Gail

Birdee, I found that some people, even close friends and relatives, have preconceived notions and opinions, and no one is ever going to change them or make them believe otherwise. My band is still a secret after almost 1 year to those I did not wish to tell, including some close family members. By now I have learned how to eat without blowing my cover. Unfortunately I am having great difficulty sticking to my diet because those old cravings are back. I may not be able to tolerate the garlic bread, steak, or pizza, but the pasta in olive oil, ice cream, and cheesecake go down all too easily to let on that I have had surgery. In spite of many efforts to get together with my friends over functions other than for food, they enjoy that type of relaxed atmosphere too much to give it up. As much as I wish I can be honest and share with everyone, especially when I run across a dental patient at work that has had banding or gastric bypass surgery, I found it is best to keep my personal affairs to myself and just be supportive as a bystander. I can appreciate what you have gone through, Birdie. That is why I have used discretion with whom I choose to tell. Thanks for your input, Pam

Because of various reasons I have kept my lapband surgery confidential to all but two friends and the immediate family only. Everyone else believes I have just been following a very strict diet. I am finding that my lapband secret is getting harder to keep since my last fill. I don't know what to do. Last weekend I was invited to a small barbecue dinner with friends. Instead of a choice of foods, steak was the main dish. I cut a 2" piece off a larger piece of meat and could only get down about a 1/2" of it very uncomfortably after 2 hours of picking. I ate a couple of small pieces of soft potato to try to minimize what was on my plate and was so uncomfortable afterward. I couldn't touch the corn on the cob or other goodies she had to offer. The host said to me "Are you sure you didn't get your stomach stapled, Gail?" This is the second time I have been asked this. We have been getting together every week or two lately. Dinner, lunch, or brunch seems to be a constant factor of our get-togethers. I'm afraid I am going to have to tell my friends that I lied to them because I can't keep making up excuses. I don't know how to tell them because I already lied in detail about my surgery. They have been making such a fuss about my terrific willpower and weight loss. I also work with one of these ladies. I know that she will confide in at least one other person at work that I am not very friendly with. Obviously that person has no loyalty to me and is likely to pass the information along discretely to others I work with, especially the office manager. I wouldn't want this to get back to my boss because I lied to him as well. I took a long time off from work for something they thought was neccessary, not optional. My daughter also brought up Thanksgiving and asked how would I hide it then as well. My aunt, uncle, and cousins all think I had a repair for the acid reflux and hernia. I told them I went to a dietitian and was following a strict diet. They are bound to notice something is wrong at dinnertime. Now I know why I never usually lie. You have to tell five more to cover the first one! Any advise is welcome. Gail

Thank you Zoe for your very wise remarks. I wish you much happiness with your new band. Remember, the band is a "tool" only if you choose to use it wisely. The cravings do come back when the newness wears off. I have learned that it is easy to bypass the band when you learn how it works and your overwhelming desire for the wrong snacks haunts you. Be strong, and I wish you much success and a quick recovery from surgery. Gail

Dear Butta, I hope you and your back are feeling better soon! Gail

Hi Kimber-lilly, Glad to hear you are feeling better and things are getting back to normal. New Hope is right. The baggy underwear will be the next to go. Congratulations on the terrific weight loss. Gail:)

Hi Butta, Just an update. I had my band completely emptied, waited a week, for any swelling to go down because I Pb'ed so much, and then was refilled .25cc less than before. Eating and drinking is now a pleasure. No more trapped air and unable to burp, no more Pb's, or stuck feeling. Now I know from experience what too tight feels like. You basically just can't eat more than a bite or two without pain and everthing coming back up. Gail

Leatha, Good luck tomorrow. I know starting over was real tough on you. I admire your strength. You have been wonderful support. Gail

Hi Zoe, As Sheila stated, "I have a friend (who happens to be a doctor) who suffered from terrible acid reflux and gastritus and had to have surgery. I was interested to hear that his surgery involved placing a band around the bottom of his esophogus, so that the stomach acid could not travel back up and continue to irritate the esophogus." This is the exact story I have been telling all those curious and caring friends and family prior to my surgery and also post surgery. I decided I'll stick to this story. I also decided that my band was adjusted too tight. I gave my fill a try for 2 weeks, but I have only been able to keep down two to three small bites of food each meal (soft or solids). Any more than that comes right up. And the belching was terrible. Last Monday I asked my surgeon to back off some Fluid from 2cc to 1.75cc. I was told that because my food had been coming up every day for two weeks that they should completely empty the band and wait a week before they try to refill it. They said that this is because I am certain to be swollen and to prevent prolapse. I can eat normally again without digesting air as well. I have found though that I still have difficulty digesting steak and chicken. So I plan to avoid these foods in the future. I will just let my friends know this in advance. I can't wait till next Monday. I didn't realize how much I am now depending on the band to guide me. I believe that with a little less restriction I will be able to convince my friends that I just became swollen from doing too much too soon and am now back to eating Weight Watcher size portions of food and maintain my strict diet. Pam, Lots of luck on the 21st! I wish you a speedy recovery and much happiness with your new band. We will all be here for you when you get back. DeLarla, I hope the surgeon has an answer for your incision mystery, and it is not serious. Marie, I hope your husband is doing well. Did you get your fill last Monday? How are you doing?

Thanks Alex for the advice. I gave my fill a try for 2 weeks, but I have only been able to keep down two to three small bites of food each meal (soft or solids). Any more than that comes right up. Last Monday I asked my surgeon to back off some fluid from 2cc to 1.75cc. I was told that because my food had been coming up every day for two weeks that they should completely empty the band and wait a week before they try to refill it. They said that this is because I am certain to be swollen and to prevent prolapse. I can eat normally again without digesting air as well. I can't wait till next Monday. I didn't realize how much I am now depending on the band to guide me. I hope this answers the question about whether one is too tight or not.

My boss does know that not giving his employees a lunch break is in violation of the law. But his defense is that the majority of my co-workers (those that sit at a desk and can eat while they work) voted to leave work earlier while working through their lunch. Those of us who work with patients on a strict time schedule do not have such a luxury as to eat while we work. I did call the Labor Dept. when I first started working there almost 6 yrs. ago. I was told that a small business under a certain number of employees can not be regulated by the Board. I chose to stay at this office because the benefits outweigh the negatives. It is a very difficult office to work in, and many, many employees have come and gone. If it weren't for working where I am, I would not have been able to get my lapband surgery and have a paid vacation to recuperate. It is rare for dental hygienists to find full time employment with benefits. So I put up with some garbage. My band was certainly worth it.

Hi Audrey Z, Stick with all those tests. They are a real pain in the neck, but very necessary. At one point I had to schedule three different doctor appointments in one day because of my work schedule. One test actually led to another not originally requested because it showed an ulcerated esophagus and 3 polyps in my stomach that had to be removed prior to my banding. These tests are all to make your banding safer. Hang in there! NEW HOPE said it best, "Don't judge someone until you've walked in his mocasins." The friend of the group that would blab (even if told not to, because she just couldn't help herself) is thin and very concerned about health issues. She means well, but is way too opinionated. The people at work that it would eventually filter down to are underweight and mostly in their 20's. One older dentist in the office that is well respected and considered a "God of knowledge" (also a Yale graduate) once made a comment to me that, "Anyone could lose weight if they just ate less." So anyone could see why I wouldn't want my personal issues discussed around the office. These people are just ignorant. Even doctors from Yale! In addition, I asked my office manager to ask my boss to accomodate me with a 15 min. lunch break on the days they make us work an 8 hr. day without any break at all (no one is allowed to talk to my boss directly about office matters). I told her that my surgeon said if I don't eat food slowly now (not gulp a bite here and there in between patients) that it would undo the "corrective" surgery that he had done. No one else in my office is allowed any break without a doctor's request. There would certainly be animosity among the co-workers for me getting special priviledges for a surgical choice they do not understand. Everyone there rightfully should be given a lunch break regardless of the reason. I find it just better to avoid the truth with those who are so opinionated. Joanne, Congratualations on your surgery date. You will be well prepared after listening to all of us. HA HA!

Hi Kimber-lilly, I also had a huge hematoma under one incision. I got so scared when the incision opened that I paged the doctor 4 times in a little more than an hour. Once it drained it healed within days. I just kept a small waterproof bandage on it and changed it daily. No antibiotic ointment or anything special. So don't get scared like I did if this happens to you. You will start feeling so much better real soon (like another week) and this will barely be a memory for you. Good luck on your new adventure. You won't be sorry! Gail

Teresa, My last fill was one week ago at my request (3 weeks after my first fill of 1.5cc). I am now filled to 2cc. My band holds 4cc. I agree that the band is too tight. 1.5cc felt like nothing. I am going to ask my surgeon to back it off by .25cc and see if that makes a comfortable difference. Then I won't find it neccessary to tell anyone anything because I won't be struggling at the dinner table anymore. Everyone can just think I am eating Weight Watcher size portions like before. My boss is very stiff and unapproachable to conversation. I would rather not discusss my personal business at work. I've heard enough gossip about boob jobs and everything else that is nobody's business there. WOW! 65 lbs. gone! When was your surgery done? Chris L., Congrats on your weight loss. Yes, I agree. Actually everyone on Dr. Geiss' staff are so-o-o very nice. We chose well. Darcy, Hope, and ~C~, I agree with you. I am so glad to have a wonderful support system with all of you. WOW! Those are lbs. you will never see again. Congratulations! ~C~, when was your surgery done? Maurice, Thanks for sharing. I knew all of you would understand. When was your banding? Are you happy with the way it is working? Joanne, "Being MID banded in UK very, very soon" When is your surgery date? I wish you much luck and happiness. You will never regret doing this. Thanks so much for your support. Zoe, You speak volumes of wisdom. I hope you are feeling and doing well so soon after your surgery. Thank you all for being so wonderfully supportive. We are all so fortunate to have been able to have had this surgery. I go to sleep and wake up every day feeling happy and lucky to have gotten the band. I am even happy on my very worst day when everything is going wrong! My pre-band rising weight was making me so miserable that I can't remember when I had a truly happy day just to be alive! Now I look forward to each new day. I LOVE giving away my baggy clothes. Gail:)

What a beautiful family Leatha. Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. Good luck to your brother with his consultation. I hope it works out for him. Gail

Does 315/260/150 mean 315lbs. preband/260lbs. current weight/150lbs. the ultimate goal?

Thanks for noticing Leatha. I had plateaued for 3 weeks and then the lbs. suddenly started moving downward again. I am so determinined and exited about making this work. You just made my evening. Gail:banana

Hi Butta, It's so funny that I was just about to post the same question. I also had my surgery on June 28th and my second fill 3 weeks after the first because I also felt no restriction and was able to eat way too much (like an entire slice of pizza and still feel I could eat something more). I am now only able to eat about 1/4 cup (possibly not even that much) of soft and solid foods at a time regardless of the time of day or type of food. I am also experiencing a lot of trapped air when I eat without the ability to really belch it up. I am eating extremely slowly and only the tiniest of bites at a time. I have to drink Water slower than I was able to before as well. My band holds 4cc's. My first fill was at 1.5cc's. I am now adjusted to 2cc's. I am very uncomfortable after just a few bites and stop eating at that point because I feel it will easily come up. I think it is more the trapped air that is making digesting a very uncomfortable experience and causing me to stop eating at that point. Gail

Ryan, Your talent is AMAZING! After reading your your "prison" story, I sat fixated and couldn't formulate even a single word to truly express how much I was moved. We can all relate to your frustration. I wish you much success with your weight loss. We will all be here for you through every stage of your banding. I truly hope your wife recovers quickly. Gail

I was banded June 28, 2004. I received my first fill of 1.5cc on Aug. 9. My band holds 4 cc. I am very confused about the way my band is working. Sometimes I take my very first bite of food, chew exceptionally well as always, and I feel like I have a golf ball in my chest that won't go down. It takes me forever to eat a very small amount. Because I have been restricting myself to 4 oz. to 6 oz. of food at a time and counting calories, as my dietician recommends, I am finding this past week that when I come home from work and eat dinner I am suddenly shamefully famished and would binge all at once. The food seems to slide right down into a "bottomless pit" without that "golf ball" feeling in my chest. I can eat endless amounts of food if I don't force myself to stop. I don't know if I need more restriction or what is going on. I am guessing that if I eat faster and stuff myself that maybe the band is forced open by the volume of food and therefore bypasses restriction??? I had been losing about 2 1/2 lbs. a week. I have gained back 2 to 3 lbs. this week. I am having a real hard time maintaining a strict diet. I have been doing so well for two months and never was able to find this type of willpower before. I can not seem to deny myself anymore. The willpower is disappearing quickly. I don't like feeling that constant growling in my stomach. I seem to be feeling painfully hungry every 2 to 2 1/2 hrs. now. A hard sugar free sucking candy seems to help extend my hunger by 1/2 hr. I am drowning in Water. Water doesn't seem to help fill me up when I am really hungry. It just makes me feel uncomfortable. I also don't know what a full pouch is supposed to feel like. Is it that "golf ball" feeling??? Has anyone ever experienced the same phenomenon? Does anyone know the answer to this mystery? Gail

I was banded June 28, 2004. I received my first fill of 1.5cc on Aug. 9. My band holds 4 cc. I am very confused about the way my band is working. Sometimes I take my very first bite of food, chew exceptionally well as always, and I feel like I have a golf ball in my chest that won't go down. It takes me forever to eat a very small amount. Because I have been restricting myself to 4 oz. to 6 oz. of food at a time and counting calories, as my dietician recommends, I am finding this past week that when I come home from work and eat dinner I am suddenly shamefully famished and would binge all at once. The food seems to slide right down into a "bottomless pit" without that "golf ball" feeling in my chest. I can eat endless amounts of food if I don't force myself to stop. I don't know if I need more restriction or what is going on. I am guessing that if I eat faster and stuff myself that maybe the band is forced open by the volume of food and therefore bypasses restriction??? I had been losing about 2 1/2 lbs. a week. I have gained back 2 to 3 lbs. this week. I am having a real hard time maintaining a strict diet. I have been doing so well for two months and never was able to find this type of willpower before. I can not seem to deny myself anymore. The willpower is disappearing quickly. I don't like feeling that constant growling in my stomach. I seem to be feeling painfully hungry every 2 to 2 1/2 hrs. now. A hard sugar free sucking candy seems to help extend my hunger by 1/2 hr. I am drowning in Water. Water doesn't seem to help fill me up when I am really hungry. It just makes me feel uncomfortable. I also don't know what a full pouch is supposed to feel like. Is it that "golf ball" feeling??? Has anyone ever experienced the same phenomenon? Does anyone know the answer to this mystery? Gail

Audrey, your progress is absolutely amazing. Congratulations! You look beautiful! I am new to banding (not quite 2 months yet). You are an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your pictures. Gail;)

Hi, it's me again, I THINK I FOUND THE ANSWER!!! I called my surgeon's office this morning to get some real answers to this problem. I really do understand that many of us are so new to banding and are very confused because we are expecting our bodies to give us the feedback and the answers we deserve. The answers I got from my surgeon's assistant was that the "stuck" feeling is a very real phenomenon that has come up and they really do not have an answer for it. I was told though that "stuck" by no means means that the pouch is full. I have given this a whole lot of thought and have read everbody's posts on this subject (in "General Discussion" and in "Talk Lounge"). My theory is that the stomach is a muscle like any other muscle in the body. Sometimes when I start to exercise my muscles feel tight until I work out for a while. Other times I feel no tightness at all. In the evening when I am starved I find that I still chew as well as before but may wait less intervals between bites because I am so hungry and can eat a much larger amount of food than I have ALLOWED myself to eat during the day while at work. I'm more occupied during the day and do not have the time to eat as often and am much too busy trying to concentrate of the amount of Water I have to drink to satisfy the requirements. I do allow my self a couple of multigrain crackers or a heaping tablespoon of low fat peanut in between meals to hold me over. I believe that by dinner time the stomach muscles and esophagus are so lubricated and relaxed by working out all day that food slides down much more easily. I also believe that there is a certain amount of elasticity in the stoma to allow it to hold more food once the muscles are relaxed. As food slides down there is more room in the relaxed stoma for more food. I also was told by my surgeon's assisant that I will never again get that full feeling I used to get when I knew it was time to push away from the table. At this moment I am throwing away my expensive dietician's menu and my food scale. If 2 oz. of Protein and 2 oz. of carbs means that I am going to still experience hunger, then forget it. I will still eat my Proteins first and healthy carbs after. The only difference is I will stop when my stomach stops growling to the point I feel satisfied. If my stomach talks to me 2 hrs. later, I will give it what it wants until it shuts up (a healthy food choice of course!). As long as I am losing and not gaining more than a few water weight pounds at the end of the month I will be happy. When I prepared to start all of this I had purchased very small inexpensive containers to portion my food and freeze. So when I get hungry I no longer have to wait until I first prepare a meal. That used to be the time I would snack because the preparation took too long to satisfy me. (I don't always eat what the rest of the family eats or at the same time.) When rushing off to work I grab an already prepared container out of the freezer. I always keep a jar of low fat Peanut Butter and multigrain crackers with me. Until now I have avoided going out to restaurants. I have, however, been to get together's, a barbeque, and a cocktail party. I used good judgment, and because I ate very slow, I finished eating at the same time everyone else did. Everyone just thinks I am dieting. I am not really public about my surgery. I can not thank everyone enough for trying so hard to help many of us figure out this dilemma and continuously give us your encouragement and support. I would be totally lost without this website. By the way, did you realize that you will weigh more on the scale after drinking a ton of water than you would before you drank. I realized that it doesn't matter if I hold 16 oz. of water in my body while weighing vs. holding it in my hand. I don't worry about the extra pound because I know it will pass (literally! LOL!) Love you all, Gail

Hi, it's me again, I THINK I FOUND THE ANSWER!!! I called my surgeon's office this morning to get some real answers to this problem. I really do understand that many of us are so new to banding and are very confused because we are expecting our bodies to give us the feedback and the answers we deserve. The answers I got from my surgeon's assistant was that the "stuck" feeling is a very real phenomenon that has come up and they really do not have an answer for it. I was told though that "stuck" by no means means that the pouch is full. I have given this a whole lot of thought and have read everbody's posts on this subject. My theory is that the stomach is a muscle like any other muscle in the body. Sometimes when I start to exercise my muscles feel tight until I work out for a while. Other times I feel no tightness at all. In the evening when I am starved I find that I still chew as well as before but may wait less intervals between bites because I am so hungry and can eat a much larger amount of food than I have ALLOWED myself to eat during the day while at work. I'm more occupied during the day and do not have the time to eat as often and am much too busy trying to concentrate of the amount of Water I have to drink to satisfy the requirements. I do allow my self a couple of multigrain crackers or a heaping tablespoon of low fat peanut in between meals to hold me over. I believe that by dinner time the stomach muscles and esophagus are so lubricated and relaxed by working out all day that food slides down much more easily. I also believe that there is a certain amount of elasticity in the stoma to allow it to hold more food once the muscles are relaxed. As food slides down there is more room in the relaxed stoma for more food. I also was told by my surgeon's assisant that I will never again get that full feeling I used to get when I knew it was time to push away from the table. At this moment I am throwing away my expensive dietician's menu and my food scale. If 2 oz. of Protein and 2 oz. of carbs means that I am going to still experience hunger, then forget it. I will still eat my Proteins first and healthy carbs after. The only difference is I will stop when my stomach stops growling to the point I feel satisfied. If my stomach talks to me 2 hrs. later, I will give it what it wants until it shuts up (a healthy food choice of course!). As long as I am losing and not gaining more than a few water weight pounds at the end of the month I will be happy. When I prepared to start all of this I had purchased very small inexpensive containers to portion my food and freeze. So when I get hungry I no longer have to wait until I first prepare a meal. That used to be the time I would snack because the preparation took too long to satisfy me. (I don't always eat what the rest of the family eats or at the same time.) When rushing off to work I grab an already prepared container out of the freezer. I always keep a jar of low fat Peanut Butter and multigrain crackers with me. Until now I have avoided going out to restaurants. I have, however, been to get together's, a barbeque, and a cocktail party. I used good judgment, and because I ate very slow, I finished eating at the same time everyone else did. Everyone just thinks I am dieting. I am not really public about my surgery. I can not thank everyone enough for trying so hard to help many of us figure out this dilemma and continuously give us your encouragement and support. I would be totally lost without this website. By the way, did you realize that you will weigh more on the scale after drinking a ton of water than you would before you drank. I realized that it doesn't matter if I hold 16 oz. of water in my body while weighing vs. holding it in my hand. I don't worry about the extra pound because I know it will pass (literally! LOL!) Love you all, Gail:laugh

Leatha, It's is not "head hunger" that we are experiencing. I can relate to CandyB. The hunger is very real and very painful. I have tried drinking Water to try to extend the hunger but it only makes me more uncomfortable. The stomach growling is so loud that it can be heard by other people around me. I also can say for me personally that I can't remember eating a hot meal. I actually may wait 3 to 5 munutes in between bites. I chew everything to a fine mush. I do eat the hard Proteins. Not long after I drink my water 90 minutes after a meal the hunger pains come back. I don't dare not to drink, but I feel I would stay satisfied longer if it wasn't for the water. Gail

Hi Nancy, Wow! You make so much sense! I've been trying so hard to play by the dietician's rules even though it seemed so hard for me. I trusted her because she was referred to me by my surgeon as a mandatory condition before surgery. No one else in his office had told me how to utilize the band. I only learned the principle of how it is supposed to work. Perhaps these things were discussed at the support group meetings that I was unable to attend because of conflict with my work schedule and distance to the meeting locations. I just felt like this was another restrictive diet and have been beating myself up and ashamed that I am having trouble sticking to it. I have also never been able to sustain willpower for any length of time and was amazed that I did it for almost 2 months before faultering. You are so right! If I was able to stick to a diet before then why would I have needed the band. I have been so disappointed with the dietician as well. Once she saw me and collected a great deal of my money (outside of the insurance loop) pre-surgery, it is almost impossible to get her to return my calls when I have a question post-surgery. When I do finally reach her days later about questions regarding her plan, she has an attitude that I am bothering her with non-emergency concerns. Thank you so much for your advise. You do make a lot of sense, and have given me much to consider. My only concern is that as slow as I am eating (and believe me, I wait a minute or so before taking another small bite) how will I know when I have eaten enough if the food just seems to slide down so easily at times without that feeling of restriction or fullness? Alexandra also stated the she felt that the "Golf Ball" feeling on the first bite is due to esophageal spasms. I do chew everything down to a mush. Gail:confused: