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Unfortunately this is a recipe for disaster. The wanting something quick often ends up causing problems. Plus the fact you said you had to pull over means you were eating and driving so you obviously weren't concentrating on small bites, chewing well, and eating slowly. Trying to save that extra 5 minutes often doesn't work as you found out. If you have to get fast food at least stop and eat it, don't try eating and driving at the same time.There is nothing worse than being stuck or sliming when in the car and you have nowhere to throw up. Sorry that you had such a horrible experience.

You don't need prayers you just need to relax and be patient and realise that you have just had surgery which is obviously not something you go through every day and as a result you will be feeling horrible. Give it a couple of days and I am sure you will be feeling fine. It is sad that your Dr didn't educate you properly prior to putting the band in although with the process that people have to go through in the states to get banded it amazes me that that can happen.Take this opportunity to ask lots of questions and find out all you can about the band and how it works. Remember "God helps those who helps themselves". If you would like to tell us what the problems are that you are having then we may be able to offer specific solutions for those problems. Sorry that you are feeling so awful but I am sure that soon you will be fine and excited that you have taken this step towards a new and healthier you.

Hi Good luck with your goals I hope you achieve them. You don't say how you are doing so far but I would assume from your bright perky message you are on track.

At the moment it is because you are only consuming liquids. Once you get onto a normal diet things should settle down. Plus if you are on Protein shakes you may have some form of lactose intolerance or intolerance to one of the other ingredients. They don't agree with everyone. I would look at what I was eating/drinking and if you have introduced anything new that you are not used to e.g shakes then cut them out. The other possibilty is that you may have picked up some kind of bug. So concentrate on what you would do normally with gastro. Stick to Clear Liquids - no dairy products and concentrate on keeping hydrated. If it doesn't stop you may need to go back to emergency.

Not knowing the actual facts drives me insane so a couple of days ago, I emailed Allergan and asked them how exactly the band works, . I just got a phone call and am as confused as ever. I was told that food does not pass through quickly that the band was designed to slow down the passage of food and keep it in the upper portion of the stomach for a while. Unfortunately the person that called could not tell me how long a while was getting around that by saying it depended on what type of food it was. She didn't seem to know anything about vagus nerves and couldn't explain satisfactorily why you feel stuck instantly if the food is supposed to be staying in the pouch for a while! So it seems that the band's manufacturers or at least one of them do not understand how their product works. It was nice that they cared enough to call me but frustrating that the person that called seemed to know as much(or as little) as me!

You should not have been trying a Zumba class or any other form of strenuous exercise so soon after surgery - didn't your Dr tell you that? You have probably pulled some of the stitches that are securing your port to the muscle. This may or may not affect your ability to be able to get fills in the future - depends on how badly you have torn it and what position it is now in. I would go back to the Dr and let him/her check that everything is OK. Different Drs put ports in different places. If you have a very physical job you need to make sure that your Dr is happy to clear you for that or you could have problems. Go back and see your Dr and do not do any kind of extreme exercise for the recommended period to make sure that you heal properley. For now stick with the walking. Good luck , I hope everything is OK.

I also think that she needs to go to an actual support group and talk to people before she goes ahead. That was one of the best things that I did. It really helps to be able to talk to others that have a band as they know what it is like to live with on a daily basis. Your daughter needs to do the research and understand the rules and limitations before she goes ahead. She needs to understand that the band is a tool not a quick fix. That she will still be the one that has to make the correct food choices, exercise etc. She needs to understand the limitations about carbonated drinks etc. She needs to realise that if she is going to be a chef there will be certain foods that she won't just be able to taste to make sure that they are OK as they could cause problems. If she is mature and does really understand the restrictions and limitations of living with a band then I see no reason why she shouldn't go ahead.Having said that though one of the other WLS may be a better choice. A sleeve for instance might be easier - less upkeep. When you say Dr's believe this is the way she should go are you talking obesity specialists or just GPs? If it is just the GP then I would get the referral to the specialist and discuss all the options with the obesity specialist - they may feel that a different form of surgery would suit her better.

The question is why have you skipped liquids and mushies and gone straight to real foods? Was it because your Dr told you to? To me it seems as though you are not yet ready for those kind of foods. If you are having to drink to get the food down then you are either:- taking bites which are too big not chewing properly eating foods which are not suitable for you at this stage. You need to follow the program correctly as otherwise you are setting yourself up for future problems.

Your band try to has just slipped and you are trying to go against your Dr's instructions! That makes no sense. You should be following your Dr's instructions to the letter as this may be your only chance to save your band. Imagine how you will feel if your band has to be removed and you didn't do as you were told to try to save it. I assume you had to do liquids preop and again postop. It can't be that hard - it's only for a week. Stop looking at ways to go against your Dr's instructions and instead look for ways of sticking to them.

I second that, you should be following the rules. Why would you want to be trying to push more food down? The point is to utilise your band so that you feel satisfied on less. Also now is the best time to learn and get used to your new eating rules. If you get into bad habits so early they will be very hard to break.If you can't stick to the plan now it will get harder later and you could be sabotaging your own success.

Sorry I keep forgetting to translate into American before I post!

It is probably because they have cut through nerves and it will take a while for them to regenerate. It is quit a common side effect of being cut open. You will experience it after a Caesarean etc. I have the same thing after having had an abdominal hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. Don't worry, it make take a while but the sensation does return.

Wind, rumbling, burping and farting are some of the unfortunate but quite common side effects of having a band. I don't know what issues you are having in relation to your question about a quick start so will give you a generic answer. Follow the rules your Dr has given you. Eat proper healthy food e.g Protein + veg + healthy carb. Try journalling your food intake. Avoid high fat foods. Cut out mindless or non hungry eating. Don't drink your calories. Exercise. If you want to be more specific with what type of problem you are having then it might be possible to give more specific advice.

A lot of Dr's like to unfill before surgery as often anaesthesia causes nausea and possibly vomiting which could cause the band to slip. I had an abdominal hysterectomy 3 weeks ago and was lucky as my Dr's did not require me to have an unfill. My band Dr didn't think it was necessary unless my anaesthetist required it and he was happy so long as I don't suffer with reflux which I don't. The only problem i had was that I was put on a light diet after surgery which consisted of Soup, sandwiches and jelly and icecream, It didn't matter how many times I tried explaining that sandwiches were not a light option for a person with a band it just didn't get through. I was abit tired of the soup and jelly after a couple of days and was desperate for some proper food. Good luck with your surgery, hope it all goes well.

Big Hug. Don't worry about it. Weight fluctuates from day to day especially when you are female. Could be Water, hormones , anything. Just keep up the good work and don't get discouraged.

Glad to have been of help. If you want to PM me to ask any specific questions or for further encouragement feel free.

Yep you are definitely too tight. You need to be able to eat solid protein e.g meat, chicken. fish to take full advantage of your band. If you cant eat these you need some fluid taken out.

You have made your decision and I wish you luck with that. Personally I believe if it's not broken don't fix it. If your band is in place and not eroded etc why not leave it there. If you believe you have addressed the reasons you overeat and can cope without it try that with an unfilled band. If that works great, if not you could look at using the band again. I would be very reluctant to put myself through another 2 surgeries that are possibly unnecessary. If you really think you want the band out and a sleeve instead why not have both done at the same time. 1 surgery has to be preferable to 2.

It is far better to get WLS when you have 50lb to lose rather than wait until you have 100lb or more to lose. All of you that have been banded or are thinking of getting banded have been "only" 50lb overweight at some stage. Did you manage to lose it and maintain that weight loss? Obviously not. In fact the band has proven to be more successful with smaller amounts of weight to lose. A person with a lower starting BMI is more likely to achieve 100% of total excess weight lost than those that have a higher BMI. I had a starting BMI of approx 32. I weighed 74kg (163lb) which for a lot of you might sound like nothing but only being 5' I was huge. I looked pregnant - all the excess was around my middle which is the unhealthiest place to carry excess weight. I have had my band for 2 years next week. I now weigh 50kg (110lb) and feel fantastic. My only regret is that I didn't get banded sooner. To the OP I am sorry that the way your Dr marketed the band wasn't entirely correct. However it is a fabulous tool and one without which many of us would not be able to win the battle. Yes you still have to make good choices having the band and not being constantly hungry makes a huge difference. Junk will always go down no matter what WLS you choose. Also it is possible to eat your way around any of the surgeries. You also have to examine why you overeat. It is from boredom, is it a form of comfort, other issues. You may even need counselling to help you address these issues. Myself I am a grazer ( not the best type of candidate for a band as it is better suited to volume eaters), since being banded my grazing has been 90% under control because I am not as hungry. When I do want a snack I try to choose a healthy one. ATM my boredom eating is slightly out of control - the result of being stuck at home recuperating from a hysterectomy. I probably need another fill but am resisting as I am going overseas on holiday at the end of June and don't want to create unnecessary problems for myself. You haven't failed with your band as there is no deadline for success. You may have failed so far but you have the power to change that at any time. Recommit yourself to getting back on track, accept the band for what it is and how it works, get counselling if necessary and start with your healthy eating and exercise regime. Hopefully soon we will see you posting excuited about your newfound success.

I haven't had plastic surgery but I do feel sorry for you. Most of then are probably jealous and jealousy makes you nasty. Quite strange that you say plastic surgery gets a bad rap as I had thought it was more widely accepted than WLS.

I have never heard of having to be on liquids for 2 weeks after a fill . My Dr recommends liquids for the day of the fill then mushy/soft foods for a couple of days afterwards.

Can't believe that your Dr was so unsympathetic. Glad that in the end she decided to give you some fill. I think that unless they have been through it themselves a lot of them just don't realise how hard it is to maintain a healthy weight.

!!!!! In my experience this would still cause regurgitation not vomiting. The food would be coming from the pouch not the stomach. It would be in the same condition as when it went down. It would not be mixed with any stomach acids etc but would probably involve a lot of slime. However I have learnt that everyones band experience is different so possibly you and others may have actual vomiting. Again what works for some does not work for everyone. I have tried papaya enzyme and it does nothing for me. Trying to drink fluid can help to bring the offending item up - sometimes. I know a lot of people that also recommend drinking coke or something carbonated really quickly. I have never been game enough to try it but apparently it does bring things up quite quickly depending on what it is. It is more likely to work on a blockage made of lots of small particles eg rice than on something like raw carrot. When I am stuck I normally try to bring the item back up. A few sips of water, just coughing or an old toothbrush can all help. However most of the time it takes ages to clear the stuck episode. The solution is never as simple as it should be. The episode can take hours to fully clear. I generally find that after a stuck episode sucking crushed ice is very helpful as it helps to reduce the swelling caused by trying to bring the item up. Whilst the exact mechanics of the band may not yet be fully clear what is clear is that the band experience is different for everyone. Each bandster has to find what works for them and what doesn't.

I usually get a small size schwarma with falafel balls and tabbouleh. Don't usually manage to eat the whole pita bread.

Don't panic. You probably got stuck which caused you to vomit and that has now irritated the band and oesophagus. The best thing to try is to suck ice chips. The ice should help to reduce swelling and hopefully you will absorb some of the liquid. It may take a while but eventually you should be able to swallow. Don't panic as that will make you feel worse. It has happened to me before and it is really uncomfortable and annoying . If you still can't get any liquid down in the morning then I would go and see my Dr for an unfit. It is unlikely that your band has slipped. Keep us updated and hope you feel better soon.