xavier

I am an old bander from way back and I have a cocktail or a glass or two of wine almost every night...it keeps me from the evening snacking and also I am French and was raised that way...

I can almost never eat solid food in the morning so I almost always start with a protein shake...unfortunately after dinner my band seems wide open and I COULD snack all evening! Interestingly, my wedding ring is the same, super tight in the morning and falling off at night! But all that being said, I have read several posts where people said stress makes them tight!

I was a slow learner and did my share of throwing up but I was always able to hide t from dinner companions. I am two years out (its the best thing I ever did) and now I hardly ever have trouble unless I do something stupid. Like get distracted and eat or drink too fast. But I can easily keep it down and excuse myself to a restroom. The most noticable thing is that I eat very small portions, I take a ton of food home from a restaurant...but no one has ever even commented on it! I dont and have never eaten and low cal or diet food and I dont and have never exercised...I wear a size 6 now and I have my B/A pix on my profile if you want to see them. You are right to get all the info you can, this is a great site for that!

Sounds like you know what to do...I think the watered down soup is reasonable especially if it is keeping you full for awhile!

Try drinking tiny sips with rests in between. I am a very old bander and I still have weird issues with liquids that I really dont understand! I can eat a piece of toast with good chewing but sometimes water or Gatorade doesnt go down...hang in there and do whatever you have to to get enough fluid!!

Since your issues are not impairing your health but rather just not helping you to lose weight (which can be done without lap band, of course) you have no grounds for a lawsuit or for coverage of medical costs. Also there seems to be no evidence that any mistake was made so that also excludes the possibility of compensation. Sorry, our health care systems sucks and cares not at all about you or your weight related health issues... I really do feel for you but I did self pay 15K for my band and I still think it was money well spent.

Welcome! You will get a lot of support and brutal honesty here!

I buy the Premier Protein shakes in a case from Cosco...160cals and 30gms of protein...they arent thick and they just taste like sweet milk.

I consider that a high compliment but I'm not going to explain it!

I feel terrible for you and I am so sorry you didnt end up getting banded. I dont know why you would get a lawyer though except to make some money or hand out some punishment. There has to be damages (to you) and those would be quite small...doctors are just people.

I was 46 and I wish I could have done it in my 20s! Best decision ever!

I am also pretty sure Dr Davytan is the guy who has a lap band himself! I almost went to him but even though I was a self-pay I thought I should try to find someone on my provider list in case there were complications. I went to Dr David Oliak In Orange (he has two other offices, one is in Brea) anyway I LOVE him and all his staff! They were great and I dont have any complaints at all. Dr, Oliak stitches your band in place and has never had a slippage! I cant say enough about him or his staff! Good luck!

Let me guess, insurance paid your whole bill? I self-payed and it really made me value what I had spent the money on...good luck.

The preop diet is brutal but I told myself it was the last diet I would ever be on and it was! Hang in there!

Well I would think the only risk would be if you accidentally swallow it! Otherwise I cant think of any reason not to...I just dont like gum so I guess I dont know.

But why do you think the pouch is stretched out? Your doc would have seen that with the Barium. What do you mean by eating way too much...how much are we talking about?

Go to your doctor! This might not be related to your band...

Seems like it would be better all around to take one multi, the Vit D if needed, and get the rest from real food...just sayin'!

I think you should prob get a fill but if not here's some advice that many people might disagree with: I dont want you to get stuck but if you chew your food a little less well, it is more bulky and takes the body more work and time to digest. Also, when I was first banded my stomach would growl like crazy at really weird times and it tuned out (well I have no idea what it is but...) Iwasnt actually hungry but it was hard to learn that...that may not be the case and you might actually be hungry. In which case, I say eat. Its important to train yourself to heed the body's signals but hopefully a fill will help you space out the hunger.Good luck...

Find a new doc...he sounds like he hates fat people or maybe just people. Those are the docs that later on a really stingy and harsh about giving you afill. It seems like they withhold fills to be a punshment...run!

Totally normal but it will get better every day and it will be worth it!

This is crazy! BOTH PBing AND reflux can be caused by what and how you eat so you cant automatically say you are too tight! This is just a band holiday and since I look at this as a lifestlye for life (I dont diet and Ireally dont work out) I am completely against unfilling for a holiday pig out! I would expect a good doc to give you a similar lecture...snap out of it!

But why would you let yourself gain 25 pounds and not go to your doc for a consult and/or a fill?! If people are losing weight with no fill, great, have a gold star, but most people need their band to do its job with the right amount of fills. I have had two fill docs tell me except in the rarest cases, if your band is less than half full (5cc in a 10cc band) it is not doing anything to make you feel lull on less or keep you satisfied longer...

I agree, RUN dont walk away from a doc like that...he'll never listen to you about your body and when you know you need fills! Ick!

I left the same day and was fine...good to have the option of overnight though. There is usually a criteria for letting you go...like, you have to walk around, you have to pee, and you have to be able to keep down liquids...hope this helps!