Cocoabean

Leigha, that is a great one! Tee hee! This one I truly loved... Me: I really DO need a fill, my appetite has increased. Don: Yes, I agree, you've been talking about it for a couple of weeks now, and you haven't gotten stuck! Now put down that cookie! DOH!

Ask for a small fill. Sneak up on your sweet spot. When you eat, pay attention to what you are doing. Take VERY small bites and chew well. While PBs and getting stuck are not always in your control, doing the above will certainly help to limit them. Go very slowly as you get used to your new restriction level. It is a learning process. At the same time, don't rely on slider foods that you know will go down easily and not get stuck. These tend to be highly processed and high in calories which will not help in your weight loss efforts. It is a fine line we walk between good restriction and too tight. You will find the best level for YOU. My band is fairly loose, so I rarely get stuck. I can eat most anything, including bread, Pasta, and rice, with the exeption of chicken breast and bagels. I also have to be wary when I eat pasta noodles like lasagna, sometimes it seems to re-form over the stoma and get stuck no matter how little are the bites I take.

Mornin' everyone! Shad, had hubby not sat down next to me, the ticker would have stayed the same :tt2: I called him over to look at the trend that most of last year I was hovering around 150. He said that to not enter that day's weight would not show the trend of recent days. He was right in that. I suppose I could have just recorded the weight and not updated the ticker....oh well. But take a look today!! I came in to work late, so I hopped on the scale! Down 1! Oh yeah! Back under 150, which is what I REALLY like to see, the rest is gravy...well, ok, I want to see 145 again, but was a great relief to see it go back down!

I have flown several times since being banded. I haven't had any troubles. I didn't even feel tighter, but several here on the forum have reported tightness after flying. Generally cabin pressure is around 8,000 feet.

Hi Erin, Welcome! Most surgeons place bands with no fill. So you probably have no restriction. Try not to freak out about a weight gain during this time. My surgeon told me to expect it. It IS possible to lose, but if you do, it is not with any help from the band. It is from good old will power. As my hubby said to my surgeon, if I had will power, I'd not have needed a band. For now, concentrate on small bites and chewing well. You won't stretch your pouch, the food is going through, that is why you are hungry so quickly. As you get fills and restriction comes, the weight will come off.

Shopgirl, many surgeons do not allow motrin or other NSAIDs after banding. Be certain that yours is OK with that.

If in doubt and pain, CALL. I've only read of people feeling tighter after flying, but really, if you are hurting, give your surgeon a call ASAP. Keep us posted.

Oh wow, that was a pooper to go through! Congrats!! I don't have tricare but my request for consult was denied. My PCP said almost all initial requests (through that medical group) are denied in hopes you will go away. He has since changed groups. I appealed and won. Looking forward to your losses!

Leigha, that plate looks amazing! Yummy! I am not sure on the ticker argument either. Because I am not really sure if it is a true 5 lb gain or just temporary. TOM arrived yesterday afternoon, 6 days late..bloat? And, my weight is back to where it was before I got that horrid intestinal infection back in April. I dunno, the next couple of weeks will be intersting. Waiting for my surgeon's office to call back with an Upper GI and fill date....

http://arturorodriguezmd.com/lapband-erosion-clinical-radiological-and-endoscopic-correlation The above link has great info on erosions. Main symptoms are loss of restriction and weight gain. Also you can get port-site infection.

You should be able to eat real solids. Getting stuck on pudding is not a normal event at the sweet spot. I was overfilled and got stuck on mashed potatoes a few days after the fill. I knew I was most likely in trouble then, but delayed going back for several days hoping things would get better a week later I was still having trouble getting yogurt down. As to what I eat on a normal day. On a work day, Breakfast is 2-3 graham crackers with peanutbutter or a Protein bar. On the weekend, I'll make to share a 3-egg veggie and cheese omlette of which I take one-third and eat that with a piece of toash. Mid morning a banana. lunch 1/2 Sandwich and a salad or something left-over from dinner. When I get home from work I usually have a string cheese. Dinner is some sort of meat dish such as one thin cut pork chop, one chicken thigh (I don't try breast mean any more), or 3 oz steak-cut into tiny pieces, with 1/2 cup veggie side dish, and some sort of starch last. I can still eat rice, some bandsters can't. I can also eat most bread except for very doughy breads like french bread or bagels. My surgeon does not restrict eating between meals as long as it is healthful and not brainless. Hope this helps.

p.s. DH (in this case, dratted hubby) made me update my ticker, because to leave it at 145 would not be truthful. :smile:

Thanks for the good wishes, Pricipal Shad! Wow, got on the scale this morning...up 5 lbs!!!! :scared2::cursing: Yikes!!! Yes, definitely time for a fill. Of course, I go looking at LAP-BAND sites and read that erosion's biggiest symptoms are increased appetite and weight gain, and happens after the 2 year mark. GREAT. Just had to scare myself. I have identified one contributing behavioral problem, that will now be corrected. I have been enjoying some Mike's Hard Lemonade lately...yummy, it's summer!! :smile: Looed them up online, EACH contains 220 calories! :tt2: Holy Moly!! They will be moved to the 'rarely enjoyed' list. Being as they are not really on my surgeon's list of approved items, that is probably a good idea. Anyway, otherwise, life is good!

Hi there! For me, my hunger after my stomach empties feels exactly the same. To this day I'd swear to you that I could eat the same portions as before I was banded. My brain knows that is not the case. As far as discomfort going down...it could be that you will need to adjust the way you are eating with each fill. Really tiny bites, taking time between bites to be sure things are ok. If you feel any pain with a bite, STOP eating. The less that is in your stomach at the time, the better. At least for me. I find if I stop eating as soon as I feel a bit of pain it will often resolve, but if I put more food down it can lead to nastiness. Like Christie, after a stuck episode I go back to liquids for a bit to let things calm down. And if you can't get liquids down, call your doctor!

My surgeon allows me to use NSAIDs from time to time but not on a daily basis, you should check with your surgeon to see what he or she wants you to do. You can also use narcotic pain meds that are attached to tylenol for more severe pain.

Well done! Thanks for sharing.

Hi Donna, welcome!! Your goals sound great and very reasonable!

Red Lobster biscuits...yummy!! Sorta the consistency of thick paste..yeah, uuber sticky! Haven't tried one of those in a while. Are we living parallel lives at the moment? I seem to be able to eat way more right now, too. Not that I had an unfill, but...... And self-control? What is that? hee hee! Hot? yeah, we have that. It reached 100 degrees on my patio today. Mind you, I live in a coastal area, where our house normally gets a sea breeze. Yesterday we had a thunderstorm! So, it has been hot and humid! Not the usual San Diego stuff at all! :cool: The T-Storm was cool, though.

Hey Pam, Believe me, I was none too happy when I was advised to postpone my fill! I had a band, darnit, and I wanted it working for me! My hubby was totally against me getting it before our trip, and I understood the reasons for being told no. I'd not have been able to live with myself (or my hubby!) had I ruined our cruise with a band episode after being told by my surgeon that I should wait. Your circumstances are very different from mine. I totally understand your reasons for wanting to proceed, and if your surgeon has given his blessings, I say go for it! As to why you are not eating so much? You are working on better eating habits and watching calories! No lie!

Most people don't have problems with first fills, as Bambam said, they are usually small, but...points to consider. I think it also depends on where you are going on vacation. Some bandsters feel tighter when they fly. If you are adjusting to a fill and then flying, it could be a problem. Also, if you are going out of the country where you might not be as familiar with getting medical care, I'd think about waiting. I postponed my first fill due to a 10 day cruise. I did not want to be so far away from home and have a problem. I had no clue if a cruise doctor would be able to unfill a band....? probably... If you are going to be somewhere within reach of medical care where you can easily get an unfill then OK. I think I'd prefer to enjoy my vacation and get the fill after...but then, that is what I decided to do. :cool: I ended up waiting on my fill from my surgery Feb. 15 until early May. My surgeon won't do a first fill until 6 weeks. Best wishes with the decision!

It all depends on your doctor and your starting weight, as far as dieting goes. I was not required to follow a diet during my pre-approval phase. I was told not to gain, and I was told that if I gained during my pre-op diet (2 weeks prior to surgery) that I would be canceled because it would prove I had cheated. Every time I saw my surgeon I was weighed, but not when I saw the psychologist.

Oh, Leigha, so sorry to hear that. As you said, maybe he will change his mind about dialysis. But from what I hear, dialysis is a drag. He will make the best decision for him Wasn't Anne's surgery this week????? Well, I called to make a fill appointment! After going back and forth for months and months.....only to find out that my doc wants me to do an upper GI. Which is fine. It'll give us a good check to be sure Bandit is staying where he belongs! Due to my medical insurance they have to get pre-authorization for that and the fill, which I was expecting, but last time they let me make the fill appointment with the understanding that if the pre-auth didn't come through I'd have to wait. But with the upper-GI, I'll need that done before the fill. So, I couldn't schedule anything yet. I am not in a huge hurry. She says looking at her breakfast....HA! My weight was up again last night. So, I better watch it and, gulp, exercise! Shoot, if I had self-control I would not have needed the band! That is one of my hubby's famous lines that he gave my surgeon right before I was banded. So I guess the upper GI will show if my "bulimia" has caused any permanent damage :sad: My knee and hips are acting up really bad right now (arthritis & tendonitis). But I best get over it and be a good bandster girl. My knee hurt so bad last night, I had to get out of bed to take some pain meds. Good news at work, I am getting a promotion, but due to my circumstances (long story) it doesn't mean any more money. For my counterparts in other units it does, which is fantastic for them! Yay, they deserve it!!! But it does mean that I have to apply for my own job. Which means I have to put together a federal job bid package. Which is a pain in the rear end and very time consuming. So, instead of an Administrative Services Coordinator, I will be a Management & Program Assistant. Ooopa ooopa.

hey Karen!! Wootwoot!! Welcome to size 10!! Oh yeah!!!! I have not called yet :sad: Still pondering. I know a bit of it is behavior. But at the same time, I have this tool, so why not. But I have corrected some of the behavior the past few days, so yay for me! I'll probably ponder for a while before calling!