FangDoc

I had my first fill 5/21, and it was absolutely perfect for the first week -- I got full quickly and stayed full for hours. Since then, although I'm definitely more restricted than I was without it, I know I'm not at my "sweet spot" yet. I go back in another week or so, and I guess we'll see!

For me, it was important to go with the band once I had decided to pursue weight loss surgery because it didn't involve cutting or removing any parts of my digestive system. I knew conventional diets weren't working for me, but I couldn't bring myself to purposely mutilate my digestive tract, which is healthy and fully functional. That was the key FOR ME. Personal opinion only. At the same time, I find sleeve gastrectomy more attractive than RNY gastric bypass because it's not malabsorptive; the intestines aren't bypassed, so it doesn't cause dumping syndrome or dependence on Vitamin supplements. (Although the fact that the large part of the stomach is REMOVED and THROWN AWAY is a little disturbing to me.) However, critics of the sleeve say many of the same things critics say about the band: that because there aren't dire consequences (dumping) for eating fatty or sugary foods, it's easier to "eat around" than RNY. But when it comes right down to it, anyone can "beat" any of the surgeries and either fail to lose or even gain weight post-op if they try hard enough. It's just a tool. You can make any of the surgeries work for you, and you can work against any of them. It's just that some are better fits for different people in different circumstances. I hope you get all the information you need to find the best fit for you. Good luck!

Internet streaming video was a lifesaver for me during my post-op recovery. I watched 2 seasons of "Burn Notice" on iTunes, about 8 movies on Netflix Watch Instantly, and a whole lot of Hulu. That, and watched out for the cat, who wanted to stand on my port. Ow. But yeah, a little wine, or vodka & cranberry, maybe a whiskey sour or a margarita -- something with no carbonation -- isn't going to kill you. Better that than full-on cabin fever. Good luck!

As I posted in another thread yesterday, a smart person in my WLS support group says, "The surgeon does the stomach surgery, but you have to do the brain surgery." My bariatric nurse talked a lot about "addiction switching," the phenomenon mentioned above where someone who used to be addicted to food "switches" to alcohol, compulsive shopping, or even drugs or sex. So in other words, therapy yay! It's just putting one more tool in your weight loss toolbelt.

Congratulations both on your weight loss and your attitude! I completely agree that sometimes we get too close to the situation and too scale-number-obsessed. What I try to remind myself when I'm not losing as much or as quickly as I'd like, is that time passes no matter what. There's nothing we can do to slow it down or stop it. And if three weeks have passed, and I've only lost three pounds -- well, that's three pounds gone. Have I been a good person during those three weeks? A good wife, friend, daughter, sister, doctor, coworker, caregiver? Have I had moments of happiness? Then that's a good three weeks. And even if that rate continued for a year, by this time next year I'd have lost 52 more pounds. I sure haven't done that any year recently. A smart person at my WLS support group said, "The doctors do the stomach surgery, but you have to do the brain surgery." It certainly sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck!

Let's clarify: Black and blue FLAT circle the same diameter as a baseball but flush to your skin? Totally 100% normal. That was the only place I stayed sore after the first 2-3 days. Black and blue BULGE that makes it look like a baseball is trying to come through your skin? OMG NOT NORMAL. That would be a reason to go to the hospital. I sincerely hope you're describing the first one. Good luck!

I had my first fill a little over a week ago. I got a little green and clammy when they were first looking for my port; I was only 6 weeks post-op so I'm still a little swollen (and, let's face it, fat) over my port. However, the needle itself was not particularly painful, no worse than having blood drawn, and it was over quickly. On the good-reasons-to-stress-o-meter, it's maybe a 3.

I was definitely a little tired on my pre-op diet; I think an extremely low calorie diet tends to do that, at least until the body gets used to it. However, the nausea is worrisome. Call your surgeon, bariatric nurse, clinical weight loss coordinator, nutritionist, WHOEVER, and tell them about it. My concern is that you might be reacting to the Protein powder, particularly if it's whey-based. Good luck!

I lost weight before my first fill, too. It was primarily in the first few weeks (pre-op diet & full liquids) and I plateaued in my last 2 weeks before my fill, but I was so paranoid about following the rules that I was keeping portions small and calories low. For me, it was all about creating the right environment for healing, and less about the weight loss. My bariatric nurse had told me not to even worry about losing weight before the first fill, to just concentrate on healing -- but when have I ever in my life *not* thought about my weight? So I was very happy that following the rules for healing also resulted in weight loss. Good luck!

The same thing happened to me... fabulous weight loss on the pre-op diet and the few weeks post-op when everything was still too "shocked" to feel hunger, but with no restriction and the hungry feelings coming back, the weight started to creep back up. It's also frustrating to go to WLS support group where >75% of the members had gastric bypass and are reporting 40 lb. lost in the first month. I know intellectually that I had excellent reasons for choosing the band over bypass, but emotionally that's rough. But on to the good news!!! I had my first fill, and it's a whole new world. I'm back to forgetting about hunger, and I lost 3 lbs. this week, even with attending a convention out of town all weekend and having to eat out every meal. I was very nervous about my fill, almost as nervous as I was about surgery, but it went great -- I did it over my lunch hour and went back to work with no problems afterward. I've gotten good restriction as far as feeling full and staying satisfied, but no blockages or PB's so far. So there is a light... just hang in there! Good luck!

Keep in mind, that until a few years ago they weren't doing a pre-op diet at all! That's a recent development that apparently reduces risk of injury to the liver and gives better post-op results. However, a few people in my monthly WLS support group who had surgery 5-6 years ago were talking about how they went to the Chinese buffet or the donut shop or wherever the day before their surgery as a last hurrah! While I certainly wouldn't recommend that, it does suggest that for most people, a slight variation in the pre-op diet isn't going to be the end of the world. The way the bariatric nurse explained it to me is that it's a crash diet. She said that this is why going on the grapefruit diet a week before Prom doesn't work, because it's mostly Water weight, but it's great for shrinking the liver. Basically, you have glycogen stored in your liver as a quick energy source for the body. The body would rather break down glycogen for energy than fat, and each glycogen molecule is attached to four molecules of water. So if you're carrying 1 lb. of glycogen, it's attached to roughly 4 lb. of water. Go a few days on a low-calorie, low-carb diet, and that 5 lb. comes right off and the liver shrinks because it's not carrying that 5 lb. any more. But because it's not fat loss, the scale is basically lying to you. You've lost 5 lb., but it's 5 lb. of glycogen and water, not fat, and it will come back as soon as you start eating normal calories and carb content. I apologize that went on so long, but it's so nice to get to use those biochem and physiology classes for something! Good luck!

Yes, that does NOT sound normal. I have to wonder if you're experiencing a food allergy to some ingredient in the shakes. I know the bariatric nurse who set me up with the pre- and post-op diets quizzed me extensively to rule out a milk allergy before putting me on the whey isolate powder. If I were you, I wouldn't wait and suffer until your next appointment; call today to talk to your nutritionist, nurse, surgeon, whoever so they can hopefully correct this for you. There is such a thing as trying too hard. I admire your wish to follow everything perfectly so you get the best possible results, but sometimes our bodies have different ideas than our minds. Good luck!