2muchfun

You may be too tight and could use a small unfill. I'd discuss this with your doctor.

Ditto to Missy except #3. I never really felt too tight till my 6th fill.

Ditto. Once you get banded the reality sinks in(for most of us)and we start to pay closer attention to what we eat, how much we eat, how we eat. Before being banded I was a slob up to the day before surgery.

Yeah, symptoms for me are: Slime(flegm, saliva) discharge, nausea, hard to speak, feels like a golf ball is stuck under my sternum, no drinking or eating till it passes. Takes 15-60 minutes to pass depending on how dry it is, how solid it is or how much I tried to shove down my piehole. tmf

Rice can be difficult for many bandsters to eat. Sometimes it gathers at the stoma and Fluid causes it to swell and rice can be very sticky too. Drinking fluids or eating more food only causes the pouch to stretch since they can't pass the blockage of rice and tuna and the rice absorbs the fluid making it bigger. This is a stuck episode imo which can be very painful or uncomfortable. Tuna is dry and dry foods are also very difficult for many of us. Sounds like the fluoroscope might be the thing you need to get a proper fill. Just be aware of foods that can cause you problems. tmf

Youtube it.

Best thing I've ever done for myself, I'd do it all over again only sooner, no complications, yes it changed my life. I eat better now, I'm healthier, thinner get out more and I like how I fit in my clothes.

Many people need no saline in their band at all so no surprise you only needed 1.5 CCs. Some people have a very thick stomach lining or maybe the doctor placed the band further down the neck of your stomach where it's thicker? Doesn't really matter though. This is a non issue imo. By vomiting, do you mean from your stomach or from your pouch? In other words, did you PB or regurgitate the food or was it a hurling session as if you had stomach flu? Of course, only your doctor could know for sure but a full scale vomit is very hard on the stoma area. The food in your lower stomach is violently forced up through a pen sized hole and it could have caused a suture to tear? The fluoroscope/gastroscope should answer this question? But, it sounds like you had a stuck episode?

"I am 8 days post op and could eat a horse" Once you've healed, try horsemeat. That'll spoil your appetite!

Almost every one of us went through this period called "Bandster Hell". Your band is usually not filled or filled with just a few CC's at time of surgery. This means your stoma(opening between pouch and stomach) is pretty much wide open. food will pass through quite easily and won't give you the satiety needed to avoid hunger. It may take several fills for you to start to feel restriction/satiety. It looks like your doctor is leaning towards fluoroscopy for your fills and that's a good thing. Most of the weight we lose right after surgery is only Water weight. Some may be fat but not much. You probably won't start shedding fat lbs till you begin an exercise program and find enough restriction for the band to do it's magic. Highly unlikely that your band has slipped unless you had a serious hurling/vomiting session or you ate a 16 oz porterhouse? You're normal so far so that's a good thing!

Yeah, the preteen and the beef tar tar are a little creepy but you can keep that snow crap up there, we've had enough moisture here to last till Christmas Eve.

Most of us did not feel any restriction or satiety till we had several fills. For me it was fill 3 that did the trick. I understand the need or the frustration of launching the rocket to your journey only to find it may take a few months? Someone may have told me about this phase before I was banded but I may have had my rose colored glasses on and thought I'd be the exception. It's all good now though.

Picture = TMI Try some egg drop Soup. It's really just broth with an egg blended in and is very satisfying.

I sure understand you're concern/frustration. I lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks and then 0 lbs the next 3.5 months. So, 4 months in I was not succeeding. I went in for my 3rd fill and a consult with my nutritionist. She helped so much. I was able to whittle 300 calories out of my diet and the 3rd fill gave me the satiety/restriction I needed to avoid those hunger head demons. Don't give up. It's still out there. You may have to be a little more assertive with your clinic. Ask to speak to the doctor or the CEO/Clinic Director. Bypass the small people who can sometimes be petty little despots and impede your journey. Good Luck. tmf

17 lbs is incredible. That's about 3 lbs a week.

Hazel hit it on the head. My doc said they don't like us to drink coffee because of the acidity but so many of us over-indulge or go after some food/beverages to the extreme. He told me that if I only drink one or two cups a day, that's fine and that's me. I only drink one cup in the morning so I'm cleared to drink coffee.

Yes, this may not be the place for you if you're offended by honest speech. I read those comments and no where did anyone say anything rude or derogatory. Some of us post quite a bit and rather than sugar coat our comments with silly words like, you poor baby, that's too bad or emoticons with smiley faces, we just say what should be said. It's up to you to attempt to read between the lines if you are inclined to do so? I would suggest you reconsider your decision as this is the best forum to ask and receive honest opinions from bandsters who are walking the walk. It will be your loss. This is what we would call a lose/lose proposition. We can learn from you sometime in the future when you are an experienced Bandster. So I urge you to stay and make this a win/win for all of us? tmf

33 lbs is incredible. Why question success?

Bread? That's funny. I can't eat the crust but the doughy part is fine. More proof of how individual we all are!

Getting stuck in the morning for me but it's so worth it. Drinking fluids when eating are an individual choice. imo B-52 said it well. Some of us it's just fine but others it won't work. If you're not losing weight and feel hungry shortly after a meal, stop drinking. The new information is in this link for drinking while eating but be aware of your body and your band and how this affects your own satiety and eating habits?

Thank you so much for the link. My wife is interviewing for jobs and obviously this can help.

I doubt you can feel your band. It's deep inside your chest. I agree with the poster who said you probably are still feeling the gas. It's too soon to be concerned about flexibility. Recovering from major surgery like this can take up to 6 weeks. tmf

Honeycrisp apples are back in season. I went about 4 months without them and it was difficult to replace them as my afternoon snack.

I can eat anything as long as I eat small, chew big and take my time. It's when I don't follow those rules that I get into trouble.

Each of our bodies mechanism for illness are different. Mine always tells me to eat. My wife stops eating when she's ill. I'm not sure it's an environmental thing or is it genetic/mental? I agree with the soup part. Maybe it's because my mom shoveled Campbell's chicken noodle soup down my piehole every time I got sick but it seems to make me feel better? Feel better? Hmmm? Falling back on old traditions are hard habits to break? Of course, going on vacation for most of us is an open invitation to over-indulge? So, wait till you return and give it a week to expunge all the toxins you may consume and then evaluate? jmo tmf