June 2007 Bandsters

[lo2us 1]

I see my surgeon this tuesday, 7/10............this will be my 2nd appt with him since the surgery on 6/11. is this just a weight check does anyone know? i didn't think to ask, and they didn't say anything about a fill. just told the secretary to schedule me for 3-4 weeks. Just not sure what is going to happen................

I go for my 2nd visit Thursday and my doc is going to do a fill, I believe. You might call and check though. I know I'm starting to get hungry about an hour before meals and I need a little more kick in the pants as far as to what my stomach can hold and keep in there for a while. My Doc explained they go by hunger as to wheter or not to give a fill, if you're not feeling hungry yet, you probably don't need one.

[quadmom 0]

i have been feeling much hungrier and i feel like i can eat almost like i did before the band, so yes, i think i am ready for a fill. just not sure if the doc goes by weight loss or by what i say how i am feeling................seems like all the docs are so different.............

[bcrazy7 0]

Hello all. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

I'm doing much better than I was a week ago. I can now sleep in bed throughout the night without any pain!! It only took THREE weeks to get there! Haha. My port site is still very very swollen and darkly bruised. I feellike it should be better by now? Someone please make me feel better and tell me that yours at 3 weeks was still a large hard knot? When I cup my hand over it, it is about the size of a standard computer mouse, maybe a tad bit larger. The bruising spans about 8 inches horizontal, and 4 inches vertical. Just barely slightly warmer to the touch than the rest of my tummy. The incision is well healed.

Went to the gym for the first time tonight (since about 1 week pre op). I did 40 minutes on the elliptical. I feel like I could have done better, either longer and/or worked harder at it. But I did sweat and my average heart rate was 151. (resting heart rate is typically in the upper 50's).

I'm the first one to admit that my diet isn't the best. I always try to get my Protein in, other than that - it's a free-for-all. I can eat anything without difficulty. I was HOPING that i wouldn't be able to eat bread anymore, as much as I love it... but no such luck, it goes down fine. The only thing I feel like I have been successful at is that I chew better now than I ever have, which forces me to eat slower. Eating slower allows my tummy to send signals to my brain that I'm full before I feel like I'm going to explode.

Oh, and (don't shoot me) I was at a baby shower today and while i stayed away from the cake and other little goodies, I did drink a diet coke. I didn't even think about it!! This was at a friends house that doesn't know I have the band. When her husband handed me a diet coke, knowing that that is what I drink, I opened and took a big gulp. It was only after that first drink that I remembered!! LUCKILY I didn't explode. I belched a few times (very lady-like) and after that I just kinda sipped on it over about 2 hours. I won't be doing that again though. I don't want to take the chance of messing up anything, plus I don't really miss it like I thought I would. Actually, it didn't even taste so good.

OK, Well, Happy Monday all.

My port site is not bruised at all, but it is a big lump like you say. I rub it all the time when Im standing up, it feels just like when I was prego and the baby's head or a foot is right there in your side. My sister caught me rubbing it and said it looked like I was rubbing a pregnant belly the way I was doing it, so I have to watch myself in public. It's just so foreign feeling. I don't feel it when I'm sitting or lying down near as much. I am 3 weeks post op and can eat anything, as a matter of fact we went for pizza tonight and I had no trouble at all. I just chew chew chew. I am starting to feel just as "un" restricted as before the band. Cant wait for a fill!

[Dana 0]

Hello JuneBugs!

This is a little gross, but I want to share because some of you might be going through the same thing. I too, had a large swollen, painful port site incision after two and a half weeks post-op. The incision was slightly red, but not infected looking. Then the other day after taking a shower I noticed liquid dripping from the incision. It was a thin, yellow-red tinged liquid that looked like a large blister popped. My incision drained for three days. I had to change the bandage several times a day because so much was coming out of me. The doctor said that sometimes old blood has to make its way to the surface. I am taking a round of antibiotics just in case, but he says that this happens to patients frequently. Now, the port incision has gone down and does not hurt. I am still a little sore sometimes though.

On a lighter note, has anyone tried the Lipton Diet Green Tea? It is delicious and is now my drink of the day since my beloved Diet Coke has gone out the window!

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I am not sure if it is just a check up or if I am getting a fill. I am hoping for a fill because I am HUNGRY!

Talk to ya'll soon.

[insubordination 0]

Someone please make me feel better and tell me that yours at 3 weeks was still a large hard knot? When I cup my hand over it, it is about the size of a standard computer mouse, maybe a tad bit larger. The bruising spans about 8 inches horizontal, and 4 inches vertical. Just barely slightly warmer to the touch than the rest of my tummy. The incision is well healed.

Suzzzie I know this is the opposite of what you asked for but my port site has always been flat like the rest of my skin. It looks just like a very knife small cut. If I press, I can feel my port down there. I never had any bruising. I did have a slight infection from leaving the sticky things on too long (one was wet) and got a bit of pus in one end but it cleared up without anti-biotics after a day or two. I hope yours is normal but it doesn't sound it to me. What did you doctor say? Has anyone else had a raised port site? The fact that you've been in pain for three weeks rings alarm bells.

[mvr 0]

Hey insub thanks for your lovely reply, I don't know what I would do without you all. I don't know about all this nausea, restriction etc you all have. I am HUNGRY and can eat plenty. I have been pretty good about sticking to liquids but I swallowed some chicken today(I'm not sure how it got in my mouth) and had no noticable effects. Maybe I didn't get a band, maybe they stole a kidney!! Time for bed I think. You are all already about to get up, weird huh. Marga

[TexasFire 84]

Suzzzie I know this is the opposite of what you asked for but my port site has always been flat like the rest of my skin. It looks just like a very knife small cut. If I press, I can feel my port down there. I never had any bruising. I did have a slight infection from leaving the sticky things on too long (one was wet) and got a bit of pus in one end but it cleared up without anti-biotics after a day or two. I hope yours is normal but it doesn't sound it to me. What did you doctor say? Has anyone else had a raised port site? The fact that you've been in pain for three weeks rings alarm bells.

I have to agree that the bruising, redness and swelling are red flags. I can definitely feel my port, being a lump barely about the size of a quarter. However the incision is healed, the bruising was gone at two to three weeks out, and there is no pain but only the fact that I know it is there and can feel it in general. In fact, at two to three weeks it was barely noticeable. It's just a thin line on my stomach.

I would definitely have that checked out again, and be insistent on finding out why it is like that and what to do to correct it. I hope you get the answers you need to make that all better very soon! You've been dealing with that quite a while!

[faithmd 14]

It could be an old hematoma, or it could be a localized infection around the port, or it could be what Dana probably had, a seroma. Those are very common for us (my surgeon's group gave numbers at around 40% that develop seromas), and are not serious at all, we just drain a yellowish/reddish-pink Fluid for a bit.

You do need to call the doc and get seen. I bruise very easily and I didn't have bruising like that at all.

[faithmd 14]

Hello JuneBugs!

This is a little gross, but I want to share because some of you might be going through the same thing. I too, had a large swollen, painful port site incision after two and a half weeks post-op. The incision was slightly red, but not infected looking. Then the other day after taking a shower I noticed liquid dripping from the incision. It was a thin, yellow-red tinged liquid that looked like a large blister popped. My incision drained for three days. I had to change the bandage several times a day because so much was coming out of me. The doctor said that sometimes old blood has to make its way to the surface. I am taking a round of antibiotics just in case, but he says that this happens to patients frequently. Now, the port incision has gone down and does not hurt. I am still a little sore sometimes though.

On a lighter note, has anyone tried the Lipton Diet Green Tea? It is delicious and is now my drink of the day since my beloved Diet Coke has gone out the window!

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I am not sure if it is just a check up or if I am getting a fill. I am hoping for a fill because I am HUNGRY!

Talk to ya'll soon.

Sounds like you had a seroma, I guess it's pretty common for us. But can be scary and a bit icky.

I would doubt you are getting a fill, most docs won't even thin of a fill until at least four weeks out because you have to heal and the scar tissue has to form well enough to help hold the band into place. Might be a nutrition appt, too. My surgeon's office combines MD appts with a chance to talk with the nuts.

About being hungry, you're not going to like this but the beloved Diet Green tea may be the culprit. I have found over the past six months that if I drink something with an artifical sweetener in it I am HUNGRY within about 60-90 minutes. Even though we aren't eating sugar, our body is tricked into thinking we are and it says: EAT. This is especially true with Splenda products for me. The sugar alcohols are still processed by the body like sugar and though you don't get the blood sugar spike from taking in a carb, you still get the dip and the release of gherlin that says: Feed Me!

It took me about three weeks without artifical sweeteners to conquer that feeling. White carbs (simple carbs) like enriched flour and refined sugars/high fructose corn Syrup make it awful, too. I switched to making my own Decaf tea (or kool-aid, lemonade, etc) and sweetening it with either Stevia (a natural plant derivative available in bigger supermarkets in the health food section as a supplement or in health food stores) or Blue Agave nectar (has calories and carbs but is low glycemic index, so it is verrrry slowly processed by the body and gives no spikes or dips in blood sugar levels).

I wish us all luck.

[Nina_S 1]

It says Quinoa has 636 calories in 1 cup!! Is that right??

Bcrazy,

That is right for 1 cup of the uncooked grain. Once the grain is cooked, you will actually consume maybe 1/4 of a cup. I like quinoa because it does have Protein.< /p>

Here is a list of better choices for weight loss...130 Better Choices for Weight Loss from Cereal Grains and Pasta

Nina

[ja9va 0]

Hello all! You have been all busy posting, I have been away for a few days, for my son's big day! His wedding was on Saturday, 7/7/07! It was beautiful. I had a food scare, popped a piece of chicken in my mouth down my throat with out thinking. I have had problems with chicken from the start, and I was not paying attention. Well, it hurt and it finally moved after much pain! I did not eat then the rest of the day and as a result the aclohol went straight to my head! I had a rough Sunday recouperating. So, for those of you asking about drinking alcohol, be careful!

I had pizza this weekend too, only one slice. I cut it up in tiny peices and chewed it well. My husband did make a comment regardign the bread factor. But it is different texture than a slice of bread or roll. My nurse said not to eat bread now before a fill because once I have it, most likely I won't be able to. So, I haven't tried a roll, sandwich, etc. I read people eating toast, crunchy bread is ok.

Dan Your salmon recipe sounds great, I actually have some in the freezer and will try it. Where do you buy wasabi?

Pippz great w loss:clap2:

Suzzzie I am glad to hear you are doing better!!

Glad to be back. I feel like I have been away from my band and need to get on it! If that sounds strange.. I just have had company and so much to do, I have not been focused as much. I have been ok on what I have been eating, but just not sure, if that makes any sense:confused:

[huntersmom 0]

I had my first fill today and found out that I have a 4cc band. He put 1cc in it now. I have to be on liquids for 24 hours then proceed slowly to solids. The whole procedure was very quick and painless.

[Suzzzie. 3]

OK, not sure if this will work - But I wanted to show you all my port site bruise. I figure I'm not the only one with a fat tummy here, haha, so I figure it is safe to share. I do think I will call the doc office tomorrow and maybe see if I can be seen on Wednesday (my day off).<br /> <br /> THe first pic is from 6/24, 9 days post op. Initially the bruising was getting better...<br /><br /> Then this one if from tonight, 24 days post op. <br /> <br /> I know its hard to tell the size of the bruise from these, but you can see how it has spread outwards. Very weird.

[captain danbo 0]

ja9va: I think you can get wasbi at any food store. I like to get mine at vons. You can get a few diff kinds I like to get mine in the tube, you don't have to mix anything and it taste really good. I also Like to mix a little with my Tomato Soup because I can't have real food yet so I try to make my Soup and broth taste the best that I can.

[hottytoddy 0]

Suzie - My port site stayed bruised for a long time... a few weeks. It was dark purple for a while then shades of green and yellow. At my one week appt, my doc said I obviously bled a lot around my port. Your bruise looks old (green-yellow) and not new blood (dark purple). Is it getting better or worse?