JoJo22

Hello,

This is me reaching out to you all... I am exactly one week out from a gastric sleeve op and today when I was prepping dinner for my kids and husband, without thinking, *ARGH* I tasted my turkey meatloaf. By the time it hit me that I should not be eating it and I spit what was left of it out, I had already swallowed a bit. I am on post-op phase 3 diet (for my Dr. that means liquids only for the first 2 weeks, which by the way is already getting rough because I'm really hungry all day). Anyone out there experience something similar, or was allowed to eat mushy solids sooner? I am feeling a bit nauseous and worried I might have done damage to my new stomach. I have to keep working on old reflexes... I would really appreciate any advice or feedback anyone has on this topic.

Meanwhile, since I'm only a week away from surgery, and this is my second run around, I thought I'd also take a few minutes to share my journey. I had a lap band put in 2011 and lost 110lbs within a year. I was eating well and exercising a lot and for most of that time had very little to no restriction on my band because for some reason just having the band itself in there was restricting enough. About a year and 1/2 into the surgery, I started to get stuck a lot, (with no restriction). In fact, for almost a year after that I could not eat solids without throwing up. So if I chose to eat solids I knew I would be vomiting a few minutes later... Awful year+ and when I got pregnant and could not even keep liquids down, I ended up getting my lap band taken out at 8 months preggers. It turned out that it has slipped and twisted inside me. What upset me the most is that my Dr. didn't catch that in any of the test we did, including an upper endoscopy. In any case my baby is now 10 months old and though initially I ate like a fiend when the lap band was out and I could finally eat solids, (and I was at the end of my pregnancy), I lost the baby weight pretty quickly. BUT THEN... When I went back to work the stress and pressure of managing it all just got to me and I snapped back into my emotional eating habits. When I think about it now, I also realize that the whole time the lap band was twisted and slipped and I couldn't keep solids down I lost all my good eating habits because I would eat more unhealthy liquids (i.e. ice cream, creamy Soups, juices) just because that is all I could eat.

In Feb. I went back to my surgeon and said I wanted to talk about options because I was starting to gain (and did gain by the time I had the Sleeve surgery almost 50lbs of the 110lbs I had lost. I was devastated, couldn't get things under control, and wanted to figure out how I could stop the downward spiral. That appointment led to a "revision", which did not happen in one surgery, essentialy that is what the second surgery was. I can't believe I'm here all over again! The first few weeks really are rough since I do not like sweet shakes and that is pretty much all I can have. BUT, I am grateful that I was able to find another solutions and get back on track. Also, what is great is that after the lap band it was a crappy, long recovery for me, mostly because they gave me Percocet for pain and it turned out I was very allergic to it but we didn't realize that it was causing me chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. Can you imagine that first week when all the gasses they pump in are killing you and chest pain/inability to breath/rash on top of that... This time around at a week out I feel like a different person! I am grateful for my journey and everything it taught me, but it sure was a roller coaster.

Thanks for reading my story.

Jo

I waited because neither me nor the surgeon were sure what was going on in there, and given that the lapband can be moody and inconsistent sometimes I thought that maybe it would get better. I think I am also very afraid of gaining all the weight back and loosing 'control'...

The OB team and my GI feel that at this point in my pregnancy not being able to keep down any food and recently even liquids for another 2 months and medicating the pain for that length of time would be worse for the baby then removing the lapband. I've been on an IV since Wednesday just to stay hydrated... So even though I'm nervous about this on several levels, I do trust doctors' recommendation.

Hello Lap Banders -

I am 8 months pregnant and having my lap band removed today. It's been a long ride but I haven't been able to eat solids in at least a year and now liquids are giving me a hard time too, plus having acute abdominal pain and they ruled everything else out... I've had the lapband in for nearly 2 years and with no fill since 6 months in. The doctors don't think it's a slippage and couldn't see what is wrong but from my research and reading I am thinking this might be the esophageal enlargement issue?!?

In any case, I am nervous first and foremost to have the surgery while pregnant since they cannot monitor the baby during the laproscopy, and also so nervous about future weight gain. I had lost 102lbs in my first year and even with almost or no fill, but now I'm worried I will lose control, especially given the pregnancy. But I can't keep living on Soup and ice cream my whole life, not to mention that right now even those won't stay down...

Has anyone been through anything like this and/or had their band removed during pregnancy?

I am also concerned about post op pain and recovery since my post op after putting the lap band in was AWFUL!!!

Any advice and words of wisdom are welcome!

Thanks!

Jo

Hi All,

I am wondering if you have any advice on when and how you know that the majority of your excess weight is leftover loose skin vs. pounds you can still lose.

I am currently at a weight I've been at before (a long time ago...) but with more muscle than last time and so I'm not sure how many more pounds I can lose, especially given that I'm sort of at a stand still despite working out a lot and eating properly. It also seems like I have a lot of loose skin from all the yo yo years and my pregnancy so it's confusing.

Any ideas on how I can get a better sense? Is it time to see a PS surgeon yet? Also, anyone have any information or had non-invasive or minimally invasive PS? I am terrified of the surgery, having been told it's the most painful recovery ever...

Looking forward to your input!

Thanks!

Jo

Thanks for the input everyone. I stayed on liquids today and I am feeling better. Will do the same thing tomorrow.

So I got stuck yesterday after a few bites of grilled salmon, and everything came back out pretty violently (without my control... and sorry if this is TMI.).

Since then I've had this weird pain inside when I take a deep breath or now even just as I sit here typing. I also didn't feel like eating and only forced myself to drink a Protein Shake for some nutrition since I had only had Breakfast all day.

I am wondering if this is just my body reacting to what happened, an irritation from the incident, or whether the throwing up did something to my band and moved it out of place or something.

Anyone experience something similar? What does it feel like if your band slips and can this happen from such an experience?

I'd appreciate any advice you have.

Thanks,

Jo

PS - I forgot to mention another tool that might help you that someone else on here recommended to me -- the Body Media Fit band. You wear it most of the day and night (up on your arm) and it measures your daily caloric burn, your sleep efficiency (which is important for weight loss) and if you enter your calorie intake it helps you monitor your weight loss and why it might or might not be working. I just ordered one today and they have a special on the one with the bluetooth (which you can use to get up-to-date info on your phone). If you go to their website and call them before you order they can give you a promo code for 50% off which is a great deal!

I'm on the same boat as you... Although I only had the surgery 3.5 months ago. My weight loss has tapered off and some days I get on the scale and it goes up even though I've been exercising vigorously 5-6 days a week and eating between 1000-1200 cals a day. I drink all my Water, though and then some. Water helps dissolve the fat so I would recommend that you try to get to 8 or more glasses a day. But, it's true that sometimes no matter what we do the scale doesn't seem to reflect it. It's very frustrating, I know... I'm about to see a nutritionist again in a couple of weeks and I'm going to see what she thinks. But in the mean time, try to hang in there and stay motivated (I know it's hard). I would also recommend going on MyFitnessPal.com (free website and also an app for smartphones). Enter your info and see what they recommend for daily calorie intake. I also use it to log my food and track my workouts and weight loss. It helps to keep you aware, because sometimes we just don't realize how much we take in or how many calories we burn, so this is a great tool for that. If you join, add me as a friend (jrom22) if you want

Good luck to you and all of us!

Jo

Thanks for sharing! I am on myfitnesspal (username jrom22 if you want to add me as a friend I agree it is super-helpful.

I am with you on the not being a low carb fan, but my dr's instructions are basically no carbs other than some fruit and veggie type stuff until I hit my weight goal, so I feel very conflicted... I don't want to feel like I'm "cheating" but I don't like to feel so restricted by the dr's diet. For me, that wasn't the point of getting banded--it was to eat smaller portions and make smart choices but not feel deprived. Also, even though I had my first fill, and I'm having this wicked heartburn, I don't feel a restriction. I am able to eat 4-5oz of fish for example, plus veggies and still feel hungry so I'm mostly controlling and measuring my portions and working out a lot.

Hey thanks! You're doing awesome too! 22 lbs in a month?? That's nearly twice as fast as me! Great job!

I count calories mainly. I stick under 1200 a day. And I also count Protein. I usually eat around 70-80 but try to be at least above 60. I'm not a low carb fan.... I eat starches... I just eat everything in moderation and make better choices than i use to. I buy low carb tortillas if im having mexican food... Ya know, stuff like that. I keep record of all my food intake on myfitnesspal.com it's awesome. I highly recommend it.

For some reason the Tums isn't working for me and I think I'll go get the chewable Pepcids today.

On a side note: Wow! 3lbs a week is so awesome! Congrats. Do you mind sharing if you do the low fat, low carb diet and whether you count calories, Protein grams or something else?

I'm doing OK but still confused about what I should be counting and feeling like I'm not eating enough, though I'm working out a lot so I'm hungry often. My Dr. gave me a fill even though I had lost 22lbs at my 1 month visit. He didn't even ask...

Thanks again for sharing!

JoJo

I've had heartburn since surgery. I take tums when it's bad and that always fixes it for me. I've yet to have a fill(2 months since surgery) but im losing about 3 lbs a week so I don't need one yet, I do get those painful burps all the time too... But my doctor said that was common. If it gets worse I should let him know.

Hi All,

I just had my first fill on Wed (3cc) which I do not feel is restricting my food intake as much as I thought it would, but I am still eating very cautiously. However, I am having major discomfort, some pain in the abdomen and really BAD heartburn that even keeps me up at night, including burps that sting!

Anyone else have this experience? I tried tums and Aciphex and neither have helped. Any suggestions, ideas, and experience you can share would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

JoJo

Hello Again,

I live in the New Haven area and had a lap band placed a month ago. I am unhappy with my doctor, and looking for someone else in the area to hopefully take over my overall care, fills, etc...

I am looking for someone personable with which I can develop an easy rapport, ask questions and voice my concerns. Good patient-doctor relations are important to me, and I feel like my current doctor is a good surgeon but not approachable at all when it comes to post-op care. Every time I ask a question he frowns in disapproval and refers me to the nurses. I'm not sure what the disapproval is about, but I don't think I'm asking unusual questions... And I've been following all instructions and loosing weight.

Today I got my first fill and he barely asked me any questions about how I was feeling and handling all the diet changes and eating habits so far before doing the fill. He proceeded to do the fill without even discussing it with me (so he didn't mention the amount or the typical quantity or post fill experiences). And then once he did it he just told me to go back to liquids and then mushy food for a few days and walked out of the room. Needless to say, I'm not happy. I don't expect a surgeon to spend an hour with me each time I go, but I'd like to be more informed in advance of my care, and feel like I can ask questions without feeling intimidated.

So if you know a good, personable doctor in the New Haven or surrounding area, please let me know.

Thanks!

JoJo

Hi Everyone,

I got my first fill today (3cc) and am feeling a bit weird inside but OK overall. However, I was told to go back to liquids today and then to mushy foods tomorrow. Is this a typical protocol? Did others get the same instructions or is this just my dr.'s orders? Also, I'm just wondering if 3cc is a typical first fill. I was terrified of having it at all and was hoping to wait a bit longer before getting filled.

I'd be grateful to hear your experience with this matter.

Thanks,

JoJo

Hi All,

I'm 3 weeks post-op and was feeling much better physically about a week ago. All of a sudden now, it hurts around my abdomen when I sit down, as if something is pressing down on something. I don't think it's my port, because that is located higher than where the pain is presenting.

Anyone experience this before? Is it normal to feel better and then feel worse again? The only reason I can think of is that once I started to feel better and became more active maybe I aggravated something in there or something moved??

Not sure but feeling concern and since it's saturday I don't think calling the doctor will be much help. I don't have a fever or other symptoms.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

JoJo

I also started mushies this week and though there was no weight gain, I have lost only .5 lb here and there. As far as eating during this phase, I try to add unflavored Isopure Protein Powder to almost any of my mushy meals (cream of whole wheat, yogurt, Soups, sugar free Jello, etc...). It helps me get enough Protein in for the day without adding too many calories and I think that's the hardest part of this phase, since I'm still not allowed to eat meat or fish or other forms of animal protein that have a decent amount of protein per serving. I am still weighing myself twice a week, which I know some people would disapprove of, but it's my way of keeping track of what's going on, and for now I feel I need to do it. Also, are you exercising yet? It's very important to start moving as soon as you feel able to. That really helps the weight loss (in combo with your post-op diet). I started walking very slowly 3rd day after surgery, then have been increasing to 2-3 miles a day or 30 minutes on the elliptical at slow to moderate pace, depending on how I'm feeling that day. I think that helps too. I don't have as much experience as some of the other responders, but I've been told the same things about plateauing and also about not worrying so much about the pounds dropping until after you get the fill (but I think we still worry because it's hard not to think that way after all this time Good luck!

That sounds heavenly!!! Congrats :} I'm 2.5 weeks out but still on mushies. Friday I''m supposed to do fish for a week, then a week later chicken and pork, then a week later beef. If I stick to this it will be a month before I can eat decently. Don't get me wrong, I love fish, but a week of it -- yuck! I'm thinking if I can stomach the fish I will start integrating chicken and turkey sooner. Here's to solids!

joJo

Two weeks post op...today I went to see my dietician..... thought I would be upgraded to puree foods.....I was given the go ahead to start regular Proteins....chewed, to applesauce consistancy....my mom took me to red lobster..I had shrimp scampi:) three shrimp = 3 oz....I was full:)......

Thanks for the feedback and the good wishes everyone. Reading your stories helps me feel like I'm not alone. I went to my Dr.'s support group last week and there were 3 people there including the moderator. I thought I would be able to talk about how I was feeling, but they made me feel like I was crazy for being sad and not excited for getting banded. I know this will be a long journey, and I hope it will get better, and that I will be thrilled with my decision. But right now I am still struggling with the early post-op restrictions and going through a rough time in my personal life too. Since the "crutch" of eating to feel better is gone, everything else seems to be crashing down too... I know it will take time, but I have to get through it the best way I can each day. I live in CT so I placed a post on here to see if others from my area would want to start a live support group, but didn't get many takers. It's too bad because I feel like that would be a HUGE help. Writing on here helps, as does reading people's comments, but it's not enough. I did move on to the mushies phase. It's definitely better than liquids, but a lot of things are not agreeing with me so I keep eating the same stuff which is getting old fast. I'm also really unsure about how many calories to eat or how much Protein. I didn't get clear instructions from my Dr. and right now I'm eating/drinking about 500 calories a day, which feels really low, but have not lost weight in a few days. I'm also afraid that once I add calories I will start gaining. Argh... All these questions, not a lot of answers...

BUT, I am grateful for this community!

Thanks!

JoJo

I like syntax for flavored shakes (which I can't take much of these days, being that I just got past the liquid phase), and Isopure has an UNFLAVORED Protein Powder that I love because I can add it to salty foods. I've been adding it to Soups, my mushies, cream of wheat. You can hardly tell (and sometimes can't tell at all) that it's there... It's got no carbs and I believe 26g protein/scoop. I even add half a scoop to a Tall Decaf LIGHT coffee frappuchino (which I love and which is only 90 calories). You can't tell it's in there and so I even get my coffee treat/snack with extra Protein. It's pricey but worth the money, especially if you're sick of the sweet stuff.

Hi!

I had my surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital, and my Dr.'s office has a support group but it has 2 people in it (so basically no one bothers to go). I'm only 2 weeks out tomorrow and definitely feeling like I need to support and that talking with people who are going through this or already went through it would be very helpful. I didn't get any other responses on here so I might check out the support groups you mentioned. Have you been going there? Do you find it helpful? How long ago did you get banded?

I will let you know if I get enough responses to form a group.

Jo: Where did you have your surgery? I had mine at St. Vincent's in Bridgeport, and they have all kinds of support groups. I live in Black Rock (Fairfield/Bpt line). Feel free to let me know if you get anything going!

Kell

Hi Lap-banders,

I live in New Haven CT and I'm having a hard time finding a live support group (not that this website isn't helpful, but sometimes you just want to talk to people and share experiences...).

So, I decided I'd put it out there that I'd like to start a group that would meet anywhere from once to twice a month, support each other, talk through their phase/problems/questions/etc.

I guess anyone from CT or surrounding areas could join, but meeting in the shoreline area would be best (Milford, Orange, New Haven, Branford) since I have a baby and can't travel more than 1/2 each way at this point...

I'm open to ideas and suggestions, but please pipe up if you're from around here and interested in this possibility.

Thanks!

Jo

I was banded the same day as you! Wow, 20lbs is so amazing - congrats!

You are lucky you can eat all this stuff. I have only been allowed liquids and a limited amount of Protein shakes per day. I honestly feel that since I'm eating/drinking less than 200 calories a day my body is in starvation mode and holding on to the pounds... It's pretty frustrating so far. I started having egg drop Soup yesterday and the occasional 1/4 cup of cottage cheese just because I can't stomach the shakes anymore, but I'm pretty hungry most of the time. The only thing i heard so far about throwing up is that it may happen when you eat too much (once you get your fill), but I'm new to this so may not be as much help as more experienced lap-banders.

I was just banded on August 26, 2011. My insurance paid for everything and required the 6 months of pre op therapy. I have never had any type of surgery before so i'm healing very quickly but my appetite is also coming back fast. I'm not due for my first fill till sept. 20th. I'm not eating very much when i eat, i'm just eating more frequently. Is that normal? I've been eating pudding, cream of wheat, yogurt, soup and Protein drinks. Today i'm allowed to start having bananas and strawberries. I'm craving something more solid but am afraid to try anything in fear of being miserable or throwing up. I haven't thrown up even once, but people have told me that happens sometimes when you first start out on solids. Is this true? I've lost 20 pounds and am so happy to finally have my band.

Ooh! I didn't know they had that much Protein in them. Do you get them at GNC or Vitamin Shoppe or at any old grocery store?

Ive been doing the Isopure drinks, and the one I got is 40g of Protein each bottle.

I'm only 10 days post op and don't have a sense of how many calories I should be drinking/eating either (though I'm female so I assume it's less)... But I'm interested in knowing how you get 100g of Protein a day. Are you mostly drinking Protein Shakes?

Thanks again for all the feedback, people!

I am trying to get through one day at a time... Yesterday was especially rough. I also think I may switch my doctor after my next visit if I see that I still don't feel comfortable with his attitude or methods regarding the band. I'm still upset that I only got the stern post-op diet info AFTER my operation.

In the meantime, I've added a bit more Protein shake, (yucky, but no choice), since I was only allowed 6oz a day, and also other Clear liquids. I think I may try V8 as someone suggested, since I prefer salty to sweet. On Friday I move on to mushies, so I'm hoping as some of you said that will make me feel better and more in control. I have been walking at least once a day (don't feel well enough yet to do high impact stuff) and I'm doing the best I can.

Thanks for your help!

Jo

Thanks for the posts everyone! I'm obviously going through a rough patch and any support and stories from you are very helpful.

Jo