HeavyHeartland

So, how many of you post-op banders are having shoulder pain? I have to tell you, my left shoulder hurts more than any of my incisions on my stomach do! I've been walking around quite a bit and moving my arm around, but nothing seems to help. It's like a constant brain freeze, except in my shoulder. I can't wait for this to pass. I had heard that passing gas might relieve the pain but trust me from experience, that's not working.

The last time I saw my doctor, I got yelled at (figuratively) for not measuring my food. Measuring food is such a non-natural thing. It's so tough to go out to dinner, order a nice meal, and then whip out a measuring cup. How embarassing. More embarassing, however, would be going back to the doctor's office without the information they are requesting. The doctor told me for my next fill, it is imperative that they know how much I can eat. I should measure this by eating 1/4 cup of meat, 1/4 of veggies, and continuing this until I am full. So, this weekend, that is what I did. One night I had chicken and green beans, another night I had meatballs and sweet potatoes. Currently I can eat somewhere between 1 1/2 cups and 2 cups of food. The other thing they always want to know is how long do I stay full; the answer is somewhere between 2 and 3 hours. Another thing I've learned is that if it's not on "the plan" I should shut up about it. I've been eating protein bars for breakfast. Last time my doctor said that was no good; I should be drinking protein drinks instead. The two are identical in protein levels, but the bars are half the price. I'm still eating the bars, but if they ask today, I've been drinking the drinks. Shhh, don't tell. Ah yes, today -- Fill #3. Today is my last free fill, according to their timeline (90 days), so I'm hoping this one is good. I suspect the reason they've been dragging their feet and just filling me up a little at a time is so that they can get one or two paid fills out of me after I've exceeded the 90 day grace period. Hopefully I can get enough liquid in my band today to last me for a long time.

The last time I saw my doctor, I got yelled at (figuratively) for not measuring my food. Measuring food is such a non-natural thing. It's so tough to go out to dinner, order a nice meal, and then whip out a measuring cup. How embarassing. More embarassing, however, would be going back to the doctor's office without the information they are requesting. The doctor told me for my next fill, it is imperative that they know how much I can eat. I should measure this by eating 1/4 cup of meat, 1/4 of veggies, and continuing this until I am full. So, this weekend, that is what I did. One night I had chicken and green beans, another night I had meatballs and sweet potatoes. Currently I can eat somewhere between 1 1/2 cups and 2 cups of food. The other thing they always want to know is how long do I stay full; the answer is somewhere between 2 and 3 hours. Another thing I've learned is that if it's not on "the plan" I should shut up about it. I've been eating protein bars for breakfast. Last time my doctor said that was no good; I should be drinking protein drinks instead. The two are identical in protein levels, but the bars are half the price. I'm still eating the bars, but if they ask today, I've been drinking the drinks. Shhh, don't tell. Ah yes, today -- Fill #3. Today is my last free fill, according to their timeline (90 days), so I'm hoping this one is good. I suspect the reason they've been dragging their feet and just filling me up a little at a time is so that they can get one or two paid fills out of me after I've exceeded the 90 day grace period. Hopefully I can get enough liquid in my band today to last me for a long time.

I'm on day six of recovery. I have almost no stomach pain at all. My stiches and incisions don't bother me in the least. What I AM experiencing, however, is extremely painful shoulder pain. According to Google and the myriad of websites I've read over the past few days, shoulder pain is a very common side effect of any type of laproscopic surgery. Apparently during laproscopic surgery, doctors "balloon" their patients full of carbon dioxide gas in order to give themselves more working room. One theory states that the gas rises up to the shoulder area, causing the pain. Another theory states that the nerves that run to the shoulder are located near where the incisions are made, and the gas in that area is pressing on the nerves, which causes the pain in your shoulder. I don't know which is true, but I can tell you it freakin' hurts. My shoulder has hurt 10x more than any other part of my surgical experience. Both through Google and this website, several people have offered various cures. I will pass them along to you. Gas-X - the most common theory is that this pain is caused by excess gas remaining in your system. By taking some chewable Gas-X pills, you can get the gas out. Plus, it gives you something to blame your loud farts on. The Gas-X did seem to relieve some of my stomach pressure, but didn't help the shoulder situation. Peppermint Tea - Another common remedy is drinking peppermint tea. I tried it. Didn't do anything for me, but it tastes good so nothing really loss in trying it. Heating Pad/Icy Hot - I don't know if a heating pad is supposed to rid you of shoulder pain, but it sure felt good to sleep on one the past couple of nights. Didn't cure the problem, but did seem to alleviate the pain temporarily. Pooping - After giving up hope, I called my doctor. His first question was, "when was your last bowel movement?" I've only had one in the past six days. Thinking he might have been on to something, I drank some Milk of Magnesia. Without getting graphic, let's just say that stuff does what it advertises it does. The theory here is that the colon is pressing on those same swolen nerves, which the brain registers as shoulder pain. This did seem to help, and I haven't had much pain today. If you have any other wisdom to add to the list, please do.

I had my first fill over a month ago (4.5cc into a 14cc band) and felt no restriction at all. As I told my doctor, one day I went to Golden Corral and had a large salad with lots of chicken and shrimp followed by a plate full of veggies and some pork chops, followed by a dessert. This isn't how I imagined being banded was going to be. Last Tuesday I had fill #2 which added 2 more cc's, bringing me to 6.5cc's. I am now feeling some restriction. This morning for breakfast I had a couple of scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa about four hours ago and I still feel "full." The weirdest thing is, feeling "full" doesn't feel like it used to. As I mentioned in my latest blog entry, "full" used to mean a full belly; now it means "tightness in my chest." I used to quit eating when I felt "stuffed." These days, I stop when I feel uncomfortable tightness, bordering on pain.

Which leads me to a rant of my own. Why are the rules between different doctors so drastically different? There are many of these so-called rules (carbonated drinks, caffiene, measuring your food) that differ from doctor to doctor. My wife and I are both banded and some of the things we've been told are exact opposite. My doctor said the most important dietary concern post-surgery is Protein intake. My wife's doctor has never mentioned protein to her -- ever. It really kind of makes you think all of this isn't quite science yet and more just a bunch of wild guesses, speculation and hunches.

I agree -- your husband's reaction is probably an outpouring of other emotions related to the upcoming changes. As the husband of a bander (and now a bander myself) I can tell you, there are a lot of mixed emotions. Sure guys want a hot wife, but there are a lot of concerns that go with that. Most of them are unfounded, but they are still issues that go along with them. For example, once you're hot, you will probably attract the attention of other men as well. That can trigger insecurity and worry in men. A lot of the issues I had with my wife weren't how the surgery was going to affect her, but how it was going to affect ME. When she could only eat 1/2 a cup, how were we going to go out and eat with our friends? My wife and I used to eat out for lunch every day -- what were we going to do after that? My wife prepared all the meals around our house; was she still going to cook for the 3 of us when she's not eating anything? Like I said, a lot of these fears are unfounded, but these are things I'm sure he's thinking -- I know I was. The best thing you can do is talk to him about how things are going to change, and more imporantly, how things are not going to change.

I agree -- your husband's reaction is probably an outpouring of other emotions related to the upcoming changes. As the husband of a bander (and now a bander myself) I can tell you, there are a lot of mixed emotions. Sure guys want a hot wife, but there are a lot of concerns that go with that. Most of them are unfounded, but they are still issues that go along with them. For example, once you're hot, you will probably attract the attention of other men as well. That can trigger insecurity and worry in men. A lot of the issues I had with my wife weren't how the surgery was going to affect her, but how it was going to affect ME. When she could only eat 1/2 a cup, how were we going to go out and eat with our friends? My wife and I used to eat out for lunch every day -- what were we going to do after that? My wife prepared all the meals around our house; was she still going to cook for the 3 of us when she's not eating anything? Like I said, a lot of these fears are unfounded, but these are things I'm sure he's thinking -- I know I was. The best thing you can do is talk to him about how things are going to change, and more imporantly, how things are not going to change.

Heh, you ain't kiddin'. My protein goal was/is 105g a day. Easily obtainable, if you like eating a pound and a half of salmon every day or two and a half grilled chicken breasts. Kind of tough to do, post-banding.

I'm also glad I found this thread. I just had my 2nd fill and only now am I beginning to feel any restriction (I'm at 6.5cc in a 14cc band). Even at 4.5cc, I was able to eat anything I could eat pre-banding. At 4.5cc I was able to go to Golden Corral and have a large salad followed by a plate of meat and veggies. 1/2 a meal? Try 12 cups, hah! I've actually tried sticking to good foods and reasonable portions, but the fact of the matter is if I were any good at dieting, I wouldn't have needed the surgery. Hang in there, things are a'changin'.

After over a month at 4.5cc in my 14cc band, I had fill #2 a couple of days ago. They added 2 more cc's of fluid, bringing me to 6.5cc. I showed up to my doctor's appointment pretty mad and frustrated. Right now, it seems like I went through this surgery for nothing. Although I've lost a little over 50 pounds, none of it can be attributed to the lapband surgery. The majority of my weight loss came from the strict liquid diet I was on for several weeks. When you go from eating fast food and buffets 2-3 times a day to a strict liquid diet, you're going to lose weight! Between my first post-surgery meeting and my first fill appointment, I actually put on a couple of pounds. All of a sudden, I began to panic. I went through all of this and now I'm putting on weight? I wasn't happy about it and neither was my doctor. I don't take criticism too well. In the office I just sat and nodded. I decided I was *NOT* going to go through that again, so about three weeks ago I signed up at our work gym. My employer said they would pay for my membership, and the gym is next to the building I work in, so there's really no reason not to be going. I had a co-worker show me some simple weight training exercises which I've been doing 3 days a week, and I've been walking on the treadmill 2 days a week for 30 mins, and 3 days a week (the days I also do the weight training) for 15-20 mins. Since my first fill I had put on another five pounds, but in two weeks of going to the gym I lost 13, which put me 8 down since my last doctor's visit. The reason I got mad at the doctor's office was because I knew they were going to say something like, "see? The band's working!" The fact is, the band is NOT working! I'm not losing any weight due to this stupid lapband, I'm losing weight because I'm exercising!!! Surprisingly, my doctor's appointment didn't go that way at all. They were genuinely shocked that I had lost weight. "Most patients put on weight during this period," they said. I talked with the nurse about my frustrations and she said that everything I was feeling was normal. She said at this point I should have very little restriction. The only point of contention we had was about measuring food. They kept asking me how much food could I eat and my response was, "as much as I could eat before the surgery." Apparently, that's not the right answer. They keep saying I should be measuring out my meals (1/2 a cup, starting with 1/4 a cup of meat followed by 1/4 of a cup of veggies, continuing until I'm full). I can't imagine doing that when I can eat an 8oz steak with veggies, and everything else. Plus, I really don't understand how you weigh breakfast burritos and whatnot a 1/4 cup at a time. Do you cut it up and stuff it in a cup? I guess I don't get it. Anyway ... at 6.5cc I am starting to feel some restriction. This morning I had a couple of scrambled eggs, and I feel full. The full feeling is not like before, like on Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, my belly used to get full. Now when I get full, my chest gets tight. Before, when I was full, it felt GOOD. Now, being full doesn't particularly feel good. I stop eating because it's uncomfortable now. I guess either way works, one just feels a lot better. I have another fill appointment in a week and a half, so I'm going to hit the gym hard until then and try to go in with another significant loss.

After over a month at 4.5cc in my 14cc band, I had fill #2 a couple of days ago. They added 2 more cc's of fluid, bringing me to 6.5cc. I showed up to my doctor's appointment pretty mad and frustrated. Right now, it seems like I went through this surgery for nothing. Although I've lost a little over 50 pounds, none of it can be attributed to the lapband surgery. The majority of my weight loss came from the strict liquid diet I was on for several weeks. When you go from eating fast food and buffets 2-3 times a day to a strict liquid diet, you're going to lose weight! Between my first post-surgery meeting and my first fill appointment, I actually put on a couple of pounds. All of a sudden, I began to panic. I went through all of this and now I'm putting on weight? I wasn't happy about it and neither was my doctor. I don't take criticism too well. In the office I just sat and nodded. I decided I was *NOT* going to go through that again, so about three weeks ago I signed up at our work gym. My employer said they would pay for my membership, and the gym is next to the building I work in, so there's really no reason not to be going. I had a co-worker show me some simple weight training exercises which I've been doing 3 days a week, and I've been walking on the treadmill 2 days a week for 30 mins, and 3 days a week (the days I also do the weight training) for 15-20 mins. Since my first fill I had put on another five pounds, but in two weeks of going to the gym I lost 13, which put me 8 down since my last doctor's visit. The reason I got mad at the doctor's office was because I knew they were going to say something like, "see? The band's working!" The fact is, the band is NOT working! I'm not losing any weight due to this stupid lapband, I'm losing weight because I'm exercising!!! Surprisingly, my doctor's appointment didn't go that way at all. They were genuinely shocked that I had lost weight. "Most patients put on weight during this period," they said. I talked with the nurse about my frustrations and she said that everything I was feeling was normal. She said at this point I should have very little restriction. The only point of contention we had was about measuring food. They kept asking me how much food could I eat and my response was, "as much as I could eat before the surgery." Apparently, that's not the right answer. They keep saying I should be measuring out my meals (1/2 a cup, starting with 1/4 a cup of meat followed by 1/4 of a cup of veggies, continuing until I'm full). I can't imagine doing that when I can eat an 8oz steak with veggies, and everything else. Plus, I really don't understand how you weigh breakfast burritos and whatnot a 1/4 cup at a time. Do you cut it up and stuff it in a cup? I guess I don't get it. Anyway ... at 6.5cc I am starting to feel some restriction. This morning I had a couple of scrambled eggs, and I feel full. The full feeling is not like before, like on Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, my belly used to get full. Now when I get full, my chest gets tight. Before, when I was full, it felt GOOD. Now, being full doesn't particularly feel good. I stop eating because it's uncomfortable now. I guess either way works, one just feels a lot better. I have another fill appointment in a week and a half, so I'm going to hit the gym hard until then and try to go in with another significant loss.

I was supposed to go back and have my band filled tighter three weeks ago. Unfortunately, I had to travel out of town that week, and I've been in meetings the past two weeks which has prevented me from getting out of the office. I'm scheduled for a fill the week after next. With a 14cc band and a 4.5cc fill, I can feel absolutely no restriction. In fact, over the past few weeks, I've started eating things that should be clogging up my band, and they're not. All the things that my wife (who is also banded) can not eat -- bread, rice, tortillas, doughnuts -- I've had no problem getting down. I'm pretty disappointed in the whole thing right now. I have a stomach full of scars and a band inside me that's not doing anything. The doctor said he would like to see me lose weight before the next visit, but with the band not doing anything at all, I'm trying to lose weight through diet and exercise -- two things that weren't going so well for me BEFORE the surgery, which is why I HAD the surgery. Right now I feel like I had the surgery and went through everything for nothing. Maybe if and when I start to feel restriction, I'll change my mind. :thumbup:

I was supposed to go back and have my band filled tighter three weeks ago. Unfortunately, I had to travel out of town that week, and I've been in meetings the past two weeks which has prevented me from getting out of the office. I'm scheduled for a fill the week after next. With a 14cc band and a 4.5cc fill, I can feel absolutely no restriction. In fact, over the past few weeks, I've started eating things that should be clogging up my band, and they're not. All the things that my wife (who is also banded) can not eat -- bread, rice, tortillas, doughnuts -- I've had no problem getting down. I'm pretty disappointed in the whole thing right now. I have a stomach full of scars and a band inside me that's not doing anything. The doctor said he would like to see me lose weight before the next visit, but with the band not doing anything at all, I'm trying to lose weight through diet and exercise -- two things that weren't going so well for me BEFORE the surgery, which is why I HAD the surgery. Right now I feel like I had the surgery and went through everything for nothing. Maybe if and when I start to feel restriction, I'll change my mind.

After your surgery, check in here and let everybody know how things went.

For about three months in the mid 1990s, my doctor put me on Fen-Phen, the miracle weight loss drug. For me, the drugs curbed my appetite and helped me rapidly lose weight. My guess is, the pills were 50% appetite supressant and 50% speed. The only reason I mention Fen-Phen is, I was losing weight without trying. I continued to eat fast food and buffets several times a week and I still lost weight. Then a bunch of people reported heart problems and the drug was pulled off the market. Bye bye, Fen-Phen. Bye bye, weight loss. For the first month after I had lapband surgery, I lost weight like crazy. 50 pounds, in fact. Sure, most of that was due to the crazy liquid/soft diets, but still, weight lost is weight lost, right? I did minimal exercise, stayed full, and continued to lose weight. Since moving to regular food, my weight loss has tapered off and, over the past week, it has all but stopped. Food wise, I am almost back to my old eating habits. Well, that's not true -- I'm eating better, but I'm still eating a lot of food. Tonight I'm setting my old treadmill back up to get back on track. I want to lose a few more pounds before my band fill next week. Although I haven't gained any weight, I guess this is just a reminder that the weight's not going to lose itself; I'm going to have to work to get it off.

I got my first fill last week and I feel ... nothing. I mean, I can eat almost as much as I could before the surgery. Not quite, but almost. My wife and I went to Golden Corral for lunch the other day and I had a huge salad, a bowl of soup, and a plate full of veggies and Chicken. The types of food I ate weren't terrible, but all this talk of only eating 2oz of meat? Not yet. I almost wish I could experience PB or clogging just so I would know what it felt like. I'm currently at 4.5 on a 14cc band and I definitely need some more juice.

I got my first fill last week and I feel ... nothing. I mean, I can eat almost as much as I could before the surgery. Not quite, but almost. My wife and I went to Golden Corral for lunch the other day and I had a huge salad, a bowl of soup, and a plate full of veggies and Chicken. The types of food I ate weren't terrible, but all this talk of only eating 2oz of meat? Not yet. I almost wish I could experience PB or clogging just so I would know what it felt like. I'm currently at 4.5 on a 14cc band and I definitely need some more juice.

Are you in Oklahoma? If so, where are you having your surgery done? My wife had hers at Weightwise; I had mine in Norman.

I'm a 6'0" male and got the 14cc band. I got a 4.5cc fill earlier this week and really can't tell a difference. In fact I don't feel like I got a fill at all.

Last week I went to my "2 Week Follow Up Appointment" , which for some reason, they scheduled four weeks after my surgery. The first thing you do is weigh you, and the nurse was shocked to see I'd lost 50 pounds. Then I told her it had really been four weeks. She was still happy about the weight loss, but less scared. Once I was back in the room another nurse came in and checked my surgical scars. "These look great for only two weeks!" she said. Actually, it's been four weeks, I explained to her. At one point she asked me why they scheduled my "2 Week Follow Up Appointment" at four weeks and I didn't have an answer. I have no idea! As I was leaving, they scheduled my first band fill. The nurse at the window said they would schedule it in four weeks, which would be six weeks after surgery. I told her that I was four weeks out. She then asked me why I had my "2 Week Follow Up Appointment" at four weeks. Again, I didn't know what to say. After confirming my surgery date in the computer, she changed my band fill for two weeks away -- January 16th, I believe was the date.

Last night was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday party, which they had at a local steak house. As I am just starting my fourth week (soft foods) so I knew steak was out. The restaurant's menu was really limited -- although in their defense, it IS a steak house. Pretty much my options were steak, steak, and more steak. They had no soup (my primary choice when eating out right now) and no mashed potatoes (my backup plan). Near the bottom of the menu I found their very small seafood selection; shrimp, or salmon. I remember reading or hearing that shrimp qualifies as a soft food, so that's what I ordered. After choosing the shrimp, the waitress wanted to know what side items I wanted. The shrimp came with rice (which I couldn't eat) and I had my choice of a baked potato (can't have), french fries (can't have), or green beans (maybe). I picked green beans. Then the waitress wanted to know what kind of salad I wanted. Finally, I levelled with her. "Look, I can only eat soft foods or liquids right now. Do you have mashed potatoes, or soup maybe?" No, of course not. And what options did she give me? I could sub the rice for green beans, and the salad for more green beans. I couldn't imagine eating three servings of green beans so I told her I would just pass on the salad. Eventually dinner came and I got my shrimp, green beans, rice and toast. The rice was easy enough to avoid and I gave the toast away to my son. That left me with the shrimp and the green beans. I popped the first shrimp into my mouth and -- WOW -- it was terrific! I barely chewed the first one and popped a second one into my mouth. Then I had a few bites of green beans. And then I felt it; the green beans weren't going down. They were sitting there in my throat. Oh, SHIT. My first meal in public, and I was going to puke. I got up with a panicked look and quickly walked outside. Walking helped, apparently. When I got outside, I felt the shrimp slide down, followed by the green beans. Thank goodness! I really wasn't looking forward to puking in the restaurant's parking lot. I returned to the table and everyone was concerned. I told them everything was fine, something just didn't go down the right way. I can tell you what, I chewed the HELL out of the rest of that shrimp. I mean, I chewed them until they were little tiny shrimpy bits. I think I made four bites out of each one, and then chewed those tiny bites to bits. I've been able to put down lots and lots of liquid and pureed foods. I was under the impression that my band was not doing anything for me currently. Last night, I was proved wrong!

December 4th, I'm having lapband surgery. Sshhh, don't tell anyone. It's a secret. There seems to be a lot of different thoughts as to whether you should announce you are having lapband surgery or not. I'm a weird type of guy. I love blogging and talking about my life to the world, but when it comes to really personal thoughts, I tend to keep those to myself. When I made the committment to have lapband surgery, for six weeks, the only person I told was my wife. It was only after people began asking questions like, "why have you been going to the doctor so often?" and, "why are you only having liquids?" that I had to finally spill the beans. Before my wife's surgery last March, she announced her impending operation from the highest hilltops. She let everyone around her know that she was having lapband surgery. She was proud to have the surgery. She wanted everyone to know she was taking charge of her life and making a decision that would help put her body on the right track. I, on the other hand, have tried to keep my upcoming surgery as quiet as possible. I am not proud to have the surgery. I feel embarassed about the surgery. I feel like I have failed at dieting and exercise. I feel like I cannot control my hunger like normal people. I guess I don't see the surgery as a positive thing, really. Don't get me wrong -- the outcome of the surgery will be awesome, I have no doubt about that. I know this surgery will put me too on the right path, and will kickstart a life of fitness that so far I have not known. But still, there's something about the surgery to me that symbolizes a lack of control in my personal life, and that's hard to admit. That's what is embarassing, I guess -- the fact that by having this surgery, I'm saying to the world, "I tried to lose weight on my own, and failed." Like many decisions related to weight loss and lapband surgery, the decision to talk about your surgery is a personal one. From personal experience I can tell you it's starting to get easier. I have found it easier to talk to people who have already had weightloss surgery, and trust me, once word gets out that you're having the surgery those people will come out of the woodwork. Even if you're not comfortable talking about the surgery with your friends, family members or co-workers, find other ways to express yourself. Blogs and forums work wonders, trust me. :mad:

Yesterday, January 16th, I had my first band fill. Over the past two weeks, I've put on five pounds.The doctor asked how that happened; I told him it was pretty easy. "I switched back to real food and I quick walking!" He wasn't thrilled with that answer. He asked how much restriction I was feeling and I told him none. It's true. Over the past couple of weeks I've been able to eat everything I've tried. In my 14cc band, I got a 4.5cc fill to start with. I can feel a bit of restriction now, but it's not "tight." I'm supposed to do liquids for 24 hours and I did that with no problem. For lunch I had some soup with beans and ham in it and it went down fine. Tonight for dinner I'll try something with a bit more substance to see how that goes. The band fill procedure itself was a non-issue. You get a shot in your belly, but that's it. It doesn't hurt any more (or less) than a regular shot. The doctor said I should try eating regular food this weekend and, if I'm still not feeling restriction, to call him and he'll add some more fluid to my band next week. We'll see how this weekend goes. The whole point of lapband surgery is to have restriction and feel full on less food. So far, that hasn't really happened.

Yesterday, January 16th, I had my first band fill. Over the past two weeks, I've put on five pounds.The doctor asked how that happened; I told him it was pretty easy. "I switched back to real food and I quick walking!" He wasn't thrilled with that answer. He asked how much restriction I was feeling and I told him none. It's true. Over the past couple of weeks I've been able to eat everything I've tried. In my 14cc band, I got a 4.5cc fill to start with. I can feel a bit of restriction now, but it's not "tight." I'm supposed to do liquids for 24 hours and I did that with no problem. For lunch I had some soup with beans and ham in it and it went down fine. Tonight for dinner I'll try something with a bit more substance to see how that goes. The band fill procedure itself was a non-issue. You get a shot in your belly, but that's it. It doesn't hurt any more (or less) than a regular shot. The doctor said I should try eating regular food this weekend and, if I'm still not feeling restriction, to call him and he'll add some more fluid to my band next week. We'll see how this weekend goes. The whole point of lapband surgery is to have restriction and feel full on less food. So far, that hasn't really happened.