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Bevan - thank you, thank you, thank you for your reply. I knew there had to be someone out there that had experienced this or heard about it. I seem to be doing a lot better, keeping things down. Still eating mushies and hoping and praying that my doctor was right!

If this gas issue isn't universal to us banders, it sure is close. Right after surgery I had it terrible. I got some great advice from a girlfriend who was about a year into her band and it helped so much! 1. Gas-X strips (cinnamon is the best) This work on the burps without adding any actual volume to your stomach. I spent many days throwing up nasty Tums foam before I discovered it. And let me tell you, those burps were better than sex. 2. Walking, not the exercise kind but just a slow to medium pace with a little bounce in your step to dislodge the bubbles. I have a track in my backyard I almost walked bare, but between the gas relief, and the zen time, it works. Many Catholic churches and gardens have labrynth walks...these are awesome for dislodging gas, calming down and remembering why we did this. I still use both these things whenever I have a bout, which are less and less frequent (until my band slipped slightly) and now I'm back on the regimen. I hope that helps, it was a God-send to me. Let me know if it has worked for anyone else. Love and support to me fellow bandsters! Cristy

Vomiting. That's what my surgeon says. My LAP-BAND® experience has been easy-peasy. I have lost 80 pounds in 14 months, then I started getting really uncomfortable after eating and began throwing up. This became more and more frequent over about 3 months until last week when it was happening several times per day. At the ER my surgeon said I had a slip (the ER docs had no clue.) He took all the fluid out and told me to go back to fluid for four days (tomorrow) and then starting adding soft food slowly. He said his goal is for the slip to correct itself. Has anyone ever heard of this? I trust my surgeon completely and he is well-respected in our area....I am just praying he is right. I lost my job since being banded and can not afford to have it revised....it would probably just have to come out per my insurance.

Mom - I read with interest this entire post and was really wanting to follow up with you. I had my LAP-BAND®® placed in March 2009 and haven't had ANY problems. I could eat or drink anything in small amounts and other than the first weeks after surgery haven't had the gas problems. Anyhoo, about three weeks ago, I overate a bit and had my first bout of vomiting. I went back to liquids and felt much better. But the vomiting had become a daily thing and got worse and worse. Finally ended up in the emergency room on Thursday, and the regular doctors didn't know squat about what to do for me. By the grace of God, my surgeon just happened to walk through the emergency room and saw me. He immediately asked for my x-ray and cat scan and told me I had slipped. He immediately removed all my fill (I was at a 5) and told me to go back on liquids for a few days than start putting in additional foods just like after surgery. He said that he has seen a number of slips correct themselves following this method. Has anyone else experienced this or even heard of it???? My insurance did not cover the surgery (I paid cash) so I will need to do some finagling to even get them to pay a surgeon they don't contract with (yay, Kaiser)take it out much less revise it. I'm terrified. I keep envisioning this thing bursting out of my stomach, like on Alien. I'm also terrified to put the weight back on...I'm down 85 lbs in 14 months and know there is no way I could maintain it without the band. HELP? Can it fix itself? I really don't want more surgery or life without the band. Cristy Banded March 31 at 265 pounds June 19, 180 pounds and scared poopless :smile2:

This just happened ot me at my first fill, last week. My doctor always has patients stand up and lean back with the table behind you. Even with my port sticking our from that, he had to put a little shoulder behind that needle to get it in. It kind of popped and then went in (with quite a bit of pain.) I hope all of my fills won't be like this, but I DO tend to build up scar tissue. Good luck to you.

I agree with the Nectar protiens. My favorite is cappucino...yum! I use 8 ounces of skim milk, one packet of my chocolate shake (HMR , but any will do) and add a scoop of the cappucino. It tastes like Starbucks frappacino and packs a whopping 43 grams of protien which will especially help after surgery. It's about 280 calories, which seems like a lot until you take into account the protien. I drink half mid-morning and half in the afternoon. Good luck!

Lost two more....only 3 away from my Shrinko goal...yayy! Now I've got to start working on that 4th of July goal!

EXCELLENT POST, Sassy!

Yes, I've heard that they can. But I think if you are realistic in your expectations than it shouldn't be a problem. To be honest, I have bipolar disorder and have been hospitalized for it twice in my life but I got through because they said I had a realistic view of what I was getting into. I have a strong emtional attachment to food (don't we all) that they said I would need to continue to work on but other than that it was a piece of cake. (yummmm, cake!)

Hi all - I have my first fill at 9:15 and I'm freaking out. Not because of the needle, I can handle that. I'm freaking out about going back to all the gas and pain. When I first got my band on 3/31 I was miserable...come to find out I was carrying 3ccs of residual fluid in my 4cc band. Once I had my unfill, it was sweet releif...but then I started getting hungry. I want a fill for the restriction, but I'm so scared to experience what I did before. Any words of wisdom or comfort???

I wish I could say mine was an interesting experience, but it was a nightmare. I had had an unfill right after surgery, so it wasn't a complete surprise however.... I got there and he put in 3 ccs (I found out I have a 10 cc band not 4) and all went well. I stayed there and drank my little cup of Water and about halfway through it started backing up on me and causing a lot of discomfort. I asked the nurse about it and she sadi I might need a slight unfill. The surgeon came in and agreed. So, more lidocaine, more leaning. He put the needle in and out into the syringe came about a cc of blood and then the Fluid. He's like "Hmmm, that's not right, don't know where that blood would be coming from." and I'm like WTF, your're the doctor you should know this. So he tells the nurse he wants to completely empty it and start again....so again with the lidocaine and then he goes to put in the needle to refill and it won't budge....can't get it into the port so he's kind of feeling around WITH THE NEEDLE and I'm starting to get a little dizzy, even though I usually have no problems with this sort of thing. Suddenly he gives it a firm push (must of put some shoulder into it) and we hear a loud pop, I get an instense pain and blood spurts all over him and the nurse and I passed out. Luckily he caught me (did I say he is young and cute?) I laid back on the table, needle in the whole time mind you and he is full of apologies, can't imagine what happened, but at least the damn needle is in the port. He gave me 2 ccs and left me on the table for about 15 minutes with his nurse there to watch over me while I recovered and drank my water. The water went down fine this time and within a few minutes I felt well enuogh to get up. He told me to stay on liquids over the week and weekend and that he wanted to see my again on Monday to make sure my port hadn't moved (again) or that I hadn't developed a hematoma over the port. I told him that I was cash pay and I couldn't afford to take the band back out. He assured me that everything would be fine and that if I felt at all sick to call him and gave me his cell number (Grrrrr!) But I'm still just freaking out...I work in healthcare and am familiar with medical errors. I love my surgeon and he came highly recommended. I don't want to think that perhaps he screwed something up today, but I just don't think that is how the fill experience is supposed to go.:ohmy:

I'm with you...I'm still on the site, but sometimes I feel like all I talk about, think about, obsess about is the damn band. Before it was food, now it is food and a lap band. I just want to get to the point where I feel like a normal person who eats less. I know it is "a tool" but I still feel like we have to live our lives, not live our bands. BTW - I was banded 3/31.

Hi all - today is my one-month anniversary and so far this has been eral easy for me. I have been able to eat anything with no PB, no sliming. Anytime I get that gas pian in my back, walking cures it right up. Last night, however, I had my first real experience with a stuck food (I think.) I tried a piece of pizza, but it wasn't really thin crust. About 15 minutes after eating it, I got that pain in my back that usually indicates full/gas. I did all my usual stuff...walking, Gas X strips. Some relief, but not all/. Today I woke up and the pain is still there....not sure if it is just sore, but it feels like a gas bubble I can't dislodge. I had soft food and liquid this a.m., but it is still there. Any advice on what it might be? Has anyone else experienced this? And please, no haters on the pizza...I've had a good run to date, but learned my lesson and won't do that again.

I've got to agree with LJB on the weight gain thing. A lot of them say they cause weight gain in the list of side effect. I've been on a variety of psych meds through my adult life and have always found I put on weight with them, or maybe it is just eating away my depression?? I'd say to follow your doctors orders. Even if the xanax is helping you, being addicted to it is not worth it. You will lose the weight anyway...it may just take longer.

I take several meds f0r bipolar and for atrial fibrillations, about ten pills a day. I was freaked out so I talked to my pharmacist before surgery and she made several suggestions for substitutions. However, my meds are so finally balance, I didn't want to take a risk, so I just tried swallowing them and they went down fine. The biggest one, Depakote 500, I still cut in half...but I only take 250, so I would be doing that anyway. Point it, you may want to try getting different forms in the early days, but unless they are big old horse pills you should be able to get them down.

I had a two-week liquid diet before surgery and then only clear liquids for 3 days before. I cheated a few times during the liquid phase and once early in the clear liquids. I was freaked out so I talked to my bariatric coordinator and she said not to worry, she wouldn't encourage doing anymore, but as long as I did clear liquids for 24 hours before the surgery and used milk of magnesia to clean me out beforehand I would be fine. That being said, the pre-op diet is there as much to start getting you in the right mind frame for after banding as much as it is to help you lose weight and shrink your liver. I'd try to stick to it until your surgery, because there are some tough times after as your baby stomach gets used to new foods. Hope that helps!

I'm so excited for you! I made it to wonderland about 3 years ago...I think I was at 199 for about five minutes before the weight started coming back. Isn't it great to know that our lap bands give us a fighting chance to never have to being a deuce again??? Again, my congrats....I can't wait to join you!

My family and I are spending a weekend at the beach house. These trips have always been full of food...going out to great little restaurants, barbecuing, eating snacks at the beach all day. Needless to say, it will really put my new lifestyle to the test. So far, I've been able to eat everything with no problems and sickness whatsoever but have made the right choices in terms of amounts and foods, which may be why. Normally that would be good, but I'm concerned that not experiencing any of those typical side effects will hurt my willpower. I could really use some words of wisdom and support as I launch into my first real trial. BTW - I was banded March 31, and have lost a total of 32 pounds pre and post surgery.

I'm the same way. I'm just over three weeks post op and everything I've tried has gone right down with no problems. But if I eat past full or too fast, I definitely know it froma pianful lump in my mid-back and burpy gas. When I read about all the people on here who have real problems with a lot of food, I feel lucky. But then again, I think it may be a bad thing because I eat things I shouldn't without any real consequences....I'm afraid to go back to old habits. And willpower is not my strong suit...if it was, I wouldn't be here taking about my lapband!:thumbup:

I use bariatric advantage calcium citrate supplements. They are chewable and come in cinnamon, which I love. You can find them online. They also have multi vites and iron (I use them as well)

Gerbera - I have the same concerns. First off, I'm with Kaiser, so its different than just a regular "pay your money and go anywehre you want" plan. Kaiser didn't deny me, they just don't do lapband and I wasn't a candidate for gastric bypass. I asked the director of the bariatrics program, who is a friend, the same question. She said that if you are having complications, they have to cover it. But then I started thinking, if Kaiser doesn't do lapbands,then do I want one of their doctors or surgeons who know nothing about lapband to try and deal with any serious complications. I have an appointment with my surgeon next week and I'm going to ask him his opinion. I'll let you know.

I was banded on 3/31 and my first fill is next week, 4/29. I hope to get back some of the restriction I had when I first got banded.

Hi all - I had my surgery on March 31 and have no fill in my band. When I switched to solid food things were going well. I can eat everything with no problems (no PB, no sliming, no vomiting) I do eat a lot less and try to stay on the healthy side. In the last few days however, I am eating a LOT more and craving the foods I used to eat. I have my first fill scheduled for 4/29 and don't quite know what to expect afterwards. I understand the process, as I had an unfill the day after surgery (3 cc to none.) But what will happen after? Will I have to fight the horrible gas bubbles and pain I had at 3 cc post-op? Will it keep my appetite more in control? I haven't lost anything this week, but have lost 34 pounds since surgery so I can't complain...but I'm just so frustrated to feel like I may be failing my band.