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amberd910

LAP-BAND Patients
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Everything posted by amberd910

  1. I had my first fill yesterday, 4cc in a 14 cc band. My dr said my band was pretty tight to begin with (my first fill was done under fluro in the radiology dept). He said I should start to feel def more restriction now. Just wondering how or when will I start to feel it? I noticed today that I am still just as hungry inbetween meals. And I had a salad for dinner at 5:30 and it's 7:30 and my stomach is growling and I am def hungry. I am going to have some carrots or a cucumber to hold off the hunger. I remember someone had said it took them about 2 weeks before their fill finally "hit them". I am just wondering what everyone else was feeling?
  2. amberd910

    Dumb Question About Port

    It's probably either in 2 places that I know of. Above your belly button about 2-3 inches to the side of it (but you'd KNOW if it were there). Or I have heard around your rib cage, around where the bra line area is. Mine is near my belly button and I am almost 4 weeks postop and just starting to have the muscle pain go away (since they sew it into your muscle). HTH
  3. Sorry about your loss..... 72 hours out I felt like crap. Mostly the gas pain. But walking helps with that. I am really sensative to narcotics so the pain meds made me really sick so that made it worse. Extra Strength Tylenol worked better then the narcotics. Just take it easy.
  4. the first one is done in the radiology dept and they make you drink barium to see how tight your band is on your stomach already, to make sure it's healed in the right spot, to make sure fluid goes thru ok, to make sure after they tighten it that fluid still passes thru. So I drank the barium while they took xrays and everything looks perfect! Then the machine layed me down (it was like an amusement park ride) and the dr numbed my belly and he located the port near my belly button and added 4 cc of saline to my band. He told me that he puts 14 cc band in ALL of his patients so there are no questions to wether one patient has one thing or another. He said it offers more flexability doing the 14 cc band rather then 10 cc. He said the max fill he will do is 8-10 cc in the 14 cc band. It was funny because he numbed my belly and he had me do a "sit up" and I look and I had a huge needle sticking out of my stomach. I was laughing becuase it looked like a horror movie. I made the dr laugh with that one. He found the port hole, xrayed it to make sure, filled the band with 4 cc. Then the machine propped me back up and I drank some more barium while they took more xrays to make sure I can pass the fluid ok. The opening for my stomach is about 1 cm right now, according to the radiologist and dr. So hence the reason I have to chew, chew and chew my food 30+ times before swallowing. I was bad and got my son McDonalds for lunch after his dr appt. I "cheated" and got McDonalds for lunch (it's been over 2 months!!) so I got a 4 piece nugget and $1 fry and I am so stuffed off of that it's not even funny and I ate that over 1 hour ago! I am down 16.2 lbs and my dr is so pleased with my progress since it's only been 22 days. He knows I am 100% motivated to this (well, besidees my crappy mcdonalds, which, if you look at the fat & calories content, it's not even that high since the protein offsets it). Just wanted to share my "fun" experience! All my other fills will be done in the dr office since he had to make sure everything was healed in place (which it was perfectly). My dr makes you come back in a week for a checkup (not sure why)? Maybe to check out how the fill is adjusting? But he;s on vacation next week so I go in 1 1/2 weeks.
  5. My son's third birthday party is next Sunday. We are actully taking him out to dinner tomorrow for his actual birthday but the restaurant is not my concern (I already know what I am going to order). For his party we are doing pizza and wings. And of course there will be chips and dip. How do you fight off temptation? This will be my first "big event" with food and the band and I am looking for tips on how you avoid the evils. That was always my biggest problem, if I see food, I eat it. I dont want to follow the same path and I am trying to mentally prepare myself for next weekend.
  6. I gave birth to my son. He is my sure motivation to loose weight and be healthy so I can be around for a very long time. He was the reason I decided to get banded and loose weight. Happy 3rd Birthday Justin! :thumbup:
  7. Someone had once told me over 20 or was it 30 grams of protein our body cant absorb in one sitting. I wonder how true that is? Where do you get the ProSlam?? Do they come in several flavors? I HATE chocolate...LOL
  8. I started back on my protein drink kick and I was just wondering how much everyone drinks in one sitting? I dont want to over due it but if I dont drink enough then I am hungry shortly after. Also, what brand does everyone use? I use Designer Whey, 18 grams protein & 100 calories/serving.......TIA! :biggrin:
  9. My dr says about 4-6 weeks postop you can start excerising again. I acctully get my first fill on Wednesday which will be 22 days post-op. I am going to ask him if I can start excerising again. Especially since I am wasting $$ not being able to use my gym membership! I want to start up again. I know I am ready becuase I really feel great, plus I am ready to start seeing some more weight drop off! I feel really motivated and not given the "ok" to return to excerise is holding me back. What was everyone else's guidelines for returning to excerise?
  10. If you dont like the post, dont respond. Some people are just niave. Some might be looking for the attention or "drama" that it might start. Everyone needs to worry about themselves. You didnt pay for that person's surgery so if they screwed up, oh well. If they want to continue eating burgers and fries right after surgery, it's their band they are messing up, not your's. They know what they did was wrong otherwise they wouldnt even have posted it! No point in getting your pannty's in a bunch when it's not your life. Just my 2 cents
  11. If you are feeling depressed you need to talk to your dr's about it. I was feeling down a few days after surgery too but not like your describing. Remember, the band is a TOOL. It's not going to stop us from eating. And dont forget, your only 10 days post-op! It takes some people several fills before they start to feel restriction. There is a reason why you chose the band over gastric bypass (I am assuming) becuase there was reasons for me. I knew the weight loss would be much slower but in the end the same results with HARD WORK on my end. You still have to EAT RIGHT and excersise! Dont shove down McDonalds everyday and choose healthier choices. The weightloss will come. Again, I think it's best if you consult your dr about the depression. I was severaly depressed after having my son and medication really helped me. Best of luck on your journey
  12. If something is not covered, not a covered benefit in the policy even, you'd think insurance wouldnt pay anything to that claim? WRONG! My primary insurance said no way for my surgery. Well, I had to submit stuff to it since it's primiary and they paid almost 85% of it! It says I owe about $4,500 but thats where my secondary insurance kicks in and covers that part (since it was approved thru secondary insurance only)! I just dont get insurance companies. Seriously. They said it's not covered under my policy and yet they paid 85% or so of the claim! After all this fighting for 1 month to get things in order for surgery (since my primary & secondary insurance both switched on 12/1 and the original insurance denied the appeal) and to find out that insurance would have paid this much to the claim (even though it's not a covered benefit and excluded from my policy), and to think if my secondary insurance did not approve the surgery I was going to go as a self-pay for $16,400! OMG what was I thinking?!?!
  13. amberd910

    December Bandsters

    I was also banded on 12/23 and I am def ready for a fill! I am hungry most of the time. I am eating my high protein meals. I find that the evenings are the worse so if I can keep myself occupied then I am fine. I am down 13 pounds total, thats was from preop and a few right after postop. I get my first fill next Wednesday and trust me, I am ready! heck, I was even shoveling the driveway on Sunday so am I really ready to get back into the swing of things and start excersising! I still have a little port pain left (it's right near my belly button) but besides that I am feeling like a new person. I can tell that my jeans arent as tight now that my swelling has gone down and thats a NICE feeling
  14. amberd910

    How Much Can You Eat?

    I dont have a fill yet but I find certain times I feel like I can eat like I dont even have a band and other times I cant even eat (like right now I am still full from lunch 3 hours ago). I am ready for a fill to start feeling some restriction.
  15. My son is going to be 3 next week. I simply showed him my "boo-boo's" and he understands that he has to take it easy with me. When he gets rough I simply remind him of my boo-boo's and he calms right down. He actully likes to see them, and count them, LOL.
  16. I hear people complaining that food gets "stuck" if they dont chew well, or at certain times of the day, etc. How do I know if something is "stuck"? What does it feel like? Is it painful? I am just curious becuase I don't know if I had anything ever "stuck"..... T I A :biggrin:
  17. amberd910

    How's everyones incisions?

    Mine are all just about healed. But I have bad strech marks from when I was pregnant with my son and the surgical tape always gives me a rash, well, when the dr removed the tape it was stuck on a strech mark and sure enough it ripped a 3 year old strech mark "open'. Now that hurts when my shirt rubs on it. I've been putting triple antibiotic ointment on that to heal that.
  18. Mine def still hurts but I am only 10 days post op. I just want to sleep on my stomach but I cant. Thats all I want......
  19. My dr has us on sugar free carnation instant breakfast before we are allowed to even leave the hospital.......
  20. I had my post op dr visit on Monday. The dr said everything looks great and is healing great. I am on mushies for a week then solids. I have my first fill scheduled for 1/14. I realized that is only 22 days post op. I thought "normal" guidelines are 4-6 weeks? Anyone have any thought on that? I trust my dr and have been in his program for 6 months so I know he knows what he is doing but 22 days seems rather short when some people are still on mushies then?
  21. Thats exactly how I feel. I want the fill becuase I am hungrier each day more and more but my port is still a little tender. Yet, like you said, each day I feel better and better. If I dont get the fill on the 14th, my backup at work is having surgery the 19th so I wont be able to take ANY time off for appts until he is back, minimum of 2-3 weeks!
  22. Thats a great story. Congrats on your success!
  23. C-section is much worse IMOP. That was torture
  24. amberd910

    Vitamin supplements...

    I buy the Walgreens Childrens Chewable Multivitamins (take 2 a day) and they are really yummy! I also have to have a B-12 liquid which is really nasty. I am supposed to take a liquid iron but am having trouble finding it locally and online it's pretty expensive. And the Calcium is the Cictrical (sp?) D or something like that. They are horse pills. I havent started those yet (I know I'm bad with that). I am supposed to "crush" them and since they are so big I just havent really wanted to crush and swallow them.
  25. amberd910

    Portion Size

    I have trouble with my portions but I am only day 8 post op. I really need to try and focus but the hunger pains really kill me. I cant wait until my first fill and to hopefully feel some restriction and fullness

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

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