leknigh

Hi Wishful, Sorry you are having such a difficult time with your band. Maybe I'm reading into this wrong - since I'm not there and not you, but it almost sounds like your issue may be coming more from the "hunger in your head", than the hunger in your stomach. As everyone always says, the band is only a tool to help you eat better - but you still have to do all the work, and you still have to conquer those demons in your head that tell you to "eat, eat, eat". By the vomiting coment, it almost sounds like your band could even be too tight? Otherwise, you should be able to keep down 4-5 bites if you're chewing sufficiently. I haven't had a fill yet, but I can tell you from my experience so far that I get the bloating feeling after eating (it's also in my lower stomach, like yours). Sometimes I use that to signal to my head that I am full. I also notice now that some of the swelling from surgery has gone down, that I do get hungry more frequently. I know I can eat more than I do right now - but I'm trying so hard to win the game over my mind, and not do something just because I can. I think if you really try to focus on paying attention to your mind and body, and trying to understand those signals that tell you, you are actually full - you may do better. It's hard though I know, as someone who probably overate most of my life - it's a challenge to understand when I'm full, versus when I want to stop eating. Probably something that will take quite a while to master (if I ever do master it), and I imagine most of us on here will face the same challenges. I wish you the best of luck, and if you don't find information on here that helps you, by all means speak to the doctor and/or dietician in your surgeon's office. They should be able to try to work with you to figure out what's going on.

Hey all - I was banded on August 5th. The first couple of days I was overwhelmed by how well I was actually doing. Sure, I had the port pain and all, but I was able to keep most of the gas pain under control by getting up and walking around the house quite often. Over the past two days however, the gas pain/bloating has actually increased. The gas bloating really acts up when I try to eat (can't eat much because of it), and the gas pain which is stubbornly stuck in my left shoulder won't go away. Sometimes it even radiates up my neck, the back of my head, and oddly enough my left jaw/ear. It becomes even worse when I lay down on my back (can't lay on my stomach or sides yet). I almost have the sensation that a nerve is being pinched, because my entire left arm will start to go numb and it's obvious I'm not getting good circulation in my left hand because my fingers get cold (my right hand is fine). Can stuck gas cause this (a pinched nerve)? And what (if anything) can I do about it? I've tried walking, a heating pad, gas-x strips and chewables, as well as drinking the warm jello that someone else suggested. Each of these has worked some, but the relief is only temporary. Any suggestions? :confused2: Thanks all!

Hi Carmille, Definitely sounds like you've had a bit of a rough time with things. Also not cool that it's so difficult for you to get in for a fill. Hopefully things will look up for you. As for the lack of energy, a lack of protein will DEFINITELY do that for you. Also, you could be lacking in iron. If you're not getting enough protein, then chances are you aren't getting enough iron either. Both of those will go a long way in affecting your energy. Try to up your protein, and look for a good multivitamin with plenty or iron in it. If your doctor's office has a dietician, speak with him/her about ways to add protein/iron to your diet. Maybe you can also start adding a little bit of walking when you can, and work your way up. I'm only one week out from banding, but it's definitely been hard for me to get my usual 30-40 minutes of walking in. I'm lucky if I can make it 20 minutes without wearing out. But I keep trying every day, and I'm noticing that it keeps getting a little easier with time and practice. I think little changes in those 3 things will help you see a change in your energy levels. Best of luck and take care!

Hello all! Now officially two days out from banding, and still surprised at how well I'm feeling (thrilled with that of course!!). I am still sleeping in a recliner, but will try the bed tonight - we'll see. Anyhow, not the point of this blog. The point of it was - that I was feeling hopeful and thinking about the months to come. I know with any goal, people say that visualizing is a great tool. Well, for me - my goal would be visualizing myself as a "healthy weight" person. But I'm finding that SOOOO difficult to do. It's not upsetting me or anything, it's just that I've honestly never been skinny, not even in childhood. I just don't know what I'm supposed to picture. It's a foreign thought in my head really. I guess I'll just have to look at it as a series of surprises over the next year or two. At any rate it will be a surprise I'm looking forward to. More than anything, I will probably be focusing more on how I feel, and how much more I am able to do, as opposed to how I look. I think that's a healthier way for me to approach it - but still, I will continue to have this curiosity about what a "skinny" me will look like. Anyone else been there/done that?

**Warning, a long one** Ok, this is not a Fox special or anything (haha) - just more of a rant and/or request for others' insight on dealing. So today I attended my very first lap band support group meeting at my surgeon's office. They have them once a month on Thursday and Saturday. I can make a commitment to that no problem! I've attended "support" groups in the past for other weight loss groups (Weight Watchers, Optifast, etc) and often don't stay committed because they can really turn into "whine-fests" quickly when there isn't a strong leader to focus the conversations. I was thrilled when the office newsletter announced that they had just started TOPIC-FOCUSED support groups. Even better - this probably meant less of a chance for a whine-fest. (Don't get me wrong, everyone needs an outlet - but it shouldn't be at the expense of other people's time, or so needy that no one else gets to speak). So anyhow, before we even get taken back to the meeting room there are a couple of women talking over everyone with the "me, me, me" and "I, I, I" conversations. You know the type (The "I will have every mundane question of MINE answered, and I will interrupt the speaker every two minutes or less, to give my point of view/experience" people). And the funny thing is, one of them even complained that they didn't like the fact that it was going to be a "topic driven" group - that just reaffirmed my suspicions those women were the support group hi-jacking type. Sure enough, before the three speakers can even get started one of those women is asking questions, and complaining about this or that. Finally, one of the leaders did get rolling on her presentation, and I kid you not - when the woman wasn't interrupting with her own questions or experiences, she was constantly speaking out loud in agreement or wonderment as if she was the only one in the room. I swear the woman REALLY just liked to hear herself speak. It was a pretty big group, and there were at least two other people who kept interrupting the presenters, but she was by far the worst. Thank goodness my husband (who never wants to go with me again now thanks to her) was sitting between us! haha It was so damn annoying that I'm not sure I would continue to attend the meetings, because people like that really take away from the usefulness. For me - lapbandtalk.com is the place to get my non-critical questions answered, share my experiences, and get out my own "whine-fests". But I don't feel guilty about it here. People can choose whether or not to read what I write, and it's on our own time. With someone in a group meeting, you just don't have the luxury of "un-hearing" them. I know it may sound cruel, I understand not everyone has people they can talk to - and perhaps that is their time to let it all out. But I just wish they knew the bad stigma they leave in others minds about attending support groups, and why so many people stop attending. Anyone else feel the same, or have suggestions for me on having more patience with these types? Take care all!! :thumbup:

So you decided on Dr. Curry then? I think you will be very pleased! I did do the 2 week medifast diet. It was difficult when I wasn't home alone to not crave everything, but I stuck to it as best as I could (I won't lie - I was not 100% on it). I personally liked the eggs, chicken & wild rice Soup, smores bars, and the vanilla or chocolate shakes best. I did not care for the tomato soup or pudding. I actually lost 10 lbs. by my surgery day which absolutely thrilled me, as I have PCOS and losing weight is very difficult for me.

I do agree that spinal manipulations can be VERY beneficial. I was in an auto accident last year, and I developed great pain in my back and neck (pain that still occurs from time to time now). Once the chiropractor "cracked" my neck and back I felt better before I even left his office. I had some regular office visits, but within a couple months the problem didn't really occur again. The chiro said I would probably need occasional adjustments in the future - and sure enough, I started having the neck and back pains again about a month ago, but just didn't make the time before surgery to have more adjustments done. However, I do think what Cyndi is speaking to, is a lot of the information out there (be it true, false, or blown out of proportion) about the possible dangers of having your neck manipulated. It is certainly a very real danger in the hands of the wrong person. Though, I stand here as a person that had it done properly by a professional and felt better after. I do admit that many friends and family warned me against doing it, and I've read some of the articles against it as well. The office I went to, even has a standard form patients have to sign acknowledging the risk and relieving them of liability if damage occurs. Once or twice afterwards I even noticed I was dizzy. All of that made me nervous, and does make me re-consider having a neck adjustment (I dont' have the medical background to understand how it all works) - but I'll be first to sign up for a back/spine adjustment, the difference in how I felt was night and day.

**Warning, a long one** Ok, this is not a Fox special or anything (haha) - just more of a rant and/or request for others' insight on dealing. So today I attended my very first lap band support group meeting at my surgeon's office. They have them once a month on Thursday and Saturday. I can make a commitment to that no problem! I've attended "support" groups in the past for other weight loss groups (Weight Watchers, Optifast, etc) and often don't stay committed because they can really turn into "whine-fests" quickly when there isn't a strong leader to focus the conversations. I was thrilled when the office newsletter announced that they had just started TOPIC-FOCUSED support groups. Even better - this probably meant less of a chance for a whine-fest. (Don't get me wrong, everyone needs an outlet - but it shouldn't be at the expense of other people's time, or so needy that no one else gets to speak). So anyhow, before we even get taken back to the meeting room there are a couple of women talking over everyone with the "me, me, me" and "I, I, I" conversations. You know the type (The "I will have every mundane question of MINE answered, and I will interrupt the speaker every two minutes or less, to give my point of view/experience" people). And the funny thing is, one of them even complained that they didn't like the fact that it was going to be a "topic driven" group - that just reaffirmed my suspicions those women were the support group hi-jacking type. Sure enough, before the three speakers can even get started one of those women is asking questions, and complaining about this or that. Finally, one of the leaders did get rolling on her presentation, and I kid you not - when the woman wasn't interrupting with her own questions or experiences, she was constantly speaking out loud in agreement or wonderment as if she was the only one in the room. I swear the woman REALLY just liked to hear herself speak. It was a pretty big group, and there were at least two other people who kept interrupting the presenters, but she was by far the worst. Thank goodness my husband (who never wants to go with me again now thanks to her) was sitting between us! haha It was so damn annoying that I'm not sure I would continue to attend the meetings, because people like that really take away from the usefulness. For me - lapbandtalk.com is the place to get my non-critical questions answered, share my experiences, and get out my own "whine-fests". But I don't feel guilty about it here. People can choose whether or not to read what I write, and it's on our own time. With someone in a group meeting, you just don't have the luxury of "un-hearing" them. I know it may sound cruel, I understand not everyone has people they can talk to - and perhaps that is their time to let it all out. But I just wish they knew the bad stigma they leave in others minds about attending support groups, and why so many people stop attending. Anyone else feel the same, or have suggestions for me on having more patience with these types? Take care all!! :frown:

Thanks Jack! Funny you should mention heat might make it worse, because right after I hit send on the post I happened to realize I hadnt' tried a cold pack yet. I have a cold pack sitting on it right now, and it actually has helped some! I do agree that a follow-up with the chiropractor is called for, I just want to wait another week or two until I'm heeled from surgery some and give him the chance to do some proper adjustments.

Hi health4life - I was banded by Dr. Curry on August 5th. I can't say enough nice things about the team (from information seminar, to pre-op requirements, to surgery day, to aftercare and support programs). EVERYONE has been very sweet, and I never worry that I can't get ahold of someone if I have a question. A lot of the staff is banded too, and I think a lot of them were banded by Dr. Curry. I went to seminars for both surgeons, as you are going to do, and I think that is a great start. You can get a good feel for what they offer, and their personality. I just chose who I felt most comfortable with. One difference: if you're self-pay, Dr. Curry is about $3000 less than the other center. Please know however, that this was NOT a deciding factor for me. I just felt the staff and programs offered at Dr. Curry's office was a better fit for me - it just felt right. Feel free to send me any questions you may have!

Glad to hear you are doing well! :frown:

I LOVE THIS THREAD! Not only is it cracking me up - but I'm absolutely thrilled to know I'm not the only one having a celebration when the gas gets passed hahahahahaha :ohmy: By the way, on a slightly more serious note - I've noticed my "stuck" gas pains actually seems to be increasing some, not decreasing (I'm now working on my 3rd day post op). Is that normal?

Right now all I can think about is how nervous I am about being "put under". Hi Kaytiebug - let me tell you, that was my NUMBER ONE fear for surgery. I had never had surgery before, and had never been "put under" so I was soooo worried that either I would wake up in the middle of surgery, or that I wouldn't wake up period. My nerves got the best of me as I was sitting in the pre-op room just this past Tuesday and I started crying every time someone asked me "how I was", or if I was "excited". I was sooo scared. The staff was sweet as could be, and did their best to calm me - but of course the fear of the unknown is hard to shake. Then...my "best friend" arrived, the anesthesiologist (haha). He gave me a "calming drug", and I promise you it kicked in within 30 seconds (no joke!!). After that, everything seemed fine and honestly the last thing I remember was being wheeled into the operation room, being told they were moving me to another bed (which I didn't feel), and being asked to breathe into an oxygen mask. The next thing I knew, I was being wheeled into the recovery room and being sat up. It was amazing to me - how quickly it went by! I know the unknown is always scary - but I hope this helps calm your nerves some. Feel free to ask me any other questions - because I was like you and wanting a valium or something before even getting to the surgery center that morning haha TAKE CARE!

Hello all! Now officially two days out from banding, and still surprised at how well I'm feeling (thrilled with that of course!!). I am still sleeping in a recliner, but will try the bed tonight - we'll see. Anyhow, not the point of this blog. The point of it was - that I was feeling hopeful :frown: and thinking about the months to come. I know with any goal, people say that visualizing is a great tool. Well, for me - my goal would be visualizing myself as a "healthy weight" person. But I'm finding that SOOOO difficult to do. It's not upsetting me or anything, it's just that I've honestly never been skinny, not even in childhood. I just don't know what I'm supposed to picture. It's a foreign thought in my head really. I guess I'll just have to look at it as a series of surprises over the next year or two. At any rate it will be a surprise I'm looking forward to. :ohmy: More than anything, I will probably be focusing more on how I feel, and how much more I am able to do, as opposed to how I look. I think that's a healthier way for me to approach it - but still, I will continue to have this curiosity about what a "skinny" me will look like. Anyone else been there/done that?

Hi there - I am newly banded, so I can't speak to having issues with losing weight at this point - but I can hopefully give you a little encouragement. Throughout the process of preparing for, and having, the surgery - I've learned that when it comes to my health, pride/embarrasment are best pushed aside. Without my health, the pride/emabrrasment won't exist anyway, right? Remember that Doctors/surgeons have seen just about everything, and you certainly will not be the first/last/only person to have gained weight, or to not have lost any additional weight since having a fill. You are going through lots of big changes in your life, and the last thing you should do is throw away all the hard work you put into your 65 lbs. weight loss (fantastic by the way!). So the best thing you can do for yourself is to get back on track with your follow-up appointments, and just be up front with the medical team. If there are support groups you can attend with other bandsters - do it. Keep posting on here of course too, just talk it out. I know you will find you're not alone, and that your doctor/dieticians are there to help! Please don't give up, you can do it!! :thumbup:

Hello fellow August bandsters - for those of you still waiting for your surgery this month I wanted to let you know that the experience was not nearly as bad as I had convinced myself! I was banded at 7:30 this morning, and was in the car on the way home no later than 10am (being driven by someone else of course). I took the anti-naseau medicine, and the pain relief prescription as soon as I got home, and have been walking around as much as possible to distribute some of the gas and minimize the pain associated with that (not so bad really, since I'm up and about). I still can't believe it's over all ready. Just get up as much as possible, and aside from the incision soreness (which is only really noticeable when you are getting up and down) - it's NOT BAD! GOOD LUCK TO THE REST OF YOU! I'm looking forward to the same attitude tomorrow....

HI ALL! Things went well - I had the jitters and boohoos before they gave me the "relax" drugs, but then it was all over before I knew it! The staff at Dr. Curry's office were wonderful and SO friendly! I've been up walking around as much as possible and aside from being sore around the incisions and some gas pains I really feel a lot better than expected. I hope all my Aug.5th bandster buddies are having the same experience!

So in less than 24 hours from now, I will have been banded. So hard to believe! My surgery is at 7:30am (first one of the day). I considered lap band about a year ago, did very little researching, and never really thought about it again until a couple months ago. Then a little over a month ago I really started doing my research and attending information seminars for different surgeons. Never in a million years did I actually think I'd go through with it, or that I would go through with it so quickly (I decided to take the self-pay route so I didn't lose my nerve again, or take on another 6 months of "dieting" that would only further frustrate me). So here I sit, trying to imagine what tomorrow will be like for me. The nerves are definitely there, and I'm sure they'll be working overtime tomorrow morning - but for now, I'm also feeling some of the excitement and hope for the possibilities this "tool" will offer me. So send some good thoughts my way, and for those of you already banded - feel free to send me some pointers for those first few days after surgery too. Take care everyone! :redface: