Redheada

I was banded last summer. Since my last fill less than a month ago, I have had numerous problems getting down Proteins. I need to drink Water to help get food down or I PB alot. I am eating alot less than my last fill but I find I am gravitating to softer foods and now have gained 2 lbs. Why am I going wrong direction? I am getting pretty frustrated since most of my weight was lost pre-op. Is this because my fill is too tight?

Hi there I had a very strange episode last night and I was wondering if it could be related to my LB. I was banded last July. Last night I had a small dinner and then felt like I was coming down with cough. I had some hot tea and shortly thereafter my husband was giving me a shoulder rub. All of a sudden I felt strangely dizzy (almost like in a tunnel) and my stomach and back started burning. I then had to go to the restroom and while there I felt like my arms and legs where pulling me down and I felt like I was losing consciousness. (I kept thinking my poor husband is going to find me passed out in the bathroom). I then got hot and clammy and sweaty. Managed to make it to the bed and lie down. At this point I felt like I was on drugs or something. Then 5-10 minutes later with some Water I was perfectly fine. No pain, no burning stomach, nothing. Totally fine. Anyone experienced anything weird like this before?

Ok so I may be headed to the hospital. I have similar symptoms this morning every time I drink Water (havent eaten yet). And I suspect it may be my gallbladder. The only thing is that I dont have sharp side pain on my right (I do have some discomfort on the lower left and some chest discomfort). I am waiting to hear from my doctor. Anyone have severe symptoms relating to their gallbladder?

Just a follow up note. I have a call into my doctor. Today I feel better but just weird and I have increased saliva in my mouth. No specific pain though and I can drink and keep things down. I do feel like aches in my stomach area but nothing specific.

Hi everyone Just had my first fill yesterday (2 cc?) and I was wondering about the following: Swelling: Didnt know I would have swelling... how long does it last and is it with each fill? food after fill: How long do you wait before you can have solids? I made the mistake of trying a protien bar 6 hours after fill - after 2 bites I was vomiting. With that said, I did keep down Soup and then this morning was able to keep down a protien bar. How long until you had solids after your fill? Restriction: So obviously if you are vomitting it sounds like that is too tight. When do you know you have found a perfect fill? Is that based on what you eat or what you lose or a combo? How much can you eat with your Sweet Spot? Seriously, half a meal, a full meal, liquids only? I am so confused with this. :cursing:

So I caved and went back to my doctor. After liquids for 4+ days, I couldnt take and it I was looking at a long weekend .... This timeI was seeing my regular doctor (there are two and the other did the first fill). So when he pulled out all of the saline there was actually 3.2 ccs and not 2 - so some was in there already. Anyways, he put back in 2.0 and now I am doing wonderful! I had some fish last night and it was amazing to eat something. On the other hand I lost 5 lbs in 4 days. My doctor was like "oh I see you have lost 5 lbs........since Monday.....???" LOL Um yeah - no food will do that to you. He he he. Anyways - all better now. Thank you for the info on eggs. I had no idea. I have learned lots of things along the way in the process. :biggrin:

Well I went for my first fill on Tuesday and he put in 2ccs. Everything that I have eaten since that is not full liquids I have thrown up. I am now going back today to hopefully get some out and ease my way into this. I am wondering how this is going to work for me if I keep throwing up? I am also wondering if I am rushing back to the doctor too soon. They seem to think I should be back on solids within a day or two. Um no. I hear about people going up to 5cc-8ccs in a 10cc band and I am shocked. I mean seriously, how can you eat at all? Anyways, other than that I feel great! I hope everyone is losing and feeling better that when we began this journey!

Well it has been two days since my fill and all I can eat is soup. This morning I tried two bites of scrambled eggs - and up it came in a matter of minutes. Now everything hurts going down besides Water so I have an appt to have a little taken out. Is this normal or should I be patient and wait through the weekend? The problem now is I dont want to eat at all.......

Hunger or Craving? I am not sure I know the difference at this point. I was banded on 7/7 so I am 10 days post op. I am on liquids until this weekend and then I am moving to mushies. I will admit I just couldnt take the liquids anymore and caved in and had a little fish today. I needed and craved it and it went down better than the "gag" shakes. I find that I want to eat everything around me (this started about 4-5 days post op; before then nothing seemed desireable). But when I do drink a shake or have cream of wheat or soup, I am very full very fast. I am learning alot about my body through this process that is for sure. So, I would say you may think you are starving but you are actually just craving based on what food smells like and looks like and if you have been on a pre/post op liquid diet then you are probably missing some things too (as I am). Good luck everyone! It is so nice to see so many people going through similar stages as me :eek:

Just to update you, I am 1 week post op and my hunger came back with a vengence this weekend. It has been more than tough to stick to a liquid diet but I understand the reasons why. What I dont get is that even with liquids your stomach has to digest - so I can understand not eating a big steak but soft lean protiens seem like they would be ok at this point. It was ok the first 5 days post op because I didnt want anything and anytime I did drink anything I was bloated and gassy. I am forcing myself to drink the Protein shakes, although I have changed it up a little and got the slim fast low carb shakes. But now everything smells and looks so good. I go to the doctor tomorrow and may beg for mushies. If I can eat fish I will be a happy camper! Some other notable changes, I can now breathe and the pain in my chest has subsided. I can sleep on my right side - a little on my left - but not as much. The gas seems to be coming and going so I am not sure if this is still leftover CO2 from surgery or just from the liquid diet.

to the original issue I am curious pursuant to doctor's orders when you all generally started mushys after surgery? I am a week post op and I want soft food so bad I could scream right now. 3 weeks of liquids is tough on anyone. . . now I am moving into week four and this is now very challenging for me. ALSO it is commonly known that eating food after surgery causes slips?

I have lost 18 lbs. since my highest number which was my first doctors appt. I am one week post op. I have actually lost the most this week since surgery but I also think I am still bloated. I am not trying to lose but it seems impossible when all you can do is have liquids! LOL

Hi there - I was banded the same day as you. Although I havent had allergies either I have found that I dont need the pain meds anymore. Yesterday I was down to one and that was after I did too much around my house. I completely know how you feel about the eating because up until 5 days post op I was ok with not having real food because honestly I knew it would hurt. But now that I am 6 days post op I want EVEYYTHING! I am so sick of soup and shakes I cant even stand it and really until yesterday I felt like I was ok. I am already planning on discussing this issue with my doctor on tuesday and I am going to beg for mushies. I dont know if I can go another 7 days like this. So you are not alone and I know this is a big adjustment. Hang in there! These are the stages where the support becomes very important!

I am four days post op and I look like I am pregnant as well. This is the worst part for me. I have not had a bowel movement yet so maybe that is the problem. Since I am still on liquids, do you think Fiber One Yogurt is ok? That worked wonders for me in the past.

That doesnt seem right to me. My first fill wont be until 6 weeks post op - to allow for swelling to go down and healing. I am surprised you have a fill already. You may want to discuss this further with your doctor.

I am four days post op and thought I would update all of the July bandsters as to what I am experiencing. As much as I thought I was educated, I am still surprised by some of the post op feelings at this point. The biggest surprise for me was the gas (or really as I would say "air") in my entire stomach cavity. This is from the air that is pushed in during surgery. I expected this to be regular gas (flatulence). But it is air moving around your rib cage and stomach and it is the most uncomfortable part of this process. It creates bloating so right now I feel like I am 7 months pregnant. I think walking helps this - although for me not as much as I would like. Second is that I really cannot eat/drink too much. I feel the swelling big time. I understand this takes a while to go down and you just have to be prepared for it. As far as the incisions are concerned, they are not a big deal to me. They almost feel like they are healed (at least the four small ones). I have yet to see the incision where the port is - but that one is a little larger and a little more sensitive. They are definitely sore and tender but not necessarly the worst part (as I expected). Finally, I do have this pain in my rib cage (middle/base) that feels like someone punched the crap out of my diaphram. This started immediately after surgery and does affect your breathing. I find it difficult to take a deep breath still four days out. But again I understand this is normal and will go away. The best part is before the pre-op diet I weighed 248 lbs and today - 4 days out - I weigh 232. So the weight is dropping. All and all I am doing ok and wish everyone the best of luck! :thumbs_down:

I can hardly drink anything. I have had some cream of wheat and cream soup but really only a few bites. I feel tremeadous pressure at the base/middle of my rib cage so when I drink or lay down it feel like someone is pushing my diaphram up into my chest. I guess that is normal right after surgery. I have added the protien powder to the cream of wheat and that was no biggie. I am not sure if it is the "gas" pressure or the swelling at this point.:thumbs_down:

I have Anthem BCBS CA PPO and I was approved within days. My BMI is 40 with no other major health problems (yet). Surgery is set for 7/7

Well I am approved and already starving on my preop diet. I am scheduled for 7/7 - Good Luck everyone! 1- wsw27, doedoe1961, myfirlayanna, 2- minidriver, slim2be, BethO,mrsgriffin2u, SanDiegoSusan, jjenkins2411, trudeip, 3- BigBander, 4- joiful, 7- AmyWA, Redheada CA, 8- blaze 21, Louisville Lesa, zeama, JaJeanne:o), OvrLvl 9- Sarv, MarylandMommy, siouxsie Sioux, Lalaredd 10-Fancy Nancy, melmel, vannie, 11- wstone, 14- MaidMarion 15- Fearless55 16- eyespy, lynlynkr, jomomma 18- CapitolChick, 22- zillyanne, TeriVA, kimaly, annesan 24- nyllrap, linksmom 25- Kiki220 28- splfrd 30- oreal5

I have my surgery scheduled for 7/7 and just started the liquid diet today and I am seriously wondering what the hell am I doing?? I can understand completely how you feel. I would love to stay in touch. Email me! Anne

OK so right about now I am freaking out. I am 1/2 day into my pre-op liquid diet and started to wonder what the heck I am getting myself into. It is 12:30 and I have already had 2 shakes and 1 bar. Which means I have one shake and one bar left the rest of the day??? WTF?? Now here is where I am confused. I understood the pre-op liquid diet is necessary to shrink your liver so they can proceed via laparoscopy But is 2 weeks really necessary? And now I see most people are doing it to lose weight? It there any alternatives???