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.

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

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