tinkster

I'm in a similar situation. I had my surgery on October 6 and went last Tuesday for my first fill but the Dr. could not find the port so I didn't get it. He sent me for an xray to make sure the band hadn't flipped, which it didn't, but even with the pictures he could find it - which meant a lot of needle sticks! I am going to the hospital next Wednesday and he will give me a fill using a floruscope (sp?). For the past 4 days I have been very hungry, especially yesterday, and find myself thinking about ways to cheat, which had not been happening. Even so, I've been able to keep it together, although last night I ate two granola bars. I feel no restriction at all and realize that my lack of hungry after surgery was probably because I was sore and swollen inside rather than restricted. Even though I am somewhat nervous about having a fill and the possible difficulties eating after it, I am relieved that I will have one soon. Be gentle with yourself - which is what I'm trying to do for myself as well.

I was banded last Friday and am surprised by the amount of pain I am in - I decided to weigh myself today and found that I had gained 1 1/2 pounds even though I am eating at the most 3 Protein shakes a day and Water. I decided today to stop using the pain medication prescribed by my Dr. I(in case it was increasing my constipation) even though I still feel very sore, especially when I lie down or get up from a lie-down position. I haven't been able to have a bowel movement and am wondering if that is increasing the soreness I am feeling. I started to take Colase (stool softener) and today I took Correctol but still no luck. I'm sort of ranting today - feeling uncertain about what to expect and whether this is normal. All I know is that I hurt, am constipated, have no hunger, but am gaining weight. Oh yeah! The other thing is that I am on an Insulin Pump and I haven't needed to add any insulin since this started which means the pump is giving me about 70 units a day spread out over 24 hours. Prior to getting the banding, I was using about 300 units a day and still had uncontrollable blood sugar levels.

Thanks Jo Ann - your information was very helpful. I don't feel discouraged at all, but I've been surprised at things not happening the way I thought they would. Just like me - I need to breath slowly and not try to rush things. Thanks again.

I am having my surgery on Friday - and found that reading as much as I could helps me a lot. I am funny though in that once I did the initial research and decided that I wanted the surgery, I stopped reading. It was only after my health insurance company approved it and I got a date that I started to read again. Since then I've learned a lot. I am also diabetic and my hope is that within a year I will no longer need insulin. I have 140 pounds to lose (maybe less, depends on how I look and feel) and I know that my body will begin to kick in with more insulin production as the weight falls. The bottom line for me is that I want to do this right and am willing to follow all recommendations from my Dr. and nutritionist. That is not my usualy patter but I know this time I have to in order to be successful. Good luck in your researching. Tinkster

I also just got approved and decided I needed to read more so I've joined this board. I'm glad to hear that there are others who are just starting out. I wish you all the best - for me this feels like a huge opportunity to make important changes in my life. I am so glad for all the information and support.