March 2007 Bandsters

[stacy16 0]

Hi Guys

Banded on Tuesday 3 20. I truly feel like I have had an upper body c section.

I am taking another week off of work, I work for a school which starts spring break on the 30th so I will have a nice recovery time.

I have the chills, has anyone else had them? I do not have a fever.

Also I feel so tight on top but my "Bottom stomache" is growling horribly.

I was banded on 3/16 and I too have had the chills but no fever. It seems I am always cold.

Stacy

[Success in lapband 0]

Janine;

Are you "apple" shaped fat? Usually people who are carry most of their fat on the upper body. But interestingly enough can a dr. really justify "if" you diet for 2 weeks that the pounds you lose will come from the liver? I am apple shaped fat and dr. was concerned about how fatty my liver was and to his amazement it was a skinny liver.

I too have sleep apnea so had to spend the night in the surgery center because of the anethesia and sleep apnea combo'd.

Co incidently my surgery was 2 hours 15 minutes. I know it is only suppose to be 45 minute surgery.

I think next week it will be time to trim the rose bushes anyhow so get outside and enjoy the garden.

[Theresa_Ann 0]

I'm wondering if anyone besides me is constantly burping (surgery was Monday). Everytime I drink anything, including Water, boullion, clear Protein Drinks, etc. (I'm still on clear liquids), I burp for hours. Could it be from drinking too fast? I don't feel any restriction so I just drink as usual. I've tried slowing down but I still get it--but it may be from hours ago when I drank too fast. Anyway, any suggestions or similar experiences?

I was banded on monday as well,~ it went great.

I started taking 1 gas-x strip before my 'meals' but it didn't help much, then someone told me I could take up to 3, so I tried two and man what a difference. I went out today and bought the jumbo box of chewables, but the best thing is to get up and walk around, alot. hope it helps

Banded March 19th by Dr. Rodreguez ~ Acuna, Mexico

233 high

222 surgery day

215 March 24th

135 Goal

[Theresa_Ann 0]

I feel bad for those of you burping. Luckily I haven't had that problem more than a few times. I tend to get a big drink of Water in my mouth and then swallow it slowly. Well today it went down the wrong way and ouch ouch ouch. That wasn't good.

Was able to make it to the supermarket today. Anyone else having problems standing up straight? I'm sort of in this stooped position until I can inch my way standing sorta straight. That's when the pain is at it's most intense.

For those of you who have steristrips...do you cover them with anything? I'm worried that they'll come off sooner than they are meant to.

How are all your cravings going? My strong craving for a hot dog has subsided but now I am really really really dying for some hot chicken wings.

You guys are super!

I was banded on monday too, my incesions were just covered with gauze and medical tape, however, they were glued. I removed my bandages on Thursday morning and they are great, clean, smooth and no weeping.

[kyethra 0]

I am doing well. Off of the pain meds! I was out walking a lot the past couple of days at the mall because a good friend of mine who lives in Singapore was in town for a couple of days and then she will be back in town again on tuesday for the rest of the week. On Wednesday I ended up getting about 1200 calories in and I was surprised because 1200 was so high compared to what I was getting in and I thought that was pretty funny!. Then thursday I saw the nurse practicioner at my bariatric center. I am doing good and I can also put lidocaine Patches over my incisions! The patches aren't for my incisions but they are for pain I have from an entrapped nerve ending in my abdominal wall. One thing I need to do is make an apointment to go in and see my anesthiologist up in the chicago area and get a nerve root block. Those are done with floro at the spine and numb the nerve for a little while- maybe a week. Then the pain comes back. THe idea is that if I have several of the nerve blocks with each one the pain will stay away longer and longer and maybe even go away. Its worth a try for a few injections anyway. But because of the procedure and floro and everything its ridiculously expensive. My Dr. bills my insurance about 5000 per shot. Yup, thats per shot. So now that I have had my surgery and everything I want to get as many in this year as is reasonable because of deductibles and out of pocket maximums being reached. But that pain is settling down for now to its usual level-- it had a bit of a temper tantrum after the surgery.

So I am doing good! I only got 300 calories in yesterday. But I was mostly just thirsty and not hungry and it takes a while. I'm pretty tight restriction. So its sip. burp. Wait. Sip. Burp. Wait. I'm a burping fool these days. But I lost about four pounds in two days and now I have bit less restriction I think and I can drink a bit more at once and I love that.

So far as fertility goes-- I know that obesity can cause infertility. I forget why. Can in men too, but its more so in women I believe. So losing weight makes up more fertile (uh oh!). So good birth control is a must! My surgeon had me sign a thing saying I wouldn't try to get pregnant until I had been banded for a year. No problem with that for me. Its going to be a couple at least until I'm ready for that. Heck, I'm thinking it might be best if any kids aren't even mine genetically (I have problems I could pass on), so an unplanned pregnancy is not something I want.

I actually need to make an apointment to see a new gyno about birth control options at some point- its months to get an apointment with her. I have an apointment to see her nurse practitioner next week for my annual. The only place I ever saw a gyno I ever completely trusted was mayo. Its seven hours one way drive though... I'm pretty limited in my birth control options due to medications I'm on. I can't take oral stuff cause I'm on provigil for my narcolepsy. But I need something that helps control cysts and does all that good stuff, so I'm on the nuva ring. I really like it but its kind of low hormone and I'm not a low hormone gal. So that means I also take estrogen with it. I'm a bit young to be on estrogen, but without the estrogen I get sort of menopausal. I'm kind of young for that too. LOL. So I am also hoping that weight loss might help with my hormonal balance. Like maybe if I lose enough weight it will make it so that I can have a lower dose of estrogen at least. Or even not need estrogen anymore... The whole estrogen thing and fat and all that is related but I can't remember how and I am too lazy to look it up now. And that is probably way more than any of you ever wanted to know about me;)

As far as scars go, I use mederma and I like that. I think it helps. Only use it once a wound (or incision) is completely healed though). I'm a huge clutz so I always seem to have a couple of scars that I am applying it to. On me, it helps flatten and fade them. I don't tend to keloid, but I do sometimes get raised scars or more noticeable ones depending on how I got the scar. Which reminds me, No one should fry anything in the nude. Not just bacon. I don't know why the saying is only "Don't fry bacon in the nude." I found out the hard way. So currently some of my mederma is going toward the frying incident. I know I should have known better, but I do tend to be rather literal...

According to my husband I took a long time to come out of anesthia. I also wan't fully breathing enough either. I had oxygen until shortly before I left. I remember that, but I didn't care because I was sleeping at the hospital. DH says the nurses kept having to check on me because my pulse ox would drop and beep and they were getting impatient waiting for me to wake up. I guess it took about six hours for me to be able to stay awake after the surgery, and apparently that is longer than usual. But I think everyone should have expected that with me. I did. I was told not to take my my provigil that day (wakefullness med). So I'm a sleepy person and if you give me anesthia its going to make me even sleepier.

I found that walking me gassy too. But I think it is supposed to. Then gas X and heating pad help get rid of it. I also am finding i have some trouble with my purse strap and drinking when I am out and about. If I have my purse on me diagonally then the strap goes over my chest. And if falls so that it puts pressure on it and if I take a sip and so forth I have to lift it up in order to be able to take more sips. But I can't have it on just one shoulder because I have fibromyalgia and my shoulders are full of trigger points- my shoulders always hurt and carying a purse just on my shoulder usually hurts a lot. Any ideas (Other than just holding it in my hand)?

[kyethra 0]

Oh! I got so busy rambling on I forgot about my new diet plan the dietician gave me.

She gave me a pyriamid and stuff too. Its a plan where I am supposed to eat 1400 calories a day or less.

Now, before the band I would have told her she was crazy if she expected me to be able to eat less than 1800 a day. But now that I have the band I think 1400 is perfectly doable

The pyramid shows me how many calories a day I am supposed to eat from each food group. She also gave me a list of serving sizes of different foods that equals 100 calories. I am basically supposed to count things in units of 100 calories. I round up or down to the nearest 100.

Then we talked about ice cream. Ice cream is my most favorite food and my biggest weakness. I can eat it now. But I'm not supposed to have more than 200 calories at a time. And now more than 200 calories a day spent on junk food- things like Cookies or brownies or whatever. I think thats just perfectly reasonable. I also have heard of a ben and jerry's ice cream safe. I think I might get one and have my husband set the combo and ration out ice cream to me to be on the safe side.

I asked about PDA programs and she gave me a couple of websites. I have yet to check them out. I lose paper. I am better with electronics cause I have a beeper finder thing attachted to them. Also I don't have to try and read my handwriting on those.

I go back to the bariatric center in one month.

[Janine 0]

Pam I am like you an apple shape.

Actually that would be an interesting poll.

How do apples fair during surgery compared to pears.

We apples are at such high risk being heavy.

Even my EKG strip came back with a problem due to being built like this.

Apparently if you are shaped like an apple there is alot of fat around your heart. In my case the fat was interferring with the electric current from my bottom chamber to my top.It is squishing the heart.

Kyethra, I am with you, the restriction is amazing, I am a huge volume eater, it is night and day.

STACY I love the heating pad for the chills.

[anon 1]

Funny that you should be talking about this.

I was banded on March 21st (3 days ago). My doc didn't give us a pre op diet to follow, but I tried to cut down for two weeks before, I only managed to lose 2lb though.

After surgery my doc (who's French!) said that my organs weren't fat at all, and my liver was easily retracted, although the outside was very fat!! :) He then gesticulated to demonstrate that I have about 5" of fat that he had to get the trochar through! Then, when I looked mortified he said that was good because fat on the outside was easier to lose than fat around the organs!!!

The other girl who was banded at the same time as me had a big liver and as consequence he had to make another incision to get to her stomach... and yet her BMI was 8 points lower than mine!

[Sara Mos 0]

Scarlett

I can SO relate to your post. I feel exactly the same way you do re

[i am finially in the stage of my life(kids raised) where I can afford any restaurant and what do I do. I am missing my best friend (food) who was there for me in any mood to give me strokes. Some people are able to have their pleasure in a couple of tastes but I am a all or nothing girl and for a while I am going to have to go cold turkey (parden the pun) on some comfort foods. Yes I resent this **BIG TIME** I am also mad that I brought this on myself..keep thinking if only I would have done this or that!!

/QUOTE]

This is what I am seriously worried about after the op. I'm worried I'll get angry and frustrated, how my family will cope, dont get me wrong I am desperate to lose my weight, but the new way of life seems scary at the moment, Im not worried about the op, or the pain after, its the emotional part of changing, and my 'friend' food....will not be there....thing is, if I carry on the way I am, I'll not be here in the long term....I ask the same question as you did...'why the blazes did I let myself get to this point'?

Emotions.....and feelings, wow they are strong right at this point in my life!

Sara x

[anon 1]

I know exactly how you're feeling and made a similar post myself when I was pre op(about a week ago) .... I'm told that it's all completely normal to feel like this.

For me food has been my best friend for the best part of 25yrs.... it's also our greatest enemy and the very reason that we are here this day looking to WLS to help us deal with our problems...

I don't have any answers as to how to solve this... all I can say is by the time op day came, I was ready to eat to live rather than live to eat... I'm sure that there will be days where I would like to rip out my band and have a real good binge, but I know that it won't be possible. Therefore I'm working on my food issues now, before it reaches crisis point. I've started to see a counsellor to talk through my food issues and help me to find other ways of coping with emotions other than self medicating with food.

I hope that this helps and that you find a way to work through your emotions... either by talking it through on here, with a friend or utilising the services of a qualified counsellor.

:girl_hug: There's no easy answer to the issue... As someone said to me the op is on your stomach.... not your brain!

[nurseamy 2]

My husband and I ate at Olive Garden yesterday and i had to watch him eat the whole basket of breadsticks:tired My cure for not grabbing one was the fact that I paid cash for my surgery (and I am very frugal)I told my husband I paid $12k for my "Will Power"!!!

[SGDodge06 0]

Janine;

Are you "apple" shaped fat? Usually people who are carry most of their fat on the upper body. But interestingly enough can a dr. really justify "if" you diet for 2 weeks that the pounds you lose will come from the liver? I am apple shaped fat and dr. was concerned about how fatty my liver was and to his amazement it was a skinny liver.

I too have sleep apnea so had to spend the night in the surgery center because of the anethesia and sleep apnea combo'd.

Co incidently my surgery was 2 hours 15 minutes. I know it is only suppose to be 45 minute surgery.

I think next week it will be time to trim the rose bushes anyhow so get outside and enjoy the garden.

Is there a lolly pop shape? lol

[Sugarbear 2]

Sugarbear and Pam

Thanks for the encouragement.

I did have it laporospicaly.

My doctor did not have me go on a pre surgery diet.

I had an extremely fatty liver, and sleep apnea which in consequence had me in surgery for 2 1/2 hours 5 hours in recovery, and ended up in ICU.

I have 6 incisions and they had to do alot of tugging so my stomach over the port is black and blue. The doctor said they had a very hard time getting around the liver.

I have heard that maybe pre dieting does not work, but most doctors require it and I have not seen people talk much about fatty livers.

I am really going to question my doctor about his reasoning.

Some doctors don't think that the pre-op does "that much" good. My doctor wasn't one of them. She is a firm believer. Some even have you do it longer than mine. Also have a weight loss criteria before they will do it. I am larger than you and older, (ouch). I did not have any bruising, also had a bad hernia repair, and was out in an hour or a little under. I have read many that had to pre-diet. That is one of the main reasons, toshrink your liver. I would imagine the stomach shrinks some too. Slimfast and sugarfree liquids only. It has to! Anyway I hope you are doing better. I will be glad when you are all healed and on your way to thinnerville. Take care,

[anon 1]

You know I don't even think having a fatty liver is linked to what you weigh either... as I said in my previous post. I also think that it's hard to know who's liver is fatty and who's isn't without opening you up an having a look! So I guess some play is safe by giving everyone the pre op diet....

I'm not sure that it gets rid of the fat in the liver but, as glycogen is stored in the liver that will definitely be depleted and so shrink it a little bit as it's the thing you lose first on any diet... and the Water that accompanies it! So although the liver may remain fatty it will be smaller because the glycogen is depleted!

[Sophie248 0]

For me food has been my best friend for the best part of 25yrs.... it's also our greatest enemy and the very reason that we are here this day looking to WLS to help us deal with our problems...

I don't have any answers as to how to solve this... all I can say is by the time op day came, I was ready to eat to live rather than live to eat... I'm sure that there will be days where I would like to rip out my band and have a real good binge, but I know that it won't be possible. Therefore I'm working on my food issues now, before it reaches crisis point. I've started to see a counsellor to talk through my food issues and help me to find other ways of coping with emotions other than self medicating with food.

I hope that this helps and that you find a way to work through your emotions... either by talking it through on here, with a friend or utilising the services of a qualified counsellor.

:girl_hug: There's no easy answer to the issue... As someone said to me the op is on your stomach.... not your brain!

I purchased two books that were highly recommended to help learn to cope with compulsive eating and emotional/head hunger:

1) The Taming of the Chew - by Denise Lamothe, PsyD, HHD

2) Body Clutter - by Marla Cilley and Leanne Ely

I'm working my way through he first book gradually now. I'm learning about the reasons I overeat (overate) - including physical, emotional, social, & spiritual. The next section will be about ways to heal/how to change. It seems to be really sound and practical information.

My big delima prior to deciding to go through with this surgery was that I knew I never really worked to deal with my compulsive overeating behavior, and I wondered if I should do this work before the surgery. Someone suggested that having the band as a physical tool while doing the head work at the same time would make it even more productive in stopping this behavior once and for all. That was the best advise, and I'm so glad I have my band as a safety net to allow myself to finally work through these issues!