RestlessMonkey

Ok, why did you write your surgeon? How much do you have in your band? How much does your band hold? Does he (or whomever does your fills) withdraw all the saline to make sure none of it is leaking out? How long have you been banded?

Good for you! You've had a dreadful time! Now you get to be excited!

You are normal! You just have a medical condition. I have thought, in the vast scheme of things, that being fat is way better than some things that could go wrong. And honestly I'm not kidding or exaggerating about the "success" stats with diet/exercise alone. It works but doesn't win the war. That takes more weaponry. You are smart to do this now, before more time slips away.

Do tell them that if someone cancels you'd take an earlier spot! I'm glad mine didn't take so long. Thank goodness from my (required) seminar to my first banding was just 1 month but I didn't have to do a sleep study. Hang in there!

Definitely call your doc. You may need a different protein shake or some anti-nausea med. Does water impact you the same way?

when was your surgery? it could actually be a vitamin deficiency are you taking a good multi per your doc's orders?

I have a 14 cc band and got fills as follows: 1.5, then to 3.0, then to 4.5, then to 5.5, then to 6.25 (too tight for my stressful final semester in nursing school) then unfill to 6.0 and now fill to 6.5 (way better now that I'm out of school and can "think" about what I'm doing) Everyone is different; and you don't "really" need to know what sized band I guess. Some don't care but it's in me and I want the info! So my first/biggest fills were 1.5 and I didn't feel it at ALL until I hit 5.5 in my band. It will depend on your doc how much you get but most don't really feel much different after the 1st one.

How long does it take you to drink the 2 oz? what happens when you try to drink more? And the gas...if it's external (pumped in during surgery) the things like Gas X won't help because it's not IN your digestive system, it's outside around the organs. What helps with that is time. Your pain med should help. If its internal then gas x strips will help you break it up and burp it out.

To me, bandster hell was the time immediately post op when I was truly STARVING and could only have liquids (the first week I didn't even get Protein shakes) It lasted until I was finally into soft foods. I think hell is what you make it! LOL but we all suffer some post op either as I've described or later on. And PB means "productive burp" which is a nice term for a painful occurrence. Once restricted if you eat something and are too full or didn't take a small bite or chew well enough, the bite of food just sits at the top of your pouch. If it won't GO DOWN it has to COME UP. It's not vomiting in the sense that you don't have stomach bile etc but it usually is unpleasant and can hurt a little (think of feeling like you swallowed a golf ball and that feeling doesn't abate readily) Most of us have this happen occasionally, some do it daily (NOT a good idea...not good for the band) and a rare few avoid it alltogether. It's just one of those things we deal with in order to have the band (and people who don't know think this is the "easy" way! SNORT)

If you're asking me...(? LOL) I had to drink 2-3 Eas Carb Control AdvantEDGE shakes a day and have 1 meal with 3-4 oz of lean turkey chicken or fish and some green veggies, plus 64 (at least) oz of Water each day. Period. No Snacks. No butter no breading no lemon on the fish nothing. I cheated and dropped 15 pounds in 3 weeks but once in surgery my liver was too large! (SHAME on me!) so I followed the doc's diet to the letter and lost 17 MORE pounds in 17 days (I was shocked) and that time my liver was sufficiently down. I didn't like the shakes either but I can do anything for a little while. Once I had the nasty experience of coming to in recovery and being told "You didn't get the band dear your liver was too big" I became a believer. You may want to try that short term to kick start things. My doc said the point is to cut fat so that we pull it from our bodies and for whatever reason that diet makes the body pull it from the liver first (easy spot to get it, I guess) You SHOULD do what your doc says but it shouldn't break the bank, either! I liked my diet because it was easy. I had shake, shake, and then a gorton's baked fish patty thing (they CALL it a filet, I have my doubts) and some green Beans or lettuce. At least I didn't have to worry about what to eat! LOL It is worth it. I lost so much so fast I felt like a different person. It was amazing.

Have you checked other surgeons in your area? They can obtain (legally) your records from surgeon A and maybe get on with your surgery. I would be really TICKED if I were treated that way. The "aftercare" is as important, or more so, than the band itself and if this is the service you get, maybe it's a big old red flag. My doc's office handled my insurance for me and I was approved in under 48 hours, and logically self pay should be moved through MORE quickly because the doc doesn't have to wait on ins. I don't know the whole story of course but think you're being given the runaround. Don't trust yourself to this bozo; find a better doc

I know MY answers to those questions; I'll share with you and maybe that will help you find yours. Obesity is a disease. There are many things that contribute to it. It's hard to lose weight and keep it off (that's why so many people, especially here in the USA, are overweight). Some just gain a little, some a lot, but it's hard. You can't just "not eat" and there are many foods that are hard on some of us. It's not a character flaw, any more than allergies or getting a cold. But since I have this problem I need to deal with it. Some people do just diet, lose weight, AND KEEP IT OFF but it's statistically VERY rare. Odds are you would diet, lose, and regain (plus some) because are bodies are made to keep weight, not lose it. I in fact HAVE successfully dieted over and over, but regained plus some. Our bodies HATE to give up that fat because it's our body's way of storing food for lean times (like a savings) Bodies don't part with it easily; and once the savings are spent (weight is lost) once the food comes back bodies are even MORE prone to store it. Less than 5% of people who lose weight keep it off long term. However, with the band, those odds increase. You want to make the smartest choice for you and the family and getting something like a "pacemaker" for your appetite seems to be the best way. So; because you have a problem with obesity, for whatever reason (and I think it's partly the society, partly some wiring in our brains...) you feel the best chance of controlling it, with the safest outcome, is the band. My epiphany was the pacemaker analogy; if I needed a pacemaker for my heart I wouldn't think I was cheating. Well, this helps me control how much I eat. And it isn't "easy"...I have to watch what I eat, chew well, alter my habits, exercise. It just keeps true hunger at bay. Your daughters will understand and take their cue from you. If you feel guilty about it, they may.

I had 2 Protein Shakes and one very small meal a day. But man the weight fell off. It was great. I don't cook too much now, actually; when you can't eat a lot you don't need to cook much unless its for family! And I have had a burger, for example, occasionally; can only eat about 1/3 of one and I'm full. It freaks me out each time, but it works. The band is life; you make the healthiest choices you can, you watch what you eat, you keep a "clean" kitchen (like you, if I don't have it I can do without it; no midnight runs for chips etc LOL that's why i say I'm not an addict) and you do the best you can. The band really helps once you get restriction (remember that!...you need good restriction and it may take a while to get there but once you do, wowie!) Hang in there! Post often!

You and your wife know your daughters best. At 10 I'd have been horrified to see pictures (LOL) but not all kids are that squeamish (I'm an RN and I STILL don't like looking at the pictures!) Most kids are happy when they can understand a parent is doing something to improve his/her health and therefore be around longer! I'd emphasize that you want it, that recovery will be pretty quick (it is) and that you'll just eat less and be healthy. Pad that as you see fit; but important to them will be the impact on their lives, don't you think? And it will be positive. You may not even be in the hospital overnight (I wasn't!) Good for you, and good for them!

Well as long as you're not too swollen etc I can see how you wouldn't have problems because you are on liquids and "sliders" (Mushie things are sliders...not the ONLY sliders, but sliders nevertheless) Just be very careful to follow the "rules" as you progress to solids (chew things to mush, small bites, no liquids with meals etc) and you should end up losing from the start but not having issues. Good luck!

it could have a leak. It's man-made and you know things can go wrong. If it were me I'd have the doc w/draw it and SHOW ME the 9 ccs. What's happening to you is very rare; he should be trying to figure it out instead of blowing you off.

The swelling around your stomach from your band should be gone, but other abdominal swelling can take 3 weeks or so! And is it OK for you to eat now? Week 2 I was just getting to move from liquids to mushies...is that where you are? I don't think any of us really like to feel hungry (unless in a perverse way because it means you are dieting or whatever) ... that's one reason it took me a long while to start losing once I was through the post op diet phase. I could and did eat too much. NOT as much as preband, but too much to lose. However now that I'm finally restricted, I stay full longer. I do still have a snack issue that I wrestle with (I keep telling myself NO! as if i were a stubborn toddler or something LOL) Anyway Hang in there. It will happen.

Yes. Once you're well healed, and you can ask your surgeon if you have doubts as to when that will be, there isn't any sport I know of (except maybe competitive eating LOL) that is off limits.

Ok you may be mildly dehydrated (50 ounces isn't much, considering that you aren't eating and we get a good bit of liquid from food, too) but you probably aren't in danger tonight! Unless you start to feel other symptoms...dizziness, change in level of consciousness, heart palpitations... Yes call your doc first thing, unless you can call tonight? Even if they DO have to unfill you, it will be ok. Good luck and let us know!

Yes it is VERY normal. The first 6 weeks are for HEALING, not losing. And for some it takes a while to get to the proper fill level. Proper restriction makes a world of difference, but the NP in my doc's office says it takes some people up to 6 months or more to get that good spot. So be nice to yourself and remember it is a lifestyle, not a diet. It takes a while to heal, get to the right restriction, and learn the new way to eat! AND don't eat ahead of the post op diet your doc has given you; you may be starved but stick with it. It's to protect your band and again allow for healing.

When he put the second fill in, did he remove all the first fill? You may very well have a leak. 9 cc's in a 10 cc band should be providing you SOMETHING. I don't understand how your doctor can NOT understand. Is he a moron? (ok semi joke there sorry) And does he HAVE to do it under flouro? Mine doesn't thank God...too pricey. As his NP says, he put it in there, he knows where it is. ANYWAY with the gain your doc should KNOW something is wrong. Go demand some help. If he won't, get your records and go to another doc.

Ok just read your post about your PB. Why didn't you call your doc today? Actually johnsonsnickers may be right if you had similar symptoms yesterday; you probably should've called today. You can dehydrate REALLY fast. And FYI a slip doesn't necessarily mean doom; sometimes an unfill and some time to heal/calm down will take care of it. So call them as soon as you can.

Congrats! I'm glad you had a good surgery! Just hang in there now (as I know you will) and follow your doc's post op directions and you'll be golden!

I know it does! It seems like FOREVER but it passes. I got so hungry I almost could've chewed off my own leg but I was too fat to bend that far down! !!! And it wasn't on the "approved" list. It will pass and you'll have lost a good bit and feel marvelous!