AndreaE

dr C...have you ever heard of anyone having an allergic reaction to the band, i.e., bad itching rash?? i am hoping this is just a coincidence......

I hope you guys have better luck than me on your first fill. I had my first on June 13 and it doesn't feel any different than before the fill. I'm not starving, but I'm sure I could eat more (I just dont let myself). At my last support meeting, I spoke to a few bandsters who lost about 80-90 pounds in the first year, but they did tell me that it took them about 3 fills before they felt good restriction. They also told me that after the 3rd fill, the weight loss starting coming easier. I guess everyone is different. I cant wait till my next fill!! Good luck to you!

Dr C....I posted this is the wrong section yesterday. just wondering what the difference is in the size of the band, i.e., 4 cc or 10 cc. How is it decided who gets which size?? Thanks for the info!

Thank you, Dr. C. I never heard that explained before.

Why are there different sizes of the band (4 cc, 10 cc). How is it decided on who gets which?? Just curious. Thank you.

thanks!! i was just curious really, but i think i will do that!

My husband is from Bristol (but he moved to New Jersey so we could get married).... does that count?? anyway, it's nice to talk to someone on the other side of the pond. None of his relatives over there ever heard of such a procedure. I can't wait to tell hubby that even the Brits are doing it!! Good luck and keep in touch!

I had a horrible rash on my stomach and arms starting two weeks after my surgery. I was starting to think that I was allergic reaction to the band. the surgeon assured me it was not. Turns out i was having a reaction to a new medication I was taking (Progesterone for premenopausal hormone imbalance). It darned near drove me crazy!! Try to rule out any medicines you are taking or new food or detergent, etc. It's a real nightmare. Hope you find something that helps!!

I had my first fill today. It really didnt hurt at all. Doc put 1 cc in a 4 cc band. I only had to take a couple of sips of water in the office and that was it. He told me fluids for today only, then soft food tomorrow, then back to regular food. i did see the size of the needle and was a little nervous, but really it was nothing. Good luck to all awaiting their first fill!!

Hi. I started at BMI of 35 on 5/25/06. I had high blood pressure, asthma, and sleep apnea and was approved with no problem by BC/BS. BMI already dropped to 32 in 1-1/2 months. Good luck on your approval!

Thanks for your post, Rose... I will phone the surgeon's office this morning. I'm just hoping they are not closed till Wednesday. This rash is driving me crazy. Mine is kind of all over the place, but from the waist up: Face, neck, arms, fingers (I had to take my rings off due to the rash on them), stomach. I'm itching like mad. Since the Benadryl and all the allergy medicines and creams have not helped, the doctor wants me to take prednisone again, which i reallly don't want to do. I'll let you know what the surgeon says.

Dody.... FYI....here is info I just found about Tatamet! Tagamet is a histamine (H2-receptor antagonist) blocker used to treat and prevent ulcers. Tagamet is also used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Tagamet may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. Some doctors also use Tagamet to treat acne and to prevent stress-induced ulcers. It may also be used to treat chronic hives, herpesvirus infections (including shingles), abnormal hair growth in women, and overactivity of the parathyroid gland.

Thank you, Dr. C.... I've just been trying to eliminate everything. I have been taking Benadryl, Claritin, Tagamet (which the doc says has another histamie blocker in it), Nasocort, and topical cortisone cream to no avail for a week. I almost went to the ER last night, that's how bad it is..... My surgeon is gone until Monday but I will surely call him then. Again, thank you so much for your reply!!! I am praying this rash is totally unrelated. : )

that's just like mine was..... green water..... yuck! anyways, it started getting back to normal when i started eating mushies.

Welp, I'm 3 1/2 weeks out and although I don't remember doing anything in particular, it feels like I have a pulled muscle right at the port area. Wondering if anyone else has felt this or is it something I should ask my doctor about?

thank you guys...... elizabeth, what you said makes sense and does make me feel better! ....... and hunny bun, you are right also, i guess it never hurts to ask the doc! thanks again!

mine feels strange. it creeps people out if i let them feel it. it doesnt hurt, but it definitely feels strange!! mine is on the right side under the ribcage.

Hi. i was banded on the same day in NJ. lost 15 pounds, but have had to take prednisone for almost 3 weeks and the weight loss seems to have stopped. the doctor says it will start as soon as i go off the steroids. I KNOW what you mean about frustrated!! so what has you so frustrated??

Hi Kathy... prednisone is my problem at the moment. My surgery was 5/24 and everything went well. one week later, i started having shortness of breath. went to family doc who gave me a medrol dose pack. took that for a week and it did nothing. went back to doc one week later. she gave me a nebulizer treatment for my asthma....no help.....then she did an EKG (just to make sure nothing going on with the heart).... the EKG was fine. she then sent me to ER for a VQ scan (lung scan) and venous ultrasounds of the legs...... this was to check for blood clots since shortness of breath can be a sign of that....(scared the hell out of me, but luckily all scans were negative and No Clots!).... in the ER they gave me another medrol dose pack.... did nothing.... went back to family doctor 6 days later. She upped the prednisone (said the Medrol dosepack was not strong enough)...now i cant wait to be done with it..... luckily, i am finally feeling better with the higher dose of prednisone. the only problem is that i havent seen any weight loss lately....maybe even gained 2 pounds.....so i am NOT happy about that. At least i have lost 15 pounds. I also went back to my pulmonologist who told me that i was "air hungry".... he said that sometimes after surgery, your diaphragm is not opening up properly. he said my lungs are clear, so its so frustrating that i can't get a deep breath!! He suggested that i start walking (which i was afraid to do being short of breath). But he said that the exercise should "pop the diaphragm" and get me breathing better. Ill let you know how that goes. I am regularly on Advair twice a day and Spiriva once a day. I cant wait to stop the prednisione though. the doc says weight loss should pick up as soon as it is stopped. Hope i didnt go on too much and hope some of this was of help to you.

Just wondering if there is a good reason why they tell you to avoid caffeine??

congratulations and happy anniversary. Youve done an amazing job and you are an inspiration to all of us newbies!!

damn... this eating business is scary isnt it?? i am 11 days out. i was hungry at dinner time, but im getting a little sick of soup and protein shakes. I tried egg salad for the first time. Made 2 eggs with low fat mayo and ate about 1-1/2. I ate tiny tiny spoonfuls cuz I was nervous. Thankfully it went down fine. I probably could have eaten the whole thing, but I was afraid.... I guess this is going to take some practice!!

well, you guys are great. It's so good to have a place to go where everyone is experiencing or has experienced the same kind of things. It can be very scary when you don't know what to expect and being a part of a group like this is very comforting. So, thanks all. and now for the question.... a few people mentioned about using Papaya enzyme for relief with PB. Even though I havent had the pleasure yet, I went out and got me a bottle for "when it does happen". It appears to be very good for digestion. My question is.... should you take it every day (as they recommend) or should you keep it on hand for emergency situations such has PB and golf ball thingies. Your help is appreciated!!

thanks guys.. thats good to know! I need my corfee!

wow...its nice to know that im not the only one up at 4 am. I wake up at that time every morning and i am hungry. cant wait to have my cream of wheat. at least that fills you up for awhile. sometimes i can have both cream of wheat AND a protein shake. then i find i can go back to sleep for a couple of hours.