HolliJ

My consult was June 15th. My surgery was July 28th. I'm insured.

You know, when I first heard about the band about 5 years ago, I blew it off because I heard about food getting stuck, etc... And while getting stuck definitely sucks, it's something you forget about soon after it happens. Being banded reminds you that you're not going to pig out on food like you used to. I've definitely been changing my attitude about eating the past few months since getting my band. Eating isn't as pleasurable for me as it used to be. Sometimes eating is uncomfortable. And I thought I would mind that more than I do. I've almost lost 50lbs and it feels great, it really does. People notice it, I feel different. As for getting stuck.... it can hurt. When it happens, I don't want anyone talking to me. I just wait it out and eventually it goes down. Other people PB or slime, but I don't. I don't salivate any more than normal when I get stuck and I've never had any food or drink come up. But honestly, it's not that big of a deal.

Soon after getting banded, I opened up antibiotics I was prescribed and poured the powder into a bit of liquid. Worst tasting thing I've ever had. I later discovered I could swallow pills fine. I wasn't happy that I had just poured out powder to drink 20-freaking-times.

I hear ya. I have a glob of hair come out each morning when I take a shower. I have to remove all the loose hair from my brush every couple days. I'm lucky I have a LOT of hair, otherwise I'd be bald by now!

No. I haven't had soda since before I got banded. So since mid-July.

I looked at another X-ray and zoomed in. In the area where it looks like it's not connected, there's a tube coming out the other end and connecting to the other tubing that looks like it's just hanging out there not attached to anything. Then it loops up and attaches to the port. It's just really light so you can't see it well.

Tell her thanks! I don't think I've ever been complimented on my vertebral column. :biggrin: Does she work in the medical field?

I know it has to be connected because he removed saline from my band after the x-ray was taken. It does look like that, though! :biggrin: The doctor had said that it looks like a loop, but he still thinks there's something being kinked somewhere because of the difficulty in removing saline. We'll see what happens at my next appointment. Hopefully it's nothing and I don't have to have surgery. That would suck.

My doctor is saying the same thing, so I'd also like the answer to this if anyone knows!

Nope, still here. I was supposed to get another fill (will be #3) last week, but they rescheduled for this coming Monday. I currently have 5cc in my band. I have SOME restriction, but not to where it should be. Weight loss is slow. I know I'm not doing everything I should be doing (yet.. since I'm extremely busy with two jobs and going to school), though. Not enough water, not enough activity, etc etc... Once things settle down, I'll be able to focus more on everything. God, I miss working one job and having my weekends off. And not worrying about trigonometry tests and research papers.

I was a size 24 pants, now I'm a size 18. I was a size 2x-3x shirts, now I'm a size 1x.

I may not have gotten to the point yet, but I've never PB'd. I've gotten a little stuck only 3 times (only lasted a couple minutes). I'm currently filled 5cc and I've had 2 fills.

Not sure. I had pretty bad reflux pre-band. Immediately after the surgery, it was gone. I'm almost 3 months post-op and I haven't had reflux at all - not even once.

I've never had anything stuck, never slimed, and never had a PB.

I was filled 2cc during surgery. No restriction. Had my first fill about 5 weeks after surgery (2cc) - no restriction. Just had my second fill yesterday (1cc) and I don't really notice restriction with this one, either. So I currently have 5cc. He said if I don't feel restriction after a week, to call, and we'd make an earlier appointment (as opposed to the one I have scheduled next month).

Was it within the first few pounds or did it take a while? I've lost 30lbs (had surgery on July 28th) and right now it still feels as though I'm just on another diet, where I've already been down to this weight time and time again. 230-240lbs is where I stuck for a long time, so being here again doesn't really give me the satisfaction of weight loss - even though I know I've lost a great amount of weight. I'm currently at 233lbs and my highest weight (which was taken at my consult on June 15th) was 263lbs. Maybe it would be different if I lost 30lbs STARTING at 235lbs. But noooo, I had to go and gain weight. :thumbup: In my adult life, the lowest I've been was around 210lbs. I'm thinking once I get around there, or under, it will hit me. Anyone else feel this way? I mean, I'm positive about the whole thing and I don't feel discouraged - I just don't feel EXCITED.

1. How much does it hurt? - As people have said, it's different for everyone. I was actually in a lot of pain after surgery and the pain meds didn't do much for me, to be honest. It felt like someone had stuck a knife in my gut and rammed it around, lol. I didn't really have gas PAIN - it was more annoying/uncomfortable. Honestly, though, I'd go through it again and again if I had to because I know it was the right decision. And, after a couple weeks, you forget about the pain anyway and you're back to feeling as though you didn't have a surgery at all! 2. How much pain meds did you need? (I have a 3 year old and don't want to be out of it.) - I took pain meds every 4 hours for the first couple days. I was taking Dilaudid and it didn't affect my mental clarity at all. I didn't have an "out of it" or tired feeling because I took the prescribed dose. 3. How long until you were released to go home? -- I went in at like 6:15am. Surgery began at around 7:30am. I went home at around 1pm. 4. How long do you feel one should take off work? (I'm a teacher so my job's not demanding - physically that is) -- My surgery was on a Tuesday. I took off Tues & Wed. Friday - Sun were my days off. I called out on Monday because I had RLS the whole night and didn't sleep a wink. So I went back Tuesday. I don't think I could have gone back any earlier with the pain I was in. It definitely wasn't comfortable the rest of the week, but I dealt with it. 5. Anyone have any experience with CIGNA good or bad? -- N/A

I haven't received my bill yet, but I know what I'm expected to pay. Hospital: - Billed: $25,670.75 - Plan Paid: $6,553.50 - I owe: $1,156.50 Surgeon: - Billed: $3,124.23 - Plan Paid: $843.81 - I owe: $148.91 Anesthesiologist: - Billed: $2,800 - Plan Paid: $1,055.36 - I owe: $186.24 Physician's Assistant: - Billed: $1,562.11 - Plan Paid: $1,163.23 - I owe: $8.35 (I met my Out-of-Pocket Maximum) Total owed by me = $1500

I took anti-biotics for 10 days and took the powder out of the capsule. Most disgusting tasting thing ever. I took a pain reliever the other day that was pretty big.... went down just fine. So I could have taken all of those capsules. :thumbup:

Ok, so I had my first fill two days ago. First thing, the doctor starts pressing into my stomach, trying to find the port. That hurt like a bitch. I swear, it must have been like 6 inches down or something, lol. So he gets the needle and sticks it in. I didn't even feel that. Kind of a weird feeling... Then I felt liquid burst into my insides. You know how if you squeeze on a bottle that's clogged and then it suddenly gets unclogged and squirts everywhere? That's how it felt inside of me because he missed! Twice. So he finally gets it into the port and has me take a drink. Everything felt fine. He says, "Ok, I'm going to have you sit up while the needle is still in." Oh, great. So I sit up with this huge needle sticking inside of me, haha. Take another drink. All good. So I ended up with 3 needle sticks. I really didn't feel any pain from it at all. The only thing that hurt was him pressing on my stomach. I thought my port was underneath my main surgery incision, but it's not. It's like 3 inches below it. Basically, I have no idea where my port is. Seems like it's pretty deep, though. Also.... still don't really feel any restriction. I was filled 2cc during surgery. And then for my fill, another 2cc.

Nope. Haven't been stuck, haven't had a PB. I was also filled 2cc during my surgery. I haven't had a post-surgery fill yet, though. Also haven't had reflux/heartburn since surgery - and it had been pretty bad prior to surgery!

I'm itchy, too. Not crazy itchy, but my boss even asked about it because I was scratching all over my stomach, lmao (she knows about the band).

Wish I could post about my first fill experience, but I haven't had one yet. I was supposed to get it done this past Wednesday (the 26th). I was a couple miles from the office when they called me and canceled the appointment because the doctor was at the hospital with a patient emergency. Sooo.... it's now rescheduled for Thursday (9/3).

I got banded on July 28th and haven't touched any carbonated drinks since before my pre-op started. Don't have any desire to, either.

I've never let anyone have that kind of power over me. Because of that, I think, no one has messed with me. People have a way of knowing whether or not they can hurt or control you. In school, I was a normal weight child, but I wasn't exactly "normal". I was pretty much a loner. I read books in class, ignoring my schoolwork. I wasn't shy. Sometimes I was the class clown, other times I never spoke to anyone. No one ever harassed me in a negative way, though. If anyone said something to me that was rude, I let them have it. I never fought anyone, but I wouldn't sit back and let someone treat me as though I were less than them. I made it clear I wasn't and that they couldn't touch me. And so no one really tried. I spend a good portion of my childhood moving around (Hawaii, The Netherlands, etc...). I met many DIFFERENT people - racially, culturally, etc.. I saw the world. I think when you're exposed to the world, you realize that there's more to life than being concerned about the small minds of others. I feel privileged to have met so many different people, which has always reminded me how different everyone really is. There is no standard to who you should be, no rules. I'm not afraid or hurt by the people who don't realize that. I feel sorry for them that they feel it's worth it to hurt others, instead of improving upon themselves. There are far more important things to me than their small words.