ParrotheadCathy

Thre pre-op diet can have its challenges. But post-op, once you're healed and back to regular food but have no restriction in your band, you will have days that the cat looks tasty. You feel like you can eat as much as you want, anything you want .... yet you know you shouldn't, really don't want to, etc. Truthfully, every stage has its challenges but as for hunger, to me in the couple of weeks before my first fill until after my second fill, I was hungry between meals and felt very challenged. Remember in every stage that Protein keeps you satisfied longer than other stuff. On the liquid diet, drink your Protein shakes, drink your broth (I've posted several times how to make a rich stock that is more satisfying that the canned broth in the store), SF popsicles, SF Jello, Water --K20, Crystal Light, Propel, Vitamin Water, whatever rings your chimes.

Some of the pre-op diets doctors prescribe are pretty stringent ... all liquid (OptiFast), etc. Mine was pretty comfortable. You could try this. 2 Protein shakes per day (at least 20 grams protein per shake) 2 lean meals per day consisting of 3 ounces of lean protein (about the size of a deck of cards), steamed or raw vegetables (if salad, use fat free dressing), and 15 grams of carbs I wasn't starving all the time, I lost some weight steadily. I'm sure others had non-extreme pre-op diets that you could try as well.

Monkey is right about not self-prescribing iron supplements. There are many other things that could be the culprit so I think a doctor's evaluation is in order. A simple blood test will diagnose (or rule out) anemia. Honestly, since you aren't drinking sodas anymore (I assume you've made that adjustment; and sodas can actually reduce your iron levels some) and you should be eating lean protein (including beef) and veggies (leafy green veggies are an execellent food source for iron, and so is red meat), I'd want to make sure it is or isn't anemia. I've only been anemic once and it was SEVERE because I had a bleeding ulcer about 18 months ago. And I can't tell you how many times in my life I've gone through a "spell" of fatigue. Stress can cause fatigue too. And as I'm sure you've noticed having the surgery and losing weight, while a great joy, is stressful.

I'm waiting to here the results from our voting to know where we're going next year. I have a blast on every cruise, but this one was a very good mix of ports. I'm going to Destin for Memorial Day weekend. Beach and pool time, fresh seafood. Who could ask for more? You'll be fine by Memorial Day .. other than maybe not being back to all regular food. But that's nothing more than a small speed bump in the scheme of things. What I've discovered is that food is no longer the focus. I used to get up and fix breakfast and then immediately start wondering what I would have for lunch. Eat lunch, and then start planning ahead for what to choose for dinner. Now, I eat because I need to and then get on with the fun stuff. Let us know how you do Monday!

Those were the statistics quoted in a book I was given by my surgeon on my first visit. I believe it was referring to serious complications. ... like GB causing quite a lot of malnutrition, many more deaths, etc. versus erosion by the band (and other stuff like slippage that cannot be reversed by a liquid diet). The risks regarding ANESTHESIA are not what I have referred to. To me that is separate and probably fairly equal. Sorry if you feel I'm waaayy off base in feeling that band surgery isn't extremely complicated. I figure it takes 30 minutes or so, involves putting a belt of silicone in the right place around my stomach and anchoring down the port (though it appears that some docs aren't so good an anchoring down ports!) doesn't qualify as extreme. And I missed 3 days of work and could have cut it to 2 if I'd been so inclined. I believe the complication of the procedure lies in the follow-up and that is the doctor many times more than the device. And that's my opinion.

I'm 58 and a great-grandmother! I was banded on February 10 and I've lost a total of 53 pounds. Never a problem at all.

Try Viactiv chews. They come in chocolate and caramel flavors and it's like eating a piece of soft candy. I believe 2 a day gives you the amount you need.

The night time cough is a primary symptom that GERD is a problem. That "stuff creeping into his throat" is stomach contents....reflux of stomach acid, partially digested food. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is no laughing matter. It can erode the esophagus to the point that it damages cell growth and can cause cancer. I have a friend to ignored reflux for years and this guy who maybe weighs 140 pounds lost a portion of his esophagus and most of his stomach to cancer as a result. So maybe it's nice to not be able to eat much and see the pounds really fall off, BUT this is a huge reason to go back to the doctor for an unfill. Sometimes an unfill of as little as .2cc will fix the problem.

Remember that you are hearing from a small percentage of the people who have had this procedure. People who have had problems stand out because it's a little scary. But most of us who've had the surgery have had not one problem at all. The only problem I've had was I've PB'd once ... and that was distinctly my fault for eating waaaayyy too fast and not chewing well as a result. I had absolutely no reason to take any pain or nausea medicine post-op, had surgery on Tuesday and back to work on Friday. There are thousands of people like me who have never been on one of these forums. They are simply living their life and enjoying the changs. Many people find these forums because (1) they are considering the surgery and just want to hear what others have to say, (2) they've had the surgery and are in the early stages of recovery and are worried to death about every little thing, or (3) a small percentage have had problems and they want to find some reassurance that they are not alone. Foods you MAY not be able to eat would include soft bread (a real problem for me, but I never was a sandwich eater so that's no loss at all), flour tortillas (okay for me but not everybody), white rice (again, no problem for me but not everybody), "stringy" vegetables. Now, think about it. How many times have you tried to lose weight and either failed altogether or lost and then gained it back with a few extra pounds for good measure? How many times have you said you were going to lose weight and never quite got started? How uncomfortable are you with your present weight? And what if it increases? I know what my answers are, and they were all negative. The band has given me positive answers. Yeah, you still have to make good eating choices, it most certainly isn't a magic switch that makes the pounds fall off no matter what, and you may have little things like a PB now and then. For me, that was more than a fair exchange for what I have. I've lost 53 pounds (need to update my ticker, but I'll get around to that eventually) and I haven't looked back. I gave away all the size 3X stuff I owned and am close to giving away all the 2x stuff. I have never given away clothes when I dieted. But this time I BELIEVE 100% that I will not gain the weight back.

Call your insurance company. Ask them specifically if there is a written exclusion for WLS in your policy. I've heard of more than one person who's doctor's office got it wrong. Unfortunately, if there is an written exclusion, you can't even appeal around that. So make the call, get the information. Good luck!!! PS, is self-pay an option?

Here's what to expect. You will go to the hospital/surgical center/gastroenterology lab. They will give you a mild sedative (translation: you're not going to remember much). They will spray the back of your throat to supress any gag reflex, put a guiding mouthpiece between your teeth and slide the scope down. It's about as big around as a pencil and you'll be all happy from the sedation so it's a piece of cake!

liquids do not stay in your pouch. they go right through the stoma created by your band. That's why liquids do not contribute to a full feeling. I was told that once I was on solid food my meal should consist of around 3/4 cup of food though that amount might go down some with good restrictions. Good food choices are paramount!

The reason he is telling you to eat more Protein and less carbs is pretty straight forward. Protein digests more slowly than anything else you can put into your tummy. It fuels the engine efficiently. Carbs convert to pure sugar very quickly, digest fast. What does that mean? That the protein will stay in your stomach longer and therefore you will feel full longer. So you prepare your meal. A serving of protein, which would be approximately the size of a deck of cards. A vegetable or two. And only after you've eaten that, if you are still hungty should you eat any carbs. If you do eat carbs, they should be whole grain. If you get hungry in less than 4 hours after a meal, you should snack on, you guessed it! PROTEIN. A boiled egg, some deli sliced turkey, an ounce of low fat cheese. If you aren't eating this way, then yes, you are throwing your $20K down the drain. Does all that mean you can't have a treat every now and then? No. But a treat every now and then isn't every day. I have a small bit of birthday cake at work once a month when we have our monthly birthday party. I order the cakes and know they are fantastic cakes. Do I have a regular-sized piece of cake? No. I'd like to, but I don't. I have what amounts to about 4 little bites. But I do really enjoy it. As for your problem with your port/getting fills, I agree with another poster. You need to ask why he hasn't said he would open that incision and re-anchor the port more firmly so that it isn't tilted so that he can do the fills you have to have in order for this whole thing to work!

This will help with all those abbreviations: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/faq.php?faq=abbreviations#faq_lapbandabbreviations PB = Productive Burp. Happens when you eat too fast or take bites that are too big and the good gets stuck in your esophagus. First you slime ... produce a ton of saliva. Then the food is regurgitated (not vomiting since the food never made it to your stomach, is not at all digested and is not mixed with stomach acid).

3ccs in a 4cc band seems like it should be close to your sweet spot but I can see that it might not be quite there yet. You probably have some restriction but had some swelling due to the port revision surgery and that has now abated. And that would make it seem now like you've lost restriction. Try eating really on program and see if you get hungry in less than 4 hours. That's a good indicator.

How much do you have in what size band? You probably were just swollen some, but knowing the above would help to comment.

Try planning ahead a little. On Sunday, I decide what I'm going to take for lunch during the week and get it all sorted out, packaged up and ready to take. When I do my grocery shopping, I plan ahead with whole meals ..... I decide on the proteins, the vegetables, the starches (I don't live alone and nobody else needs to give up a darned thing) and then I make my list based on those choices and then I double check my pantry and freezer and may cross a few things off because I have them on hand already. This way, I don't have to think about it every meal individually.

I only have to do mushies the day of the fill but, honestly, I've eaten some stuff that wasn't 100% mushy and it went down 100% okay.

I would have been able to go the same night. Someone else might not have been able to go for a couple of days. I'll let you in on a secret...a lot of it is in your head. If you simply operate on the assumption that you may feel a little tired, and maybe not up for a bear hug but basically okay, you will likely do fine. Just don't drink. That just might be too much for that soon!

I say this all the time: breathe in, breathe out, move on! You've done fine!!! 20 pounds in 2 weeks is awesome. I'm sure you won't have a problem in the operating room.

Well, I would do it as early as possible. What is your doctor's policy post-op for eating....how long on liquids, how long on mushy foods, and then to solids? I wouldn't want to be on mushy foods on vacation because it would just be difficult to keep finding things you can have and to carry the stuff you couldn't find in the park.

Only a fill under fluoroscope can answer that for sure. Either they are not very good at finding your port or something is leaking. Ask them to do a fill under fluoro as soon as they can to figure this out. If there is no leak, then they are just inept. Are you going to the same bunch as Jacquie?

Doesn't sound like you're too tight.... can you eat solids without a problem? If no, you could be a tiny bit too tight. The nausea could be temporary. I too was too full after my first fill and they did an unfill. I felt kind of weird the rest of the day.

Gosh, Jacquie! I am so sorry it was so terrible. By all means go back in two weeks BUT demand that they do the fill under fluoroscope because of the number of times they had to stick you this time and because the only way the doctor got the needle and your port to line up was to painfully manipulate your port and push it to where he wanted it to be. I promise, it isn't supposed to be painful. It really isn't! I've had 3 fills and felt nothing more than a little prick. This was your first fill. The period between surgery and reaching some level of restriction is "bandster hell". You've probably seen the term on here in other threads. In the first few weeks after surgery, weight loss isn't even a goal! Healing is all that should be on your agenda. I know, you want it to start working IMMEDIATELY. I know, I did. But it will start working. You may need 3 or more fills after this one to get to your sweet spot, but know that every fill takes you closer, and increases your weight loss. Again, I'm so sorry they were so terrible. I hope there were profuse apologies in the very least. They should feel like crap for hurting you that way.

Sonia, something that may help is that many of the surgeons offer live support groups. And I've even made friends with a couple of people on this forum! They both live near me and we discovered we have enough in common beyond the band to be friends. The decision is a HUGE step but it does develop a sort of rhythm and your comfort zone with grow. Let us know when you have questions or just need to vent.