Cleo's Mom

If you have access to a grocery store that sells rotissiere chickens - buy one. Cut off the amount of chicken you want - remove the skin - and chop it into small pieces. Add this to Heinz Fat-Free chicken gravy and serve over mashed potatoes. It is easy to eat and very good. Good luck.

I had to look up what lumpia was - an apparently it is some type of pastry roll. That and kettle corn (popcorn is not allowed on my diet but everyone's doctor is different) might have caused a blockage of the pouch - in other words - the food is stuck there. Pain is a symptom of food being stuck or blocking the pouch. If this has been going on for 3 hours - get her to an emergency room. They can do tests to see what is the problem and have instruments to unstick the food. Good luck.

Ruth - how many fills did you have and how many cc's in your band? So, if I read your post correctly - the inflammation of your pouch caused the band to get so tight that it cut off circulation to your pouch and parts of it started to die? That's horrible. I am glad you are doing better now. Does your original surgeon know about all of this? I'm sure by now he/she does. I think you are much better off with the anatomy that you have now. After only my second fill (total of 3cc's) I began having trouble with reflux and pain. My surgeon was blaming me for what and how I was eating until he got the results of the upper GI and called me in that day to get a slight unfill (of 1cc). My pouch and esophagus were swollen. I am not fooling around with the band. That is why I am going for a second opinion this week armed with all my test results. This doctor is more experienced and I want a new set of eyes looking at everything. When we read of all the complications - some very serious, like yours- that can happen with the band, we must be diligent about keeping an eye on all symptoms and problems and report them immediately to our surgeons. Good luck.

Swiley - ask about a new med called Kapidex. It might help heal your esophagus and you might feel better. I was too tight with only 2 fills and had to have 1cc removed. My esophagus and pouch were swollen. I have only 2cc's now. Good luck and hope you get better.

Dragonflygirl: I wish you the best of luck on your journey to better health. Obviously the band wasn't for you or your surgeon did a poor job. Either way, I am glad you are feeling better and wish you continued good luck with all of this. Take care.

When your doctor took out 5cc's was that all of your fill? In my opinion that is a lot for a first fill and obviously too much for your band and you. It is your body and band so insist on smaller fills. I would not get 4 cc's put in for the next fill. Tell your doctor you want to take it slow. And make sure you drink water before you leave the office to make sure it goes down. I am glad you are feeling better. Take care.

Do not wait until tomorrow. Call now. This is an emergency. Didn't your doctor have you drink anything after your fill? And yes, you can be too tight after the first fill. Take care and good luck.

It sounds like you haven't reached your sweet spot yet and probably need an additional fill. Only 3cc's was too tight for me. I am at 2cc's now with the unfill. I don't hold out any hope that I will ever find my sweet spot. If you don't have any problems and are still hungry - then you probably need at least one more fill. What does your doctor say?

Have either of you two had a recent upper GI? At any rate, I am going for my second opinion next week armed with all my test results including CD's of my two upper GI's - one after my first fill and the other after my second fill. As an update: after this second upper GI - my surgeon called me in that day (even though it was not a day he sees patients) to get the amount of the second fill removed (1cc). I have felt a lot better since then, no reflux or heartburn or pain. I only have 2 cc in now. But I am still troubled by his attitude when I told him about all my problems after the second fill and before the tests - he said just to eat the protein and throw away all the other food and basically thought it was my fault - what and how I was eating. Well, when he saw that upper GI his attitude was completely different - my pouch and esophagus were swollen and everything was backing up. But even though 2 upper GI's and one endoscopy said I have a hiatal hernia he does not think I have one. That is why I am going for a second opinion - I want a new set of eyes looking at all of this.

Check with Magee Womens Hospital and West Penn Hospital. They have bariatric surgery programs that include banding.

Do you actually feel reflux and hearburn or is it just a discomfort that goes away. It could be an ulcer. I remember growing up that my mom had one and eating made it feel better. Are you on any acid reduction meds like protonix, pepcid, nexium, etc..? Maybe you need to be.

poodles: yes, it does seem like we are punished for losing weight by having to eat less and less to maintain or continue losing. You already started to lose again so whatever you're doing is right. Keep up the good work. I'm with you on the potato chip thing - they have the same value to me as street drugs do for a junkie. LOL. You can keep your chocolate, sweets and ice cream, just give me chips - which is why they cannot be in my house. Ever. Keep up the good work and good luck.

You said you had no co-morbidities and that your bloodwork came back fine. Did you have a sleep study? Did they rule out sleep apnea? What about a pulmonary breathing test? I presume you had all the heart stress tests, etc... If all of this too is negative, then go for the weight gain - it will be the only time in your life that you intentionally wanted to gain weight. Have fun, eat your favortie foods and wear your heaviest clothes. Good luck.

poodles: Even without weight loss surgery a woman should be able to lose weight on 1200-1500 calories even without exercising. We burn at least that many calories for metabolism, digestion, respiration, etc... Add exercise to that (as you have) and you should be losing. But at some point your body does hit a plateau. For each 10 pounds that you lose, you need 150 fewer calories to maintain that weight. So let's say you needed 2000 calories to maintain 200 lbs. When you lose 10 pounds and now weight 190 you only need 1850 to maintain that weight. At 180 you now only need 1700 to maintain that weight...and so on. And we all know about the 3500 calories per pound. So, you will eventually start to lose again. Your body is adjusting. And I TOTALLY agree with you that 800-1000 calories a day is too little - especially if you're hungry (like me). If that many calories satisfies you, then great. But you sound like me in that you need more calories than that. I was banded in Sept. and have only lost 10 pounds from the band (60# prior to and right after banding - on the liquids only - who wouldn't lose weight on that) so you've done great losing 44. It can be frustrating but with the band weight loss is slow. Hang in there and good luck.

Doxie: Your post just reinforces what I have always said. Get copies of all your tests results. If the doctor sees it, then you should see it. Don't take a "no one called" to mean everything was fine with a test. Always follow up with a call and always, always, always, get the test results yourself. Don't just let them tell you "everything was fine". Then start a file for all these results. You will be glad you did.

Some people who have GERD before banding get relief afterward. Others develop reflux and heartburn from the band. That was me until I had a slight unfill. Disucss with your surgeon about repairing the hiatal hernia during surgery. If your reflux or heartburn gets worse after a fill, then you need to have some taken out. But about 80% of those banded develop reflux and heartburn after banding. So, you need to discuss all this with your doctor. Good luck.

Just banded. I miss your Linda Blair exorcist picture from the infamous evil carrot episode. Do you think you might be too tight? Do you have reflux, heartburn or pain when eating? I was too tight at only 3cc, I am now at 2cc and have given up hope of ever finding my sweet spot and resigned to being hungry as I was before banding.

I sent my CPAP back (unused) many years ago - long before I started on the lapband journey. Like you, there was no way I was wearing that medieval torture device. There are many on these boards that swear by them and depend on them, however. Fortunately, I had a new set of eyes looking at my sleep study results and breathing tests and this doctor said I had mild sleep apnea and I was not required to use it prior to surgery. However, since you are required to use one by not using it you might be jeopardizing your surgery because the machines are set up to record your use. If you don't use it they will know. So, maybe you should call your surgeon and ask the reason for it's use. It usually has to do with the anaestesiologist (sp?). You might be able to get away with not using it. But you need to make your case and see what the surgeon says. Or maybe your insurance requires it. I don't know. Good luck.

What did you PB on? Not the carrots again, I hope. How long do you have to be on liquids? Is that by doctor's orders? Anyway, bringing soup would be a good idea or if you can't do that and they have shakes, I would just have a milkshake. It's protein and if it's just this once it should be okay.

Here is my update: After the endoscopy results my doctor ordered an upper GI on 3/19 (Thursday). When he saw the results that day he called me right in (he normally only sees patients on Tuesday afternoons) to get an unfill of 1cc - the amount he put in with the second fill. He showed me the GI film. My pouch and esophagus were swollen - everything was backing up and there was slower motility through the esophagus. Trust me when I tell you his attitude was completely different. He was very nice - no more blaming me like he was when I was telling him of all my difficulties (he told me then to just eat the protein and throw the rest of the food away and take my vitamins). I think he felt guilty. I got immediate relief with this unfill - no more reflux, heartburn or pain. But I am still hungry. My gastro doctor put me on a new med - called Kapidex for all these problems. I am still seeing another doctor from a center of excellence who has done hundreds of bands for a second opinion on April 7th. I am taking all my test results including the CD's of my two upper GI's. When my surgeon said he doesn't think I have a hiatal hernia - I told him the gastro doctor does this all day - everyday. This is what he does. We'll see what this other doctor says. Actually my current doctor suggested a second opinion when I saw him about all the problems I was having and I said "I don't want to do anymore. I don't want to eat any less. I am already hungry, etc... I just want the band to work."

I weighed 196 on the day of my surgery 6 months ago ( I am 5' 5") and 186 two weeks after surgery. I weighed about 180 last week - so I haven't lost much due to the band (2 fills, 1 unfill). However, I have lost about 70 pounds altogether from my own dieting, then the pre-and post op dieting (espeically the liquid only). I had to do a 6 month pre-op diet. Not everyone does. So most of my weight I've lost on my own. The band has not made me less hungry. When I got my sonogram for my gall bladder before surgery the tech referred to my as "tiny" as compared to others. If you are at the low BMI don't expect those big weight losses you see posted on here by others who have much more to lose and who may not have been required to do as much pre-surgical dieting.

Ha sido volver a su cirujano? Cuanto tiempo hace que tiene la cirugia y cuantas llena has tenido?

Not everyone throws up or PB's when stuck. The pain can be very intense - it can feel like you're having a heart attack. The pain intensifies as the stuck food moves through the band. At least this has been my experience the two times I have been stuck. An extremely painful and unpleasant experience. Not something you want to happen.

Dragonfly - I am so sorry about all your problems. Your doctor sounds like a jerk. It's not about the weight or a number on the scale - it's about making you healthier and you clearly are not. You have learned about nutrition on your lapband journey. You know what is healthy eating. Once it is removed you will probably have some residual swelling and won't be eating normally for awhile. Take it slow and when you're ready you can decide if you want another type of WLS. Don't worry about the weight - worry about getting healthier and stronger and feeling better. Take care and good luck.

If you feel stuck you could be too tight. Are you getting stuck when you eat all foods or only certain types of food? And are you getting stuck when you eat slowly and chew well? You might need to have an upper GI to see what is going on. As far as exercise - everyone is different. For me, if I know I have to go to a gym, I know I won't go. Others love the gym and want personal training. So I got a treadmill about 10 years ago and I use that while watching TV. I can adjust the speed and incline. Nothing fancy. You don't need to spend a lot. The fact that you recognize you are not making good food choices or exercising is a first step. Now that it's spring, it might be easier to just get out and go for a walk in a local park. Exercising will actually give you more energy. I will tell you that unlike others on this board, proteins do not make me feel full longer. Carbs do, but I don't eat a lot of them. Try this recipe. Make instant mashed potatoes with skim milk. Buy a rotissiere chicken (or bake some skinless breasts) and chop up some pieces. Put chicken in some fat free chicken gravy (Heinz makes it in a jar) and put it on top of the potatoes in a microwave bowl - heat for about a minute. You have protein and carb. Low fat, too and it might be filling. Add some sugar free canned fruit - like peaches or applesauce. Hope these suggestions help. Good luck.