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Hi, I had my surgery 10/21 and I have lost 45 pounds! Which is great but over the last month I haven't lost any weight. I'm not sure if I need another fill or not but I struggle with my head a lot! I will eat and I feel satisfied but my head wants more and more. Sometimes I can eat and till I'm STUFFED....a feeling I haven't had in MONTHS. Sometimes I can't. I'm afraid of getting another fill because I'm not sure I need one because it's my head. I feel like I'm loosing control and motivation. I've been sneaking See's! I guess I'm putting this out there for accountability, I need to be accountable for this and I need to get my self in check.

I was just banded on November 19 & luckily have not had anything like this happen. My question to anyone is does this kind of thing usuallly not happen right after you eat?? If I read this right it had been several hours since she had eaten.

TMI alert !!!! I am so glad to see this post. I'm 4 days post-op and was feeling pretty good so I decided to go to the store. OMG I actually couldn't hold it and I pooped my pants. I don't think I can stay in the house for the next week and a half until I go on pureed foods. Is there any option other than living on my toilet for the next 10 days?

I know that lots of people are convinced that weight loss is about calories in/out and I know that that holds true for the majority of people. But I have to wonder about us Cushies. I don't think that it is a matter that we have a really slow metabolism. But the thing is, it doesn't matter how much I eat or don't eat. The calorie in/out would hold true if I gained massive amounts of weight on 1200-1500, when I couldn't lose on 1200, 1000, 800 or less than 700 calories. (I did gain 10 pounds in a week at 1000 calories, but that was one week.) It is entiely possible that my weight gain/loss has been only water, which is fine on one level because it lessens my edema problems. But not fine for why I had WLS. If my metabolism was truely that slow, I wouldn't metabolize medications as fast as I do, and I would gain constantly. But as for low calories, I just don't see how other people can function on sub 700 long term. I will give you that it is entirely prorbable that I entered into a deep Low during the month I was too restricted. But I think the lowered calorie intake made the Low worse.

My general pain subsided by day 5. The pain from the hernia repair has been longer lasting and started to subside on day 10.

Sleeved August 10. Tips for 1st 2 days in hospital. Take chap stick my lips were so dry. Remember toothpaste and brush i must have used it every four hours while awake. I slept most of the time. Try to get nurse to start IV on non dominant hand because you really need your dominant hand for lifting, drinking fluids and especially when going to bathroom. I found it was easier to stay out of the bed and in a recliner. Lifting forward using the arms of recliner to push me up was so less painful. I took a sweater I seemed to be colder than usual. My lips got swollen and my cheeks were red. This has gone away. The IV fluids kept me going to bathroom every 2 hours. I took my pillow to place over my abdomen during the car ride home. The staff wakes you up every so often to check vital signs. It was tiring but I walked down the hall several times. Also remember to do the incentive spirometer to help with lung expansion. Just remember the first week is only 7 days long and each day there is something that feels better.

I bought the store brand of whey protein powder from Trader Joe's - only $10 for 14 servings, and both chocolate and vanilla are really good! I've been mixing the powder with water.

Ok. I am sitting:sick propped up in my bed at home several hours post op. Things went well, though he had to switch out all of the needles for the port site because my adominal wall was thick and the needles he had out to stitch it in place were to thin. *I* would like to think that this is because I am so MUSCULAR...:cry R I G H T.:nervous I"ll have to ask him in three weeks when I go in for my fill. ANYwho... this is how my day went. As you may already now, Auntie Flow decided to visit yesterday:mad: VEHEEERRRRy convineant:tired . I slept pretty well last night suprisingly (thanks to the two tylenol p.m.) :notagree and woke up about 6. I got up and showered with the monkey blood soap stuff they gave me that kind of dried my skin out, got out of the shower and laid down with my heating pad until my sweetie :kiss2: got up and got ready. I put on my best/favorite pair of tie dyed socks and undies and threw my favorite denim dress over my head, grapped my little stuffed moose and away to Baptist we went. Got there about 8:20 checked in and hung out in w. room. The called me back about 8:40 and got me changed. The anesethia guy came in and did my IV then two or three more anesthia people came in asking me the same quesitons over and over.. who are you,, what are you having done.. WHAT... is your favorite color... etc. I'm like.. hmmmm The do know what they are doing and where they are right?? :paranoid They let my hubby back about 9:30. OH>>> and those of you who might be wondering, they let me wear a tampon.. :clap2: it probably depends on the surgeon. Anywho.. 10:39 comes around and they wheel me back to the surgery room, scoot me on to a different table and put on this DREAMY warm blanket:p ... Next think I know, I'm awake and my 'port site' was hurting like a mo-fo:cry .:faint: they give me something for pain in my IV...30 minutes later some more of that then 30 minutes later the finally gave up and gave me some morphine. After that they wheeled me back to xray, had me drink some barium... which folks.. I'll tell you here and now... WAS DELICIOUS:hungry: . I was "lips sticking to my teeth" parched. And you know.. after not eating real food for awhile.. it's amazing what taste great. The table they had me scootch up on this time was a beeeeatch :omg: for me to scoot on because of the discomfort of the port site. Anywho... it was like a frigging 6 flags ride:phanvan . My feet were against a metal thing at the foot of the bed and it was the only thing between me and me sliding off in the floor:juggle:... ALL 331 lbs of me.:eek: Wasn't a real comfortable experience and lasted a little long for my taste.. but.. the things we do for beauty:rolleyes: . All that took what seemed to be about 40 minutes or so then they wheeled me into my room where I got to hang out and watch Oprah, the news, then Hank Hill. Had to wait :bored around until someone looked at my rays to make sure things could go down. I had lots of ice in the meantime. The 1st thing I remember when I woke up was... YES IT"s over Finanly it's over. To ,me it's the worst part.. all the waiting:bored . waiting for all of the paper work to get filled in... :pout:waiting for Dr.'s appointments, :bored waiting to hear all of your paper work was faxed in. getting denied and :pout:waiting for paper work to be faxed again. finding out your approved, then:bored waiting to schedule, :pout:waiting for your preop testing, :bored waiting for you surgery date, the THE WORST waiting of all for me, is:pout: waiting in your pre op room for the procedure.. then all of the sudden.. the waiting is over... well... unless you count waiting to go home. I 1st tried to do this 4 yrs ago with diff. insurance and was crushed when I got denied, now, Im sitting here, typing up my experience.. and it's DONE!:clap2: Now all the work begins, but that is ok... because now I have a Tool,,, finally a tool that will work for me and help me to become the healthy me that I was meant to be. I'll be healthier at 40 that I have ever been in my life. I just had my 37th bday and I can't wait to be 40! :humble: I didn't really have trouble with nausea :speechles until the ride home and it wasn't overwhealming. Todd turned up the air and drove real slow. When I got home he got me set up in my bed with tons of pillows and stuff so i'm not laying down flat. I'm keeping my liquied antibiotic and liquid Loritab in a cooler filled with ice right here along with some sugar free popcicles. My throat is fairly sore from the breathing tube stuff and my chest is kind of tight and breathing deep isn't the best experience. I kind of dread Thursday slighly 'cause for me, the 2nd or third day after something is usually pain wise the worst.. but maybe not this time. I'm on liquids until Friday then I start stuff like soft scrambled eggs and soups and oatmeal. Don't know that I'll be ready for that yet but we'll see. I would be nice if I could work a 1/2 day on FRiday even though I have it off. So far.. knock on wood, no gas pains however I did buy some rolaids gas chewables just in case. When I do get up and walk around some I burp a couple of times and i feel a little better. I have had to cough a few times and I've been holding a pillow on my tummy for that and it's not so bad. It keeps going through my head over and over.. now I have a chance..... now I have a chance. I am so excited about this new opportunity I've been given and can't wait to become more active and do the outdoor things I love. Oh.. also.. if you haven't had it done yet.. I got a reach/grabber thing from bed bath and beyound called the gopher and IT"S GREAT. I can grap stuff with out bending over. I can't wait to take a hot bath. He did say that I chould shower tomorrow. YOu should see my insicion bandages.. they cut the gauze into heart shapes.... Well it's about time for pain med dose 2 so more later.:biggrin1: :grouphug: :hug: __________________ Started Process 1/3/07 Insurance of BCBS if TN Have exclusion policy for WLS Date of approval 2/13 Date of surgery 2/27 BMI 54 Weight 336 Height 5'6 1/2" age 37 Surgeon Dr Charles Morton Baptist Hospital Nashville, TN Goal: Not sure yet. Somewhere under 200 "Always leave get well cards on your mantel, that way when guests come over, they'll think you've been sick:sick and unable to clean." :hippie:Blessings & Fae Kisses :kiss2:

Quick drastic weight loss is a strange experience. Don't get me wrong, I was fully prepared, after all it took over 10 years to finally break down and undergo surgery. After all the research, doctor's visits, and support groups/forums, I was prepared buuuuttt. I'm having trouble moving into the "skinny mindset". I eat like a skinny person, I don't have a choice since 95% of my stomach is gone. I'm becoming active like a skinny person with Fibromyalgia [there's only so much you can do with Fibro]. The problem is clothing. I still see myself as fat and think I should wear larger clothing. That's where having lots of children [young adults] in one's life helps. After being teased for wearing clothing that is too big [even though it is smaller than what I use to wear], I broke down and purchased items for stores I would have never dreamed I could patronize, Express, Old Navy, J C Penny, Victoria's Secret. Everyone thinks I look great but I feel they are too small. Oh well, I guess my self-perception will catch up with the physical as time goes by.

I have had this happen one time exactly two days ago... I am not sure if it is because I ate one two many bites, I had about 8-10 bites or Im not sure if It was the frozen yogurt ice pop I however had my heart wanting to explode out of my chest I became hot and dizzy worst feeling I have had since pre-op I walked for nearly two hours around my yard until finally it stopped. I do hope it happens to get better for you as I never want it to happen again mannnnnn Sending good vibes your way

I got a fill 10 days ago after living nearly 3 years with next to nothing in my band because of pregnancy and breastfeeding. This fill is totally kicking my butt! I still cannot eat most food. Liquids are ok, soft foods (think baby food consistency) are <i>sometimes</i> okay. I am headed back to the doc tommorrow to get a little taken out to get me back to the "sweet spot". After being off of the "band" wagon for so long, have I forgotten what a fill feels like? I have the large Inamed band (10 or 11 ccs) and I am at 5 ccs right now which doesn't seem like much in comparison where some others are that have the same band. Regardless, I need to be able to eat solid food! Right?! Feeling very frustrated and slighly sick after eating a mashed up avacado is not where I want my life to be!

Hello Everyone, My name is Dominic, I'm 34 yrs old (35 in May). I'm 335.4 lbs (just checked). Just got a call today telling me that I have been approved for my surgery on Mach 21st. Let me tell you alittle about myself. I'm a divorced father of two wonderful kids. My daughter will be 17 in December and my son will be 10 in June. I served in the Army for 13 yrs (1996-2009). And with having this surgery done I will finish my 7 yrs and retire from the Army at 20 yrs. I work full-time as a Nuclear Security Officer. I'm in school working on a degree in Business Management. I'm also an active officer in the American Legion Post 214. Well if you have any question or comments please post them and I'll try to answer them as fast as I can. Hope to hear from you all, Dominic

Everyday it gets a little better.. As much as you don't want to do it sometimes walk, walk about 10 to 15 minutes out of every waking hour it really does get that gas moving and out quicker! Discomfort can last about a week make sure your not twisting and bending to much. And it's easier to "roll" when you are getting out of bed. Good luck to you

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Congratulations.:clap2: They say every 10# we lose, affects our hormones and our fertility - so you're a prime example of that. I have no first hand knowledge of this (I'm very single, whew! :guess ) but lots of other LapBandTalk members have been there. Since so many Bandsters have been in your situation (do a keyword search here for PREGNANCY and you'll see the many threads about it) and please know that we have a bunch of very healthy Bandster Moms and Bandster Babies here. That's what's great about this tool - it can be adjusted to accommodate any situation. You'll do fine.

I started at 238.4, I'm not quite 4 months out, exercise practically never, and I'm already at 193.6 (feeling like a slow loser compared to most on here!). So that puts me at within a half pound of your starting weight and already less than 10 lbs to their goal weight in 4 months, and I am by no means super strict about diet or exercise! So I think they're being very conservative. 140 is my goal too and my surgeon expects me to hit it around 12-15 months.

I have the same problem. I had surgery June 15th and I am still on liquids. I only consume 150-200 cals per day and maybe 10-20 grams of Protein. Nothing appeals to me except yogurt. I eat the Fage yogurt because it is high in protein. I was able to drink Protein shakes preop too, however now they make me retch. I was able to add some of the Protein powder to my yogurt and it went down okay. Hope you the chicken soup works for you.

For years - I have probably been up and down 40-50 lbs three or four times in my life - Adkins or Sugarbusters seemed to work the best on me. Now I find myself one month out of sleeve surgery and not able to eat red meat or chicken yet (which for years has been my mainstay - avoid the carbs and eat the lean meats right?). Since the surgery I am not hungry at all. The only way I know to eat is I get a weird kind of pain in the middle of my back and realize it is meal time. Presurgery I did the shakes and protein pudding and lost some pounds and thought the shakes would work for me after surgery. I am not sure what happened but since the surgery the shakes make me GAG. It is so weird to have to 'make" myself eat something. After years of being able to eat everything and anything.....I find myself standing in the kitchen scratching my head ALOT. I am really not hungry. I think to myself "drink the shake" and almost immediatly think "barf". I have ordered the chicken soup with protein added. I am hoping when it gets here that will help my problem. I really can't eat enough real food right now to meet the protein 40-50 mark and I really just can't do the shakes. Will there come a time when I can eat enough meat to not have to do the protein supplements? Will it hurt for now if I only get 30 ish of protein for the next couple of weeks? I am loosing alot of weight and my energy and stamina feel fine. I have lost 37 lbs so far (10 were presurgery). Thanks for any suggestions.

So here I am having lost 128 pounds, joined a softball team.. feeling terrific.. and it hasn't even been a year! I keep thinking how amazing it is. I am still losing at a pretty good clip. I am not thinking about food at all. I eat when I am hungry and have so much energy it is amazing. Last year at this time I would have been thinking about what was I going to have for lunch what was I going to make for dinner etc. Now I don't even have thoughts like that. It is amazing. I also have to say .. my sex life with hubby has always been awesome but holy crap it's out of this world now! We are like newlyweds! Can you tell I am loving life? If not I AM LOVING LIFE! Praise God for my lapband!

Hi everyone I am 10 days post op and started my mushies yesterday. Not sure if I am eating too fast or too much but every time i eat I gave crazy pain near my chest that lasts for a few hours. Is this normal. Also I feel like i have no idea what I am doing because I am eating mashed potatoes how many calories can I eat etc,.. I feel so in the dark here please help the pain really hurts.

Welcome! I'm relatively new too, and only two people responded to my newbie post, LOL, so I wanted to make sure and say hello! I am approved for insurance-covered surgery on August 19 (can't come soon enough!) and right now am trying very hard (very, very hard) to eat better and do daily exercise so I'm in the best shape I can be before the surgery. Feel free to contact me directly if you ever want to talk or need support! Congrats on starting the process!

So I am on Day 6 post op and will return to work on this Thursday. I am a little nervous about what I should take to make it through this second week on liquids. My first week was Clear Liquids and starting today I can progress to full liquids. That is to include my Protein Shakes, strained pureed foods, Soups,etc. I need suggestions on how others have gotten through this. Interestingly, I am not suppose to lift more than 10 lbs and am also struggling with how I am going to carry my purse, laptop case and lunch without exceeding that amount. Funny huh?! I just need help!

The 10 days is for NSAIDS.

I like to read the longer, more detailed stories so I know EXACTLY what's going to happen, and so that's what I think I will write now. So... I got to the hospital at 5:15 am for my check in. They took me to a room, gave me the sexy hospital gown, took my vitals, asked me a ton of questions such as, "are you pregnant?"... Then came the shot. I told her that I heard it hurts, and she said "no way, look at the needle! it's tiny!". I admitted that yes, it WAS in fact little and thin and how could that hurt? She gave it to me in the stomach and then said, "see that wasn't bad!". I agreed! She turned to walk out and by the time she got to the door I was doubled over in pain. :biggrin: It wasn't the NEEDLE, it was the actual medicine (heprin, to prevent blood clotting) that hurts! But good news, it didn't hurt for too long. Maybe about 5-10 minutes. After a little bit they came and got me and took me down to the pre-op room, where I met the anesthegiologist. She said I have terrible veins (thanks Mom) and she had to use a baby needle to get an IV going. She said "don't worry, when you wake up you will have a second one, this is just to put you to sleep... I'll give you a better one for the meds but it would hurt too much to do it awake". (hmm, don't worry, eh) The surgeon came in and said hello, gave me some post-op instructions and then they both left to get ready. My OR nurse Jill came over and introduced herself and then complimented my little stuffed frog that I had with me. My daughter told me to take it for good luck, and it's her prized loved worn out little frog. I told Jill that, and she said, "tell you what - I'll let you take him into the OR with you then since he's so special". Awww! So, Little Froggy went to surgery with me. :crying: A few minutes later they took me down to the OR, and then that's when everything got cold and busy. There were 80 million people walking around in the freezing OR, doing 39 million things. Someone was putting a "seat belt" (what he called it) over me, someone was putting my arm on a board to tie it down or something, they were talking about getting some feet boards to tilt the bed where I'd be leaning up during surgery (!)... Someone said "I just gave you something to make you sleepy" and that's THE last thing I remember. Suddenly I was in the recovery room and WOW, the big incision (port) HURT. I felt like I couldn't even talk though... there was so much going on in that room, several other people that were coming out of surgery too, and my nurse was helping this lady who had eye surgery and it was her 69th birthday. She came over after a minute and asked me some questions, what my pain was (I think I said 8), gave me some morphine, the surgeon came over and said some stuff to me... I remember the one thing I was really flipping out over was the things on my legs that prevent blood clotting. WOW. I was hot and sweating all over, and these things on my legs that they put on during surgery were pressing all over the place and they kept tightening and loosening and they felt plastic. The very first thing I said was, "I dont want to do this any more" and someone laughed and said "too late, you are done!" and then I asked for my boyfriend and they said he couldn't come in until I was out of recovery... THEN I said "what is this on my legs?? It's so hot in here" and they took them off and said "oh wow, they are soaking wet - you're sweating!". Someone got a big box fan and turned it right on me and yay, I was so happy! Fan + morphine = YES! She gave me another shot of morphine, and I chilled there for a bit. I started to feel more human and become more aware of things, such as the old lady they were yelling at to stop bending her knees. LOL! I guess she had surgery on her knees but they said "we're going to take you back to the OR if you don't quit!" and she was yelling about how it hurt, etc. MAN that got annoying. Luckily I faded in and out, and finally it was time to go back to my room. I kept trying to make myself wake up some and feel better because I knew they'd let me leave there if I tried. Sure enough! Radiology was not ready for me yet, because they didn't think I'd recover that quickly (it wasn't even fast... my surgery was over at about 8:20ish and this was at 10am) and so I had to go back to my room I was in first thing in the morning. I was never so happy to be back in there with my mom and boyfriend! (As a side note, I remember as I was waking up in recovery someone saying, "what is this frog" and someone else said "that's her daughters, he was in the OR with her" - that made me happy) So we chilled for a bit, then they came at 10:30 to go down to radiology. I had to swallow this gross chalk stuff while they did x-rays. I asked to see, and they showed me my band, my "new stomach", the port, etc. It was cool! The only super uncool thing was having to move back and forth from the bed to the xray bed and back. THAT sucked but they said take your time, so I did just that. My stomach was so sore that it was hard to move. I also had to turn on my left and then right side for another xray, which sucked too. After a few minutes the doctor looked at the xrays and cleared me and they took me back up to my room. Then I got juice! I was soooo thirsty that I couldn't have been more excited about the juice. But then came the bad news. It made me feel SO sick. I had them get water, and that was way better. I think the juice was just too sweet. The nurse said in order to leave and go home I had to drink a certain amount and keep it down, I had to go to the bathroom a certain amount, and the bariatric coordinator for the hospital had to come in and talk to me. That was motiviation!! I could only drink a medicine cup of water every 5 minutes, which was so weird - but they said my stomach is the size of a golf ball! That kind of freaked me out. I started feeling pretty sick when I stood up to go to the bathroom and I thought I was going to throw up - I started dry-heaving, and the nurse went and got me something for that. It helped some but it was a slow fix. I just kind of chilled out for a couple of hours, drinking water, going to the bathroom, sitting in the chair... dozing off some. Then the coordinator came in and started going through this HUGE packet of information. I mean seriously?? I was EXHAUSTED and feeling sick and she was talking all about eating and chocolate flavored calcium pills and oh man, it was just way too much. They should have her come before the surgery. At one point she said, "don't get bored, I am just telling you this stuff because you need to know it all". I wasn't bored, I was tired! That kind of annoyed me, but finally she was done and she left. Whew! They said the last thing I had to do was walk with that coordinator down the hall and back to make sure I was okay and then they'd let me go. We did that, and she asked how I felt. I said still a little sick, very sore, and very tired. She said the gas is what makes you sick and the best way to get it out is to walk. I didn't know this, but when you walk around the gas gets absorbed in your body. Otherwise it just sits there until you can "pass" it. So we got done with our walk, she cleared me, and I go to go home! My surgery was at 7:15am and I left at 2:30. I felt pretty dang bad when I got home. I kept thinking, WHAT did I do this for? I took some stuff for my stomach, and that helped some. I was so sore that I couldn't walk much, and I am sure the gas was just building up inside me. I was almost regretful of what I had done but I got reassurance from another MAYO BANDITO, Bethany. She reminded me that some think the gas is the worst part of it all, and some do regret doing it for that reason. Just to know that the feelings I was feeling were normal helped me so much. So, thanks again Bethany! I guess that's it! That's my story. I want to always remember how it went and how I felt so that I can motivate myself to make this work! I will be a happy person if I never have to go into an OR again. :cool2:

Thought some of you might find this interesting... 5 Ways Vitamin D Could Save Your Life 'GMA' Medical Contributor Marie Savard Explains the Best Ways to Get Vitamin D By RAQUEL HECKER Aug. 3, 2009 — Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, and it has a lot of sunny benefits, but most Americans aren't getting them because they aren't getting enough of it. Between 50 percent and 75 percent of Americans get suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Now a committee at the Institute of Medicine is meeting to determine whether the recommended daily intake of vitamin D should be increased. ABC medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard came on "Good Morning America" today to offer five ways vitamin D can aid your health and tell you how to get more of it. Why People Are Vitamin D Deficient Nature gave us only one good source of vitamin D, and that is the sun. We are meant to absorb vitamin D from the sun through our skin. When we lived closer to the equator and worked outdoors, we were OK. But that is not the case today. And food is not a good source of vitamin D, not even fortified food. Five Ways Vitamin D Can Save Your Life Promotes Weight Loss - You need vitamin D to effectively lose weight. Your insulin works better, and vitamin D helps you lose belly fat. Diabetes is also related to low vitamin D levels. Reduces Risk of Death - Your overall mortality is reduced. Fewer Bone Fractures - Without vitamin D, Calcium can't be absorbed. But if you get enough vitamin D, it can help you avoid osteoporosis, bone fractures and falling, which is a cause of morbidity among the elderly. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease - Vitamin D improves blood flow by relaxing the blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. Helps Fight Cancer - Vitamin D improves the functioning of your immune system, and that helps fight cancer. Five Ways to Get Vitamin D 15 Minutes of Sun 3 Times Per Week - You can get 10-15 minutes of high-noon sun exposure in warmer climates a few times a week. In the South you can do this all year long; but in the North it will work only in the summer months. But this is unrealistic for those who already wear sunscreen all day, or have been warned to stay out of the sun by their doctors. Fatty Fish and Cod Liver Oil - If you are one of those people who have been warned to stay out of the sun, another good natural source of vitamin D is fatty fish. In food, vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish like salmon and in cod liver oil. Fortified Dairy Products - You also can get vitamin D in fortified dairy products. But you need to be careful. There are only 100 units of vitamin D per cup, so kids and most adults would need at least four cups of dairy products per day. You could drink four glasses of milk a day, but most people choose not to. Multivitamin supplements - Most Multivitamins have a substantial amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D Supplements - I recommend 1000 to 2000 international units of vitamin D supplements every day. It's cheap, there are no side effects or down sides. Although D3 is considered more potent and longer lasting, both D2 and D3 are acceptable. Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures