RestlessMonkey

Poolgirl I am definitely human! You know I am! I try not to make mistakes but am not perfect, not by a long shot (how boring perfection must be! Not that I'll ever know) and you are right. If you get a medical professional who "knows it all", odds are they don't. LOL But liquid doesn't push things through for me; it just pushes against my pouch and hurts. When I'm eating, that is.

I guess. Logically: we aren't supposed to "drink meals" (like Protein shakes) because fluids move on through easily. The point of the band is delay in food reaching the lower stomach and delay in digestion (via portion control) thereby triggering feelings of satiety with much less food. Bites that go through easily (like slider foods) negate the band. SO...eating pea sized bites of food means it will go on through to the lower part of your stomach much faster. If that would promote weight loss (eating pea sized food) then you don't need the band because if it's small enough to go on through, the band isn't doing anything (like with liquids and sliders) I feel telling people "pea sized" is negligent and maybe even unkind. Many "disregard" the rules but what about people who really try to follow them? She should say "start with pea sized and then work your way up to a bite you feel comfortable with". THAT I'd agree to! But for many of us pea sized bites, besides being a pain in the fork, would negate the satiety action of the band and set us up for failure.

Pea sized? I think that's bogus. I've had my band a year, lose well, rarely get stuck, and the only thing pea sized that I eat is peas. I know I always say "do what your doc tells you" but that's kind of assinine, IMHO. I agree that I couldn't chew well a bite that little. Remember you don't want it to bounce on through immediately; it's supposed to sit up in the pouch for a little while to give you the feeling of satiety and then slowly go on through to the rest of your stomach. So the point isn't to eat such minute amounts that each bite goes through immediately. That would negate the benefits of the band. I say do that till you get the mechanics down (if you want) and then relax a little. And no I'm not a nutritionist, but unless the nut. has a band, I do have experience on my side. (and logic, apparently! LOL)

Really call your surgeon, especially if you took a pill and did NOT feel that pain before but have felt it since. You may be swollen and hurt yourself a little (like scraped your esophagus) OR you may have a fill in there and need to REALLY watch it. Call your doc to be sure, before the weekend.

Only if you strain it. When you're on full liquids you don't want anything that isn't liquid. I was told it would have to go through a straw and I've had that soup at hand; it would definitely clog a straw. You can call and ask your surgeon to be sure but I'd say NO. A soup I really enjoyed on full liquids was campbell's split pea with bacon. I ran it through my food processor with about 3/4 can of Water then heated. It was liquid, would go through a straw (I tested it) and delicious (unless you HATE peas!) The noodles in chicken noodle, even soup and hand, don't really blend well. If you strain or process other "cream of" Soups, like potato, I think they are ok.

I disagree. Until there is a better treatment for obesity, isurance companies will essentially be forced to cover WLS, because it works. (and a major company just dropped the 6-month diet requirement for their approval of WLS, essentially making it EASIER to get, not harder) The lengthening waiting list doesn't mean insurance companies will drop coverage, it means there is a shortage of docs trained to do the surgery, or an overage of patients needing/wanting the surgery! That shows an increase in demand or a need for more supply. With surgeries like the lap band, people like me who would never have had RNY bypass are now getting surgery and losing weight and getting healthier. It will only increase, and insurance will step up to pay, until/unless they find a way to treat it with pharmacotherapeutic agents.

You're probably just swollen from the surgery but since you're facing a weekend, call your surgeon's office just to be sure! Some docs put fill in during surgery (I think it's cruel, but that's JMO!) and if that's the case, you may need special handling! :laugh: Good luck!

I think it is likely your nutritionist is overstating it by saying "many" cases. I was told most of my surgeons patients can eat anything but some have a problem with stringy red meat or bread. Most bandsters can eat some meat; and if for example you can't eat steak you should be able to eat ground meat. Who would have a surgery that totally shut out a major source of Protein? One can embrace a vegan lifestyle but most of us don't get the band hoping it will be the meat police. I know I can't eat chicken SKIN unless it's really crispy but it's no harder to chew a piece of chicken or steak than it is, say, to eat many fresh veggies or an apple. I think most of us just really don't chew well enough. Some things I've found I have to chew up to 40 times; for some, it may not be worth it. But that doesn't mean you CANT eat the item, just that you don't want to go to the trouble.

NBD! :laugh: My port flipped but my doc can still access it. It's not COMMON, but not really uncommon either. From what I've read, the surgery to repair the port is really quick and recovery is fairly fast, too. No one wants more surgery(unless it's cosmetic to remove excess skin! LOL) but a flipped port repair isn't too awful. If yours was clamped I'm betting it is a REALIZE band? I think the lap bands are sewn in, realize clamped. They both flip, though.

Your thread title says "port flipped" but your post says the BAND flipped. Which is it, please? the port?

Which is the exact opposite! of what most of us (also with skilled experienced surgeons!) have been told. The plot thickens.

The effects are not cumulative. Livers can be ruined beyond recovery by 1 overdose. I'm not exaggerating for dramatic effect, either. I'm shocked you missed the brouhaha about cold medicines containing tylenol and people taking additional tylenol. Just because you got away with it a time or two doesn't mean you're impervious, you know. You can not look when you cross the street and make it a time or two; or (for a more adult analogy) have unprotected sex with a stranger and not get diseases (or a baby depending on age) too...but do you risk that? And I don't know about the ER personnel I only know about me! I wouldn't have let it slide. What good is curing a bone infection only to lose your liver? Hmmm? If you don't think it's really THAT dangerous, google it. And QUIT taking 3 or more at once! Take tylenol and an NSAID if you have to take more pain med, but take then both at recommended doses! Don't make me put you in a time out. It would be for your own good.

You do know that PB ing comes with the band but to do it daily is dangerous and you risk a slip? Maybe you meant you just feel uncomfortable and it goes through; but if you're getting stuck daily and vomiting it back, call your surgeon. You may need a SLIGHT (I mean slight, like .25 of a cc or less) unfill until you master the mechanics a little better. I did that; it was smart of me. I hit good restriction in March 09, during the last 2 months of my senior year of nursing school. To say things were insane is an understatement. That was NOT the time to finally feel restriction! A small unfill; I graduated with band intact, and the day after my last final went and got the unfill replaced, plus a little more. YAY! You don't need to suffer and you don't want to risk your band.

I take big pills but they are potassium and dissolve. First; check with your doc about the motrin. Many say DO NOT take NSAIDS (of which Motrin is one) because they are really harsh on the stomach and you don't want stomach trouble with the band. (you never "WANT" it, but you REALLY don't want it with the band) Secondly if s/he approves, take 4 of the 200 motrins; that way you can take them singly or in pairs.

I am supposed to stop 15 minutes before but since I always have a bottle of water (or later unsweet iced tea) "going", that is often problematic. And I find it REALLY hard at a restaurant where I will drink tea or water before the meal then stop when served. It moves on through the pouch quickly and so doesn't make me too full to not get proper nutrients. I eat the same amount (now about 1 cup) regardless I think it is probably OLD data they are still giving us, like another poster (Julia N) said. IF there's a good reason I want to try to do it. If not, well, we can spread the word, right?

It's a LOT to learn! Just work on making sure you're hydrated; as you heal and move through the food stages it will get easier. Think of how long it takes babies to learn to eat? (peas everythere, etc) at least we don't do THAT (? LOL) but we do have to learn quantities, to chew, how bit a bite, and in some cases what we even CAN eat. So it's easy to get stalled out and confused.

As another poster said, it's chewable! I read about it on here and am happy to pass it on! :laugh: I figured it couldn't work or if it did it would tear up my esohpagus but then found on it doesn't work on living tissue, so I tried it and BAM! relief! And I'm shocked you can't just take your pills. Check with your doc! I didn't take many during liquids (thinks like Vitamins can upset the stomach if there's no food in there) but once I was on mushies I took everything and have since then, over a year now. Each doc is a little different but mine never told me I couldn't. He just said to crush the crushables or get liquid IF pills gave me a problem. :cursing: Thank goodness,

I think it would depend on many factors. If you attend a seminar the surgeon who runs it can advise you!

I don't know but you really need to either NOT indulge for a month or two preop, or tell your surgeon. Why? Because the smoke is hard on your lungs and if you don't tell them, they won't know to handle your anesthesia properly. So Talk to your surgeon about it.

Welcome and good luck! If you want, brace your abdomen/torso with a pillow when you sit/stand, or cough, for example. The counter-pressure helps keep the pain away! :thumbup:

I'd ask the pharmacist. However you may always be able to take it. I can take pills still, without any problem, and I take a BUNCH of big ones.

I agree that you need to stay really really hydrated and see if that does it. If not, then go for the unfill. I know you're busy while working but if you work at it you should be able to work in enough liquids to keep you hydrated. Good luck

20 oz of Fluid isn't nearly adequate and you'll end up dehydrated...possibly over the weekend, and in for a trip to the ER. Do you HAVE to sip? For many of us, fluid flows easily and while you wouldn't want to chug, you can swallow. If you can't; call your surgeon. You'll need immediate intervention. I don't mean to frighten you but dehydration is serious and you don't want it. You've probably been ok so far because of fluids pumped into you during surgery but it won't last. Dehydration can kill an animal (like us!) WAY faster than starvation ever will. We can't go without liquids.

if I did I tossed them. The band is a whole different ball of wax and I refuse to count, way, or measure ever ever again! (play dramatic music here!)

CATHY! is this a typo? You KNOW you aren't supposed to ever more tylenol than the dosing limit; it is extremely hepatotoxic and you can literally ruin your liver by taking too much. I hope you didn't; if you did, don't do it any more! I'm just SURE that you meant "tylenol 3" or something...!!