At Long Last!!!

[Littleroo27]

*Waves* Hi guys! I know I've been incommunicado for months, but I just wanted to let you know that I FINALLY got banded!!! Unfortunately, I didn't get to have it done by Dr. Ortiz, but fortunately, my office's new insurance covered the procedure! I had surgery last Friday in San Diego, CA (Scripps Green Hospital) with Dr. Takata. The surgery itself went wonderfully and I was in very little pain afterwards. Yes, I did experience the wonderful shoulder pain from the gas, but thanks to you guys, I already knew what it was! I do have one small complication, which is that the vein where my IV was is now infected (ew), so I have to take antibiotics every six hours. I've been bitching about it more than any of the incisions from surgery!!!

My parents flew out the day before surgery and stayed with me for a while, which was really great. We reserved a two bedroom suite at this really old and pretty hotel close to my apartment so they could kind of watch over me. Mostly that included making sure I had enough water and dragging me outside to walk, lol. Oh, and driving. The hospital told me not to drive for at least a week, two would be better. I didn't even think about that pre-op, so it was great that they were around. My dad went home on Monday and my step-mom stayed until Thursday. We'd drive to a fabric store or craft store and I'd walk the store a few times, looking at things, then sit and wait for her to finish shopping. I was amazed at how much energy I did not have, but at the same time, amazed at how much pain I was NOT in. Like, I really wanted to be able to go to Sea World or the Zoo, but I just knew I wasn't ready for it yet. I think in another week I'll be ship-shape though. My bruises are about half gone already, and I barely pause when I stand up now, though I do still notice everything seems a bit "tight".

I've had to ignore the whole "no sugar" rule, because I simply cannot ingest fake sugars, but I've been really good. I use Propel "to go" instead of Crystal Lite. It's only 10 calories and doesn't have the same effects on my body. And I'm using these great soy-based soups for my "creamy" phase. Okay, I admit that I blended up two turkey hot-dogs yesterday with two slices of soy cheese and nibbled on it, but it didn't seem to be a problem going down, and after that I went back to tomato soup. It just felt so good to CHEW something, even if it did look like baby food, lol.

Anyway, I'm just so thrilled to finally be starting this journey and so thankful for all the things I learned before the surgery just by listening to you guys and hearing about your adventures!

Starting Weight: 331

Pre-Op (09/11/07): 307

09/19/07: 302

5'4" / 27 years old

[Teri]

*Waves* Hi guys! I know I've been incommunicado for months, but I just wanted to let you know that I FINALLY got banded!!! Unfortunately, I didn't get to have it done by Dr. Ortiz, but fortunately, my office's new insurance covered the procedure! I had surgery last Friday in San Diego, CA (Scripps Green Hospital) with Dr. Takata. The surgery itself went wonderfully and I was in very little pain afterwards. Yes, I did experience the wonderful shoulder pain from the gas, but thanks to you guys, I already knew what it was! I do have one small complication, which is that the vein where my IV was is now infected (ew), so I have to take antibiotics every six hours. I've been bitching about it more than any of the incisions from surgery!!!

My parents flew out the day before surgery and stayed with me for a while, which was really great. We reserved a two bedroom suite at this really old and pretty hotel close to my apartment so they could kind of watch over me. Mostly that included making sure I had enough water and dragging me outside to walk, lol. Oh, and driving. The hospital told me not to drive for at least a week, two would be better. I didn't even think about that pre-op, so it was great that they were around. My dad went home on Monday and my step-mom stayed until Thursday. We'd drive to a fabric store or craft store and I'd walk the store a few times, looking at things, then sit and wait for her to finish shopping. I was amazed at how much energy I did not have, but at the same time, amazed at how much pain I was NOT in. Like, I really wanted to be able to go to Sea World or the Zoo, but I just knew I wasn't ready for it yet. I think in another week I'll be ship-shape though. My bruises are about half gone already, and I barely pause when I stand up now, though I do still notice everything seems a bit "tight".

I've had to ignore the whole "no sugar" rule, because I simply cannot ingest fake sugars, but I've been really good. I use Propel "to go" instead of Crystal Lite. It's only 10 calories and doesn't have the same effects on my body. And I'm using these great soy-based soups for my "creamy" phase. Okay, I admit that I blended up two turkey hot-dogs yesterday with two slices of soy cheese and nibbled on it, but it didn't seem to be a problem going down, and after that I went back to tomato soup. It just felt so good to CHEW something, even if it did look like baby food, lol.

Anyway, I'm just so thrilled to finally be starting this journey and so thankful for all the things I learned before the surgery just by listening to you guys and hearing about your adventures!

Starting Weight: 331

Pre-Op (09/11/07): 307

09/19/07: 302

5'4" / 27 years old

Littleroo,

I am soooooooooooooooo happy for you!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!! You have waited a long time to have the band. It has to be a great feeling to know your weight will come off almost effortlessly, compared to trying on your own anyway that is. Keep us updated with your progress. You can know experience everything you already know about the band and fills and etc. WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teri

[Guest cyndir]

CONGRATS!!

We had our surgeries about the same. I went to OCC and surgery was 9-20-07! Our experiences were different though similar. I too had that shoulder pain for 2 weeks! It hurt like hell to me. I was told, walk, walk, walk. Well I did just that. I walked for 4 hours the day after surgery and 4 hours the next day too. I walked too much and ended up with a huge hematoma...it was under the skin and covered from above the highest incision to the far left and down to my belly button. It was about the size of a big grapefruit! You could see the dark purple-red on my skin but the discomfort was the huge lump between my skin and my muscle all in the fatty tissue! I traveled in cars and in the airplane the forth day after surgery, then back to work on the fifth day. I sit in a desk and lean forward to talk to patients all day. The incisions and just bending forward made me pretty uncomfortable. The worst day was the 14th day. I worked half day, then had to drive 3 hours to a conference in a town 200 miles from home. I worked then drove and didn't drink enough that day. I had incisional pain, hematoma pressure on my port and still the diaphragm irritation/shoulder pain!!

I ended up calling Dr. Ortiz who told me to go to a doctor to be examined. I called a NP who I knew in that town and she assessed me, we concluded I had just over done. I rested, drank warm broth and put a warm pack on my abdomen/bruise/hematoma and finally got comfortable.

I think the take it easy approach with short periods of slow walks is much more advisable.

I am now 23 days out and have nearly no discomfort. I still have a firm lump under the skin, over the muscle/in the fat: it is the shrinking hematoma that I understand may take months to resolve and may actually leave a hard mass for even longer. But I have plenty of time before all the fat is gone so figure the lump won't be noticed by anyone but me. My incisions are so small and thin that I figure if I ever lose enough weight that anyone will see my stomach they will just think they are old stretch marks or just wrinkles or something. I have no regrets...do you? Cyndi

[Littleroo27]

EEK, it's incredible that you were able to walk to long right after surgery, but probably was a bit much, yikes! I felt really weak after surgery, just walking down the hall and back at the hotel was a work in baby steps.

I'm officially four weeks post-op and everything is going great. My arm is all better now, and, like you, my incisions are just pink lines! I totally understand the leaning forward thing - I still can't do it very well, cuz it feels like the port is digging into my muscles. I guess I'll learn better posture now, huh?

My post-op weight loss has been... well, not nearly as much as I'd like, but I'm trying to ignore the scale and just let things happen as they happen. Right now I don't have much restriction and am waiting for my first fill on October 29th - just in time to avoid all that Halloween candy at the office!!! Honestly, the only reason it's bugging me so much is that I seem to be sitting right on 300 lbs right now, and I just want the stupid scale to start showing a 2 at the front!!!

Like you, I have no regrets at all. I felt full for the very first time when I was eating pureed foods and had to force myself to stop before the food was gone. It's really an amazing experience to NOT clean one's plate!

Beth

[PAMMIE]

I WONDERED LITTLEROO =D>

CONGRATULATIONS!!!