lkarelee

OMG - cooked cabbage - what a pain that was; I thought I would never get it back up.

Me too....I'm going back for my 3rd fill - I hate the thought of spending ALL this money - and have only a few pounds to show for it...:confused:

I was banded in August of 09, have had 2 fills - but have only lost 16 lbs and gained back 3. I feel like a total failure. I told myself before I got the band that this would be my last ditch effort for weight loss - that if this failed - I would never diet again - I would just learn to accept myself and move on. I read all this wonder stories about people lossing weight consistantly every month and wonder how the hell they are doing it. I can't seem to even maintain.:biggrin: I'm going for one final fill in a couple of weeks - I'm going to ask the doctor to max out my band - I want it so tight that a glass of Water takes 2 minutes to make it through. Any other failures out there?

I don't regret getting the band - but I am frustrated with the results. Banded in 08/09 - I've lost 18 lbs and seem to have stalled. I tell myself every morning "work the band, work the band"; but I'm not seeing the results I expected. My BMI was not has high as some - but I was still obese. There are some days I can eat an entire pizza (I haven't actually done it) and other days I feel in reasonable control - but the early heady days of only eatting 3 bites and being full are GONE. I will get another fill next month and hope it gets me back on track -

Sticking occurs when food does not pass from the upper pouch to the main part of the stomach. It can be painful while it is stuck and usually the only way to get it unstuck is to throw it up - not really as unpleasant as you would imagine. Everyone is different - but here are a few foods that most people report having problems with 'sticking'. dry chicken - especially chicken with the skin on chips Steak - basically any meat that you do not chew up well Sticky rice Bread scrambled eggs

Had surgery on Tuesday - back at work on Monday. No complications or problems.

Okay - I have a fairly tight restriction - I can eat fine - but I have to be careful because food will get stuck occasionally. I think I'm getting a stomach flu - you know - upset stomach - nothing to do with the band. This is really a really gross question - but has anyone had a problem throwing up? not PB - but really throwing up?

I had my second fill on Saturday - and think I am close, if not at my sweet spot. I have a very bad habit of bolting my food - which has been absolutely curtailed by this fill. I am forced to eat slowly or I get a lot of pain in my upper chest - and I actually had an incident of thowing up at a resturant (thank goodness I made it to the ladies room in time ) because I wasn't chewing properly. I stay full for 3-4 hours after eatting which for me is really good. I was banded in mid-August and for the first time feel the band working. It takes time...but eventually you will start to feel restriction.

I had my first fill 3 weeks ago (scheduled for another on the 31st). After the fill, I could feel a restriction, especially if I ate too fast or too big - in fact, I had my very first feeling of something getting stuck. But after the 2nd week - nothing...could this indicate a leak?

Not sure about Houston Area - but I use Dr. Stephanie in Bryan - you can search her on this site - lots of very satisfied patients. She just does fills - no surgery. She has a band herself. Excellent Dr.

I think we all need a reality check. Look....nothing about the band stops you from feeling Hungy!!! Hunger is going to happen..... It just helps you to feel satisfied sooner...PERIOD. It's like a big rubber band around the outside of your stomach. If you eat solid food (without drinking) you will notice you have the "sensation" of being full sooner than you did before you had that big, expensive rubber-band. You are not actually full - but you "feel" full....so you stop eating. Here is the trick.....eat slow....eat small...don't drink ...that's it. If you follow these 3 simple rules, you will eat less and eventually, you will lose weight. Fills are critical - but even without a fill - if you follow the three simple steps - you will notice a difference in the amount you eat.

Must be the moon - because I just had my first "Stuck" food - I grabbed some left-over Popeye's chicken and after a few big (normal for me) bites - felt like I was having a heart attack. I tried to throw it up - but no luck.. mind-numbing chest pain - lasted about 10 minutes. So much for gulping down lunch!

Find another surgeon - this is YOUR decision - not his.

Why are you fighting for a fill? Is there a medical reason he doesn't want to give it to you? If not - go to a fill center - they are all over the US.

I envy you - I have NO RESTRICTION at all!!! I was banded on 8/20 - so I'm still healing - but I swear, I can take huge bites, without chewing, swallow them down - no sticking, no PB's, no upset stomach - nothing - it's like I was never banded. If it wasn't for the port pain - I would think I wasn't. I think when I finally do get any restriction - it is going to take a lot of re-learning how to eat. I'm slowly losing weight - so I no real complaints - but, I am just ready to lose it faster.

I am 3 weeks post op and think I have broken every rule already. I have little, if any, restriction. Nothing bothers me, nothing gets stuck. I can take my horse-pill Vitamins without a problem I've drank small amounts of soda - no problem, I eat without chewing - no problem - this sucks! If it wasn't for the surgical scars - I would never know I had anything done. I am fighting the urge to eat normally, I try and maintain a soft, low-carb diet.....but it's not easy where there are no penalties. Can't wait for my first fill so I can feel something.....:biggrin:

My surgeron in Moneterrey (Zapata) puts you on a low carb diet - not liquid for 2 weeks prior to surgery. The night before surgery - you are allowed a 'last meal' and you can eat anything you want - before 10:00pm.

The french onion is great - especially mixed with mashed potatoes....yummm

My dr. in Mexico as very, very conservative with pain medication. He would not give me opiates for pain because he said they upset the stomach and slowed down healing. I have been on just tylenol since 2 days after surgery. At first I was pissed because he was so conservative but after reading your story - I think he was probably right. Thanks for sharing.

Post-Op.. Okay, so I woke up in the recovery area with a 20 pound english bulldog on my chest - and he kept jumping up and down with his huge feet and digging his claws into my stomach. I lay there for a few minutes to try and orient myself when this nurse comes over and offers me ice chips. I take a big spoonful - because my mouth is sooooo dry - and promptly start puking. Note to self - suffer with the dry mouth - do not take the ice. After a few dry heaves - I fall back asleep and the next thing I know - they wheel me and the bulldog into my private room. I'm in pain, I feel like I can't breath - and I'm very nauseous. The pain is not horrible - but it starts right under my breast bone and radiates into my back...it comes in waves. I fall back asleep. A few hours later - a nurse comes in to check on me and I start dry heaving again - very painful - I have to stand up and hold my stomach and just let it happen. She rushes out and gets some other nurses who bring in bags of medication to hang on my IV pole....the nausea subsides but the pain intensifies. I ask the nurse for more pain medication and after a few minutes she comes in with a new drip and hooks me up. She starts the IV and I swear it felt like someone was running a lit cigarette up my arm...I start yelling for her to stop the drip...she adjusts it and the pain surges again. This goes on for 2-3 more adjustments before she finally gets the right mixture. The pain lessens...but never goes away. At about 6:00 the patient coordinator (Alma) come in and starts scolding me for not walking...telling the nurse to get me on my feet. The nurse defends herself saying I was in too much pain...but alma persists. She leaves and I reluctantly get out of bed. I immediately felt a little better. Don't know why - maybe it's gravity - or just the act of moving around - but I did feel marginally better. Dr. Zapata came in around 8:00 and I asked him to prescribe a sleeping pill....which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND....After a good 5 hours of restful sleep...I felt much better. The pain was still there - but manageable. I was still getting pain shots every 6 hours....but I have to say - Dr. Zapata is very conservative with medication. Nothing he gave me knocked me out completely - I never felt like I was taking an opiate. He said - they upset your stomach and slow down healing... I woke at 4:00 am and hit the hallways - up and down - up and down...sipping Water and chicken broth. But the back pain would not go away. I did have waves of a burning sensation near the band - again - dry heaves...I was afraid I had pulled a stitch. At around 10:00 they did the fluoroscope - not bad - nasty tasking contrast stuff - but it's only a teaspoon full - and I have no restriction at all - they said that was good because it meant I have very little swelling. A couple of people in my group had a lot of restriction. I took a shower, walked up and down a lot more and felt stronger by the hour....but the back pain was still there. At around 2:00 the driver picked us up and took us back to the Hotel. I walked over to the mall near the hotel and bought some over-the-counter sleeping stuff, took a 30 minute hot, hot shower and laid down...the pain was better, but still there. We met with Alma again and I found out that another lady in our group also had the same pain symptoms. She had the dry heaves also - so that seems to be the pattern. I stood under the shower again and let the heat soothe away the back pain and then to bed. I only slept a few hours....and got up several times that night to pee....all that Fluid they give you starts coming out with a vengeance. I really couldn't get comfortable - I would turn one way and feel Okay for a few minutes - then the burning sensation in my back would come again - so I would roll over to another position and get another 5 minutes of relief. This went on all night. I wish I had brought a heating pad and some Tylenol PM..the medication Dr. Zapata send back to the hotel with us was pretty worthless. Overall, it was not horrible....it was stressful - lack of sleep and pain makes you a little crabby, but we all survived. I am healing quickly and I plan on returning to work on Monday. Would I do it again??....probably - but I would bring more comforts from home...Tylenol PM, heating pad, my own pillow.

I've moved to post-op - because I'M BANDED BABY. Surgery day - I didn't sleep 10 minutes the night before my surgery...I highly recommend you bring a few sleeping pills, Tylenol PM, Ambient, something....so I was exhausted when I got downstairs to meet Dr. Zapata's driver at around 6:30. I was joined by another patient and we were driven to CIMA Hospital - about 10 minutes from the hotel. I was taken upstairs to pay for surgery with my credit card....I was really concerned that the transaction would be rejected because it was so large. After that, we sat in the lounge for at least an hour, filled out papers, turned over our valuables to be kept in their security area and were given our Patients Rights forms to read over. I have to say - this is a very professional, orderly, efficient hospital - I am a medication professional myself - so I'm a good judge. We then were taken to a locker room to change into hospital gowns, slippers, head covers, etc. Our clothes were put in a locker and the nurse attached the key to our chart. A very competent nurse started the IV and this attractive young woman named Priscilla introduced herself. Priscilla is doing her dissertation on meditation before surgery - and how it helps patients. She spent about 15 minutes with me going thru relaxation exercises - I have to say - it did help. The anthologist came in - what hoot. He reminded me of the father in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' - give him any word and he will expound on it for hours. We did discuss my surgery and what I could expect - he was very sweet in a kind of goofy way. Dr. Zapata also came by and held my hand and told me I was going to do very well and not to worry about anything..then..off to surgery. The room was freezing - as usual in any surgical suite---very bright, noise, bustling with people. The anesthesiologist started babbling on some subject - can't remember what it was - then it off to sleep. Next - holly crap - I have an English Bulldog sitting on my chest

Arrived in Monterrey after a short 1 hour flight from San Antonio. When we deplaned we were loaded onto a bus and taken to the terminal. Oh BTY - if you fly AeroMexico...you have to ask for the entrance forms - otherwise you have to stand in line and fill one out. Thru customs with a green light and walked about a half a mile to the lobby. A taxi driver was holding up a sign for "ready4achange". Because my plane was 2 hours late - the poor guy had been waiting there all that time...I have him a nice tip. We drove to downtown Monterrey - about 20 minutes with NO AC....so I was drenched by the time we arrived at Dr. Zapata's clinic. And let me just say a word here...his 'clinic' looks like an abortion clinic from the 60'. Small, dingy, none to clean bathroom; my panie level was starting to rise again. I kept telling myself RUN this is a huge mistake. But I didn't because when I met Dr. Zapata he eased all my fear. Dr. Zapata is tall, 40ish, nice looking and very, very calm. We talked for 10 minutes or so - he showed me the lap-band he would use and the new low profile port. There were 5 others there so they loaded us all up in a big surburban and another 15 minutes to the hotel. We stayed at the 4 points Sheraton - very nice - but if you are a light sleeper, bring ear plugs and a sleeping pill, the hotel is right next to the railroad track. I had neither so I didn't get a wink of sleep....nerves and noise. Alma (patient coordinator) came to the hold around 7:00 and gave a brief talk on what to expect the next day...very nice lady. The driver picked me and one other lady up at 6:30 - my surgery was scheduled for 10:00 am. The hospital CIMA was beautiful, spotless, coordinated, but very few people spoke English. Not too much of a problem, they have done this a million times. BTY, do not take anything but an ID to the hospital - maybe your cell phone...but you don't need anything else. Slippers, robes, toothbrush and paste are all supplied. Okay - on to surgery - I'm moving to POST-OP now:w00t: Check for part 3 over there. The surgery!!

I left Austin in plenty of time to catch my 1:30 flight from San Antonio to Monterrey, Mexico. I was relaxed and in a really good place. After missing the exit for the airport, I had to drive a few miles to turn around and get back on track. Still time....but a little rushed now. I get into the airport complex and can't find any signs that point me to parking for Terminal 1....so I drive around in circles for 10 minutes or so.....but now, I'm starting to get annoyed. I finally find the parking garage and speed up and down the isles looking for an open spot. I finally found a spot, grabbed by luggage and starting trying to figure out how find Terminal 1. No signs, no arrows, none to help...I'm just running in circles looking for a way out. Finally I get out of the garage, but I'm at Terminal 2. Now I'm beginning to PANIC. I start jogging across the parking lot to Terminal 1 - it's 94 degrees. I get into the terminal, make it to the Ticket counter and was told the plane was delayed by 2 FREAKING HOURS:cursing: I calm down, email my patient coordinator, eat some yogurt, and listen to one of my audio books. We finally board, but sit, and sit, and sit in the hot sun. The plane backs up, stops, then RETURNS TO THE GATE:scared2: and we sit some more. FINALLY we take off and have an uneventful trip to Monterrey. More later

I found MaxProtien at GNC is very tastey - chocolate and cookies'n'cream are my favorite. I use very little water and crushed ice....then add a little Splenda and a teaspoon of instant coffee - I like the expresso. Makes a very Frapachino(sp) kind of drink.