backafter20

Hi, I'm Jim. I got banded on Nov. 21st and am still a bit apprehensive about this whole "journey" thing. Considering what was done to me, I can't believe how good I feel. I've only been nauseous once, and that was in the car on the way home from surgery. My largest incision is pretty tender, especially if I cough, but the other four are really no big deal. I have this odd cramp/air bubble kinda feeling in my left shoulder/chest, but they told me to expect that. I'm hardly taking any pain meds at all, so overall I can't complain. They did tell me, however, and I would not experience the sensation of hunger for about a month after surgery. What a crock! I was hungry the day after, and still am. I've been without a bite of solid food for four days now, and, for now, I'm much more focused on what I can't eat than how much weight I could potentially lose. Thanksgiving will be tough! Before surgery, I figured I could handle this with no problem, but now I'm a bit nervous because food looks so much better when you can't have it. I wanted to get the band before the holidays to skip the inevitable gluttony, but now I'm not so sure it was a great idea. Anyway, it's too late now, and I'm stuck with it. Hopefully, when the weight loss commences, I'll be encouraged. It is also nice to have this forum to come to for support. This is my first post, but I'll be around, and look forward to getting to know many of you. Jim

Thanks for the encouragement. I really do feel a lot better than I had expected to feel, and I realize the food issues are psychological rather than physical. I do feel hungry, but I'm starting to get over it, I think. I'm also 15 lbs down from my all-time high, a bit of which I lost before surgery, and that's encouraging as well! See ya around....

Gayle, I'm no expert here, but I think your primary care physician would be the place to start. Mine recommended my bariatric surgeon whole-heartedly. I know what you mean by the hard sell seminar. When I went to mine, I thought of the doctor as more of a salesman than a doctor. He said things that overweight people want to hear, like "It's not all your fault, it's genetic", and then had skinny patients of his stand up and give testimonies. When I met the doctor in person and told him he put on quite a show, this visibly bothered him. He said that that was not how he wanted to come across and promised to adjust his presentation accordingly. Overall, I think he did a great job on me. I only got banded 3 days ago, but I feel pretty good. Here in Denver there are several bariatric surgeons to choose from. I would imagine a similar situation exists in Houston. Keep checking around, go to more seminars, and don't latch onto a doctor until you're comfortable with him. I wish I could tell you more, but I'm just starting here myself. Good luck to you...