RestlessMonkey

There's a section here about docs and hospitals, and also I think an area on how to research a surgeon in Mexico (or something like that) Just remember you need an electron microscope to see viruses and a microscope to see bacteria so "seems to be clean" doesn't mean zip. Just do your research; don't go on price alone. AND most important...make sure you have aftercare lined up before you go.

As far as I know you can't "spot" reduce any way except liposuction. You can tighten the muscle under the fat and sculpt your body that way, but you can't just reduce fat in one area. However as you continue to lose, that will go too.

You are safest to check with your surgeon.

Not everyone has those issues though. I know I didn't (and I was 53, weighed close to 400, and had TWO surgeries within 3 weeks of each other). I felt great. I was never nauseated. I didn't even need to stay overnight. Don't assume it will all go badly for you. Many many people have easy surgeries like I did; I'm not superwoman.

I slept on my left (the one w/the port) side night 1, on my stomach night 2. honestly the sooner you act normally the faster you'll FEEL normal. AND...the pressure can help control bleeding, you still probably have good meds on board on night 1 anyway, and the stretching etc can help prevent adhesions.

Just wanted to say you actually may be hungry post op. Some people aren't because they either are swollen from surgery (lucky dogs!) or their surgeons put fill in during surgery. For many others, the hunger is THERE and if you don't realize it can be, you may be dismayed. Until the band is filled, for many (not all, but many) of us, it doesn't do much. ALSO...during the first few weeks I was on liquids, not purees. You'll have a diet to follow from your surgeon, and it may be more lax, or may be more austere like mine was. Whichever, though, healing is finite. Six weeks or so and you'll be getting a fill and moving on. The post op diet isn't easy but it beats a life of being fat.

You really should clarify this with your surgeon. Each diet, each doc, is slightly different. What I could have on my "full liquids" phase, for example, was WAS less lax and broad than most posters. They were quite specific. And if you were told "liquids for 4 weeks" and aren't sure what that means, then the doc needs to set you straight.

Just remember if food is your "friend" she's a back-stabbing bitch. Seriously. But 123crod is right; if you rely on it for everything you'll have to find new, better ways of coping. I wasn't depressed post op; just the opposite actually. Because I wanted the surgery, I chose it, (All under my control) I felt the reverse, cheerful, optimistic, and hopeful about getting my weight FINALLY under control after a life-long battle. But I think it depends on how you look at food. I usually felt it was a harsh master who had me on a short leash, not my comfort and refuge. Had I felt that way it would be hard to give it up. HOWEVER...please realize that while you won't be able to, say, sit and eat an entire pizza, most of us can still eat pizza IF WE WANT TO. To me, that's the key. The band has given ME the control. Seems odd, but before I felt frustrated and almost helpless; now I feel like I can win. If you are worried, find yourself a good therapist who specializes in eating disorders. The psych eval is just that; an eval. It won't help you. If you are prone to turn to alcohol or sex (no kidding, both happen) post op then hopefully the psych eval will catch that. But for the "head hunger" as they call it, or mourning the loss of the old fatter you, or whatever; you'll need to find yourself a good therapist if you feel you can't get through it all alone. I go to a behavioral therapist, myself.

If your credit is bad, in this current economy you may be out of luck, at least for now.

If you are a snacker or grazer, and/or have a sweet tooth, or if you have recent onset diabetes II, the RNY Bypass may be your better choice and you should discuss it with your surgeon, do some research. If your major problem is portion control and hunger, then the lap band is the tool you need. That's in a nutshell...but should help.

I'll PM you with all this, ok? So we don't hijack the thread!

Yes it's normal. Some are hungry post op, some aren't. You apparently are one of the lucky ones. And realize that liquids flow through the band (even if your doc filled yours some during surgery) most of the time. When they don't, you are either too tight, or too swollen, and need attention asap. For most (not all) the hunger comes back at sometime between week 1 and 2. Whatever happens to you, enjoy that full feeling while it lasts. Most don't get it until several fills.

Your meds will need to be adjusted, but you won't be able to discontinue them just because you reduce your weight. Sorry!

It's probably your thyroid. Once the PCP confirms and gets you properly titrated on synthroid (and that can be a process so be patient) you'll feel much better.

Your early morning weight is when it is at the lowest for most of us. As the day progresses and we drink fluids, eat, even breathe, our weight goes up. In the long run it doesn't really matter, just pick one and use it consistently. I use my first AM weight.

Sorry, I don't know what to tell you except to say I don't have that feeling, and haven't ever had it. If it doesn't go away as your cold symptoms abate, maybe ask your doc?

Well, some surgeons are more conservative, some are more experienced, frankly some are more skilled or better educated...at any rate they are different, just as we are. That's why I figure you'd be safest to tell your surgeon. You probably won't be the first of his patient's to "cheat" and he'll know if you are probably ok or need to be checked out.

I know eating ANYTHING that has to be chewed makes the stomach churn and that twisting action can cause a slip, or set you up for one later. Sorry! Even chewing gum can get the stomach going. Your safest bet is to NOT eat anything else, and to let your doc know. He may laugh it off (I hope so!) or he may want to check you out to see that everything's still copacetic. I've read both reactions on here. Don't feel guilty; that won't help a thing. Just don't eat ahead of your diet any more, and let your surgeon's office know. (again, not to "confess" but just to see if you need to be checked out or not...and I hope not) Good luck.

I'll say this; at 1 year out I can eat anything. I am in control, not the band. It helps me; it's my tool. I use it as I wish (or not). I can eat white bread, I can eat dry chicken, I can eat rice, Pasta, popcorn, Peanut Butter, pizza. I just usually don't eat those things. AND when I do go wild, wild is very different from the old days! I can eat only a much smaller amount. Does that bother me? Not really. Usually we don't say "WOW I wish I was still hungry so I could eat three more hamburgers!" LOL SOMETIMES stopping when it is really good is hard, but then I remember I can have it again, another day. food is not as important to me as it once was, but that's healthy too. I was scared. I thought "Can I LIVE a life without ever eating a burrito?" LOL Well I can eat burritos (or rather about 3/4 of one) just fine. So as my granny used to say "Don't borrow trouble". You may have problem foods, but you may not. You may have bad gas pain post op, but you may not. You may have a slip, but if you follow your post op diet and the band rules scrupulously, odds are small. (They DO happen, and the cause isn't ALWAYS user error, but we have more control over that than most take credit for) So 1 year out, I'm loving it. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

You know the answer; maybe, or maybe not. My doc is a conservative one (and studies indicate that might be safest, but who knows? It was frustrating, I'll say that!) and it took me to fill 5 to feel anything. Fill #7, though, was the "golden" one, at least for now. Since I don't have any problems so far, no GERD, no excessive PB'ing, can eat ANYTHING (including white bread, dry chicken, red meat, etc etc) I am happy and really don't mind that it took a while to get to my "happy place". :thumbup: I'd prefer that to things like "first bite syndrome", esophageal spasms, being so tight your stomach swells and you can't swallow your own saliva, etc. So slow and steady worked for me. I will say this: My surgeon WOULD have filled me faster but he took the time to explain his rationale of slower fills to me, and while anxious to "get started" I agreed with his logic. Apparently, he was right. :thumbup:

Your safest bet is to buy a couple of books...something like "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" (yes, there IS one! LOL) etc. and do research that way. We have tons of anecdotal "evidence" on here (good and bad) but this site shouldn't be your only source of info (not that you said it is!) With that caveat, I can say I didn't want my stomach cut up (bypass, sleeve) nor my intestines rerouted (bypass, BPD/DS) and felt the band was my best chance. Personally I don't think I'm fat because I have a big stomach. Therefore, I don't think removing my stomach is the best solution. I believe MANY issues come into play for obesity; hormonal, genetic, maladaption, etc...so for me, as I work on the "head" stuff and fight my heritage, I feel the portion control of the lap band is my best bet. HOWEVER...had I been, say, Diabetic (for example) or had a bad sweet tooth, bypass would've had more appeal. There are many WLS and the band isn't one size fits all. You are smart to check them all out and see which (if any) is the best fit for you. Further, I feel medicine has failed the obese. When I was a kid the general concensus was fat people=lazy sluggards with personality flaws. Thank God those days are gone (mostly) but the science hasn't caught up. I'd hate to have my stomach removed just to find out 10 years from now they have found something less invasive that works better. But then, I'm an optimist! :thumbup:

I used to use stress as an "excuse" for my borderline HPB but unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) while immediate stress can cause a spike in blood pressure (the old fight or flight syndrome) stress doesn't seem to contribute to long term HPB. On the plus side, our stressful lives don't cause HPB (although long term stress IS hard on a body). Blood pressure is a funny disease, and many times there's no apparent "cause" for it (can you tell I'm a new nursing school graduate as I assume the podium? LOL) but losing weight can only help.

Lots of people have "last meal" syndrome and eat like they think it's their last meal. For most of us, it isn't! LOL I can still eat any food, 1 year out. I just can't eat anywhere near as MUCH of most things as I could, which is how I hoped it would be. You can relax!

I got to start mushies at week 3 but locally there are surgeons (I know from my preop research) that require a 4-week clear liquid diet post op, so it's not unheard of. It sounds to me like your doc just wants to make sure that you heal and the band heals well into place. It's hard, but do as you are directed. Remember each surgeon knows himself (or herself) best and knows what yields the optimimum result for his/her patients. Your doc probably has you on 3 weeks liquids because he feels it's best. If you are just starved, call and ask if you can advance early, but don't just do it because others get to.

FOLLOW YOUR POST OP DIET! Do not do what "US" surgeons do (or what you think they tell their patients)...do what YOUR surgeon told you! Seriously! I have a "US" Surgeon and for 1 week post op I was to have clear liquids only. NO Protein. I didn't die. Most of us are fat enough, frankly, that we can go a week without taking in nutrition and it not hurt us. AND dieting, you will lose some muscle. It just happens. That's true of any diet. Please don't let your hunger help you rationalize cheating on your post op diet. If you can't trust your surgeon to tell you how to heal properly, how on earth could you trust him to cut you open? Do what your doc tells you. Period. Especially during the healing phase. For all you know his skill set is such that his patients do better on liquids for longer post op. Many of us are STARVING, I know I was. I came to in recovery hungry and stayed that way until mushies. But we get through it and you can too. Just hang in there. I see you did call your nutritionist and that's the smart thing. Remember the band works but takes work, too! :thumbup: