send2steph

You are still healing. Your port will settle in and get less wiggly as it heals

I've recently visited my surgeon after two years. This time, he gave a different theory as to why the band is tighter in the morning. Maybe they are all theories and no one really knows for sure. What does your surgeon say or what do you think is the reason? Here's some of what I've heard. #1 is what I was told pre-surgery and #3 is what he told me this time. #2 is something I read on here. 1) When lying down, the Fluid in their body shifts ups and the stomach tissues swell causing the band to feel tighter. Once up and about, the fluid shifts down, the tissues becomes less swollen and the band fits more loosely. 2) Since nothing is going through the band overnight, an almost sticky substance forms over the opening and it takes a while for that to wear down and go through. Drinking a hot beverage in the morning should help break that down and "loosen" that feeling up. 3) The esophageal muscles relax overnight and are not as good at pushing food through the band. As the day wears on, they do their job better. Does anyone actually know?

Hi all, Background: I was banded over two years ago. I had a total of five adjustments in the first few months and then I didn't go back to my surgeon until a little over a week ago. Over the two years between adjustments, I have maintained my initial loss, but hadn't lost any more weight. I was being non-compliant you might say. Eating what I could get past the band most of the time, trying to eat healthy, but failing a lot of the time. To be honest, I was more or less in mourning for losing my friend I had in food. If I tried to eat "healthier" food, I would often regurgitate it up as something would get stuck. My husband was tired of all my regurgitating - at least twice a week. So, I went into my surgeon, finally. I wanted to get a slight un-fill so that I could eat healthier food.He told me that the average number of fills he sees before getting to the "green zone" is 11. He said that I'd given up early and he'd actually like me to recommit, eat even slower, and get a fill. After listening to him, I agreed. He also gave me a printout of Dr. Fielding's "13 Things" article (which is sleeping along just fine, then out of nowhere I am forced awake by liquid in my throat, sometimes up my nose, coughing and choking. It's almost always after 4am. This morning, it was 5am. I have one pill that I take before bed (but I sit up for a while after I take that to make sure it's made it through the band), but otherwise, I don't generally eat after 8pm. So this is several hours after I've last ate. It's almost as though my band gets so tight overnight that my own saliva can't pass through. There's a little bit of acid reflux type feeling after (burning in throat) as well. It's been nine days since my fill. I've waited a little while, hoping it was just because of the new adjustment. But I think this is more than that. Has anyone else had this "waking up choking" issue?

Went to the doc. They said I was just too tight. They removed half of what they added last week. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

@@verna2197 Hi Verna, I wondered about your outcome as I seem to have a similar problem. Thanks, --Steph--

Look for your largest scar and then feel about two fingers up from that. Mine is on my left side and sometimes feels like it is right next to my rib. Now more than a year post-op , it is finally settled into where it doesn't feel like it obtrusive and moving and painful from time to time. I'm surprised how long it took to become part of me. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

I have the hardest time eating in public. I feel like the wait staff is hovering over me because I keep laying my utensils down and am eating so slowly. I'm always in fear of a pb. And even if things go smoothly, I often need to burp. Do others relate, or am I too tight? Your thought?

...you're chewing your food and think you have it chewed enough and your mouth starts to swallow part of what's in your mouth and you can feel that there's a chunk in there that might be a little too big (in the middle of swallowing) and you can't stop it, it's already half swallowed. And then it's gone down your throat and all you're left with is that feeling of regret mixed with fear that it will get stuck! UGH! So you wait, and stop eating for at least five minutes and try some liquid only after that first to make sure that the pea-sized chunk made it through. For me, this happens with squishy but firm type things quite a bit, like eggs, bananas, or cooked mushrooms. I'm six months in and it's still work for me to break my quick eating, barely chewing, habits of old.

All I can say is start practicing now. Chew until it's applesauce consistency.

...you take a sip of water during a meeting and then the liquid gurgles past your band, loudly!

How do you know you are hungry? The RD at my doc's office said that a growling stomach doesn't always mean you are hungry. It could be just working on something. Gurgling, maybe... but growling to me means hungry! Lately, I've been very tired quite a bit. I'm trying to get better sleep. But it occurred to me that back in the day, when I was low-carbing in the late 90's, being tired was a key indicator of hunger for me. I'm wondering if fatigue=hunger with the lap-band. Anyway, here I sit, it's 11:30, and I could seriously lay my head down on my desk and take a nap. I don't feel "hungry" per se, but I'm soooo tired... I hate to eat when I'm not hungry, but maybe this is hunger? Your thoughts?

What about the burping and noises? Or, heaven forbid a pb is coming? I REALLY have to watch first bite syndrome, and "keeping up with the Jones'". I'll find myself three to four bites in, eating at the table's pace, and then remember when my band says whoa! Thanks for the comments. Hubby and I do the plate switch thing a lot too.

I'm wanting to stop taking my post-surg pain meds because they make me so tired. But there's shoulder pain is pretty intense. I've tried heat and ice... They help, but only while being applied. My surgery was on Thursday and today is Saturday night. I hope it's gone by the third day, but if not, is there any other advice out there?

I'm struggling with how I feel like I should be eating vs what I'm able to eat and what I read on here from some people. As a lifelong dieter, I'm accustomed to the idea of smallish Protein servings along with heaps of veggies to fill up on. I recognized early on in the consultation process that this is not how I would be eating once banded. Instead, it would be small protein (properly cooked to be soft), eaten first, then a small serving of veggies and starch to round out my plate. Well, I have yet to eat any real portion of veggies. I find almost all of them difficult to eat unless they are boiled to death. Are you eating veggies? How? Which ones? I miss my big salads and mounds of roasted vegetables!

I've kept a food journal many times before. I particularly love MyFitnessPal for food and meal tracking for calories, macro-nutrients, etc. However, I'm now wanting to keep track TIME as well - of when I eat, and when I get hungry after I eat - to better gauge how well my band is working for me. Does anyone do this in an organized way or with a specific app? Would love to know calories and volume of food and then know how long that kept me satiated... with all the graphs and fun stuff that other apps do with calories and so forth, only with the time element added in.

Agreed. If things are right, there shouldn't be discomfort. I had half a cc removed. Hardly any. But that tiny amount has made all the difference.

I also agree. The shoulder pain was the worst part. Mine wasn't 12 days but I will concur that it just all of a sudden wasn't there. One day it is, the next it wasn't. Hope your "poof!" comes soon!

I had half of a ml taken out of my band today. I'm currently eating veggie/turkey soup for dinner with no pain. Very happy girl!

I'm at 34 pounds I think? Banded 9/11. I've had two fills, but going to get some out as I feel like I'm in the red zone. I've been really mad that I can't eat all these Thanksgiving leftovers this week.

I'm pretty sure I'm in the red-zone and too tight. On Monday, I'll be calling to get at least half a fill removed. But in the meantime... When you are feeling uncomfortable during eating, what do you do? The first situation is when I've taken too big of a bite or ate too fast (too many little bites) and I'm in pain. Of course, there are different levels of pain - sometimes it's just a little and you realize that last bite was a little too big, but it passes, you eat slower and chew better for the rest of the meal. But what I'm talking about here is that sharp pain and possible gut feeling and salivary reaction that tells you you're done sending food in and what you just sent may be coming back up. I can sometimes avoid regurgitating by standing up super-straight, raising my hands above my head, and tilting my head back - essentially stretching out my esophagus. I can then feel the bite go through - it's pretty dang painful, but it does pass. I wonder if that is actually better than just regurgitating that big bite back up? Is there anything else that can be done at that point of pain? The next situation is where there isn't pain, per se, but just an uncomfortable feeling like something is stuck and hasn't passed through the band. For me, sometimes that's when the slime will come (and I'll eventually regurgitate some little piece of something - usually chicken for me along with that slime). Other times not I just wait it out. For instance, right now, I feel like there's something still in my throat. It's similar to when you have a tonsil infection and those tonsils feel like golf balls back there and you can barely swallow anything past them (except of course without the tonsillitis pain... just the throat restriction). If I drink, it will go down, but not quickly. About two swallows in, the liquid it my mouth is almost uncontrollably held there - my body won't let me swallow until that "funnel" at the bottom empties into my lower stomach. Sometimes I've had to go running to the sink to spit that next mouthful of Water out because my body wouldn't let me swallow more right then. Eventually this feeling passes, but sometimes it's an hour or two later. All the while, I'm feeling uncomfortable, sometimes even hungry (growling tummy), and there just isn't a whole lot I can do about it. Any tips on what to do? Is the pouch above the band "stomach" in that there are digestive juices there that if a larger piece of something is stuck there that it will eventually be digested into small enough pieces that it does pass and/or is absorbed? Is regurgitating really so bad? (not vomiting, just the stuff above the band - typically the last mouthful or maybe two) Looking forward to the responses.

The funny thing I have found, is that wait staff in restaurants seem to notice when I lay my utensil down and im waiting between bites. They keep coming over and asking if everything's okay. Lol

I Love, Love, Love FitFlops. They do not come in widths, but my foot is on the wide side (usually a W, not WW) and they fit me if I go up a half size (I'm 10.5W and wear 11's a lot of the time anyway). You'll want to try a pair on in the store first if you can find some. Then, once you have your size, you can buy them cheaper on eBay or look for sales at online retailers. I usually try to buy them off-season for the next season at half off. I currently have four pair of their flip flop styles, one pair of boots, and one pair of Mary Jane style shoes. If I could wear only this brand every day, I would. Do I consider flip flops from FitFlop a walking shoe? I sure do! I used to wear my athletic shoes everywhere I went whenever there was walking involved. If I didn't, I'd have aching feet for days afterward. With my FitFlops, I have no issues. I used to be a barefoot around the house sort of person, and now I prefer my FitFlops. They are so fabulous. I sing their praises to anyone who will listen. I was converted to them from a friend who feels the same way. We have a third friend who unfortunately has "ping-pong-paddle" feet (her words) and cannot wear them as her feet are too wide. Seriously, though, give them a try.

Now that the weight is coming off at a steady rate for me, I'm monthly cycle has resumed a normal pattern. I've also noticed that I'm tight as part of my PMS. Just thought I'd bring it up in case your cycle has changed as well and could be causing this.

Don't worry - when you start getting your adjustments, things WILL be different. However, I caution you to really practice your eating now. My mouth (teeth, cheeks, tongue) were and still are so practiced at shoving food down, that I sometimes swallow bites that are too big without even thinking about it. It just happens. Practice. Hang in there and take it easy.

This thread has been very informative for me. I was banded on 9/11 and had my second fill last week. I don't know what size my band is or what I have in there, but I know they added one cc last week. I'm having a very difficult time eating, but maybe I'm not - it's just how it's supposed to be. And this is why this thread has been useful... Still, I'm thinking about having some removed after the holiday. I often feel like there's a frog in my throat or like my tonsils are really swollen - very hard to swallow. I'm only eating about a half a cup of food at a time, unless it's a shake. Would you guys consider that too tight?