Venus1969

I had similar pain for about 3 weeks after my surgery, as well. I also had very bad pain in my port area. My doctor acted likely the pain would not be that bad, etc., but it was much worse than I thought it would be. Hang it there, it does get much better!

KatyLady, I am in a similar situation. I got too much of a fill, so everything was kind of backing up since whatever I ate or drank was slowly going through the band. My pouch is stretched some. My doctor did a slight unfill and told me to come back in a few weeks. I thought about going back to liquids to see if it would help shrink my pouch back some. I am worried and not happy about the situation at all. I did notice that I was starting to get reflux again. That is about the only "sign" that I had. When I got my last fill about 3 wks ago, the nurse and the technician commented that my pouch was bigger, so I asked the doctor about it when I went in for my checkup. He did an Xray and said that I was overfilled and that my pouch had stretched. Good luck with your situation!

I hear ya! I was the same way!

Hello. I had surgery in Sept. 08. So far I have lost more than 50 lb. I am still trying to lose about 23 more. Everyone is different. If you follow the rules and have proper post surgery care, you should be fine. You have to make decent food choices and get fills to get to a proper level of restriction. Like so many people have said before, it is a tool to help you, but you still have to do your part. Good luck!

A binder is a great idea. I walked around holding my port for about two weeks. A binder would have helped tremendously.

My port hurt very bad for about 4 weeks. Hang in there. It will get better.

I have the same problem, especially when I eat too fast and/or too much. It hurts right between my shoulder blades. I sometimes get my back massager and massage the area to help it pass. It is frustrating when it happens!

Thanks. When I decided to do it, I had surgery within two weeks of my consult. I agree that it is best to lose weight slowly. I have enjoyed myself along the way. Good luck! I am sure you will do great.

I had my surgery back on Sept. 4, 2008. I have not been as diligent about exercising as I should, so I have lost it slower than if I would have exercised like I should have. I have been trying to do more lately to get to my goal. Good luck!!

Good luck! I was in the same situation. My BMI was about 36. I was self-pay. I have lost about 50 lb. so far. I don't regret doing it at all!

I am insulin resistant, too. My primary care physician said that I may still have trouble losing weight with the lap band, but I have not found that to be true. I have lost a little over 40 lb. (including preop) since the beginning of September. I am anxious to retest my fasting insulin number to see if there is any improvement since having the surgery. Good luck!

I was banded on Sept. 4 and have lost 37 lb. so far. I was hoping to have hit the 40 lb. mark by 4 months, but I definitely didn't watch what I ate during the holidays!

Hello. I guess you could put the balance board on a step (provided that it fit, etc.), but I wouldn't do it. It would be hard to do the side steps, etc. with it up higher off the ground. I would be afraid of tripping. Your score is based on stepping in time as well as doing the step, so it seems like it would be difficult to do it properly if you lifted it up. I would suggest simply lifting your knees higher and just using the balance board as is if you are trying to get more out of your workout. I like the cardio part of wii fit. You can do step aerobics, boxing, running, or hula hoops. I sweat more in the cardio part than any other part. I love wii fit. You can go longer if you want to burn more calories. There are about 10 or so exercises in the four sections - yoga, aerobics, strength training, and balance games. Within each exercise, you can make them easier or harder. I really enjoy it. I am not big on exercise so it is great for me. I hope that helps.

My doctor went ahead and put in the low profile port during my operation. I didn't ask for it, he thought it would be best. It seems like it is a little hard to find the center of it during fills, but not that bad. I am glad that he did it though so I don't have to worry about it later.

Hello. I have been there, done that. My port area hurt really bad for about 3 weeks!!! It does get better. Hang in there. I was convinced that I had pulled a stitch or something. I found that putting gentle pressure on it helped with the pain. I kept my hand pressed on it when I walked for about two weeks. I looked like a pregnant woman walking around with my hand on my swollen belly! I also pressed on it when I did anything that caused me to really use my stomach muscles, like getting in and out of my car.

I have noticed that this happens to me fairly often, but it started while I was on my pre-op diet. I think the trigger for me is the increase in crystal light with nutrasweet. I have been trying to cut back on it since it seems to get worse when I drink/eat a lot of it. Splenda doesn't seem to bother me as much. Good luck!!

Hello. I had a BMI of 36. My insurance would not pay for my surgery, so I decided to self-pay. It cost $13,500 and includes lifetime fills and doctor/nutritionist visits for a year. I was banded on 9/4/08 and have lost 24 lb. so far (including pre-op diet). My doctor will band those who have at least 40 lb. to lose and will follow his instructions. Good luck!

I was banded on Sept. 4 (a Thursday). I had planned to be back at work on Monday, but I felt too bad. I also had a hiatal hernia repair. I am not sure if that makes recovery worse, but I thought I would be up and at it by Monday. I went to work on Tuesday and felt terrible. This is the first week that I have actually felt pretty good since the surgery. From what others said, I expected to feel fine on Monday. It definitely varies from person to person. I don't mean to discourage you, but I hadn't planned on being out of commission for about a week. I didn't tell anyone about my surgery until they saw me walking like a zombie. :tongue2: I just told them I had a hernia repair (which I did).

I was banded on Sept. 4th. I too had very bad port pain. I also had a hiatal hernia repair. My pain lasted for over 2 weeks. I had a burning sensation close to my belly button that really bothered me, besides my port. My doctor assured me that it was all normal and I was healing OK. I am 3 wk. post op today and I will say my pain is much better. I am not "normal" yet, but much, much better. I still have some pain, but not near as bad. I didn't expect to hurt as much as I did. I actually hurt more about 6 or 7 days out than I did at the beginning, probably b/c I was trying to do too much. Anyway ... hang in there, it will get better.

I was self pay with JourneyLite. I had my surgery basically two weeks after my initial consultation with my doctor. I paid the day before my surgery.

Congratulations! Way to go!