you can figure something out for this. I can sympathize with you.

I haven't tried the powder but I LOVE the Chocolate Malt and Strawberries 'n' Cream Ready to Drink shakes. The Cookies and Cream was too sweet though. GNC has the RTDs on sale too.

Excellent! Best of luck to you!

Hi Lauren! I'm in Houston too...well, Katy. Not sure what part of Houston you are in, but if you are in the Katy/Cypress area you are more than welcome to come to an informal meet-up this Sunday at 2 PM. If you are interested, just let me know and I'll give you the specifics! Welcome to the fun! Misty

Fillcentersusa.com is the website and here is the link to the info about the Houston location: www.fillcentersusa.com Hope that helps!

I use Dr. Ricardo Bonnor. His office is on Kingsland Road (Texas Endosurgery Associates), across from the Metro Park and Ride. He performs surgeries at Memorial Hermann Katy, Christus St. Catherine, and Memorial Hermann Memorial City, which is a Center of Excellence and where I had my Band put in. He believes in a team approach, and has a Nutritionist and Life Coach who schedule appointments in his office. The Life Coach also hosts a support group monthly. Dr. Bonnor is very personable and so far has really listened to my questions and concerns, and has been straightforward and honest, but caring. (Plus, he's easy on the eyes Important point, huh? lol) His office staff is great too. Hope this helps!

Great! 2 PM on Sunday it is! Having at least 3 people makes it seem a bit more like a "group". Shall I try to contact the others who had expressed an interest, but haven't been back in the thread in a while? I think there was a Katy-specific thread too, and maybe another about our area. I'll look in there as well.

Just announced less than 2 hours ago. Warner Brothers is moving the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from this November to next July. :tongue_smilie: My husband is in shock and I'm pretty disappointed too. The "countdown to opening" had just dropped below 100 days, and now this. Well, by then the theater seats won't be the least bit tight anymore. lol