sistasassy

I, too, have had similar pain after being stuck.....days and days. I think it is normal. Try a heating pad on your chest for a bit off and on for a few days and see if that helps. It seems to help me. But, if you are still concerned, I would definitely have your doctor check it out a little more in depth. You know your body better than anyone and know if something is definitely not right.

I would give it a rest and not do anything else until morning. You probably have some swelling going on may need to let it all rest until tomorrow. I would then start with liquids, then to mushies, and then back to normal. If you still have trouble in a couple of days, call your doc.

Some doctors wait to give you your first fill until 6 0r even 8 weeks. It depends on the doc. Also, if you are losing and have good restriction, he/she may opt to wait a bit longer as well. It all really depends on you and your doctor. You will find that everyone is going to be different. I have learned in this to never be surprised by anything. I never surprised if I get a fill and never surprised if I don't. I know that is not much help but it is best to be very very flexible when it comes to your band. Nothing seems to ever happen when you think it will and always seems to happen when you don't think it will.

That is a hard one. You and your husband should decide this one. Talk about it, pray about it, then decide. My husband recently lost his job to economic cutbacks as well. We have started doing contract work for people such as painting, wallpapering, etc. He is receiving unemployment so that helps out too. At this point, we are actually making more money than we were before he lost his job. God provides!

There are people who abuse themselves and their band and that is why they have trouble. You must follow the rules. BUT, there are those who have trouble that is beyond their control. They may do everything right and still end up in the band failure category through no fault of their own. Sometimes things just go wrong and our body decides it does not want to play well with the band. Those people cannot be blamed for the need to revise. We cannot ever become so narrow minded that we begin to assume everyone does something wrong that has to have their band removed. Complications DO happen. That is why they are called complications.

I agree with being a bit nervous about having a doctor band me that does not believe banding is the best option for you. I would consult my PCP and even get some input from any other doctors you have as well. Mine all agreed that the lapband was the best option for me. Any surgery runs the risk of complications. Some are higher and some are lower. You could have a surgery with a 1% complication rate and you could fall into that 1% OR you could have a surgery that has a 40% complication rate and never have a problem. Again, as many have stated, I believe you need to do what is right for YOU. I have been banded for six months now and am over my 50% mark and nearing my 60% mark. Some have been banded this long and are still at their 10% mark and having issues. Again, it depends on each person. You may not like the band. Your band may not like you. You may have trouble with fills or other more severe complications as listed above. You may not want to pay for fills or be at the doctor each month for a fill or not like the needle that goes with each fill. OR, the opposite could be true of all these and your weight could fall off and you could be just fine. An additional note, the number of complications are going up because more people are being banded. Ultimately, YOU decide what is best for YOU. I love my band, that does not mean I don't ever have issues. I just got a fill and am trying to wade through the post-fill problems that I have each month. My stomach is very sensitive to fills. HOWEVER, I am losing weight and continue to do so and, AT THIS POINT IN MY JOURNEY, I would not trade my band in for anything.

8cc in a 10cc band at six months doesn't allow for very much growing room....well, but I guess that you will only need small fills down the road.

I have had problems similar to that. It sounds to my like you have developed a bit of inflammation for some reason. I would try to take it easy and lean towards liquids for a few days and see if that helps. If not, you may want to check with your doctor. My body is super sensitive to fills and to anything that gets even remotely stuck.

Not low at all. I have the same size band you do. I only had 2cc at my first fill and ended up in the ER that night so swollen that I could not even swallow my own saliva. Trust me, you want a conservative doctor. You don't want to be miserable right off the bat. Give it time and you will come along just fine.

Rice and dry chicken are bad for me as well as standard bread. I can also not eat french fries or chips. I can eat any veggie or fruit in any form or fashion with no trouble at all. I had one good pizza experience and one bad. I don't do pasta because I tend not to chew it well. Since I have not learned my lesson on that one yet I have grounded myself from it. :thumbup: Again, like they said above, it is all going to vary person to person. You will really just have to wait and find out on some of it as you go along. Trial and error sort of thing.

I agree with the two previous posters. You want to keep that full feeling as long as possible. I have noticed that I lose more weight when I do not drink with my food. It takes some getting used to because we have drank with our meals all our lives but it works once you get the hang of it. If I am out to eat, I usually only order Water (which I don't usually drink) and/or decaf coffee (which I sometimes need to get my band loosened up - mine can be very fickle at times). The only thing I flat avoid is soda. I NEVER order one for me. I have had a small sip of my husband's or my son's but never more than just a tiny one. I made the mistake of taking a drink of one while I was eating once and thought I would die. I seriously thought my pouch would burst and I would die right there. I have never had such horrible pain with the band except that one time. I think it was a combination of the carbonation from the drink (regular gulp - not a sip) and the fact that I was nearing full in my pouch. HUGE mistake that I will never make again. I will still have a tiny sip of soda here or there but only on an empty pouch and never a full gulp.

Sounds like gas pains or your gall bladder.

Updated to here. Old Goat, you go boy! We are right behind ya!

Since being banded back in November of 2008, I have only PBed. I have never actually vomited, Thank God! My doc says to call for anti-nausea meds instead. It works for me.

The pencil eraser thing is working for me too. I tend to take to big of bites and then swallow down the big stuff. Then I am pretty well in a mess. I have started the baby spoon thing and the bites the size of a pencil eraser. They have both been working. I had steamed broccoli and cheese today. That was the first thing other than mashed potatoes that I have been able to keep down since my fill last week. Success! Now I will work on adding a new item each meal and cutting everything up first. I am also only using small dishes and small portions. If the portion stays down after an hour and I am still hungry, then I allow myself another small portion. It works and the scales love it! I am still in heaven over the broccoli and cheese!!!!

I seem to be in a similar situation. I am about 5 fills out and am pretty tight. I am questioning whether I may be a bit too tight. I only have a few spots throughout the day where I can actually eat and not PB. I am about 5 days out from this last fill and am contemplating having just a hair taken out. I think I could increase my calories a bit then which will kick start my weight loss again at a high pace than what I am at right now. I am losing at a snail's pace since this fill and think I am in need of healthy Protein and just can't seem to get enough in. I am not able to eat yet today and am inching liquids in at this point. I am over the half way mark so I am not complaining. People are giving me clothes because I refuse to buy while still losing. I guess that is not a bad thing either. Hang in there and keep "getting your skinny on!"

I would definitely call the doctor. I would also go to all liquids for a day or two while you wait to see him. If you are PBing alot, you have probably go everything irritated. The liquid diet should help to calm things down. If all checks out well at the doc, I would do liquids for a couple of days and then mushies for a couple of more. I am really sensitive to PBing and have had to do the same thing.

Some people do have trouble with port location. I expect this will be better in time, as you lose weight. I had to get unfilled a bit one night and came home looking like a pin cushion. It is not pleasant BUT it does get better with time. As for eating, I would do as your doctor advised. I am extremely sensitive to fills so I have to do a day or two of liquids and then a day or two of mushies to get back to normal. I do lose weight during this time so I don't complain. Your incision will be healed more at your next fill so it may not be as uncomfortable. I go in now, he finds my port, pokes the needle in, I sit up and start drinking while he starts adjusting, and voila! We are done! It does get better. Hang in there and look ahead to the thinner healthier you!

Slime is so nasty but is part of our new world. Eating slower is part of what I deal with. I get in such a hurry. You know, they used to sell stuff called "Slime". Maybe we should be packaging and selling the stuff. :thumbup:

They can stop you from getting your band. If you are not emotionally and mentally ready to get the band then you will have a hard time succeeding after surgery. I think you have to be ready to accept the challenges and the responsibility of being banded. I have some friends who want to be banded. Some would do well, others would not. If you are in a good frame of mind and are committed to working WITH you band, you will do well. If you are expecting the band to be a "fix all," you will fail. The band is there to help. Everyday, I still have to choose what goes into my mouth. Everyday, I still have to choose how often to eat. Some days I am starving all day with "head hunger." What a battle. I have had to learn to redirect my head from the "hunger" to something more constructive. You have to be willing to chew, chew, chew, and then chew some more. You have to be willing to not drink with your meals. You have to be willing to only eat a little instead of having "eating sessions" like we all have sometimes turned meal time into. You have to be willing to say no to slider foods (milkshakes, ice cream, chocolates, etc.) You have to be willing to call your surgeon and go in for an adjustment even if you feel like you had a bad month. You have to be willing to be accountable to yourself...and to others (people find out about your band and will want to know why you are not losing if you are not eating right). You have to be ready to hang in there for a month, or two, or three if you stall. You have to be willing to get up and move a bit. Exercise will help you live long along with losing weight. If you are ready to deal with these issues and make your band your "best friend", "someone" you are constantly aware of, then you are ready to be banded.

I do mashed potatoes and gravy on mushies with some fat free sour cream BUT the carb count can be high in the potatoes so don't get carried away. I find that they are easy to get done on tough days and are filling. I also do the refried beans. I get mine at Taco Bell and load them up with sour cream, nacho cheese and a bit of the ground hamburger. Again, don't get carried away. Remember to keep the portion small and don't be afraid to put it in the fridge for later. Applesauce, SF pudding, anything pureed as well. MY doc (now this is mine and perhaps yours does not feel the same so check with him) said that anything that could be pureed and thinned was fine.

My body is super sensitive to fills as well. I only have about 4ccs in an 11cc band. My fills have to be relatively small or I . swell shut. I got a .75cc fill yesterday and spent most of the evening swollen shut. Today I am getting coffee to go down, so far, but know that I would be in a mess if I even attempted thin mashed potatoes for at least another 12 hours. I will be good in a day or so and will be able to eat regular food, just smaller portions, again. I do drop close to ten pounds each time I get a fill like this, though. I like this kind. Makes it go fast. I then stall for about three weeks but it gives my body time to adjust to the weight loss. It seems to work well for my body and my system. That first 24 hours is rough at times, especially if I swell completely shut. I have done the ER thing to get a bit out but we only take enough to be able to get some Water down and then we stop there because the swelling will go away.

I think a small fill and a bit of exercise will knock you off that plateau. OR, you may need to increase your calories a bit. I have been pretty much stalled for almost two months and finally increased my calories by about 500 a day and I am losing again. I was not really even hitting 1000 per day and now I am doing well again. Perhaps give that a try.

Updated to here, everyone. Sorry for the delay. Been super busy, then sick, then had a very sick hubby, and then a two very sick dogs. Excuses, excuses, I know, but sorry anyway.

I am so swamped right now in my life. I have been crazy busy working and my friends and family are consuming the rest of my time. I would love to have someone who could help me update the spreadsheet. It needs to be someone who is familiar with spreadsheets, who has time, and is willing to help out. Please email me at benham@apostoliccenter.org if you are interested. I am neck deep in a project currently so it may take a couple of days to get back to you. I miss everyone here and miss being able to get and offer support! I can't wait for my life to slow down but don't see it doing so in the next few month. That is a good thing, though, in this economy. God is forever carrying us through this storm. Let me know! Teri