Froggie D

And just think - it is going to get better! :confused:

I hit 40 too. Ain't it great!!!!!!!! Congrats to you!:confused::party:

I had the same problem for about 7 weeks. My doc said it is normal and your body will eventually adjust. Said it is a reaction to the band, anesthia, a new diet and generally having everything moved around inside during surgery. Last week it stopped all of a sudden. I used a lot of Gas X before meals and that helped some. Hope yours goes away soon. I was taking 4-5 trips to the bathroom every afternoon just to let off gas.

Don't assume that you don't have restriction the first day. My doc said it can kick in between day 1 and day 10. I felt my first fill on day 3 but not on 1 or 2. I have lost my restriction from the first fill and am looking forward to another one. I ate things in the last three days I have not been tempted to eat for a long time. I am just trying to convince myself it is a process, not an event and I will eventually get to restriction and my sweet spot. Hang in there. We are all in this together.

I personally cannot resist weighing every day and I have decided it is like putting money in the slot machine but not pulling the handle but once a week. If I don't pull it (weigh myself) this might be the one time I win (lose weight). I know it sounds dumb, but it is too tempting to try and get that reinforcement every day to keep me going. It is a good thing I do not go to the casino!

They say that one pund of fat is 3500 calories so unless you ate an extra 17,500 calories yesterday, you did not gain fat, just water weight. Fluctuations are normal, but sooooooo discouraging, I know. Hang in there.

I had a lot of gas after eating for the first 6 weeks. I asked my doc about it and he said it is normal and would eventually slow down. Just the body adjusting to surgery, the band and diet changes. I did not have a lot of pain but a lot of flatualance. I did not change my diet, but it seemed to reduce dramatically a week ago. I was very glad. I was making multiple trips to the bathroom in the afternoon. Good luck with that.

I had no fill from surgery and I had quite a bit of restiction. I lost good weight. I was scheduled to have my first fill at four weeks out and put it off a week. I talked with the doc and we decided only to do 1.5 cc even though he usually does at least 2 cc at the first fill. I was also really fearful of being over restricted. With that fill, I was restricted until just the last few days. I will be at 8 weeks this wednesday and scheduled for a fill June 10. I am really looking forward to this one. Your swelling from surgery can cause restiction for up to 6 weeks, they told me. It takes quite a while to heal totally. Just work with your doctor. They want you to lose weight but do not want you to be over restricted and getting stuck or vomiting. Tell them about your fears and how your eting and weight loss is going. It is a negotiation and each person is different.

I am also allergic to dairy. I do not have lactose intolerence, but a true allergy. I get an itchy throat, cough, my eustachian tubes plug up, I get ear infections from it. My allergist said that dairy allergy does not really respond to antihistamines. I use soy Protein powder that I buy at Whole Foods health food Store. It is vanilla flavored. The chocolate has sugar in it so I do not use it. I mix one scoop with unsweetened soy milk and Crystal Light for flovor. It makes a drink with 31 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbohydrates, and 5 grams of fat. I like mine thinner so I add Water and ice so I get 24 ounces of water for each shake. It really fills me up. I dirnk one for Breakfast and it hold me until lunch. Some people say soy gives them gas when they first start using it, so watch out for that. I have also heard that some people use egg protein. I have known I am allergic to dairy for many years and I feel so much better when I avoid it.

Hang in there. It will happen eventually. It will be worth the wait (weight) LOL

When I started my preop and went off sugar and starches, I was headachy, fatigued, HUNGRY for three days. Since that time I feel great. No fatigue. Minimal hunger. I lost 23 pounds on my preop and have lost another 18.6 since surgery April 7. I have more energy than in years! I calculate my calories on FitDay everyday and I have averaged 830 per day over the last month or so. It seems to be plenty to live on and feel great while continuing to lose.

Sugar (and white carbs like white bread, white rice, etc) causes your blood sugar to go up (sugar high), insulin is then released and your blood sugar can plummet (sugar low) and then you get hungry! Avoiding hunger is the name of the game. I am avoiding all sugar and white carbs just to not be hungry.

When I started soft foods I thought two eggs sounded about right, but I could not even eat half of it. It depends on the level of your swelling and restriction. I was more restricted at that time than I thought I was.

I feel so bad for you. I had a similar experience and, NO it is not always the insurance company. Here is my story. I went to the seminar and waited months to see Dr. Niazy Selim at University of Kansas Medical Center. I had one appointment and was told all my paperwork looked in good order. Dr. Selim's comment was, "I wish all my patients had things as well organized as you do. It should take about a week to get everything sent in to your insurance." I waited two weeks and heard nothing so I contacted my insurance and was told they had received nothing. I asked them to contact my surgeon and find out what was wrong. They called over and over and tried for weeks to get the paperwork faxed in without satisfactory results. I called the surgeon's office multiple times and emailed several times trying to find out what the hold up was. Once his staff got on the phone, two of them, I was told to let them handle it and relax. Twice I was told all had been sent in. Nearly 3 months after my appointment they told my insurance nurse that my case had been closed. I called the Patient Advocate at the hospital and was told, "They decided they could not develop a theraputic relationship with you, so they closed your case." I had two questions - Why? and - Why wasn't I informed? I was told (1) that my insurance was too difficult to deal with, (2) that they could not finish the paperwork as they did not have a psych eval (the insurance already had it and no one asked me for it or I would have provided it) or a dietician eval (I hand carried that in and gave it directly to the doc along with the other paper work he was so pleased with), and (3) that I was not a trusting person as I kept calling over and over to find out why they had not sent in my paperwork. They could not explain why I was not informed. The Patient Advocate referred me to the Cheif Operations Officer who, after talking to me a long time, told me I seemed really rational and logical, not at all what the surgeon's office described when he investigated, but there was nothing he could do or I could do. So I filed a complaint with the Blue Cross/Blue Shield folks as KU Med Center is a Blue Distinction Center. I am sure it will not really result in anything concrete, but it made me feel better to take some action. This was all last summer in July and August. Since then, I found a surgeon with a great staff. I went to a seminar the end of January, went through the whole process, and had a surgery date set by March 8. I was banded on April 7 and have lost a total of 40 pounds now. I am down from a size 2x to an 18 and feeling great. I was just as upset, angry, frustrated, and all as you are. I cried a lot. I ate way too much and gained weight. But I kept after it and finally got my band. I still have 83 pounds to lose, but I am getting there one day at a time. It will happen for you! Find a new doctor if you have to. Keep pushing and don't give up! I am thinking about you!

I have now lost 15.8 pounds since surgery and a total of 38.8 including preop. I have had one very small fill and I am starting to feel hungry before meals. I have added 3 heaping teaspons of Benefiber per day to get everything moving right. I do have lots of flatulence (no pain, really) every afternoon. Have to make multiple trips to the bathroom to get rid of the gas. My doctor said it will get better over time, so I am waiting to see.

I did not have second thoughts, but I still had 2 distinct episodes of feeling really blue for no reason after my surgery. Each lasted for day or two and then went away. It was really uncomfortable and worried me. People told me it would pass and it did. Your body went through surgery - anesthesia, moving organs around, diet changes, etc - and it is having some adjustments. I am now almost 7 weeks out, have lost 15.6 pounds since surgery and starting to really feel good physically and really good about my decision to get a band! Hang in there - it will get better and don't let anyone bring you down. It will be worth it and you will soon be dropping weight and you will be the one saying, "I told you so!":thumbup:

I actually spoke with the Patient Relations person and the Chief Operations Officer at KUMed about my treatment there and was not really supported. I was told they have the right to reject anyone they choose to since it was an elective procedure. I also filled a complaint through BC/BS as KUMed is a designated Blue Distinction Center. I was never able to talk with Dr. Selim as my calls were not put through. I think it is a shame that it has been allowed to go on. I am glad I found Dr. Hoehn. His staff is wonderful!

At my class they did say the metal bottom of the port could possibly be detected so I was given a card.

Way to go! It is so hard to eat right and be patient when nothing is happening. I understand and am in the same boat. I figure it has to fall off at some point!

chocolate, Let us know how you are!

Well, I had not lost anything for 9 days and I increased my calories to an averge of 800 rather than 700 and today I lost a half pound. Not much, but felt great to see the scale go down again!

I am newly banded, April 7, and have had one fill. I am eating lean meats, low carb veggies, fresh or no sugar added canned fruit, occasionally fat free refried Beans and chili, and my Protein drink for Breakfast. I am averaging 80-90 grams of protein per day and 700-800 calories. I am not hungry. My question is, do you think 700-800 calories per day is enough? I am not eating any grains at this point (no rice, Pasta, crackers etc) and no potatoes. For lunch I am able to eat 3 oz of chicken with a tablespoon of mayo and a fresh pear and I am full. I am such a carboholic I am afraid of starting down the slippery slope if I add starches in. I have done well so far, but I want to get enough calories and enough balance in my diet. I go to my first support class this week where I will discuss this. Would like to know what others are doing, however. Thanks!

I agree that whole grain carbs are not useless. They do have good nutrition in them. After I eat lean meat and low carb veggies, I just cannot fit them in. I am fearful of starting the carb cravings so I have avoided them altogether. Maybe I am just being paranoid. I just want this to work so badly.

I had my first fill this last Tuesday. I was nervous, but it was nothing. He had me lie on my back, located my port with his fingers, told me to expect a little stick and it was less than a blood drawn. No anethesia - not necessary. Took less than 3 seconds. One drop of blood on the band aid. I had liquids for 24 hours and soft food for a couple days. I am now feeling some restriction. Very easy procedure!

I got a Blender Bottle at the health food store. It is closed with a drinking hole and contains a metal blender ball that is sort of like and egg beater that stays in the bottom. You shake it to blend. I refuse to pay for Water and I can use tap water with this and put in Crystal Light or my Protein powder or Fiber and it all mixes well. When you drink out of it, you tipo it up and drink out of the hole so it is like drinking from a bottle and no air gets swallowed. I have 4 of them and take them everywhere. I do not use a straw.