Jodi_620

Sounds like you are doing pretty well , neighbor :thumbup: I know for the first several days I kept asking "What have I done to myself????" But in the end I'd do it all again. Unfortunately a year later and I still don't burp, and I really miss it. I do get an occasional pfft of air but not a good, manly belch.

My arms, tummy and thighs are/were pretty saggy, bad enough that I will only wear clothes that cover these areas. But they were much worse a few months ago, so exercise and time does make a difference. I drink plenty of fluids, slather on the lotion a couple times a day and double up on exercising my trouble spots. In January I would look at myself in the mirror and want to cry. I was desperately trying to figure out how I will manage the time and money to get plastic surgery. But I have really seen a huge improvement since then and when I go to the beach in August, I can actually see myself wearing a bathing suit (a one piece, mind you). I haven't worn a bathing suit since I was a kid. I think that with a little more time and exercise I can be quite comfortable in my new body. Although I would look better proportioned if I had breast reduction which I just might do one day.

It is very normal. You are not in the weightloss phase yet, you are in the healing phase. People can gain 5-10 pounds during his phase which around here, is called "Bandster Hell". The real weightloss will come with a few fills.

It is a possibility with the band but I believe we can control it a little more easily by getting in plenty of protein(at least 60G) and Vitamins (besides a daily,Biotin and B vitamins could help as well) Then again, some people lose due to the stress of the operation. There is little that can be done for that except give it time. I lost for a while but it is all growing back now.

We could only make guesses. The only way to know for sure is to have someone look at it. It is possible that you have slipped. Seems to me that 7CC at one fill is an awful lot and could very well have contributed to the problems. I've never recieved 1/2 that much in one fill, but maybe my docotor is just too conservative??? Review how and what you are eating. Are you taking tiny bites, chewing well, pausing between bites and stopping before you eat too much? It could also be stress. I immediately get tight with any amount of stress. If you are stressed due to your recent life changes it could be causing you to feel tight.

Yes grazing will sabotage your success. With good restriction the food should go down slower but you shouldn't have difficulty swallowing. You may need a slight unfill. When I am restricted I eat 3/4-1 cup of food. It takes about 20-30 minutes to eat. Sometimes, like in the morning it goes down much slower. During tight times I do feel a little pressure and even hear gurgling noises. A hot cup of tea about 30 minutes after my meal really helps. I honestly think the sweet spot is an individual thing. Some of us prefer to be tighter than others. The sweet spot is where you are not overeating, not physically hungry between meals and you are losing weight. Yet are able to get food and Water down without pain, vomiting or reflux. Each person has to find their comfort level between too loose and too tight.

Did you eat/drink shortly before? I need to allow time for my pouch to empty before going to bed.

You are welcome. How many fills have you had?

Gas X did nothing for this pain, not for me anyway. Believe me I kept taking it hoping it would kick in but it didn't. This was not gas in the digestive tract below the band. It was trapped air in the chest.

I agree mbranham0606, I wish I had been better informed about the pain before hand. It is better to be informed. No need to fear it though,with pain meds it is all manageable pain and it doesn't last forever. I was told pre-op that I may have a hiatal hernia and if so they would fix it. I asked about recovery from that and was told that if it had to be repaired, it would be simple, I would be open longer thus more gas in the abdominal cavity thus more shoulder pain but was not warned of any other difficulties. I was released without ever being told that a hernia repair was done so I didn't think much of it until I realized that I couldn't draw in enough air to walk accross the room. It was like someone was sitting on my stomach and I couldn't pull in air. The stitches are in your diaphragm which is the muscle you use to breath so for some it can get very weak. I called the after hours emergency number and that is when I was told about the hernia repair. The sholder pain, which was all that they warned me about, was actually not very bad with my Lap Band/Hernia operation but I recently had my gall bladder out which took over three hours and the shoulder pain after that was excrutiating!

I agree, it is the worst!

:bored: Good for you!!!

I may be wrong but my understanding is stretching does not go away. When was your last surgery?How many adjustments have you had since surgery? What has your weightloss been like? Losing restriction and needing adjustments as you lose weight is normal. It could be that you are simply losing fat around your stomach and that is causing the band to get looser, perfectly normal. Also check to make sure your band is not leaking.

It is not something I knew immediately. I felt tighter right away in that I had to drink and eat slower and I felt the food/liquid going down slower. Then a day or so later I realized I was eating less. Then the weight was coming off consistently. I would say that it would take a least a week or two to know for sure. I was able to eat 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food and not getting hungry for at least four hours often longer. Weight loss averaged 2 pounds per week. As far as being satisfied, you should not be physically hungry. You may have head hunger and if so, will need to have the willpower deal with that by not eating between meals or and not eating slider foods or high calorie junk food. As far as pushing for more fills. This has mostly to do with personal preference. Some people want to be a little tighter and lose faster this requires eating less and being very careful how you eat to avoid getting sick or stuck. Others prefer to take it slower. If you are too tight you will know it. You will either start to get acid reflux, feel sick or have a hard time getting solid food down. I was too tight once immediately after a fill and I coulnd't swallow my own saliva. Of course you don't want to have any of these problems. Your sweet spot probably won't be permanent either. I would hit my sweet spot, slowly lose it then have to get another fill. There was a lot of fill maintenence in the beginning. Like I said, it is all trial and error and as you get adjustments and lose restriction and get re-adjusted you will start to get the hang of what your comfort level is.

With the lap band we all have a pouch. That is what we call the small stomach created with the band. Do you mean you are stretching your pouch? Losing restriction during weightloss is normal. Most of us lose restriction and require several adjustments until we reach goal and perhaps more later to maintain. I needed a total of six to get where I am now, I had one slight unfill for surgery recently and afterward had half of what was removed put back. I am trying to decide if I should get another fill soon. But if you meant you are stretching your pouch, that means you are consistently keeping your pouch too full and the tissue is permanently stretching. That is not reversable.

There are actually two..actually three types of gas issues post-op. So I am not sure whether my response is what you were looking for. There is 1 & 2 the digestive gas. This is inside your digestive tract and can cause the typical gassy feeling in your gut, the rumbling and the flatulence. There is also the burping (if you can burp at this stage.) What I thought you were talking about was the need to burp but only get pain in the chest. the 3rd and completely unrelated type of gas is what Cathy described. It usually settles in your left shoulder as a deep ache. Like she said the more you move the better, it will eventually be absorbed into your body and expelled through the lungs.

Hi Mommo and Welcome! There are so many areas to cover and I don't want to hijack Gregs thread. Feel free to PM me with specific questions I'll be happy to offer any advice you need.

Honestly, I didn't do much exercising for the first seven months or so, by then I had lost most of the weight. I walked and generally kept busy but no real program. I joined Curves this past January to tone up the saggy areas. Besides simply having the band, the biggest credit to my sucess was cutting out white carbs. Not carb counting just cutting the unhealthy processed and starchy stuff.

I second (third? fourth?) the Carmex recommendations for instant relieve. But I also agree that the underlying problem is likely dehydration. Concentrate on drinking plenty of non caffenated fluids throughout the day especially when you are sweating. Weird, I know but a good way to know if you are getting enough is paying attention to the color of your pee...if it is yellow drink more Water until it comes out clear.

You won't feel anything where the band is placed because the stomach does not have nerves that detect pain. Your esophagus is about 12" long and runs from your throat to your stomach. And that is where you will feel most band-related discomfort. What you are likely feeling is the pain and pressure of food getting stuck and/or backing up into your esophagus. The esophagus will keep contracting and trying to push the food down which causes strain and swelling. Concentrate on eating slower, smaller bites, chewing well and not overeating. If it is a burning sensation you may be experiencing GERD or reflux.

It usually depends on the individual plan that you carry which I would assume is the same as your co-workers. If your insurance company said it is not required then it probably isn't. I would request it from the insuarance company in print though.

That happened with me too. It lasted about a week and a half. Unfortunately the only thing to heal it was time...

Yeah, your current BMI is around 34. I assume you have some comorbidities (weight related health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes etc.) The typical guidelines are BMI of 35-40 with comorbidities or a BMI above 40 without comorbidities. Most insurance companies require this and many surgeons do as well. Not sure where you live but you could call around. I gained 9 pounds in order to be within the 40+ BMI category.