crzytchr

If that takes care of all your fills for life, it sounds like a decent deal. Fill prices depend on the doctor. Ask to see how much each fill is, but I have heard anywhere from 150-350 from most people on here. My surgeon, I think, charges patients that he didn't band 250. Remember it sometimes takes 3-4 to get ANY restriction at all, and then even after you hit your "sweet spot" you made need small fills to tweak it and keep you there. If you are paying each time you go, you are less likely to do that.

If I remember correctly during mushies I ate: refried beans with fat free sour cream and reduced fat cheddar cheese homemade chili put through a food processor and topped with ff sour cream and cheese chicken salad and tuna salad made using a food processor homemade soups, yes, I put this in a processor also, but they taste better than canned sf pudding, favorite is dark chocolate; this saved me; ate it every night before bed, I still do if I am hungry late at night

Be careful with shrimp, it gives many people problems. Just chew REALLY carefully. During my full liquids I like cream of chicken soup mixed with skim milk instead of water, I add a little bit of sage, garlic powder and pepper. It tastes YUMMY!

Yeah, it could be your fill kicking in. Just be more aware now, but if you continue to have problems, please your doctor, because continued episodes of pbing can cause swelling. I am glad you are feeling better!

I am sorry I missed this post earlier. I am not sure anyone answered the "eating around the band" question. I don't consider eating around the band to necessarily mean cheating, because it usually isn't done intentionally. If your band is too tight and it hurts to eat the foods you are supposed to, then you naturally will turn to foods that cause less pain, "slider foods"...ice cream, chips, Cookies, and other normally carb laden foods that mush up easy and slip through the band easily. It is understandable that people do this if eating healthy is causing pain and discomfort. My surgeon is aggressive with fills. My friend was banded 2 weeks prior to me. My friend began getting her fills and was excited about restriction. Then after her 3rd fill she started pbing a lot and so she began eating chips every day. She thought because she felt restricted it was supposed to be like that. She stayed like this for over a month. Finally she got an unfill and is able to eat better now. And dangit, I am a little ticked off that the NP told you that it is what you are supposed to feel like.:bored: You shouldn't have been made to think you are supposed to feel like crap every day.

I admit I weigh myself compulsively too. Normally I am 2-3 lbs heavier at night. I use my weight each morning to monitor my progress. I only log weight lost if I maintain it for 3 days straight, the same with weight gain. Otherwise, I contribute any change to water weight.

I did pb until my band became too tight after my hysterectomy last month. What I learned was the sooner I realized something was stuck and not going down, I let it come on up. It took two episodes that last about an hour for me to know I wouldn't fight it again. The last time only lasted about 10 min. If you don't think you took big bites or ate too fast, you may want to consider a small unfill to prevent future episodes. I didn't because I had 4 new incisions on my abdomen from the hysterectomy, 1 less than an inch from my port and I didn't want it pushed on.:bored:

I gained 10 after my hysterectomy. It was due to the iv fluids. It came off after 5 days. Your liquid post op diet should take it off.

You are welcome. I would either get some chewables or liquid vitamins rather quickly. If you were taking several prior to surgery and none now, that is quite possibly the reason you are so tired. Doctors recommend chewables anyway, so you will need them. Just be sure to get some Iron in you.

You had surgery two weeks ago. I know it is frustrating, but you are going to be tired. You are recovering from surgery. Make sure you are getting enough protein in each day and take your Vitamins. You should start feeling a little better once you begin mushies. Also, make sure your Multivitamin has Iron in it. You aren't getting any from your diet at the present time.

You do need to log your calories. You are probably not eating enough. Unless your doctor told you otherwise, you should probably be between 1000-1200. I consume between 1200-1500. Every third day try to eat the maximum end of your calorie range to keep your metabolism going. You are exercising but not eating enough and your body may think you are starving it.

When food becomes stuck, your body, in its infinite wisdom, produces more saliva (slime) to try to unstick the offending piece of food. PBing is a "productive burp" which basically means to bring the offending piece of food back up, normally accompanied by the "slime". Bandster hell, I think, is the time period during post op on liquids and after on solids before you have restriction and are hungry all the time.:cursing:

Oh, it is definitely because it is special K (I eat the original). If I liked the even healthier stuff, it would probably satisfy me more.

Hang in there. I have read many posts where people say restriction can kick in a week or more after a fill. Wait a couple of weeks. If you still don't have any restriction, call and see if you can get another fill. It may take 3-4 before you get any real restriction. Until then, stay eating as healthy as possible and know that it should get easier in the future.

I understand about the gym, I have not been myself. I NEED to go. I am concerned that there is a possibility that you actually aren't eating enough or even that your band it too tight. Oh, and with me, dangit I love cereal, but it doesn't satisfy me. I stay hungry when I eat it.

I probably wouldn't use the gallbladder. Choose a different body part. The chances of you actually NEEDING gallbladder surgery increase as you lose weight. You don't want to get caught in a lie when you need to have your gallbladder taken out a second time!:cursing: I just don't know how you will be able to keep it from them. If you don't tell them and they find out later, they will feel betrayed. You don't want a teenage throwing the "I can't trust you" card in your face. Honestly, I would probably tell them the truth if you have health issues that are caused by you weight. If you want to focus on leading to a healthy lifestyle, explain that years of yo-yo dieting have wrecked your metabolism and you need a tool to help you begin a healthier way of eating. Keep healthy foods in the house. It isn't about dieting, it is about being healthy. They will benefit as well.

I agree with you. I began eating Special K (1 cup with skim milk and splenda) after my hysterectomy gave me some swelling 5 weeks ago. Cereal is a slider food, but Special K is healthy, right? Well, it has stalled my weight loss completely. I am beginning to loosen up, so hopefully I can add my chicken and beef back into my eating. It sounds like you , NoPBJ may be too tight. If you don't feel that is the case, you may also want to journal your food intake on fitday.com or dailyplate.com for the next couple of weeks. Measure your food out and log it online. You may be surprised to find out you are eating a lot more than you think and need a fill, or you may be eating way too little and your metabolism has slowed down. I try to keep my calories between 1200-1500, and until I added that dang Special K (which leaves me feeling hungry) I was consistantly losing about 10 lbs per month. Also, I do get a stuck feeling, it happens when I eat too fast which leads to eating too much. I just had a 1/2 cup of tuna salad. I ate it a little fast and didn't need the last couple of bites. If I would've slowed down, I would've realized I was full before being stuck. I hate when it happens, but it reminds me to eat slower next time. Please do not completely give up on your band without returning to your doctor. Document your foods for the next couple of weeks and how you feel after eating them. Together, the two of you may be able to decide on a fill or unfill, which ever is needed, to try to get you going again.

I am learning that even foods that aren't "BAD" can be slider foods. I love Special K Cereal with a pack of splenda and skim milk. I only eat one serving, but I am hungry very shortly after eating it. I think that along with not being able to exercise after surgery (hysterectomy 5 weeks ago) is why I am not losing now. I didn't start eating the cereal until after my hysterectomy. The dang surgery caused swelling and my band was a little too tight. I didn't want to go for an unfill because I had 4 NEW incisions to join my 6 from banding. I did NOT want them feeling for my port when I had a new incision less than an inch away!!!:cursing:

I forgot how much sugar free Jello pudding saved me during my post op diet. I would eat a dark chocolate one every night before bed if I was hungry. I still eat one if I am hungry late at night.

Well, you are already seeing a doctor for it and have been diagnosed. It sounds like they are going to start treating you. I don't think it is a rejection of the band, but more likely something to do with stomach acid if they are going to give you prevacid. I know we get flustered when we sit in front of our doctors, but write these questions down so you can ask him/her when you return. They are the people that really know the answers to our questions. I hope you get to feeling better soon.

You can binge eat on slider foods, icecream, chips, Cookies. They go right through the band. If you choose the correct foods, the band will help you feel satisfied with less food, and you shouldn't get hungry until about 4 hours later once you get the proper restriction. The band doesn't choose foods for you. Please understand it won't make you lose weight. It will work for you, if you are willing to work it properly.

Congratulations on the weight loss and have fun on your vacation!!!!

Ask when they discharge you. It is probably at least 48 hours. The anesthesia has to get out of your system.

Each doctor is different. Mine allowed a "test meal" on day 8 if you are starving. This is a scrambled egg. I think you would be better measuring you 1/2 cup of food out. Eat that slowly and then decide if you still aren't satisfied. As "fatties" we normally will eat what we put in front of us. I am 6 months out, and I have rarely gone back for seconds of anything. I do eat now, about a cup of food at each meal, but at the beginning I ate no more than 1/2c. When that 1 cup no longer satisfies me, I will go in for a fill!

I understand your hesitance, but this is a really good question. Explain that you want to make sure you don't have restriction and definitely need a fill. Just ask to start solids like 2 days early. Maybe they will think you are really being responsible and say yes.