zetajenn5

I'm in the big old town of Enigma, GA and wondered if there was anyone else on here from South Georgia.

I'm on a 2-day liquid diet b/c I just had my first fill. The doc said 2 days of liquids and I forgot to ask if he meant Clear Liquids or the other liquids where you can have creamy Soups and grits and stuff like that. Anyone know?

I had the lapband surgery January 08. For the first 6-8 months I actually felt restriction...but only the first 2 or 3 weeks after each fill. I lost restriction after those 2 or 3 weeks. Anyway I've only lost 60lbs and while I realize that everyone loses at a different rate, I don't feel any different now than I did before surgery. I went to my dr and he said that most patients can not tolerate anymore saline in their band for the size that I have. But I feel no restriction whatsoever. I eat as much as I want pretty much all the time! My dr says that I am as tight as he's comfortable making me so he did an upper gi b/c he said that I should have plenty of restriction but the gi came back everything ok. Any ideas what's wrong with me? I am so frustrated!!!!!!

I am also afraid that my band was placed too high. I've had it for a year and my fills only worked for about 2 weeks after having them and now I am at max fills. Most of what I eat...if I eat slowly, goes straight through. I know I eat too much but it never comes back up. I haven't thrown up once since having the band. If I eat too slow it hurts my chest and sometimes I feel like I can't breathe...like it's stuck in my throat and it chokes me. Help!

Ok I was banded almost a year ago. I have a few questions that I've tried to address with my doctor, but he always seems to talk in circles and I'm still confused when I leave his office. So I decided to come here and get everyone else's input. I want to know if my lapband experience has been normal. 1.) Did everyone get a fill every 6 weeks? I was scheduled to visit the doc every 6 weeks for checkups and ended up getting fills everytime b/c my restriction seemed to only last about 4 weeks. 2.) Did anyone reach their maximum limit in their band at the end of the first year or before? I have a 14cc band and I now have 10cc in it and he said that most people can't tolerate more than that so that means I possibly can't get anymore fills which kind of freaks me out. 3.) Is there anyone else out there who doesn't throw up when they eat too much? I have never thrown up after eating too much but most ppl on here say they do. I get uncomfortable and feel really bad if I eat way too much, but never throw up. 4.) Does anyone else's port spot feel kind of bruised all the time? I asked the doc about that and he said it was normal but it's been a year so I thought it was weird. Thanks in advance for anyone else who shares their experience!

I had a numbing shot the very first fill but none since that. I haven't asked and he hasn't offered. It isn't too bad without it as long as he hits the port quickly.

Ok, for the last 4 months or so, I haven't felt much restriction. Really haven't felt it since right after the surgery (01/31/08). I just had a fill and now when I eat, I do feel more restriction....I guess. But, it is like an hour or more after I eat when I hurt! I thought it was sore throat, then I thought it might be my chest, but now after having it happen 3 times after eating I realize it is the band. It is weird b/c it is so high, like in my chest/throat area. It is kind of like that feeling of having a pill stuck in your throat but sharper and it gives me a headache. It isn't constant, just little jabs here and there but enough to make my head hurt and make me miserable. I understand it probably has to do with me eating too much, but I thought the band was supposed to let you know WHILE you're eating not 2 hours after? This feeling lasts for 4-5 hours after I eat. I've never thrown up with the band and I've never had pb'ing even though I know I've eaten too much before. What is my problem?

What kind of pain did you feel? I haven't felt much restriction since having the surgery, not enough to lose weight at least, until my last fill. Now I hurt in my chest and throat on and off all day, so I'm pretty much living off of Protein drinks and mashed potatoes or Soup. I really don't want to get an unfill b/c I have to drive 3 hours and can't get off work, and anyway, I've finally started losing weight again! Is the pain in your chest and throat? It kind of feels like I have to burp except that the air is trying to rip out my chest! I've been trying to find out what it is. Does it mean I'm too tight?

Ok now I've changed my mind. Can't be that I'm eating too much. This weekend I had 4 tater tots and about 9 peanuts all day Saturday and I hurt all day. It hurts in my chest and throat. Could it be acid reflux? I don't feel any burning in my stomach. Just a horrible sharp tightening in my chest/throat area. It can't be eating too much b/c I have really bad gag reflexes and I haven't thrown up since I got the band. Haven't even pb'd. This is really frustrating. I haven't gotten through to the doctor yet. Any more ideas?

Thank everyone for your responses! I had decided that I was eating too much and too fast, but now I have that feeling in my throat and I haven't even eaten anything today so I'm wondering if it is reflux?

Oh yeah and if I burp or take a sharp deep breath it feels like my chest is going to explode! Similar to the gas pains after the surgery.

I'm on Clear liquids but I'd rather have full!!! I've read other posts where people aren't even on liquids so I think I might go to full!

First of all, can someone explain to me why we're on liquids after a fill? I'm on liquids for 2 days after a fill and I could eat a horse. And second, anyone have any suggestions of what to eat? I'm tired of chicken broth and I'm starving!

First of all, can someone explain to me why we're on liquids after a fill? I'm on liquids for 2 days after a fill and I could eat a horse. And second, anyone have any suggestions of what to eat? I'm tired of chicken broth and I'm starving! Sorry guys! I meant to post this in fills...not fill doctors. I don't know how to move it.

Hi all. I am over 2 months post op and before the surgery I quit taking my Effexor XR anxiety/depression medication b/c I knew I wouldn't be able to take it after surgery since it is extended release. I have put off going to my family doctor b/c I hate wasting a half a day in the dr's office, but I can put it off no longer. I can tell that I need my medication! Any suggestions from people who were previously taking Effexor? I liked it, no real side effects so I want something similar to that. Any suggestions before I go to the doctor, from pre surgery effexor users?

I felt exactly the way you did. I was hurting, couldn't figure out how much to eat, felt weird all the time and regretted the surgery...but I PROMISE it gets better! Once your surgery pain is gone and you're eating solid foods, that helps a whole lot!!! You will get to the point where you know what to eat and how much...that part just takes experimentation and getting used to. But 2 months ago I posted almost the same post that you did and I got floods of responses saying others felt the same way and that it gets better. It took about a month before I was getting to the point of being glad I did the surgery and now at 2 months I feel completely normal!

It took me 2 days before I could sit up and get out of bed on my own...tore my stitches in the hospital the first time I tried to get up. You will also likely be on liquid vicodin and sleeping alot the 1st day or so, so it's nice to have someone around to remind you to drink water or fix your broth. I stayed with my parents for 4 days after my surgery b/c the pain medicine made me so drunk feeling. Plus like everyone says its nice to be taken care of!

I am over a month post op, so this really isn't a surgery question. But I have been nauseous for the last 2 days. No throwing up, just constant nausea. I haven't eaten anything weird and don't think it's food poisoning or I'd be throwing up. Could this have anything to do with the band? Is nausea a symptom of a band problem? I've been constantly sipping on blackberry cider to help curb the nausea, but it's going on my third day and I still feel bad!

Thanks for the info Alana...I didn't realize there was a fill center in Moultrie. That's not too far from me either.

Hi Lizzie, How is your progress going so far? I guess you've had a couple of fills by now? I went for my first fill a couple of weeks ago and I about had a panic attack b/c he couldn't find my port. So of course I went straight to thinking, "It's flipped!!!" Well after a sonogram, thankfully, he was just in the wrong spot! But the way that they find it, mashing around on you, first of all would be uncomfortable anyway, but I still have some soreness in the port area...feels like its bruised sometimes so the whole process was un-pleasant. Hopefully it gets easier!

Oh UGAgirl I am so sorry for your troubles! I had a slightly similar experience with my first fill...though definitely not as bad as yours! He couldn't find my port, while mashing and pushing on me. He finally did a sonogram to find it and he was 2 inches too low! But during all of that I was about to have a panic attack b/c I was afraid it had flipped over! Hopefully all of our fills will be smooth from here on out!

Ok so for as long as I've had cramps, I've taken advil for them. What does everyone do about meds for cramps if we can't take an anti-inflammatory? Would it be ok to take an advil every once in a while? I am miserable and tylenol is a joke! Please help!

My port area is sore too. I feel it mostly at night when I'm in bed and flip over on that side of my body. It feels bruised and I've been banded over a month. I hope it goes away! It's very uncomfortable at night!

Thanks 4j and Amy. I'm starving so I think I'm going to try a strained cream soup b/c the broth isn't cutting it!

When I get the golf ball feeling (I like that imagery!) it feels like when you take a big pill and it gets stuck. Even though the band is on your stomach...when food gets stuck it does feel like something is stuck in your throat. It happens to me when I eat too fast or don't chew well enough. Just don't eat anything once you get that feeling b/c something is probably stuck. Try drinking a little to wash it through.