Anaed2

Mandy, I recently complained to my doctor about being too tight in the morning, even at midday, then eating too much at night because I couldn't eat the rest of the day. He said that it's absolutely normal to feel extra tight in the morning, and he gave your theory as the explanation (but also said that I shouldn't be making up for it at night!)

Me too. Big cup of hot coffee before anything to eat for Breakfast, Soup or hot tea before lunch, and soup again at dinner time before eating anything else. I didn't have this problem till my second fill (1.5 cc in 4 cc band). I hadn't thought of trying a hot drink to chase the golfball feeling away (Bandacat mentioned above), but I'll give it a try next time. It certainly doesn't help to drink cold Water when something is stuck! Deana.

I'm sorry to hear that some of your work colleagues have betrayed your confidence in spreading around the fact that you had this surgery. As for the person who is angry that they didn't hear it from you, ask yourself just what right they have to be angry? If you didn't want to tell them, that's your business, and yours alone. Office gossip can be really petty. Either you ignore it, or you face it (which may be a waste of your energy) by going to see the angered person and telling them that you didn't want everyone knowing your private business. Anyway, try not to dwell on it because it's really not worth it. I hope they all get over it and that things settle down for you at work. I have not told a soul at work, but since I eat lunch with colleagues everyday, there are many times that giving an explanation has crossed my mind. I'm too afraid of their judgement. Hugs to you, Deana.

My surgeon directed me to go onto solids after only 3 days of liquids post- banding, which I did with much precaution, in tiny quantities. I have had no trouble with my band, but as stated above, do what *your* doctor wants. Imagine how your wife might feel if she has a problem with her band and has to explain that she wasn't following doctor's orders! The good thing about the prolonged liquid and mushie stage is rapid weight loss (which I missed out on), so tell her to hang in there! Deana.

Thanks NaNa, and all the others for your insight. It's so nice to have answers and other people's experience to rely on in what would otherwise be a very lonely journey. Deana.

NaNa, Thanks for helping me understand the reason for liquids/mushies after the fill. So once the swelling goes away, would this mean that I would lose some of the restriction that I'm feeling now? Should I have had a bit more fill in anticipation of losing some restriction after the swelling goes down? Also, when you use the term 'vomiting', do you mean throwing up food/PBing? I have never actually PB'd before (thrown up food), but have got food stuck on several occasions (often on the first bite of a meal) which has brought on lovely sliming episodes (saliva backing up that I need to spit out in the sink). Although there is an obstruction to the stoma which causes some pain by having the golfball feeling, I don't actually 'bring up' any of the food that I've eaten. It ends up going down by itself, but I do have to get rid of the backed up saliva. I hope this doesn't qualify as 'vomiting' as such that may cause damage to the band? I should also say that I haven't had this happen since my fill two days ago, since I've been sticking with mushies that go down without a hitch. I appreciate your experience and advice. Deana.

You say you've PB'd 3 times in 2 weeks. In comparison to some who seem to PB daily, this doesn't sound like an awful lot, or enough to really be overly concerned (ie. to do any serious damage), but it may be a warning to you now that you've had a quite a big fill to really take things more slowly and be careful with certain kinds of foods. Could you call your doctor and ask his opinion on whether you may be a tad too tight?

Well, I can't feel any swelling, not around the band, nor around the port, but I definitely felt a difference in restriction as soon as I had the fill (I actually had too much restriction - Water was sitting in the pouch before going down - so I had him remove some an hour later). I've been drinking Soup, Protein shakes, eating yoghurt, bananas and avocados and other softer-type foods for the last two days, and even so, I definitely can feel more restriction now than prior to the fill (in the end I only got 0.5 cc more). I could still probably eat anything, but I actually feel satiated now after a small yoghurt and a small banana for Breakfast. I hope that this new found restriction won't go away if in fact I am swollen from the fill. Deana.

Oh good! I'm glad to hear that things will return to normal.... It's bad enough having to deal with periods when everything is going smoothly, never mind when they're out of whack!

Yes, judging by all the different recommendations that the people on this board get from their doctors, it would seem that just about every one of them is different. I just don't understand what they base their recommendations on, especially when they don't seem to be in line with the general trend (I'm also thinking of recent discussions on drinking before/during/after meals, drinking diet coke, length of liquid/mushies/solids stages after banding....)? I'm still wondering about swelling after a fill - does this happen, and if so, does it affect restriction? Why do I read so often about a fill not really "kicking in" until a week or so after? Would all this be reason for recommending liquids or mushies after a fill?

I just had my first fill two days ago, and my doc said to eat soft food for 10 days (not liquids). This is from the same doctor who told me that after 3 days of liquids after surgery, I could go straight onto solids (which I did). I don't really understand the logic behind eating soft foods for such a long time after a fill, but I will follow his orders, if someone could just help me understand the reasoning behind going slow after a fill. Is there swelling after a fill (and does this mean that my restriction level could change as the swelling goes down)? Thanks for your input. Deana.

I ditto what Paula has just said. When I see posts from Elizabethsew I never pass them by - so clear, calm and insightful. Thank you for being one of my favourite posters on LBT! Henderson925, I haven't been taking any form of BC for years now, but have had completely regular periods all my life, 5 days long, 28 days apart. Anyway, a week out of surgery I had an unexpected period, so much heavier than usual, and shorter than usual, then instead of the usual 28 days interval, I had to wait much longer for the next one. Weird, but the cycle being messed up must have something to do with the surgery. Deana.

Which god are you talking about here, and in which part of the world???