October 2006 Bandsters!

[Lots2Luv 0]

my insicions are getting itchy!!! ARGH! 10 days out and healing nicely what are you guys putting on yours if anything to relieve the dryness and itchiness?

Hey Cootie how's everything? I use body oil when I'm done with my shower then dry off and no itch! Also, a moisturizing body wash helps a bunch.

Hope this helps bring the sexy back!

[Lots2Luv 0]

I Had My Band Put In On October 5th, When I Went For My Check Up 9 Days Later I Was Down 26lbs.

I Had A Really Hard Time The First Week Out Of Surgery, The Clear Liquids Did Not Satisfy Me And I Got Really Depressed, As Soon As I Could Start On Soft Solids I Became A New Person.

Get Through The First Two Weeks And It Gets Alot Easier.

Please If After The Surgery You Need Someone To Talk To About How You Are Feeling Send Me A Thread And Ill Be There.

Good Luck To All Of You On Your New Journey.

Hi puglet I too felt the exact same way sad and then much better on soft. However, since then, I am very scared. I don't trust myself because I have overeaten a few times and that's not cool and certainly doesn't feel good either. It's like my appetite came back in full blast and even though I know that I have an empty band I feel this can't be a good start. I think I need a fill pronto but it's not going to happen until my 1mth appt.

Is there anyone else on here that feels this I need some serious support guys:paranoid

[JWH 0]

The hunger drove me crazy the first two weeks. I am now 3 weeks out and unless I skip a meal, I am not hungry. I think it is because I am eating more calories. I do not go over 1200 calories. That's my ceiling. It has made a huge difference, though, in my energy level and it has reduced my hunger considerably. I am also keeping it high Pro, veggies and no breads or cereals. That has helped a lot, too.

Hang in there new bandees, it does get better, I promise.

Jess

______________

banded Oct. 6th

Dr. Ortiz

Tijuana

[qbanita75 0]

gbanita,Im hungry too. Your not alone.Remember healing stage!? I was hungry the day of the surgery in the recov. room! Not head hunger either my stomach was empty and rumbling. After they strarted allowing me broth an stuff at the hosp. I was ok and was ok on broth and stuff for the first week(still dreamt of solids though) 2nd week i felt like I was strving all of the time, yes real hunger pains almost non stop. Now into my 3rd week and much better because of mushies but if I dot stop myelf i would overeat. Dont forget your band isnt filled so yoour going to feel like eating like you did before so you need to imploy some good old fashioned will power until its time to get a fill.

Cool thank you for that roxy!!! I know that i have the will power not to eat i have been doing it for almost two weeks and i'm surviving. I get hungry and i'll drink. so i'll be okay Just my cousins are getting on my nerves.

[qbanita75 0]

my insicions are getting itchy!!! ARGH! 10 days out and healing nicely what are you guys putting on yours if anything to relieve the dryness and itchiness?

Cottie,

We had our surgery the same day. My insicions are healing as well but mine have been itchy since last wednesday. i called the dr and they said to just put a little lotion. I'm a chicken so i didn't put any lotion on the insicions.

[qbanita75 0]

I was banded 10/24. Up and walking as soon as I was awake. Came home yesterday, 10/25, and even went to work today, only the port area is a bit sore. I am envious of all of you who say you are not hungry. I feel like I'm starving and it is an effort not to eat. I was a bit depressed about how hungry I am until I received a message from a woman who said he depression will go away once I can stat on some Soups. Well, still hungry, but not giving up - no not giving up after 2 days.

Ms883

Had to lose 17lbs pre op - so it feels like the "good old days" when I was always on a diet. :-(

MS883,

WoW first you went to work WOW that was great. Second i've been hungry A FEW times if not every day since surgery. It will go away once you start to drink every so often and that Optifast will make you feel better once you could start to intake. good luck!! i'm only on second week i can't wait till mushie

Eile

[soniacan 0]

Ouch Ouch Ouch

Really all i can muster to say =)

Moms local CVS didnt have the bottle of prescription but would have it tomorrow. Corse didn't occur to me to get some liquid tylenol.

Can't sleep so watching the Transporter. Made about a 1/3rd cup of broth cuz I can't tell if i'm sore or hungry.

I'll give more of an update tomorrow.

To the rest of todays Bandsters - Speedy recovery & Can you belive we did it!! WooHOO

[JDru 0]

Sonia I'm sore too! I can't imagine how you're doing without pain meds...I'm still taking liquid lortab every 4 hours. I'm glad you made it home safely. I'll post more when I feel a bit better.

[GetnHealthy 0]

Hello everyone! I was banded on thursday morning..the 26th and I feel wonderful. I went in a 6 am...first one for a banding of the morning...fresh Doctor. * * Was back to room with an easy time and out-a-there by like 1 pm. Rode home the three hours getting out to walk every half hour or so and even drove myself the last half hour as that was where the kids and other vehicle were. I have to tell you that I always breeze through surgeries and this was exceptionally "breezy". I have felt just awesome every since. I take my liquid pain medicine when needed but everything is just so "not a big deal". I have a patch behind my ear for nausea that last for 3 days and haven't had one bit of feeling icky. I am on clear liquids still for two more days yet...it was clear liquids the day before...day of... and then 2 days after...that is called phase I...then I go on regular creamed liquids which is phase II for 3 days..that is any creamed soups...shakes...puddings...all that...then phase III is pureed and lasts for 2 weeks and consisits of cream of wheat or thinned mashed potatoes....anything the consistency of apple sauce or you could suck through a straw. Phase IV is the transition to solids and considered the soft diet and lasts for 3 weeks....pretty much all foods fall into this category as it is anything you can mash with a fork to eat. Then the final phase is phase 5 and that is back to a regular diet...and funny thing is...for me that day lands on Thansgiving Day. Whew...I get to eat with the family.

I went to vitacost.com and purchased a Liquid Protein that has like 25 grams of Protein per dose and that will help me get the protein while on these liquid phases if I get tired of the shakes. I also purchased an awesome liquid multi Vitamin that I will take daily. I found a liquid shake too..that is cappuccino...how can anyone beat that for a shake when you have to drink one. It is in powder form. ...sounds like a perfect morning drink to me.

Well, I woke up so well rest at 2 am and put another ice pack on the port incision area and am now ready to go back to bed. I have no pain unless I bend or lift...that muscle in the port area needs to heal is all. I don't feel urpy...burpy...or anything...just really really good.

Hope everyone else is doing as wonderful that have had theirs done about the same time...and to all getting it done soon...good luck and I hope for the same thing I had...a really "great" process.

I will keep you all up on how I am doing...

Thanks for the "well wishes".

[Buckeyes5 0]

I know i have seen this before but I can't locate the information on how to add the ticker. Could someone tell me how to do it or how to find the information about how to add one. Thanks bunches.

[Julzzz 9]

Hello everyone! It's Friday and I said I would be back to work - ha ha. I actually am taking today off. Trying to get up and walk around as much as possible to prepare myself for the big day tomorrow. I'll probably only work 8:30 - 3:30 tomorrow. I am a little sore around the left side of stitches, kind of like a side ache. It always feels like you're going to pull yourself apart when you get up, doesn't it? I am still not too hungry, but like one of you said, it was weird watching family eat and me not eating anything. I'll just take it easy for the event tomorow and not move around too much. I'll have my drink around to give me a little energy. Wish me luck!!!!

[njbandman 0]

Hi everyone. I was finally banded on October 23, 2006 by George Fielding, M.D. at NYU Medical in New York. I was scheduled for 1:30PM but I only went in at around 4:00. The surgery took 1 hour including two hernia repairs. I woke up feeling groggy as expected, no pain and after the recovery room I was given a room in the hospital. At around 11:00PM I was walking the halls for exercise, which I did 3 more times during the night. I was given two morphine shots during the night and watched some overnight TV. No pain, or nausea. I was discharged at about 10:00 AM but I decided to to the follow up esophagram at NYU which took an additional two hours to arrange and complete. At home that night I took a few vicodan tablets and after that I took nothing else for pain. I did walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes. I was able to sleep the first night in a recliner, and the second night in my bed. The only problem I experienced was getting in and out of bed and rolling over which was uncomfortable. All of that by now (Day 4) is much improved. I can't believe how small the incision sites seem to be. I have experienced no hunger and I am following the diet as proposed by Barrie Wolfe (NYU's dietician) to the letter. liquids with 2 Protein Shakes a day for the first 2 weeks. So far since starting the 2 week pre-op prep I have lost 32 pounds.

All in all I feel great. I do not feel any sensations from the band. I feel like I did before the surgery. I have no hunger, and I fill up fast from the fluids. I do have a little bit of discomfort from the hernia repair, as expected. I must say that I have had far worse experiences from going to the dentist.

I strongly recommend the NYU team. Dr. Fielding and Dr. Ren have probably done more banding surgeries than anyone in the NY metropolitan area and it shows by the professionalism of their support staff. In fact, Dr. Fielding has been a lapband patient himself for the past 7 years and has shared his personal lap band experiences with me. They processed my insurance and got the approval without a hitch.

Right now for me I am looking forward to the next stage. I thank everyone for their informative posts which certainly motivated me to move forward and to further educated me.

[Joy Joy 0]

Hey Im back from surgery on 10/25. I had to spend the night, I wish I could have gone home, I didnt get any sleep there. All went as planned it took 1hr 40 min from beginning to end. My port hurts the most, I feel like Mike Tyson hit me in my side! No gas pain at all! My band is unfilled but I get full very quickly. I only had to do the clear diet yesterday, now im on full liquids for about a week. I did take the vicodin this morning so I hope this makes sense:-) Thanks again to all of you for your support and well wishes.

[qbanita75 0]

Hello everyone! I was banded on thursday morning..the 26th and I feel wonderful. I went in a 6 am...first one for a banding of the morning...fresh Doctor. * * Was back to room with an easy time and out-a-there by like 1 pm. Rode home the three hours getting out to walk every half hour or so and even drove myself the last half hour as that was where the kids and other vehicle were. I have to tell you that I always breeze through surgeries and this was exceptionally "breezy". I have felt just awesome every since. I take my liquid pain medicine when needed but everything is just so "not a big deal". I have a patch behind my ear for nausea that last for 3 days and haven't had one bit of feeling icky. I am on clear liquids still for two more days yet...it was clear liquids the day before...day of... and then 2 days after...that is called phase I...then I go on regular creamed liquids which is phase II for 3 days..that is any creamed soups...shakes...puddings...all that...then phase III is pureed and lasts for 2 weeks and consisits of cream of wheat or thinned mashed potatoes....anything the consistency of apple sauce or you could suck through a straw. Phase IV is the transition to solids and considered the soft diet and lasts for 3 weeks....pretty much all foods fall into this category as it is anything you can mash with a fork to eat. Then the final phase is phase 5 and that is back to a regular diet...and funny thing is...for me that day lands on Thansgiving Day. Whew...I get to eat with the family.

I went to vitacost.com and purchased a Liquid Protein that has like 25 grams of Protein per dose and that will help me get the protein while on these liquid phases if I get tired of the shakes. I also purchased an awesome liquid multi Vitamin that I will take daily. I found a liquid shake too..that is cappuccino...how can anyone beat that for a shake when you have to drink one. It is in powder form. ...sounds like a perfect morning drink to me.

Well, I woke up so well rest at 2 am and put another ice pack on the port incision area and am now ready to go back to bed. I have no pain unless I bend or lift...that muscle in the port area needs to heal is all. I don't feel urpy...burpy...or anything...just really really good.

Hope everyone else is doing as wonderful that have had theirs done about the same time...and to all getting it done soon...good luck and I hope for the same thing I had...a really "great" process.

I will keep you all up on how I am doing...

Thanks for the "well wishes".

WoW your my HERO i was in the hospital for 2 nights. i wasn't ready to leave the day after surgery so i stayed one more night

[GetnHealthy 0]

Oh qbanita75, I am sorry you had to stay two nights. But it was a very good choice if you didn't feel up to going yet. I imagine it is just different for everyone. I was just lucky I guess. It seems there are way more out there that are "struggling" after surgery, than there are those that "breeze though it". Depends on many factors I imagine.

After a few more days..you will be a good as new again and we will all feel the same. Just takes time and being careful not to pull anything when bending and stuff. I wish you the best..and your doing great...keep up the terrific weight loss.....

Banded 10/26/06

Bismarck, ND

Michael Schmit, MD