tuesdaythecat

I am sched. on 08/08/07 for lap-band surgery. But I have been reading everyones nightmare stories of the "fills."

Do you feel where the port is through your skin ? If so then you could numb it with Emla cream RX'd by a doctor then you wouldnt feel that awful needle. I just want to know can you feel the port just by rubbing your skin ? I am wondering is this surgery worth the trouble ? I am scared !!!

Most people will not be able to feel the port under their skin until they have lost a significant amount of body weight. I still can't feel mine. In TJ they have a lidocaine based spray that is instantaneous to numb the skin (EMLA takes too long). What "nightmare stories" are scaring you? I didn't find the fills that stressful. The biggest stress was waiting in line to get out of Mexico. Personally, I think it was every bit worth it. In the past I was never able to achieve and maintain this kind of weight loss. I would plateau in the 170-180 area and give up and bounce back over 200.

HEY EVERYONE!

I AM NOT COMPLETELY CONVINCED, BUT I THINK THAT MY MUSCLE MILK PROTEIN SHAKES THAT I LOVE AND WAS WILLING TO DRINK FOREVER HERE AND THERE WERE CAUSING MY CONSTANT STRUGGLE WITH CONSTIPATION. THE REASON WHY I AM WRITING ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE I HAVE POSTED MORE THAN ONCE I THINK ABOUT MY STRUGGLES AND PHYSICAL PAIN FROM IT. I RAN OUT OF THEM SEVERAL DAYS AGO AND DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO GET MORE, SO I DECIDED TO JUST LAY OFF THEM FOR AWHILE. WELL, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS BACKING UP SINCE NOT DRINKING THEM. I DRINK MORE OTHER LIQUIDS LIKE WATER, VITAMIN WATER, AND JUICES LIKE BEFORE, BUT JUST MORE THAN I WAS. I FEEL PRETTY GOOD NOW, BUT AM RATHER BUMMED ABOUT, NOT ONLY POSSIBLY NOT BEING ABLE TO DRINK THEM ANYMORE, BUT WONDERING HOW I AM GOING TO GET MY PROTEIN IN EVERY DAY THAT I VERY MUCH NEED. :-?

ANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THIS WOULD BE REALLY APPRECIATED.

PEACE,

JUDY

Have you tried eating meat, cheese, milk, beans, or other good sources of protein??? According to the RDA protein intake should be 15-25% of your daily calorie intake. And yes, the soy proteins in health shakes can cause constipation.

Hi, I was banded on June 5th and I was just wondering if anyone knew how soon after surgery are you able to drink alcohol? I have my first fill July 20th so I am excited and kinda worried at the same time. How do they deadend the skin where they insert the needle to put the stuff in your band? If someone knows the answer to my questions could you please tell me and give me some peace of mind!! Thanks

Krystal

Well, I beg to differ with everyone else. I found the needle to be painful and asked Dr Romero to numb the area the second time and found it to be a better experience for me overall.

I'm right there with ya'. I was banded April 24, 2007 and had my first fill June8th. Honestly, I haven't noticed much of a difference, beside the fact that I feel uncomfortable still with the port. My diet is super healthy, but I find that I can pretty much eat as much as I did before, which is depressing, I just can't eat as fast. I don't think I lost more than 10 pounds. When I was starving I was losing quicker.

What's up with that?

I of beholder

The first fill is not adequate to determine weight loss. You definitely need another fill.

Just another thought. I had a problem with constipation a few months back. I was taking a MVI with too much calcium and it was the culprit. May want to back down on the dosage of the MVI. A lot of multivitamins carry way more than the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin and mineral consumption. And while this may seem like a good thing it is not. Vitamins in excess can have detrimental side effects as well.

Has any one experienced hair loss after the fourth month?

Hair loss can also be the result of a protein deficiency. Make sure your protein intake is adequate.

How do you know when you have a good fill? HOw long does it take to get it? I know everyone is different. I have 1.5 cc in my band and really can't tell a difference, any help will be grateful!

Every person is different on how much it takes to feel restriction. I consider my fill to be good, if it prevents me from eatting too much or too fast. Such as if I try to shove a hot dog down quick, it will either come back up or cause pain.

Hi,

I am in the beginning stages of the lap banding process and have my first meeting with a nutritionist in a few weeks, followed by other appointments to prepare for the surgery. Did anyone not tell family members or friends they were having the surgery? I am hoping to find some support from the people in my life, but I fear that most of them are judgmental and think that this surgery is the easy way out (it isn't!). I need to find someone other than my 11 year old daughter to talk to and find support from. I am a single mom. I live in the Twin Cities and posted an ad for a post op lap band volunteer to be a support to me during the preparation and post surgery. Any advice or input you have would be appreciated. Thanks. Laura

I can totally relate to not telling your family. The only family member I told was my ex-sister-in-law before I went down, incase something happened. After a month I ended up telling my mom. Just this past month I told my sister. But those are the only people that know. I hate feeling like a guinea pig, with everyone staring at you to see if you have lost weight. Or feeling the pressure of waiting for someone to compliment you on weight loss. Family is truly important, but you have to find the strength within yourself. If you can find a support person than good.

You are correct. I need to do much better with my diet. How are doing with yours. Do you solids for all meals? My doctor wants to drink the protein shakes between meals due to Thalasthemia.(ANEMIA CONDITON). kEEP IN TOUCH.

I generally eat solids for all my meals. My biggest no, no is a latte from Starbucks. If I just wake up and am rushing off to work, I generally can't tolerate solids and will do soup or oatmeal.

I was banded on feb, 10, 2007. My bmi was 29. I am loosing weight very slowly. Had 1st. fill on March 24,2007 lost 17 lbs. at that time. Since my fill I only lost 3 more lbs. WhatI am I doing wrong? How do know if my fill is giving me enough restriction. Don't eat much. Drink about 3 protein shakes a day and take

a vitamins.

Weight loss with a low BMI is going to be slow. But the purpose of the band is to eat SOLID FOODS. If you drink protein shakes all the time your body is going to shut down its weight loss because it is not getting a balance of all nutrients. Your body needs some carbs, preferably good carbs. Plus if you don't eat solids you will never know if you have restriction. For me if I eat beyond my restriction or too fast or don't chew enough it feels like some body is stabbing me in the chest.

Hi,

I was wondering if those of you who have made the band work (or worked your butt off for the band!) and have lost significant amounts of weight-

Could you give us an idea of a typical day's meals?? I am not interested so much in the caloric values but the actual content of what you are eating throughout the day? And how are you getting enough protein??

Thanks!

Karen

I guess I am not a good example. I didn't want the band to feel like a diet, so I don't tend to eat as healthy as everyone else does. Yesterday, Monday I had a packet of quaker oatmeal for breakfast, for lunch I had a small fries and 1/4 of mushroom burger from (Runza), I didn't eat supper but had a latte from Starbucks and a chocolate chip cookie. Sunday I had a raisin biscut from Hardees and a latte for breakfast, for lunch I had 1/3 a chicken strip from Kentucky fried chicken with mashed potatoes and beans, for supper I had 1/2 a chicken strip and 2 scoops of ice cream. Work days I usually eat less and better though. I imagine if I ate better I would be loosing more weight, but then my mind would probably revolt from being on a "diet".

I have done soda, but it makes me really gasy and burpy so I try to avoid it for the most part. I hate feeling like an air factory.

Kristi Ann,

I can totally relate. Don't feel alone. I would buy a medium pizza and cheese cake and eat it all. Often I would go to Wendy's and get a burger, large fries, and nuggets. I too still get too much and end up throwing it out. I imagine it will take a long time to totally alter what our subconscious is used to doing out of habit. I think part of myself likes to push the band and see if I can eat it. Ofcourse throwing up hurts, so I hate it when I do it.

Woo hoo! 9 pounds in 2 weeks, good for you. =D>

I'm not saying throw away the scale, in fact I use mine everyday, but there's more to this lengthy journey than what it can tell us. Standing in that section with a sea of clothes opening up before me almost brought tears to my eyes. So I want to know what other non-scale victories people have experienced. It could be comment someone makes in passing, fitting into an item of clothing that's been in your closet for years but never worn, or sitting on an airplane and realizing you weren't crowding into the seat next to you - absolutely anything. I'm sure there are some great stories out there.

Well, I guess as personal NSV is getting to throw out so many clothes because they are too big. Tonight I put on a top for work that was previously too snug and it fit great. But come on scale lets rock!!!!

Hi,

I have read many people's comments that they did not experience much pain. It has been six days and I am still very sore. The first four days I spent in bed. Is this normal?

Four days in bed, can't say that is really normal. Even heart surgery patients are up and walking the day of surgery. I think not being up probably contributed to your pain.

I have the belching whenever I try to eat or drink anything, and sometimes without food or drink. Here is my theory: the stoma now has a very small opening made by the band. When we swallow food or beverages, they are obstructing the small opening. Since air goes down the esophogeous with food and drink, I believe it gets trapped under the band.

The body's normal reaction to having air in the caught in the upper digestive tract is to purge it. I have also noticed every belch helps my stomach contents pass through the band as well. And, being a gentleman, I would rather air come up than go the other direction.

I look at mine like a sink drain that you are taking the stopper on and off. I can feel the food and liquids move beyond the band and if I drink too fast I get to burping more

Today I am wearing my brand new jeans from the normal sized people section of Target. It is the first time in years and years that I've been able to shop outside of plus sizes - ironically on the same day that the scale ticked upwards a bit. It got me thinking that sometimes it is the little things that effect us more than the numbers on the scale.

So here's the question for you: What's your favorite non-scale victory so far?

While I am happy that you are happy, I am a realist. I would like to refer you to a web-site

http://museum.nist.gov/exhibits/apparel/vanity.htm

I still want scale and tape measure.

I hope someone out there can help me!! I am about 3 weeks post op and yesterday morning I woke up with severe left upper quadrant abdominal pain. It is a stabbing pain. I'm on full liquids and am scheduled to advance to pureed on Thurs. I've called my surgeon who was a complete B*/-*+@ and basically blew me off. Has anyone else had anything like this happen to them? I'm really scared and just don't want to be in pain. If you have any advice please email me and let me know. This is really terrifying.

Scared in NH

Scared,

I didn't experience this kind of pain myself. But I would recommend going to the emergency room if you are still having this sharp pain. Could be just the healing process, or could be something else. Always best to be sure. As far as the surgeon, shame on him.

Stacie,

For sure this site welcomes anyone to the forum as long as they are respectful.

I just wondered about the whole TJ thing. So many people on here seem to be using the same Dr and traveling to TJ. :-h

Well, if insurance doesn't cover the procedure in the U.S. it is definately cheaper to have it done in TJ -by at least 20,000 dollars. Secondly Dr. Ortiz has been performing the procedure and is more skilled than most American doctors, so much so that he has trained some to do it. As far as being in this forum, this is the forum associated with Dr Ortiz's clinic -hence why mostly his patients on here.

Does anyone know if Dr. Ortiz will remove a band placed by a different Mexican surgeon?

I am pretty sure he would, since he will go in and do the band on people that have had by-pass. He is very knowledgeable about the band, so I think it would be easy for him.

Hey! I consider myself a binger too, that is why I felt the band would be for me. I had no sense of full and didn't seem to want to know full either. I would get off work in the morning and go to the bakery and get an egg custard and 2 bagels and have them down in no time. After sleeping I would wake up and eat a medium pizza (yes by myself) and have 1-2 pieces of cheese cake afterwards. I could terrorize a 20 piece chicken nugget and chase it with a large fry. I still have the psychological need to binge, but with the band the pain/need to puke stops me short just when I think I am about to go crazy. That is one thing I have really loved about the band, I don't have the dieting binge cravings like I used to because I am not on a diet. I allow myself to have indulgences, but it is all in moderation. As long as you stick to solids, the band will keep you in check. Until my first fill though, I pretty much could eat as I wanted with no restriction. Now with my second fill I am even more in check.

Okay, not sure why you need the passport. Driving into and coming out of Mexico walking or driving does not require a passport. I have yet to be asked for mine and I have even been down this year. The passport law is only for flying into Mexico and flying out of Mexico.

For me personally, if I get food stuck water is the worse thing. Causes me extreme pain. I usually try to walk it off or make myself burp, or the dreaded puke.

I have verizon too, but mine stopped working about 5 minutes past the border when everything switched to spanish.

In the clinic calls are free from your room. I made a few calls to the states. Verizon service was poor, sometimes got a signal sometimes didn't.