Kim E.

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2 months ago I was revised from lap band to DS with D. Elariny in NOVA.  Surgery was open.
I am doing good - still learning how to use the tool - but doing good.

Lost 35 of the 100 I want to lose.  No Nausia. Pooing has gotten a lot better. Usually one big one in the am. I found that if I do not take my fiber pill then the poos are more frequent through out the day. With the pill I can pretty much KNOW that I will go in the am and maybe at home after work. 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00016ACCY/ref=asc_df_B00016ACCY825076?tag=the004-20&creative=380337&creativeASIN=B00016ACCY&linkCode=asn

No real gas issues and I have tried pasta and rolls. Am also keeping up with my vitamins (thanks Gina !! )

I do have to do more protein AND water during the day because I come home exhausted from work and geting in half of my protein after 6pm.

Went back to work FT after 5 weeks and feel better each day. Gone down  4 sizes and so am happy.

Had a new pain develope and after ultrsound found I had a hematoma/blood/fluid sack where the lap band port was removed. It  has improved so am happy for that plus that no hernia had developed!

Thank you all for your wonderful insight, suggestions and support on the boards !

Hugs and KUDOS to you ALL !

Well it has been 9 days and I am doing well. My revision surgery from Lap to DS ended up being open because of  2 previous open surgeries from colon cancer almost 7 years ago. Way too much scar tissue for a lap surgery. 

For whatever reason a leak test could not be scheduled on a weekend so I had to chew ice chips from surgery on a Friday till following Monday leak test.  My first clear liquid meal from the hospital was a banana and a turkey sandwich and choc milk… LOL…   so I ended up with hot tea from the nurses till broth later on for dinner.  

So I stayed in the hospital till Weds because I needed to pass gas before I could go home.  

My staples are doing well, cept for the one at my belly button, which has popped out. I had my neighbor take a look yesterday and she is a surgical nurse and said all looked normal and healing just fine. Whew ! I get them out when I go back on this weds.  

Since Weds I have had diarrhea… 10+ times a day. I chatted with Starbelly here online and we figured it was milk products. So yesterday I cut out all dairy (yogurt, shakes, cottage cheese) and all stopped almost immed. Since all my shakes and bullets are whey --- I am guessing they will be a problem too. I got some lactaid today and will try that by adding something new each day.  

So here I am now. I am sleeping on my side well and actually slept the past 2 nights since was not up pooing. I had gained 22 pounds in the hospital because they did not give me my diuretic (HCTZ) for blood pressure.
 
So since I have been home I have lost that weight plus 10. 
  

yea --- I have my DS planned for Friday -----5 days from now !  Yes I am nervous, but I trust Dr. Elariny.  I have had major wide open tummy surgeries before --- in fact 3, because of colon cancer when I was 41, so I know all about recovering from surgery. So am praying this one I will recover as welll as I have on the past.

Had my 4th fill (5 weeks ago) and restriction has finally come and stayed.  Has opened up a bit, but still eating much less !  

Richmond Surgical likes to see you at every other fill so saw them last week and since I am hungry at 4 hrs after meals, they want me to come back for another fill !  

The next day, I received a call from the main doctor (the doc who agreed to take me on as a patient even though he did not operate on me) and he called to say that he saw I was in for a visit the day before - but he did not get a chance to see me and was just calling to talk to me in person to see how I was doing !  I Was SOOOOO impressed that he did that !  Way Impressed !  So I am very pleased to have a surgeon who cares about his patients and believes in the patients as well as the lapband and how it works.!

Later Folks !
K

I had my 3rd fill  3 days ago and I can tell you that today 3 mos after surgery - I actually felt like I had a band!!  Could only eat half of my scrambled eggs this morning !!  I received 2 more cc's .  so I now have approx 6.4 in the band.  They did it under fluro standing up (so as to accurately see how fast the barium goes down).  I was really impressed !  Much different then my old surgeon's office, but then again my new doc belieaves in the lap band procedure as well as his patients.  I have to drive further - but is totally worth the trip.  The amount of saline that was  withdrawn was not the amount that was suppose to be in there and I was told that the VG band loses a cc or so here n there.  Does not make sense to me - so am just going on faith.  Anyway you look at it - I have 2 more cc's when I left the office than when I arrived, and for now it is working. YEA !!

Well I received a 2nd fill in my 10 cc band. Am now at 6 cc's. Felt some restriction (pressure in chest) at one time, but otherwise keeping the volume down to band servings.  My hunger level has decreased - so that is good.  I had to go out of state to get the fill, since my doc does not believe in doing fills but one in 3 mos.... a detail all newbies need to research in deciding on a doctor.  I had no clue.

Well - it has been 15 days since my fill and I have not lost anything and still feel no real restriction. My surgeon says he does fills once every 3 months to avoid band slipage. 
I found 2 other docs who will give me a fill in 2 weeks. I just have to decide who is right... is my doc right bout slippage or just a control freak with no understanding of obesity?!

Well I just got my first fill this afternoon - under fluro.  I am happy and worried.  The excellent nurse gave me 3ccs in my 10 cc VG band. Yea!!  However my Doc does not want me back for my second fill for 3 months ! BOOOOO!!  This has me worried.  He simply said I need to learn to eat right and exercise 1st  and lose weight slowly before I get another fill and said it will take 3 months, then he leaves without a chance for me to discuss ! 

Do I have a choice??

Gawd I pray I get restriction !!!!!!!!!

Well everything has healed and I can eat what I want.  So this is good and bad!   I still have to wait 4 MORE weeks to get a fill - which is a TOTAL downer.  I am seriously depressed about that.  I am hovering around the 16-20 pound lost mark.  I am not eating the quantity that I used to - but that is by choice.  

My surgeon ONLY  sees 3 fill patients A WEEK which is why my first fill is postponed 2 weeks (6 weeks to 8 weeks out).  I will wait and let him do the first fill and have a discussion with him about the reality of his fill schedule and if it does not improve ... then ... I already have a 2nd fill scheduled 10 days after this first fill with another doctor here in VA.  The 2nd doctor office says I have to file my own insurance for the fill.  Has anyone done that and had reimbursement?  I know my insurance covers the fills, but there is always that chance the coding is wrong at the other doc's office.  Advice is welcome !

Day 19

Well my port site incision is still infected and my surgeon who is an hour away told me to get it looked at here locally.  They cleaned out the wound and sent the pus for a culture.  Gave me antibiotics again and bactraban to put on the wound with a bandage.  When he cleaned out the wound a 1 inch loop of a stitch was protruding out side of the wound.  It was still attached so the doc simply cut it away.  This was a dissolvable stitch.  So hopefully this rogue stitch was why it was not closing??? Who knows?!?!