DebW

I can only speak from my own experience but whenever I have discomfort, I stop eating until the next mealtime. I do not know if the "golfball" comes from the food stopping the the poch or on it's way through. I only know that it's my clear signal to stop putting anything in my stomach. Truly, you should not to get to the point of discomfort if you are taking small bites and chewwing them to death. However, reality is that you will have this happen & need to let it clear itself.

When you feel the golfball or anything close to it- stop eating. Slowing down will not help nor will drinking something. Sometimes, getting up & walking around helps- anything to get gravity to move the "stuck" food through.

I sometimes have the same problem with meat. I have 2 suggestions- (1) use soft meat like fish & chicken, stewed stuff, deli sliced, and (2) always take small bites & chew until it is pulverized.

I take 2 Prozac capsules daily. A few months ago I began to have bad heartburn sometimes after taking them. I read that there is such a thing as reflux caused by pills, etc. and just tried to use more water as the article suggested. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Since it really causes major discomfort and distracts me at work, I started taking the meds at night. That helped for a while but now it is becoming so frequent that I am miserable at night. Sometimes I decide to skip a day with the meds so I can get a good night's sleep. Does anyone have suggestions?

After posting I made an appointment with the doctor who prescribes the Prozac. I am going tomorrow afternoon and will discuss it with him. I hope there is an alternative because I certainly don't want that "Old Familiar Feeling" of depression back!

We have a tradition at work of taking a collection & sending flowers when someone is out on a medical leave. When I was out, I never got any. When I got back, someone told me a collection had been taken up but nixed by someone in the group because it was ELECTIVE surgery. I am still PO'd.

I don't smoke but I do drink alcohol. I have been enjoying myself too much over the holidays. It did not make me sick or anything but has stopped my weight loss cold. I guess this was what the warning about "drinking calories" was all about. I'm back on the wagon (well, maybe not totally lol).

Great going, Cindy. You have so inspired me that I just refilled my water bottle!

Thanks everybody. I do not PB a lot thankfully. I will be more careful about chewing & speed. I will ask the doctor about this if it continues- I have an appointment shortly.

Sometimes my stomach feels a little sore even hours after I eat. Is this normal? Any idea what causes it?

It's just a little sore-not bad. It is inside and definitely the stomach, not the port. It does not seem to matter what I eat but is more likely to happen after a PB. Could it just be eating too much or insufficient chewing? Does a PB make the stomach sore sometimes?

My doctor will not do a fill until 6 weeks post surgery so it may be a little soon for you. I knew I needed it because 1) my weight plateaued for a couple of weeks, and 2) I could eat a lot more than recommended without any resistance. As to the cc. of fill, I was warned not to even ask the doctor! It depends totally on what is right for you.

Tomorrow's my first & I'm psyched. Wish me luck.

Hi Alex, It went great. I ran into Dr. Abkin on the way from the parking lot & he told me to go Radiology. I did & it was right. I can feel the difference. It took me forever to drink a Protein shake this morning. I had a little chicken salad for lunch- it went down fine and I'm full. I hope some of the would-be bandsters do come. I am so pleased with my decision even though I was committed to the by-pass when I went to my first appointment. The permanency & malabsorption spooked me. I feel much better with the band. It helps me with the portion control I need without the rest of it. I just love the support group. I get really good info there. Deb

Thanks for the support. It went just fine. I actually felt the port under my skin for the first time afterwards. I am on liquids only for 24 hours and can really feel the restriction. It took me forever to get a protein shake down this morning.

I have brought out more of my winter clothes and many are too big! I look like I'm wearing my father's clothes. What a great problem. Only issue, I don't want to waste money on new clothes which will also be too big shortly. Oh, what a lovely dilemma.

I use Diet Revolution from GNC. The guy at GNC said his customers say it tastes good. I tried it & it does.

Thanks everybody for the encouragement. I have lost a pound since I wrote so I'm feeling better. Alex, I will be at the next support group. I was supposed to be last time but got flooded.

I have lost nothing in the last 3 weeks. I have been following the rules and eating much less than I did before. I am scheduled for my first fill on October 28 which is the earliest time available. Even if I need the fill, why doesn't the fact that I'm eating so little work? Just need to vent! Thanks.

I am getting my first fill next month. Will I be on a liquid diet afterwards or regular diet?

I was banded 8/16/04 by Dr. Abkin in Morristown, NJ. So far, I have lost 19 pounds. I just started eating solid foods and have had no problems so far. In reading other posts, I saw the term PB and do not know what it means. Can someone tell me? Thanks

Thanks everybody. Alex was at the support group last month and loved it. I will be there this month also "God willing & the creek don't rise" Can you tell I was raised in the South?:mad: