Elisabethsew

Have you experimented with other positions? If you're using the missionary position, try a pillow under you butt with your legs on your man's shoulders.

Hi Suzanne, I had pulmonary emboli in both lungs a few months before my surgery and have been on Coumadin ever since. I had to come off that drug to have the surgery and did fine. Let your surgeon and your anesthesiologist know that you are positive for Leiden Factor V. They will likely order a medication that is given in your stomach as a precaution (I got this before going into surgery, coming out of surgery, and the AM I left the hospital). I also let the anesthesiologist know that I have terrible nausea after surgery that is not responsive to Zofran. Sure enough, I had the nausea, got Zofran that failed to do a thing, and then was given Phenergan as the anesthesiologist promised pre-op. Communication is key and the person in charge of you in the OR is not the surgeon; it's the anesthesiologist (I'm an RN). During the operation, they will place alternating pressure booties on your feet and/or legs and they stay on until you're up walking. You'll do great!

I can palpate the port when I touch my stomach but can't "feel" a band around my stomach. The level of restriction that you feel when you eat is determined by the size of the band that you get and your anatomy. The only time I know I have the band is when I am eating and get that full feeling... something I never had prior to banding.

I did pretty well today drinking an hour AFTER meals. I'm looking forward to Tuesday when I hope to get a small fill to get back the restriction I felt on the last visit. Thank you for sharing your experiences on this issue.

I certainly hope none of us live our life the way she lived hers. Anna has a history of abusing alcohol and drugs and I think it's very likely that one, or a combination of the two, caused respiratory depression and cardiac arrest. I suppose we'll never know if it was intentional or not. I feel sorry for the daughter she left behind and hope her father (whomever that is) gives her unconditional love and a "normal" life.

Hi Hopeworks, I am going back on Tuesday for another fill and I know how you fill. The last fill I got gave me good restriction but it seems to have worn off a bit. I am hoping that another small fill will get me back to where I was a few weeks ago. See how the fill you just goes. If you don't notice improvement in 2 weeks, I would schedule another fill. Good luck!

Easter or tax day sounds good to me. How many people here drink with their meals? I have researched this and can't find a definitive answer for not drinking with meals. Is it so that you feel full sooner or eat less or stay fuller longer? I'd be interested in the experiences of the people here. Thank you!

Welcome back, Waterlily. My biggest offense is drinking with meals so I am going to try and work on that one. I have one pound to go to make my goal but have been stuck at 283.5 for a few days (bouncing between 283 and 284.5). My eating has been on track so I hope the plateau ends soon and the scale moves. I'm going back for a check on 2/13 and will likely need a small fill as I have noticed this last one "wearing off" quite a bit. You're doing great and have been through a lot. I'll work on knocking off the drinking with meals as a buddy support. Onward and downward!

Congratulations, Julie!!! You're doing wonderfully and will soon be in the 100's. You're so close and your progress is amazing.

You'll speak with an anesthesiologist, have an EKG, get a chest x-ray, pee in a cup, have a brief history and physical, and blood work. If any of this was done already, chances are you won't need to repeat it. My pre-op testing was only about 30 minutes long.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. It makes getting a year older a little less painful. LOL. Congratulations and welcome Shannonh.

Wow! Everyone is doing great in moving towards their goals. I've still got one pound to go and I'm hoping to get that scale moving downwards. Today's my birthday so I'm allowing myself a dinner out at a nice restaurant.

Molly, I am very sorry to hear of your Mom's passing and my prayers are with you. Take care of yourself and let us know how you're doing. Congratulations to everyone on their losses!

I would be interested in seeing your video.

I am an RN and would highly recommend this vaccination for all eligible females. It's a series of 3 shots over 6 months (similar to hepatitis B schedule) and affords protection for most cervical viruses. Currently, studies are in progress to develop a vaccine for boys/men as well.

Maybe it's because I work in a profession where I see people die everyday or maybe it's my upbringing or maybe it's just something that can't be explained but I am 100% against the death penalty. I consider myself to be open-minded and I read every single word of every post in this thread and still, I can't condone sentencing a person to death. On a side note, I also don't think ANYONE is ever judged by a jury of their peers.

Name....................Current Weight......Valentine's Goal......To Go Juliegeraci................237.................. ..10................Done! 5lbs Bonus Lapbandit.................240..................... .20..........................13 Libra....................... 255.......................20...................... ...10 Indianlight................ 277...................... 20...................... ..18 JulieNYC.................. 218.......................215.................... ....3 Elisabethsew............ 283 (-11)...............282.........................1 Hang in there, Molly. Make the most of your time with your Mom and don't worry about counting calories. Julieg, congratulations on making your goal! It's that time of the month for me so I'm looking at a scale that won't budge.

I work an a nurse educator and urge you to pull your instructor to the side and ask her when you can speak with her in private for a few minutes. You do not have to divulge what surgery you had to ANYONE. Simply explain to your instructor that you had laproscopic surgery and show her the incisions. Tell her you have tenderness in the abdominal and stomach region and prefer not to make your surgery public. If she gives you any flack, go right to the chairman of the department.

I had only one episode where something similar happened. I had steak for dinner and did not chew it enough. I felt that "stuck" sensation all night and slept horrribly. The next morning, I woke up, had a cup of coffee and was beginning to take my pills and vitamins when I knew I HAD to get the the bathroom ASAP. I vomited up the pills and out came a tiny piece of steak. After that, I was perfectly fine. Hot liquids and moving around seem to help many people "move" food that is "stuck" and alleviate the pain. Give that a try... tea, coffee, cup-a-soup, etc.

If your health has not changed and the problem came on suddenly, it's best to consult with your surgeon. How have you done with the band? Is this your first problem? Good luck on getting a resolution quickly and feel better soon.

Congratulations, Tann!!! Welcome and be proud of how far you have come. Your weight loss is wonderful! Libra and Lapbandit, Thank you for the positive comments. I recently found out that I need both knees replaced so I have a huge incentive to get the weight off. I am hoping I can "keep" these old ones until I can get to about 190 pounds. That should make the recovery and rehab MUCH easier. Name....................Current Weight......Valentine's Goal......To Go Juliegeraci................241.5.................. ..10..........................3.5 Lapbandit.................240..................... .20..........................13 Libra....................... 257.......................20...................... ...12 Indianlight................ 277...................... 20...................... ..18 JulieNYC.................. 221.......................215.................... ....6 Elisabethsew............ 283 (-11)...............282.........................1

The band was not made so that you could exist on a liquid diet. If you can barely keep liquids down, why would you want to get another fill so that you could become even more restricted? Most people who have the band and USE the band the way it was intended to be used do NOT consume 3400 calories a day in shakes. They eat a BALANCED diet and consume 1200-1400 calories a day on average. The esophagus is a muscle that gets exercised as solid food is moved down the digestive tract. When you consume an all liquid diet, the esophagus does not have to be exercised as much. More importantly, what you describe is called gastroesophageal reflux. Acid regurges into the esophagus and can burn and scar the esophagus. This is a precursor to esophageal cancer. If you think stardom warrants placing yourself at risk to achieve, perhaps you need some therapy. I am not being nasty here but am truly concerned. I'm a health care professional but I think most of the people who post on this board can see that your need to place getting thin as fast as possible by harming your health is NOT normal. Good luck to you.

Is this a serious post?

Thanks, Libra. It sure took a long time to get restriction but now I am finally aware I have the band and it's nice to be able to relate to the experiences of others. I wish my MD would have been more aggressive with fills as I have a large capacity band but I'm not one to look back. I hope to beat my Valentine's Goal and would LOVE to enter the "70's" to firmly establish myself in twoterville.

Since they don't enter your stomach when you are intubated, there is no concern about this procedure for banded patients. However, it's a good idea not to have a naso-gastric tube placed with the band inflated. They can either deflate it or use fleuroscopy.