Astrasmom

It does take a couple of days for the anesthesia to get totally out of your system also. That topped with pain meds will make you tired and sleepy sometimes nauseous. Just rest right now but also make sure you are up and walking occasionally. Your body is also in starvation mode but it will get better over time. By the way, congratulations on your banding!!

I attend my local Bariatric Support Group once a month. I find that along with this website it has helped me tremendously. Mostly just by knowing that you aren't alone. And that you don't have something wrong with you, just because your over weight. I enjoy hearing everyone's success stories and getting tips from others. We are like one big family. Plus getting the praise that you get from the others really puts a boost on your self esteem. So I definatley have to say that it has helped me and I would recommend it to everyone if it's available to you.

Make sure that you take your pain meds when you are feeling a little pain because if you wait until the pain is out of control, then it will take at least an hour for the medication to start working. I was able to sleep on my 'right' side about 2-3 days after surgery by putting a pillow under my side. Keep in mind that some of your back pain could also be gas. Sometimes it helps to get up and walk a short distance and then try laying on your right side with the pillow under you. It will get better in a few days. It really took me about 1 1/2 weeks to feel better so that I didn't have to use a pillow under my side anymore.

I use a digital WW scale. I weigh and measure ALL of my food (except when I go out to eat). I don't find it like dieting because I never did weigh my food when I was dieting. I just cut down on everything.

Could have been what you ate and it could have been just a little tug on your stitches. It happens from time to time.

I am 2 1/2 months out of my surgery and last night I had Roast Beef for the first time. It will also be my last time. It got stuck even though I had little bits. So beef is not my friend any longer. I will stick to the chicken and fish. I was never really a red meat eater anyway.

Not everyone gets the gas in the shoulder though. I was one of the lucky ones that didn't.

When you go into surgery they pump air inside of you to open up the area so that they can see better. The gas is normally from that. The band is in the upper part of your chest on the top of your stomach.

Congratulations Lisa. My names Dawn and I am the same age as you (next month) with 2 adult children. I was banded on 10/23/09 and have lost 41lbs. Looking foward to your updates and talking with you about our journeys. Feel free to add me as a friend.

Otherwise known as gas. It passes within a couple of days. The best thing for that is to walk walk walk and Gas-X strips.

First off I would have to say to you. Don't be upset if you give into cravings once and awhile. You are only human. This is a lifestyle change. This is not a give up your life thing. In our support group the motto is "Everything in moderation." You can still have the piece of cheesecake that you crave once and awhile. But you can't have the entire cake and you can't have a huge piece. If you don't give into your temptations once and awhile, you will ultimately crash and burn. That is how we all got here in the first place. DIETS DON'T WORK. Don't be afraid that you are going to gain the weight back. It's not going to happen with a little reward once and awhile. I eat sugar free ice pops. They are my lifesavers. But I did have a peice of cheesecake for Thanksgiving and another one for Christmas. I didn't gain. I lost weight. As for your doctor telling you that he would unfill you. I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe it was a test to see if you would really do it?

Sorry to hear about your stuck situation. And thanks for the Pineapple idea. I didn't know about that myself. There are some foods that won't agree with you. That doesn't mean that they won't in the future. Don't be afraid to try new things. I think everyone should experience the stuck feeling at least once in their banded life because we all learn from those experiences. Yes it hurts and most of the time it scares the crap out of you, especially the first time around. However what we learn from these things are the foods that don't agree with us and how to chew chew chew. I wouldn't give up totally on Banana's but I would wait a few weeks before you try them again. Meat and veggies are ok BTW. I stick to chicken and fish though. The red meats never did agree with me.

Congratulations!!! We will save you a seat on the Losers Bench. Be sure to keep us updated on your status.

You should be consuming about 3-4 oz with your meals. It also sounds like you aren't getting that much Protein. Try incorporating some white chicken in a can (packed in water) with a tiny bit of FF mayo. Or even tuna with a tiny bit of FF mayo. Also Carnation Instant Breakfast drink doesn't have much protein in it. I would suggest a higher Protein Drink mix. My NUT makes us drink whey Protein Isolates. They run a little on the expensive side but they do work. I drink 2, 8oz drinks a day. Sometimes I only need 1. But I'm not feeling hungry and I've only had 1 fill. You are hungry because you aren't getting enough of the protein in your system. Re fried Beans with a little FF cheese and salsa is good once and awhile also. All Natural Peanut Butter is soft and you can add that to different foods for your protein also. You also should be drinking 64oz of fluids in between your meals. If you have a hard time doing that I suggest some sugar free ice pops. That gets your fluids in also. Hope this helps you a little. It's all about the protein. Get more protein in then anything else.

My initial consultation with my surgeon was 6 months before my surgery date. They gave me a tentative date until I had all my tests done and my 6 nutrtional visits. After which they moved my surgery date up 1 week and I met with the surgeon 1 week before for my surgery for the final visit to go over the surgery. I had to wait the 6 months because of my insurance company requirements.

Myself personally. I would start off by saying that the Lapband surgery has given me a new beginning on life. Not only has it saved my life it has also given me back my self esteem, and taught me how to eat better. It's taught me that food doesn't have to control my life. That I can truly control the food. I would recommend this to EVERYONE and I would definately stress that many people feel that this is the easy way out. Trust me, this is NOT the easy way out. Dieting is the easy way out. The lapband is hardwork but it's also a tool to help you lose the weight and to keep it off at the same time. I would stress that they ask alot of questions because that is truly how you learn about the experience. The Lapband is a lifestyle change. You don't have to give up living your life, examining every little thing you eat, when you have the Lapband. I would also recommend that they attend a local support group meeting if at all possible and definately give them the address to this website.

I have been using CPAP for almost 3 years now. 2 weeks ago I went to see my sleep doctor and she said that she wants me to lose 10 more lbs and then she will bring me back in for another sleep test to see if I still need the machine. I have lost in total about 50lbs (that's the pre-op diet too). So I'm hoping that this will be it for me. Since the surgery I do sleep without it sometimes and my husband has told me that he doesn't hear me snoring anymore. So that's a good thing.

I was banded on Oct 23, 2009 by Dr. Reich. Let me say he's an awesome surgeon and everyone at his office is so carring. I would also recommend going to the support groups once a month. You can go before your surgery. They are also at SOCH the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7pm. We are next to the cage in the cafeteria (door next to the cage). I have successfully lost 41lbs since surgery. And they are also very good with the fills too. If you have any questions at all. Please feel free to add me as a friend. I would definately recommend Dr. Reich's office to everyone. He has changed my life.

Name************Starting**********Current**********Goal Astrasmom.............254........................254.......................170

Thanks for asking that question. I have the same question as you. There is no way that I will be able to afford plastics and I was wondering if there is a way that the skin will tone back.

Congratulations. I had my surgery in NJ so I can't answer your first question about the University of Iowa but most of your answers to the other questions will be the same. In the evaluation the doctor will take your weight and determin what your BMI is. He will also find out of your have any other issues, (High blood pressure, diabetes, ect.) this will all help to decide if you qualify for the surgery. You will then be given the guidelines that your insurance company requires you to do. It took me 6 months. I had BCBS. After my evaluation I had to go for 6 nutritional visits, 1 Phsyciatric visit, 1 gastric visit, 1 pulmonary visit, 1 cardiology visit and had to have a letter of dietary background and support from my primary doctor. As I said it took me 6 months before I had my surgery because of my insurance. Depending on your insurance it could take anywhere from a month to 2 years. After surgery the recovery wasn't that bad. I had surgery on a Friday and was back to work the following Tuesday. You won't be able to do any heavy lifting for 6 weeks after your surgery. Many people experience gas. I was one of the lucky ones that didn't experience much gas. That's why they say you have to walk as much as possible after your surgery to help that gas come out. Generally after about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks you should be feeling pretty much back to normal. It gets easier everyday. Hope this helps. Good luck on your journey and if you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

I eat 1/2 cup of Fiber One Cereal every morning with a tiny bit of Skim Plus milk in it. Just enough to make it moist going down. Not only does it help with the constipation problem it keeps me full. oatmeal is good also. Total Protein plus cereal is good also. You can put milk in it. Just don't float your cereal in it. Plus if you do put more milk in it by accident, after your cereal is gone, don't drink the rest of the milk in the bowl.

Gas pains can last for a few weeks. What you are experiencing with the tightness in your chest and back is more then likely gas pains. You may feel it in your shoulder also. That's where many of us feel it. As someone else said, try some Gas X-strips and maybe a heating pad. While your sitting do a rocking motion like you are sitting in a rocking chair. It sometimes helps the gas to pass. As for the feeling hungry. Is the doctor allowing you to take the Protein supplements yet? If you are still on liquids I would recommend going to www.unjury.com. Order some of the chicken flavored protien supplement. It's clear liquids and it will keep that hunger down. You can warm it up like you do chicken brother. They tell you to drink 4 oz of fluids every hour. I did more then that and I am ok. If you do consume more than 4 oz every hour though you have to sip really slow. Think of your stomach as a funnel. If you drink to much at one time or to fast at one time it might cause you to feel stuck or you may vomit. That you don't want to do. For everyone with the bloating and pain in your stomach. It does get better. You are healing now. Give yourself about 2 weeks before you start feeling really good. And walk as much as possible to get rid of that gas.

Hello Keisha. Nice to meet you. Contratulations on the start of your WL journey. I wish you much success. You are correct. We are like one big family here. Please keep us posted on your progress and if you have any questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask.

It's along the lines of "Is the Glass half full or half empty?" I guess it all depends on the person. Personally I say it's two thousand ten.