Elisabethsew

Hi Rett, You are experiencing the normal post operative course. The stomach grumbling and increased movement is due to the liquid diet as well as the CO2 that they pump into your abdominal cavity during the surgery and the back pain is the gas that results from the CO2 that remains post surgery. Get up and walk. Try bending down while supporting your abdomen and drink plenty of water. All of this will move the gas out. Pain medications (especially Morphine and other narcotics) slow the digestive process and can increase gas pains. Excedrine contains caffeine so it might be best to stick with extra strength Tylenol. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Miper, You and I seem to be on the same schedule. I had my first fill on 6/25 and have the second one scheduled for 7/6 as well. Unlike you, I did not get restriction from the first fill but I am working to get my eating under control and have been doing better the last two weeks. At this point, I am losing weight and have decided to not move the second fill time up. I was told it could take 1-2 weeks before a fill "kicked in" and it appears that may have happened with you. As long as you're doing OK and eating well and losing weight, I would not rush into a second fill.

Welcome. There is a forum here on complications that you might want to read through that will help answer your questions. As for the chicken and pasta, I have no problem with either of them. In fact, there are no foods that I have found to cause me any difficulty.

I would dump this guy STAT. He seems to have a laundry list of demands that must be met before he will even CONSIDER taking the relationship to the next level. He does not want to jeopardize his own financial situation yet he has no problem suggesting a single Mom take out student loans, etc. RUN!!!

I'm glad to hear that you saw an MD, had a diagnostic test, and that you're on the road to discovery. Take it easy for the next day or so.

Thank you for the research study. My surgeon distinguishes between volume eaters and high empty carb eaters when making a recommendation as to which WLS is best for an individual. Included with sweets, are a diet rich in processed food, poor in fresh fruits and veggies, etc. Because I eat healthy but too much (volume eater), the lapband was recommended for me. Perhaps future studies should look not so much to foods high in sugar, but nutritional value of the pre-op diet.

You've only been banded for less than 2 months so why not wait until you get restriction and see how that effects your weight loss before making the decision to jump into another surgery? I too am fighting for every pound lost and I was only banded 18 days before you. I got one fill (first) 2 weeks ago and it didn't do a thing. The second is not scheduled for 4 more weeks so I'm basically dieting as if I never got the band. Am I discouraged sometimes? Am I upset that it's been so long and I have no restriction? Do I wish I were losing more? YES, YES, YES. However, I went into this surgery knowing that it was not a quick fix so I'm working the plan and early awaiting that feeling of restriction. Hang in there. Better days are coming.

You don't mention how long you've been banded. I occasionally experienced what you decribed at about 6-7 weeks post-op. My surgeon told me it was the tightening of the sutures on the abdominal wall where the port is secured and not to be concerned. If you're concerned, give your MD a call.

Nan, You give me hope that restriction is possible. LOL. I had my first fill 2 weeks ago today and it didn't do a thing. I am scheduled for the second one on July 6 and am trying not to move the date up. I figure if I can lose with no restriction and get myself psyched into eating right, when I DO get restriction, I'll be a real player.

Welcome and good luck with your planned surgery.

I'm glad to hear that you're doing OK and that the problem was resolved. Take the time you need to heal.

Welcome to the board.

If your stomach is growling it's either gas or hunger. Are you eating enough during the day? I like to have dessert a few hours after dinner so I purposely save calories to allow for that. Edys makes 100 cal frozen yogurt and sorbet swirls that are delicious and the 4 oz jello pudding cups at 60 cals are also satisfying.

Congratulations on losing and MAINTAINING that great loss. I hope all goes well with the unfill.

Yikes! It sounds like that second fill was a nightmare and I hope you get some restriction with it. I am curious as to why the MD did not aspirate to see what amount was in there before he injected more. I hope you're not too sore.

It's natural to turn to the "comfort of food" when you're going through such a stressful time. After all, when we eat, we feel better and we don't anyone but ourselves. You recognize the problem so toss the cake in the garbage and empty the crap out and go and stock that house with healthy food. My prayers are with you and I hope all works out well in the health department.

You should being this to your MD's attention. It's not normal to have sustained shoulder pain like you describe.

I thought it might be helpful to share what changes you've made in your food preparation since being banded. For example, what snacks have you discovered work the best to satisfy your cravings? What do you do differently to improve the taste of food without making it fattening? I LOVE fish but frying it is not the best choice. I have found that baking the fish (especially salmon) is tasty but I enhance the flavor by squeezing some fresh orange juice over it. It's a nice change from lemon and it's even better if I let it marinade for 30 minutes. To make a snack last longer, I take a 60 calorie jello pudding cup (4 oz, FF, SF) and put it in the freezer. It tastes like a fudge pop and is especially good when it's hot outside. When cooking the lipton seasoned pasta noodles or rice, I leave out the butter and the milk and only use 2 cups of water. It truly tastes exactly the same and nobody in my family has noticed the change. They are eating healthier but they don't know it. So... what's everyone else doing to make healthy food tasty, etc?

Welcome and good luck on the first fill.

Julia, You'll be "puffy" for a few weeks and you'll see the scale move once the edema subsides. Make sure you get in the required protein for optimal healing and keep drinking the water. Since you have no fill, you don't have to worry about only drinking 4 oz at once. Just don't gulp it down.

I'm 2.5 months post-op and have had no complications. However, I have only had one fill and don't yet feel restriction so that might change. I'm sure there are others here who can offer valuable advice.

I'm glad to hear everything went well. It sounds like you're getting to be quite the expert at PS. LOL. Take care of yourself and let your body heal.

It sounds like you're overfilled. If this is happening when you're asleep, it's serious and you sound contact your MD. You probably need an endoscopy to get a diagnosis. In the meantime, try making lunch your biggest meal and switch to a lighter diet for dinner.

I ordered a new scale and it arrived today. It's digital also. I weighed myself on the old scale (surprised it actually worked... it's terminal, LOL) yesterday and the new one today and they are only a pound different. Obviously, I'm tossing the dying scale out and will use the new one as the official measure of my progress.

It's great you're getting your second fill so soon. I got my first one a week and a half ago and feel nothing but my MD won't give me another for 6 weeks... that's July 6. Let us know how the second fill goes.