2muchfun

As you progress through the months ahead, and your band gets tightened, it's very easy to get distracted and eat too fast or take too big of a bite or forget to chew properly. I wouldn't make it a habit of eating distracted. Later on it could result in some serious stuck episodes. They're not terribly painful, mostly terribly uncomfortable till it passes. All it takes is one knee jerk reaction to a situation like a baby/child falling or playing with sharp objects for you to swallow whatever is in your mouth. It's just natural but we don't have natural stomachs any longer. jmo

Your esophagus goes directly down the middle but your stomach does wander to the left. What do you mean a partial blockage? I've never heard of anyone with a partial stuck episode? You're either stuck or not stuck and most all stuck episodes go away in less than an hour. Is the pain near your sternum/diaphragm area or under your breast? Not that anyone here can diagnose your concern? Better see a doctor? If you've got a stomach ulcer you could have some band erosion which is very serious. Or, your stomach has prolapsed through the band and is like a balloon near your left lung? Only a Dr could know?

Welcome and keep posting your progress. Others can learn from your early experiences. And I agree with Catfish.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lucky you. It took 4 months before I felt like you. But I caught up fast. Keep up the good attitude

I can see and feel my port but the only time it's a problem is if I'm leaning on something hard and it's up against my port. Otherwise, it's no problem. Don't think the band will make it so you're not hungry any more. It only works when you follow the rules and work hard. If you're looking for a magic pill or surgery that eliminates all hunger, I don't think it exists yet. Some people find that gastric bypass takes away all their hunger but it's a big price to pay and you must be totally aware of what you're doing and make a total commitment. Might be hard with so many urchins running around? tmf

Most likely it's inflammation. Cold Icy drinks like slushies might help with the swelling and they go down easy too. I agree with justwatchme, rest your band. But it does sound like you're struggling to eat like a Bandster. Eating too fast, taking large bites and not chewing to a mush or creamy Soup consistency can cause food to back up into your esophagus. This can be painful to uncomfortable. It's not like you're getting stuck each time, you're food is not thin enough to pass through the stoma so when you continue eating, food will stack up and your esophagus will produce saliva/phlegm which only causes more discomfort. We call it slime here btw. Slow down, small bites and chew chew. tmf

Along the same lines as the post above, I sometimes will enjoy a bag of beef Jerky. It's full of Protein and satisfying. I like the 1 oz bags cuz I can eat one bag and not be tempted to go back for 2nds or 3rds.

I can't recall ever feeling my band in any other way than when I eat too fast or don't chew enough. Even then I don't feel the band, it's food backing up into my esophagus followed by excess slime.

I had that same feeling about 20 mins ago but I looked in the pantry and fridge and found nothing. Not having it around is what works best for me. 5 minutes of scouring for some junk food is usually long enough for my band mind to kick in and dissuade me from making a mistake. Usually!

You're going to find as you progress that there's a lot they don't tell you. They're all too busy it seems like? Really, people who have had the surgery can tell you more than most doctors or nurses. But if you ever have pain or feel like something's wrong, rely on your doctor.

First, it takes months or for some of us, years, to learn how to eat small, slow and chew big. Second and most important, your band is sewn into your stomach with about 6 sutures. They pull your stomach from the south side up and over the band and suture it into place just below the lower esophageal sphincter. If you eat solid food and it gets stuck you can cause those sutures to tear away. You may cause yourself to violently throw-up, tearing those sutures away. Then, it's back into surgery to repair your mistake? Following rules is imperative for we banders. Better start now or you may never start? Don't mean to be pissy but don't ruin your surgeons good work? And give yourself a chance to make this last ditch effort be the last effort you made to live a healthy lifestyle. Immodium helps with the diarrhea.

I don't enjoy food as much as before and that's OK with me. I still get stuck several times a week. Mostly right after the first two bites. I've always had a problem jumping on food real fast and haven't beat the habit yet. It took me a good year to figure out how to eat slow and small and chew big. It's all OK with me. Being healthy is so much more important than food now.

Good that you're staying positive. I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then the fat started to melt off. Welcome and please keep posting.

Yeah, 70/30 for me too. 70% is the band. I can't tell you why I couldn't eat healthier before the band but somehow the band b-slapped me into reality. I got it. I live it most of the time. But it's a hard lesson and some patients never get it and some get it initially but fall of the bandwagon as time goes by. It really is hard to unlearn many years of gluttony. tmf

TheProfessor Keep in mind the 5 Day Pouch Test was designed for folks who had bypass surgery. It's a good way to kick start your way back to feeling your band pouch. We really don't have much in the way of a pouch. Maybe two tablespoons at the most. Bypass folks can hold up to 4 ozs of food but we can't unless we've dilated our pouch.

Google pain in the upper left side of body and you'll find that it may be pancreatitis? Don't know if it's related to the fill but could be just a coincidence? Make a visit to your PCP asap?

Good job, just keep your eyes on healthy foods and the lbs will continue to melt away! tmf

Carrying around an extra 50 lbs of fat has to be worse than 50 lbs of muscle, but like said before, it's extra work for the organs of anyone who is carrying more weight than necessary. I'd rather look like the Rock than Billy Gardell though ;o)

45-60 mins is my normal time frame if I'm stuck on something like chicken. Softer and grainier foods maybe 20 minutes. This may not be a popular opinion but it's mine. If I'm going out for a meal or at someone's house, I'll sip Water with my food or I'll cover it with gravy, sauces or salsa to help it slide through. And, of course, I'll chew meats or Pasta to a cream Soup like consistency. But I still can get stuck. That's why I might follow a bite/swallow with some liquid like water or wine, I like to use cold liquids because I can feel it pass though the stoma into my lower stomach. Then I know food isn't backing up into my esophagus. Most of us don't eat out all that much so why ruin the moment or evening with a big stuck episode or spending 30 minutes in the bathroom spitting up slime and food chunks? tmf

They pump you full of saline and fill your body cavity with gas. It can take up to month before you feel somewhat normal but I'd guess 2 weeks is avg.

LOL!! I remember being able to clip my own toenails about 6 months after surgery without nearly passing out from holding my breath. Good job!

Like Meggs said, you're band may not be filled at all or just a few CCs? It can be easy to eat just as you did before but the downside is you haven't learned how to eat like a Bandster yet and probably won't for several months? If you swallow a big chunk of beef or chicken you may get stuck. Your sutures have not quite healed yet and you could jeopardize tearing them away. During surgery your stomach is pulled up and over the band and held in place with 5-6 sutures so that it doesn't migrate. Getting stuck this early could cause a slip requiring more surgery. Try to obey the rules so that you stay safe? And what you're feeling is very normal. tmf

My experience was similar to yours the first 2 weeks but I never felt tired or dizzy. Then again I ate mostly healthy foods after the first 30 days(and before). I think a lot of obese people are so used to consuming mass quantities of carbs before surgery that the body is trying to send signals that it wants more carbs. Try to resist consuming lots of carbs, simple or complex. Its fine to consume maybe 25% of your calories with complex carbs but then again, most of us ate a lot more than that before surgery and most of it was simple carbs like bread, sugars, chips, Cookies etc. I'm just assuming of course? After 3 months I had a visit with my nutritionist and she really helped me. I cut out a lot of worthless calories and my real weight loss journey began. Have a talk with your nut if you can? tmf

Well, remember, he/she saw how tight the band was around your stomach during surgery so they usually have an educated idea of how much is needed.

I'm sure there are many competent healthcare workers at Kaiser but seems like I hear a lot of stuff like this? I know my daughter had an idiot for a Kaiser MD for one excruciating year and insisted on a new MD. Immediately found out she had Crones Disease. Spent an entire year throwing pills and Fiber at the problem. Just the opposite of what she needed. My doc has never taken all my Fluid out and I've had about 9 fills over 3 years. You're the boss, tell him/her to just fill and not unfill!