Chatis36

I had similar problems. I would start to fall asleep and would suddenly wake up choking and it was always liquid. I have to drink Water before going to bed because I take a sleep aid and it would just be a struggle. I would dread night time because I knew what was coming. I also started getting really sick with coughs and chest/throat soreness all the time. Finally I went back to see the doctor and he ordered an upper GI test. It turns out that my band was so tight that the space for food to go through was the width of a hair! When I got to my surgeon's office with the results of the test, the nurse heard me talk and commented that I sounded very hoarse, and that the band was probably too tight (I guess that's a symptom). For some reason, even though the dr. only did two fills, and very small ones at that, it was too much. He had to remove all the filling and that finally helped with the night time choking. You should contact your doctor and let the staff there know what's going on. They've heard it all before and can probably give you ideas on what to do and you can both decide if a test is needed. Unfortunately for me, although the unfilling helped, I had way too many other issues going on and decided to have the band removed. My surgery removal was two weeks ago and I am still recovering but I think I rather do it on my own. Good luck to you and I hope you find some relief soon. Sarah

Hello Everyone, I had my surgery on Tuesday, August 18, and I've also had my share of good and bad hours/days. The day of the surgery wasn't so bad, mainly because I was so medicated. :biggrin: The day after surgery, we drove home (about two hours from the surgery center) and that was not fun at all. My torso and upper back hurt so bad that I did not know what to do, I felt like I was going crazy! Once we got home, I was still in a lot of pain and after taking the meds and not getting any relief, I called the Dr. and he prescribed Tylenol with Codine which worked a bit better. I had trouble with nausea when drinking the medications (sickenly sweet) but am glad that I did not get sick. It was one of the things that terrified me the most about this whole process. The third day was so much better and I was very happy thinking that I was out of the woods. Unfortunately, on the fourth day (yesterday) I woke with a terrible belly ache. I figured that I was constipated and took the medicine I was given, which made me feel nauseated.:crying: I had the runs really bad and I couldn't figure out why since I wasn't eating anything but full liquids. Maybe it was because I stopped taking the pain meds or maybe my body is just adjusting to all the changes...? I did not have a good night's sleep last night and was exhausted all day today (I also had the runs again:angry:). I felt really weak and tired, and did not start to feel somewhat normal until this afternoon, after I took a two-hour nap. I was supposed to return to work tomorrow, but I've decided to take two more days off. Thank God my boss is so understanding.:crying: I think that I need to eat more but nothing I am allowed to eat is appetizing (I've been craving Pasta like crazy though!). Tomorrow I can start eating mushies so I hope that this will give me more energy (mashed potatoes sound really good right now:drool:). I also haven't had that "full" feeling yet but I'm making sure to eat just a little at a time. I even bought baby bowls and tiny spoons which really help me keep my portions small. It's pretty funny to see me sitting down at the table with my sippy cups and my tiny dishes and spoons.:ohmy: I am trying to stay positive and keep telling myself that this was a surgery and I need to give my body time to heal so it can work. Good luck to everyone and sorry for the long post.

Hello Everyone, I've been lurking around for a couple of weeks and finally decided to introduce myself. I am scheduled for surgery in less than two weeks and am starting to get bit nervous and at the same time really excited. My surgeon will be Dr. Kirshenbaum in Aurora, CO, and the process so far has been very quick and easy. I am self-pay so that may have something to do with it...:confused: I had my phone consultation with the nutritionist today and she was so very nice. She really eased my concerns and answered all my questions, even the silly ones:tongue2:. I cannot wait to start my new life with the band. I am hoping that with the weight loss I will be able to improve my health and have a normal life, finally! I am so glad to have found this website. I've learned a lot from reading the experiences/suggestions from those who've already gone through the process. They make it easier for those of us just starting out. Thank you for your support and I will keep you updated on my progress.