Toddy

Broth is typically very high in sodium. Just drink lots of water and don't worry about what the nurse said... I would be absolutely SHOCKED if the doctor cancelled the surgery because HE would lose money!!

Yep, I have taken Zantac forever, too. My acid reflux went completely away while I was on the pre-op diet, only to return when my band was a little too tight. I started taking the Zantac on a nightly basis again, even after an unfill, just as a preventative.

When I faced the possibility of losing my band last year, I was really hoping I would be able to revise to sleeve. I don't want to ever have to try to keep my weight off with a helper of some kind!

I eat pizza, but it has to be a really thin crust... I call it pizza on a cracker. And I can only eat one piece. I don't feel the least bit guilty. The cheese and the pepperoni are both protein.

I eat the Fiber One Protein bars too. They're only about 10 grams, but I guess that's better than nothing.

While the swelling from the surgery is probably exacerbating the problem, you really need to get used to the idea that you won't be eating until you're "full" any more. I eat a fraction of what I used to, probably less than 1/4 of what I used to eat, and you just have to stop... otherwise you will not lose any weight with the band.

I chose the band for all the reasons stated above. However, if I had known how things were going to go for me, I would have gone with the sleeve. Since January 31, 2012, I've had two surgeries, spent two (separate) days in the ER, three overnights in the hospital (not including the original surgery which was outpatient, had several barium swallow tests, and more fills and unfills than I can remember. I'm not saying this to discourage you from the band. If the band was my only wls option, I would do it all over again, even with what I've been through. However, I wish I had done more research into the sleeve. I had a friend that had sleeve surgery in January of this year and with the exception of the first couple of days right after surgery, she's had a much, much easier time than I have -- and has lost more weight than I have, too.

As of last November 2012, plication was still in the research stage and Doctors in the US that were performing plication were only allowed to do it in conjunction with the band. Who knows what the laws are in Mexico. I had plication after my band slipped and to be perfectly honest, I have needed just as many fills after plication as I needed without plication. If I was going to do anything other than the band with plication, I would just go ahead and opt for the sleeve.

Sounds like you're already on your way to getting back on track. The advice you've gotten here is top notch. You need to clean out your fridge and pantry, get a fill, and meet with the nutritionist. Sounds like success in the making!!

I've been filled and unfilled so many times during the last year and a half that I've completely lost count. The only part of my band I haven't had a problem with is my port. I hope I didn't just jinx things

I, too, hope you are successful with the sleeve. Just last week I discussed with my surgeon the fact that my daughter wants the sleeve rather than the band. He said that the sleeve is having just as many, if not more, complications with the stitches holding. I really feel like you're taking a chance with your health when you opt for wls... a gamble I was more than willing to take. All you can really do is be compliant and hope for the best!

In my humble experience, losing weight without a fill is like dieting before weight loss surgery, some are successful, and some are not. Even though I had plication after the fact, I still need fills to help control my eating.

So sorry you're having these problems. Sounds like the physician is/was grossly incompetent. Any chance you'll share the surgeon's name?

Everybody's doctor has different guidelines. For example, my doctor is very anti-carb... no bread, rice, Pasta, potatoes, etc. Other than following his guidelines about when to eat Clear liquids, full liquids, mushies and solids, and following "how" to eat, concentrating mostly on Protein, I pretty much listen to my body. For example: I will eat bread, but I just make sure it's high Fiber, whole wheat. Sometimes I'll have pasta or potatoes in very small portions. For the most part, I'm concentrating on eating healthy, losing weight, but I don't want this to feel like a "diet"... I've never been successful at dieting, hence the need for surgery.

My definition of actual hunger is when my stomach growls. If it's just craving a certain food, then I know it's head hunger.

The hiccups may be your body's way of telling you it's time to stop eating. My signal to stop is several violent sneezes! Makes me feel a bit like Typhoid Mary when I'm out in public.

Everybody is different so we can only give you general answers. Yes, you will need to sip your Water right after surgery until your swelling goes down. Once the surgical swelling goes down, you may be disappointed to find that not much has changed with your ability to eat. During this time, though, you should concentrate on eating small bites and chewing well, even though you may not be restricted by your band yet. It may take several fills to actually feel like you're banded. As far as drinking when I'm in the green zone, I can take a normal drink of water, but I can not take two or three drinks at the same time. It's like having to wait a couple of seconds until the first drink goes through the band before I take another one. As far as food bites, I take a small bite and chew it until it is about the consistency of applesauce, then I swallow and wait a minute before I take a second bite. As I said, these are my experiences, but everyone is different.

Two and a half months post-op I wouldn't be comfortable if mine looked and felt like that. Maybe time to seek a second opinion.

I was blissfully in the green zone for about three months, and then all of a sudden I started having occasional PB's again, and over the course of about 2.5 to 3 weeks progressively got worse until I could barely eat soup. I went in and had a small unfill, .5 cc, and am much better, and am actually seeing the scale move downward again!!

Definitely hit the thrift stores. I can really relate to your post. I've had several friends and family tell me I need to quit dressing like the fat me!!

I would definitely ask the doctor to check your level of fluid. Everybody is different and reach restriction at different levels, but 8.2 in a 10 cc band is quite a bit to feel absolutely no restriction whatsoever, and leaks are not unheard of. I'm in the zone around the 6 to 6.5 cc area.

Years ago, long before being banded, I did a 10 day liquid "fast/cleanse". After about the third day, I felt AMAZING -- Tons of energy, and it lasted for the rest of the 10 days! The thing I really learned from that fast was that all the CRAP I was putting in my body was like ingesting poison. Being banded now, I don't feel the need to fast, I eat so little now, that I want what I do eat to be healthy fuel.

I had a good friend that had barely controlled diabetes. She actually was off insulin before she had completed her pre-op diet! Even if you do have to eat more than three times a day, for whatever reason, you'll be fine with very tiny amounts more often.

I take an otc zantac 150 every night as a preventative. I recently started having to take one in the afternoon, too, because of heartburn. Problems kept getting worse until I could barely eat anything healthy and went in for an unfill. Had .5 cc removed and feel like a new person... I can eat healthy now and I'm not having any heartburn or reflux. It certainly showed me why people with the band can gain weight. While I was too tight, I was unable to eat any healthy foods, but I was able to eat junk food with no problems ;-(

I was told no aspirin or NSAIDS... which was harder to give up than anything else!! Tylenol only, which has always been kind of worthless to me.