ParrotheadCathy

Tex_Mexie, TALK TO YOUR SURGEON! NSAIDs always run the risk of causing bleeding stomach ulcers. There may be a second med you can take when you take the NSAIDs that can reduce the risk since you woudn't be taking the NSAID for the long term.

Steph, next time they get on you for "making the wrong choice", please point out that you made the choice that is right for you, not for them. If they press you, remind them that gastric bypass has a 10% chance of serious complications including malnutrition and death whereas lap band has a .01% chance of complications most of which are related to the anesthesia. And, oh yeah, tell them you didn't want to ever have to deal with dumping syndrome and that lap bad NEVER EVER has that as a complication. Relax, you made the right choice for you and that won't change.

I"ve had 2 fills and am at 4.1ccs in a 10cc band. I feel some restriction but I know I'm not to my sweet spot yet. The average person with a 10cc band will hit their sweet spot somewhere around 6.2-7.2. But on my first fill (there was .6cc left in my band after my surgeon tested it for leaks before putting it in place), they gave me 4 ccs -- and at first, it was tight but I could drink BUT WITHIN AN HOUR I couldn't even swallow spit and they had to remove 1cc. I have since had .5cc added. Trust me, you don't want to have that experience I had with my first fill. It was terrible. I'd rather "sneak up" on my sweet spot than try to steamroll it and end up with too much of a fill.

You may or may not even get a fill. More than one person has posted that their doctor said their weight loss exceeded the average and that as long as they are losing they do not need a fill. But your weight loss is fantastic!!! Congratulations!

I'm guessing that your doctor is also very conservative on the amount of a filll. I am at 4.6ccs in a 10cc band. I'm not at my sweet spot but I do feel restriction -- just not enough. But, I've only had two fills (I'm 8 weeks post-op). So get the next fill and talk to your doctor seriously about where you are. I don't know how much your fill is but maybe you can finally get at least some restriction with this fill. Good luck.

I could start this comment like someone at an AA meeting .... "Hi, my name is Cathy and I'm a Diet Coke addict." I drank at least 6 a day. When I committed to this, I went home and I looked at my "stash"....nearly a case. And I said "that's it". When it was gone, I didn't buy any more. I was told that regular consumption of carbonated drinks (includes beer, too), I would stretch my pouch out and that could potentially require a second surgery to reposition the band. I DON'T want that so I stopped. Funny thing was, I was busy with the pre-op diet and trying to be good and I didn't miss it. The day before surgery I opened a Diet Coke at work, took two swallows and found that it didn't taste nearly as good as it used to. You CAN do it.

Libbyjane, you are so right. Anybody who thinks this is giving up and taking the easy way out has no clue! It's a HUGE help every day, but you could choose to keep eating junk and not be successful. But if you work this, do what you are advised to do, you can make the right choices and succeed! Good luck!!

Professional counseling will make a big difference. Something else that you may find helpful is to Google "chair exercises". There are exercises you can do while sitting down. Hand weights will help with upper body and you can buy resistance bands that you can use on your leg that isn't bothering you (and which you may have to use in physical therapy if the knee specialist sends you to PT). The light physical activity will help you feel better! And don't sit in the house all the time. You need Vitamin D and sunlight is the best source. Can't walk? At least go out side and sit in a comfy chair in the sunshine. And one more thing. Like Steve said, I too understand the grief of losing the one person you always knew you could count on for emotional support and unconditional love. My grandmother and my mother were that for me. When I lost my Mom, I went to a grief support group at church. Not every church offers that but some other places offer them to. Again, do an online search for "grief support group [name of your city]". You will find that what you are experiencing is not unique to you and you will learn from the experiences of others and, whether you think so or not, you will have something to offer them! And let us know how you're doing.

Julie, it does feel weird at first. It goes away in a little while, though. As for the water, I think we all have to do that. The reason is if you can't finish the glass of water, then your band in too tight. They do not want you to leave with your band too tight because it means you can't take in water or nutrition at all. And even after that, there are people who wake up the next morning and can't swallow anything. For me, I couldn't even swallow my own spit. Bad, bad, bad. They had to do a small unfill immediately.

The heating pad will work wonders...and you can apply it to wherever the gas chooses to travel. Walk, walk, walk. Can't emphasize that enough. Moving will help tremendously. Hold your arms over your head some, which expands your ribcage, which may make it easier for the trapped gas to move.

Kelly's right. Get some Gas-X strips and a heating pad. That will help soooo much with gas.

After surgery, my band had .6 cc left in it from when the doctor tested it for leaks. My first fill was initially 4 ccs but they had to take 1cc out because I couldn't even swallow spit. I had some restriction -- not all the way to my "sweet spot" but yes, some restriction. Went on a cruise the next week and I didn't gain any weight on the cruise so that says something for the amount of restriction I had because, let's face it, there is food available 24/7 on a cruise, it's all included in the cost of your ticket and it's in your face all the time. I just got my second fill, just .5 cc but I definately feel the difference. One thing that may help too is to not drink protein shakes; eat real food that you have to chew. It takes longer to digest so it keeps you full longer. I was also told that if I went longer than 4 hours between meals to eat a small snack, like a piece of string cheese and a couple of whole grain crackers. I was starving to death all the time by the time I got my first fill and I was desperate to have some restriction, so I know just how you're feeling! Hang in there!

Pre-surgery, find a whey protein mix. That really will help shrink your liver down to give the doc more room to work in. Afterwards, I've been drinking Slimfast Low Carb, which has 20 grams of protein and 2 grams of carbs. The Atkins Advantage protein shakes are pretty decent (17 grams of protein and 2 grams of carbs).

Post-op: Gas-X and a heating pad for gas pains -- two best things you can do for yourself! If you cook at all, don't buy chicken broth in a box. Boil a chicken to death in a pot where you cover the chicken with water, add seasonsings like salt and pepper, a bay leaf, an onion cut in quarters (don't even bother to peel it), carrots. Strain everything out of the resulting broth and you will have really tasty stock and let's face it, if you have to be on liquids at least make them yummy! I like the Slimfast Low Carb (20 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbs) because it has more protein and less carbs than any of their other varieties (including "high protein", which I haven't figured out yet). I didn't use a blender but once (but I already had one as part of my food processor). Another good broth/stock is if you have to cook for the rest of your family, cook a pot roast. Go ahead and put onions, carrots and potatoes in with the roast. When all is cooked, take the broth and blenderize a large can of tomatoes (here's where I used my blender) and mix the puree with the broth. That will give you a soup-y taste stock which will be so much more enjoyable than beef broth in a can or box!

A lot of us find our bands are tighter in the morning. Usually if you drink a cup of coffee or tea first thing and eat a hot meal, that will relax it a bit for you. 3 ccs in a 10 cc band means you have a lot of potential for further restriction. How long since your last fill? It sounds like you need a fill to me.

The port isn't just "set in"....it has been stitched pretty securely into place and it has to heal. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to still bw sore and/or tender at just three weeks. Give it another week or so and see. If you're really concerned about anything you should always call your doc, but I will say that many, many of us have still been tender or sore at three weeks out.

You're still on liquids right? Does this just happen whenever or when you are drinking? If while you are drinking, are you taking SIPS (as opposed to big swallows). If you take swallows that are too big, you can get a painful sensation that could be the equivalent of getting a too-big or poorly chewed bite of food stuck later.

If you've already "jumped through their hoops", just make sure for yourself that the paperwork has been submitted and ask how long it takes. It could be 2 weeks or 6 weeks. I've heard of different experiences. Remeber that, above all, you are the consumer of a service here (yeah, it's medical but it's still a service). And you have the right to ask as many questions as you like and ask them of whomever you like....so call your insurance company and set your mind at ease. the reason I say call to make sure your paperwork has been submitted, I have heard more than person say that their doctor's office said they were submitting the paperwork "today" ... only to find out two weeks later that it hasn't been sent. If you find it hasn't, call the TR office and find out why and push to get it done ASAP.

Don't hear a thing but I can feel the saline being drawn out of the band and then put back in. You may have heard an incidental noise and couldn't distinguish it in that little bit of time when you heard it. Culd have been stethoscope touched a button, a noise from the hypodermie, who knows? But I don't think I'd worry about it overmuch since you didn't hear it the scond time.

You say you are at your sweet spot but have you gone back every six months (at least) for a re-check? Saline can evaporate from the band (that's why they pull out all fluid when they do a fill). You could be close to your sweet spot and not realize there has been a change. I'd go to the doc and see about a fill.

My BCBS policy has an exclusion for WLS. Every policy is different. I would suggest you call the customer service number on your insurance card and find out for sure that you are covered, if there are specific requirements like supervised weight loss for some period of time, etc. That way, at least you aren't just sitting and waiting. Dr. Hart did my surgery. Love him! Not a real chatty fellow, but thorough, will answer any and ever question you can dream up and his reputation is impeccable!

I'm with you guys! I was a total Diet Coke addict! at least 6 cans a day. When they told me no soda on my first visit with the doctor, I went home, looked at what I had in the house and said to myself "well, that's it. I quit when it's gone." That was early January. I thought it would be sooooo hard to not drink it but it has surprised me at how easily I gave it up.....guess it was because it was for a VERY GOOD reason!

My first fill was pretty painless, too. I was worried about nothing, LOL. Glad yours was easy and painless.

I've read other posts where people said they could feel the saline going in. I didn't but hey, we're all different! And I've had more than one person tell me that the physicians' assistants have less trouble doing a fill than the surgeon. I've only had one fill and the PA did it (second one tomorrow), and she was so good I never felt anything at all. Since you have comfortable restriction but can eat and drink comfortably, I'm inclined to think maybe your doc missed??? At any rate, good luck tomorrow and let us know what you find out.

If you'd had a recent fill and had problems drinking and eating, I'd say you needed a little unfill maybe. But since you haven't had your first fill yet, could you be coming down with something? And that's just where you have happened to feel it first? Or did you take a pill that might have stuck there for a little while and simply irritated your throat. I seriously doubt you've made your band slip (really doesn't happen that often and not as easily as you might thing) and you aren't eating enough solid food to stretch your pouch. Relax until Thursday. Drink your liquids, eat your mushies as allowed and discuss it with your doctor. And, I promise you will get more comfortable with your band after you've lived with it a little longer. This is just all new and you don't have much to compare to yet! Good luck!