RestlessMonkey

I can eat anything (thank you, Dr. Cavazos!) but I have found that if I choose more dense foods like steak or chicken breast, or part of a hot dog (with bun), burger, or something like chick fil A (can only eat about 1/3 of chick fil a...don't use mayo yucko) they keep me full for a good 6 hours. I can eat about 2 oz of steak, never weighed the chicken. Foods that are softer go through more quickly and I get hungry faster.

Call your doc. It could be several things but even if it's very minor (which is likely) you need to treat it ASAP or it can become major (heartburn will cause erosion in your esophagus over time). So call first thing Monday and get checked out.

By now this has probably resolved! I hope it worked out for you. I can give you some things I've learned to do on the rare occasions I get stuck (because I HATE it! so I chew like it was my last bite of food! LOL) 1. Papaya Enzyme aids in digestion of Protein. I found some at the local grocer and sometimes it does the trick. 2. Some people take a sip or two of Water...which, when you are stuck, usually comes RIGHT BACK UP and often brings the offending food with it. Some people do a yoga position called down facing dog or something like that (sorry i don't remember the exact name but if you are a yoga fan that will probably be enough for you to figure it out...if not, doesn't matter!) Good luck! OH and realize after a bad incident you MAY think you're stuck but just be sore. My doc recommends after a bad "PB" to go on fluids for a meal or two and let things settle down (and see how you feel).

Since you always had good portion control (which is the point of the band) I'm shocked the doctor didn't steer you in a different direction than the band...since it's just one option for weight loss. However...this sounds like something you should discuss with the nutritionist. Do a food diary and s/he should be able to help you, and can refer you for tests if your bowel issues strike him/her as odd. Good luck!

He needs to check back in with his surgeon. Tell him if the surgeon says he's ok you'll get off his back...that you love him and want him around for a LONG time. Because yes, he shouldn't be that tight, or it may be something simple like he eats too large a bite or doesn't chew well. He's done well...so praise him and try to make it more like a bargain than a threat (although you know him best!) Good luck!

The two biggest things MY husband did for me, both preop and post op: 1. He believed in me, even though I've dieted and gained about a million times (I weighed 150 when we were married in 1985) 2. He did NOT eat around me while I was on liquids only. Period. My moods didn't swing but I was so darned happy to have the band (FINALLY!) it would've taken flood, fire and grim death to harsh my buzz any. She's lucky to have you; I'm sure she'll do fine with support like you at home!

If your surgeon AND the anesthesiologist act like it's not a big deal, it probably isn't. As my Granny used to say, don't borrow trouble. Start your preop diet and get the cardiac clearance. Good luck!

Yep! I do! in fact, right now I'm doing a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and protein and some veggies for dinner (with my banding surgeon's blessing and close oversight) and it is WONDERFUL! I actually go for HOURS without even thinking about food and let me tell you, I'm 54 and this is the first time in my long life that I've done that consistently for days on end. It is simply wonderful.

Go to the doc who's been doing your fills and have him check you out. You may have a slip or erosion OR it may be something minor that, if treated promptly, won't give you any long term issues.

AND...the throwing up you are doing is referred to on here as "PBing" (P B for productive burp) which happens usually when we don't chew well, or take too large a bite, or overfill our pouches by overeating. The bite of food can't go through the band (either because it isn't chewed, is too large, or your pouch is already full) and it has to go somewhere. Most of us spit it back up, or "PB". Usually that is accompanied by a bit of mucous (called "slime" on this board) which is our body's way of trying to lubricate the offending food to move it OUT of there. While PB isn't like vomiting (no stomach acid or bile is involved) it isn't good to do it a lot because it can mess with your band over time. Check to make sure you are chewing very very well and taking small bites of food. For many of us, drinking while we eat can also cause that "too full" sensation and a PB, so either for that reason or because of some body of data that indicates drinking while eating can wash food through (and negate the band) most of us are told to refrain from drinking for up to 1 hour (time varies) or MORE after meals. If I were you I really would use the guide lines on the official lap band web site.

Please understand then when I say this because I TRULY mean it kindly. We all have to learn! Maybe you should get a book or two on lap banding (half price books probably has some; I went on amazon.com and bought a couple that were highly rated) since your surgeon (no seminar? no education on how the band works?) has not helped you through this. It's a medical device that, for good or ill, is IN you until/unless you have it removed so a little research on your part will help fill in the gaps obvbiously left by your surgeon. When I said "hitting restriction" I'm referring to the action of tightening the band with saline via our ports. My band was placed with only some "primer" in it and my surgeon has slowly over the months added a little at a time until on May 7 that "fill" or adding of the saline brought my cumulative total to a point where I have restrictions on what and how much I can eat, and how long I stay full. Prior to that, although I ate LESS than preband, I could and did eat too much for sustained weight loss. Once my band was tight enough to sufficiently delay the emptying of food from my upper to my lower pouch (hitting "restriction" as I called it) my weight loss has skyrocketed, and my appetite has plummeted. I now eat a very small amount of food and am satisfied and not hungry for about 6 hours. Prior to hitting that "spot" I was hungry much earlier and ate more. THAT "hitting restriction" as I called it is also called "The sweet spot" by some. My doc's office has a poster that calls it "the green zone". If I may quote directly from that poster "Not hungry. Good weight loss. Portion Control. Patient satisfaction". I didn't have that prior to this last fill. I was still in the "yellow zone"..."hungry between meals, eating large portions, not losing weight". Since your doc won't educate you, while we will certainly help you here, you are safest to do some independent research (like going to the lap band web site if that is the type of band you have, and maybe reading some books...even a library should have some) so you'll be informed and able to use your tool (and watch for problems!) for years to come.

Scout I'm a little confused...because I'm sure you know what restriction is...it's what makes the band work. Is it just the way I phrased it that is confusing? I don't mind explaining myself but what I think you're asking (about restriction) is really basic band knowledge...so I want to make sure I'm answering what you are asking! :thumbdown:

Slider foods are things that aren't really slowed down by the band (unless you are SUPER tight)...things like yogurt, ice cream, cookies, candy, chips (although some have trouble with chips, for most they crunch up and go down VERY easy) Cheese enchiladas...things that rarely get stuck and go on through. Notice many of them are not necessarily good IF you are trying to lose weight! Mushies, soups, soft foods (from your post op diet) are all slider.

I don't know the doc you are referring to, but at 53, 5'5" and 405, I got the band and am doing fine so no, you aren't too large to get it! Good luck!

KartMan...would voodoo curse explain it? Because otherwise I'm at a loss. I too am a scalaholic and in fact can ALMOST judge how much weight I am peeing out (yes proud of that! LOL) Odd, Dude. Really odd.

Did your doc give you the green light to eat and drink at the same time? They are all different but that one is almost a constant. Honestly at my current restriction, when I eat steak, if I drink it HURTS. Really really hurts. If I eat slider food it doesn't matter. I've heard that drinking with meals is very bad for many reasons...easy to stretch your pouch, will wash food through more quickly and therefore negate the "prolonged full" feeling the band provides, etc. Bottom line on this is follow your doc's orders. As I say, if I'm making good choices I personally can not drink and eat. (and again remember I'm lucky...I haven't found anything, including white bread and fiberous veggies, that I can't eat). Sounds like you need to quiz your doc on some of this...get his take on things!

I don't know if it's true for everyone, but for me...the secret is WHAT I choose to eat. I have great restriction, I think. I can still eat anything. If I choose something fairly dense, like a steak...or part of a chick fil a (for example) then a very small amount, well chewed, fills me up very quickly and KEEPS me full for about 5-6 hours. If I choose foods less dense...green Beans, chicken thighs, baked fish (for example!) or things like bean burritos, cheese enchiladas, etc (sliders) then I can eat more and stay full for much less time. So for me it isn't JUST restriction. I guess I could get so tight that even things like baked fish lasted 6 hours but I don't WANT to be that tight. I want to occasionally have 1/3 of a chick fil a (About all i can eat now, if I chew it REALLY REALLY well!). It's easier for me to choose the more dense foods because I've found out something great. I don't ever eat thinking "I want to be hungry again in 2 hours" LOL So I seek out the more filling, long lasting foods, just without thinking about it. I'll think: Yeah, I could have some Soup and reduced fat cheezits for lunch, but then I'll just get HUNGRY before supper. Shocking but true. I was amazed to catch myself doing that. So experiment with WHAT you eat...see if that doesn't make a difference for you. Like I said I don't know if this is just me (we're all different) or if it will work for you too.

Call your doc. Seriously if you are vomiting bile (which, if you are bringing stuff up from your lower stomach, there will be bile/stomach acid) you need to call your doc pronto.

There's also a difference in interest, and in what we absorb. As MissBS said, some things slip through. Also, I know from my so far limited experience in Medicine that some people, like me, are the "Tell me every single detail" type, and some are the "Just fix it" type. Both are ok....neither is "wrong". We just all have different styles. I think some people are just focused on getting the band, "fixing" the weight, and don't actually pick up on all the rest. That's why I think regardless of which type you are, call your surgeon. IF you don't get good answers from your surgeon and/or his/her staff....GET ANOTHER DOC! They are the pros...regardless of what type "we" are, they are the ones who are supposed to have the correct answers. :thumbup: But yes it staggers me a little, some of the questions I see on here. NOT because I think the people asking are dumb, or don't care, or didn't listen, but because sometimes it seems basic data does not get handed down, and to me that's just scary.

Ask your insurance what they will accept as proof. It may be that you are out of luck, they may accept affidavits etc. Good luck.

Depends on what type of tricare you have, actually. I have Tricare Standard and did NOT need a PCP/PCM referral. I did, however, have to choose a surgeon working out of a "Center of Excellence". They have a staff member there who filed all the paperwork and I was approved in 2 days. You may want to call tricare and find out what requirements apply to you with your coverage.

When were you banded?

I'm glad you went! So, you'll probably lose a little better (if you want to) by eating things that fill you up with smaller quantities, like the chicken breast for example. I don't know why you threw up eggs but they supposedly give some people trouble. Just make sure you take small bites and chew well! And of course if you want to keep things like yogurt etc in your diet that's your prerogative and part of the beauty of the band. Personally they tend to just make me hungry but we're all different! I find 2 ounces or so of a good steak will hold me literally for 6 hours, whereas if I eat something softer like, say, a bean burrito? I'm starved in about 3. Since right now I really want to lose, I'm choosing the more dense meats and poultries, but again, that doesn't work for everyone. I'm sure you'll find the way that works best for you; you're trying and that's the most important part! :thumbup:

Actually I kind of think being hungry immediately after is what is more rare, although neither hungry or not is abnormal. As contemplating stated, "there is little that is normal amongst all of us bandsters". So true!

Mine isn't flipped but it's tilted slightly. According to my surgeon, it isn't that rare. And no I'd never have known it was tilted if he hadn't told me it was.