S@ssen@ch

Carolyn, The only time I have had second thoughts about my banding was when I was having gall bladder problems, didn't know it was gall bladder problems and blamed my band for it. I have no gas problems or excessive burping. The only time I did was the immediate post-op gas, which is normal and easily managed by walking a lot, heating pads and gas-x. I don't throw up or PB, never have except for the dark, gall bladder days and that was unrelated to the band. Again, this is something to be avoided and usually caused by something we did like not chewing well, eating too fast or eating an item that "doesn't agree" with our band. Personally, I can eat anything and everything my little heart desires. I just eat it in smaller quantities and enough to satisfy my need to taste it. As far as the truly hot sex. I would think as long as you feel comfortable (and not sore anymore) you can resume your normal bedroom activities. The incisions are small-the largest being about 2 inches- and as long as they are closed, go for it! This and any WLS is and can be consuming immediately post op because you can (and IMHO should be) doing your very best to conform to your doctor's post op advice and the WLS lifestyle. Once you have that down pat, it fades into the background of your life and becomes "you". There are no weird "broccoli shakes". At first you will have some unusual diet consistencies such as full liquids, mushies, etc. But, once that is up it's smooth sailing. The scars, if done laprascopically, consist of five small incisions ranging from about half inch to 2 inches. The largest is due to the port which is placed under your skin and secured to your abdominal muscle-which is why it's so darn sore after surgery. Every surgeon has their favorite place to put it. Mine is left of my belly button and up towards my rib cage, kind of in my waist line. The scars take a while to heal, but eventually turn into a small silver line and, at nearly 1 year out I can barely notice mine. There's no absolute that you will need PS. You said you have 70 lbs to lose. It depends on how you carry that 70 lbs, how long you've carried it, how young you are, how fast you lose it. So many things. It is possible that you lose the weight slow enough and with enough of a toning work out that you don't need PS. One can always hope. I've lost 75, I have about 50 to go and I'm not sure if I'd have PS. So far, the only place I have loose skin is that chubby part between my legs. Guess I'll do a few more leg lifts at the gym. Oh, and my "girls" are a little saggier than I started. You mentioned dramatic weight loss causes wrinkles. Yes, it can. Again, I refer back to my weight loss. I've lost 75 lbs and other than a few laugh lines around my eyes I have no more wrinkles than I had when I started this journey. I'm 35 years old and if that's it, I'm glad. Now, you wanted brutal honesty so here goes. If I offend I apologize in advance but this is what I read into what you posted. From the information that you gave me, I'm afraid that you may be making the decision to have WLS for the wrong reason. You seem to be happy with yourself for the most part and merely attempting to conform to the "society ideal" that you mention in your post as well as the great clothes you look forward to wearing. You speak very highly of yourself by saying you turn heads and are well porportioned. Are your goals attainable? You imply in the PS question that you are already assuming you're going to have it because you have an ideal in mind. As part of your pre-op requirements did you have to have a psych eval? No, I don't think you're crazy. I just want to make sure you're in the right frame of mind and are making these decisions for the right reasons. Your statement "That this is just another drastic measure that I take that is not really necessary in the big picture... the side effects were not worth it" concerns me. I wouldn't want you to regret your decision. I certainly haven't. It's given me a new lease on life and better health. Again, I hope I haven't offended. My goal was only to shed light on what I read as a potential problem. If this was merely pre-op jitters, which I think we all get, then hooray. I was wrong. Good Luck

The only time I've done this is with meat, usually beef (especially steak) that I chew and chew and chew but can't quite get the gristle (sp?) to the consistency I feel safe with. I'm so afraid to swallow it, that I spit it out. It's not because I set out to chew to get the flavor and spit it out. I set out to eat it, but even after my selective cutting on the plate and then methodical chewing I fear swallowing gristle (you know that really tough fatty stuff that can be stringy). Deep inside my head, I am convinced it will get stuck. This is rare and again, usually only happens with steak like sirloin.

Breakfast: egg with oatmeal toast Lunch: Barilla Plus spaghetti with meat sauce (lots of meat) maybe a tossed salad Dinner: Pork chops with rice pilaf and green beans Snack: light yogurt with cheerios

I can answer you from the ladies aspect Seminole. After having lost 70+ lbs, sex is much easier and although the frequency hasn't really increased (I was pretty sexual before), I like it a lot better. When you don't have that much flesh to tote around and get in the way, it's much more enjoyable. I'm a very active partner and I can't say as I've ever noticed my port with any movement or position. :guess I don't think hubby has ever noticed it either. If he has, he hasn't said anything and he gets creeped out by stuff like that.

I think Kimberlilly and legallykristin summed it up well. Unfortunately, I think it will probably be Bucky or Lisa. Thanks to that Votefortheworst.com They're pulling for Kevin and I read a post that said they were voting for him for 2 hours straight. And if he gets voted off, they're next choice is Kelli Pickler. BTW, what the heck is wrong with Paula. She's acting weird this season. Drugs?

I have never felt that pain or tightness that others have described. I loved Jack's answer. In my case it is more of a gentle sensation. I feel satisfied/no longer hungry and actually full. If I feel any discomfort, I know I have overdone it a bit. When my nose starts running or I hiccup I know to start looking for that full or satisfied feeling. I may not get either of those things every meal, so I have to eat slow to recognize it which I do anyway because of the band. I eat on small, salad or dessert plates. I eat in bowls those things that need to be in bowls, but those things I measure because all I have is the large soup/cereal bowls.

I thought I was the only one doing that! :omg: Sometimes he comes to me as Don Juan DeMarco. Sometimes as Sam from Benny and Joon. If I'm feelin' really frisky, it's Captain Jack Sparrow.:eek: HOO HAA--I think I need a cold shower! Wait........this last one, John Wilmot the Earl of Rochester is really a sex fiend and a bad, bad boy. Gonna have to add him to my list. As for your black ooze, the ratio of bleach to sanitize a whirlpool or anything for that matter is 1 part bleach to 10 parts Water. If you're mathmatically challenged, it would be 1 cup bleach to 10 cups water (1gal bleach to 10 gal of water) and multiply for larger amounts. It sounds like you're getting mildew in the lines when it's not in use (yes, some moisture does stay in those dark and dank places).

It depends on the tortilla. If the tortilla is toasted or fried and especially if it's a corn tortilla it can't really "dough up" and swell while it's in the pouch and get stuck in the narrowed space caused by the band that we call the stoma. If it's a flour tortilla that is toasted or fried, it may go through, but if it's not it might get stuck also. That's not to say that all can tolerate tortillas, in any form. It depends on the person. Same with pancakes, muffins, breads, biscuits, and the like. The nature of these items soak up moisture, swell and can literally form dough balls inside your pouch therefore get stuck in that stoma (described above). Not all banded patients have trouble with this. A lot do. It's a personal thing. Gotta test it out and see.

I agree with Babs. It sounds as if you're having "first bite syndrome" or what she called "first bite pain". She did a great job of describing it and gave you ways to prevent it. Basically, you kind of have to "prime the pump" and get your esophagus and pouch ready to eat. Popcorn would probably go through easily because when it's chewed well there's really nothing to it other than maybe what there is of the kernels/shell. Also, just because you have an appointment for another fill doesn't mean you need one. Your body is already showing some pretty good restriction with this pain with your first couple of bites. You even mentioned having to have part of your fill having to be removed the same afternoon as the fill. Do you really need one? Getting a fill would only increase the restriction you already have and possibly cause you more difficulty/pain. The headaches that you mentioned may be related to poor nutrition. Are you getting enough Protein, Water, calories? Sometimes a low blood sugar will do that. Sometimes a little dehydration will do that. If you're having trouble getting food in, I suspect this may be the problem. Good Luck, we're rootin' for you

Sounds like you've got quite a bit of insite into yourself. And your strength to come here to discuss it is commendable. "soft food syndrome" is easy to fall into. I wish you all the best trying to recover from this little "bump in the road". I'm sure you'll do just fine. It's all a learning experience IMHO. Good Luck

An ingrown for 3 months and your doctor didn't take care of it? TSK TSK You poor thing. Ingrown toe nails can be painful. And if this one is turning black.....definately scary. You and your DH made the right decision to have it checked in ER and get treatment for it right away. Even before your WLS. Remember to tell your surgeon all about it and the medications.

You look like you're having an absolutely FAAABULOUS time. Love the BLING. I'm green with envy.

P-Nut, I'll say congratulations because you seem so terribly excited about this. But am I to understand you're excited that your "girls" are shrinking? :confused: Just kidding. I know, you're whole body's shrinking with them. Congrats!! :Banane20::eek:

Oh, and by the way, dehydration can cause pain at the site of the band as well. The body is literally starved for fluids. Absolutely make sure you concentrate on hydration. Whether it's gatorade, Powerade, heck even Jello or propel. Get those fluids in. And...I forgot to mention the constipation. Bulk laxatives are considered a NO NO with the band. In addition to the article posted earlier, I was told they sometimes swell inside the pouch and cause more discomfort than the constipation itself. Adequate fluids is the key, and if necessary something like MOM (milk of magnesia).

Leener, Generally, it takes 4-6 weeks for post op swelling to resolve. But, it sounds like you've had some irritation related to other things like possibly the ingestion of the tablet/capsule. If your still swollen AND you've had some irritation, I'd be cautious about advancing my diet. I know it's hard to stay on clear liquids, but you might want to try for a couple of days to see how it goes. You're primary goal here is to heal and to decrease your pain. So, yes you need Protein and there are options out there. Don't forget hydration, as others have mentioned. But remember, the more advanced your diet is the more your stomach muscle has to work to move that food past your band. If it's swollen or irritated, it will be even more so after trying to move something too advanced for it. Take is slow and sip small sips. See what you can do about getting the prilosec or prevacid in a liquid or dissolveable form. If the pills are too large, they're only gonna cause you more problems if they get stuck.

Magic, This is gonna sound a bit like a lecture, but I'll try to put it as lightly as I can. From the information that you've written here, I see 2 major problems. 1st, you're drinking while you're eating. What happens with that is you're literally flushing what you've eaten down, through your pouch and into the larger portion of your stomach. Think of your pouch as a funnel. If you drink while you eat, anything you have eaten will turn to a liquid sludge and flow right through and this will allow you to eat more than you would without drinking while you're eating. When you don't flush the food down, you'll start to feel more satisfied for longer periods of time. DO YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST TO STOP THIS HABIT NOW. You should notice some improvement immediately even though you don't have a fill and probably not much, if any, restriction. *Remember, it takes an average of 3-5 adjustments to get restriction. 2nd, you're food choices are poor. They're high in fat and calories. Even though we don't necessarily need to "diet", we are expected to make the good choices most of the time. That's not to say we need to be angels. I eat what I want to, but I remember I can't have that chocolate cake or brownie every day. Just once in a while. You mentioned that you expect to not be able to eat certain foods like rice, Pasta and bread. Reality is that some bandsters will always be able to eat these things. I can. Although right now I have only 1cc in my 4cc band, I have been filled up to 2.5cc and could still eat bread, rice and pasta. There is NO FOOD that I cannot eat as long as I eat it slowly and chew it well. Theresa and the others have given good advice. Live like a bandster, Follow the bandster rules and all will be well. If, for some reason, you didn't get "the bandster rules" or good training by your doctor/nutritionist go to the Inamed website. It details the 10 cardinal rules which are key to success at living with the band and losing weight.

I'm at 1cc in a 4cc band. I have some restriction, but I wouldn't say I'm at my "sweet spot". - Tortillas (white, wheat, corn?) YUP, I can eat all kinds - salad (what kind of lettuce can you eat?) When I eat salad, I eat it. Not picky about the greens although I do try to stay away from the thicker center pieces. I just don't like them. - Hard breads (pretzels, crackers, melba, etc.) All go down A-O.K. - "Fluffy" breads (pancakes, waffles, muffins) I make sure I eat them slowly, but I can eat them. - Ground meants (turkey, chuck, sirloin...) No problem with any meats I've tried. - Shellfish/crustaceans (scallops, shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels...) I've only tried shrimp. No problem. - Hard cereal (grape nuts, oat bran, etc.) I don't eat a lot of cereal. When I have, I usually let it get soggy. I like it that way. No problem eating it. - Hard cheeses Hmm, what qualifies? Parmesean? In that case, yes. Otherwise I kind of stick to softer cheese like cheddar, mozzarella, swiss.

Although everyone has offered excellent advice and explanations, I agree WHOLE HEARTEDLY with Wheatsin. If you're doing this to yourself, for whatever reason, you should seek help to find out why. We had or have issues with eating and food when we were banded. That doesn't mean that they were miraculously cured when we had a little silicone band placed around our stomach. Food was our friend. Food was our comfort. We enjoyed eating, and still do. But, you need to learn to deal with your eating issues before you hurt yourself. I don't know the statistics or commonality of what you're going through, but I'm sure you're not alone. We all deal with our issues with food in different ways. You just happen to be manifesting in this way. Please seek help and support. Good Luck and keep us informed. None of us want to see you hurt yourself.

Does this mean I don't have proper restriction if I can eat the whole thing? I haven't had one in several months, but as I recall I ate a whole lean cuisine sesame chicken and really enjoyed it. It was the size of an entree. Is there a difference?

that is just too cute!

Thanks PN for this great and informative read. Not that I didn't have some clue already, but it's good to be reminded and told it's O.K. to indulge a little as long as you don't go overboard. Also, Wheetsin........whatever it is that you're craving.......maybe it's actually good for you. :D:fencing: :D:) Did I come close?

I'm with Midnightwit. Although I DO think that many do not comment because of a possibility of jealousy (my best friend being one of those type). I think there may be an element of complacency here. I myself am guilty of this. To be honest, unless a person's outward appearance changes drastically I don't really notice. I may see them daily and see the little changes and if I haven't seen them in a while, the changes may be more evident. Maybe it's because I've been fat most of my life. I don't put that much emphasis on a person's body. I notice a new hair style, that may be a little more noticeable. Weight loss, unless I'm looking for it, isn't as noticeable to me.

Not that I would wish pain on anyone, but that's a great pain to have-it's a sign you're doing well. I'm with Jack, remember there's ribs under there too.

As I got closer to my surgical date, I kept asking myself if I was doing the right thing and if I was sure I could follow through with the dietary/lifestyle changes required post-banding. I mean, if I couldn't do it before what made me think I could do it now? Anyway, I chalked it up to pre-surgical jitters. I knew, without a doubt that lap band was for me as soon as I read about it. I never considered any of the bypass surgeries. They were too radical. I wanted something that would work with me and wouldn't be so drastic. The complication rate was significantly less and I was pleased with that. I never considered erosion, slips, etc. I knew that as long as I followed the rules the chances of those things happening to me were slim. That's not to say these things don't happen, but that's what I convinced myself and I never looked back.

Both my surgeon and my insurance require a psych evaluation before being approved for surgery. WLS and weight loss without surgery can be difficult. They want to make sure you're making your decisions for the right reasons, you're in the right frame of mind and you're thinking clearly enough to follow through afterwards. If all you did was talk to him on the phone the first time AND you were having a bad day, I can understand why they may want to see you in person. You never know, they may meet you, have one session and find that you don't need ongoing therapy. Just one session/evaluation may be sufficient to convince them you're not Good Luck (and quiet all those voices in your head BEFORE you go the the doc )