Marebeth1

My incision is on my left side under my breast about an inch under my bottom rib. Putting it on the right side is interesting because the stomach and pouch is on the left side. I think I read on another post (somewhere) that their port was located right above their belly button. I guess each doctor has their own way? If your biggest worry is the port showing when you lose a bunch of weight - maybe if you qualify to get your tummy skin removed they can re-adjust the position of the port.

I had a Festival of Last Meals! Went to my pre-op Aug 28 - weighed 255. Had to go to Dallas for 5 days and stayed with a friend. Every morning I had an Atkins Protein Drink and drank Water all afternoon. We went out to eat every night to places like Applebees, Chili's, mexican food, etc. and I ordered healthier items from the menu. At the airport I got trail mix since I won't be able to eat nuts or seeds for a long time. Got back home 5 days before surgery. I stuck to the same plan....Atkins drink in the AM and 1 meal later in the day. My SPECIAL dinner request - RED LOBSTER - I love their lobster pizza appetizer and my hubby ordered an extra skewer of grilled shrimp for me....no rice or Pasta. But I did indulge myself in those cheesy biscuits!! Two days before surgery we went to Breakfast and had a family style meal with famous Apple pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs. My portion of the apple pancake was the size of a piece of pie. That night I drank an Atkins drink. Next day - day before surgery I did the "clean out" then right before surgery I weighed 252 - YES I actually LOST 3 lbs during my festival of last meals. I know it was the Atkins, water and keeping my portions small. This has been a 4 year journey from the first Lap Band appt. I chose not to do it then, a year later broke my back. Then started a year ago again but now is my time. I started out weighing 302 and day of surgery was 252. I'm proud of that. I go Sept 28th, tomorrow, for my 1st post-op and my goal is to break under 240. Think I'm there!!

Banded on Sept 13 - I go to my 2 week post op on Wednesday to get the staples out. Been only on Protein drinks since leaving the hospital. My hospital stay was 3 full days and 2 nights. I had a haital hernia repaired during lap band surgery. I have had a lot of pain. Now I have tolerated pain in my tummy near the port. Nice to meet everyone on here!!!

I went to the Mr. LapBandTalk under Post op and he has a chart about the Green Zone and it sounds to me like you are in the Red Zone and possibly need to have some fill removed so you can eat without it getting stuck. If you read his chart it states that if you band is too full your food will get stuck and your weight will stall. I would encourage you to buy a pedometer or stepper. Wear it and it will calculate how many steps you are taking every day. Once you know where you are, you can know what you need to do. They say to shoot for 10,000 steps a day. But if you wear the pedometer and your first day say 4000 steps, start from there. Try to increase a 1000 steps the first week, then add 1000 steps each new week until you get to 10,000. That's what happened to me and what I did. Don't give up, what you have done so far is better than where you were. BTW, I just got band on Sept 13, 2011, one year after you. My journey for lap band started at the doctor 4 years ago. I started at 302 and I went back to the doctor again a year ago and finally had surgery 2 weeks ago and weighed 252. I go on Wed for my 2 weeks post op. I'm excited to see what I weigh. Another suggestion - go back and see what you were doing when you were losing - backtrack - start back doing the liquids and Protein shakes - cut down the calories and carbs and exercise more. It will re-kick your fat burning machine inside. Plateaus happen and our bodies need a jolt to reset them.

I went to the Mr. LapBandTalk under Post op and he has a chart about the Green Zone and it sounds to me like you are in the Red Zone and possibly need to have some fill removed so you can eat without it getting stuck. If you read his chart it states that if you band is too full your food will get stuck and your weight will stall. I would encourage you to buy a pedometer or stepper. Wear it and it will calculate how many steps you are taking every day. Once you know where you are, you can know what you need to do. They say to shoot for 10,000 steps a day. But if you wear the pedometer and your first day say 4000 steps, start from there. Try to increase a 1000 steps the first week, then add 1000 steps each new week until you get to 10,000. That's what happened to me and what I did. Don't give up, what you have done so far is better than where you were.

If it bubbles, good chance it's carbonated. Sorry I've had so many posts - I'm only getting on here 1x a day now

Need2lose - you are on the same 2-2-2 plan I am on. I start on pureed foods on Wed or Thurs this week after my doctor's appt. Tomorrow is 2 weeks.

They are probably ok as long as there is NO carbonation like most sodas. Carbons will cause air and gas and probably not so good for that tiny little opening of the lap band.

Congrats on getting to the gym! The 1st of the month I'm going back to 24 hr fitness. Just not ready yet - I am walking to the park, go to sit down for a few minutes and rest - then head back to the house. I am in a 2 story and am trying to do more stairs every day. Are you planning on going to the gym every day?

Tan-ya - I can't believe your doctor said pain and nausea rarely occurs. Last pain meds I took was last Friday - 10 days after surgery. I am still have tolerable pain in the center of my tummy just to the right of the larger incision. But I had a hernia repair too so it could come from that (from what I read from others who had hernias). Surely if you are having pain in the hospital your doctor will send a RX to the hospital pharmacy for you before you are released. Nausea happens from the pain meds cause your stomach is empty. I would suggest going to Walmart and getting some Atkins Protein Drinks - ready made in box (4 pack) - the Vanilla is good. Put them in your fridge so their cold and ready to go. If you have a Sam's Club card they have Atkins in a 12 pack. It's worth having it when you feel bad and want something quick. Make some sugar free jello the night before surgery so it's ready for you too. I found this tiny little Dan-o-lino Dannon mini yogurts - about 2 oz sizes - all smooth. I mix crushed pills in them and follow with some water afterwards. Some of my meds taste really bad!! Be sure and buy something for constipation. I had Miralax from when I broke my back - it's a little pricier but it worked after 3 doses. You'll want to wait about a week after surgery if you don't go on your own. I have had to take it as long as I'm taking pain meds because they are constipating. I hope this helps?

LOL, Yes Dr. Mohamed Ali is his name. Not the boxer! HAHA. I only knew him as Dr. Ali all this time, not knowing his first name. He's a gem and I really like UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and they are a "teaching" hospital too. I go on Wednesday for my 2 week post-op appt and get my staples out! Day of surgery I weighed 252 and my goal is to be 239 and it looks like I will be below that on Wednesday. I started my lap band journey 4 years ago at 302 but never had the surgery. I have no regrets and plan to enjoy every eating stage even though I hate pureed or soft mashed foods - I am planning to find things I like that are healthy. Think I will still keep the Protein drinks in my diet to insure I get my protein counts.

It does encourage me so much to see all the people who have lost 100 lbs or more.....Congrats to you all and how much your journey has encouraged all those coming behind you!!!! Question....I started my weight loss journey 4 years ago - my first appt for lap band surgery. However I just got banded on Sept 13, 2011 - yes, 4 years later. I started out at 302, on day of surgery I weighed 252 and now I weigh 237. So do I count my weight loss from my original or day of surgery? To me, it is from the start cause it sure has been a work. I am SO HAPPY with the lap band decision i made to finish my journey. Still I have 100 more to go for my goal weight.

I too had a haital hernia repair with the lap band on Sept 13th, 2011. Like you all - NO REGRETS - If it wasn't for that, I would have the hernia repaired. I go back to my doctor on the 28th to take the staples out and weigh. That is 2 weeks post-op and my goal was to hit below 240 (252 on day of surgery) and right now I am at 237. I have had a couple of set backs because I have done too much. I have a history of asthma and in the hospital I couldn't breathe because of the horrible pain near my lungs. I read where people with just lap band seem to get better faster so I am thinking the pain must be coming from the hernia repair. Did any of you have difficulty coughing? That junk from the anesthesia settled in my lungs and I have now been sick for a few days strangling on coughing that junk up. It took me 8 days before I had a BM....2 days taking Miralax 3 times. It's because of the pain meds and your tummy was empty for surgery. I put almost a full cap of Miralax in my Protein drink. It doesn't taste or is nasty. Another thing I did was mix my Protein Drink with fat free milk. Since milk is a solid food in the stomach....it moves it all down!! I would like to know where to buy the unjury Protein Mixes??? Do you have a website or store? I'll have to say I have NO prob whatsoever with the Protein drinks and so glad to find some bandsters with the same. Best of Luck to all of you!!!

It's so of normal not to have a bm....mine was on day 8 after 3 doses of Miralax. Walking helps too when you take something to make your bm move. It's good to start because having your bowels move will definitely make you lose weight. I lost 4 lbs after my first I have no problems with protein drinks either....it is the plan and I'm committed to losing weight. I figure the way gastric bypass patients lose so much is drinking the protein drinks so just trying to stay focused. I've not heard of that protein drink but will look it up. I go on Wednesday to get staples out. I've had a set back of doing too much too soon. My walking is good but I get tired really fast.

At first I tried the pillow and even that hurt. I would try to cough and it was so weak then finally a pillow started helping. I got that breathing gizmo from the hospital and it helped. I think the liquid Protein for 4 weeks will give you a great start to losing weight and getting your tummy completely healed. I think my doctor must have put a FILL in my band at surgery because he does the 1st fill 2 months later and I have read some people on here that after a week or two they got their first fill. I have to keep strict food journals listing all the amounts, protein and calories and they said if I come to my first fill appt without them they won't do a fill. I like that because it makes me accountable to doing the food journal.

Need2lose........regular and fat free are full of sugars and calories. You can Google "How to read food labels" to learn how what you are getting in foods. Even if you are using 2% milk has much more carbs and calories than fat free milk. I used 2% 1 day this week and said never again - it had 28 Carbs and the calories were 100 extra over the fat free milk.

I have found a KISS sweet spot for me. Keep it Simple Sweetheart! I have a Blender Bottle for 20 oz. First thing in the morning I fill it to 16oz of Fat Free Milk and 2 scoops of Nectar Chocolate Truffle totaling 48grams of Protein. I sip it 1 oz every 15 minutes from 8am to Noon. Then I sip on a bottle of spring water 33oz in the afternoon. I don't care about finishing the water bottle - it's just my bottle I sip from the rest of the day. Because I took in 48g of protein I can afford to stop if I need to for a little while. Then late afternoon ore evening I drink a Vanilla Atkins Protein Drink - 15 grams of Protein 160 Calories 1 Carb. My total fluid intake has to be 48 to 64 oz and I can count the protein drinks and water combined. I just getting to 48 oz of fluids every day and I am working to increase that. Today was the 1st day I had hunger pains when I woke up....started on the protein drink and it went away. This LIQUID Protein diet has trained me to only sip an ounce over 15 minutes. It was tough at first but I got it down after 9 days now. On the Fudgesicle - counting the Proteins in junk found is not considered a high vale protein. In my nutrition class there are only certain high value foods with protein that we are allowed to count - they said do not count the others. I understand if it is sugar free fudgesicles but don't we need to change our bad habits of thinking about sweets so much and think healthy foods and portions. If the fudgesicles are not sugar free, you are not starting out too good at changing poor nutritional decisions that got us in this position of having to get lap band surgery.

Banded on 13th, I was only able to do shallow breathing because deeper breathing HURT SO BAD. Because of the anethesia and my history of asthma, the mucous junk settled in my chest. Just the last few days it has started to loosen and I'm coughing so much and it HURTS my stomach. I am now taking my inhaler every 4 hours and bought some Mucinex - I cannot afford to get sick with this junk in my lungs! My doctor has me on 2 weeks of Protein shakes only 60-80 grams per day - Then 2 weeks of pureed with protein shakes still. Then 2 weeks of soft very mashed foods. I am so glad with this plan because I am dropping weight with it and I don't want to missed this great window of opportunity to lose it right off the bat.

Question......I have this one area on my stomach about 3x3 inches that is totally numb - no feeling at all. Anyone else experience this?

Hi Steph, At the hospital they weighed me in at 252 before surgery, then after surgery when I got to the hospital room, they rolled the scale and I weighed at 258. My stomach grew then next day and seem to swell up really big. It was also hard and sore. That was 10 days ago. I still have swelling and my tummy is distorted with swelling around the longer incision for the port. I'm excited about my doctor's appt next Wednesday to get these staples out! I guess the doctor's offices don't tell us what to expect or we might not get the surgery. It amazes me that some people have lap band and don't even have pain.

I am 10 days post op and the swelling has started going down slowly. Went to my PCP for following my surgeon recommended and from the day of surgery to today - since10 days I've am 9+ lbs down!!!!!!!!!!!! I weighed 243 and my goal when I go next week on Wednesday - 12 weeks post op is to hit below 240. I think that might happen!!

Ahhh, it is the tomato soup....tomatoes are too much acid for your stomach. My doctor says no tomatoes or other high acid fruits and veggies.

Yes I have had some fullness a few times but it only happens when I drink my protein drinks TOO FAST. Are you eating this soon or did you mean drinking? I'm suppose to sip 1 oz over 15 minutes and I'm now on that rhythm pretty good and don't have any fullness at all. Another reason to sip slowly is I read that if drinking too fast - it can stretch the pouch out - I sure don't want that. I was banded on Sept 13th. I won't be on soft foods until week 5. Interesting how doctors let some people eat right after surgery.

I was at The Vitamin Shoppe this week and they have 2 brands - one is the Vitamin Shoppe brand and I can't remember the other - but they are on SALE for Buy One get one 50% off (hope I got this right). They had several flavors such as chocolate, French Vanilla, Banana Cream, Unflavored. I don't remember the price but it looked like they had 2 and 3 lb tubs. Now that we have a Protein Drink topic page, I will try to remember to get all the info. If you see any SALES please POST - try to get the info, like the sizes, brand names, price and deal