LapbandKAB

Thanks, all, for the comments/advice. I will try to better track how many calories I'm taking in each day. I do exercise every day by way of 30 minutes on the treadmill while watching QVC (my other bad habit besides food!). Also, I, too have wondered if perhaps I don't need a fill because I'm very tight in the morning and at lunch. Sometimes, I think I might be teetering into the red zone when I PB or feel like vomiting. Sometimes, I drink a little Water and can hear the noises it makes as it circles the drain that is the band. Other times, I drink water with no issue. So, there's that, but then when I find I can eat freely at night I wonder if maybe I need a slight fill. It's crazy. I do stop myself for the most part and don't just continue eating. I just need to work harder I think at recognizing the warning signs to stop. @@lisacaron - I looked at your stats under your name and notice our starting weights and current weights are pretty close. But, your surgery was in May and you've lost 50 already! That's fantastic. My surgery was October and I'm down only 18. I'm going to work harder at this and see if I can get something going again. Edited to say I just realized your surgery was May 2013. I was thinking last month. Duh. Losing 50 in that time is still fantastic and I look forward to doing the same thing by October!

@@lisacaron - I was typing my stat update so I hadn't seen what you posted. I guess what I meant when I said that about me wanting the band to do more for me is that I'm waiting to get the feeling that a lot of you speak of when you say that when you're in your green zone and you eat, something triggers to tell you that you've had enough. Isn't it the band that is giving you that trigger? I guess that's what I'm hoping this band will do for me. I especially want it to do this at night. But, you're right. I know I'm a nighttime overeater and my battle with weight has always been due to the fact that I overeat when I get home from work. I need to get a handle on it. I guess I just thought the band might help me a little bit with that. But, your post game me a lot to think about and I need to work harder at this. Thank you!

I need to update my stats. I was banded on Oct 17, 2013, and on the day of surgery, I was 233 lbs. I was 244 when approved and lost 11 during the 10 day preop diet. So, 233 on day of surgery and I currently weigh in at 218. So, since the day of surgery, almost 8 months ago, I'm down just 15 pounds. I'm not a calorie counter per se, I'm just a creature of habit. I eat the same things all the time. Every morning I have a Protein shake at 190 calories. I eat about 1/2 to 1 cup of food for lunch (usually something soft because I find I'm still a bit tight at lunch). Most times I make what they call the wrapless eggroll stuff. I brown 1 lb ground turkey with an onion. I add one bag of coleslaw and a little soy sauce (lite) and simmer all covered for about 20 min. It really is delicious considering the best part of an eggroll, the crunchy wrapper, is missing. I take that and put it in one cup containers and take it to work every day (they are not a full cup). For dinner, I have some kind of protein and maybe some salad that i chop very finely. Sometimes at night, I do have a few cups of popcorn. Or an apple with some hummus. Better than the chips/cheez-its/cracker type of stuff I ate preband. All in all, I'm not taking in tons of calories. I do find that I can eat much more at dinner and I need to get that in check. Nighttime has always been my downfall. I am terrific all day at work but can blow it all at night.

Hi all. I'm 6 months out from surgery. I've lost 15 pounds since the surgery. I've had 4 fills and I have a total of 5.75cc in the 10cc band. I went for my 5th fill on March 27 but my Doctor wouldn't add any because I had lost 7 pounds since my 4th fill on 20 Feb. I knew I had lost due to the liquid/mushy I do for a few days after the fill. I had weighed the same since about 2 weeks after that fill so I knew I wasn't in the losing stage anymore. But, he wouldn't add anything. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with him. I'd like to ask him to just do a minor fill and get me to 6cc. I still weigh the same this morning as I did on my last visit with him so I haven't lost anything. However, this morning when making my lunch for work, I took a bite of tuna with mayo. Well, that got stuck. I PBd in the sink a few times and thought that was the end. I got in my car and drove to work and had that slime many of you speak of and kept spitting it out. Luckily, I had a container in the car. I finally got to work and had to pull over in the parking lot and I threw up green slime. It is my first real throw up incident. How can one tablespoon of tuna with mayo cause that? Now, I'm wondering if I should go through with asking for a fill tomorrow. I have been able to eat quite a bit lately and have stopped losing so I suspect the tuna just caused this and that a slight fill would still be ok? I don't normally throw up ever. Sometimes, I have a PB incident but I think that is caused mostly by me not taking small enough bites or eating too fast. I'm certainly not at the green zone because I think I could eat quite a bit if I didn't stop myself because I don't want to gain what I've lost. I haven't had a lot of tuna so I'm not sure if tuna might be a bad food for my band. I do notice my band seems tight in the morning so maybe that's why it affected me this way. Would you still go through with a slight fill? I want to get this weight loss rolling after 6 months. Thanks for the advice.

Dare I say I might have reached the sweet spot? This is the first time since surgery that I feel a restriction of sorts. I'm eating small amounts of food, Protein first. But, I feel as though I am stopping when I'm supposed to, whereas before, I know I could have kept on eating. I went away for the weekend and it was my first test of being on a mini-vacation while trying to eat healthy. It's amazing how much of our lives revolve around social eating! I did pretty well. Mostly, I ordered soup or a small appetizer. For instance, I know mozzarella sticks are not the most healthy of foods, but I needed protein and figured it would be soft. I don't want to have 'stuck' incidents while at a restaurant. So, I ate two and packed up the rest for the hotel fridge. Normally, I would have sucked them all down at one sitting without a problem. I'm happy I did this finally! I'm cautiously optimistic that I'm in the green zone. I still hear gurgling sounds from the band but I can live with that. When I hear that is when I stop eating. Could that be my signal? I hope you're doing ok, dlo.

Update. I went to my appointment this morning and had gained one pound since my last appointment which was 5 weeks ago. So, he gave me a slight fill of .5cc. So, I've got 6.25cc now. I took a few sips of Water and things seemed fine so I left his office. I've been doing liquids all day. I remember during the classes required before I had this surgery that they gave us a medicine cup to drink out of. They said that's how we'd have to drink with the band. Just small sips like that at a time. Until today, I've always been able to just drink like a non-banded person would but I often thought of that medicine cup. Now, when I take a drink, I can hear the gurgling sound from the band. So, I'm not sure if this means there's too much in now or if this is how it is supposed to be and I'll be closer, if not at, my sweet spot. Time will tell. I expect things to loosen up a bit as time goes on. I'm just glad he added some today. I didn't mention the tuna incident to him because I attributed that to the tuna consistency rather than my band being filled too much. I didn't lose anything in 5 weeks so clearly I needed more saline added.

Thanks for the reply. I normally don't eat in the morning; however, every now and then I've been known to sneak a little bite of what I'm preparing for my lunch and I've never had a reaction like I did this morning. I'm thinking it was because it was morning and the tuna just doesn't agree with my band. I'm almost afraid to even mention it to the Dr because based on how he was last time, I know he'd not add anything to the band. That's why I only want to ask him to add .25 which will take me to 6cc. I'm pretty sure I'm getting close to the band being at the optimum fill level. I'm still able to eat more than I should be eating though (especially as the day goes on), so I think a slight adjustment might kick things in. I'm gonna ponder it back and forth all day today. Should I, shouldn't I? I'll let you know how I make out. Thanks again and good luck to you, too. It's not an easy road but I'm still glad I'm on it!

I had my surgery Oct 17. My first fill was December 1st. He put 3.5cc in my 10cc band. I had my fourth fill 2 weeks ago so I now have 5.75cc in my band. Since my surgery, I'm only down 5 lbs which, to me, isn't enough. Though I knew it took a while for the band to be adjusted, I didn't think it would take this long. Since this last fill, I find I can't eat in the morning. I've read here that some people wake up with a tight band and I wondered how that could happen but it has happened to me. I feel as though I'll have a stuck episode if I eat. So, I'm with you in that I didn't think it would take this long to get the weight loss rolling. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what satiety feels like because I don't have it yet. What makes me stop eating now is the feeling that something is going to get stuck. Not because I feel satisfied. It's a learning process and I'm trying to figure this all out.

Hi all. I had my surgery on Oct 17. I've had 3 fills so far and I'm currently at 5cc in the 10cc band. I had to take so many classes to be approved by my insurance company and I thought I had done my due diligence on the lapband but apparently, I don't know as much as I thought because I'm a little discouraged and confused. I've not yet ever had any feeling of fullness or satiety. I could mindlessly continue eating and eating which is what got me to be overweight in the first place. I do notice now that it is easier to get stuck and I've had two stuck episodes that were resolved by a PB. I know this was caused by my not chewing enough. I knew as soon as I swallowed that I'd probably get stuck. But here's my question and I know some of you will be shaking your heads because I should know this! Having a feeling of fullness and being stuck are two different things, right? Getting stuck is not what is supposed to stop me from eating more than I should, right? Had I chewed properly on my two sticks, I know I could have kept right on eating. But, what I'm looking for is the feeling that will make me want to stop eating, right? One of the reasons why I thought lapband was my best choice is because before I got it, I never had a feeling of being full so I could keep right on eating and eating. I wanted to feel full like other people did. I'm still so wanting to have that feeling. But, I just want to be sure that there is such a feeling with lapband and that getting things stuck is not what my signal is to stop eating. I hope this makes sense. Appreciate all the knowledge here.

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. I'm going to hang in there and hope that maybe on the next fill, I'll get a closer feel for things and be more aware of full/satiety feelings. I will continue to watch what I eat, Protein first, and remember to chew. Sometimes I think my old habits come back and I just start mindlessly eating and drinking for a few seconds until I remember I have the band. Especially when watching TV or reading. That's a big reason why I got into weight trouble in the first place. I could watch a one-hour show and eat an entire bag of chips. I didn't do that when I was married because I'd be embarrassed, but once I got divorced, I just did whatever I wanted and ate and ate because no one was there to witness it. Jack-I nearly spit coffee on my monitor laughing out loud on my lunch break when I read your "didn't know whether to call the EMTs or lay down and die" comment. That's how I felt when I had my two stuck episodes. My latest was last night and I almost went into panic mode.

I had the surgery Oct 17. I lost about 20 pounds prior to and while on the preop diet. I lost another 10 during the weeks immediately following surgery. I wasn't sure what I had in my band after the surgery, if anything. Every now and then, I'd get the hiccups while eating and assumed I was one of the lucky ones who would get this soft warning to stop eating. All seemed to be going well but I was starting to notice I could eat more and more. I was so anxious to get my first fill on December 3rd. My doctor removed everything from the band (he said there was 2cc in my band after surgery). He didn't say why he removed everything and I should have asked but didn't. He then gave me 3.5cc in my 10cc band. I drank Water in his office with no problem so I went home. I followed the liquid diet for a couple of days after the fill. Well, it didn't take me long to figure out that I have no restriction at all and my weight is creeping back on. It seems I can eat whatever and as much as I want if I allowed myself. I would never know I had a lapband at this point. My follow-up is January 7 and I'm so afraid I'm going to gain all that was lost prior to and immediately following surgery. Is this my bandster hell? How could I go from having 2cc and sometimes feeling restriction to having 3.5cc and no restriction at all? I wonder if I should call my Dr and see if I can get in sooner to have more added? I realize weight loss with the band is slow and I accept that. I'm just a little discouraged because I have absolutely no restriction during this holiday season.

Just to update, I did call the Dr and was able to get in today instead of on Jan 7 for my follow-up after my Dec 3 fill. I was able to eat over the holidays and did eat more than I should have. I was so afraid to step on his scale this morning. I thought for sure I would have gained 3-5 pounds but, to my surprise, I was down 1 pound. It doesn't make sense to me that I lost because I know I ate more than I had been eating right after surgery but I'll take it and run with it. My Dr is very conservative with fills he tells me so he added .75 to my already 3.5 filled band. So, I'm at 4.25 right now. He wanted to see me in 6 weeks so, I guess I'll see how this one works out. Happy New Year! I'm excited for this new start.

Thanks, all, for taking the time to respond. I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm eating everything in sight because I have no feeling of restriction. I had to attend so many classes before Kaiser-P would approve me for the surgery, so I know that it is just a tool and that I'm the one doing most of the work. But, obviously I got the lapband because I needed the tool to help me because I was unable to lose weight on my own. I'm just disappointed that the tool isn't providing me any assistance right now. I guess I just need to be patient about the fills and have faith that I will get to the point where the band is a beneficial tool. Right now, it isn't doing anything for me. I don't plan on going on a holiday binge, but I will be glad to go for the next adjustment and until such time as I feel it is helping me, I guess this is my bandster hell.

Yes, I was told to take 2 calcium citrates daily and a multi. I think my problem is that I was taking them together. I'm going to try one in the morning and one at night to see if stomach aches go away. Hopefully, that is my issue.

Hi all. I'm one month out from surgery and every now and then, I have stomach aches. It dawned on me that maybe I'm getting an upset stomach due to the Calcium citrate chews I take? I got them from Bariatric Advantage and usually chew two at the same time (one after the other). Have any of you been bothered by stomach aches from these chews? I think I just realized I should take one in the morning and one in the evening with food. I'm just curious if this could be the cause of the stomach aches.

Thanks for both responses. I'll start doing one in the morning and one in the evening to see if it stops the stomach aches. I am now recalling that the dietician probably did tell me to do the dosing like that but to me, they are like eating Starburst so I just did the two at the same time. It could also be the Iron in the chewable Multivitamin giving me stomach aches. I'll just have to try to figure out what it is and go from there. It is obviously one or the other. Thanks!

Hello everyone. I had my surgery 48 hours ago and all went well. I came home yesterday but today I've noticed facial/neck flushing. My face turns bright red and hot to the touch. Has anyone else had this happen? My temperature is normal. Thank you

Interesting jeep Jack. Hopefully, it goes away soon for both of us. If it keeps up, I'll call my Doctor Monday morning to see if the flushing could be a sympton of abdominal surgery.

Hi all. I'm new here and I'm leaving for the hospital soon to get banded. I've been on clear liquids since last Thursday. I think all surgeries should be scheduled for first thing in the morning because I'm getting shaky now without my protein drink! I read what a few of you said about pudding. On my doctor's instruction sheet, day 2 after surgery I can go to full liquids which includes sugar free pudding and low-fat creamed soups. Which, at this point, sound like prime rib to me. Most of you weren't allowed pudding that soon? Looking forward to participating on this forum when I get home tomorrow.