RestlessMonkey

May I reiterate here that it is very important to do as your own doc tells you, and not what you read here? Surgeons are different; different educations, different styles, different skills, different experiences, different outcomes, different client bases. Patients are different, too. Just like you shouldn't treat your sinus headache with your neighbor's migraine medicine, you shouldn't do someone else's post op (or pre op) diet. Do what your surgeon tells you. All this "anecdotal evidence" is interesting in it's variety; but it doesn't pertain. Each one of us needs to do what WE are prescribed by OUR doc.

Then the only thing that will help is just getting through it!

HH It would be best if you just walk away and start a new life someplace else.

I really do hope it works out for you; maybe they'll find something like a hernia or something that is fixable and not band related. I don't remember how old you are (if you posted it) but I know as we get older, "life" happens and some things just go wrong (like the gall bladder; that's common with good weight loss. THe other issue with the tubing isn't so common!) Is there any way you can go to Nevada and your original doc (if you trust him and think he could pin point things for you?)

Thanks for taking the time to explain your situation; I asked because I hoped I could help but it sounds like, short of changing your insurance and giving you access to another surgeon and a 2nd opinion, not much will help you right now! You probably know, then, that your best recourse is to contact your insurance company and if it's a medical necessity, make sure they'll pay to have your band removed, and get your "dispensation" to have that done. It isn't for everyone; I'm sorry the experience wasn't what you'd expected or could even live with, but we have pain for a reason and you are right; living in constant pain is no way to be, especially if you can help it. Good luck!

I honestly think it's different for everyone. For example for me something like a bean burrito is a slider, but for others it's not because of the tortilla. Same with cheese enchiladas...for me a slider. Crackers are sliders for me. Cheese is a slider. Peanut Butter is a slider. Pie is a slider as are all Soups. And yes I have really great restriction, so it's not that. I think you'll just have to see what goes down "too easy" for you and generally avoid it.

Why thank you KC. But you're still a Beotch!

Have you picked a surgeon, have a date etc yet? Or are you still in the "info gathering" stage?

Oh and KC you are a beotch. Own it, woman. Own it.

Look I have the hots for Tim Curry in drag, thanks to that darn Beth. I don't care anymore about all your petty problems. !!!!

May I suggest that you call your coordinator (the one you called when you cheated on the preop diet; she sounded nice and helpful) and see if she thinks you need to be checked out or not? Have you lined up local aftercare or do you plan to return to Mexico for your fills? If you have local aftercare available, call and ask. IF not, call your coordinator. Odds are you're ok but you should get it checked out; that's the medically prudent thing to do. And if you're in doubt about what you can/can't eat, all the more reason to call and get some direction. If there's one thing many of us bandsters learn, it's that the aftercare is almost more important than getting the band itself. You need to have a physician you can go to if you have questions, problems, pains and what not. So stick to your post op diet, but do some phone calls tomorrow and get peace of mind, or get a test (or two) scheduled; whatever your local doc or banding doc thinks may be needed. Having lasagna, even pureed, day 3 is pretty soon for most of us....but your surgeon can tell you if it was too soon for you, or not. Don't feel bad about being hungry; many of us are. Just realize that it's more important right now to let yourself heal than to eat. And make those calls tomorrow, make sure you're ok. You don't want a slip in 9 months or so because you blew this off.

Mike, welcome and best of luck to you! I love my band, and hope you are as pleased with yours!

My doc (bless his conservative soul!) wants all his patients who live more than an hour away (and even though I'm in the same city, depending on traffic it can be more than an hour to go that 14 miles! LOL) to spend a week in town, just to make sure all is ok. Very few last the week because they feel better and go home, but there are many reasons to not travel that soon post op. People do, of course. That's why the surgeon can help head off any foreseeable trouble (like clots)...so the surgeon is the best one to ask.

I only know about me...and as we ALL know I "cheated" preop by doing my own thing (and paid the price...no band the first time) so I'm a convert. I learned the hard way. And I know I'm pretty bright, medically inclined, not prone to shooting myself in foot or stabbing myself in the eye with a fork etc...and still I cheated. I think it's partly "diet" mentality. I think lots of us don't realize it's REALLY important. You eat a french fry or two while you're on WW, it won't hurt. You eat it too soon post op and you could be in deep trouble. I don't think it's usually a willful disregard, just kind of the nature of the beast. Even after all that I was going to have some refried Beans during full liquids; my husband talked me out of it by reminding me that I was healing etc. Hunger sucks. We don't like to be hungry and it's a human drive to EAT when you are hungry. That isn't lightly bypassed. I think docs need to stress how important it is and again, how different it is from what we are used to as "diet". Some don't give a rip, I'm sure, and will do what they want, but I really think most people want to do the right thing and just don't realize how harmful "cheating" on the pre- and post-op diets can really be.

Eating "food" causes the stomach to churn. Period. Google it if you doubt. Surgeons have different post op diets. Why? Different surgeons have different educations, different skill levels, different clients, different experiences. IF your doc says "puree lasagna on day 3 with chicken broth, have for dinner" then you are good to do that. IF you are on a clear liquid diet, you had better NOT do that. Telling a person "oh well it was ok you did that" is dangerous if it isn't approved by the surgeon. It's like a spin of the roulette wheel, but your health is riding on the outcome, rather than your gaming chip. We're most of us hungry (starved ravenous) post op. And many of us think cheating on a diet is almost a way of life (I know I felt that way) I think docs don't educate properly and really should call any post op diet a "Post op prescription for recovery" or some such, not a diet. Eating before your surgeon (not your BFF's surgeon, or another poster's surgeon, or your ex-husband's current wife's surgeon) gives you the go ahead is dangerous. Lotusflwr should tell her surgeon what she did and let him/her decide if it was OK or not. Maybe. May not be. It's not up to us. You'd tell your surgeon if you ran a high fever, had redness and swelling, had pain, wouldn't you? You need to tell you ate way ahead of when you were approved to. Support is wonderful. I personally wouldn't want a friend to just shine me on. If I'm headed off a cliff, a good friend would say "HOLD IT THERE!" Not just wave and smile. Sometimes kindness is saying the hard stuff. You may or may not like Beth's style, but her motivation was education, and her intent was as kind, or perhaps even more kind, than those of you who say "oh you'll be fine" Because you don't really KNOW that. It's just easier for you to take the path of least resistance and post what you think she'd want to hear, rather than the facts. Facts are...her doc needs to assess it.

Are you ill with symptoms you feel are band related, or do you just feel the band isn't helping you? Honestly I know the band isn't for everyone and as Nanook correctly said, it can be removed and many insurance companies will pay if there is a medical necessity. HOWEVER, may I ask if you have been getting adequate follow-up care? If you don't have a physician or surgeon who specializes in the band, but also don't have symptoms of erosion/slippage/etc, it's possible you just need an attitude adjustment and a band adjustment. I don't mean to negate your fears, just offer another opinion/side of things. The band requries aftercare, no doubt about that, and it sounds like you haven't really had that, at least for a while. Odds are you'll regain what you lost if you have it removed (sad but true) I don't "know" you, your story, your situation, so I don't mean to be presumptuous. But something convinced you 3 1/2 years ago, that the band was for you. Since then you lost your specialized care and any impetus to use the tool you have. Slips and erosion are possiblities but most of us don't go day to day fearing that. I know, though, my good doc is a phone call or a short car ride away. It's possible a good bariatric surgeon could help you. At the worst, a good bariatric surgeon can help you see if insurance will pay for your band removal.

As long as you are getting adequate hydration (64oz of water in) you need to call your surgeon and ask.

Are you scared of anything in particular, or just generalized anxiety? Have you had surgery before? Are you afraid you won't be able to follow the "band rules"?

Theoretically a person could get banded and never "sliime" or "PB". In reality, it is very very rare; even the most careful of us often have a moment where we forget, or we are tighter than we thought, or something else happens and it comes UP. I will tell you this: I had horrible visions of vomiting up onto my plate at a restaurant etc, it's not like that. (Not that that can't happen but it too is really rare LOL) It isn't fun, I'll say that for it! And man, you really pay attention (at least for a while!) afterward! My husband and I used to often eat in front of the tv (for shame, I know LOL) After I got restriction we started eating at the table (gasp!) and I realized that I was getting involved conversing with him and not chewing. So...the table made me PB! LOL ok not really. It's just easy to get distracted; you think you have it down and bammo! back to the drawing board. It's a process.

Check with your gynecologist. Usually weight loss makes you more regular, not less so...especially since you're almost a week late (confirm you counted correctly, of course!) Were you perhaps on the pill or some other hormone type contraceptive that you discontinued before the surgery?

No they don't have to be chewable. I take ALL my meds, in pill/capsule/tablet form, have great restriction, and no problems. My potassium is bigger than a horse pill! LOL Follow your doc's advice if in doubt...(some do have a size limit, like "size of an M & M" for example) and some say "do what works for you". As for time involved; it depends on if I'm in a rush or not. I take about 20 pills a day (many of them supplements) and I split them up am and pm. I can take them in about 30 seconds (one at a time) up to 5 minutes (if I'm malingering) I have found, though, that I need to take my potassium 2 hours after I eat or it hurts my stomach.

Do what YOUR DOC and nutritionist tell you, not what you read on here. And if you are in doubt..CALL them and ask (that's why they get the big bucks!) Each doc and each patient and each pre- and post-op diet vary...sometimes widely. Don't follow anecdotal evidence on here...your health is too important.

Sliming and PBing are almost always caused by operator error...either you ate too fast, didn't chew as well as you thought, or took too large a bite (or a combo of all 3) I know it took me a while to really get into the rhythm of chewing well...I THOUGHT I was but wasn't. And unless you're well filled/restricted, odds are you aren't too tight (which can also cause a PB and/or slime). If you had the meal for lunch and didn't get a good amt of Water in that could be a culprit. And lastly...I can't eat and drink at the same time. That includes soup. It's possible that your turkey was doing it's thing, clogged the stoma, and the soup swelled your pouch and hurt. Don't really know, of course! Just watch it, and no soup with "food" for a while. Make it an either/or propostion (soup is usually considered not a good meal because it goes on through the stoma usually...no feeling of satiety)

Yes, coffee and tea can have a "diuretic effect"...not for this chickie! I think caffeine is one of those buzz words (oh ha ha LOL) that is in/out/in/out I can go without it (and have) for weeks on end with no ill effects. no headache, not meaner than normal, etc. OR I can drink a gallon of tea a day with no ill effects. I think it doesn't impact some of us. I just like it, and I'm glad I can (and do) keep drinking my tea! And I had to laugh. I agree that caffeine is apparently one of the few things on earth that didn't make me hungry...or should I say, hungrier?

I agree; it's manipulative and controlling at worst. At best it's a sign of insecurity and foolishness. Either way it would be a big old RED LIGHT for me and I think the OP did the right thing! The guy needs therapy to deal with whatever issues caused his outbreak; I bet he won't get it though.