RestlessMonkey

I've never heard of "giving your stomach a rest" just for weight loss? I thought the band was to be forever, filled, etc. UNLESS there's a medical need like a slip etc. I am truly curious (not contentious) this idea intrigues me....would you mind sharing the doc's rationale, if you know it? i thought most of the time unfill meant gain?

I was like you in 2003 when I had to have my gall bladder removed. Never had surgery, HATED hospitals (people DIE in hospitals) and was basically miserable. But I had to have my gall bladder removed, so I did it. I ended up being so interested in the medical process that I quit my job and went back to school...to become a nurse! LOL The OR (when they wheeled me in) looked NOTHING like I expected and I asked the anesthesiologist to let me look around for a minute before he put me out (this even with the versed on board...I shouldn't be able to remember, but I do) It was EASY! I recovered in record time and never looked back. These are things I did my first time (and times since) that may help you. When I came to in recovery I immediately looked for a clock (there was always one in view, on the wall, each surgery I've had) to "orient myself" to how long I'd been out (because it's not like sleep. you don't have a sense of time passing) Then I was very still and took lots of deep breaths. Helps to expand the lungs, clear the anesthesia, get things working again. The first few hurt a little but each one got easier until within about 5-6 breaths I was breathing well. Once they remove the oxygen mask and you can see well I talked to the nurse (helped me wake up) about my surgery (she has the notes) and so on. Once they wheeled me back to the room I asked for ice chips and then Water ASAP and also sat up as soon as they would let me. For me the sooner I act normally, the sooner I feel normal. i would let them know if I had nausea or pain but for me I had neither. OH I had some tightness in my abdomen (like you'd done the sit ups from hell or some such) but nothing I wanted morphine for. After being "not there" for the surgery I very much wanted to be awake, and enjoyed just being alive if that makes sense (I told you, I was really scared the 1st time! LOL) I got up to urinate and walk as soon as they'd let me. They offered me juices to drink but I picked water (less likely to nauseate) ... and dressed as soon as I could. I went home that day and felt great! My 2 lap band surgeries went as smooth, or more smooth, than that. So I understand being scared but just remember...it's worth it, they will control your pain if you have any, they know what they are doing (I picked a very experienced surgeon and staff each time) and they will get you through it. I wouldn't have wanted a sedative because then I'd feel panicked because I'd be scared but unable to do anything. We're all different; I tried to get through it objectively. My husband is a nurse and, bless him, he told me what he'd seen people do who had the easiest times, so I copied that, and have shared it with you. Surgery is actually easier, to me, than having bronchitis. You feel better faster, you have great pain meds if you want, and it's over with more quickly. I went home the same day each time; wanted my own area and turf.

You are too tight. You need to call your doc ASAP and get unfilled. Seriously! If you can't keep fluids down you're risking dehydration and worse.

Mine just had some "primer" in it (think of the tubing...if you didn't have enough saline, instead of filling the band it would just fill the tubing!) but my doc put it this way "You just had some primer. It doesn't count" when I asked him. Some DO load the pt (I think that's almost mean LOL) with a little...I think...but not my doc.

You shouldn't need over a day or two post fill to proceed from liquid to mushies and then on to food. IMHO you aren't eating enough, especially for the exercise you are doing. The point is to lose in a healthy manner, not starve yourself (and lose muscle instead of fat). Remember the "band" comes with a loss of 1-2 pounds a week. You need to get on a healthy diet and then see where you're at! :smile2:

You should be on FOOD by now, not liquids. Has your doctor prescribed the post op diet you are on? I don't think you're eating properly...liquids don't utilize the band properly, and can't be good for your bowels etc. ??

My first fill didn't hurt, in fact none of them have. HOWEVER...odds are very good that you will NOT have restriction yet. It took me to fill 4 to "feel the love". My surgeon is conservative but most people don't feel the first one much. You may feel it psychologically, but physiologically probably not much.

I think you should get a slight unfill, but if you're in doubt, discuss with your doctor. You should NOT be unable to eat anything except liquids, ever. The point of the band is portion control, not to block off entire food groups from consumption! If you are "pigging out" because you are hungry ( and I really understand that!) then it's all not working! Get a slight unfill and you should be able to regulate everything better. The band is great but WE are supposed to be in control, not the band. Right now, you're too tight most days to make good choices and for whatever reason, a small part of the time you CAN eat and eat everything. Get control back...loosen up the band.

I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig unless I just absolutely HAD to, as in using a drug to save my life when all others failed. If I wanted things cut up and rerouted, there are surgeries that have been "tried and tested" (like the sleeve, bypass, the duodenal switch) for me to choose from. I wouldn't mess with my omentum. For me the beauty of the band is that my "innards" remain intact. Only you can decide this. Personally, I'd say no. (San Antonio has a LOT of "clinical trials". Usually the patients receive the med or procedure, and concommitant medical care for free, PLUS some compensation. Will they cover your surgery, if you are willing to be the experimentee? What is "plan B" if it does you damage? I'd ask this, if I decided maybe to proceed!)

The millitary mindset...my husband is retired army, how could I forget it? LOL Good luck; I hope things work out for you the way you wish!

I found this on the "official" website for the lapband...Official Site: the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System for weight loss surgery drinks Drink as many calorie-free liquids per day as you wish (though not with meals). Suitable drinks are tea or coffee (black) with low-calorie sweetener, Water, non-carbonated beverages containing few or no calories Some doctors have reported that carbonated beverages may contribute to enlargement of the small pouch and recommend they be avoided. Right now, carbonated beverages hurt me, so I avoid them. I honestly only liked beer, anyway! And then only occasionally. I do know, though, that we humans need SOME pure plain water for our kidneys and bladder. You might want to check with your doc or nutritionist, those of you who drink only sodas etc. I'm shocked you haven't gotten bladder infections but either way, not sure it's good, long term, for your kidneys. A nutritionist would know for sure.

Thank you but that would hurt me worse than being stuck! Plus I already feel like I can't breathe when stuck. I'd pass out! LOL HOWEVER Having my husband wham me between the shoulder blades does the trick! :smile2:

I agree, tell your doc, and tell ASAP. The band can be a real head trip, regardless of how much you want it. You want to optimize your chances for success and that means being as ready as you can be. It isn't a race. One thing I don't understand, though; discussing isn't doing. Why can't you 'discuss" the band now? You don't have to start the process until he feels your issues are controlled, but what harm to talk about it? THAT I don't understand.

I certainly don't think you're crazy. And I know that it can seem staggering when you are unhappy and find it hard to lose and keep it off, regardless of how much. But if I may be honest: especially since many only lose about 50% of their excess weight (that's statistics...in fact many lose only 35%) would you have a 15-25K surgery just to lose 20 pounds? You STILL have to watch what you eat, and EXERCISE (that bane of many of us) after you have the band. Lap band surgery is safe, but it IS surgery. A device IS implanted inside you and expected to remain there. There is aftercare that can be time consuming and costly. If you were my friend, my sister, a loved one, I'd say this to you: Give weight watchers, (or Jenny, or Richard, or nutrisystem) another real try. Give it 6 months. Exercise at least 3-4 times a week, and really work the diet. Re-think it at 6 months. A short term gym membership and a few weight watcher meetings (or OA, if you prefer) won't cost you that much. At the worst you'll get in the exercise habit and lose some weight. Lap Band recommends having a BMI of 35 with comorbidities, or 40 without. That's about 100 pounds over. You aren't even near there. If I weighed 185, I'd diet my fanny off but I would not get surgery. You've made it to 40 and "only" weigh 185. If I were your friend, I'd tell you no, you aren't crazy, but don't do it. Change your lifestyle a little. A year from now you can weigh 140 and have a lot more money, and no scars on your abdomen.

You've lost 36 pounds in 2 months, and you think your progress is slow? Did I miss something? That's 18 pounds a month. Since the "average" weight loss with the band is 1-2 pounds a week, which would be somewhere between 9 and 18 pounds...you are ahead of the curve. I truly can't imagine why you are frustrated unless your ticker is wrong.

Well, I lost 32 pounds in, um, 37 days, by doing "my" preop diet for 3 weeks (lost 15) and then my surgeons (which I should've done from the start) for another 2 1/2 weeks (17 more pounds). BUT i started very high at 405. Just do what your doc says, not what you read, or think you "should" do, don't cheat, and you'll be fine!

Honestly, probably not. I had to give up beer (and the very occasional glass of champagne!); many give up their beloved diet soda. It isn't good for your pouch and for some of us it is actually painful to drink carbonation. For me, I can sip, then burp burp burp for 5 minutes. not worth it. IF you let it go flat (yuck) then maybe...but it won't be the same. After you've had the band a year or two, though, it MAY change. But safest to assume it's one of the few things that will be off limits forever.

I was blessed with a wonderful employee of the hospital where my surgeon is head of bariatrics. She faxed everything to my ins and I had my answer in just under 48 hours! :thumbdown:

There is no age limit on eligibility for the band. Some INSURANCE companys may limit it ??? (but medicare pays for it now and most people don't even qualify for Medicare until age 65 or older)

Pardon but I don't understand the "where is my pouch" question...would you mind explaining what you mean? As to the other, you don't need to worry yet since you're most likely still on liquids post op. As you heal and advance and follow the "rules" you'll figure out what it takes to make you "full" but not too full! :biggrin:

I usually don't like this type of thing...BUT I found a few years back a quote by the poet Shel Silverstein that grabbed me by the throat. I had been working a job I hated for 20+ years and just quit, to go back to school and TRY to get into Nursing school. I was fat, almost 50, and in moments of sanity thought I was totally deluding myself. Now I'm about to graduate (still fat but that's improving; the age I can't help!) so it is a true little quote: "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me: Anything can happen, child. Anything can be". I just love it.

It's really good that you are vigilant! BUT, depending on how long you're in the hospital, of course....going a day or two with less protein won't hurt you, not short term or long term. Once it gets beyond 2-3 days, then you might need to agitate. (Please confirm with your surgeon) Worst case they could've given you a "shake" like glucerna, ensure, or some such.

no kidding! When you figure it out, let me know how you did it, ok? :biggrin: My doc says when "satisfied". like that helps! :cool2:

Your doc is VERY strict! No kidding! :biggrin: You will be fine, I'm sure! Your band should be well healed into place. While I'm a firm believer in always following doc's orders, you do need rounded good nutrition, too. And if the creamy soup didn't hurt going down, you didn't hurt yourself. You need to advance on to mushies and then softs asap...you CAN get adequate nutrition from liquids alone but that isn't much of a life and this if FOR life. So since you said liquids for 6 weeks, I think you're past time. Your weight loss may slow/stop for a little bit when you transition but don't panic, ok? It will pick back up. Don't be so hard on yourself! :cool2:

the peaches...you probably didn't chew well. The chick fil a? maybe you were just full! PB ing can happen either way! I'd say just monitor it. We're told to stop when we're satisfied...so how you felt JUST BEFORE that last bite of chick fil a is what you should aim for! :biggrin: Good luck! OH after a PB I've read to go to liquids for a while, to allow your stomach to settle back down. You may want to do that, then start again tomorrow.