blondegal_

Give it time. Your band is not properly adjusted. Search "bandster hell" to see how many others have shared your struggle. And yes. Until you are properly adjusted it can be a struggle.

Someone throw out a meeting time and place. Lets see if we can get a group started.

If you have a real concern give your doctor's office a call. There's coughing and then there's full on body racking coughing. I've had bronchitis before and truly pulled a muscle in my rib area.

Go for a check up. A small fill might just be what you need to help with hunger. And remember to get your Protein in. Best wishes!

I agree with the previous posters. Had both done at the same time and don't feel I had bandster hell.

I actually don't know how much is in my band. I got my last fill in October and was initially tight but have settled into a good spot. Loosing at least a pound a week even thru the holidays. And there's nothing I can't eat if I chew and go slow. And I haven't PBd for quite a while. I do have cravings and do not eat properly every single day but I'm at a point that this is very doable. And I'll see my surgeon in February to reevaluate.

I've been banded a year and try my hardest to not PB. The times it has happened, I'm usually talking and take a big bite and then swallow before fully chewing. But IMHO I think it's bad. And that it is not the purpose of the Lapband to physically restrict you from eating. Hopefully some vets will chime in here with more info.

For any pre-ops reading this thread- the pre-op diet is designed to shrink your liver. Please try your best to follow your doctor's orders. While it does not happen often, some surgeries are not completed because the liver is not small enough. So you get cut into for nothing. It's a very small percentage but it does happen.

Yes I'm very pleased. I had decided on the lapband and then my surgeon talked to me about adding plication. It only raised the cost of the surgery a little. I feel like the plication saved me from what is known as bandster hell. This is the time after surgery before you reach a proper fill level in the band and some get very hungry. And once I reached proper fill level the Lapband has kept me satisfied on small amounts of food for lengths of time. In a year since my surgery I've lost over 100 pounds. I'm not to goal yet but I had quite a bit to lose. I'm confident I'll get there. It took me years to put on the weight so I'm ok with steadily losing.

Here on this site it's called PB. A productive burp. And yes it does happen. And I've had it happen when I was out in a restaurant. But it happened cuz I got to talking and took too big of a bite without fully chewing. It is a life style change for sure. You might think about going to seminars for different surgeries at different doctors. Get a wide perspective. Also read thru posts here. And don't forget to read the good ones along with the bad.

I applaud you for thinking about going. At 10 days postop I could not have gone out. That being said you have to decide if you want to or not. And just to be a little bossy - skip the wine. Not just because of the calories but many of us find alcohol hits us way harder especially in the beginning of our journey. Don't worry about food. Have something before you go and then stick to liquids. Get chance to get in 64oz of Water. Order a Bloody Mary without the alcohol. Or even some OJ though that is high in sugars. Perhaps the bar has some Soups if you really think you want something. But most of all concentrate on the people you're with and the game. Then you won't be so worried.

Only you can decide. What is it about the Lapband that you dislike? I have Lapband with plication feel free to ask me questions.

Get your tape measure. Measure your chest right under your breasts. This will be your band size and as it goes across your back make sure it lies where the band of your bra will be. Next slide the measuring tape up a little and then lean over so that you are parallel to the floor. Measure across your breasts as they hang down. Don't use the tape to mash them up. For every two inches greater than your band size count a cup size. B cup is 2 inches, C cup is 4, and so worth. Sometimes you have to play around. Like 34DDD might fit much like a 36DD. Now when trying on a bra- put it on and lean forward and reach in and pull all boob tissue into to the cup. (Reach and grab that side boob tissue.) Your breast should rest in and fill the cup. Buy the size of band that is comfortable on the "biggest" hook. Then as it is washed and looses its elasticity you can move to the middle hook or the smallest one. Your straps should not cut into you. If they do you need a different style. I have wide set boobs so bras where the straps are sown on the edge of the cups nearing the armpit do not work for me. If the strap starts to slide off your shoulder after a while then your band size is too big. You may have to try on different styles. And remember if you go up in band size your might need to go down a cup size.

Fix for phone app?? Thanks in advance!

Shows up for Lapband also....

I don't understand the negativity either. I had Lapband with plication surgery in Dec '12. Yes there can be complications but all WLS can have complications. It is new, but at one time each WLS had its moment of being new. I did my research and felt confident that my surgeon would do the plication just as properly as he was going the Lapband. The is a Duke University study that lead me to believe plication would be a good as well as safe procedure to have. Also all my fills are done under fluro and he checks the plication at that time also. I guess those of us who have had the surgery just need to speak up. Tell our success stories.

I have Lapband with plication. I do hope I mentioned that enough for people to know. For me I do think it's made a difference. I don't feel like I experienced bandster hell. And I do understand the OP's thoughts on clarifying. It is easy to compare yourself to others even when you know you shouldn't. And that comparison is even worse when you don't know of all the details. But I don't think bragging should be mentioned. This is the one place we can Celebrate the loss of one pound or the loss of one hundred pounds and people truly understand what that means. I would hate for that aspect to go away. Best of luck in your journey! Tara

See you said you will taste things. So the band is not completely restraining you. So for those of us that aren't at goal yet and therefore still carefully managing our calories those little tastes do add up. Now will there be enough tastes to cause weight gain? Probably not if the band is properly adjusted but there might not be a loss on the scale. And then remember how many on this site are newbies. Their bands probably are not properly adjusted. So the band is not fully working. And they know that a taste can turn into a full fledge bite that can turn into a high calorie meal. These are some reasons why people are struggling. Just think back to your early struggles and you'll find some understanding.

Couldn't agree with you more. I'm not really the happy-go-lucky grateful kind of person. But as I was out and about today I saw instance after instance of blatant disregard for others and lack of common curtesy. Most of it was while driving, some was in stores. I just couldn't believe it. Seems like people really have forgotten the reason for the season. I just couldn't figure out why people didn't feel blessed. Why they seemed more pissed off than happy. Just made me sad.

Last year on this date I had Lapband surgery with plication and a hernia repaired. It was something I needed to do as I literally weighed double the amount that I was supposed to. I didn't have medical issues (high bp, etc) but I knew it was just a matter of time that my health was going to start to decline. I felt worse each day, so I decided surgery would be the best way to save me from myself. And a few days after surgery, I did have a complete melt down of "WTF have I done", but looking bad I chalk that up to the pain and lack of sleep. But the pain did go away and I started getting some of the best sleep I had gotten in years. AND the weight started coming off. Once I dropped 30 lbs, I felt so much better. And now I'm down more than 100 lbs and I feel normal again. I've counted calories every single day. MFP told me today I have logged in for 365 days! I won't say I've been on a diet, but I believe to be successful I needed to be aware of what I was eating. I did not know serving sizes and calorie amounts before. I exercise, but I am not good at being consistent doing it. But I don't stress over that or belittle myself. Why? Because this is my new way life and I wanted to be as realistic as possible. I was not going to get to goal in 3 months; I was not going to go to the gym everyday at 5 am; I was not going to only eat perfectly healthy. I'm me - perfectly imperfect. The surgery was not going to change that. But it has helped me be healthy. It's a tool that I use every day. And that I am thankful for. So if you're just starting your journey, don't be hard on yourself. Be realistic. Give yourself time to succeed. Don't compare yourself to others. And remember to love yourself. I wear size medium shirts and 14 pants. I'll prolly always be pear shaped, but that's ok as I like having curves. I still need to lose pounds, but I'm confident I'll get to goal. Besides my profile pic, this is the first time for me to share any photos. The one is a before and after. The summer before surgery and this past October. The other one is from just a few days ago. Best of luck on your journey! :-) Tara

This might be the muscle that the port is stitched into. Mine actually had spasms and I could see it twitch. But it does go away. For port pain use ice. For shoulder pain from gas use a heating pad. And if you are eating mushies that are like baby food consistency you won't get stuck. Just think would a baby with no teeth be able to eat it? And once to solids just remember small bites and chew chew chew. Getting stuck does suck but you overcome it and learn to eat properly. Best of luck!

Thanks everyone. It really has been a good year for me. :-)

You'll be successful too. A lot of people stop posting once they reach goal or a good spot. I know I post less now. But the success stories do exist. The band does work.

Just believe in yourself and the band. It does take time. And the main thing that the band has given me is time. No more countdown to an early departure from life. Just a long healthy life to come.

I took two weeks off from work and needed every day of it. I had Lapband with plication and a hernia repaired. It can take a while to recover from surgery. Use a heating pad, take pain meds as needed, and fill up on fluids. Getting in 64 oz of water helped with hunger. Follow your doctor's orders. This is a time for feeling. And you can call your doctor office. They can give you more specific instructions.