SashaWLS

Ooh, never thought about lying down as a cause for anything!! Very interesting.

I'm usually really thrilled when the band prevents me from eating something. But tonight I am just exhausted by it. I had a really bad day, feel very down, and ordered mexican food... Now one bite into it and I'm having trouble. I know this is why I got the band, but every once in a while I'd like to just stuff my face. wah wah, poor me. I'm sure I'll be happy later, but for now I'm feeling sorry for myself.

You guys are awesome. Thank you. It's true, I really was just venting. I think it's important for us to have an outlet with people who understand, and I think it's also important for newbies to see that you're not going to be as 'into it' every day of the week... For what it's worth, I am doing better, but I'm still having some food trouble. It's all emotional for sure (I'm having some ongoing issues with a coworker) and I feel a little burned out and depressed the last few weeks. And when I feel this way, all I want to do is numb myself and check out. And if I CAN'T numb myself and check out, I don't quite know what to do with all the feelings that I'm stuck feeling... I mean, there's nothing for me to actually "do" really. I just have to suck up feeling lousy. It is what it is... But in the short term, in the moment, I'd really rather feel lousy AND have a Starbucks sausage egg and cheese Breakfast sandwhich. :-) Know what I mean? But sadly I just tried to eat one a few minutes ago and found that I could only sort of eat the sausage patty if I picked it off by itself (didn't finish it), and I could also eat the egg alone. But there was no way I was getting the bread down without drinking something (and the cheese is stuck to the bread). So now I'm sitting here listening to my throat gargling loudly as the food passes down, burping like crazy, and feeling irritated on the inside cause it's probably not chewed AS tiny as it needs to be. So yea, I get to feel bad emotionally AND physically. Maybe I'll try meditating for 10 minutes in the handicapped bathroom if I don't feel better in 10 minutes. heheh. Anyway, it's all good. I'll be fine. Actually, I am already fine. And I'm DEFINITELY happy with the band. I mean, I just probably cut a 500 calorie meal in half by not eating the bread or cheese. And that is why I got this thing! Thank you band. You rock. (btw, anyone want to kick my coworker in the shins for me?)

ate my cup of rice, guac and cheese (skipped the chicken) and I feel SO much better. maybe I was hungry. I realize that I hadn't eaten much today. interesting....

My mistake... I thought my surgeon said something about the band squeezing the part of the stomach that produces ghrelin, but it seems that's incorrect... Maybe it's just satiety, not levels...

I could hug you. I feel so down tonight. Like crying. And this is the first time I desperately want to eat to cover up the feelings... It's been a while since I've felt this way and when I took the first bite of chicken (good) and then felt it scratching me on the inside and hurting (bad!) I wanted to scream... But I do feel a little better. I guess the rice is kicking in. hehe. I'll be fine. Just grouchy. yea mexican. yea lapband for making it ok to eat a cup of mexican. :/

I want to eat fast and stuff my face. I'm in a bad mood, depressed, and would like to just for once take a bite of chicken and rice and not worry about it. The band is doing exactly what it should be doing. I'm the problem. I know that. I just don't feel like doing it tonight and it's annoying me. Grr.

Marci, I think about you all the time and wondered how you were doing. I really relate to you, your attitude, and see myself in you. Thank you for sharing your experience. I wish you all the best of luck!! One thing I think is going on is that your ghrelen levels have returned. I always wondered about that with the band. The sleeve cuts the part of your stomach off that secrets ghrelen, but the band just squeezes it... Keep us posted how you're doing!!!

I loved GNC Lean shakes pre-op... But my tastes changed post op and I didn't like sweet anymore and only wanted savory. For the first week post-op I lived on good, homemade, jewish-deli chicken soup broth. The REAL stuff, with dill and chicken, not something from a can. There was something about the salt and the fat that my body just absorbed like a sponge.

Hi, I'm hoping for some advice from people who have had the lap band a long time... WTH is going on??? I'm so confused. On one had, I know I totally need a fill because I didn't get one last month (was going on vacation in the desert and didn't want to worry about being able to hydrate enough) and got a tiny one the month before, could have gotten more for sure... I'm constantly hungry lately and can eat normal, pre-band portions without feeling full. And I'm gaining weight... But on the other hand, I suddenly have trouble eating in the mornings and can't eat a whole bunch of things I've never had trouble with. For the first 5 months after surgery the band was filling me up, but I never got stuck and I had never thrown up... Now I get stuck almost every day on something and it hurts! This morning I had two bites of scrambled eggs and was extremely careful to chew into a pulp before swallowing, but ended up throwing up. And yet two hours earlier I was able to take 4 large capsule pills with no problem... And yesterday I was in the airport and had to go throw up a bite of hamburger, but 20 minutes later could eat an entire bagel with absolutely no problem. WTH?? How can I be empty and full at the same time? And why am I suddenly having pain from one bite of something when I know I'm empty? I'm not sure I should go for the fill, but I KNOW that I need it. FYI I got back from vacation last Monday, so I should be normal by now, no?? What do you think?

sounds exactly like what I had -- bad gas!! sharp shooting pain like a stitch in the side, hurt to lie on it, hurt to roll over, hurt to move... take lots of gasx and time... it'll go away eventually

Oooh, I'm definitely in!!! I'm in NYC too and am wearing an 18 (slightly loose) but see 16 coming up! I'm in Hell's Kitchen, work in midtown.

Update -- I got a fill on monday (doc offered to fill .7 but I requested .5) and I'm doing great!! In fact, it seemed to make everything more predictable. I can't eat as much, I'm not hungry, and I guess because I'm being careful I'm not getting stuck!

If you get it removed you'll be hungry again.

Totally have had that. Sounds like you irritated your esophagus. It will go back to normal soon, just as, for example, your arm would if you had scraped it on something... Just switch to soups and liquids for a meal, or until you feel better, but don't worry.

Hi Wendy, I haven't had a fill in 2 months... But I have been traveling... eggs have been fine all along, but suddenly aren't, even without getting a fill for two months... I can eat bread, rice and past with no problem, but threw up from rice a few days ago... Raw carrots and salad are fine, but some bacon (like a TINY piece well chewed) was a problem... I'm going crazy, I don't understand the rules anymore.

Drinking a small amount of VERY hot Water has worked very well for me. The band is plastic, so hot liquid will soften it just enough to let whatever's in there pass through. This was recommended to me by my surgeon's office... Also, someone on here said that they can press on their chest where the band is, and that will push food down. I tried it once and it seemed to work, but it's not something I feel very comfortable with since I don't know if that could cause a slip.

Oh, you are right on schedule!! And totally normal. A lot of us have gone through rough emotional meltdowns for the few months after surgery. IT WILL PASS. But if you think about it, it makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, you've spent all these years covering up all your feelings with food or drugs, so now that you can't eat as much all those feelings are coming out and you don't know what to do with them... Or some variation of that... And, your hormones are out of whack. I cried several times a day, nearly every day for about 2-3 months after surgery. I would be elated, and then crushed. Optimistic, then pissed off. I drove my husband insane because I needed him but kept blaming him for things. It was like having my period x10000. I think it's great that you threw the food away, but I hope you understand that you will still lose weight if you eat it sometimes. I have a burrito or quesadilla at least once a week and I'm down nearly 50lbs since April. Just try to be kind to yourself. Pretend it's your best friend and not you, and treat yourself as you'd treat her. Sasha

call now... this is not normal, and could be a sign of a heart attack...

MUCINEX expectorant—take the largest dose you can, as often as it says to until your surgery. It will break up your chest congestion and will help you cough anything up you need to. Don't get the cough suppressant though.

Don't drive yourself crazy, having lower Protein for a day or two won't kill you, so just do the best you can. I didn't like Isopure at all, so make sure you taste them before buying a whole bunch. My favorite was the GNC Lean shake in chocolate. Good luck.

it's possible that it's gas... I would try taking some gas-x to see if the pain goes away. If it does, voila!

I'm going crazy with the gas. It's not just the burping, which I can handle, but it's the pain. My stomach gets distended, like a rock, and the band hurts! Last night, after pacing in the living room for 1/2 hour at 2am (yes, I woke up because it was hurting) my mouth filled with saliva and ran to the bathroom to throw up... Pretty immediately I did throw up, but not liquid or food -- I threw up the biggest burp you've ever heard. THREE times I threw up, each time just huge, tortured burps. I felt better immediately and then went back to sleep... Has anyone else experienced this?? I'm 4 months post-surgery, so this is NOT a recovery issue. But I'm a little at my wits end and need to find some way to lessen the pain. I'm living on TUMS at the moment... Help!

I had white puss in the back of my throat after surgery from the tube...

Oh oh oh!!! I'm reminded that suddenly coughing at night and reflux can be a sign of a slip... Hopefully nothing, I'd go to your doc and get it checked out, just in case...