cyndilou29

I'm almost 3 months out and mine is definitely starting to thin. I'm scared to death! I heard Biotin and extra Protein help. I'm going to get some this week and I'll let you know. 5 days out sounds kinda quick though....

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I'm kinda stunned that they filled you during surgery. I didn't think they did that. It's probably just swelling and it will go down in a few weeks but if they can take that Fluid out, have it out. When you need it, they can put it back in. If you don't mind me asking, which size band did they use? If they used the AP, I guess the 2cc isn't all that tight but if you're swelling, it definitely will be.

Congratulations! I'm so glad you are doing well. I hope you continue to feel well in the coming days. Keep us updated on your progress

I've been hysterectomized for 2 years now so this surgery wasn't an issue but in the past, they just put paper panties on you with a big ol' granny pad. Goes from your belly button to the small of your back! I doubt they'll let you wear tampons as the risk for infection is too high. Good luck and don't worry about it. This happens to women every day in the OR. They know how to handle it.

DON'T drink through a straw!!!!!!!!!!!! You will swallow air with the liquid and believe me - you'll learn quickly about the discomfort. Plus air expands the pouch in a bad way. That was in the "never use again" column from my surgeon.

Back up a minute. You have lost 36 lbs in 9 weeks and you think that's not enough? You might be at a plateau. You have to understand that this is a tool to reduce your physical appetite but it won't necessarily make head hunger go away and that's what this sounds like. If you cheat and eat too much or the wrong things, you'll stop losing. Are you exercising? You'll only get so far without exercising too. You probably do need a fill and you'll feel a little more restricted but focus on your habits too.

I take Viactive chews. The regular chewables make me gag and I can't find any good liquids. At least these taste good. I take Viactive calcium too.

The NP at my clinic also noted the study about slippage but even before that it was banned for me by them. No nutritional value and the carbonation messes up the band. I spent almost $20K on this thing, I'm not going to screw it up because I want a diet coke. Now mind you, I was drinking about 8 a day pre-op. It was hard to let go. I still miss it sometimes but I'm really enjoying the Crystal Light and Iced Tea so it's not as bad as I thought.

You have to add back foods slowly. You really won't know what you can tolerate until you try them. Some people do fine with bread, I can't eat it. Others can't have chicken, doesn't bother me at all So back to your question. Maybe try it with crispbread or whole grain toast (more healthy) but only take a little bit and see how you do. You might be fine, you might get stuck, you might PB. It's just really hard to say. You do have to sort of "take a leap of faith" when you start eating again. You'll learn quickly what you can tolerate. Good luck!

I think 6 weeks post-op is pretty standard but you won't necessarily need one. There are some people who still have a lot of swelling and don't need one for 8-12 weeks. Others are famished and wished they could have done it week 3. It just depends.

I go to mine. They do it monthly. They send the newbies there too as a requirement before they'll schedule appointment pre-op. I like going. You don't have to talk if you don't want and there are great stories. Nice to see people in the same boat as you! Plus I've made some friends at the pre-op classes that it's nice to catch up with.

Nice work Schel!!!!! I knew you could do this. One day, one meal at a time. Great job. SOOOOO proud of you!

Good for you girlfriend! I'm SO proud of you! That first step was the hardest one to do. Definitely come here when you need a little "something" to nibble on. It will get you over the hump and everyone here wants to help. We're all pulling for you!

Most of the surgeons like the larger bands better. You just have more room to adjust. Mine used the 4 on me because I supposedly have a very small stomach. He said the band was really loose when he put it on so he couldn't justify the larger band. Well I was swollen and couldn't get anything down for a while. Now I'm on my second fill (1cc total) and I'm really tight. I wish I had the bigger one and he said that in hindsight he should have used the bigger one anyway and wouldn't use much of the smaller bands anymore. I'm was under 40 BMI at surgery but my mother in law was a higher BMI and got the 4ML band too. She's not having any issues at all and has had 3 fills with very little restriction. Everyone is different I guess

Yep, had the exact same problem. I commented to the surgeon that I was surprised how deep the port was. He said "well that's why you got the surgery, isn't it?" Only after I got home did I realize he was saying "that's because you're really fat!" LOL. They said as the amount of fat goes down, it gets much easier to find. I've had two fills and there was lots and lots of poking and missing but I'm praying third time is the charm!

Schel, you're not going to like my answer but I think you need some tough love here. You've got to get your head back in the game. If you eat junk, it doesn't matter what they do for you, you're going to gain it back. This is an opportunity for you to re-commit yourself to this band. Get the fill, tell them how you feel and talk to a nutritionist to get back on track. Really, you need to figure out why you don't want to use this tool that you have. There's a reason and only you know what it is. Do you really want to lose weight? There's something holding you back from achieving that weight loss. You can PB and not be too tight. If you don't follow the rules (ie you eat too fast or take bites that are too large, etc) you're going to PB even if you have just a teeny bit of restriction. Keep your appointment. If a fill is not right for you, then he won't do it but you owe it to yourself to give this another try. Tell him what you're feeling. Tell him your fears. Trust me, it won't be the first time he's heard it. And don't be afraid of a little scolding. I'm sorry to say this but maybe you need it. Let your Mom go with you so you can lean on her for support. This won't be an easy thing but you have to do it. Did you go through all of this to give up now? You're stronger than that. You can do this, Schel. I know you can and more importantly, somewhere in there you know you can too. You never would have done the surgery if you didn't think you had it in you to succeed. Please don't cancel the appointment again. You owe it to yourself to try to get back on track. Cut out the junk. If that's too hard, then just cut back. Every baby step is getting you closer to your goal. You just have to DO it. Remember, a journey of 1000 miles begins with one single step. You can take one step, can't you? That's not overwhelming, right? Tomorrow, try to eat following the rules. If that's too much, eat one meal following the rules. Then the next day try for 2 meals. YOU CAN DO THIS. Keep us updated. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

OMG I had the EXACT same issue! I was tight for the first few weeks after surgery so I was terrified to have my first fill. He decided to "go easy" and put in .5cc. Well the first two days I felt a little restricted and then it was like the floodgates opened! I could eat anything and I was STARVING all the time. I called him and he said that happens sometimes. He put in another .5cc and I'm much tighter now (I think almost too tight). He also said that it can take 10-14 days for a fill to "settle" into place. Weird....

You know what it probably was? It was the food going through the band with some air. I had the exact some thing happen a few times and I really think it's what it is. My doc said never ever use a straw because you swallow air with the liquid. I also do yoga and had some difficulty at first too. I guess when we get thin we'll have a great "six pack"! If it worries you, call him. Honestly though if it doesn't hurt you probably are ok.

My band hates bread too. It's very anti-bread and I find that offensive as a bread lover. I wish they could just learn to get along.....

I could not even BEGIN to tell you how nervous I was. When the anesthesiologist put my "happy drugs" in my IV, I was just about to say "I've changed my mind". But thankfully the drugs kicked in and I calmed down. WAY down! LOL. I highly suggest you tell them how nervous you are so you get them early like I did. I am scared of surgery and I've had 6 prior. You never get over that, trust me. This was the first time I didn't FLIP OUT when they transferred me to the OR. I was pretty heavily medicated. I remember saying "It's friggin' cold in here" and then everyone laughed and then I woke up in the recovery room. I will tell you this story though. I have pretty bad allergies and had some post nasal drip which I wasn't even aware of. Well for weeks after the surgery, I couldn't get anything down. It scared the hell out me. They thought it was swelling, but we finally discovered it was the post nasal drip. My surgeon said he had just read something on people with bad allergies and with head colds and that surgery should be postponed until that is under control. So now I'm on mega doses of Mucinex and all is well. Trust me, be thankful that you waited. It's for the best. Don't look at this as a failure. This is a step to ensure your success in the long term. You'll be great. Keep us updated

Most that I've seen, including me, had a 24 hours of liquids and 1 day of soft to gradually get you up to solids again. 4 days seems like a really long time. It's not a bad idea though!

One word for your doctor - WRONG!!!!!! I'm only 2 months post op (almost - 7 weeks) and I'm down 36lbs. I know a lot of people who have lost a ton of weight. I'm in the same boat as you, I had 100 lbs to lose and was self pay. This is the best thing I've ever done.

I tighten up a lot after fills - lots and lots of swelling. How much is he putting in? I can only do .25 or .5 cc at a time.

I have BCBS of NJ where it is excluded but they've paid a lot of it so far. They paid for all pre-op visits (except 1 dietician visit for $116, go figure) and post-op too. They paid for everything except the anesthesia thus far regarding my surgery. They paid the surgical suite and my hospital room but apparently they wanted me to do it wide awake. Still waiting on surgeon's fee (should be $5500) I'm sure they won't cover that either. However, I was prepared to spend $18000 and I'll be paying about $7000. BIG difference!

It really varies. I had my consult March 22 and my surgery May 24 (but could have done it May 9th if I had wanted to) but I'm self pay. My mother in law went in February 06 for consult and had surgery March 07.