velvets143

Oh BTW- my pre surgical testing weight put me at 84 pounds gone in 6 months!! HOORAY

Ok I had the evil gallbladder removed yesterday. Immediately after I woke up I felt relief!! The first time in months I dont feel that lump under my rib, no more random stabbing pain, and best of all no more nausea!!! I woke up feeling no pain, just a sore throat. I was happy to see that my wonderful surgeon could use 2 of my old incisions(from banding) and the 3rd is in my belly button so it wont show. Not that i have any intention of showing my belly but less scars makes me feel better. I am feeling great and hope to get back in the gym on Monday- obviously taking it very lightly but need to do something. Back to tracking my food intake and really sticking to low fat, non greasy things. Need to go food shopping today- get some lean ground turkey instead of beef, hubby and kids are going to riot!!!

I was always very open about it. When I was considering it, I talked to my coworkers, went to the info session, gathered the info and decided for myself before I told everyone. I t was alos really helpful for me that I am a nurse and work in the hospital. Everyone has been very supportive, and a few people have decided to have the procedure since they have seen my progress. It has been a learning experience for us all. For myself, adapting to what I can and cannot have and my coworkers are comfortable asking me questions about it. It is helpful that they understand my restrictions and have been wonderful about providing alternatives or keeping temptation out of sight. It is also helpful for patients that are admitted to my floor. I typically do not tell them that i have had the procedure but it really depends on the patient.

Ok so I have been calling the office for the past 3 days, leaving messages, trying to get in touch with this bitch surgical coordinator.Today I spoke to her after calling all day. She had the f**in nerve to have an attitude with me and then tell me they can schedule my surgery for the end of MAY! Another MONTH of pain, not eating, nausea. REALLY??? Are they kidding? I think I am going to look for a new doctor! I like my docotr but his office bitches suck!!

I am so tired of all of this crap! I feel like hell and no one is doing a damn thing about it. This started back in JANUARY! It was very mild compared to now but I went to see my dr and he didnt think it was anything but let him know if it continues. It went away but came back every once in a while. Just getting random stabbing pain under my rib on the r side, it would come and go so no big deal. I let it go... In march, it came on strong. Feeling completely miserable, in pain, and disgustingly nausous. Didn't want to go to the dr so I waited and waited. Then I got sick at work, one of the worst attacks I had, got sent to ER. They gave me a ton of meds to try and control the nausea but it wasnt helping. Spent the whole night there and found nothing- no gallstones or inflammation. I went home feeling just as bad as I did when I went in. Again, i put off going to my dr. Didn't want to admit that there was something wrong. I tried to ignore it and hope it would get better. A miserable week later and I finally go to the dr. Go have a HIDA- another week later have the HIDA and upper GI. Now I have been suffering for 6 weeks, a trip to the ER, a bunch of meds, drink a bottle of CAT Sacn dye, IV dye, ultrasound, 2 bottles of barium, plus the CCk, all on my already stomach that is already turning!! Another week later and I am back at the dr. I get a little bit of a feeling from him that he doubts me but I give consent for surgery. Take this stupid gallbladder out, I cant stand feeling like this anymore. That was a week ago! I am still waiting to hear from the office when they are going to schedule this. What the hell is wrong with them?? A week of waiting for them to schedule?? then they are going to call me and say they scheduled it for another week or 2 away! I am absolutely miserable, I am really not eating because it makes me sick. I am losing weight which would be a plus but now it is excessive and not healthy, I am tired all the time, have no energy, dont want to talk to anyone, my patience is worn out and I really think I am going to lose it.:wub::biggrin::w00t:

I am so tired of all of this crap! I feel like hell and no one is doing a damn thing about it. This started back in JANUARY! It was very mild compared to now but I went to see my dr and he didnt think it was anything but let him know if it continues. It went away but came back every once in a while. Just getting random stabbing pain under my rib on the r side, it would come and go so no big deal. I let it go... In march, it came on strong. Feeling completely miserable, in pain, and disgustingly nausous. Didn't want to go to the dr so I waited and waited. Then I got sick at work, one of the worst attacks I had, got sent to ER. They gave me a ton of meds to try and control the nausea but it wasnt helping. Spent the whole night there and found nothing- no gallstones or inflammation. I went home feeling just as bad as I did when I went in. Again, i put off going to my dr. Didn't want to admit that there was something wrong. I tried to ignore it and hope it would get better. A miserable week later and I finally go to the dr. Go have a HIDA- another week later have the HIDA and upper GI. Now I have been suffering for 6 weeks, a trip to the ER, a bunch of meds, drink a bottle of CAT Sacn dye, IV dye, ultrasound, 2 bottles of barium, plus the CCk, all on my already stomach that is already turning!! Another week later and I am back at the dr. I get a little bit of a feeling from him that he doubts me but I give consent for surgery. Take this stupid gallbladder out, I cant stand feeling like this anymore. That was a week ago! I am still waiting to hear from the office when they are going to schedule this. What the hell is wrong with them?? A week of waiting for them to schedule?? then they are going to call me and say they scheduled it for another week or 2 away! I am absolutely miserable, I am really not eating because it makes me sick. I am losing weight which would be a plus but now it is excessive and not healthy, I am tired all the time, have no energy, dont want to talk to anyone, my patience is worn out and I really think I am going to lose it.:confused::biggrin:

I was banded Nov 18th. Jan- I had some pain in the R upper part of my belly and nausea- saw doctor- everything looked ok- let it go Pain accompanied with nausea has continued on and off. Lately it has been more frequent. Feel like someone punched me on my R side just under my ribs, my back hurts at times, nausous a lot of the time. All symptoms sound like a gallbladder issue. I have heard this is common after banding, anyone have this problem??

I have Blue cross/blue shield and had no issues getting approved. Every insurance company is different and has different policies for each different plan. Here is what I did: 1. Went to my insurance website, looked at the overview of my coverage. 2. Sent them an email asking if the procedure was covered- they responded withtin 24 hours, told me the procedure is covered 100% as long as all the pre-op qualification is done and told me what I needed. 3. I printed a copy of this email and gave it to my surgeons office. The surgeons office handled all the rest and we had no problems. Hope it goes well for everyone having a problem or concern over insurance

Ok so I admitted that I was cheating and snacking before my last months appointment. Only lost 4 pounds, was upset and disappointed. I knew I was the one completely responsible for that so, I committed to following the rules and doing better this month. Started off wonderful, lost 5 pounds in about 10 days. Now the damn scale won't budge. How can I be following the rules COMPLETELY, excercising, eating right and the scale wont move. About a week now!! Driving me crazy!!! I said I guess I need an adjustment, I havent had one yet. A little nervous about that. My husband is of course not wanting me to have an adjustment. He says that I dont eat anything now and he doesn't want to see me taking even less. Am I crazy now?? Obssessing??

I dont know what else to do but start over. Keep tracking and doing what I am supposed to do- I have 2 weeks till my next appointment. If I dont show a decent loss then I am going to have an adjustment, which I am not looking forward to. Good luck to all of us.

I dont know but I have given myself a cheat day and then started over. Went back to logging everything, tracking protein and eating 3 meals- not using the protein bar as a meal. Could it be I wasn't taking in enough?? We'll see what happens in the next few days

How long after banding did you wait to get cosmetic surgery. I am down about 80 pounds and am starting to think about cosmetic surgery for next year. I had my lap band surgery on Nov. 18 so it has only been 4 months. I know this is still very early and I am not considering doing anything now. I am positive i am at least going to need the panniculectomy and probably abdominoplasty. I am thinking Feb. would be a good time, the kids will be off from school and it shouldn't be difficult for me to tke vacation from work. That would be a year and 3 months since banding. Does that sound about right?? What was the recovery like, for those that have had it? I think I am more nervous about this than the original surgery-i never thought I would consider cosmetic surgery but... already my lower belly is floppy and gross plus it is very red and iriitated. 3 LARGE kids really destroyed by body and of course all the extra weight just added to it.

This whole process has been relatively easy for me. I think its because of the wonderful supportive people I have around me. I have been very open with my plans from the beginning. I had a few people that were skeptical, most had questions about the whole thing. The wonderful women I work with have been my personal cheering section and I am so grateful to have them. They have been terrific about being my support group, pointing out my success, and picking me up when I slipped. There is a few that know how much this means to me and some that never will. They are helping me change my life and for that I will always be grateful to them

This whole process has been relatively easy for me. I think its because of the wonderful supportive people I have around me. I have been very open with my plans from the beginning. I had a few people that were skeptical, most had questions about the whole thing. The wonderful women I work with have been my personal cheering section and I am so grateful to have them. They have been terrific about being my support group, pointing out my success, and picking me up when I slipped. There is a few that know how much this means to me and some that never will. They are helping me change my life and for that I will always be grateful to them

After my pathetic loss at my doctors appointment last week, I have been feeling really disappointed. I have been good about not cheating since then but I am constantly thinking about that stupid scale and only 4 pounds!! I needed to give myself some positivity. I did my measurements when I was 6 days post op.I have been recording my measurements randomly about once a month. I never went back and compared them. Well, i needed a boost so here it is: Bust -5 inches Belly -10.5 inches Hips -9 inches Thighs -4 inches each Arms -2 inches each In 4 months I have decreased myself by 53 inches!! That gave me a nice boost but also made me realize just how far I had let myself go. Am I really just being too hard on myself?? Expecting too much??

Ok everyone, here is my surgery story. Pretty simple. I had my surgery NOV 18th 2009, at Good Samaritan Hospital West Islip NY by DR. Cussatti Went for all the pre-op appointments, jumped through every hoop they asked me to. Got my date and then had to fight to get the time off from work.:cursing: Which, let me tell you that I work in the hospital where I had my surgery. Got through all that. Was told I was tentative first case but then I got bumped so I had to be in ASU waiting room at 9:30am. The nurse went through my papers quickly then we waited in a small room until we went over to ASU, was given my lovely oversized gown and yellow socks. Took all my stuff and put it in the bag, went through my history with my nurse, got my IV inserted and started running fluids. Was given lovenox(that burned like hell):crying:, bicitra(that was absolutely disgusting):scared2:, and a scopolamine patch. There was one other medication they gave me but I really dont remember what it was- a shot in the rear. As a surgical nurse I can now appreciate what I put my patients through> This was my first experience as the patient. After everything, the transporter, who is married to one of the girls on my floor, wheeled me through the hospital to the OR holding room. Sat around and BS'd with the OR nurses I knew and some of the OB residents I see on my floor all the time. Went through my papers with the nurse one more time. The anesthesiologist came and talked to me. At this point it was about 11am and that wonderful scopolamine was kicking in and I was getting so dry. Oh how I wished for an ice cube or life saver or anything. My eyes hurt, I was so dry!! Then my surgeon came in and talked to me, i signed another consent. Next my OR nurse came in and off to the room we went. I was hooked up to all the monitors and positioned. I kept trying to see the monitors but they were just where i couldn't see clearly. Antibiotics were started, Then the anesthesiologist was behind my head said you ready?? put the mask on me and I was out.:thumbup: I remember little bits... opening my eyes in one room then again in another... and another. I finally woke up in PACU with my friends as my nurses. I remember being in pain at the port site but that was it. I remember asking my friend, who was my nurse, if she ws messing with me cause everytime I opened my eyes i was moved.:huh2: She laughed so I guess it was just me spinning. I stayed in PACU for a little while because I wasnt breathing well. My pulse ox was dropping, I wasn't taking deep breaths and was very sleepy. Eventually I was breathing better and went back downstairs to ASU. I dont remember any of this trip. I got back in PACU and the nurse gave me cake and ginger ale, which I was trying to tell her I could not have, another nurse yelled at her that I couldn't have that. I felt bad for her, she didnt know. Eventually I got up, very dizzy:ohmy: and stumbled into the bathroom with my husband on one side and the nurse on the other. The nurse wanted my husband to go in the bathroom with me in case i fell but I was not going to allow that.:eek: After a little while I started to feel more awake and we got to leave.:thumbup: We went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription and at that point it was 6pm. Got home and there was no way I was getting in my bed and stretching my belly so I stayed on the couch.:cursing: Thats my story, nothing special.

That is great! Wonderful that you are so enthusiastic! Take it slow and recover. Good luck!

I would suggest seeing your doctor. I was told never to go back to liquids. If you are feeling that you are eating more than you should and are still hungry then maybe you do need an adjustment.

After my pathetic loss at my doctors appointment last week, I have been feeling really disappointed. I have been good about not cheating since then but I am constantly thinking about that stupid scale and only 4 pounds!! I needed to give myself some positivity. I did my measurements when I was 6 days post op.I have been recording my measurements randomly about once a month. I never went back and compared them. Well, i needed a boost so here it is: Bust -5 inches Belly -10.5 inches Hips -9 inches Thighs -4 inches each Arms -2 inches each In 4 months I have decreased myself by 53 inches!! That gave me a nice boost but also made me realize just how far I had let myself go. Am I really just being too hard on myself?? Expecting too much??

I have lost just about 70 pounds so far. I think I was in the same mindset as you roxie. Telling myself that I have been doing well and getting in the gym so a few bites of pizza or bread is not a big deal. I think my surgeon is wonderful and I trust him so I am trying to follow the rules and see how much better my results are. Showard: that is terrible that you have to drive so far to see your surgeon- was that the only one available or was that who you chose?? I dont feel I overeat, I do get full on small amounts. I just think I was picking and snacking more than I realized and when I wasnt hungry. According to my scale at home I have lost another 4 pounds since last week, maybe following the rules is a good thing:-) Bye, bye italian bread and Baked ziti, no lasagna for Easter, no pizza. Good bye to all the garbage!

So, this is my first blog! I am 4 months post-op, I have been doing pretty well so far. Or so I thought.... I have been in the gym every day and loving it. Initially I was being good about tracking what I was eating and protein intake, etc. Now I have kind of slacked off and been cheating more. Dont know why but I was fooling myself thinking it would be ok>Then I had my doctors appointment last week and it was like a slap in the face- only 4 pounds down this month:-( I really was not aware of how much I had cheated until I got weighed, then I had a flashback of every little indiscretion of the previous month.So completely disappointed in myself. Trying to stay positive and convince myself that maybe I needed this to get me back on track. 8 days and NO cheats, not one!!! Also, I have been getting to extra classes at the gym and pushing myself a little more. My first short term goal was to be under 250 by New Years, made that without a problem. My next goal was to be under 200 by June 1. If I stay on track I should be able to make that but if I slip up.... Oh BTW- I have not had any adjustments- I have not needed any until this last appointment. I chose not to have one this month because I think my pathetic showing for the past month had nothing to do with adjustment. It was not that I was feeling hungry, I wasnt eating too much at one time. I was picking, a little of this, a little of that. I knew when I was doing it that I shouldn't be eating that crap! Well, there it is, my first blog! I guess we'll see what happens over the next few weeks.

So, this is my first blog! I am 4 months post-op, I have been doing pretty well so far. Or so I thought.... I have been in the gym every day and loving it. Initially I was being good about tracking what I was eating and protein intake, etc. Now I have kind of slacked off and been cheating more. Dont know why but I was fooling myself thinking it would be ok>Then I had my doctors appointment last week and it was like a slap in the face- only 4 pounds down this month:-( I really was not aware of how much I had cheated until I got weighed, then I had a flashback of every little indiscretion of the previous month.So completely disappointed in myself. Trying to stay positive and convince myself that maybe I needed this to get me back on track. 8 days and NO cheats, not one!!! Also, I have been getting to extra classes at the gym and pushing myself a little more. My first short term goal was to be under 250 by New Years, made that without a problem. My next goal was to be under 200 by June 1. If I stay on track I should be able to make that but if I slip up.... Oh BTW- I have not had any adjustments- I have not needed any until this last appointment. I chose not to have one this month because I think my pathetic showing for the past month had nothing to do with adjustment. It was not that I was feeling hungry, I wasnt eating too much at one time. I was picking, a little of this, a little of that. I knew when I was doing it that I shouldn't be eating that crap! Well, there it is, my first blog! I guess we'll see what happens over the next few weeks.