isaviolinist

This happened to 2 of my small incisions after surgery (and they just recently permanently closed up). My surgeon told me to just keep it clean with hydrogen peroxide and then I put neosporin on. It helped when I put a band aid over them after the neosporin. Also make sure that you really dry the incision before you put the neosporin on and after you get out of the shower. It seems that moisture makes the wound open more.

I actually just talked to my surgeon today about "being a slave to the band". I asked him for another adjustment (it would be my fourth) but he said as long as I'm losing weight (and I am) then we should hold off so we don't start using the band as a crutch. And actually, he said people can get almost addicted to getting fills. I also am not so good with the excersising. I was doing great, but then their was a death in my family and I just stopped. It would do me good to get back to the gym. Anyways, my eating is really erratic. I usually eat twice a day (lunch and dinner, I'm really not a breakfast eater). My calorie intake is usually between 800-1000 (1200 on a not so good day). I eat a lot of protein (shakes, fish, tofu, etc....I don't eat poultry or red meat or pork however). I try to eat good fats (like the fat in salmon or avocado) and good carbs (milk, beans, etc.). I definitely don't always do the best job, but for me, the key has been to NOT beat myself up if I have something less than healthy (which is what used to happen before when I was dieting...and then the diet would fail). I just eat it and let it go (or I try my best to). Also, I do give myself a treat about once a week (usually ice cream...I love ice cream). This way, I can stave off cravings by not depriving myself. Yesterday I ate: Broiled salmon for lunch (probably around 8 oz. with some spices and a little ketchup), and for dinner I made a casserole with eggplant, mushrooms, onions, low fat cheese, and low carb sauce (kind of like eggplant parmesan but without flour, breadcrumbs, etc.). I also had one of those hostess brownie bites and 1 cube of cheese (there was a going away party at work and I couldn't resist!). Altogether that was about 920 calories, 43 grams of fat (most coming from the salmon - omega 3 fatty acids and the cheeses), 40 carbs (from the ketchup, tomato sauce, and brownie), and 85 grams of protein (with 55 coming from the salmon and the rest coming from the cheese and stuff in the eggplant).

Firstly, I think its really crappy the way your surgeon treated you. You should remember, he and his office staff work for you. Not the other way around. Also, I was going to suggest keeping measurements of the amount of inches you have lost (in addition to the pounds you have lost). Someone suggested this to me at one point and I thought it was silly and I didn't want to measure myself. But I did it. I then measured myself a couple of weeks later and had lost inches in all parts of myself! It was great! You should do this especially if you are working out a lot. you may be gaining muscle (which is heavier than fat)! Good luck!

Good luck with your surgery! How exciting! I will keep you in my thoughts - please be sure to update after your procedure to let us know how everything went. :thumbup:

I just wanted to chime in and say congrats to all who have been recently banded! It does get easier so everyone hang in there! Welcome to bandland and enjoy your ride! :thumbup:

Welcome and good luck! Sounds like you have the right mindset - Im sure you will be very successful. Ask lots of questions here and also at your seminar (and then at all of your preop appointments afterward). There is so much information on this site - if you take advantage of it, you will be SO prepared for surgery and beyond. Keep us updated!!

Agreed. I stick to around 50-60 carbs a day, with a lot of them coming from complex carbs (beans, fiberous veggies, milk, etc.).

THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE EXACTLY!! Sorry for the caps, Im just getting frustrated. I just emailed my surgeon's office to go in for another fill. I would also like some advice if anyone has had this experience. Will this end when you get to the right fill level?

Congratulations to you! Good luck with your surgery, and let us know how everything goes!

Thats great that you are very clear on your preop and postop instructions however you should keep in mind that every physician basically has a different preop and post op plan. For example, my preop diet was 3 weeks (yours is 2) and I was having 3-4 slimfasts a day with a few other things like broth and sugarfree applesauce, sugarfree fatfree pudding, etc. I lost 20 pounds on my preop diet, and there were no complications during surgery (so it must've worked!). My postop was 6 weeks (as opposed to your 2 weeks) with 3-5 days clear liquid, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks pureed/liquids, 2 weeks mushy foods. I also have had no complications since surgery, so this diet must've worked as well. Many folks do not even have a preop diet. And its not to say that any one diet (pre and post op) is right or wrong, but every surgeon has their individual plan based on their own experience.

My eating disorder issues still come up. I'm a very black and white person. So when I was overeating I was SERIOUSLY overeating. However, during the times when I was purging, I would throw up EVERYTHING that I ate (literally...even if it was one chip, I would throw it up). So I still find myself getting into that mindset, especially when it comes to calorie counting. Usually I'm somewhere in the range of 800-1200 calories. But now and again, I'll go for a couple days just eating 100 calories or something. I'm trying to get out of this thinking but its kind of hard. I'm definitely not throwing up or anything anymore, so that is great. And Im losing weight the healthy way.

I have Realize Band! So far so good (was banded in June). And I like the low profile port. When I get all my excess weight off, I think it will be pretty hard to see (right now I can't even feel it on my own. All my fills so far have been under fluoro). Love my band! Good luck!

I LOVE food network! But I don't feel like it hinders me. Sometimes I like to see what recipes I can tailor to band eating.

I get hiccups, but I don't feel full. Sometimes I think I get hiccups when I'm supposed to be getting full but I'm not sure. I haven't reached my sweet spot just yet.

I am losing weight, but I measured myself a few weeks ago and had lost quite a few inches since my first measure (which was sometime after surgery but I can't remember when). I'm losing more inches on the top (neck, arms, boobs) then the bottom (waist, hips, thighs). I hope the lower half starts to catch up soon.

I have BCBS of NEPA and I didn't need to do a supervised diet. I just got my entire history from family doctor (they just printed my chart for the past 5 years) and I gave it to my surgeon. I did all the preop testing and that was enough for approval. I will say that my hospital is labeled a "BCBS Bariatric Center of Excellence" by Blue Cross. I think that this helped a lot in getting approved literally in like a day. Maybe you should try to find a hospital in your area that BCBS works closely with (that also has a reputable bariatric program). It may make the insurance side of things go more quickly and smoothly.

Heres a good bean dip recipe: Ingredients: Olive Oil Fat Free Refried Beans Black Beans Chopped Onion Chopped green and red pepper Tomatoes Salsa (if you want) Reduced Fat Shredded cheese Tofu (or you can substitute some lean meat) Avocado Brown the tofu (or meat...I'm a vegetarian so I don't add meat), onions, peppers and tomatoes in a large skillet until the veggies are floppy and the Protein is cooked (if you're using tofu, it will brown a little on the sides). Add the black beans and refried beans (drain some of the liquid from the black beans first). Add some salsa if desired. Stir everything together over heat until it is mixed. Top with the shredded cheese. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Serve the bean dip over the avocado and enjoy! This is great because you can portion it into 1 cup (or 3/4s cup or whatever) servings and freeze it. For mushies, you can just throw the whole dip into the blender to make sure everything is super mushy. You can also puree the avocado (so its like a guacamole consistency) and eat it on the side. Great source of protein, complex carbs and healthy fat (in the avocado)!

I went back and looked at my ticker data and I lost between 7-8 pounds in the first week. Keep up the good work everyone!

I agree with the above poster. Trust me, its not giving up. The LapBand is not an easy or quick fix. You definitely have to do your part to get the weight off. This site is a great resource. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

I do this too! I especially do it when I've hit a plateau (it really kick starts things). Glad to hear someone else does it as well!

I was banded about 5 weeks ago. I just started eating real foods again (a few days ago). I am feeling some cramping (minor, not unbearable or anything) in my lower left abdomen. I am so paranoid that my band slipped or my pouch stretched (can the pouch stretch prior to having a fill if I feel no restriction?) or my port came undone or flipped over or something. I have been admittedly eating larger portions than I should be (although its all Protein...but instead of having 1 cup of tofu, I'll have 3 cups, etc.). Does anyone have any advice? Could my band have slipped?? I've been getting so nervous for the past couple of days. If anyone has gone through this and can give me some advice, I'd REALLY appreciate it.

Hi guys. I just wanted to check in. I joined the Thanksgiving Day challenge (Im hoping for onederland by then!). A few days ago my BMI went below 40 and I'm so happy about it! Really hoping to meet the Thanksgiving goal. We'll see! Good luck everyone!

I think I thought to myself now and again that this wouldn't work since nothing had before. Still I find myself in disbelief sometimes that I might actually succeed with this. But overall, I was SO excited to get the band and so far so good!

I feel the similarly. I haven't gone shopping for clothes or anything yet and so I have no idea what size I actually am. But at this weight/height I know I am still in plus sizes (despite my weight loss). I probably won't go shopping until I'm under 200 (about 20 pounds to go!). And actually, when I "go shopping" it will probably be to just try on some clothes to see what size 199 equals. I am thinking I won't buy any significant amount of clothes until I reach 150-160. We shall see.

OMG I love this idea!! And I LOVE vacations, and so I REALLY love the idea of going on a vacation at the end. So awesome!