simplycami

Caroline, I just saw your post and thought I would respond. I was banded July 08. I believe shortly after my first fill there was a leak because of the amount that was being drawn back out of my band. I also wasn't staying restricted more than 3 weeks. The closer I got to the "sweet spot" (more fill) the faster the restriction would disappear but I never lost more than 2 cc before another fill. My Dr.'s office allows for a 1 cc variance from the last fill because all the liquid may not be pulled out. After having them track it for 7 months they confirmed/felt I really did have a slow leak. At one point I had to stay away 8 weeks just to see the 2 cc loss. I just had a port replacement and my first fill. I feel like I lost a lot of time and started gaining weight because my band would not stay tight. I would stay on it and not let it drag on if you can help it. : ) All is well now!

Looking for input! I had surgery July 31st and am getting my first fill on the 11th. I have noticed in the morning I am usually full fairly quickly but by 4 pm in the afternoon I am starving... I mean.... Watch out... nail down the food because I can't full until I have had more than I should! Does this happen to anyone else? Will this HOPEFULLY go away when I have some restriction. I feel like such a loser after being really good all day until that point of the day. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I had my surgery on 7/31 and have my first fill on this Thursday. I TOTALLY agree with you. I want to be full quickly. I am so bummed at this point. I feel like I paid all of this money only to pray I don't gain weight during this time. Of course if I was losing I would be MORE motivated to be excercising everyday. Right now I feel more deprivation just because I know I shouldn't be eating but by the afternoon (4 pm) I am starving. I hope you find the restriction you are looking for! I would call your Dr. I know the office I go through want you to wait 2 weeks to make sure but maybe they are more aggressive.

My doc's office said 1st protein but when I asked they said... no more than 1000. Good luck to you!

I am also a vegetarian and I have yet to have my first fill. I have had almonds almost everyday to help with extra protein. According to my doc you can have nuts. Now... once you have your fills you might be careful with new foods like nuts to make sure that they go down ok. Also, I have my Designer whey protein a few times a week. (2 scoop because it is like over 30 grams of protein) I think the reason people don't suggest the protein shakes because it doesn't sit in your smaller stomach it is a fluid that goes through more quickly. I figure if that is only 200 calories a day for the 2 scoops and I get in that much protein I ensure that my body will work better. I am not sure as a heavy woman that I got enough protein because I was so drawn to carbs. Just my perspective! Good luck to you!

I totally understand your frustration. I was banded on July 31st. I lost 6 lbs after surgery and probably have gained one or two pounds since that first week out. They tell me that this is time for our body to be healing. I am a self pay gal and the amount of frustration I feel is HUGE BUT I see that this can be very common. I also lost 17 lbs before surgery so I am sure that my body reached a plateau. I am getting my first fill on the 11th and I am hoping that will change something. I am feeling way too normal in the hunger department right now. My Doc told me to keep the calories under 1000 and get in all the protein first. I will be on the office every two weeks (that is how often I can get a new fill) until I reach a level of restriction that will help me to lose weight. I am with ya in the frustration but just remember that there are so many people that had it EVENTUALLY come off. Good luck to you~! You are not alone.

I am so glad you posted this!~ EVERY morning when I wake up I feel that same kind of pressure below my ear (usually left) and jaw. It feels like some type of gas/pressure and I try and swallow or yawn to make it go away. I am really interested to see what other people say!

Strangely I would now say.... do what your doc says. Not because I think that your band isn't going to heal correctly but because when you get off of liquids you may/will gain a couple of pounds and it can be very discouraging. I am getting my first fill on 9/11 and I am so frustrated that I haven't lost weight since I went into the mushy stage. I have no restriction so it is like I haven't had the band. Anything that can buy you some time and keep you motivated (see the scale moving down) is a good thing! Just another perspective. I started fluids only (my leftover optifasts shakes) just to get some movement in the scale. My preop diet I lost 17 lbs. Since my surgery on July 31st I had lost 6 lbs and gained 2 of those pounds back. I hope this just gives you another way to look at it! : )

Good Morning Everyone! I was banded through TLCEdge/Dr. Kim on July 31st. Everything has gone very well in terms of preop, surgery and healing from surgery. I lost 17 lbs on the preop diet and 6 lbs since surgery. I am bummed that I haven't lost more since surgery. I am eating such low calories. I started working out again and hope to be doing 4 days this week. I feel like this time before my first fill is the twilight zone that people don't really talk about. You don't have restriction but you are to eat the most limited amount of food. That would be a lot more tolerable if the scale was reflecting my efforts. Any suggestions that people have would be really apprecated. I have even considered just going back to liquids for two meals a day until my band gets filled to see some results. The initial 6 was the week after surgery and nothing since. OH and....Since surgery I have had a very light period (the longest of my life) which has played slight havoc with my hormones I think. LOL.... Not helpful. I had even continued my birth control so I wouldn't have one. That didn't work. : ) Thanks for listening! Simply, Cami

My POINT exactly.... Glad to know I am not alone! Thanks for the message.

Welcome, Good luck to you and Congratulations!

It will get better .... I did around day 3 or 4. I started seeing the scale go down and I lost 17 lbs on the preop diet. I would just tell you to prepare yourself that the band isn't the goal line. It will be a few weeks after that until you get "food" again. The weekends were worse for me than the weekends when I had more time to think about it. Good luck to you!

Hello Fellow Banders! I was banded on the 31st of July and I have some questions. My Dr. told me to drink clear liquids for 2 days and then full liquids for one week. How much do you all drink? I was calculating my calories and it is under 500 a day. Does that seem normal for that first week? I am drinking either my Designer Whey protein drink, my optifast shake or yogurt or 1% milk. All of these he listed as approved on my discharge sheet. I also have s/f popsicle on occassion. I usually only have 3 meals/drinks a day since that is what is listed. So why I am REALLY asking? That dang scale is not going down. I lost 17 lbs before surgery during the same type of liquid diet. I have lost 4 since surgery and I am just saying that it seems awfully strange that I haven't seen a larger drop. Is my body in starvation mode? I am not really hungry enough to drink MORE during those 3 meals so what do you all suggest? I am really looking for some ideas on the subject. I appreciate it! :cry_smile:

Thanks so much! I probably do need to drink even more water~ It was very helpful to hear from all of you. I appreciate the support! I get to start mushies tomorrow so I think that will help up my calories and help my body to know that we are not starving just working on releasing the excess weight. Again... THANKS!

Yes it is the deal at least it was for me! I was banded on July 31st and had pressure/dull pain in my upper back the worst on Friday and Saturday. Things that helped.... a warm heating pad, a massager on my back to create kind of a patting like a baby gets when they are full of gas. Some people say Gas Ex strips work but I have also heard that they don't desolve that type of air/gas/pressure. In the morning I still wake up feeling empty but every morning I feel more and more like me. I will say my port incision was giving me a little trouble today just in terms I could feel it. Kinda felt weird. I hope that helps!

Oh good! I am looking forward to my 40s especially with a body I am comfortable in!

Hi everyone! My name is Cami, I am a 38 (almost 39) year old woman, wife, mom in a suburb of Dallas. First I want to say thank you to everyone who has posted their stories or information on this site. I have been lurking for a couple of weeks as I have researched where to have my lap band surgery. I found the right fit from a suggestion on here. Your insights and experiences are so very valuable. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I am a self pay patient so everything is moving VERY quickly. I called Monday to follow up on the pricing and the next steps and as of yesterday I have met with the nutritionist and had my pre-op appointment. I will be having Lap band surgery on July 31st. Thursday I had to start the pre-op diet (liquid only):thumbup:. Yes, I am HUNGRY but I keep telling myself this time I will SEE results. I am so excited, nervous about the pain. I had laproscopic (sp?) gall bladder surgery in 2003 and I thought it was a bit more painful than I had expected. Geeeze... with my C- Section I was painting 3 days later but not so much with the gall bladder surgery. I am wondering how quickly people felt better and would you describe your tummy as feeling like you have done 1000 situps, and someone kicked you? One big bruise and very sore moving from laying down to getting up? These are my memories from the previous laproscopic experience. Don't get me wrong.... I am PSCYCHED for the surgery just slighty apprehensive about pain with 2 new puppies and a 5 year old. :biggrin2: I look forward to sharing my own experience and success along the way!

Beck, I can only guess how you are feeling. I know I will question my choice and hate the pain but I KNOW I hated being fat more than anything and the pain will be very short lived. The pain of being fat would have lasted my life time. If you need an ear to just rant you can always send me a private message. This too shall pass! Simply, Cami

By the time you read this you will probably be banded! GO GIRL GO! There is no stopping you now. Let me know how you are feeling once you are feeling well enough. You are in my thoughts and I hope all went well today. This is your time! This truly IS the FIRST day of the REST of your life.

You might want to put bandaids over your scars just to help protect them or VERY high SPF. My daughter split her lip or right above it and they warned me that if she was in the sun the scar will darken. I am a lover of the sun too. I am planning on laying out the next week so I wont start feeling to pasty afterwards.

Thanks so much for all the info! Besides Optifast.... I can have s/f popsicles, water, low cal cran juice and broth but no food. I did have my own protein powder yesterday because I was so beaten down with the smell of the Optifast (vitiman smell). I was blissfully happy which is good because my hubby was starting to worry. I love Designer Whey protein. I decided I am going to use it one time a day to make sure I get enough since I am not even finishing the Optifast. The designer Whey protein is an approved after band drink so I think it will be fine. Ahhhh... Self pay too, huh? Yes a big investment but it got to the point that I thought... it is now of never! I am turning 40 next year and I want to ROCK in my 40s!

First I want to say WOO HOO!!! Congratulations you are so very blessed to be approved by insurance and so quickly. About RNY vs. Lapband. There are just as many rules if not more with RNY. One of my best friends had RNY 4 years ago and did fabulous on it but now feels like maybe her tummy is stretching. She said she kinda wishes she had something like the options for fills. What I have heard is if sweets are your thing RNY may be a better choice because of the punitive consequences. (You dump) I just wanted to make sure that you knew that there are really similar rules with both but probably more exclusions with RNY but faster weight loss. No matter your choice... CONGRATS!

Good luck with your bandday! That is AWESOME! I am scheduled for July 31st and am getting so excited I am sure you are just about to flip out! Woo Hoo.... Yeah you! Simply, Cami