a-newme

It's okay.... no big deal! My doctor says for me to eat soft foods that evening and them I am set. Otherwise, don't go home and eat a steak sandwhich. He has also said to avoid scratchy foods for a day or so.... Remember.... CHEW, CHEW, CHEW AND THEN CHEW SOME MORE!!!! I have found that 45 years of bad habits are hard to break. I constantly have to worry about chewing and eatting to fast. I have finally been able to go for days with out a PB! But it's tough....

Not sure how big your company is, but you might ask if you have an insurance broker... I work in HR, and sometimes, the insurance broker can get answers from the insurance company that I can't. If you work for a large company, this might be harder to do, than if it is a smaller company. For larger companies, it is usually up to the employer as to whether gastro surgery is covered. My insurance has it excluded as coverage. I had to self pay. If it comes down to that, I would choose a dr that includes fills with his surgical fee.

I have had a simular problem. One day I can eat just fine and then not... It's almost like it is swollen. I am very tight, but not too tight. But like you there are days, that everything seems to come back up. On those days, I will resort to a high Protein drink. The too tight days are getting less and less... I'm under the impression that as I loose weight that my band will loosen as the fat around my tummy decreases. I talked with my surgeon and we both agreed, just to let me be very tight and to naturally let the band looses and I loose weight. Best wishes and hope if gets better... did for me.

The key: CHEW, CHEW,CHEW AND STILL MORE CHEWING! I get stuck on a regular basis... 45 years of bad habits are hard to break. I have to say that it is less and less that I get stuck. I think when you are hungry and you take the first bite of food, that is the worse.... It basically spoils the entire meal, if you get stuck in the first 2 bites! Take care and it will work itself out. p

I am very tight and am only eating maybe 1/2 cup at a time. What amazes me, is how much I use to eat. Let's say we would go out for Mexican food. After binging on at least 1 basket of chips, it would be followed by 1 Taco, 2 enchiladas and Beans & rice. Now I go and order an enchilada and then I won't eat the entire thing. This will then last me until the next meal. I look at other peoples plates thinking: "How do they eat that? Where does it all go?" Plus, I am finding that snacking has completely gone by the wayside. So, like you I am finding the concept of eating only when hungry a novelty, along with eating only until I'm full.... p

I too have struggled with chewing.... I have 45 years of shoveling food in and eating as fast as I can. That is most likely one of the major reason for being in this position today. Like many of the previous posters, I urge you to work on the chewing smaller and slower bite now. I count it a victory if I eat a meal without getting stuck or eating so fast, that I don't realize until it too late that I've eaten too much. Keep up the good work and it will payoff! p

Firefly, I like to relate lost weight to things that you can actually visulize or touch.... So, you have lost: 1. One 30 pound bag of dog food 2. 120 cubes of butter 3. 6 -- 5 pound bags of flour Also, remember that everytime the scale drops.... you will never see that pound go back on!!! This weight is off for the rest of your life... no more Yo-Yo dieting. Keep up the good work. p

Hey congradualtions on actually working out!!! I need to get back to the gym and walking and just haven't been motivated to do it. GOOD JOB!!! Keep it up!

I am also right where you are.... I always feel that it is a victory if I can eat without any blocking pain and pb. I have an appointment with my DR on the 14th... He may want to take a little out, but I'm okay with that, because I am loosing weight fairly quickly right now and over the long haul, I think it would be too fast. Buy like you, I keep pondering wether I'm too tight... seems like I reach the conclusion that I need to go in for an ajdustment, and then the next day I've loosened up and seem to have no problems, only to feel really tight a day or so later. It's kind of frustrating to not know for sure if it is just right or not... Just thought I would send a note and let you know that you are not in this alone. p

Background: My surgery was 04/23 and I had my first fill on 06/02 of 1 cc with no restriction. Went in on 06/09 for another 1 cc with slightly more restriction but not enough. So on 06/19 I went in once more for .7 cc and had restriction. Everything has been going fine, I've been eating abou 3/4 cup of food and loosing an average of 1 pound a day. That part is exciting.... especially after 3 weeks of no weight loss. I don't expect this rate of weight loss to continue, but I'll take it while I can. :thumbup: Problem: Both yesterday and today, my restriction is greater and liquids are having problems getting through. Because I'm having problems I decided to try some protien drinks for a bit. I can hear it gurgle as it goes through the band. Has this happened anyone else, where restriction was just right and then all of a sudden you are really really tight? Should I go in and have some taken out or will it loosen up on it's own? Thanks for the input! p

Thank you all for your input. Things seem to be better today. I'm back to eating, but eating slowly and taking small bites, which is what I need to be doing anyway I'm going away this evening for a long weekend, and think I should be fine. I have an appointment to see my Dr. on 07/14/09 for another adjustment, but I will call sooner if I need too. I know I'm possibly a little tight right now, but I'm hoping that has I loose weight that it will loosen up.

I am also new at this, but if I was you I would go in for another fill. From what understand, as you loose weight you also loose fat around your tummy and your band loosens up. That is why you need to go in and get maintenance fills after you start loosing weight. So, my suggest is.... go see your doctor! Good luck and keep up the good work.

Every Doctor is different, but my DR waited until 6 weeks before he would fill and then he only put in 1 cc. I took his advice though and went back for two more fills until I had restriction. He said that if I didn't notice a change to come back earlier than 6 weeks for additional fills. It appears that the filling of each lapband is different and basically a guessing game.

Lindsey, I think being discouraged is typical and I think you are just worried about the changes that are going to be happening in your life. I felt bad for my husband, because especially at first when I was on a liquid/mushy food diet, he "lost" his eating partner. Once you are back on real food, socially things should get better. Reach out to your best friend and make sure she understands that just because you made this life changing decision, your relationship is the same. The price of this surgery does not have to be about loosing friends!!! YES this is a life changing event. I am new to this too, but these changes that we are going to make are for the best! Just think you will have more energy and feel so much better once you get to the top of the mountan that we are climbing. Take care and as we say here in Seattle: "keep smiling at the rain" p

Hey... if I could tolerate bread, I too would love to eat it. Occasionally, I will take a pinch, but that is about all I can tolerate. After my second fill, I thought that I could have a piece of pita pizza... big mistake, I would eat it and PB it, and then try try again... I'm a little on the stubborn side.... As far as the sweet spot... I think I finally hit it after 3 fills. I can now get full with out getting "stuck" and I'm loosing weight. I now eat about 1 cup of food and I'm done. If you don't feel that your restriction is right, my advice is to go back to your doctor and get it tweaked. Take care and good luck :blushing:

I too can sympathize. I have lost 9 pounds since my surgery on 04/23. For the last three weeks I haven't lost any weight. I'm going in for my 3rd fill today. Hopefully it will be the right amount. Keep smiling and trooping on, it will come off eventually. p

I was banded on 04/23/09, and had one fill on 06/02/09 of 1 cc and went back in on 06/09/09 for a second 1cc. If I can get through a meal without pain, (i.e. getting stuck) i am exstatic. I'm not sure if I'm making just wrong choices, not chewing enough or if I'm too tight. For example tonight, I made a chicken cassarole planning only in eating the meat and veggies. I was starving, so I think I ate the meat too fast... I then spent the rest of dinner, pacing the hall and listening to my husband tell me that it was the wrong thing to eat. The chicken was breast meat, but it wasn't tough or dry. If I eat a meal where I don't get stuck, I am eating about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food.... Your advice and input would be greatly appreciated!! p

I got sick from either stomach flu or food poisening a week ago. I don't have complete restriction yet, but nothing would come up through the band. I ended up laying there in misery waiting for it to go through my system. So, I've been wondering the same thing? What does happen? Fortunetly my problem was not ongoing. p

I have also decided that bread just doesn't work for me. The PB/Blocks are so painful, it's not worth it. The other day, I thought I would try a pita pizza, thinking that it really didn't have a thick crust. I would eat a bit and get blocked, yet to try and try again... I am stuborn, but finally realized that bread is no longer an option for me... I have had two fills of 1 cc each (06/02 & 06/09) and am headed back into to the dr. in two days for a 3rd fill. Good luck to you!! p

90% of the meal is protien... (ie, hamburger, steak, chicken, eggs) maybe a little veggie thrown in, plus I am waiting 1 hour before drinking beverage. I'm schedule to see Dr's assistant on Friday for another fill.

Thank you again, for your replies. I am getting stuck less often now, but I haven't lost any weight for for 3 weeks... I eat about 1 1/2 cups, and am hungry in about 2 to 3 hours. So, now I'm thinking I need to call and have another fill. Hopefully, I have learned something about chewing and what I can or can not eat, so that after this next fill I won't have to go through the learning process so much. It is encoraging to know that I'm not the only one out there with this problem. p

It amazes me that you have gone this long without getting stuck. Congradulations.... I must be a really slow learner, because I get suck way too often. I think I'm chewing, but must not be enough. On top of that I'm not loosng weight. So, I am in a pondery about calling for another fill. So far I've had 2 fills at 1 cc each. Keep chewing... p

You might try the Kellogs Special K protien drinks. My kids discovered them, when I was on protien drinks, went to the fridge to get my lunch and they were all gone!!!

Thank you all for your response... it is encouraging to know that I'm not the only one... I did great at lunch today... no pain. YEAH!!! we ate out and I ordered steamed clams... You have to eat those slowly... LOL... p

I too was very sleepy for days after surgery... Are you still taking pain meds? Once I got off the meds, I was fine. Plus, I have had several surgeries, and just the surgical process and all the drugs that are in your body takes a toll on it... If you haven't stop the pain meds... I would do it!! Take care and good luck. p