pamela3782

I had my surgery on 4/15 and have been going through the same thing with the lack of interest with food however Rachel is right, my stomach is growling all of the time. I've learned the difference between being really hungry and just dealing with the growling. I've also come to realize that a lot of the "hunger" i thought I was feeling was in my head. The transition from liquids to mushies and now to more solid foods has somewhat left me feeling guilty when I eat. I tend to put off eating even more because of that. Hopefully once i get my first fill that will change as well. Just remember that when you ate the food that tasted so good, by the time you can actually eat more solid foods, your stomach has shrunk so you will get fuller faster.

Being stuck is a pretty painful situation to be in. It is when your food gets stuck above your band and is having trouble flowing through. It feels like you have food lodged in your esophagus and make you feel like you may vomit and it can make it difficult to breathe. In some cases you do vomit. If and when this happens drink warm beverages. It also helps to take papaya enzyme. This could happen because you.... A. Don't chew your food thoroughly- you are supposed to chew each bite 20-30 times B. Eating to fast- a meal should last at least 20 minutes. It helps when you count your chewing and putting your fork down between bites C. your food is to dry or dense- some people have a problem with cold meat and dense meats like steak or beef. If you take the time to chew many of these issues can be avoided. D. Your band is too tight and some of the saline needs to be taken out. Hope this helps and good luck

I would definitely find a new doctor.... Mine was Dr. Richard Pucci. He is one of three doctors in his practice (Advanced Laparoscopic Specialists LLC) and they are all brothers. Extremely nice people. They are in Suffern NY 845-368-1500, Goshen NY 845-775-7505, Ridgewood NJ 201-447-2808, and Oradell NJ 201-262-4800. Not sure where you are located but if you are near any of those locations they are highly recommended. Hope this helps and good luck! ~Pam

Hi Tracey, I'm glad you came to this site to get your information. You can read all you want but there's nothing like someones personal experiences. I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can..... Question 1: Once you are banded the ask you to drink AT LEAST 64 oz. of Water per day. At first the drinking will have to be fairly slow however once the stomach swelling goes down from surgery liquids will go down more easily. Question 2: They say to make your meals last for at least 20 minutes. You will need to take smaller bites and you will need to chew your food thoroughly. Like Ash said chew each bite 25-45 times. If something is not breaking down in your mouth after that amount of time it's not the best idea to ingest a lot of it if any. Getting "stuck" is not fun. It is very uncomfortable and you want to avoid that feeling as much as possible. The reasoning behind the 20 minutes is because it takes the brain 20 minutes to realize that you are full and only the top part of the stomach can detect that. That is why the band is placed so high. Question 3: Every stage of your banding process will be different. 4 oz. is standard at the beginning but the pouch will stretch and you will eventually be able to eat a bit more. The top portion of your stomach is a harder part to stretch so your going to feel it when it does. Bread may be a problem so you may want to eat the burger without or instead of bread put it between 2 large pieces of lettuce. You are going to be asked to eat your Proteins first when you eat. Question 4: I personally can't feel the band when I move but if I push in on my stomach I can feel the port. I can also feel it when I am laying down but I do still have swelling. Question 5: Most people don't have an issue when getting sick but everybody is different. I know that slippage can be a result of that but its highly unlikely. Question 6: Some people have problems with Pasta, others don't. Like I had mentioned earlier starches are harder to process and you should always put your Protein first. Granted there are going to be meals that you will have minimal protein but you have to make that change to not do that as often. This is just as much a mental change as a physical change. If you don't go in to this with the right mind frame I suggest you wait. You will have to make sacrifices because the band is not a quick fix. It is a tool and you REALLY have to work hard at what you do. Counting calories, burning calories through exercise, getting in your protein (usually 50 grams a day for a woman) drinking water, planning meals, and taking control of your emotions and finding out what triggered you to get to where you are now and figuring out how to fix it so you don't go back. It is a huge lifestyle change but it can also change your life for the better. The band doesn't work for you, you work for it. Good luck with your decision ~Pam

So I had my surgery on 4/15 and the last 3 or 4 days I have been REALLY emotional. I have a lot going on with my family and my marriage stress wise. I have always been a detached person when it comes to showing my emotions to most people and I have some pretty thick skin so not much gets to me but these past few days I have been crying at the drop of a hat. I feel like I don't have any control over what is happening around me when usually I'm at the top of my game. Has anyone else felt an emotional change like this shortly after surgery? What did you do to change it? Did you end up getting a grip on yourself again? Thanks in advance for any advice ~Pam

I'm glad today is easier for you and I know that occasionally you will tend to have minor slip ups but please keep in mind that although you have lost 5.5 in two days even with going over in calories (please don't get me wrong that it great!) you should still try to stay under the 800. The doctor tells you how to make it work for a reason. I KNOW it's really hard right now and the liquid diet post op may seem incredibly drastic at times as well but just keep remembering its all for the greater good in the long run. As an overweight woman myself I have made food an excuse. A lot of times I said I was hungry but in all fairness I wasn't. I was just use to eating. I've realized now that I was flat out lying to MYSELF and the only person that gets hurt is me. You will come to realize a lot of the times the "hunger" is in your head. If you feel yourself getting hungry besides at normal meal times, drink a glass of Water or crystal light. If you can drink that and then 20 minutes later still feel hungry, eat something small. Also, eat slowly and chew thoroughly. It's something you will need practice with anyway so it will get you use to it. It takes a full 20 minutes for your brain to recognize being full so if you are a fast eater by the time you actually feel full, you're actually stuffed. Good luck with everything and if you ever need to talk feel free to message me. ~Pam

I just had Dr. Rich do my surgery on Friday......one word..........AMAZING! I have never seen a doctor care so much for his patients. He is thorough but is the nicest guy. I had my surgery done at Good Sam and I can't say enough about the staff. They had me sooooooo at ease. The nurses were all terrific, the anesthesiologist was incredible, and the other surgeons (who I can't remember because I was under) must have been fantastic because my recovery has gone without a hitch. The nurses at good sam even called me the next day to ask how I was doing. I wish you the best of luck (Not that you'll need it with Dr. Rich). Please keep me posted on your progress and let me know how everything went. If you have any other questions please feel free to message me ~Pam