Alana

Whew - thanks, Lori! That is very reassuring!

I will, Denise - thanks!

Nope, no bruising, thankfully. Just more scary than anything.

So yesterday my boyfriend and I went to a bbq at my parents house. He was rough-housing/playing with my nephews and one of them got too close to me and accidentally kicked me in the stomach. Not hard, but hard enough to feel it. It was pretty low on my stomach, not very close to the port site. The pain went away pretty quickly, so I'm sure I'm fine - if anything was wrong, I'd know by now, right?

I had similar pains, but I would describe them more as like a stitch, or cramp. I don't know if they were exactly at the band site, but they were directly under my left breast. They come and go, but are becoming less frequent as each day passes. Maybe you should email the OCC just to see if they can suggest anything. Hope this helps!

:lb10:

I couldn't find the original post, so I'm creating a new one. In this week's issue of People (with Jenna Bush's wedding photo on the front) there is a 2 page story on the soap actress, Caitlin VanZandt, that had the LapBand in real life and how they worked it into the storyline. Very interesting read! Since her real surgery on Feb 29, she's lost 41 lbs.

GREAT post, Anita! Those are some very good tips for battling the grocery store. I went yesterday to shop for a work potluck (that I can't even eat yet since I'm only 14 days post op!) and it was very tempting to walk by the bakery section and smell the fresh baked bread. I just had to keep walking and not stop until I got the items on my list. NO browsing allowed!

Here in Florida, you can buy Biotin in shampoo and conditioner form. I use it and love it. I don't have thin hair by any means, but it makes your hair super healthy. It comes in different levels depending on how severe the thinning of your hair is. I usually buy it from Trade Secret, they might sell it online, too.

I have torn the ligaments in my left ankle twice, not major falls, but I'm convinced my weight made it worse - hopefully this will help to avoid this in the future.

I saw an Advil commercial and according to them, for every pound you lose, you also lose up to 8lbs of PRESSURE from your knees. How about that!?

yay I'm glad this started a mini discussion

Would love to get involved, but San Diego is just a bit too far for this Florida gal. Have you guys considered anywhere a little more accesible to the East Coast bandsters?

Sounds good, Caro! I also recommend adding a little Vitamin E oil - it works wonders for scars.

Going into Mexico was nothing and leaving it took maybe 10 minutes. You get to bypass all the regular lanes, so there is virtually no waiting. As long as you have your passport or birth certificate, it was nothing! I've waited longer to get my nails done.

Hey Musiclover! At least you are recognizing the warning signs for when you eat/overeat. That's the first step! I'm obviously no psychologist, but maybe try and replace eating with a different activity when you get stressed. I know it's hard to change, but look at how far we've already come!

Hey Darlene, Have you tried sucking on ice cubes while you eat? I've heard that's a good tool on cutting down drinking while eating. I know it's not the greatest substitute, but just remind yourself it's only about an hour before and an hour after. We can do this!!

whew - I just started noticing that, too! glad to know it's normal.

I have been looking into getting one of these! It looks awesome! It'll probably be a couple weeks before I get it, so let us know how you enjoy it!

Thanks, Monet!!

Hey Kimra, I am 12 days post op and I am starting to wash a little more intently around the scar areas. Not directly on the scar itself, but the skin around it. Most of the glue they put on it has flaked off, but some is still persisting. I would just be gentle and try not to rub directly on the scar itself. Once you get a little further out from surgery, I recommend doing some light friction work on the incisions to break up the scar tissue. I'm a massage therapist and I've worked with some surgery patients (mainly those who have had surgery on their breasts due to cancer) and it definitely helps break up that tissue. I even did it on myself when I got a horrible scar overseas and couldn't get stitches. My scar now is so smooth and tiny, you'd never know how bad it actually was when it happened. Just take 2 fingers and massage the area gently. I'd stay away from the port incision, though.

Now that we've all started or are starting on the physical aspect of becoming healthy, I'm wondering if anyone is venturing in to the mental side of it. We all got here for different reasons and training our heads is just as hard as training our bodies. I plan to meet with a licensed therapist to discuss my issues so I can confront this head on. The forum is wonderful for support, advice, comfort, encouragement etc, but I feel like I should speak to someone who is trained to deal with these types of issues. I know I'm addicted to food. I go to food when I'm sad, happy, angry, depressed, excited - whatever the emotion is, I'm eating. I grew up around a few family members that dealt with drug abuse problems and I knew I NEVER wanted to be like them. But, I am - just with food instead of drugs. They've all gone through their own respective rehabs and I feel like this is mine. Anyways, if anyone else has done the same, please post and let us know you're experiences and whether you think it's helping you or not.

Congrats! I cannot wait till I can start working out. I plan to work with a trainer a few times and I'll definitely let them know I am banded. Hope everything goes smoothly for you!

I'm not sure. To be honest, they didn't even ask me if I had any piercings before the surgery.

I was banded on May 9th, so I'm 12 days post op. I finally feel no pain. It was never really bad, but off and on, I get stitches or cramps up under my left breast. I had a little bit of gas pain, but it was actually not too bad. I do get back pains, but I'm not sure if they're related. The first several days, I felt much better after I ate. It lasted longer and longer each day and now, I feel virtually no pain. I hope it gets better for you soon!