owhynot

Hello everyone, I too have had trouble with my gall bladder- 6 months after being banded and without any advance warning. Out of the blue one day I was in so much pain I went and had all my fill taken out in case something was up with the band, but it didn't help at all. The nurse sent me to the ER and three hours later they are telling me the gall bladder has to come out, now. "Getting the OR ready now!". Surgery was expected to take an hour and a half, but actually went on for three. Next morning my doctor (same great doc who did my band, thankfully) described it as having been "full of stones, falling apart and gangrenous", which is why it took so long to get it all out of there. Spent two nights in the hospital and went home with a drain that I had to keep for a week. While I was stuck at home I took a brief look at a few websites that made it clear that gall bladder problems are associated with weight loss. I saw something like 'ten percent of lap band folks will have gall bladder problems show up at the 6 month mark' on one website (sorry I don't recall it) and understood that I was in that ten percent, lucky me. Go ahead and enjoy having it taken out, because it will never bother you again! Good luck! o. :thumbup:

Hello everyone, I was banded by Dr. Wolff on 02/0309, and have been very pleased with with both the surgery and resulting weight loss. So far I have had two fills and am down about 50 pounds since starting my pre-op diet in January. good luck to all of you on your journey! o.

congratulations!!!!!!! that is such an amazing feeling- realizing just how much your size has changed in such a short time. enjoy it!!! o.

I had my second fill this week, on the 21s, and now have 5cc's in my 10 cc band. Since starting pre-op diet two weeks before my 02/03 surgery date, I am down 36 pounds and two sizes. 50 more pounds to go! Fortunately I have had NO episodes of PB'ing, sliming, or vomiting. I am careful about food choices, and chewing! I feel great and I'm having a great deal of fun digging out old 'too small' clothes and discovering they're too big! Congratulations to all my fellow February 3rds! I wish you all the best and hope you are enjoying your own successes too. smile, o.

I saw this quote on a fortune that came in a tin of mints about 12 years ago, and it has been with me ever since: "He who says it cannot be done should get out of the way of the person doing it" - Old Chinese Proverb o. :cool2:

Hello everyone, I had my surgeon appointment on Jan 16, surgery on Feb 3, and since that appointment on the 16th I am down 33 pounds. No surprise that my clothes are starting to look too big on me, since I am down about 2 pant sizes. Fortunately, I have always kept some of my favorite 'someday when I lose the weight' clothes packed away, so I at least have something to wear that fits! Now, here is the problem. In the past whenever I started a new diet and lost a bunch of weight, I still hung onto my best 'fat' clothes in case the weight came back. And of course it always did! But this time is different, right? I am still trying to wrap my mind around the concept that I don't have to keep the back-up clothes on hand, because the weight is NOT going to come back this time, as long as I am vigilant about eating properly and following the band rules. Did anyone else go through this sort of clothing crisis? It just feels strange to be so sure that the weight will stay off, since it never has in the past. Even so, I have a big bag of clothes ready to donate to Goodwill, and plan to bid them all farewell today. I'd love to hear your stories, if you've encountered this issue yourself, and how long it took to move beyond it. thanks! o.

Doing great! Ready for the snow to go so I can get in the garden! o.

I use Sparkpeople to log my food and exercise, but that is pretty much all I do use it for. I might read the odd article, collect my spark points (not sure what exactly for...) and poke around the message boards now and then too. The food tracking feature is especially helpful to me, because I find it interesting to see the impact different foods have on my diet goals. I love the reports it generates, and figure that will be helpful when I meet with the nutritionist in a few months;this is information I'm supposed to have documented. I would recommend it to new bandsters like myself (02/03/09) who need help in getting sufficient Protein via real food instead of supplements, and for counting calories, especially while waiting for the first fill. Since I'm supposed to be limiting my calorie intake to 1200 to 1500, I'll probably always use it to some degree or another, because it is amazing how quickly they do add up! o.

Congratulations to MiFive, muttilein, Chicky abby and peggyn! You're all doing great!! My scale is cheap and unreliable, so I'm not exactly sure how much I've lost, but I think it is somewhere around 18 to 20 pounds. On Monday I have a check in with my surgeon (first one since surgery) and then to the bariatric center for a fill. The two offices share the same building, so it is pretty convenient. I'll get my 'official' weight on that day! I've had a 'touch' of bandster hell, but nothing too terrible. Yes, I do get hungry when I haven't eaten, but I'm careful about food choices and have kept calorie intake to about 1200 daily. Using the food tracker on Sparkpeople has been a tremendous help- I don't think I would have been as successful without it, as it allows me to see not only calories, but fat, Protein and Fiber intake too. Very helpful. I also use Sparkpeople to track my exercise; I'm making time for my treadmill and shoot for burning at least 200 calories per 30-35 minute session. I've definitely noticed that I can eat much larger quantities of food than I could a few weeks ago- here again it helps to be choosing the right foods to eat! I am also amazed at how great I feel, especially when I think back to how sore and creaky I was for the first week after surgery! My incisions are almost completely healed, two of them almost invisible, and I have hardly any surgery or port-related discomfort at all. Thanks to everyone who has posted updates! Not only is it fun to see how my fellow 'Feb 03" bandsters are doing, but I know these posts are helpful to folks who are researching their own lapband journeys. Keep up the good work!! o.

This comes right from the nutrition guideline book given to me by my nutritionist at the Bariatric Center: "Caffeinated beverages are gastric irritants and dehydrating. They should be avoided the first few months after surgery" I am almost 5 weeks post op and I have started drinking coffee again; in the morning I use a french press travel mug to make just the right amount, adding 1/2 cup 1% milk. Thats enough to satisfy my craving for the rest of the day, and I get some dairy Protein in. I just have to be sure I'm also getting enough Water during the rest of the day.

Hello Wicked! I just read your post tonight- sorry I didn't catch it in time to wish you good luck! Hope all went well, and you have a quick recovery. Your list of preparations looked as good as any! keep us posted on your progress!

Update: I have six bags filled and sitting by the back door! They're going into the car tomorrow morning, then off to Goodwill and another person who really needs them. It feels great to have that done!! Thanks to all of you who told me to just get rid of them! :party:

These posts are great, thanks!! Seems I'm not the only one who is still amazed that we don't have to plan on the weight coming back on, like we always did before.... I loved the comment about clown pants; that is how a co-worker described a pair I wore a few weeks ago! They may have to go sooner than I thought they would. Last night my best friend (who has a BMI of about 42 and is watching my lapband experience very closely) came over I tried on a boatload of clothes for her evaluation. Some things I thought I could work she said to get rid of; "that looks too big on you", or "by the time winter rolls around and you can wear that item again, it will be too big for you, so there is no sense saving it!" It was great, since it made the process fun. My favorite part was holding up a nice pair of pants saying 'I don't think I can fit these yet', but trying anyway and omg they actually did fit! Guess that qualifies as a NSV, huh? :wink: I am happy to know the clothes will be put to good use by other people who need them, since keeping them tied up in storage totes seems like a foolish waste. As we worked our way through piles of clothes, it was crazy to see just how many things I had squirreled away. Bit of a wake-up call, to realize I have way too many clothes!! But I know it is because for so many years it has been easier (and cheaper) to get in the habit of keeping multiple sizes of clothing on hand, in order to accommodate the yo-yo dieting. Thanks for trying to help me accept that things are different this time; I am finally feeling confident about that new reality. It helps to hear about how other bandsters have managed this aspect of their weight loss journeys! :thumbup:

You are so right! I just learned that someone from my interpreting community has suffered a great misfortune- her house caught fire and is a total loss. She is a big girl, about my old size, so I am going to send the clothes her way. Funny how things seem to work out, isn't it??

Wow, thanks for all of the encouraging replies!!! It helps to reinforce the fact that I really won't be needing these clothes again, like I have so many times in the past..... I've already done one purge, and look forward to more! Once I get past the next size range, I will be out of back-up clothes and will be FORCED to buy replacements. DH works for Goodwill, so I am looking forward to giving his employee discount a workout! I also do a lot of sewing, which means I can alter my existing clothes to get more time out of them. Making my own clothes is fun too, and helps save $$. I still marvel at the weight loss, at how good I feel, at how ready I am to keep on this path. This October I'm going on a cruise with my mom and sister, so that is helping a lot in terms of incentive.... thanks again everyone!! o. :wink:

Thanks for well wishes, and for reminding me I should keep one pair of jeans for a 'before and after' moment!!! I know just the pair- I have always loved the color of the denim, and I am a little sad that they look like clown pants on me now. They will be the perfect pair to keep, just as you have suggested. I will give away the rest of the clothes as soon as possible. thanks for your support!!

I was banded on the 3rd- never had any other surgeries, so I was nervous about the anesthesia too. It wasn't all that bad- just felt very sleepy for the following 12 hours..... I have no doubt that you will do fine! good luck, o. :tt2:

Congratulations on a terrific start!!!! I am sort of hoping that I can get away without a fill for a while too, so your news is good to hear. You must have been thrilled to hear the nurse telling you how well you are doing! I am two weeks post op, and doing well so far. As of Jan 16 I am down about 30 pounds; 16 on pre-op diet, and 14 since Feb 3rd. I'm on the mushy stage now, and find that for the most part my hunger is easy enough to manage with careful planning and eating. I do have one problem- I seem to be allergic to the Protein powders I have been adding to my drinks and food. I've tried several different brands, but end up with skin rashes that let me know I'm not tolerating them well. So, I've got extra incentive to get my protein through food and not powders! I'm also trying some non-gmo organic soy powders, hoping they work better for me, but only as a supplement when I need them. Keep up the good work, hooray to you and everyone else who is making the band work for them! o.

Must be because you had an excellent surgeon! :thumbup: I was banded on the 3rd, spent a few sore days recovering, and went back to work (in a professional office setting) on the 10th. I probably could have gone a day earlier, but I did some work from home instead. Biggest challenge was sitting at a desk for very long, due to port pain/tenderness. I also started walking on my treadmill three days after the surgery, and was very good about getting all my Protein in. I think that may have helped. Today I am two weeks out, and I feel terrific. Port area is still noticeable, but not really painful. Once in a while I get like a charlie horse sensation in that spot, but nothing that lasts very long. I'm able to eat and drink with no problem, have not had any vomiting issues, and honestly can't believe how great I feel! Like so many other folks I found the three days following the surgery a challenge in terms of port pain, but reassured myself that it was a temporary state that would soon pass. And it did. Good luck to all of you with upcoming surgeries! Just hang in there on the rough days, because it will get better. I would encourage you to take as much time as you can, and feel that you need. Keep in mind that we all heal at different rates, and don't beat yourself up for being tired and sore for a few days. congratulations on taking this gigantic big step forward! :thumbup: o.

I am now 12 days post op, starting to feel really quite 'healed up' at this point. Just a little port pain left, no more gas, shoulder pains, or exhaustion, and went back at work without problem. And along with that comes hunger! Fortunately, my doc permits both Protein shakes and pureed foods during the first two weeks, so keeping myself from becoming ravenous is a bit easier. I do remember those first few days after banding as being a little strange, because even though my stomach area was sore, I was definitely hungry. broth and cream Soups took the edge off for a while (amazing how good that stuff tastes during this time!), but it wasn't until I started adding the unjury unflavored Protein powder to the broth that I stayed full longer. Since day 3 I have been successful in consuming at least 60 grams of protein per day, and I really think it had a lot do to with my quick healing process. Daily Calcium and multi-Vitamins helped too, along with walking on the treadmill. This week I move on to mushies, hooray! I spent about an hour food shopping last night, stocking up on things that will help keep me on the right track during this next two-week phase. Last night I did go 'off plan' a bit- cooked DH his favorite baked haddock, mashed sweet potato and steamed broccoli dinner for V-day. I did puree the potato and broccoli before I ate it, but the fish was so flaky I found that with just chewing it very thoroughly I was fine. I did get a chuckle out of comparing our portion sizes; I used a dessert plate for my small servings, and he filled his plate twice! (Of course he is one of those people who can eat anything without putting on a pound, and his work keeps him on his feet and moving all day, so I hate him!) I can totally relate to the folks who gaze longingly at the can of refried Beans... I picked up a few last night, and can't wait to whip them up with a little salsa for a real mush flavor treat! Good luck to all the other bandsters out there, especially those who are struggling with pain or hunger... it really does get better! Hang in there and keep coming back here for the support and information you need. The experienced folks have so much to offer, I don't think I would be having the same positive experience without this resource. take care, and keep up the good work!

Thanks! It would be fun to see you at a support group! I tend to go to the 3rd Wednesday night meeting. I live in Portland so it is easy for me to get there. This coming meeting I will miss, since I am going to a performance with a friend instead. Hang in there with all of the preparation work! Yes, sometimes it is hard, but oh so worth it. I'm three days away from moving to the 'mushy' stage, and boy I am ready for it! I will do some shopping this weekend in preparation for it. Seem to be healing up nicely, with less and less port pain everyday. And to all the other MMC Bariatric folks out there, hello! Hope to see you at the center some time! take care, o. :frown:

Congratulations! I was banded by Dr. Wolff last week. All is going well and I am so happy it is finally done. After all the preparation work, the day after surgery I still couldn't believe that I had gone through with it! Good luck to all my fellow MMC Bariatric bandsters! maybe I'll run into you at one of the support group meetings! :thumbup:

Interesting and lively discussion going on here! Here is a thought: I think there is much to be said about the individual programs that people enroll in. Some require a lot of educational steps be completed before even meeting the surgeon, such as in my case. I had to sit through the public information session, complete the ultrasound, undergo psych eval (several sessions, which represented months), attend at least one support group meeting, meet with nutritionist AND pass a short nutrition quiz before being scheduled to meet with the surgeon. I was banded less than three weeks from that appointment date, and had all of that work behind me at that point. The bariatric center also expects me to be actively engaged in their support for the next several years, which includes not only fills, but support groups and any necessary nutritional and psych counseling. In between the various steps, I also spent a lot of time on this website, learning what I could from the experiences of others. A good balance between 'textbook' and 'experiential' information, I felt. What do others think about the idea of success being tied to the program, not only the person?? thanks for listening!

Thank you for posting this! I am definitely struggling with this issue, and reading this post has inspired me! I am going to try steeping the prunes in 8 oz of water, then pureeing the whole thing for a healthy snack! I'm only 5 days post-op, so eating them whole isn't an option for me just yet. Thanks everyone for all the helpful suggestions!

My doctor has me on a two-week post op diet of either 5 low-sugar milk based Protein shakes per day, OR 3 of those shakes and blended foods such as tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, applesauce, etc. I've been afraid to try the blended foods, even though so far liquids haven't been a problem. I'm going to try and eat more of those soft foods now, since it seems that I am ready. I find it very interesting that when I was only drinking Water and broth I would feel hungry quite often. Since I've been adding Protein powder to drinks, I find that I am not nearly as hungry. Guess that really does make a difference! Tonight I'm going to bust loose with a yogurt, yum!! Thanks to all who are posting here- it's great to connect with folks, and the information sharing has been really helpful for me. keep up the good work, and hang in there until mushies!