Lady Lexie

Hi, after being banded for almost 4 years I am ready to try to get pregnant. I just have so many questions about doing so while being banded. My main concern is about having issues with my port. Sometimes it is sensitive and painful. Frequently it flips as well which causes discomfort when my surgeon pokes around to do an adjustment. I'm Worried that as my belly gets bigger I will experience some issues with this. I have read that some people do experience this during pregnancy. I also read that some people have issues with eating. What happens if I have really bad morning sickness and this causes band slippage or other issues? Can anyone shed some light on this topic for me? I saw that someone had surgery while pregnant how does that work and is safe? I would appreciate any info on banded pregnancy experiences. Thanks!!

Glad to see that your first pregnancy went well with no issues. As for you port pain now... Has your current doctor given any reason or advice on this?

Ok, that's pretty much what I was told by my surgeon when I went in to learn about the band before surgery. Guess I won't stress too much and hope for the best!

How did they do during their pregnancies? Smooth sailing or any issues that came up?

I will definitely consult them both. It's just helpful to hear if anyone has had a personal experience with this situation.

Anyone??

I got the lap band in April of 2011 and was able to lose over 60lbs. Since I got married in August I started to slip with eating habits when I enjoyed myself on my honeymoon. I then started a very stressful internship in the fall with a hospice agency. I have very little time between school, work, internship, and my marriage and find that I stopped planing meals, stopped exercising, and started stress eating. Since my honeymoon I put about 20lbs back on. I am so ashamed of this but I want to put a stop to it before things get even more out of control. I am worried that I have stretched my band and my pouch. Is it possible for your band to stretch if you over eat for a while? If so how is this issue resolved? What happens to the band and the liquid inside it when you over eat? I have started the 5 day pouch test (diet of 2 days liquid and gradually back to solids) to help tighten up my Pouch. I heard this helps WLS patients get back some feeling of restriction. I have also made an appointment to see my surgeon on Monday and hope I can get some help with this. I have also went grocery shopping and made sure to stock up on healthier food to get back on track. I plan to start up with the gym again 1 day a week. I know it's a small start but at least it's something. I started taking B12 because I feel tired all the time so hopefully this will help me get back to exercise. Can anyone answer these questions Or has anyone been in a similar situation?

Marci, thank you so much for sharing. It is helpful know that there others dealing with this issue. I have lost a few pounds from the pouch test and hope that I will be able to keep it off and progress after the pouch test is over. That is awesome that you were able to lose 12 out of the 24 you gained...keep up the good work! I was lol when you said your hubby claims the you force fed him carbs haha.

Just an update: today I'm on day 3 of the 5 day pouch test. I have completed 2 days of liquids and will have soft food today. I have lost 5lbs! It feels good to be movin forward again.

Thank you for your response. I haven't experienced sliming or being stuck from over eating. I have only had brief moments of getting stuck if I take too big of a bite of food or forget to chew well. I have eaten slider foods so I assume you are correct. I was just concerned that if over eating stretched anything that I would need surgery to correct it. I am relieved that this issue may be resolved with fills and eating better/less.

Thanks!

That's awesome! Good luck to you on continuing your success!

Hi, yesterday I had my first fill. It felt so weird as the dr. Was poking around to find my port. I think he said he put in 2cc not sure what size band I have. He said it was kind of a significant fill. So after the fill he has me go into the lobby area and the receptionist hands me a cup and drink water to test the it goes down. Water went down ok. What if it hadn't though? What if I spewed water all over the lobby? Lol I think they should ask the patients to drink it in the exam room just in case this happens to save from embarrassment. So anyway when I drank the water instantly I felt a tightness in my chest, like air was stuck in there. I have had this feeling frequently before I even got the fill. It just seemed a bit more aggressive after the fill. I have a co worker who had gastric bypass and she says that she often gets this feeling as well. She said that she take a chewable tab that is like gas x. So I guess I have just accepted that I will have this feeling often for the rest of my life. It feels like there is a burp that won't come out. I know a lot of people experience this right after surgery from the gas they put in you but how about since being banded in general? Some have said this happens when they are too tight but i havent had any restriction and this happened. My other question is what should I expect to be different since being filled? I know that some people do liquid for a couple days after. My surgeon said no more shakes just 3 meals a day. He said that I need to get ready and get used to living a "normal" and healthy life. Not to really snack in between as well. So I'm a bit worried that it won't be enough to hold me over. He also said that I can take it slow and do soft food for the firt couple days. Before I would fill up on a few onces of food but 2-3 hours later I would feel starving. I am hoping this will hold me longer. I know everone's experiences are not all the same but I would like to hear some and compare to maybe form a picture of what I might be in for. Thanks! Any advice welcome.

I agree with your theory, I have always heard that its better for you to eat 3 small meals a day and small meals/ snacks in between rather than 3 larger meals with no snacks. I feel like when I do this it makes me want to eat a horse because I have been going longer without food. But for bandsters I guess if we eat in between meals it is called "grazing" and could allow us to take in more calories than we should. I think I am going to try my best to do the meals with no snacking, but carry protein bar or cheese just in case so I don't end up wanting to over eat at the next meal.

Thank you for sharing. I am 6 weeks post op. You are lucky that you were doing well enough for that long with out it. That is definitely an accomplishment. I experienced some of the "bandsters hell" while waiting for the first fill. As for the lidocaine I agree, my doc didn't offer it and I didn't think the needle was that bad. The wiggling of the port just felt so strange to me. Do you know how many cc's you got?

I will try the Protein shakes from costco. I like that it is less onces than some other the other shakes but still has 30g protein. I am a little worried to try peppori slices because I have heard that some thick deli meats are harder to break down but I guess I won't know what works for me until I try. vickyd an example of what I eat goes like this: Breakfast is usually 1/4c of egg beaters scrambled with once slice of wheat toast and once slice of cheese mixed in the egg. lunch might be a Protein Bar (special k 10grams) or tuna salad. dinner might be a piece of chicken, a ground meatball,or tilapia. Usually with a little potato or broccoli. Snacks are usually the round babybel laughing cow cheese light or 5 wheat crackers with Peanut Butter on them. Some Protein shake in between. Does this sound ok? I have tried nonfat Fage yogurt with truvia and fruit... Not a big fan but I will eat it. The problem I run into is when I'm at work and can't sit down to eat. I rely more on shakes and bars.

So I am 5 weeks post op and seem to be doing well with keeping things down. My problem is that I feel like I am having a difficult time meeting my requirements of 40 to 60 grams of protein and 6 to 8 cups of water. In between meals my dietitian encouraged doing 4 oz of protein shake in between meals but the dr told my not to rely on shakes and try to focus on getting all my protein through food. Also with the shakes I cannot drink an entire bottle at a time so I'm not getting all of the protein from it. As far as the water or liquid goes... I feel bloated a lot from trying to get it in between meals. Plus I have to wait 30 mins after eating to drink so then I sometimes forget to start drinking again. Does anyone know how much liquid we could hold at one time? Sometimes I have the urge to chug half a bottle of water to get it over with but I know this would be bad. I sometimes take a couple big gulps and notice this makes me burp of have slight chest pain. I know I am suppose to sip but it is hard to break old habits when you are thirsty and just want to drink. Does anyone have suggestions for the water and protein? Maybe food suggestions to replace the shakes as snacks. I eat cheese a lot but I'm looking for other snack type protein foods. Does anyone eat the revival chips and food meant for bariatric patients?

Thanks for the responses... I will try both suggestions.

I needed to loose about 65lbs also. I just got banded 3 weeks ago. Getting cold feet is normal... But think of it this way, you are doing this surgery to better your health and to prevent any other health issues associated with being over weight. That's how I looked at it. I don't have diabetes but I am at risk as both my father has it and my mom is pre diabetic. I also had gall stones and needed to get my gallbladder removed. The lifestyle we live and the foods we eat can cause some serious issues in the future. I feel that by getting this surgery I have chosen to put an end to that. Even though it is still possible to eat unhealthy foods, I now have this tool that will allow me to feel full and not over eat anymore which motivates me to eat healthier.I also struggled in the past with up and down weight loss but it would always come back. Hope this helped.

What is slime? I am only 3 weeks post op and haven't experienced this yet. Also my dietitian recommended taking papaya enzyme if I get stuck. I believe this helps break down the stuck food faster. I am going to see if GNC has it. Also how long does this stuck feeling last for?

How soon after surgery did you have sex and caused this? Also how did your doc know that the port had moved? I ask this because am 3 weeks post op and after week 2 my boyfriend and I had sex. I didn't have any pain by my incisions or anywhere so I figured it was ok as long as we were careful. when I went to my post op appointment the dr said my incisions healed well. No cause for concern right?

This sounds so yummy. When I can start eating solids i am definitely going to try this!