BonMag

I was banded one month ago today, and I can understand your frustration. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, I know several people who have had the bypass. There are several reasons that I chose NOT to have the bypass based on their personal experiences. From what I have seen, besides the fact that with a bypass your poor organs are all mutilated and re-arranged, starvation is the mode of weight loss. Starvation is NOT healthy for you...at all. ALL of the individuals I know with the bypass have ALL had to have their gallbladders out, have constant food getting stuck issues, their hair is thinning and receding, they have severe acid reflux and ulcer issues, they have diarrhea all the time...and honestly, they all look really unhealthy. I know three people who are several years out from their bypasses, and their stomachs have stretched out and the weight has gone right back on. At least with the band, we can increase our restriction to help with our control, with them, if they stretch their stomachs out, they're screwed!:tongue2: Hang in there, remember how many people have been really successful with the lap band. Maybe you can talk to your doctor about taking something for your depression? If you felt better about things, it might be easier not to be so hard on yourself. WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Momma, I was banded on the 28th of August and I have moments of feeling the same way. I don't have time to write much right now, but I will write more later. Please know that you are not alone.

I began experiencing a sensation like something was poking my ribs from the inside about four days post surgery. On the fifth day, the sensation became very painful and frequent. It hurt to breath in or to exhale and I couldn't take in a deep breath at all, only short, shallow breaths. I called my surgeon last night, and he said that my stomach was probably swollen and the band was rubbing my diaphragm when I breathe. Has this happened to you? Does it go away? I am terrified that this feeling won't subside. If it does not, I will have to have the band removed because I won't be able to exercise or to breathe normally again. I am trying to have no regrets, but I am feeling pretty discouraged at the moment. :smile2: Thanks so much for reading! I hope that some of your experiences will help shed some light on this for me.

Hi HMARKO, I don't see why you can't go to your chiropractor. Just make sure that you are comfortable the whole time- if something feels sore, or uncomfortable, don't do it! :thumbdown: Being adjusted during this time of healing is a good idea, just take good care of yourself. Good luck!

I am so scared that I am going to be a band failure. Obviously, I have failed at weight loss every other time I have tried, so I am so nervous that I am going to fail once again. :bored: I have my first fill this Thursday. Does it get easier? I am hungry most of the time, and I keep feeling like my old habits keep creeping back in. This past month has been pretty good, but the past few days have been just awful- I've put on a few pounds and I am just so darn upset at myself. I need to hear some stories about "bandster he!!' and how you may have overcome it after your first fill. Thanks for sharing your stories with me!

Thank you so much for all of your support. I feel so sorry for the bandsters that don't know this forum exists! I don't know what I would do without it.

WHOO-HOO!!!! Congratulations!!!! :tongue2::thumbup::):thumbup::w00t:

Hey Renee, It is common for your stomach to swell some after fills. A few days after my surgery I developed a pain when I would move funny or breathe. It was so annoying. It eventually felt like I was being rubbed raw on the inside. I called my surgeon and he said that I was probably so swollen that the band was rubbing on my diaphragm when I moved or breathed. He advised me to take 800 mg of Ibuprofen every 6-8 hours to help with the inflammation. The feeling eventually went away once the swelling went down. So, my guess is that you too are feeling the rubbing on your diaphragm. Besides the Ibuprofen, it helped me to push down and in right under my left rib-cage which essentially moved my stomach away from my diaphragm. Good luck! It should go away soon. :bored:

Here is my blog: The Blubber Blog I wish you the best of luck with your journey! I am going to go visit your blog now. THANKS! ~Lynn

Hey Kimo- Hang in there. I was/am in the same boat! I had my surgery August 28th and I too had a tremendously hard time following the liquid diet. I reached out to a few of my bandster friends, who all confirmed to me that they also cheated at times. Don't be so hard on yourself, this is going to be a slow process. It is not going to happen overnight. Just because there is a piece of silicon wrapped around our stomachs, doesn't mean that we are all of a sudden going to hate food! Food and eating are a matter of life and that won't ever go away. We are always going to be tempted, but I can tell you that it gets easier. MUCH, much easier. I am already having no problems thinking smaller. When I go out to eat, or when I prepare meals at home, I don't even think about the larger portions because I know I CAN'T eat that much. Once you have a fill, you will not be able to binge, so that urge will slowly disappear with time. It's like a muscle, the more you resist temptations, the easier it will get. Again, hang in there. From what I have heard this is ALL perfectly normal. Just try to concentrate on the reasons why you decided to undergo this surgery in the first place. Make small changes and be super patient with yourself. We all mess up. Good luck to you!!!

If the purpose of the band is to get foods to "sit" in the upper pouch for as long as possible, then why do I feel the food going through immediately? I mean, if I don't chew things well enough, I know it because it gets stuck. But, why do I feel it right away? Shouldn't it take a while for it to start to move through? The obvious answer might be that I don't have enough restriction yet because I haven't had a fill, but if I don't chew extremely well, food gets stuck. So, I am sure I already have a bit of restriction. Oh, gees. I sound like I am talking in circles. I'll stop typing now. :mad2:

3 nights!? That's crazy!!! I left the hospital two hours after my surgery. As soon as I was awake, walking around and drinking Water, they sent me home. Maybe you should look into another hospital? I know that all the hospitals in my area preform the lap-band surgery same day/outpatient. Good luck! Let us all know how it goes. The Blubber Blog

Nice to "meet" all of you. My name is Lynn and I live in NC. I was banded on the 28th of August at 290 lbs. I am happily married and have two young children that keep me super busy- but not too busy to eat apparently- hence the band! I am greatly anticipating a whole new lifestyle and a whole new me! Good luck to ALL of you!!! (Down 15 pounds so far.) The Blubber Blog

Hey, I'm with you about the massages. I actually went to one three days after surgery. I just laid on my back and she did some body work. However, my stomach feels just fine to lay on and I am only two weeks post-op now. I have to say that I laid flat on my belly for my husband to adjust me probably only a week after surgery. Just remember, you don't want the masseuse to use too much force/pressure because your body is healing and you don't want to release a bunch of built-up toxins during that time. Good luck!

I just had my two week post-up the other day, and I completely forgot to ask them when I can start exercising. When did you start? I am thinking that it would be okay for me to start, but I am still feeling very fatigued and my belly feels sore when I don't get enough rest. THANKS!

I was really nervous about hiding the surgery from my in-laws so I was so relieved when my surgeon told me I would have to have a severe hernia corrected while he was in there. PERFECT!!! I knew immediately that that would be my excuse. I was thrilled I would no longer have to hide the surgery or the scares, and best of all, it wasn't a lie. I DID have a hernia corrected. :wink: So...you could tell him you had a hernia corrected, or you can just tell him that you had to have some exploratory abdominal surgery because you had chest pain. Whatever feels right, just go with it! Good luck!!!

Has anyone had either good or bad experiences with popcorn? I am flirting with the idea of trying to have popcorn sometime in the next few weeks, but I am nervous! I would love to hear your story! THANKS!:thumbup:

Oh, yeah- about the size. I currently wear a 22/24 and I bought a size 18. It fits great with room to shrink. Good luck!

I LOVE Lands End's suits. I recently bought a few in hopes that one would work out, but they all do! I am actually having a hard time deciding which one to send back.:w00t: They have an "Overstock" section that has suits at pretty reduced prices. They have a Grecian suit that is gorgeous and fits beautifully. Women's All-over Control Solid Grecian V-neck Slender Swimsuit from Lands' End (Click on the clearance priced colors for $59 price) Also, you can get free shipping through today only with code: SEPT1 and pin code: 00001145 Have fun on your trip!!!

Hey! I was banded on the 28th of August, and I also felt that full feeling. It was hard for me to even drink Water I felt so full. However, that sensation has subsided some now that the swelling has decreased. So, my guess is that once your body heals and gets used to it's new addition you will start to feel hungry again. As far as the weight loss is concerned, the same thing happened to me as well. I lost 15 pounds in a week and then nothing. I have actually put two pounds back on even though I am eating about 1/4 of what I used to...it's so frustrating! The only thing I can assume is that our metabolisms are adjusting for the new calorie consumption. And, don't forget that our bodies are built to survive, so they are probably just holding on to our extra stores. We'll get there... we just need to be patient. Good luck to all of you!:w00t:

I felt the same way and LOVED it! However, once the swelling reduced, the hunger started creeping back in. There is just so much swelling go on inside your little body right now. Just be patient with yourself and concentrate on healing.

I am having the same issue. I was due for my TOM a week after surgery, but it came the day after. THEN, it came AGAIN when it was originally due. So I am assuming that the stress/trauma from the surgery messed me up. I imagine things might work themselves out over time, but during weight loss, our hormones are going to be a bit wonky!:thumbup: Have a GREAT day!