Timah85

I was the exact same way when I had my surgery date set! We tried a different resturaunt every night. I ate anything and everything I craved. Like everyone's saying...the craving subside, and soon enough you'll be craving proteins. Im bad and eat whatever I crave..but bread is NOT as easy as it was when I first got the band. But, I can say, I don't crave that as much and I was like you, didn't even notice when I would eat it. Good Luck!!

I can definitely relate! My husband and I LOVE eating out and trying new places. My Band...does not. The second we sit to eat, I get stuck...The only thing I've been 'ok' with eating have been onion rings and salads on occasion.. The second I get home with my left overs...I can eat just fine. I guess it's a blessing in disguise?:thumbup:

Here I go on my rant... I just passed my one year anniversary (may 5th 2009) of having my band. I love the tool I was given, I love the results, I love the "discipline". I have lost almost 79lbs, and very close to my goal. I HATE THE ROLLERCOASTER! Everyday is a mystery for me. It's very odd, during my work week, I can eat, my usual restriction, never really any stuck episodes. Come the weekend...I'll be lucky if I can even drink my coffee in the morning. I'm so miserable all the time. This weekend was worse and started on Friday. Ofcourse, I started my monthly curse, so I knew I was going to be a lot tighter. Took it really easy, stayed mostly on mushies and chips/crackers of some sort. (crackers and chips are the easiest things to go down.) Well come Friday, for lunch tried having tuna on ritz crackers...no luck. Saturday, nada, sunday a few tortilla chips and salsa...nothing else. then at night, thinking it might work, I tried apple sauce...It came back up...with it..blood. :biggrin: I don't know what is going on. I'm extremely frustrated, and just wanting to call it quits. I've come a long way, and lost a lot without any effort, which Im happy with. I'm to the point, I just want to get a complete unfill. Not sure what I should do. If you've gotten this far, thanks for letting me vent and feel sorry for myself.

Just saw the posts about the water intake...I agree with you. It's been weird with me tho, since during the day, I don't drink very much water just my usual coffee at my desk until it's lunch time. I thought maybe it's because on the weekends Im not rushing to get ready and doing things right off the bat. I do wake up same time if not earlier. Who knows, just need to keep a positive attitude and be happy with what I have lost...

Thank you all! Today has been a bit better. I'm starving, but I feel better and have managed to get little things down. Luckily I stocked up on V8 just the other day. I think I've come to the decision of having a slight unfill however. I can’t keep doing this every weekend. Jacqui, I think you're right, I will most likely lose weight with the unfill, just due to my eating habits now. To be honest, I’ve never eaten completely “healthy” and I definitely don't work out, but after really feeling miserable, it threw my butt into gear. I'm going this weekend to get my gym membership again, and we’re throwing out all junk food and replacing it with healthier choices. No more messing around for me. Thanks again for the feedback everyone J

Im in for 20lbs! First time doing a challenge, this will give me some encouragement! GOOD LUCK ALL!

Oie! That really sucks, Im sorry... I don't have a hard time at all bringing it back up, (not sure if that's a good thing or not:wink2:) here's my trick, so hopefully it helps you! standing straight up, you bend your upper body down towards your legs. Almost like your bodys' an upside down V if that makes any sense? That will always help it come up for me. For others I've heard it helps the food move along and pass thru... Good Luck!

As for smoking....My doctor says the same as the other's that have replied. It doesn't effect the band, just your health in general. as for the port hurting. Mine still hurts and I was banded in May '09. My mom was banded almost 5 years ago, and still hurts. your body is shifting with your weight loss, and since that is stitched in, it's also moving too. When i notice I've lost more weight in my stomach, that's when I feel the pain the most. Good luck!

Mimi, I thought that too, until at one point, I couldn't drink Water, yet a piece of cheesecake went down oh so smoothly! I have trouble with this too, since there's times, I'm a lot more restricted then usual, so I resort to sweets for the day . I would be very interested in knowing the answer to this as well...

I felt exactly how you feel after I had my surgery... I have NO tolerence for pain whatsoever, and was given a lot of meds but didnt do anything. I also suggest LOTS of walking..I had to walk 3 hours after my surgery it was so uncomfortable... Also, if you can get someone to give you a somewhat deep tissue massage on that side, and on your back..it works wonders. Gas X and mylanta didnt do anything for me either. It will pass eventually! Sorry for your pain, hope you feel better soon!!

This might seem like a dumb question, but here I go... Im not sure why we have to have several fills....does the Fluid in our band leak somehow and cause us to have less restriction? Does it stretch? I had my first fill a few months ago and have a lot of restriction still, however, when I was talking to my fill doctor she said she would probably expect me back for a second fill around September/October...Yet, I don't feel any change since I saw her last, so Im curious as to what would cause me to need another fill. Thanks in advance for your answers!

Thanks Caramia =) Lana, I agree...the pineapple juice was one of the only sips of any liquid that "kinda" stayed down..plus it tastes good! crzytchr..yeah Im not sure...I know that the day after my surgery he put in 2 cc's...and then my second fill was only .6 cc....unless one of the two doctors completely dropped the ball on the paperwork, which to me seems like the only logical explanation. Eh, who knows...Im not complaining now that im completely unfilled...starting fresh next week~

I want to know if anyone else has had this issue and what you have done, besides getting an unfill... I have not been able to eat and can barely keep my liquids down for the last 5 days...regardless of the time of day, what Im eating or drinking (besides hot tea...that goes down ok)...nothings really working. I have to sip on my Water...1/2 a tsp at a time and wait otherwise its stuck. Tried mushies, sat on one TINY bite for over an hour...didn't stay down... I have not had a fill recently and prior to this last week my restriction has been perfect, I only have 2.6 cc's in a 10ml band. I tried calling my doctor, who wasn't in, but spoke to his assistant and she believes I may have gotten a piece of meat stuck? She suggested to go on liquids for 7 days, so that it can pass thru. This somewhat made sense, since I do feel like I've had a ball stuck in my throat as they say...She told me to call back on Wednesday and let them know how it's going with the liquids and to talk to the doc. I've also heard on here that during the menstrual cycle around your band is tighter? This is the first time this has happened to me, and I think it's a coincidence that its the same time...but my concern too is I was given percocet for pain (pms) and I heard that some meds cause swelling around the band? Sorry for the rambling, really just worried it's not going to get better and not sure if Im having such trouble because it is food that's stuck or just all that's happened with my health and me trying to eat is causing it to be worse... For once Im not happy about the weight I've lost, (although 15 lbs in a week may be great) It's not the way I wanted to lose it :biggrin: Any advice is very much appreciated!!!

Thanks Caramia! We just got back and I had a complete unfill..the second she took a little out, she said she could hear my stomach allowing whatever was in my pouch in...(I was trying to drink Water right before =/ ) She said I was extremely swollen...she wasn't able to tell if I had someting stuck and blocking everything...Im on liquids for another 24 hours.. She wants me back next friday or saturday for a fill to see if I can handle it and how I'm doing... Here's another question, I might post this as another thread...The last fill I had was only 0.6 cc...I had 2 cc's in it before...so...today, she took out 3.75cc???? How is that even possible? btw...my bands maximum is 4cc, no more...which I was thinking may be the possible reason it was so freakin tight....Have you guys ever heard of that? :blushing:

I don't know how you did it for 12 days?? It's good to hear someone else had the same symptoms...I hope I can figure out tomorrow why this is happening...since I haven't had a fill in about 3 months, that's ruled out..I think! eh, who knows...but if I do a complete unfill, that's fine with me...I can let the swelling go down, relax my band and my mind..this has made me EXTREMELY anxious...and well...depressed:frown:. Tomorrow's a new day tho! Thanks for sharing with me, I appreciate it!

So..I went and purchased the papaya enzyme early this morning...it was the first thing that stayed down! (They were chewable tablets, so I guess not much of a surprise...yet my Flinstones Vitamins wont..=/ ) The guy working there, said you can take up to two tablets with every meal? To me that seemed a little much, especially since Im such a worry-wart about things that arent approved by the FDA...He said all his customers love it for digestion, etc. Unfortunately, it did not do anything for my situation...and today, everythings getting worse...Im extremely lethargic, ridiculously thirsty... Sounds gross Im sure..(its my body and it's grossing me out...) My saliva is even getting stuck and even crazier..foaming! SO Im giving up on the waiting game..one week of no food is enough... Thanks anyway for the advice guys, but tomorrow morning my amazing husband is driving me to my fill doctor who is at her other office 3 hours away...not in town until the 11th, so he's refusing to wait and taking me to her! Time for an unfill and to catch up on my water!! Tomorrow can't come any faster, that's for sure :thumbup: Have a good evening everyone!

yeah Im definitely going to try the Papaya Enzyme...might as well buy some pineapple juice while Im at it! I've been drinking Simply Orange for the last hour, thinking it might help..who knows! Restless, I hope that miracle happens! Thanks Delma for letting me know about your friend...she's strong to have put up with it for 2 weeks....5 days is 5 days too much for me! If I don't see change in the next couple days then Im going to have to do fluro...Ive come too far to ruin my tool!

Thanks for the reply Restless... I understand and am well aware of staying hydrated and keeping down more than 64oz of Water, hence the reason I've been drinking a lot of hot tea since it's easiest. I'm just wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else and what they did...in this economy, especially being laid off...spending $190 to get an unfill, and going back and getting a fill for another $190 is going to be my last resort, especially since I was perfectly fine before hand. I too, haven't heard of being on liquids for a week, or even food getting stuck for over a week...I don't think I've had anything in the last couple weeks that got stuck..Im really good about what I eat and to chew it religiously.... What's the Papaya Enzyme, what does it do? Is this something you've tried before? Thanks, again.

Thanks everyone for the responses, it all makes sense now and helps a lot! Thanks, again =)

Wow, you look amazing! Thank you very much for sharing...it's posts like these that make the hard days better and give us all a reminder of why we made the decision to get the band. Thanks again and congrats!:thumbup:

Hey Nomebug, I definitely know how you feel! I tried a piece of chicken breast 2 days after my fill and it was awful... I was told by my fill doctor that after a fill you have to be on liquids for 24 hours, then soft "mushies" for 24 hours after that since it causes swelling and what not, now I know why...

You should be fine to have a cup of coffee, I was given a cup 2 days after my surgery by my nurse. I know the first couple days it should be decaf, not sure why, but Im almost 4 months post op and have atleast 2 cups a day, no problem!

Im so sorry you had to go thru that! I feel for you =( I hope your doctor doesn't suggest to remove your band....I don't think he will, but he may want to do a complete unfill so that you are able to eat more and get yourself healthy again.... Hope you feel better soon and keep us updated!

If I'm thinking of the same thing...My mom has this issue...When I got my band, my doctor did the fluro for her because she was telling him how everything is stuck, whether her band is at full compacity, or empty...and in the X-Ray it shows the esophogus stretching and overlapping over the band, making you feel like your food is stuck and takes twice as long to go down, or it comes right back up...it's just a matter of slowing down and waitng for your *small* bites to go down and not eating too much at one time. She had to go on liquids for a month to two months, to see if it goes back to normal. I hope this helps!

Here's the ticker site: www.tickerfactory.com when you input you're information it will give you a URL code to copy and paste. You can paste it into your signature when you edit your profile. Now...if only you were in Dubai...you wouldn't be so bored! It's beautiful over there...goodluck with everything!