2muchfun

I never went through the liver shrinkage routine and if you've lost weight you may not have to either. I think patients who have gained back much of their weight might have to follow the pre-op diet if that's the doctors usual routine?

I can eat steak but I rarely do. I do eat hamburger but mostly mixed with salsa or brown rice. I made up some stuffed peppers that each have about 2 ozs of very lean humburger in them so I get that red meat flavor but it's close to a slider food since it's got a little parmesan and marinara sauce mixed with it.

Doubt the slip. Most likely just an exaggerated display of "Bandster Hell".

A significant stuck episode can strain the pouch and cause some swelling in the band area so you might be feeling the edema from some minor damage. You might want to go to liquids, Soups, broth until the swelling goes down? tmf

I don't think it's the fat they're concerned with? It's that your body stores a lot of water if you're eating lots of carbs and fatty foods. They want the liver to shred the excess fluids the liver is retaining.

I don't get it?

Missy, why don't you provide her with that Dr Simpson link? Here's some helpful video's for Whitney and a link to a bariatrics manual. But you really should see a nutritionist? Why did you not go back to your doctor? I've never heard of a doc who just did surgery and let you loose with no guidance? Can't you go back to him and ask for help? Try this: http://www.peachtreebariatrics.com/docs/Gastric-Band-Patient-Manual.pdf And these videos: Part 1 part 2 Part 3 Part 4

What you are feeling is one of the signals you need to watch for. This is the signal you've eaten too quickly, too much or too big. Slow down and let the band work it's magic. Learning to eat the right way with the band is one of the hardest for obese people to conquer. Years of gorging, eating fast and not chewing can take another lifetime to unlearn. Take small bites, put your fork down and chew chew chew. Swallow, then pick up your fork again to start the process all over again. BTW-This feeling is also a signal to stop, put your fork down, package up the remainder or your food and wait till your next meal to eat again. tmf

I once belonged to weight watchers and left only because I was the only guy and got tired of watching Oprah videos But I think it's good to lean on WW as a nutrition tool. It's a great reminder that we sometimes don't eat as healthy as we should. I know each visit with my nut is about $50 so WW is a bargain. Just keep in mind that for the tool to work properly we should eat our Protein first. And I know back when I used to go to WW, processed foods weren't crossed off the list as much as they are now. Processed flour, sugar & meats should be avoided in favor of fresh fruit, veggies and meats. imo tmf

One more thing. Very few of us can eat a bagel without some difficulty. Very very small bites with breads, especially soft doughy bagel type breads. Dry meats are always an issue unless, you take very small bites. Adding more Fluid to your band doesn't seem like a logical step to me but that's for your doc to decide? tmf

You might want to venture over to the http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/ site and ask the question? You won't find any sleevers revising to band but you will find some bandsters who revised to the sleeve. I would imagine some may not have nice things to say about the band as some people cannot adapt to the banded life. It is a lot of work and requires a lot of discipline. But lurking on both sites would be recommended if you're up in the air over which one to choose. tmf

^5

If you come here early this month there are some support groups you can tap into for support or help? Parker is a ways away for me to help you. Who is your surgeon and who is your nutritionist? BTW-You most likely won't need a nurse and definitely not a clinic to help you post surgery. It would be nice for the first 24-48 hours to have a friend bring you Water, broth etc but this surgery is not debilitating enough to require a full time nursemaid. Local support group agenda for Feb from Mark Elliot elliotmark100@gmail.com Hello everyone! Thanks everyone who listened to my plea for acting on Pants Across SkyRidge! What a success it was and congrats to the 4 make over winners....Mary, Michelle, Lisa and Richard! You all looked amazing! Reminder...I no longer run the Swedish Hospital support group. They decided to keep it "in house. It is hard to not get the chance to tell some of you goodbye. You are all welcome to come to Sky Ridge or North Suburban Medical Center or St. Joes group! Feb 7th (remember it is moved up one week) SKYRIDGE MEDICAL CENTER ....topic...show and tell....bring your favorite food product that helps you to stay on track. Feb 11th TENTATIVE START DATE FOR St. Joes group 6pm to 730 pm...room to be announced! Topic...bring your favorite food product that helps you stay on track! Feb 20th NORTH SUBURBAN MEDICAL CENTER 6pm to 730 pm Aspen room in basement. Topic...bring your favorite food product to show the group. Bring the healthy food that helps you stay on track! Hope to see ALL of you this month and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

I see posts like yours every week. If you can eat soft foods and don't throw up, you should also be able to eat solids too. I say this because, if you eat slowly, eat very small and chew very much, the food becomes a soft food by the time it reaches your pouch. It's mush and not much different than soup, or oatmeal. If you can make a big effort to eat this way, see if it might solve the problem. A visit with your doc and nut is the first or next step. A small unfill might be necessary but it's difficult to wrap my mind around your band getting tighter all on it's own? A slip is always a possibility and your doc will know? But, before you go in, try the small eats, big chews and slow down? tmf

You seem to be stuck. Just walk around and let gravity do it's job. Raise your arms above your head a few times too. Rethink taking those meds all at once or find smaller meds to take? I have to break some of mine in half. If it continues and you can't drink fluids, call your doc in the morning tmf

Which hospital?

I'd add creme brulee' to the list of forbidden foods

It will vary from patient to patient. If you have the want power you can make it happen. It's all about finding that spark that makes you want to feel good, feel healthier and look good too. No one but you will know what's in your heart and mind? My advice would be to not put a lot of pressure on yourself until you can completely commit to it. Otherwise extenuating circumstances like school, illness, stress from family issues will cloud your judgement. If you can't commit to going 100% then maybe go 75% and try to maintain your current weight till you can really hit it. I'm speaking from personal experience now. tmf

If you are on a PC, go to the upper right hand side of this page and click on the arrow beside your name. Click on my profile and then click on edit my profile. If you access from an IPad or Iphone good luck. tmf

I have a few glasses of beer or wine every week. It's empty calories but I'm in this for the long haul so if it takes me a few months longer to get to my goal, I'm OK with it. You should run it by your doctor of course. Here's what one doc says:

64 going on 65 here. There are many of us old geezers on the forum. tmf

BTW-25 lbs in less than 5 months is still good. I only lost 12 lbs the first 4 months. Then maybe 20 by 5 months. Don't compare yourself to some of the other bandsters who lose 50 lbs in 3 months. tmf

The short answer is no, you won't feel restriction with every bite or even most bites. If you chew properly every bite should pass through the stoma without you even feeling or knowing it. You need to read the link Missy gave you? It's not about feeling restriction, it's about not being hungry any longer. Being satisfied with what you've eaten is what you should be seeking. Feeling restriction simply means that occasionally you will have short stuck episodes. This is a signal that your band is there. Take a large bite, don't chew or eat too fast and you'll find out if your pouch is dilated. If you have a habit of overeating and ignore the stuck signals, you can dilate your pouch. But it's rare. BTW-Please fill in your profile so we can know and advise you better. tmf

Welcome to "Bandster Hell"! This is the stage that can go on until you get a fill that gives you some restrictioin. Like others have said, your band is wide open and at this point you can eat most anything you want within reason. However, your band was sutured into the lining of your stomach and stretching it or having a stuck episode could compromise the good work your surgeon has done. I don't think you comprehend how the band works. Dr. Paul O'Brien has 4 videos on how the band works. Here are the links and I urge you to watch each one thoroughly so you understand the why's of the band: Part 1 part 2 Part 3 Part 4

That would be a question for your doctor? A rational answer would be "as tolerated" at this point. Don't expect weight loss until you start getting fills. tmf