Elisabethsew

Hi Shontel, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I was banded 12 days ago, came out of surgery 6:30 PM and was dressed to go home WITH a bra on 14 hours later. Make sure you wear a loose fitting bra and show the surgeon where your natural "bra line" is. Also, bring a soft pad or a sanitary pad that you cut up to place under the bra if you find the incision is too close to the bra line. You'll do great... don't worry.

I was told that the only time you have to worry about abdominal muscles is the first six weeks post-op. After that, exercising is fine. As for sucking your stomach in... I really can't see it would problem at all during the post-op phase but you might want to double check with the MD.

Hi Susan, For the preliminary sleep apnea evaluation, you fill out a questionnaire that asks if you smoke, if you snore, size of neck in inches, whether or not you fall asleep during the day, whether or not you are tired all the time, etc. These answers are added up to determine if a sleep study is needed. During a sleep study you go to a hospital or sleep center and they attach electrodes and watch you sleep for a night. People who have sleep apnea have periods of time (>20 seconds per episode) where they stop breathing. Often, this "jerks" the body into consciousness and results in what is called a poor sleep-wake pattern. Because sleep apnea people never get a "solid" few hours of sleep, they are frequently tired. During the period of apnea, oxygen saturation levels fall (they measure this by slipping a little sleeve over one finger. The treatment is a C-PAP mask which stands for continuous positive airway pressure. At bedtime, A mask is placed over the nose, mouth or both and the tubing is connected to a machine. A positive flow of air or air and oxygen is delivered to keep the airway open and oxygen saturation levels normal resulting is a good night's rest with no apnea. Is that too technical? I am an RN and sometimes go overboard. LOL. It's a routine part of a pulmonary consult and MD's use a positive sleep apnea evaluation as a co-morbidity for insurance purposes. Any good anesthesiologist will insist on an evalution for WLS.

How about, "I had a physical exam, got serious about becoming healthy and made life changes to accomplish it."

The change in your diet should do the trick. I am surprised that you were not started on protein shakes one day post-op as most surgeons want a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day for optimal healing. Also, make sure you're getting in enough fluids. After a day or two on the advanced diet I think you'll feel soooooooooooo much better.

It took me a long time to find a shake I could tolerate and the one that finally worked were the ready to drink (RTD) medifast shakes. They are 8 oz. each, 90 cals, and come in chocolate and vanilla. Delivery is next day or 2 day. Thankfully, they do allow you to buy individual shakes so you can do a taste test and determine if you want to purchase more. The reason the dieticians don't let you substitute something else for the shakes has to do with vitamin and mineral counts. I'm sure others will have suggestions for you as well.

I have not had a fill yet but the dietician did suggest a "trick" to curb my appetite. She advised "water loading" with 12-16 ounces of water about 10-15 minutes before a meal. I did this last night and actually felt full for the first time in a week.

Although I have only been a member for a week, I now consider myself totally informed about having lap banding in Mexico (MD's, hotels, length of stay, medications, flights, costs, etc.) soley from the posts I have read. The first few days I thought this site was a forum expressly for people who were banded in Mexico or were seeking to be banded there. Because people ARE looking for answers and places to have surgery, I would prefer advertisements be sent to the private message section or that people request that replies for this type of information be sent to them via a private message. Just my humble opinion...

Hi Eileen, I don't know about sesame dressings but you might want to check out the Walden Salad Dressings that are in the refrigerator section at the grocery store (not the unrefrigerated kind). I have had the thousand island, russian, ranch, raspberry vinegrette and honey mustard and they ALL taste wonderful... creamy and flavorful... reminded me of Marie's salad dressings but the Walden brand are fat free, calorie free, and carb free. I hope that helps. Maybe you could add ginger and sesame to a vinegrette base?

Cushing's syndrome/disease is a rather rare condition that is associated with high blood cortisol levels. You can find some information at this site http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cushings/cushings.htm If someone suspects they have this condition, they should make an appointment to see their MD and be evaluated ASAP. Most obese people do not suffer from Cushing's syndrome.

I have not had my first fill yet but I checked the booklet that I was given pre-op. It states to have a full fluid diet the day of the fill and then progress to a soft diet for a day or two before going back to the pre-fill diet.

Hi Jen, I am 12 days post-op and doing well. The day after surgery I was sore and took pain medication for the first 2 days. By day 3, I only took a pain pill at night so I got a decent sleep. After day 5, I was even off tylenol. As soon as you are allowed to, get out of the hospital bed and WALK up and down the halls. It eases the suture pain and helps with any gas pains and allows full expansion of your lungs. Ask the hospital for a medicine cup. They hold one ounce so you can pour your tea or water or broth into the medicine cup and sip an ounce every 5 minutes. The hardest thing for me was not being able to sleep on my side for the first week. Some people do fine after a day or so but it took me @ 10 days. I slept in my bed every night but some people prefer a recliner chair so do what's most comfortable for you. It's normal to be anxious but I'm sure you'll do fine. If you have any specific questions, let me know. At post-op day 12 I am working, grocery shopping and trimmed shrubs! LOL.

My MD wants 2 parts protein to one part carb so that would translate to 2 ounces of protein and one ounce of carbs. It's helpful if you learn to read food labels. Make sure that the protein content is highest.

I'm glad to see that there are "others" like me here. My all time high was 440 pounds. When I saw the surgeon for the first time in mid-December, 2005, I was 351 with a BMI of 64. I went into surgery on 3/30/06 at a weight of 333.6 with a BMI of 60 (5' 2.5"). This Friday, 4/14/06, I have my 2 week post-op appointment and weigh-in. I'm looking forward to starting the soft diet on Thursday and plan to ask when I will get my first fill. For the first 5 days after surgery I could barely get in all the fluids because I felt so full. As the swelling went down, the restricted feeling ended so that now I only know I have a band because I see the incisions and feel sore @ the port area. I really was under the impression that just being banded created a feeling of fullness and am surprised that mine doesn't. Until I get a fill, I am trying to ignore cravings and stick to the diet.

Have you taken your measurements lately? One of the reasons you might not be seeing a weight loss on the scale might be a gain in muscle mass. If you notice your clothes fitting more loosely it is likely muscle gain (you mentioned your gym workouts). Since my starting weight was more than yours, I can share what the dietician told me. For 2 weeks post-op, a full fluid diet of 650 cals a day, for weeks 3-5 post-op, a soft diet of 850 cals a day. Starting week 6, a solid diet of 1000-1200 cals a day. It sounds like you need to be at the 1000-1200 cal a day range but were only taking in half that amount. The only way to truly know if your body is in starvation mode is via bloodwork (acetone level, total protein level, nitrogen balance, etc.). Since you're exercising, you most likely need the 1200 cals a day. A "rule of thumb" is it takes 10 cal to maintain a pound. So, for a 300 pound person to continue to weigh 300 pounds they would need to consume 3000 cals a day. Since a pound is 3,500 cals, you would need to eliminate 500 cals a day to lose a pound that week.

Hi Babs I wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful weight loss. My starting weight was just 0.4 pounds less than yours and it's very inspiring for me to see how well you've done. I am only 11 days post-op and feel no restriction so I'm sticking to the diet plan until I am able to have a fill. I suppose I will find out when that will occur on Friday when I have my first post-op appointment. Once again, congratulations!

Corn, popcorn and nuts are on my "avoid" list but I have heard many people here say they do fine with those foods. I'm sure your band will tell you if corn is a no-no for you. As stated my another person, corn is not the healthiest choice... high sugar content and a poor carbohydrate choice.

I hope all went well and that you're on the road to recovery. Princess Fat Slayer comes to mind for a name. LOL.

Most surgeons will reschedule your surgery if you catch a cold. In the United States, it is now routine to receive an intravenous antibiotic just prior to the surgeon making the first incision. Some people will get the antibiotic as they are being wheeled to the OR while others get it in the OR.

Hi Teresa, Is the lack of weight loss causing your despair or are other things going on in your life? You mention you have a boyfriend. Are things good between you or has something changed? You say you wait for your boyfriend to come home. Do you have a job or attend school? Perhaps you need to look deep inside yourself and give a fair evaluation of where you're at, where you want to be, and what measures can be taken to get you there. I would never talk you out of having RNY surgery if that is truly what you think you need. I don't have enough experience with the lapband to advise you but many people on this board do. When I "lost" the feeling of being full after only a week of being banded, I learned from people here that my experience is not uncommon and to wait for my first fill. I accept that and am determined to stay on the prescribed diet. Some people have had 4-5 fills before they experience "band satisfaction" so perhaps that's all you need as well. Stay strong, evaluate ALL your options, and keep posting.

For anyone who has ever had a successful weight loss (and I am one of many) you'll hear it said that something "clicks" and when that happens, the person is able to follow WHATEVER weight loss plan they opt for. The MOTIVATING factor (s) that lead to the "click" experience vary from person to person. For some it's health related, for some it's a painfully embarrassing situation... I'm sure we would have an unending list if we listed all the motivating factors. Fortunately or unfortunately, we are never really able to relive past experiences. If you could experience the pain of childbirth everyday would you ever have a second child? You mind remembers the pain but it also protects you from being able to relive and actually experience that same pain. It seems to be the same with weight loss. We are motivated to lose and the program works. We get a significant amount of weight off and people start noticing and we feel great and our self-esteem increases. For many of us, celebration is associated with favorite foods. We "treat" or "allow" ourselves to have one forbidden food. For some that's enough. For others it's a trigger that results in a downward weight loss spiral. Obesity has genetic, social, physical, and psychological components. Because we are all unique individuals, no one really can ever have the same exact experience as another person. So, we do what we can do. We make choices, we decide on a weight loss plan, we form support groups, we share and we learn. Hopefully, we don't judge. That's my 2 cents having been obese since childhood

I would caution anyone contemplating phentermine to read ALL of the side-effects. It is NOT for anyone with high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmias. Also, this drug interacts with many others so make sure you carefully evaluate adding this medication to your regime. It's best to talk with your MD and pharmacist.

I was told that fudge pops were fine post-op as long as they were fat-free and no sugar added. The shoulder pain is from the operation. When you have lap surgery, CO2 (carbon dioxide) is pumped into the abdominal cavity to allow the surgeon better visualization and room to operate. Most surgeons try to aspirate as much of the CO2 as possible before they close but it's impossible to get it all out. Try hot showers, walking, and bending down as if you're picking something up from the floor.

Fiveholts, You're not alone in your experience. Once my swelling went down, the full feeling disappeared and I was only banded on 3/30/06. I was surprised when I read that many people did not feel full until 1-3 fills were done on them. I was under the impression that just having the band would result in a full feeling. I'll ask these questions of my surgeon on Friday when I see him for the 2 week post-op check. Elisabeth

I'll keep you in my prayers and look forward to hearing how the surgery went. Best of luck to you.