docsdeb

Ok, I am 7 weeks post of and on regular foods. I have only been stuck once but I have never PB'd or slimed as of yet. I have been eating chicken, very tender beef and other meats with no problems until this evening. I ate some scrambled up ground beef with ketchup for supper (sloppy joe if you will) I may have eaten it a little fast but I really don't think so. After an hour passed I began drinking my green tea and it was going down fine no problems at all. Then I started feeling like there was something caught in my throat, not the golf ball feeling I got when I was stuck, nor any of the chest pain like before, just like something in my throat. I panic fairly easy and since I kept swallowing and it wasn't going away, I started getting anxious. I kept drinking my drink thinking I may be able to get it to go on down but no luck. So now I am just trying to not panic and wondering what the hell is going on. I got up and ran some hot Water to sip on to see if that would clear it up, but that didn't work either. Well it feels like it has moved on down a little and really not so much in the middle of my throat now but at the base. I got up and started moving around trying to move it, anything to get it down or up. I then began remembering reading here somewhere that some people have experienced PB well afer they have eaten for not explainable reason, so I thought maybe this is a PB in progress and I just can't get it up or down. I hadn't thought of this before but I really have very little to almost non exixstant gag reflex. I then stared thinking what am I going to do if it is a PB and I can't get it up???? I opened up a can of warm pineapple juice and have been sipping on it for over an hour now and it is going down fine. All I have been able to do is belch, a lot and it seems to have helped it move a little, but now I do have pain between my right collar bone and top of my right breast????? At the momemt I am still sipping pineapple and belching but I am miserable and I haven't read anywhere on here symptoms quite like these. I was just needing some input as to what I am actually experiencing. Am I stuck, do I just have a huge gas bubble or a fart crossways, I mean GEEZ, I know the band is finicky bitch but what the flip did I do???? I sure do NOT want to do it again. I am just trying to work through it right now and trying VERY hard not to panic but it is very hard and I know I won't get any help immediately from this board since its late but any advice would be appreciated at any time. I know this sounds dreadfully silly, but I even went in an kissed my DH and my sweet dog goodbye as I feel like this is not going to pass or get better and I might panic to death!!! How is that for a big baby?? Well if you don't get an update from me then you will know I didn't make it!

No matter how good I chew whenever I eat just about anything, including meat or anything with texture it feels like somethng is always stuck at the base of my throat. It is driving me crazy and making me not eat. I haven't had a fill yet and I will be 8 weeks post op tomorrow. I was suppost to get my first fill next Wed, but now because of work will have to reschedule that until the next week. Because of this feeling like there is always something in my throat that won't go down I am not eating hardly anything and I really haven't lost any weight. I am only down 16 pounds since surgery on Sept 28. Granted I haven't been exercising either because of a very hectic ortho practice and working sun up to sun down. I know that not eating will stall the metabolism and put your body in starvation mode. That's what my DH says has happened to me. What am I to do??? Does anybody else have this feeling??? Do I need to ask my pcp to do a scope and see if there is anything else going on?? We are having our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, again always a scheduling problem, but I am not looking forward to it as I know I probably will eat very little if anything at all. This just really started about a week ago. I know a couple of times it was really my fault as I know I eat too fast. I chew very well, I just don't wait enough time in between bites, then it feels like I am going to get stuck so I slow down, then stop, then the feeling like there is something in my throat and I quit eating completly even thought my stomach is still growling. Water, juice all liquids always go down fine. I just can't figure out and need some input.:cry

Update: I still have no idea what it was, but it was gone by 10:30 when I went to bed. Whatever it was kept slowly moving down from my throat to my chest and then all I felt was some pressure in the chest area. I ended up drinking the whole can of pineapple juice with no problems, but would belch a lot after each sip, which seemed to help. My DH said I just had a bubble/fart crossways (his standard answer for all that ails me, lol) I have not had any fills and won't have my first one until the 28th of this month after being banded Sept 28th. I still do not eat a lot and I still get full very fast, but I am not exercising as of yet and I haven't been on the scales but all my too tight clothes now fit again so I know I have lost weight. I have eaten the sloppy joe mixture before and never have had problems with it. I still don't understand what it was but I am very thankful it has gone away! Thank you all for you responses and advice, I highly regard it. I hope everyone in bandster land has a joyous, thankful and blessed Thanksgiving! I for one am very thankful for this board, it has been salvation many many times for me.

No Cleone, I haven't PB yet and hope to God never to. I am very careful to take tiny bites and turn it to liquid in my mouth before swallowing, I know I'm not very restricted yet and pretty much anything will go down fairly easy right now, but I am practicing for when I start getting fills. I had a late night last night and didn't get to eat supper until 8:45, I know that's too late but sometimes that's going to happen with me, I didn't eat very much at all but I did go ahead and go to bed at my regular time at 10:30. I did fine. As a matter of fact I had forgotten all about not eating 2-4 hours before bed and did fine, not problems at all. I ate some refried beans and sour cream and it was delicious. As far as calorie counting. I have done it so much on past diets that I pretty much can guess withing 15-20 calories how much I have taken in that day. I know right now in the mushies stage I'm not eating over 700 calories a day so I always get a protein shake in there somewhere and I add the whey tatsteless protein to my mushies, just make sure the protein count is up there. I feel so much better now that I can take all my previous vitamins. I take 2 flintsones chewables and 1 chewable caltratrate and 1 B12 under the tougue everyday. My doctor told me almost all women are deficient in the 'B' vitamins in some form or fashion so we should all supplement. It is energy in a pill for me. You're doing great, keep sharing! Deb

I am 10 days post op. Since Sunday night a week ago I have felt great. So much so I wanted to get outside and sweep and wash the porch but DH wouldn't let me. He reminded me I'm still healing even though I feel like going full blast. Well........today I fell like crap! I feel sluggish, extremely tired, so much so I can barely drag my ass through my work day, and I am cold. I do feel warm to my touch but what is really killing me is my back! My upper back, between the shoulder blades has just is just about to drive me crazy, not as bad as the gas but pert near it. What beats the deal??? I feel awesome for 6 days and then this. Is this normal or have I caught an infection of some kind? All my incisions look and feel fantastic, no problems there so I don't understand why I feel like utter crap today. Need my bandster brigades sage opinions! Thanks

Whew, Cleone, you dodged the bullet on that PB is sounds like. I did the same thing yesterday. I had been at the hosp with my brother and stayed too long and let myself get too hungry. When I finally did get home, I was eating the leftover fish and mashed pot. and green beans and I guess I was so hungry I was eating too fast. I know I was chewing the doo doo out of it, but was just eating too fast. After just 3 or 4 bites I felt the golf ball begin in my chest. I immediately stopped eating and was about to panic thinking I was going to have a PB, but instead I put my plate up, walked away from it. My first instinct was to take a drink, but I didn't. I got out of the kitchen entirely and started doing other things and got my mind off of the panic and the golf ball. Thank goodness it only lasted about 20 min and I was still hungry so I braved it again, this time eating very slowly. I eat off of a very small plate and I know there wasn't even a cup of food on it but it took me an hour to get it down, but I did and had no further problems. We are going to do great, and I know about missing your Mom. Mine too was my best friend and I was her only daughter. She's been gone 5 years now and there isn't a day that has gone by yet that I still don't think about her and miss her terribly. I really feel for you! I'm so glad to hear from you! I'm glad you have your sisters to be with you during this time, that must be great. Keep up the good work, eat slowly, chew,chew, chew and keep in touch! Blugs Debbi

Hello Cleone, Great to hear you are doing so well. I started mushies just yesterday. Here's how my day went. My blind brother who lives by himself called me at 4:30 am saying he thinks he's having a heart attack. I tell him to call 911 and get to the ER I will meet him there. I had my granddaughter over for the weekend and we both jumped up and ran. Well turns out he didn't have a heart attack but had a PE, He threw a blood clot to his lung from another blood clot found in his thigh! He gets transfereed by ambulance to another hosiptal 30 min away. Ok, so I had to take my grandbabygirl back to daddy so I could go to be with him, make phone calls and alert other family members and on and on. Grandbabygirl was starving so we made a quick stop at McDonalds. I had a scrambled egg with a little gravy and was amazed at how little I could eat of it. I was under stress of course and was wondering how well I would do with it but seemed to do fine. By the time I got everything situated to get to the other hospital an hour had gone by so I started drinking, drinking, drinking. I get to the other hospital just as other family members are and we check on brother and he is in his room, stabilized and talking, thank God! So now that we have seen him and know he is stable everyone wants to go and eat. We end up at our one of my most favorite places, Chedders. They have fantastic food and the best prices anywhere. I'm thinkging ok, what can I get to eat here. Not a problem. I ordered the catfish which is VERY lightly breaded, mashed potatoes and green Beans. It was the lunch portion but it was HUGE. I felt like I was eating normal and eating a huge amount but by the time I chewed chewed chewed and chewed it some more I had only made a small dent in it and everyone else was done. I can't say I ate till I felt full because I didn't I felt satisfied so I stopped, got a to-go box. Then they had the 'cookie monster" OMG to die for. It has a HUGE choc chip cookie on the bottom, with two huge scoops of homemade vanilla ice cream on top, with the most amazing warm chocolate sauce poured over it with homemade whipped cream and a cherry. She brought four spoons, uh oh. Ok so I took two spoonfuls of the choc sause and ice cream, it was nervana! But it was my first time out to eat in months!!! I did great. So when I got home last night from the hospital, I just whipped out the left overs, this time I measured them and ate it again and it was delish! Again, no 'full' feeling just ate what I measure out, was satisfied, waited an hour after and started drinking again, but man about 9:30 I was exhausted and was ready to crash, made myselft stay up till 10 then went to bed. I still have a huge amount of the lunch leftover, but think I will try different things today. Maybe some refried beans with ff sour cream for Fiber. I haven't had any bathroom issues so far and I have been doing 2 Protein shakes a day since Sept 19. Sorry to go on and on, just wanted to share my day and let you know that under stress I still made pretty good choices and ate and didn't feel deprived at all. I have only lost 19 pounds since I first weighed myself Sept 5th, this is pre and post op, but that's still a little of 3 pounds a week when you put the calculator to it, and I had a nice NSV this morining. Yesterday everyone was saying how they noticed I had lost weight, my DH said I bet you can fit into your next size jeans now and I said no way, I tried them on last week and could button them but no way that zipper was going up, he kept saying I bet you can. Well you all know the disappointment of thinking they will just to find out they won't so I didn't try them on last night. This morning I got up, weighed myself, same weight as last week, but I 'felt' so light. I thought ok, those jeans are my guage so to speak, let's just see where I am. Took them out slid them up, buttoned them and zipped them and they fit just like they used to. Now granted I had to go into a size 20 about 7 months ago when my weight was out of control. Getting into my favorite size 18's today was a victory. Now to get below that and into all the 16's that have been packed away for over 10 years. I can't ever remember being a size 12 in my life so that is my goal, to get into a pair of size 12 jeans because I will have to buy a pair!!!! I know this is long and I'm rambling, but I'm so stoked this morning. I am doing so much better than I thought. No pain since day after surgery, no gas since 5 days after surgery, my incicisons are all healed and looking great, I feel so very very good! I don't want it to end. Me, who in all my previous posts was such a wuss, imagine that. This borad has taught me what to do and most importantly what not to do to avoid as many complications as possible and for that I thank it profusely. Hope to hear back from you soon, I know you are gonna do great, cause we both have another tool that I believe helps a great deal and thank you for that! Blugs! (blessings and hugs) Debbi

Thank you for your posts. My fever actually went up to 101.8 at it's highest. My DH said most likely I was dehydrated. I called my nurse friend who is also banded and she also works for my PCP and she said they had these types of symptoms in the office all day long and all last week. She said there was a 'bug' of some kind going around with just the symptoms of a high fever, no vomiting or diarrhea, thank God! I thought maybe I had flipped my port or something, but I did sip,sip sip last night to try and re-hydrate. I took liquid tylenol last night and that helped a great deal. I am staying home from work today, 1st time calling in sick in 10 years, bummer, but temp was still 99.4 this am. I don't want to infect anyone else with this and I really do not feel like working. The nurse said my resistance is at a low right now because of the surgery and I was prone to catching things till I built it back up???? I guess? I know I have never had a fever that high before. I do have one odd feeling though, whenever I take a deep breath I feel an odd 'pain' for the lack of a better description in my left side right about where the band would be. Anyone else have this strange feeling. I worry all the time about flipping my port or doing something to cause my band to slip and since I feel it inside where my stomach is I worry. Any thoughts? Thanks again

I am sick! Fever/chills, temp 99.8 which is high for me since I always run a low grade temp of 97.2. I don't know if this is band realated or if I picked up a bug somewhere. Either way I feel like I've been run over by mack truck. DH says I'm dehydrated but you don't get a fever with dehydration. Puzzled and feeling like crap.

Just wanting to know how everyone is doing that got banded 9-28-07? I went through with my surgery in Monterrey,MX and got back Sunday night. Mexico was an experience in itself and to tell a blow by blow of all my experience would take up too much space, but anyone considering having their band surgery in Mexico is welcomed to PM me and ask about my experience. I might still post a blog of some sort later on. I read on here before I had my surgery that a lot of people right after their surgery began quesitoning their sanity and asking themselves just what the hell was I thinking and what the hell have I done to myself. Well I can now join that doubting band of bansters, as I too have asked myself the same questions. I have had a rough 2 days post op to say the least, but today I feel better and therefore am on the computer and anxious to know how the rest of the 9-28'ers are doing?? I still feel a little 'brain fogged' and hope that is from lingering anesthesia and will dissipate soon, I hate that feeling. I have had the gas pains!! I have had knawing hunger so bad it's what has made me so nauseous. The pain medication they gave me right after surgery made me sick and yes not 3 hours after surgery I was in the bathroom dry heaving. If I had a rather, I would rather suffer through the gas pain than to have such hunger that you are sick. I ate some chicken broth yesterday when I got back from the airport because I felt so starved. Well apparently it was too much for my sensitive stomach and my acid reflux and it made me absolutely miserable. I finally made it home and as soon as I got here I made me a Protein shake. As soon as that shake hit my 'little friend' all was right with the world again. It was like nervana, and magic. The knawing hunger went away, the pain went away and talk about moving some gas!!!OMG! I too have spent a fair amount of time in the bathroom with diarrhea. I know there is a lot of information on this board about the "PB" productive burp, but we need to talk about the post op "PF" productive fart! LOL You just need to be careful when you hike that leg to pass a little gas, you may get a surprise! Ok enough rambling besides I think I may need a little nap about now. Let's hear from you ladies, how did your experience go?

Yes Cleone, hingsight is 20/20 as they say. I should never have attempted that chewy calcium, way too soon. Yes I am still on liquids also. I am doing 2 protein shakes a day. My doctor gave me a great recipe. I buy the isopur protein powder from GNC vanilla flavor, 25 gm of protein per scoop. He told me to buy Bryers carb smart vanilla ice cream and put 2 scoops (small scoops) in 8 oz of skim milk. I have one of those personal blenders that doubles as a drinking cup (Love love) and it tates GREAT! I worried about the calories but he said no more than we are getting right now it was no problem. He said anytime I needed a pick me up or couldn't get all my protein in from regular eating to make one of those shakes. I heartily agreed! Hope you are doing better with the gas, I haven't had any since Monday night in my shoulders, now the other end is an entirely different story but I can handle that! LOL, otherwise other than yesterdays 'episode' I have felt great, a little tired. My husband is on to me constantly to take it easy, that I'm still healing even though I feel good. I want to do so much, I didn't even get to decorate my house for fall yet and it is killing me, but I have been more tired today and promised him I would slow down. It is just so hard when you are used to going non stop. Take care and let me know how you're doing. Blessings Deb

I am 8 days post op and I just pulled the steri strips off today. I am very surprised at my incisions. I have the normal 5, but 3 of them are very tiny puncture like wounds, then I have one down on the right side that is like a 1/2 inch long (if that), and my port is on my left side just above my belly button and to the left is only about an inch long. All have very little scabbing and all were glued and steri stripped, no stitches.My port incision is completely scabbed over and very ready to come off. All in all I am very pleased with this. I will have very little scarring if any. Dr. Zapata did an amazing job!

OMG Really??? Well then I am so proud of myself. I guess that's what it could have been. It wasn't that bad, just didn't know what to expect, now I do. Great! I got through it without PB'ing and best of all without panicking. Well good for me. Yup I have written down your vitamins alternatives and will be going to get them tomorrow. Thank you so much. I really like having you for a 'ban-tor" that's band mentor to no banded people.lol I listen to your advice, it has a very calm tone that I seem to respond to. Thanks again.

Unlike most of you, I won't be getting a fill until Nov 28th, 2 full months after my band. With everything I have read, I'm not looking forward to it but know this is why I got the band. I read where the 'tightness' is in the chest area and it feels like you can't take a breath. Now for those of us (and there are plenty I have found out) that have panic issues, this is very dreadful. I have 2 months to psych myself up for the fill and can only pray I do well with it and don't panic. Good luck and God bless all of you with upcoming fills!!!

Thank you indiogirl, I am doing ok with the meds now. but had a strange thing happen this morning. I bought some carmel chewable calcium and that nasty chewable centrum vitamin. I got to work feeling normal, I chewed the calcium and it was so bad but left a thick feeling film in the roof of my mouth, but ok. I chewed the centrum, did I say nasty! It went down ok too. In just a few minutes I'm feeling really weird. Very tight feeling in my chest and esophagus area. I have not experienced this before and it almost made me panic. I don't know what to make of it as I sit here and try to analyze what is going on. Did the vitamins hit the pouch and fill me up and this is the 'full' feeling or did they give me indigestion of which I just need to burp to relieve the pressure??? I'm stumped! Of course I just had to read the thread about banded people with panic disorders panicking after their first and subsequent fills. They said they get a real tight feeling in their chests that makes it feel like you can't breath which throws them into a panic. I thought great, I have done so well getting to Mexico, going through the surgery and getting home without panicking and really patting myself on the back to find out that I will probably struggle with panic after each and every fill. I told DH, I will do everything in my power to head off these panic feelings and to move forward to my goal. I'm going to think that isn't how it will be with me and I won't panic. But I still don't know what to make of how I'm feeling now. Any thoughts?

Cleone, good to hear that all is well with you! Congrats on the 5lbs. Yes, I do believe that the tapping worked. I can only attribute me flying like a frequent flyer to the tap. I almost panicked when I first walked onto our first flight, but then I took a deep breath and sat down. I am so proud of myself Also for the panic. I didn't panic one time or even feel like it. I have been using the method over and over and it seems to have really helped. As a matter of fact I ordered the book you suggested just today that's how much I believe it works! I am slowly on the mend. I have been a bit of a quandry as to what of my medicines I can take? I called my PCP this morning and she has me on 2 diff. blood pressure medicines. She told me to dissolve the one I take in the morning but to leave off the one I take at night. She has given me some chewable previcid which is a relief, but I take two small bitter pills at night that I had to take with butter to get to go down the old gullet and its a pill you are never suppose to stop suddenly. Well I haven't taken it since Thursday night and now I'm wondering if that's why I feel so funky in the head?? I'm going to try and take them tonight, I don't know about the butter method though, what do you think? Maybe with a yogurt smoothie. Anyway, I'm just glad that part of it's over and we both did well. Now it's time to work the band and that first fill.

Thank You Very Much!!!!!! Very Encouraging Post!!!

Nice to meet you. Doc is also my husbands nickname and is what he has gone by all his life. He is a retired chiropractor. No doubt if wonder woman likes the twisties she would love the dragon. My husband and I and two of our friends did it again this July combined with a weekended in Cherokee and Maggie Valley NC. It was GREAT! If she wants to read more about it, she can always find interesting reading at k i l l b o y . c o m - Your High Quality Photos from the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap or Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap and Cherohala Skyway, Graham Co, NC. I could talk mototcycles and riding all night so I'd better stop now. Glad I found this thread and some banded biker buddies, hey we could call ourselves the triple B's. Anyhoo, I'm usually on here from time to time. I hope this surgery doesn't keep me from enjoy some great fall rides we have coming up. Everybody keep it safe out there and enjoy the ride!!

Cleone, Our time is fast approaching!!!! My banding time is set for 10:00 Friday morning, I will be thinking about you and awaiting your posts to see how you did!! I am to the point now that I just want to get it over with and get on with it!!! Hugs and blessings!! Deb

Hey I found some fellow riders out there. I haven't been banded yet but that was one of the questions for the doc, when can I get back on my bike. It was beautiful this past weekend in East TN and I rode the doo doo out of it knowing it may be cooler weather before I can crawl back on her. I have read ya'lls posts and sounds like you guys are having a ball. My DH rides a 1600 07 Kawasaki Nomad and I have the 900 LT. Since I 'name' everything, his is the General Lee and of course mine is Dixie Lee. We are from the south ya'll. I look forward to more posts and to join in on the riding group! I'm just hoping I can still handle her when I get 'skinny" lol, if that ever happens! Blessings to ya'll

ok call me paranoid, but how can you stand/live with a 'lump' feeling being in your throat all the time. I haven't been banded yet, but of all the side effects I have read on this board, PB'ing, sliming, hair loss and being a slow loser, this is the one side effect that will make me not get the band, seriously, I can not imagine in my lifetime being able to put up with that, I would be conscious of it all the time and always have a sense of not being able to get anything past it. This has got to be one of the most horrible side effects out there. Please tell me that not everyone has or feels this????If it is then I guess I will just have to remain fat! I just can not see me living with that.

Vgilr74, if you had read my post correctly you would have seen it was the op that suggested I grow the balls. I agree this nonsense could go on and on and just turn in to a pissing contest and want no part of it. So lets just let it go. But one more thing, want2beme, how sad is it when you actually encourage animosity on a place like this??? Me thinks someone other than me needs the psych couch??? You acutally replied to one of my posts that I should and I quote " have your band removed and get the gastric bypass since it seems to fit your lifestyle better" Huh?? I haven't even been banded yet. Again this board is about support and help for those of us banded and yet to be banded. Let's try to keep it that way and stop all the bashing.

OMG, what an extrodinary post, it brought tears to my eyes. God Bless you Dakota1984 on your continuing journey without your sweet husband. Your post has helped me to see my husbands side a little more clearly. I have thought as I'm sure many wives do, what would life be like if I were to lose my husband, my best friend. I just can't answer that and I hope I don't have to for many many years to come, what I do know is I used to say the same thinkg about my Mom, then my Dad, and I lost both of them within 3 years of each other. You move on, you simply have no choice. You just can not stop living no matter how much you would like to. When my parents passed away, they left me with a disabled, blind older brother to care for. I know some of the hardships you must face every day. It sounds like you have a very positive attitude and a wonderful spirit. Thank you for that very touching post.

Kat, you are an amazing inspiration and one of the first of the what I call bandster brigade who came flying to my aide when I had a meltdown over this op. You and Indiogirl55 helped me through it and I will be forever grateful. Keep up the great support for all the others out there who truly benefit from your past experiences and future challenges! I, too re-read all the posts before I posted my response to vancouvergirl74. I honestly can not see where anyone was overly critical or rude, only suportive and helpful, and by golly it worked, she took the advice and is feeling better. Good for her! I hope that is what I got across in my post. Yes, 7lbs gone as of today and soley contributing it to the pre-op liquid diet. It hasn't been that bad and I can honestly say I haven't been really hungry at all. I use the isopure protein for my shakes, and once that protein kicks in I'm good to go. That stuff just works wonders for me and I actually like it! I am just looking ahead and forward to all this being over and done with. I just want to get back safe and sound and start working the band!!! Send up a prayer for me, surgery is at 10:00 cst Friday morning. Whoopee!!! As soon as I am home (and feel like it) I will post and let you all know how it went. Barring any complications or delays I should be back home Sunday night and will return to work on Wed. Yes 7lbs

Thanks for the advice as always wasa!! I appreciate it! I'll be getting more for the pantry!