twiggysmiff

Well, I'm thrilled. I just got on the scale and I've lost 13 pounds since my surgery on 1/14. I'm now at 269....do you know how long it has been since I have seen the 260's range??!!??! My highest was 294 before I began my pre-op diet. 25 pounds!! Woo-Hoo! Now, I'm not under any illusions because I know that this weight loss will slow down, but I'm enjoying this while it lasts. I do wonder though...how long until the post op swelling goes down enough to know how much, if any restriction, is the band and not the swelling. The doctor said my band is really snug and I'm feeling restriction, but I don't know if it is the band or just the swelling or a little of both. I'm only eating a fraction of what I used to. Any thoughts?

I take propranolol LA (160 mg) for migraines, but haven't taken it since my surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago. Is it generally OK to take time released meds after surgery as long as they are small enough to take whole? I do plan on asking my doctor, but I thought I'd see what everyone else's doctor says too.

I have capsules I have to break open to take. It's a preventative for gallbladder that my surgeon requires for 6 months after surgery. It doesn't have the beads. It has powder, but what I do is put SF Kool-Aid in my mouth like I'm gargling and open the capsule straight into my mouth so all the powder lands on the Kool-Aid. I don't taste it and I get ALL the med. Yes, its a bit awkward, but at least I get the job done!

I've not been itchy, but I have to say that I read the subject and thought it said, "Is anybody BITCHY?" I was about to reply, "Yes, but that has nothing to do with the band!" LOL In response to the REAL topic...have you tried taking a little benedryl to see if that helps the itch? If it is an allergy to something, that may help the reaction.

Have you been testing for metabolic disorders like thyroid, etc? I've heard that stress can cause you to have cortisol build up and that causes weight gain. There is also some disorder caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland. What theories does your doctor have???

I'm a 4th grade teacher in a local elementary school.

Start soft and introduce one new food at a time. That way you know what food causes the problem, should you have one! Good luck!

I need to get on the exercise bandwagon too. I've been waiting for some of the soreness to go away from the surgery. I wanted to start walking around the block as an ease into the exercise thing, but I live in KY and you may have seen the news reports about that major ice/snow storm that hit this week. I've been snowed in all week and no one can go anywhere. It would be life threatening to walk the block now...fall on ice, get hit by falling ice from the trees/houses, car skidding up on the sidewalk...too risky for me. Now we're set for another snow storm on Monday-Wednesday. I'll never get out of the house again!!!

I'm glad you got yourself unfilled, for both of your sake's. Question though...why did you go to a doctor 4 hours away? Is that the only one available in the area or just the best one with most experience?

Heather....did you go to your doctor or ER? I keep waiting for an update...I hope that you are OK!

Thanks. :thumbup: I'm definitely working in that direction. I'm down to only a few sips while I eat right now. I guess my body has to get used to producing enough saliva for my food now. :scared: It is getting easier every day and I know I'll get there!!!

PLEASE...be more forceful with your NP and doctor. You are not supposed to feel stuck all the time like this. I felt this way for 2 days following my surgery and it gave me horrible panic attacks because I thought that I was choking. It finally went away. I may be new, but I know this is not an OK feeling to have. If they can't fix it, this WOULD be a medical issue and something that would cause them to remove the band. Have they done a test to make sure your band is placed correctly? This part of your whole story has me the most upset. No one should expect you to feel this way every day and every time that you eat!!!!! Remember...your doctors work for YOU!

My doctor said stop 5 minutes before I eat and 20-30 minutes after eating and I do find that hard. I'm still learning and I do find myself taking tiny sips of water as I eat still. Its a LOT less than I used to and I'm weaning myself away from it.

OK...here's a practical question...where do you spit it, if you spit it out? I mean, either you swallow, you stop and it makes a mess you have to clean up before you can sleep, or you get out of bed and run to the bathroom to spit it out......

I'm only two weeks in, but the doctor said I would probably feel some restriction because my 10 cc band is "quite snug". I am only eating about 1/3 of what I normally would and I don't feel something stuck in my throat. I really do feel "full". I'm still learning to stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore and I will feel "stuffed" afterward, but the feeling is no different to me than pre-band when I gorged on huge amounts of food. The only difference is that I feel this after eating some veggie Soup. Have you talked to your doctor about this feeling? Something sounds wrong somewhere if you constantly feel like you are choking. Maybe someone else on here has had a similar experience and can help.

I am a teacher and I told all of my coworkers about it. I have been very open about the situation and I have gotten a TON of support. My school even sent me flowers the day after surgery! My principal had gastric bypass 4 years ago and has been open with her journey as well, so it really paved the way for me to do it as well. I am always a pretty open person though and it really is a personal decision on who to tell and who not to. There is no right or wrong way to do it. It's just what you feel comfortable with.

I'm so sorry that you are feeling this way. I am brand new to this process, so I don't yet have much to offer in the way of advice. All I can say is to talk to your doctor, maybe get a fill and listen to the more seasoned posters on this board. I think you knew what they were going to say before they said it, so I really think you don't want to give up. You just wanted some cheerleading. Well, rah rah rah!!! Keep it up and I wish you the best of luck!!!

Every doctor is different. I had my surgery on Jan 14 and my doctor only required 2 days of clear liquids, then 3-4 days of full liquids. A week after surgery, I was allowed to add mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, etc. Now, I'm able to eat Pasta, bread, rice, tuna, fish......I can only eat about a cup of food right now which is amazing to me. I have to learn to stop when I'm not hungry instead of waiting for my old signal of full (stuffed). It's definitely a learning curve.

I was also banded on Jan 14 and my weight loss has stalled as well. I lost 12 pounds after surgery, then gained 2 of it back and the scale has been going up and down those 2 pounds for the last 3 days. I thought it was because my doctor has allowed me to move on to SOME solid foods (I can eat cooked veggies and fresh fruits now and tuna, Pasta, rice, etc) I thought that since I wasn't on the liquid diet and my calories had increased, I was not losing anymore. Perhaps it is normal to stop for a while while your body adjusts. My doctor did not tell me to lose weight during this time. He said he expected some just through the nature of going through surgery and the diet, but not to focus on that because this is a time for healing. After I start getting fills, I will then focus on weight loss. Good luck to you!

I asked my doctor about this and he said that it should be fine if we vomit with a stomach bug. He said usually these bugs are quick and you wouldn't be throwing up long enough to damage the band. Of course, he said there is always a risk when you vomit and if we ever have any doubt, to call him. Honestly, if we get a stomach bug, we probably shouldn't worry because we can't do anything about the stomach bug. Just be aware of any feelings you have from the band that are unusual and call the doctor.

Out of curiosity, how much time goes by between when you swallow and when you feel the food getting stuck? I'm just beginning solid foods and was wondering how long I need to worry before I know I'm safe. :confused:

Thanks for clarifying. When I was researching the band, the information that I found always talked about the 100 lb overweight, BMI over 35 with comorbidities and over 40 without. I didn't know that different insurances had different requirements since mine followed this exact guideline. (Of course, I just realized in MY OP that I said "less than 35 or 40" instead of "greater than 35 or 40"...whoops). I do agree that insurances should do something before it gets this bad. However, for the original post of this thread, I'm still not sure his/her heart is into it and I'm not sure of their committment level...

I would suggest that you follow YOUR doctor's advice and not pay attention to anything else. You will find that there are about as many diet plans on here as there are doctors. Yes, it can be confusing, but you should trust that your doctor knows what he/she is doing. Look at their success record. If they have a lot of successful outcomes, they must know what they are doing. My doctor also has allowed solid foods MUCH faster than some people on here, but they have a failure and complication rate of less than 1 percent. They MUST be doing something right!

I had to pay a $500 program fee and was told by my doctor's office that it couldn't be applied to the out of pocket because it wasn't a medical fee. It was for online support, support groups, nutrition counseling, etc.

I had to pay $1500 total out of pocket costs and it was all due before I had the surgery because it was considered elective. I had to get a medical loan to pay for it. I would imagine that you will get bills from the hospital and anesthesiologist in addition to the doctor bill.