elcee

Oh help - she's back!

It sounds like you are trying to interpret your own results instead of waiting for your specialist to interpret them for you. We all know how dangerous Dr Google can be ( although he is helpful sometimes too). I would stop stressing and wait util you see your Dr , which presumably will be soon, and then ask him all these questions. If I am wrong and this is the info your Dr has given you then you need to go back to get him to explain and to tell you how he is going to fix it.

When was the last time you saw your Dr, you probably need another fill? Typically Realize bands need more fill to achieve restriction than Lapbands do. Also make sure that you are doing your part by choosing the correct foods and exercising.

You can eat anything you like. There is no forbidden food . It all depends on what you can and can't handle, whether you want to follow a "normal" diet or stick to an Atkin's style diet etc.

You need to start eating now the way you will need to once you are on solids. The sooner you get used to not eating and drinking together the better. You are highly unlikely to get stuck at this point (if you stick to what you are supposed to be eating) so it really shouldn't be a problem.

Stuck means stuck! Your stoma is blocked with something that does not want to go down. Your body then produces extra saliva to try and push it down and you cannot swallow the saliva as the stuck item is in the way so you have to cough it up. Depending on what you are stuck on it can take anything from minutes to hours to pass. Generally the best way to end the episode quickly is to try to cough the item back up if you can. Whilst you are stuck you will feel discomfort and possibly pain generally in the chest so if you didn't know better you might swear you were having a heart attack. You may still be hungry or thirsty but there is no point in trying to eat or drink as it won't go down and it just makes it worse.

My favourite description was from someone who isn't active on the boards atm, Bob. He said it felt like you were a vampire that had just been stabbed in the chest with a stake. I think that sums it up pretty well.

Depends what your salad consists of.Celery can cause problems and some people have issues with lettuce leaves. Also if you want raw carrot I suggest you grate it as big chunks are a major cause of stuck episodes. The main thing is to make sure your salad is a salad in the original definition of the word - a mix of veggies and leaves with maybe a small amount of Protein. Too often I hear people talking about a salad when what they are actually eating is a mix of meat, cheese, croutons,high fat dressing and possibly a few token leaves for luck!

How much fill are they putting in and taking out? Maybe they could put less in or take less out. From your message it sounds like it is an all or nothing approach but I am not sure.

Why are you worried that you are not getting enough calories? Creating a calorie deficit is what makes you lose weight.

I was about to post about Caesars and see Kerra has beaten me too it. It is because they cut through nerves, it takes a while but the sensation does eventually come back.

I'm with you sasha

I think you need to find another band Dr. This one has ridiculous rules.

Yes I had lots of different homemade , blended soups.

Congratulations, you have just had your first stuck episode. You are not supposed to drink when you are stuck as there is nowhere for the liquid to go other than come back up. It probably happened because you were out and relaxed and not paying as much attention to the way you eat as you normally would.It is a reminder of why you have to take small bites and chew them well etc. It is highly unlikely that this has caused your band to slip. You are probably just swollen and irritated from being stuck. Stick to soft foods for a while longer and maybe suck crushed ice to help soothe and reduce any swelling. Start adding back normal foods slowly and when you do take extra care of how you eat them.

If you can't go to mexico then go and see your PCP. If the port is infected it can be serious. The infection can run all the way along the tubing to the band and cause all sorts of issues. Your PCP should be able to do bloods to see if you do have an infection and if that comes back positive then you will need to decide if you should go back to Mexico or find a local bariatric surgeon.

Generally a flipped port needs minor surgery to stitch it back into place.

Try to preplan what you are going to eat if you know where you are going. Avoid the bread basket. Don't wash your food down with alcohol. Eat slowly and focus on enjoying the company.

My waist to hip ratio will never be good. I am shaped more like a man than a woman - skinny hips and straight at the middle!

Have you spoken to your Dr about it? Chest pain is not something you should mess around with as it could be something serious. You should speak to your Dr to rule out heart problems, PE, pneumonia etc and then see what meds he advises.

Glad that you have decided to try using the band again. Hopefully this time you achieve the success that you are looking for.

I think I would probably revise to a sleeve.I would not want to be without something to help me keep the weight off. I know many people say that they have changed their eating habits enough to be able to keep the weight off and if they can manage this then I really admire them. For me getting a band had nothing to do with not knowing what I should/shouldn't be eating. I have always eaten healthy food and I eat the same food now. I have never really eaten eat deep fried food, very rarely go to a fast food joint, do not load my food with butter or cream or anything like that. For me the band has always been about controlling hunger. Without the band I know that my hunger would come back and that I would be unable to only eat the small quantities that i need to eat to be able to maintain my loss. I know this because I am in the process of having my band slowly refilled after a problem about 2 months ago. I have no restriction and it is awful. I am constantly hungry. I eat what I should do and it "doesn't even touch sides"! I can finish a meal and still be hungry. I am hungry in-between as well and I hate it, I have not felt like this for almost 3 years. I often wonder how many of those that have their bands removed and do not opt for a revision actually do manage to keep their weight off. I am sure there are very few if any, it is not something that they are likely to come back to LBT and report though is it!

I would take the pills as it is better than having to get Iron shots. I went through all that years ago due to very low iron levels and it wasn't much fun. Heck I even ended up with a tattoo on my butt because of it. It looked like I had a huge bruise which a month later was still there, when I showed it to the Dr she explained that the person that gave me the injection obviously hadn't done it deep enough and it had spread under the skin. It took years to eventually disappear. Good job I wasn't an underwear model or a porn star - I would have had to have sued for compensation!

It could be low blood sugar or it could be low blood pressure or you might be anaemic.I would go and speak to my Dr and see what he recommends

Yes I think you need to go back to see your Dr.