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That is quite interesting Jean. A number of times preband I was told I might have reflux - only symptom was a nighttime sore throat. I had also been told at various times that I probably had a hiatal hernia but it was never officially diagnosed. Dietician at my Dr's practice told me that once you are banded you could not have hernia problems which I now realise is completely incorrect. The past couple of months I have had an issue with the burning throat again and once or twice I have woken up being unable to swallow or with that sour liquid in my mouth. I have been put on Nexium by my GP. The other possibility was that the symptoms were caused by post nasal drip/allergies although I do not have any typical hayfever symptoms.I have discussed this with my new surgeon(closer and more convenient). He does not believe I have a slip as I am eating without issues/pain/not PBing very often and can eat just about anything. He did say though that he did not want to give me a topup fill at this point because of the issues so I need to wait until I see him in 6 months. If I have more issues in the meantime then he will run tests. But having read your comment I now think that it probably had something to do with my hernia that they never tested for and never fixed.

Good luck, hope you enjoy the same success as your Dad. I am sure the fact that he already has a band is going to be a tremendous help.

2.5 years out and you can hardly see my scars except the port one, most of them are concealed under my boobs! Even the port one is just a thin white line. There are not too many people who get to look at my stomach so it's really not an issue.

Perfectly normal to feel like this after surgery. You should stand up straight as soon as you can, the longer you stay stooped the harder it will be to straighten up. Try holding a cushion against your incisions for support whilst you straighten yourself up. It is the same as having a Caesar or hysterectomy, they encourage you to get out of bed and walk straight ASAP.

Collect Pandora/Lovelinks/Troll beads. 1 for each 5lb or 10lb (or whatever amount you set as a small goal) lost. And then an extra special 1 when you get to goal

He should have let you take them home and read them properly so you could give more informed feedback.

Good to hear from someone who is happy, doing well and offering words of encouragement. Keep up the good work

Excess wind does seem to be an issue post band. But at least you are burping and not farting. You can reduce the amount of burping by the way you eat and what you eat. Make sure you are eating slowly, chew well etc. Always making sure you chew with your mouth closed as well because wind is caused partly by swallowing excess air. Avoid foods that ferment in the stomach and cause lots of gas. Onions, Beans, eggs, cabbage Also low carb diets often result in excess gas. Herewith a link to an interesting article from livestrong that explains why http://www.livestrong.com/article/300356-gas-bloating-in-a-low-carb-diet/

The ulcers are unlikely to have been caused by the band. A stomach or gastric ulcer is a break in the tissue lining the stomach. The term 'peptic ulcer' refers to those that occur in either the stomach or the first part of the small intestine that leads out of the stomach, called the duodenum. It was once commonly thought that stress, smoking and diet were the principal causes of stomach ulcers. However, the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium is now known to be responsible for most duodenal ulcers and 60 per cent of stomach ulcers. The H. pylori bacterium also prompts many symptoms of dyspepsia, or indigestion .

No that's not my weight, that's my reputation score. Still trying to figure out how I got to the top of the "leaderboard" ahead of people like Jack who has been here for ever and always gives such wonderful advice. It's probably a case of I just post too much, according to my Mother( and others) I never could keep my mouth shut! Maybe it's time I kept quiet and let some other people get a word in.............. Thanks guys for appreciating some of my comments, it feels good to know that I may have helped others even if only in a small way.

Do you have allergies? It could be post nasal drip. Maybe you have reflux and your throat has been affected. If you can eat and drink Ok then it does not sound as though something is stuck, especially as you say it didn't start after food.

Or you might find that you choose to eat cake instead of lunch whereas before you would have had both.

GAS X won't help because the gas is not in your digestive system.It is left over gas in the chest cavity that was pumped in by your surgical team to expand the area enough for them to do the surgery. You need to take the painkillers that your Dr(hopefully) prescribed.

A lot of people tell me I'm skinny but I can't see that. I think their image of what is normal has been affected by all the years of seeing so many people that are so hugely overweight. Yes I have skinny legs but when I look in the mirror the first thing I notice is my "fat" stomach. Maybe my stomach isn't fat, maybe my expectations are too high having seen too many perfect photoshopped pics in the media. Even my Dr told me it's normal and healthy to have some fat in that area. So I'm not sure who is right - them or me.

FANTASTIC.

I was told that if you drink before then you may not eat as much as you should and may get hungry sooner. However I find it hard timing 15 or 30 min before eating so sometimes have a drink just before I eat. I would rather do that than be thirsty and have to wait the recommended time after eating for a drink as not drinking with or after eating is more important than before.

For a lot of people it is not possible to go for 6 - 7 hours without food. Although we all hope that we will be satisfied on 3 small meals a day for a lot that doesn't happen. I can usually go from Breakfast to lunch without a snack but there is no way I can do lunch to dinner. Maybe you need to factor some Snacks into your plan. So long as the snack is planned and healthy that is fine. The problem arises when you just grab the nearest whatever as that could be high cal, low nutrition etc. And make sure you are eating because you are hungry and not out of habit or because it looks good etc. Getting tighter won't actually help but could in fact make the situation worse.

It is good to see a supportive spouse. In answer to your questions. 1. A port is the part of the lapband through which fills are done. It sits under the skin somewhere in your stomach area. It is attached via tubing to the band . The Dr fills it with saline to increase the pressure within your band which then helps to make you eat less and remain satisfied for longer. 2. It is designed to stay in for life and will only be removed if there are problems. 3. I think the actual surgery takes about 45min but as I wasn't awake at the time I'm not really sure. I think you should visit www.lapband.com as that has lots of info and also read some of the threads on this site. You may also want to go into youtube and look for videos of how the band works. Doing all this will raise more questions which is fine we are happy to answer them. At this stage you probably have no idea what there is that you don't know.

Erosion and slippage may not have anything to do fills but it is possible for an infection at the port site to be a sign of erosion. Also infections at the port site can travel up the tubing to the band and cause major problem.

You are 6 years out I would have thought that you would be quite comfortable by now with they type of foods you can eat. It doesn't really matter what country you are in the basic ingredients are still the same. If you can eat rice in the USA then you should be able to eat rice in Europe and vice versa. If you stick to your slow cooked moist cooking methods you should be fine. I am sure France has lots of different versions of beef stew............. In italy skip the pizza and eat the lasagne or cannelloni. In Germany stay away from the strudel etc. I am sure you are worrying unnecessarily. Just relax and have a great holiday.

If you are able to drink I would wait a couple of days to let it settle. Have a couple of days of liquids, then soft foods then see how you go.

That's annoying but as you say it is in your best interests. I'm actually surprised that this hadn't been scheduled as a routine part of your preop process.

Now you are a real bandster! Horrible as these episodes are they are a good reminder to slow down and pay attention. I think once it has happened once we all swear that we will take extra care so that it won't happen again but I think it's a bit like being drunk and having a hangover.............. Either that or I am just a slow learner!

Have you ever stopped at 1 gummy bear?

I went to my Dr last week and asked what signs should I look out for that would indicate a possible slip. One of the ones he mentioned was pain in the shoulder. It happens because the band has shifted and is rubbing on the diaphragm which is then felt as referred pain in the shoulder. So crystal I would go and see my Dr and get checked to make sure that my band was still in place.