DianaG

Yeah I have been there too. Stopped losing about the same time. Had surgery on July 27th and my first fill was Tuesday,Sept 8th. My surgeon is conservative with the amount of saline he puts in each fill, so he told me not to really expect much restriction until the 3rd or 4th fill. That is fine with me. I lost 27 lbs so far, before I entered "bandster hell", but have not gained any!!!!! That in itself is an accomplishment for me!! I feel that the time has been well spent just healing. Good luck to us all!

Thanks Restless! I have to go to town today, so I will stop at Walgreens and get me some. Thanks for the idea of 2 bottles...makes sense.:thumbup:

Got my first fill 3 days ago. The surgeon numbed the area with lidocaine (like at the dentist!) and there was a little pinch when he first injected that. Then he tried to find the port...didn't have any luck, so he used the fluroscope to help him find it. Injected 2cc of saline. I didn't feel a thing!! Hooray!!

Hey Restless, I have been impressed by your answers on this forum. Now I find myself seeking an answer....where do you get your papaya enzyme? Health food store? O.K. that was a couple of answers I need.... Thanks

I used a heating pad, gas-x. They provided some relief. After I was feeling a lot better,my neighbor (who has had a band over a year) told me I should have gotten some of the gas relief capsules that contain activated charcoal. She said that helped the shoulder pain and that the gas-x was just for intestinal gas. I don't know for sure since I never tried the activated charcoal ones, but if I had known I do believe I would have tried it. At least the gas-x helped with one problem! Walking does help too. The best news is, that this too shall pass!

I too am searching for the right combination of prune juice, fiber Cereal, fiber dissolved in Water, etc. Went 7 days without a BM. Tried Milk of Magnesia......didn't work. Finally on the 8th day I gave in and took a different laxative...don't want to have to do that on a regular basis..thus the search for the right combo!! Good luck to you! I think it must be an individual problem and solution.

My dr. is 2 hrs (one way)from me and is totally worth the drive!! His skill and reputation and of the hospital he is associated with are certainly of the highest quality. I am happy to drive that far to obtain the services I need. I even drive to the support group there that meets once a month.. So go for the best possible!!!! Good luck!!

Pioneer,I forgot to tell you that we lived in GA for a while. We lived in Marietta while my husband was stationed at Kennesaw Mtn. National Battlefield Park. We actually lived in an old log house that had been built in 1836. It was modern on the inside! We lived there in1970 when our youngest son was born. Sure was a nice area.

Hey, Sharon, I hope you enjoyed the trip to the SD zoo. I have heard it is a great one. I also envy you getting to walk around Cabrillo National Park and exploring the tide pools, etc. Hope the Chicken Broth isn't getting too boring! I like to use the Wylers beef granules, for a change. Phyl, I think I have come up with an excellent plan! When Pioneer and I head west, they can park their TT next to us in a campground in New Mexico, and when the ortho frees you up, ya'll can head to CA via New Mexico(It's a short cut:wink2:) and camp on the other side of our rig for a few days. Then Pioneer can head on to Yellowstone and Seattle (too bad you will miss seeing Phyl there, she could have given you a guided tour). Phyl, after you have rested in the cool Mtn. breezes of NM, you will then be ready to face the hot desert winds of southern CA! I love it when a plan comes together!!

Hottie, I think a good starting place for you to begin is to go to the top of this page and hit the "Home" button. There on the Home Page, you will find a section titled"Basics for Lap-band Surgery Beginners". Find the topic called "Frequently Asked Questions". Under that topic are sub forums. Click on the 1st one titled "Lap-band Surgery Frequently Asked Questions". When the next screen appears, click on "General Lap-band Information Kit". Then you will see a screen that has a message from Alex. In the message ther are "Attached Files". Click on the one that says "Lap-band ®System Brochure.pdf This will provide you with a lot of useful information. Hope it answers some of your questions.

Hi, I am also 64 and just had the lapband surgery in July. I am to have my first fill Tuesday. So we are pretty close in age! My friend had her surgery in Monterrey Mexico by Dr. Rumbaut and has done extremely well. The only problem being that she has to drive to Kansas to get her fills. The only thing I think she has missed is the after care provided here in the States. This is where I think this forum is so helpful! It replaces an actual Support Group for a lot of people. So, I hope you check out all your options and are able to join us all on our way to a better future.

Good morning Pioneer and congrats on your new TT! I know you will enjoy your trip in it. We are first going to Oklahoma so my DH can attend a woodcarving class. Then we are headed to New Mexico, probably to the Silver City area in the SW part of the state. We lived in NM when we were first married. My DH was a park ranger with the National Park Service and we lived in the west for most of his career. Still have to go back to get our "fix" every so often.:thumbup: I know you will really enjoy Yellowstone as well as other sights along your path. Hope you do take the time to go on up to Seattle. What a trip you will have:thumbup:. Take lots of pics and enjoy lots of sunsets!!! Good luck to both of us getting "filled". This is my first time, so I am feeling that I am really and truly starting my weight loss journey now. Hope yours goes smoothly. Keep us posted on how much fun you are having on your trip!!!!

I am 5 weeks out and have the same problem as you. The first time it happened, the surgeon told me to take Milk of Magnesia...1 tbsp. It worked. The next time it happened, I was 7 days without anything moving. I got desperate and did something stupid...I drank 2 glasses of prune juice, then took a Senna S laxative..(I said I was desperate!!!). Wow, was that the wrong thing to do!!! Pain, cramping, cold sweats, ugh!!! So, I have been eating FiberOne Cereal, trying to drink more liquid, using benefiber, One glass of prune juice in the morning when I take my meds... Well I guess I haven't figured it all out yet and therefore am not consistant with the times and dosages, because once again I became very constipated...took Milk of Magnesia again and this time it did not work! So I waited a day or so and gave in to 2 Dulcolax. That worked!!!!! However, I do not want to become dependant on a laxative like that...I see my surgeon for my first fill on Tuesday and I am going to ask him if he has any more ideas. Probably should ask my diatician! If you come up with anything let me know!!!! In the meantime, good luck and may things move right along

Don, congrats on your progress. I admire the way you keep on keeping on! I am hopeful I can follow your example. Phyl, I have several friends who have had the knee replacement surgery and they are all doing fine. One even went out dancing sooner than every one thought he should have, but hey he's still dancing! Pioneer, I am getting my first fill Tuesday am getting curious about when my surgeon will schedule the next one.I too am going to be on a RV trip for most of October. Like you I am concerned about getting a fill right before leaving town! Guess we will find out if it is o.k. or not.

Fantastic! and I love her name!!!:biggrin: Congrats to the whole family! As soon as you are allowed, give her a hug (gently!) from me.

I just wanted to let you know that my cousin's daughter was born premature and with her intestines on the outside of her body. They did the surgery pretty soon after her birth and all went well. She is now a senior in high school, on the honor roll, and is outgoing and bubbly!!! :wub: Lots of love and prayers are being sent your way:wub: When that baby girl arrives, give her a hug from me!

Belkita, I don't think anyone else has addressed your statement about a cough. I had a cough for 2-3 weeks after surgery. It was a dry cough, but it sure made my diaphram sore! I have mild asthma and have medical inhalers for that, so I just kept using them. Twice a day I use Asthmacort which is to help me enough so that I don't have to use my Provental rescue inhaler. Well, during that period after surgery, I had to use both every day! Finally I am back to normal, being about 5 weeks out . I had surgery on July 27. Don't know if this is helpful or not, or if you do have a bit of asthma like me, but thought I would just let you know you are not alone with suffering from a cough post-surgery. Good luck to you!

I am glad that my hubby doesn't need the lap band and therefore was able to take care of me. Even if he did need the surgery, I would not want him to have it the same day as me.....looking back on the fact that my surgery was more complicated and I had to stay in the hospital an extra 2 days! When I got home, I was still in a lot of pain for another week or more and would have been unable to take care of myself! He did a wonderful job as nurse, housekeeper, laundry guy, and general all around assistant!! Having surgery on the same day would be great in perfect conditions.......but things sometimes cause unexpected hurdles to spring up......

Good point, Northland!!

I took all of my pills in to show my surgeon and that was a big help. He told me that after I have fills, that I would probably be o.k. with most of them, but there was one that was really too large and he told me to consult with my PCP so I could get either a smaller pill, or liquid. If I am lucky, I will be able to get off of all my medications except for allergy meds. My PCP & I have set that as a goal and I sure hope to make it!:thumbup: Hope this helps you.

Valory, my surgeon told me that right after surgery you will have some swelling around where the band is placed. That swelling will provide a sort of temporary restriction. Once the swelling goes down, there is no restriction until you get your first fill. That initial swelling, plus the liquid diet, etc. is the reason you loose weight right after surgery. I also think that fighting the "gas" is one reason people don't over eat at that time! :thumbup:

Hello all, I just wanted to send a quick "thank you" to everyone on this 60's thread for all the insight, help and encouragement you have given me (and each other). After a bit of a traumatic post-surgery time, I am now doing a lot better. I have lost 27 lbs (hey, concidentally I was banded on July 27!). Guess that may be my lucky number:tt1:! I have an appointment with my surgeon on Sept. 8th and he will give me my first fill then. I am finally on my way!!HOORAY! Thanks again for just being here and posting very helpful and informative info!:biggrin:

Hey Sammy, I do have one regret, like Michelle and a lot of others, I wish I had done this years ago! Instead, I was yo-yo-ing ( is that a word?) all over the place. I am glad that you are going to have this done while you are still young. I am glad that I finally decided to do it, and at least the rest of my life is going to be a lot better!!! I have not had my first fill yet, but am going to on 9/8 and can't wait. I am already down 27 pounds and feel better already. It took me longer to recover from the actual surgery, but boy am I glad I went ahead and took a chance. With your motivation and willingness to add exercise to your daily routine, I have no doubt that you will be one of the great success stories. Please keep us posted as you travel down this road!!:biggrin:

My doc says not to use a straw because it makes you more likely to swallow more air.....and that is NOT good!

I had internal dissolving stitches and glue on the outside. A few years ago I had a spinal fusion and they used glue then also. Works Great!