hmarko

I don't know either this is a journey for me too I think the fills are very very important and how they handle that. Other than that - I mean I haven't had any thing that I HAD to talk to my doctor about - an occasional question on the nutrition aspect. (emailed Nutritionist). Today I threw up was thinking of email the nurse but I'll wait and see - i think i just ate too fast. I am eating like a baby now :thumbup: If I had pain I would be on liquids but I'm ok. I would be curious to hear your views on the aftercare as we all progress along the journey.

Congrats on the 10% - I'm at 10 % too YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am feeling like I can eat more now - 6 days post fill but it is STILL less than what it was before. And today I ate mushies and that is probably part of the problem. I need ideas on food I think for work... what are you guys doing? How is salad's going down w/ fills?

Hi - i don't take it when I am on liquids just when I am on foods. I didn't really ask about the fills but thats how it was when i was on the liquids... and a couple of days won't kill me. I just started retaking it... and guess what - as everyone else who has been saying here - now I am back to eating (maybe not as much as before... but definitely I'm looser. But I feel restriction if that makes sense. Today i had 1600 calories!!! have been between 500-900 on the fills... I don't even know how that happened today. I did work out alot not sure if that is it... or maybe I am PMS cuz I was cravey. Back on the Met though. That should help.. Anytime i had SIGNIFICANT weight gain it was because I went off met for a long time.

They told me why they worry about it and I forgot... all i do remember is to either get the liquid Motrin that would be ok or if you take the pills to take them w/ yogurt. It has to do w/ the pouch and irritation same for alleves.

That is really great that you worked through that! And the weight loss is nothing to sneeze at either! Really glad for you. Great positive thinking!

Neither do I and I have to say so MANY people have said my color has gotten better. And my 'energy' not physical but you know what i mean.

i think it is normal - getting to your sweet spot seems to be a process and for sure you will feel more restriction when they do the fill versus a few days later. And as time goes on the same - ie it won't take you one appt to get to where you should be. It better that they do it that way than overfill you and you end up throwing up all the time cuz then it will just get worse due to swelling - they told me - 'you don't want to go there'. I'm still feeling more restricted but at the same time wondering if I am too tight. I got a bit stuck today - granted it was chicken but I was careful and ate slow. It didn't sound like the stuck that I read about where its for hours and extreme pain but I think it is because I felt that bite wasn't going thru and if i continued I would have been there. But there was chest pressure and Water didn't go down. So after a fill it sounds like we can expect to have less restriction as time goes on unless we are too tight in which case we are not able to keep solid food down.

Yes there are two that I have used. sparkpeople.com or thedailyplate.com (which i prefer because you can log your exercise) - though I like the way sparkpeople does reports after. I took the whole month to the nutritionist (she liked the sparkpeople reports too but I don't like that they don't include the exercise). Others have said more food is in the databse for thedailyplate.

Hi I was banded by Dr Ren.... she spent a lot of time with me in the beginning consult, and came in to see me before and after the surgery. After the surgery - I thought I made an appt with her for the 1 week post op but apparently not - I saw Frank; then I DID make my first fill appt w/ her (there is usually a wait so you can't get any of the surgeons on a week's notice)... but then I screwed up and got the date wrong so they were great and squeezed me in w/ Gaspar, but then i was too tight so Frank unfilled me. AFTER this I had questions for the Dr and I called the office and spoke to Christina the nurse and she did go and ask Dr Ren my questions and came back to me. The office told me dr ren likes to do the first fill..... I'll see her for the second fill. In any case I find the staff very accessible via emails - nurses, nilsa who schedules the surgeries, nutritionists etc. My internist recommended NYU and Dr Ren - they are known for their excellent aftercare. And I have to say everything knock wood went without a hitch - my recovery was quick, i had little pain - I was back to work in 4 days, the day of surgery i was alert and walking fine, no nausea, it was a great process for me and I have to think part of this has to do with the skill of the surgeon and the surgical team. And I do mean team - my friend who came with me was impressed she said I had a whole team assigned to me and they were all outside my door talking about me. I must have met 10 people the day of the surgery each had a role :confused: Also if you do the surgery there and they are still doing the anti nausea med research for the surgery I recommend it (aloxi OR aloxi w/ dexamethasone - not sure which i got). I had zero nausea whatsover from the anesthesia and never was dizzy or anything I think it had to do w/ this trial drug they gave me. I had a HORRIBLE experience w/ broken nose surgery from the anesthesia so i jumped on the trial anything to not relive that. I am happy with the practice.... it IS very busy though.

Nailpro did they make you drink the Water? what was that like? Did you have to do 2 days liquid then mushies? I am still on mushies in fact I am making them more liquid. I think I am quite restricted. Here is what I have felt. The top of my stomach feels fine after 4 hours the bottom may growl!!! I also think that when this happens I may start getting tightness is it gas? It feels like pressure like the band is tight but I haven't eaten anything and when I eat its gone just the 'normal ' top half fullness. I think my practice (but I am not sure) tries to fill you as much as you can take because they know that in a couple of days it wears off but they don't want to overfill as its bad and you can end up not keeping food down and throwing up creating a vicious cycle. I am not sure though - maybe cuz i went in there freaking out that I am STARVING! they did that :confused: I had my fill on Wed. I feel restricted. I can eat 3 meals of 1/2 a cup and I am supplementing Protein shakes right now. I can actually get by on 2 meals too. Today I had 3 oz of ground lamb with gyro spices w/ garlic greek yogurt sauce (basically pureed gyro) and i'm not sure how I feel about it it tastes ok but the puree yuk:) that was late at 8 pm; then at 4 pm I had the ricotta lassagna again 1/2 cup; in the am coffee w/ unflavored unjury; and then a little while ago I pureed an apple w/ boiling water. Just for a sweet treat. I also had some gatorade as I was working out and not eating much. about 900 cals 75 GRAMS carbs; 35 grams fat; 80 protein Lets see how next week goes.

I go to the gym and I've changed my approach... in the past I used to go and work my butt off... now its sort of my me and down time (believe it or not). I take my iphone and have either a book on tape or a motivational tape of positive thinking and do 30 mins on the elliptical trainer. Its great for your state of mind. I never have time to do the 'me' things like read or what not so I use that time to do all that while I'm on the elliptical. Yea so maybe I would burn an extra 50 cals if I had a beaty song but who cares its still 300 cals for 30 mins. Or do the same with walking though here the weather is starting to get bad. So instead of looking it as a chore its 'my time'.

Did you ride this weekend? I'm still doing my 15-20 mins on my trainer's horse - I am up to doing more but the horse isn't as my trainer works him first too. I want to do some sitting trot but the horse sucks back and he has a big bounce and my abs are not there yet at 5 weeks post op (actually they are no where) so my seat isn't great. The good news is that the vet took a look at my horse and said she is almost sound - i can start tack walking her. Should be a few more weeks. YAY. Then HER rehab starts too as she has been off a while.

Petra - I CAN have a sweet tooth because I am diabetic and have PCO so the smallest type of wrong carb will set me off. This is the mindset I got myself into (I've been banded since sep 11th). I am treating this like quitting smoking - I don't know if you ever smoked). I don't even allow myself to entertain the thoughts of any trigger foods its just not allowed to go into my head. If it does I kick it out :thumbdown: NOT AN OPTION My feeling is it will open a can of worms. Having said that i do KNOW that i can have an occassional sweet but that is a rare exception. For example it was someone's b-day and I had a tiny sliver of cake in this time. M&M, other candies that are sitting around at desks I look at them but don't say should I have one. (OK i did have 1 M&M but only 1). I have gone thru alot to get this surgery so I am trying to do what I can to not get into any trigger foods. This was all even before I got any restricition.... but as everyone said the band won't prevent you from those foods you speak off BUT maybe the fact that you went thru surgery and what you went through to get the band will...its a mindset. One day when I have lost all my weight I can have more of those things but not now.

[quote name=I am not sure how much "support" the fill center will offer. I have not gone there yet, it is a 4 hour drive for me. I talked to my Family Practice doctor, and she does not offer LAP-BAND® support, but will moniter my general health--etc. (She thought it was a good idea that I have the surgery). I never had alot of gas/shoulder pain after the surgery--I was pleasantly surprised by that--I have 5 incisions that are very small and healing nicely! Just this pressure thing in my chest, it seems worse at night, when I lay on my left side, or move wrong. This--"no follow-up" support, post op is kinda strange--you all on here are my post op support!! :thumbdown: Thanks for being here! Love to all! K~[/quote] Interesting... My family doctor recommended me to NYU because they have excellent aftercare. They are SOOO busy but you know any time i've called they answer my questions and I have email access to the nutritionist and nurse. And you can't call the place you did the surgery either? It sounds like its the healing process and its taking longer for your diaphragm to get back to normal.. and maybe they did not take out the extra gas some doctors don't do that though they really should. (I read that on here). I don't really know. If you could do it over would you go somewhere that you can get more support? Just curious if you were to give advice to any bandsters to be what you would say.

Soco ps I too lost the two evil lbs i have been struggling w/ overnight - cuz I was on liquid diet - are you on liquid after your fills? The fills don't hurt - I had the needle in me twice the first time it went smoother I think the second time the other guy had a little more trouble finding the port but it was no big deal. The only thing that hurt was drinking Water and feeling that pressure. Kinda weird. I find the whole thing fascinating!

Soco - yea 1 cc sounds like a little - did you have any in there before do you know? Maybe you have the 4cc band? So tell me more about how they kept repeating the drinking Water thing. With me they asked me to do that after the fill and I couldn't get it down so they took out .8 cc's from 5.5 total. But NOW I can eat only 1/2 cup of mushies and I get the chest pressure even w/ drinking water. But w/ water it is mild. Our guideline is to drink a little tiny dixie cup in 15 mins and if that is good we are ok. I couldn't in 45 mins so they took some out. Its a process. I'm going back in just under 3 weeks anyway - I have to see my surgeon -she likes to do the first fill but my appt got messed up I thought it was the day before. Today I had coffee w/ unflavored unjry at 8 am at 1pm 6 oz of the Greek Total 0% yogurt at 7 pm I had 1/2 cup refried Beans w/ cheese then at 9 pm cuz my Protein was low was blended ground spicy lamb w/ garlic yogurt sauce. Another day of mushies then I try food.

Gen - Can you go sooner for a fill? They told me I would be able to if I needed to. I scheduled it in 3 weeks but i can go as soon as a week if I want. Amanda - how do you get more restriction at night - wish I had that... do you sleep days and work nites so is nites what would be my morning?

I' ve been eating a lot and finally got filled yesterday - don't know the answer yet as I am on liquids right now. But I could eat 8oz of fish... and then two hours later more etc etc

I eat a lot of fish lemon sole - sauteed in butter and lemon chile - burgers (just the patty 10% lean) I havent' made my staple chicken breast marinated in olive oil, lemon and oregano Veggies usually portobello mushrooms grilled. Have done baked eggplant w/ the greek garlcky yogurt.

Kimberly the left shoulder pain confirms you are having the referred pain from your diaphragm. When they do the surgery they blow air into you to have room to move around and this creates the pain in the diaphragm (pain breathing and also the gas pain in the left shoulder). you need to keep walking and also doing deep breathing because you don't want your lungs to not inflate. You should call your doctor. I don't know if 4 weeks out this still happens and is normal, but everyone heals at a different pace. Referred pain means that because of many nerve endings the pain appears to be in your left shoulder but its really coming from your diaphragm which controls your lungs and is around your sternum. For me it was gone in a week.

link to sept - September 09 Bandsters - LAP-BAND I agree on trying to eat solids... and yes after fill you may need to be extra careful then. I have to avoid solids for 4 days after a fill anyway.

Actually I don't think its the band but the diaphragm because you said you feel it when you breath and you can't take deep breathes (that is how my first week felt like). And you have it whether you eat or not. When its restriction you feel it if you eat too fast or don't chew as a pressure in your chest. Here is the link to sept 09 support and the first fill thread is there.... September 09 Bandsters - LAP-BAND I asked about the hernia because I think it is common and that tends to hurt more post op (I think but I am not sure i didn't have one - just from what I read here). Normally you have more restriction in the morning less at night. So what happens if you do your surgery in Mexico and need support do the fill docs in the US support that? How many incisions do you have? It could just be that they may not have gotten rid of the air they blew into you which may take your diaphragm longer to heal... do you have the left shoulder pain still?

Gen - how did you feel when they did the fill? Did they make you drink Water? They started me at 5.5 and I couldn't get any water down for 45 mins so took out .8 cc's. Right now I am on liquids and I feel a little pressure I have to sip the liquids. Tomorrow will try mushy. I guess he wanted to do the 5.5 because it does go away and to tide me over. My next fill is in 3 weeks. You could be having just a bad restriction day - some days are better/worse than others. The fill will probably make ur chest tighter. I never felt that 4 weeks post op - do you eat? Did you by any chance have a hernia? There is a Sept 2009 support section so many of us post over there as its easier to follow topics there. I'm in both places but I wouldn't repeat posts that are there on this thread that I have written. Its prob not the best 'forum ettiquette to cross post'. If you scroll down to support you will see 2009 bandsters then open that up and you will sep 2009.

on diabetes and meds - I have PCO and diabetes. though my a1c is usually normal - i know that the minute I add fat and carbs to my diet I just don't metabolize it properly and can't lose weight so I will be on metformin even though my bg's are good until i get close to goal weight. Don't know if anyone else has observed this. Anytime I've been OFF metformin i gained weight through nothing i've done!

Dee PPS - my weight loss was stalled too i thought I lost another 2 lbs (which did come off overnight again since liquids) but i was bouncing up and own. I lost 2 lbs since surgery basically bottom line. which was why I went in there asking for aggressive fill - well I got it :thumbup: But I couldn't take it!