Cocoabean

Elcee=smart bandster. Of course, I always knew that.

You can walk right away. Lifting is really individual to your surgeon, give the office a call on Monday. Also check your discharge papers, it might be in there. My surgeon gave us all a notebook with specifics for workouts and lifting. I can't remember what my instructions were. Bandster Hell is the time between surgery and the green zone. When you have your band, but it isn't helping you at all. Like having a beautiful sports car in the driveway with no gas in the tank. Bright red usually means you have a little tear near the anus or a hemorrhoid that tore. Dark red means bleeding further up. A call to your surgeon would not be out of line. That is what we pay them for.

Oy! Will be thinking of you. Call your doc if you can't get liquids down!

I am south of Pendleton in San Diego! Welcome!

Gallbladder? Is liquid getting through?

Ok, Elcee, that is the best stuck story I have read in a long time! OH MY GOD!!!! Oh, and chocolate cupcakes are gross coming back up when one is stuck on them as well. Lap Band Karma got me on that one!

It's white knuckle time. Hang on, and best wishes. But I am glad you went in to get it addressed!

I had one a couple of months ago. No worries, I had to drink a liter over 15 minutes. It was horrid, but easily done.

Karen, I understand your hesitation. There are folks here who've had the banded plication and done very well. There might even be a banded plication forum. I have the AP Standard band. There is a Vertical Sleeve Talk forum like LBT, you might wander over there. There are lots of band to sleeve revisions there. And many happy sleevers. Does your surgeon have any idea why your band eroded? My surgeon says erosions are pretty rare with these "newer" bands that we have.

Karen, Shands is a great hospital. May I ask what band you had? We were banded a week apart. I am so sorry you went through all this. The sleeve scares me because they remove a large part of your stomach and toss it out. It's still such a new procedure. There's very little long-term data on it. But, they can convert it to bypass if you don't have sufficient weight loss with it. With banded plication, you'll have another band, yes? Is that something you really want to do? I don't envy you having to make this decision.

So, does he still want you on liquids? It seems counterproductive to go see him then not follow what he says...? Or since you have Fluid removed is he OK with you continuing to eat. Is the stretched pouch a dilated esophagus? Glad to hear you are feeling better.

The last time I remember doing it was a few years ago after polishing off a bag of Cheetos (hangs head in shame). We were on our way home from our annual trip to Central California in our motorhome. About 15 minutes after finishing the flushing nausea hit, then the cramps, the sweating, and the diarrhea. Good thing we had the bathroom with us! There I was laid out on the floor, a big, hot mess, waiting for the symptoms to pass. It lasted about 20-30 minutes then I was back to normal. So, Amanda, I don't doubt that you dumped. Ain't it a joy?

You can advise the airline in advance that you have special dietary needs and ask them to get it for you. You can also purchase it after security in one of the food courts and carry it on. Bring an empty baggie and ask for some ice if it might be a while before you consume it to keep it chilled. Or the flight attendant might hold it for you in their galley area to keep it cold until you need it. No guarantee on that one though.

Awesome!! Sorry it has taken so long to get to resolution, but to have insurance coverage for it must be quite the relief!

Thanks for the update! Is your insurance covering the procedures? Best wishes in your decisions!

I had what I called "explosive decompressions"! It happened off and on for a bit. I can't really remember how long. It's 4 years ago now.

US can bring 3.4 oz (100ml) containers through in one clear 1-quart sized baggie. But that is not much, if you are talking about a shake. it isn't even half a cup. I suppose you can put a couple containers in one baggie. You can also bring medically necessary liquids. You have to declare it before sending it down the conveyor. I don't know if you would need a note for a protein shake or if they would accept you saying you cannot eat solids due to gastric surgery. http://www.tsa.gov/311/

When I travel I keep protein bars in my bag. They usually get smushed though. I also bring envelopes of protein shakes. Trail mix travels well.

If I could not have at least a week at home before leaving, I would postpone. I know it sucks, but being too tight and away from your surgeon sucks, also. I put off my first fill for two weeks for a Panama Canal cruise. I wanted it sooooo bad, but my husband would have had my head if I had had any problems while we were in the middle of the ocean! It's a tough call. Maybe call your surgeon, they might not do a fill less than a month anyway, even though it is only a couple days short...decision made.

I've been through the full body scan with no trouble. Travel almost always cause me to tighten up, even car travel. I think it is the stress. You can carry on shake powder, but if it is in a large tub, declare it before it goes through the x-ray. It reads like a liquid. I had 16 ounce container of electrolyte powder with me that threw them for a loop. When I flew back I pulled it out of my carry-on. The TSA supervisor said, "thanks for taking this out! You made my job so much easier, and kept the line moving!" I also bring an empty water bottle in my carry-on that I can fill once through security. Much cheaper than buying water in the gift shop.

You've lost 16 lbs in the 15 weeks since you've been banded, that is actually awesome! Many people don't lose anything until the reach restriction after a few fills. I didn't lose anything the first two months after I was banded. Band literature tells us 1-2 pounds per week average. I averaged 0.75 lbs per week during the active weight-loss phase of my banded life. Keep creating good banded habits, the rest will follow.

Cynthia, isn't it weird? My last fill was in September. I was cruising along Ok, then suddenly about three weeks ago I tightened up, "tighter than a crab's buttocks" to quote a line from "The Scorpion King." I was getting stuck every day. It wasn't getting much better. The only thing I could see was different is that I wasn't drinking as much Water, perhaps. So, I started really drinking the water and ate liquids/mushies for two days. It's much better now. But I am only eating about half what I was before the tightness started. Weird and fickle. But I'll take my better health and smaller size any day!

chicken breast is off my menu. Soft, doughy breads are no longer my friends, either. Hamburger is hit and miss, so I will do veggie burgers or turkey burger instead. Handheld foods are a challenge. Like sandwiches or burritos. I do better if I use a knife and fork to cut them into smaller pieces, rather than take bites off of them. I tend to take bites that are too big if I hold them in my hands.

Some surgeons will do them 2 weeks apart. Will you be somewhere that you can get an unfill if needed? I'd postpone until after the trip, but that is just me. I like to be close to my surgeon for a bit after a fill, just in case.

How long ago was the unfill? Sometimes it takes a bit for any swelling to go down from the irritation of being too full. So, if you go back for another unfill, then get too loose, get a refill, then get too tight...it can become a vicious circle. If you are getting in nutrition, hydration, and not vomitting, I'd wait a bit and see if you are comfortable at this fill level.