December 2010 Bandsters out there?

[Jess55 97]

@girlofthebeach I am 13 days post op now and I still occasionally have the "stuck in my throat" feeling, I am not sure what it is, but I swallow a few times and it seems to go away. I know nothing is there because it doesn't coincide with eating (well technically drinking). I did have a hiatal hernia fixed too, so maybe something with that. Not sure if you had one.

Anyways - I went to the gym today and did 30 min on the elliptical. I am very happy about that, I was doing 40 min prior to surgery but I had taken the week before and 1.5 weeks after surgery off the gym, so I feel this is good. Considering it is only my second time going post surgery. I hope the gym will start me losing again, I haven't lost since last monday and may even be up a pound. Even though I am only getting in like 600-700 calories a day. I move onto mushies tomorrow, maybe getting more calories in on that will help me, I hope.

[Pamalamadingdong 0]

FREAKING FINALLY! After 2 weeks of no weight loss the scale finally moved down 2 lbs. I'll be 3 weeks post op Tuesday, oh and Tuesday I go in for a lithotripys to remove a kidney stone. I haven't had a fill yet so I think I should be ok, with out talking to my dr. My Urologist knows about the lap band and said it was just fine.

[HeatherinCA 10]

@Jess55 I didn't lose much on liquids, mostly because you are still healing. I've lost about 1-2 lbs a week since surgery. I'm weighing myself once a week so I don't freak out about it haha. We'll see what comes up tomorrow!

[Southern Leo 0]

Hi, I was fine after surgery too. Then I came home and slept way too much at a time. Got dehydrated and passed out. Daughter called Dr and they said to drink more Water. That helped very much. I have such muscle aches on my sides and back. I didn't know if I should stretch it out or let it rest! I stretched and felt worse! But I'm thinking it was from sitting in recliner so long when I slept all day. I wanted to get in bed but it hurt so much I got back in chair. Now I get in bed, I can stretch gently there. I have first Dr appt tomorrow. I have this big bruise over the port. I was bending a little too so that helped it grow! My manager's fine with me staying out til I'm ready to get back to work. It's an active job....caring for learning disabled individuals. Sometimes we have to jump up to get them if they decide to run down the hallway! Not to mention when they decide to hit us!!

[amyloveslou 11]

i cant belive I am getting back to work after the 3weeks off for the surgery !! I am down 22 lbs and feel so much better ! the 12th I go for my first fill !! the dr gave me the ok to go back to the gym !! I am so ready to start this year off to a new healthier me !!! my 20 year hs reunion is this year so I am pushing to look my best !! I have always been heavy and then to top it off I had my son my senior year so i was much bigger at graduation ! our 5 year reuion was stupid and I spent 30 mins there and left... havnt gone to another one ...but this year whoo hoo watch out !!

hope everyone had a great new years eve and day!! here is to our NEW self this year !!!

Amy

[HeatherinCA 10]

I felt totally fine after about 5 days. I was back to my normal schedule.

I did 40 minutes on the treadmill today, it felt really good and I'm happy with the food I can eat, I'm getting really excited to lose this weight.

[size10again 11]

Happy New Year! Aren't we the lucky ones this new year, we can actually reach our weight loss resolutions AND maintain them!

Hi Everyone, I was banded 12/30 and am experiencing that "typical" shoulder pain and so I figured I'd get up and read. =) I am 5'3 with a weight of 248. I am a teacher and will be back to work on 1/3 and was wondering what good suggestions for other pain killers might be? ie liquid tylenol? It's great to hear all your successes thus far. =)

I used liquid adult tylenol the day of and after surgery and thereafter my surgeon said it was OK to take ibuprofen ccctablets which I can handle just fine.

Hey everyone! I was banded on Tuesday 12/28/2010-surgery went well, but afterwards, I was on a morphine pump, and that made me terribly sick. Everytime I used the pump, about five or ten minutes later, I would be dry heaving...This went on ALL day long...I finally asked if there was something else that I could get for pain, and they started giving me Lortab liquid.

My question is, I have been very sore. Is this from actual surgery-is everyone else really sore?-or is this from all the dry heaving?? Also, I was on a 3 day liquid diet before surgery, and continue that after surgery. Protein Drinks, broth or bouillion, SF popsicles, SF Jello, thats all I am allowed. My surgery day I weighed 296, now today, 4 days later, I am down around 12 pounds, dont get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but is that normal???

Good luck to everyone!

Melissa

I think your pain is mostly due to the dry heaves. That has got to hurt and really make the traumatized abdomen extra sore.

I was banded on 12/27. I felt fantastic after surgery - I wasn't even really sore and they controlled the nausea and dry heaves really well (and I get super sick on any kind of ride).

Unfortunately, I wasn't getting enough fluids at home I guess and ended up in the ER last night (great New Year's!). After some IV fluids and meds for dizzyness/nausea, I felt well enough to go home. I am making sure I am drinking enough today. I really can't wait to get off the liquid diet - if I never see broth again, it will be too soon. 8 more days!

I thought I would have the hardest time getting over wanting to drink a Coke Zero, but I can't believe I have't even craved one. I am proud of myself for that.

Try to drink/sip all day long. When you go to the bathroom, drink a small cup of Water.

good morning everyone...its a rainy day here in Delaware...i am so ready to go back to work tomorrow!!...im just wondering if it is normal to still be swollen in the belly area...and it always feels like i have something stuck in my throat..even tho i dont...will be happy to go to 2wk follow up on tuesday...maybe i just worry too much...good luck to all today and have a fabulous Sunday!!

I am one month post op today and am still a little bit swollen, I think. I get that stuck feeling when I eat sometimes, usually if I eat too fast.

I am back to work tomorrow after a 2 week Winter Break.

My first fill is Wednesday; I hope (plan) to see more weight loss after that.....

Joan

[HeatherinCA 10]

I don't miss my coke zero either actually.

Just take a water bottle and sip at it every few minutes.

Good luck with your fill! I have a doctors appointment this week, but I don't think I'm getting filled just yet.

[EquusEMS 0]

good morning everyone...its a rainy day here in Delaware...i am so ready to go back to work tomorrow!!...im just wondering if it is normal to still be swollen in the belly area...and it always feels like i have something stuck in my throat..even tho i dont...will be happy to go to 2wk follow up on tuesday...maybe i just worry too much...good luck to all today and have a fabulous Sunday!!

GBTB - I'm in DE too, Felton area. Small world!

[CheckYes 46]

FREAKING FINALLY! After 2 weeks of no weight loss the scale finally moved down 2 lbs. I'll be 3 weeks post op Tuesday, oh and Tuesday I go in for a lithotripys to remove a kidney stone. I haven't had a fill yet so I think I should be ok, with out talking to my dr. My Urologist knows about the lap band and said it was just fine.

Good luck Pam! Kidney stones are bloody awful. I'm sure you'll be glad when its gone!

[bulldog3 0]

Hello! I am 26 and was 158 pounds when banded on12/27/2010.

I've had a hard recovery as my stomach muscles still really hurt, especially where they put the port in. It makes it difficult for me to get around, especially up and down from couch, bed or car. I really wasn't expecting it to be that bad. Any suggestions people have would be amazing. I was supposed to go back to work today (after 1 week of healing...I'm a teacher so winter break was over), but decideded to take one more day to give my stomach another day to heal. Getting in and out of the car often feels like I'm getting stabbed in the stomach. I've heard that all stomach surgeries heal differently and I guess I had bad luck. Any suggestions people have would be great?

I have been happy with the results. I've almost lost 10 pounds in one week. I never would have been able to do that before. I just can't believe that loosing this weight is possible.

I have to go 1.5-2 years before I can get pregnant after getting the lapband. I'm hoping at that time, I can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthier weight then I could have ever gotten to on my own.

[wyogal 0]

Hi All. I am loving all the posts especially from the last few weeks as we go through the banding together. Everytime I have a concern or comment, turns out someone else has also gone through it:) I am two weeks post-op (12/20/2010), down 7 pounds since surgery and 17 total since starting the pre-op diet. I do not have a fill yet but see my doc tomorrow. I started eating regular food within the last 3-4 days except no bread, no Pasta, no rice, no chips (you get the picture...) and cannot get meat down without sipping during the meal (not supposed to drink for an hour before and after meals) even though I chew until my jaw hurts! So, does anyone have suggestions on how to work meat (chicken, steak, pork--I can do bits of hamburger OK) back into the diet? I.e. should I plan on something really mushy to eat at the same time (like mashed sweet potato with steak)? For now, I get my Protein primarily through adding it to the 48-64 oz. of Water I drink each day and eggs. Thanks for any help.

[G3068 0]

Hi,

One could get lost in this forum. I have been spending hours reading everyone's posts. I no longer feel alone. I am 5'4,236 at surgery time(thanks to all the men that took me to dinner presurgically...that would be "Carl", the "Colonel","Jack" and lets not forget the "king" and his whopper of generosity!!...). Blue Shield has this funny thing about being a certain BMI before they will pay for Bariatric surgery so I feel the need to thank these fine food establishments for assisting me in meeting Blue Shiled's requirements.

It is amazing however to see the differences in how we all are handling postop issues such as exercise,diets.

I was fortunate to have my band surgery at Stanford in Palo Alto on Dec 27th. My surgeon, Dr. Rivas, was very competent with my surgery. I only have two incision marks.One right below my sternum and the other at the belly button. Not sure how they pulled that off but probably dont want to know.

The only gripes I have was the fast exit from the PACU,I can't swear but I think the transport guy was holding me up to the back of the chair so I wouldn't fall out.VERY groggy and even vomiting as I left.

The first two days were hell.Vomiting while walking around with a pillow pressed to my two little scars murmuring cuss words. My poor kids (single mom of 4) following me with buckets feeling totally helpless and knowing things weren't right. FInally post-op day 2 I gave in and let myself be taken to local ER for IV fluids. For those of you who are worried about dehydration...you SHOULD be! This is very serious and totally impedes the healing process.

Today is post-op day 7 and I am just now able to keep an entire days worth of full liquids down.That "tightness" in the chest is there and fast position changes bring on the reflux issues but I am just hoping that in time all that will dissapear.

What I have learned from this is that we bandsters are definitely NOT taking the easy way out!

I have been forced to write out my diet every day,take Vitamins and Calcium,exercise and hold myself accountable for every penny I spent on this "elective surgery". I did not start down this road to be a band failure" and those of you that are worried about this, you need to change your thinking!

If the weight isn't coming off,see your doc.If he says you need to change something,diet or exercise, then change it...no big deal! How is it that we women (and some men) can raise babies that become beautiful people but yet cannot take care of ourselves? Don't give up...fight for what will make you love yourself when there is nobody else around!

Well, sorry for the soap box.Obviously my energy level has increased..lol.

Please ,you december bandsters, keep posting your stories and day to day experiences as I am learning a great deal from it all and appreciate the insight.

Hello! I am trying to figure out this forum and how it all works so bear with me! I was banded Friday, Dec. 3rd and have about 85 lbs. to lose. Diabetes runs in my family and I felt like a time bomb and have never been able to keep the weight off. It just crept up and up. I am very active and want to be able to exercise without the aches and pains. I am 5' 10" and 55 years old. I would like to stay in touch with those of a similar situation.

I had a great experience so far and had my band done as an out pt. procedure. I was out at SAM's the very next morning and haven't had alot of pain. Today I did laundry and walked at the mall. I plan to return towork for awhile on Monday. I was fortunate to also have had it done laproscopically and had a great surgeon, Dr. David Provost. All I can say is so far so good!

[HeatherinCA 10]

Doing good with my exercise, gosh I hate the gym though! It's so smelly ahaha. Didn't lost any weight this week, boo. But I guess I'm still "healing" i'm just anxious! I'm watching my portions much more carefully now.

I bought the Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook, some great ideas. All pretty simple to make too. Which is good in my tiny tiny kitchen

[carvey 0]

Hello,

I was banded Dec. 29th at Rush Hospital. Today is my 5th day post-op and feel good. I was supposed to go back to work today as I like other bandsters am a teacher and classes resumed today. I decided to go back to work Thursday to let my body heal. I steped on the scale today and saw 20 pounds less from when I started my liquid diet. I'm happy and very positive that this will work for me.

Anyone who was banded at Rush Hospital Chicago?