Cocoabean

I tried practicing before banding, also. But without the feedback from the band it is difficult. Do your best to practice, but after banding and a few stuck episodes, it becomes more habit. Although after more than two years, if I don't pay attention, I sometimes slip back to old habits. But now the band tells me I did a dumb thing. Best wishes!

A slip of the band is when the stomach ccomes up through the confines of the band. Frequent vomitting can be a cause. One treatment is to remove all Fluid for a while to let things return to normal then slowly add fill back. This is why many bandsters do their best to not vomit. Here is a link to info about slippage from my surgeon's website. http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/lap-band/lap-band-complications/slippage.html

If you can't get solids down this long after a fill, you most likely need an unfill. The goal of the band is not to make it so that you cannot eat. You don't have to have all of the fill removed, but if your band slips, you will need it all removed. Sometimes just a half of a cc can make all the difference in the world. Don't hesitate to call your doc. You can always get it put back in. I was overfilled once. Had half the fill removed, went back a month later--had that put back in and then some. What is important is that you are losing and able to eat and get nutrition. Best wishes.

Glad to hear it Stacie! Didn't know what to say when you asked for ideas. I think heartburn can be signs of a slip, but I think it is bad heartburn. Happy to know all is well in band land! I've been asked a couple times lately if I am dropping more weight, but I am not. So, maybe things are just re-distributing. And tomorrow is Friday to begin a long weekend, oh yeah!!!

Sounds to me that you had your first stuck episode, congratulations! Welcome to band land. As Astrasmom said, many of us cannot eat eggs. When you do try again, chew well and take your time between bites. As soon as you feel that pain, stop eating. Give it time to go down or come back up. Eating more will just add to the pain.

My surgeon said he loves all the names bandsters have for burps. Juicy burps, rolling burps, productive burps, slimy burps, stinky burps, gurgling burps (aka burgles-from s fellow LBTer!) Yep, burps and bands go together like peas and carrots.

I am only 2 1/12 years out, and I did not have massive amounts to lose. But I am much healthier. No longer on BP or cholesterol meds. My blood sugar is normal to slightly elevated. My BMI is now normal. For me, this was a very good decision. That can change down the road, but I might get hit by a bus, too. The decision for surgery is a personal one, and not to be taken lightly.

For some, RNY is a better choice, medically. My surgeon will not do a band on a diabetic, due to the fact thst RNY generally puts it into remission quickly. Listen to the doctor and why he prefers which surgery for YOU. Best wishes on your decision.

I am about 2 1/2 years out. Not quite to goal, but maintaining my loss with ease. Also not sure what I want my goal to be, maybe I am there! I am at a normal BMI and my blood work is good, yay!

Karen--Congrats on the iphone, will you get the data plan, too? woohoo! fun fun...I am still loving the ipad. My latest purchase is this (if I did the picture thing right!), but in blue topaz, set in sterling: The two outer ones are eternity rings, so I am wearing them as wedding rings. My fingers have gotten so skinny below the knuckle, I have a hard time wearing rings with stones on top, especially on my let hand. They just spin and spin. The other I wear on the right hand to match a bracelet & earrings I picked up a couple weeks ago at the fair. Nice! Leigha, way to go on the C25K! That is amazing. You are doing so fantastic! I made a bunch of poor food choices last week on our "around the county tour" and enjoyed every bite. Back to my normal routine now. I did get stuck on a veggie burger, which I chose because hambugers give me problems, sometimes. I think it was more the bun, and the fact that I was not paying attention to my eating as we were with friends. Elfie---great to see you back!

Could you eat fast foods as your primary diet and lose weight with the band? Maybe. It depends on your choices. Will you exercise to counter some of those choices? Many fast foods are sliders, like milk shakes, that will go right through a band, so you can drink them without ever feeling full. You can consume thousands of calories in milkshakes--the band will not do anything to help with those. Other fast foods are notorious for getting stuck. Many bandsters can't eat french fries. I have trouble with hamburger and the chicken used in chicken sandwiches. If the speed of the fast food places is the issue, then there are healthier choices than burgers, fries, and milkshakes. So, I guess it depends on your definition of "fast food." For me, I am a junk food junky. I have to work daily on making healthy selections, I don't always succeed. But, the band has helped me to take care of the physical hunger--that helps me battle the head hunger for the junk.

This was mentioned on another thread. If you do a web search (which I did), it appears this can become a true eating disorder. Not a path down which I'd like to start. It is different than when I realize I have something in my mouth that isn't going to go down, so I spit it out. This is something that can happen to any banded person. It's better to spit it than to swallow it and have it stuck..in my humble opinion.

Maybe we could get a group discount on a bat-wing-ectomy? Let's find a beautiful place to meet, have surgery and recover! In my house it is a running joke that DH not make me mad, because I'll use them like a whip and KABLAM he won't know what hit him!

When I am t that stuck, I swallow about 4 oz. of water, thst will start the launch sequence, so be near a toilet or sink. The offending item will come up with all the water.

Turbo, you can find the brochure for BCBS PPO online, it should explain the 65/35. I have BCBS HMO, my costs were $15 copay for office visits, including fills, and $100 for the hospital stay. That was in 2008.

My surgeon does not want me drinking any calories, period. Because they go right through the band and don't satisfy you. I keep a few shakes around in case I've had a bad stuck episode and am having trouble getting food down. But they are not part of my normal diet. As a side note, chicken or other protien foods, don't have Fiber.

For many the first fill does not provide much restriction. Do go easy today, but being hungry is not surprising. Also, for me, my hunger feels the same, I just don't feel it as often and it goes away more quickly when I eat. But when hungry, I swear I could still eat the same amount as before being banded. After two years, my head knows that is not the case, but my stomach doesn't!

So many of us could lose weight. It is the maintenance that was the hard part for me. Now I am over two years banded, and I am maintaining my loss with ease. It is wonderful to have this tool to help me in the battle to be healthier. It doesn't make the choices for me, nor does it get me out the front door to exercise, but never in my life have I been this successful at a weight-loss program. Only you can decide if it is worth it for you. Only you can decide if you have given "tradtional" diet and exercise plans your all and they have failed you. I was on blood pressure meds and on my way to diabetes. That is no longer the case for me. Right decison for me? So far, yes. Best wishes.

The way my body loses is to go down for a few weeks then stabilize for a few, then lose, then stablize. Once I saw the pattern, and realized my average was around a pound a week, I was OK with it. Sometimes we can swear by the math that the loss should be there, but it just isn't. Then the next week, when the math says we should not lose, there it will be. Hang in there. Our bodies are wonderful machines, but they don't always follow our specs!

Some surgeons do a fill during surgery. I have seen some that do fills at 4 weeks. It seems the majority use 6 weeks, but each has his or her guidelines. I do not believe there is one set standard.

I chew it like a fiend, even....i before e.... Even tiny bits give me troubles. Just goes to show you, even with docs orders, we are all different in what our bodies can handle! Regina...bet the mashed potatoes were yummy, huh? My first mushies were awesome!

Buckeye, bacon? Wow, I still have issues with bacon, all the gristle. I love it, but rarely eat it. When I do, I pull off just the meaty part and chew it like a feind.

I thought stitching the stomach over the band was standard? I know all post op diets differ. I was very hungry on mine, when my surgeon called to check on me I told him the Clear liquids were not doing it for me. He allowed me to move on to full liquids a few days early because I was doing well. My point is, call your doc and see if there is something you can add in that might satisfy you but could be easier on the stomach than chicken. Best wishes in your journey!

You mentioned chicken and rice. These are notorious sticking foods. I cand do dark meat chicken but not breast meat. When i eat any meats they are cut into pencil eraser sized pieces. I spoke with my surgeon about the daily changes of banded life. He said the stomach moves a bit within the confines of the band, so some days are tighter than others. I think you should go see your surgeon and talk it all over and get things checked out. Best wishes!

HB congrats on VS! I could always buy their bras...they go a bit larger online. But it was so fun when I could buy their clothes and pj's. Christie, yay on the meds! My bp was 87/51 last evening. Am wishing it would go UP! Leigha, I've been thinking about making a file for the standard questions, so that I can copy and paste nice answers. I remember asking why I wasnt losing when I was one week post op myself. But stay here for a while and you see it over and over. Karen, I have been pondering a fill for a loooong time now. I hate the going back and forth..... Y'all who have soft signs are lucky, I don't. My goal is to quit eating when I am satisfied not go until I am full. I do love my ipad, am sitting by the campfire at the beach posting. Fun! Have a great Monday, everyone!