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I had an unusual experience after Lap Band surgery that not even my surgeon can figure out. Please read my story and tell me if anyone has had this experience and what the outcome was. I was banded on April 18, 2011. Surgery went well without any complications. By 11:30am I was on my way home. I took a short 2 hr nap once I arrived home but had an extremely hard time moving around. I would lie down and get stuck because the pain was so unbearable. By that evening my back was hurting so bad I could not get comfortable at all. I also kept having hot flashes where I would actually start sweating. And I was unable to drink anything besides Water without getting extremely nauseous. The back pain would keep getting worse over the next few days. After speaking with a nurse at the surgery clinic on Wednesday afternoon they instructed me to come see them the next day if my back pain did not get better. Later that evening I took a shower and was shocked at how horrible the shower made me feel. It actually felt like someone was stabbing me in the back everytime the water would hit my back. A few hours later I checked my temperature and found I had a low grade fever. No longer feeling like I could wait until the next day I went to my local emergency room. After running a few tests they found that my Duodenum and Pancreas was inflamed. They contacted my surgeon and fearing my Pancreas had been lacerated during surgery I was transferred to a hospital across town where my surgeon was affiliated. To make a long story shorter I was in the hospital until Sunday night 04-24-11. During my stay I was put on strong antibiotics and pain killers and had tons of test done including Xrays, multiple CT Scans, EGD and an ultrasound. They did not find a laceration but I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. My surgeon along with a Internal medicine and Gastroenterology DR there at the hospital cannot explain why this happened. They said there is not reason why my pancreas would act up like this as I do not have Gallstones and I do not drink alcohol. Has anyone else come up with Pancreatitis after Lap-Band surgery? And if so, have you had to have the band removed or did everything turn out ok for you?

your list of fears sounds LOT like mine, for the most part. I,personally, am not going to tell my mother. luckily, there is some distance between us, about 1,000 miles, so i won't have to see her or anything for months. unless i die, she won't know about it. that's my plan anyway. i have added some comments below to your original list. Anywho-things I am scared of: 1. Dying from WLS--i am scared of this too, but i have just decided that at the end of the day, i trust my surgeon. he has done over 7,000 of these surgeries and not one person has died from it on his table. that puts me at ease. ask your surgeon what his track record is if that will help you. 2. Being put under, deathly afraid of that.--Gawd, i'm scared of that too. but i have been doing tons of research on this site and everyone has said that one minute they are mid conversation and the next thing they know they are waking up on recovery. i am sure that it is most likely the same for the majority of people. i'm still scared, but i will just tell myself to breathe. 3. Becoming an alcoholic afterwards or some other addict.-no real words of comfort here as my only addiction is currently food! if you don't have a problem with alcohol now, you shouldn't have a problem afterward. you aren't going to be able to just drink and drink and drink because you will get dehydrated, and you have to put so many ounces of fluids in, there won't be room for bottle after bottle of Jack. just tell yourself that. try to get a hobby or find something you like to do and do more of that. 4. Telling people that I am doing this.- there is nothing that says you have to tell anyone about this. as difficult as it is, i am keeping this to myself until i am either ready or i feel that i can share with someone. this is something i am doing for myself and it's not for anyone else. i know others say it's nothing to be ashamed of, and it's not, but it's MY body and what i do with it is MY choice and I don't want anyone else's opinion unless i ask for it. make sure you are ready to tell before you tell. that's all. 5. Acquiring a shopping addiction after I lose weight.- yeah, i feel you here. i suppose if you spend the money on clothes instead of food, that's a good thing. i'm pretty frugal in my fat life, and i plan to continue that, so it just depends on your personality. 6. Excess skin, my mom had a tummy tuck and I don' want to go through that!-i'm gonna have lots of this...if i lose enough weight to have to deal with it, then i will deal with it. 7. What will happen to my marriage, because I hear all these rumors about people getting divorced.-if your marriage is strong and loving right now, then you will have nothing to worry about. if you married your husband because you love him and not just because you thought he was the only one who would ever be with someone fat like you, then your marriage will be ok. if your husband loves you just how you are, and doesn't see you as fat or thin, then your marriage will be ok. ask your husband how he feels about all of this, and ask him about how he will deal with things when you are thinner. keep the communication open and be honest with each other. if you can do this, your marriage will be ok. 8. Drinking alcohol afterwards and puking.-start off slowly. everything in moderation. try drinking a small amount and not the whole bottle. listen to your body and see what it can tolerate. 9. Having to exercise, although when I do it I like it.-find something to do that doesn't seem like exercise. maybe invest in a wii or something that feels more like a game. for me, it's riding my bike and swimming. it doesn't feel like exercise. i love to do it. you just have to find that one thing that gives you pleasure that doesn't seem like a chore and do it. as the weight comes off, maybe you will find other things that will become more fun for you. i wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide. but just know that there are others, myself included, who are still scared and unsure. regardless of my fear, i am going through with this (my surgery is May 4th) and i'm going to do my best to heed my own advice. whatever you decide, it will be the right decision for you. don't let anyone, your mother included, tell you that you are lazy or stupid.

Hello fellow forummers!So here is some of my story........ I am one of 4 siblings.......whom are all 1/2 brothers and sisters, I might add. I'm not only the oldest but was forever the "Heavy" one in the family of beanstalks. My sister is 5'6" and has always been a svelte130 lbs. My mom is 5'8" and never saw above 130, even having 4 kids. My Stepdad is 6' and 175 lbs My two brothers are both well over 6' tall and about 180 lbs each. Me? Well, I'm 5'3" and struggled to stay at 130 through high school, with my parents always making nice little comments about anything I put in my mouth. My moms favorite thing to do was pinch my thigh and say, "You're gettin a little chunky these days!". My stepdad used to tell me that one day I'd grow into my arms.....(I have wide shoulders and I guess my arms stuck out a little from my body......he meant I would fill up that gap). All my life I have felt FAT and UGLY. All my life I have hated my body. All my life I have hated food. I even hated myself after my first child was born and I was back at 130 lbs. I still felt FAT. I see pictures of me THEN, and I'm like, OMG! I was a stick!!! Why did my parents always think I was so overweight??????? Well, after an unfortunate reaction to Norplant birth control in 1994......I began my journey as the true fat one in my family. I guess I finally lived up to my families expectations.....without even WANTING to! I gained 90 lbs in less than 3 months. So long post birth 130 lbs! Hello 208. Then, I got pregnant with my daughter........hello 298. 1995 - 208 lbs 1996 - 298 lbs. 1998 - 145 lbs (Advocare products) 2000 - 208 lbs 2001 - 150 lbs (Divorce diet...lol) 2003 - 185 lbs 2005 - 140 lbs (2 jobs, depression, 3 hrs of sleep, living on Peanut Butter, unhealthy) 2006 - 190 lbs 2007 - 140 lbs (moved, broke, stopped eating, unhealthy) 2008 - 180 lbs 2009 - 145 lbs (straight alcohol diet) lovely and extremely stupid. 2011 - 211 lbs So when I tell my mom about my surgery, she says, "You look fine and I'm sure you can lose it by yourself." OMG I wanted to stick a fork in my own eye!!!!!! Hello, Earth to Mom! I've 'done it by myself' SIX times! She didn't approve of my surgery and didn't speak to me for 3 weeks prior to my surgery, and that was just fine with me....I didn't need the stress. So now I have the sleeve. I'm down 25+ lbs in the weeks since surgery and my self confidence is already coming back! My husband loves my smile, the fact that I'm not hiding from him behind the covers, bathrobes and etc. has improved our sex life. I just can't say anything negative right now.......except I'm bored to death with liquids! LOL! So, here's to the gal who used to be "chunky"....... and here's to the WOMAN who will not be held back by weight issues ANY MORE!!!!!!! Cheers ya'll! and thanks for listening!!!!! Christal

At the Mexican surgeon, their recommendation is to avoid caffeine except for decaf -- which does, btw, have some caffeine in it -- and wait until after the solid food stage to drink alcohol. They're just not really all that concerned with alcohol especially after the stomach starts working properly which takes a while. That said, one thing you should be aware of is that there are reports of leaks and other problems much later in the story, at nine months or near one year.

A lot of drs are different about these things, and I've been wondering about them too. Especially coffee?? I knew a lot of them said to wait a while on alcohol and I had also heard about it hitting you faster and harder. This is the first I've seen mention of never drinking either again. Hmmm. I will have to ask my dr too. I rarely drink alcohol but I love my coffee! Kelly

Docs seem to be split regarding coffee and caffeine since they can up your risk of ulcers post-op (pre-op too actually). Besides the calories many programs have you abstain from alcohol because there is also a higher risk of transfer addiction where people who used to rely on food for "a fix" start to turn to other sources for comfort. I'm talking about people who hated the taste of alcohol becoming raging alcoholics after surgery. Just like if you know someone who quit smoking and took up eating or someone who quit hard drugs and started smoking more.

The stigma has got to go. There are even whispers that Jennifer Hudson had WLS but Weight Watchers is paying her to be their spokesperson anyway. I don't know about that but you are so right on as usual CW my dear- it is really bizarre the way WLS is held, generally, to be a hush hush whisper down low thing to be hidden. I think celebrities are happier and more willing to say they are addicted to painkillers and alcohol! I actually am surprised about Camryn- I've always loved her and hate to think she would not be forthcoming. But the Hollywood fame factory is a powerful thing ... Meggie rushes off to google newly skinny celebrities.....

At a month out, you will likely cause no problems with your band or tummy. However, remember that alcohol does lower our inhibitions and increases appetite. I know a bariatric nurse who says that alcohol consumption can slow weight loss for up to 3 days. Personal choice. Myself I rarely have alcohol. Usually my husband will have something and I'll have a sip and that's enough. YMMV. Have a great time at your inlaws.

Well, first off I am getting more and more comfortable with the reality of this. I still haven't brought myself to tell my mom. She has been on my case for 10 years to lose weight. I don't know how she will take it. I have a feeling she will be upset and then tell me to grow up, buck up, and do it myself. Blah, blah, blah. It is just who she is. Anywho-things I am scared of: 1. Dying from WLS 2. Being put under, deathly afraid of that. 3. Becoming an alcoholic afterwards or some other addict. 4. Telling people that I am doing this. 5. Acquiring a shopping addiction after I lose weight. 6. Excess skin, my mom had a tummy tuck and I don' want to go through that! 7. What will happen to my marriage, because I hear all these rumors about people getting divorced. 8. Drinking alcohol afterwards and puking. 9. Having to exercise, although when I do it I like it. No others right now. Peace, Liz

Hi, I was just banded on monday so I have not had alcohol yet of course but I did look into it because there are times when I would also like to have a glass of wine..my Dr. said it is fine in moderation. One or two glasses of wine but no beer..I have read where people have had vodka and cranberry and bloody mary's. So if you want to have a glass of wine it should be fine enjoy..treat yourself for a job well done so far. Good luck.

Hello all, I am 4 weeks 3 days post op and i am going to dinner at my in-laws tonight! (OMG) I will be having some grilled fish and some cooked carrots for they are very supportive of my WLS! I know that at the in-laws there will be wine and i am all for it, but, will i be able to have a glass of wine with them for dinner without putting myself at risk of any post op problems since my first fill is scheduled for 4/28. Can anyone who has had alcohol post op help please i am a bit scared or nervous! PLEASE HELP!

Just look at the label and see if it is okay to YOU. Everyone has a different set of rules they follow. Just be careful with the sugar alcohols like mentioned!

I eat them as well. I know it's way better then regular candies, but yes, be careful with the sugar alcohols.

I had my surgery in July, 2010 and have experienced the same roller coaster of emotions, feelings, optimisim, depression, elation, regret and joy that others talk about. The biggest adjustment for me was saying goodbye to the overstuffed full feeling that accompanies overeating. I was surprised how I really missed that. I don't miss it anymore. The 2nd biggest adjustment for me has been learning to slow down my eating and take smaller bites. I'm good at that about 80% of the time and then I get rushed, or think I can eat something in the car on the way to one of my kid's games, etc. and then I just laugh at myself when the stuck feeling starts. I have however learned to recognize the onset and can usually avoid any really unpleasant outcomes I can't believe I'm 20 something pounds to goal. I will be the weight I was when I got married soon, and I've been married to the same wonderful man (who does NOT have a weight problem) for 23 years. I just wanted to post something positive about lap band...it's a helluva ride, but it has been so worth it. I am able to run again (I don't set any land speed records, that's for sure!) and I'll be completing my 2nd half marathon next week. I have one more long run (10 miles) until the race. I can't believe this is me I'm talking about. All you new bandsters, please hang in there! The best advice I can give you is to STAY POSITIVE and FORGIVE YOURSELF if you slip. This is not an All or Nothing process...it's a lot of learning about, adjusting to and finally, ACCEPTING your new lifestyle! I go out with friends, cook for myself and my family, enjoy wine (after a 4 month hiatus from alcohol) and enjoy life on a level that I have not been on in a long time. I'm usually not the fattest girl in the room anymore. I think I look pretty cute in my size 12 jeans for a 47 year old mom of 3 teens People comment on my weight loss all the time. I still have a bit of an internal struggle with not be open about my surgery, but I know it's the right decision for me. No one knows except my husband, sister and parents, all who I am extremely close with and respect my decision. I don't think I've ever drawn any attention from others who don't know...it's been surprisingly easy to keep this private. Whether I'm just reading or posting, this site has been a huge motivator for me. I encourage everyone to stay active with it. If I take a break from it and return, I always notice a boost in my determination. I'm looking forward to summer clothes and dare I say wearing a bathing suit (what ?!?). The hardest thing about this at the moment is refraining from buying too many clothes! I know I'm not "there" yet and I have to be patient and show restraint when I'm shopping. It's a good problem to have and one that I hope all get to experience soon. I wish you all the best with your pending metamorphasis!

I eat them. I have to be careful with sugar alcohol though.

one of the reasons i got the band is that my weight made me really uncomfortable and i stopped dating years ago and never got married. so i have only lost 15 lbs so far and am not ready to dive in yet but was dabbling on an online dating site and started talking to this adorable guy. so we're supposed to meet in an hour for a drink. TERRIFIED!! first of all, i'm uncomfortable because i still feel overweight. secondly, i can't freaking get rid of this ketotis breath! also, i can't really drink alcohol so i'm probably going to get totally wasted off half a drink! oy. i want to cancel.

Ok about Scentsy... If you look at my website it will be alot easier to explain, it's like candles but it Warmers that use a light bulb, the wax goes in the top of the warmer and melts. The wax never gets hot enough to burn anyone. We have 3 different size warmers with sooo many different styles. We have over 80 scents!! Also we have Scentsy Buddies.... They come with a Scent Pak. The scent pak looks like a little bean bag. They smell sooo good!! I have one of the scent paks doen in my purse and whenever i hand someone a catalog they say oo this smells so good. We also have Room Sprays, Scent Circles ( for your car), Travel Tins (purse etc) Fragrance Foams-- I love the fragrance foams!! They are alcohol-free foaming hand sanitizer. I have been selling Scentsy since November of 2009. If I had known about it before then I would have signed up sooner!! I have so much fun with it! It's a home party company but you do not have to get sales from home parties!! I usually only have home parties around the holiday seasons and then maybe like 1 or 2 a month on other months. You can also do Basket Parties-- thats where I get most of my sales. I take a scrapbooking bag and put a couple catalogs, order forms, and the scents and a few other things and give it to the hostess. she collects all the sales for like a week and then gives me back the basket. Now after the baske party I have sales and I havent worked all week You can also do online parties! There are just so many great ways to sell scentsy!! I really love it!!

Men tend to lose faster, just like any other weightloss program. Other things will make a difference as well like your starting weight, how much you exercise, what types of food you eat, how tight your band is, drinking alcohol.......... If you start out at 400 pounds, your weightloss will be faster than someone who has only 70 pounds to take off. I lost 100 pounds in the first year.

Ladies, if you buy only one appliance this year, I have the one you need...a steam mop!!! ShopKo had them for half off so I splurged and got one. OMG, my floors feel so good!!!! Just make sure you buy extra pads, because when you are part way done, you are going to want to change. It even takes caked on hairspray off the bathroom floor. Now understand I probably haven't mopped my floor since January. But it is fabulous!!! Little homework tonight, yeah!! Found out an old neighbor of mine has been moved to a constrant care facility and the family never told me. I found out she has been in the facility 1 1/2 blocks away from my house. So I stopped by and visited. Unfortunately she has dementia, but remembered who I was. Got me mixed up with my girls once in awhile. But I am so glad to know she is near by. I use to go over every week and give her shots, have coffee, and do any chores that she couldn't do. With last year being such a wreck I lost touch...my fault. Now maybe I can take her out for coffee once in awhile or have her over. I'll have to check with the family before hand thought. Hope you all have a good evening. Janet, what work out is tonight? Phyl, enjoy your visit. Candice, hopefully you found alcohol!!!

I know crazy right! But I have tried and tried to quit drinking Diet Coke- and just couldnt-don't get me wrong I had the strongest urge to pull up to Sonic and get me a Rt 44 today - I was a very serious addict to doing this- more so than alcoholics I think- I couldn't go a day without it- I would even sneak out of the house and go get me one and just sit and drink it lol Anyway- - but my headaches are gone and I am on day 3 of my preop diet- also I get two shakes a day and a smart ones for dinner- so it has been really not to to hard- I can have jello or broth and my new favorite is diet snapple- I never had it before now- so anyways- AND I am after 3 days- down 5 lbs. (Well Sunday all I could have was clear fluids cause I had my EGD yesterday) but I am thankful!

So, Friday is it! Back to solid foods! These mushies are ridiculous. To find anything good and sensible in a mush, you have to be on Top Chef Masters. I have spent the last 2 weeks eating pureed soup (gross), ricotta bake (this is a must) and mashed potatoes. And my doctor keeps trying to get me to eat meat out of a can… meat out of a can! I'm not a cat!! I mean tuna is ok every once in a while, but not every day or you turn into Jeremy Piven and can't go to work due to mercury poisoning. Let's move on to the hiccups. I hiccup twice when I'm hungry and once when I'm full. Insane. I hiccupped walking down the booze aisle (which was also the bottled water aisle) at the market and this guy looked at me and I just shrugged and said, "I should really stop drinking during the day." How else am I going to explain these random hiccups? People are going to start thinking I'm a high functioning alcoholic! Now on to the nitty gritty. The weird slime that creeps up every once in a while. I haven't gotten anything stuck nor have I had any pain. It's just this weird little bits of slime I have to spit out (I'm not a spitter by nature, in fact it horrifies me). All that said, I'm looking forward to vegetables and salads again. It's been so long, I actually miss them. Just more lap band insanity. See you all on the other side! p.s. dirty little secret, during the mushie stage I ate frosting out of a can. Shame on me. But it was gooooood :-)

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I have to admit that I'm puzzled by the mindset of some of the families who don't want to 'sacrifice' but then the majority of people see obesity as a character defect. We're lazy and have no willpower (their view) and all we need to do is practice a little self-control. If we were alcoholics, they'd understand and accept that having alcohol in the house is counterproductive to the person's healing. Yet they don't make that same connection to our addiction to certain foods...and it is to 'certain' foods, not all. If you notice what people 'cheat' on, it becomes clear that we aren't addicted to all food...just those wonderfully carby foods...and, like the bottle of alcohol, need to be put out of our reach. I guess I feel blessed by my husband because the first thing he asked was, "How can I help?" and when I said I needed to remove all temptation from the house, he helped me clean out the pantry. Oh sure, he still eats the things I can't have, but he does it at work or his mom's.

It sounds like part of the problem is that on the weekends you have more time on your hand to think about food. Find a new hobby...something that keeps your hands busy. I find that I need to keep my hands busy even when I'm watching tv or they (my hands) want to go into the kitchen and find food to shove into my face. Also, does an alcoholic feel they must keep the bottle in their house to prove they've overcome their addiction and that they have willpower? Nope. They recognize that it's a temptation best avoided. If at all possible, clean out the temptations in your own house. That way, in order to give in, you actually have to go to the store and that requires more effort and time to talk yourself out of it...and time for the willpower to kick in. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to change the relationship you have with food...but you can do it. .

Hey everyone!! I haven't checked in on this thread for awhile even though I am an August Bandster as well! I was banded on 8-10-10 and am currently down 63 pounds and am absolutely thrilled about that! I feel better, I look better, I'm able to move better. It's great. I am desperately needing to refocus myself and my health, though. I've been going up and down with the same five pounds for six weeks now, mainly because I'm loosening up on my eating habits. So I have planned out my menu for this week and plan on sticking to it. Another downfall for me is drinking alcohol. I don't do it as much as I used to, but still probably more than I should. Again, that's a focus fo the week -- no drinking. Lastly, I know that I need to step up on my exercise. I had been doing so well and have falled out of that habit as well. So I am vowing to exercise three times this week. All these are things that we know we should do -- now it's just time for me to do them!! It's great to hear success stories from all of you -- let's hope we all keep moving the same direction and keep losing whatever we need!! )