Drasan

I can't believe it .. Not again!! Yes, I tried eating again and I'm stuck! Soft scrambled eggs, small bites, chew, chew, chew ... and I'm stuck ... again!!! Should I have gone back to liquids for a day before trying solid food again after being stuck? This seriously hurts.

OK, it's been about an hour and a half and I'm still stuck, but the pain has lightened up. I'm still slimming but not as badly. Reverie, I've taken your advice of jumping and moving around and it seemed to help! Wow, in fact, even as I'm typing I'm feeling relief. NEVER AGAIN!! That was painful and miserable. I can't imagine that happening at a restaurant. I think I formed bad habits during the past 8 months when I haven't had the restriction I've heard everyone talk about. I've been playing around with the same 5 pound for the past 8 months. I've been frustrated with having little to no restriction. So my surgeon tightened me up under xray, using flouroscopy. I have restriction now!!!! My surgeon said "I've fine tuned your piano, now it's up to you to learn how to play it." I think I just played a bad chord! Lesson learned the hard way!!!! whoa small bites chew, chew, chew Thanks for your comments. Trish, I'm going to pick up some papaya enzyme. The stuck episode is over. Hopefully, never to happen again. Let the weight loss begin!

Binging might be too extreme a word for some of the behavior I'm reading in this thread. Binging is usually associated with eating disorders and is followed by an episode of purging. A typical binge episode might include an entire cake, an entire full size bag of potato chips, a roasted chicken, more or less. That's a binge. I know, because I used to do it. I do not binge like that any more. It's been 10's of years since I've done that and believe me, the psychiatrist and I had a few good talks before he would approve my band surgery. I still have episodes like you're describing. It usually happens when I'm tired, stressed, procrastinating or bored. I can go for months of eating the way I should then I lose control and eat poorly for days or weeks. I've been seeing a nutritionist, but honestly, I KNOW what I'm supposed to eat. What I need is behavior modification. Would that be a psychiatrist or are there specialists out there who can counsel banders with bad habits? Thanks for a great thread ECK!

Hi FayfayE! The affects of flying and our experiences with the band are more than just a rumor. I have first hand experience which has varied from one flight to another. As others have mentioned, air pressure and altitude can affect the outcomes. The rate of ascent and descent will affect the air pressure in the airplane's cabin. The cabin is also pressurized differently, depending on the age of the plane. This is one reason we are all having different experiences from one flight to the next. My surgeon has helped me to resolve possible issues by instructing me not to eat anything 1 hour before the flight and to only sip liquids during flight. If you're interested, there is another thread you can read, "Flying, Cabin Pressure and the Band." Don't let this deter anyone from traveling, the issues are easily managed! Happy flights!

I've been avoiding the forums because I feel ashamed. I haven't lost any weight in over 6 months. I've been going in for fills but I haven't felt the restriction I did after surgery when I actually lost weight. Most days I still have a positive attitude, hoping the restriction will come with the next fill and then when it doesn't, I hope it will be the next one after that. Some days, like today, I'm not doing so well with my attitude. I didn't get myself where I am because I'm a good dieter and a sensible eater. I need the band to help me and it's not. When I try to eat the way I should be eating with the band, I find myself white knuckling it then giving in with a vengeance. I'm feeling defeated.

I want to update my attitude. I posted in the Post Surgery Forum but I think I owe this group an update too. I have my head on straight again. I look at everybody's weight loss and I have to admit, I feel a little envy, but I also feel like mine will come. Hope is back. I'm eating right .. mostly. I still slip on occasion but I am doing better. Best news ever! I had a new sleep study test and I no longer have sleep apnea! No more Cpap machine! The way I look at it, I just lost 5 lbs of equipment! That counts right? Yay!!!!

Wow! I stopped looking at the forums after I posted. I expected that nobody would post to my thread. I was THAT down! Thank you to everyone for your posts and your encouraging words! This really is a great forum. I think one reason I was so down on myself is because I was ridiculously out of control over the holidays. Ok, so I took my big girl pill (a metaphor not real drugs) and recommitted .. again! I want to address some of your comments. Thanks again for them btw. - My surgeon pulls all the Fluid out before every fill to make sure there is not a leak, so I know I'm good there. I'm just under 6 cc's in a 10 cc band. - I know what restriction feels like, I had great restriction following surgery for nearly 3 months without PBing or other issues and I experienced wonderful weight loss. I want to get that feeling back and I'm not there yet. Today, I am hopeful, I believe I will get that same feeling of restriction again. I have an appointment with my surgeon tomorrow. - I have kept all the weight off that I've lost. That's something to be happy about. Now I have a lot of POSITIVE things to report. I lost sight of some of these when I was having my pity party. - I have been taken off medication for joint pain. - I have been taken off medication for asthma. -I have been taken off medication for high cholesterol. - I had another sleep study test done last week. NO more sleep apnea!! AND I've been taken off the Cpap machine. NO more Cpap machine! This is huge! HUGE! - My surgeon referred me to a new nutritionist whom I've seen twice now. I'm really connecting with her and I'm finding my visits to be very helpful. So .. maybe the weight loss has slowed to a stop, but my health is improving. I actually think when I weigh in tomorrow, I will show a weight loss. Thank you again everybody for helping me to get my head back on straight!

I've been avoiding the forums because I feel ashamed. I haven't lost any weight in over 6 months. I've been going in for fills but I haven't felt the restriction I did after surgery when I actually lost weight. Most days I still have a positive attitude, hoping the restriction will come with the next fill and then when it doesn't, I hope it will be the next one after that. Some days, like today, I'm not doing so well with my attitude. I didn't get myself where I am because I'm a good dieter and a sensible eater. I need the band to help me and it's not. When I try to eat the way I should be eating with the band, I find myself white knuckling it then giving in with a vengeance. I'm feeling defeated.

As bearers of lap-bands, do we need to carry a medical card to get through security at the airport? Any information about this will be greatly appreciated. I plan to travel soon.

I'm such a baby. I was so scared to have my first fill. I told the surgeon I was more afraid of getting the fill than I was of having the surgery. I HATE needles. Well, it didn't hurt! Let me say that again, It Did NOT Hurt!! So for any of you other babies or scaredy cats out there, like me, I thought I would pass this along. First fill today and it DID NOT HURT! Yes, I'm dancing! woot!

The first fill varies greatly for each person. Some people actually get a fill at surgery, some 2 weeks post-surgery, some 4 weeks, 6 weeks, etc. My surgeon told me that he had one patient who didn't need a fill until 9 months post-op! I got my first fill at 4 1/2 months post-op. You and your surgeon will be able to determine when you need your first fill. A great indicator is how your weight loss is progressing. Good luck!

I too have been losing my hair. It started at about 3 months post-op and is continuing. I'm almost 5 months post-op now. I've been told by the RN who runs our support group that this is to be expected and that it should taper off after about 6 months post-op. The hair will grow back for most people over the period of the next 6-12 months. My beautician, bless her heart, was pulling all my hair that fell out off her hands after washing it and told me she sees this all the time with post-surgery patients of all types and that their hair has grown back. That was reassuring to hear. I did lose my hair in this same way after child birth and it grew back. So I'm feeling pretty optimistic.

I just had my first fill today and I was SCARED! I told my surgeon I was more afraid of having a fill than I was of surgery, well, not really but I was SCARED! My surgeon was great. He showed me everything he was going to use and explained it to me. He told me that there aren't as many nerves in our tummy so it doesn't hurt like when blood is drawn. He had me do a practice run, breath in and bear down, then on the second time, in went the needle! I'm here to tell you it didn't hurt! Not even a little and he got the needle in the first time, withdrew the teeny amount of Fluid that was in my band then filled it with 3 ccs. I can only tell you my experience. It's hard to make recommendations because I've not experienced it all. Good luck! Oh, and it doesn't hurt!! Yay!

I'm 4.5 months out and I sometimes get that pain as well. Usually if I've been sitting awkwardly or sometimes I just get it. I assume it's associated with the port/tubing/band. I massage the area with my fingers or palm of my hand and it seems to help it go away.

Has anybody had, or heard of, cabin pressure in an airplane affecting the band, the tubing or the port or all of the above? I just got back from a trip and I'm having a lot of pain in the areas of my port, tubing and band. I'm wondering if there is any connection. If this has happened to anybody else, does the pain go away eventually? I'm not sure if I should call my surgeon over this. Suggestions please?

Another Update Pain is gone today! My surgeon called me first thing this morning and advised that I not eat 1 hour before flying and to not eat during flying from now on. I had no idea. I hope this information helps other fellow travelers to avoid the possibilty of discomfort like, I experienced. For those of you who are considering a band. Don't let this thread scare you. I still love my band and would not change my decision to have it.

Update I put a call into my surgeon but probably too late in the day. I think his office had already closed. I still have pain but I'm not as concerned with it as I am with what might be causing it. This wasn't my first flight since getting my band. I had a long flight 6 weeks after surgery, no fill. I had no issues, no problems. Now I'm 4 months out still with no fills but this time, like I posted, I'm experiencing problems. I had never heard of problems with flying, not one word was mentioned to me, ever. So this has caught me by surprise. It's helping me to get some feedback from everyone who has posted. Now that I think about it, it only stands to reason that the band, tubing and port could be affected by the air pressure in the cabin of a plane. The rate of ascent and descent will affect the pressure in the cabin. The cabin is also pressurized differently, depending on the age of the plane. So it only stands to reason that we are all having different experiences, even from one flight to the next. Thanks to all who have posted! To those just reading this, please add your two cents.

Wow! I was just coming to the site to see if I could get answers before making a call to my doctor. And here is a thread with the exact question I was having! Thanks Sockmonkey! I'm 4 months out and I've experienced port pain at different times. Once after I sat in an odd position for a long period of time, when I stood up .. ouch! I rubbed and massage where the pain was at the port and that seemed to help it go away. Now I'm having pain around the port again and maybe even where the tubing is. I just got back from a quick weekend away. I traveled by air. I had no pain on my trip but awakened this morning with pretty bad pain. It won't go away. It may even be getting worse. It's been about 9 hours now. I keep wondering if the airplane cabin pressure could affect the port/tubing/band, sort of like it affects the ears. Should I give it more time or be concerned?

Can somebody tell me the advantage of drinking a Protein shake rather than eating real food that is high in protein (for those of us on solids)? It seems like a lot of people are doing this. Am I missing something? I thought that real food will stay in the pouch and help us to feel full, while a shake will just slip right through. I would love to hear the pros and cons. Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your posts. I know that my surgeon told me to drink only non caloric fluids and to stay away from slider foods such as shakes. So I've been confused by all the posts and enthusiasm about shakes and wondered if I was missing something. I can see that this journey becomes individualized.

Lady Lap Band, I have to chuckle when I read your posts. I too swore to my pulmonologist that I would NOT wear a cpap machine. I only have mild sleep apnea and do not feel tired in the mornings. When I did the sleep test with the machine, the technician had to help me remake my bed after I threw a fit. After many hours of struggle, I finally sat up on the edge of the bed, the technician came in and I said, "Just pull the plug and let me die." My pulmonologist is a sweetheart and patiently explained the possible outcomes if I didn't comply, the possibility of a stroke being one of them. I am terrified of strokes. That cinched it for me and I decided to give it a try. I wouldn't wear the machine until my husband feel asleep. Then I would curl up on my side with the blankets covering me so he couldn't see me looking freaky and cry myself to sleep. Some nights neither one of us slept because I was not adjusting well. Finally, I started falling asleep and sleeping through the night. It took me about 2 weeks of struggle. Then, I decided I needed to get over myself and started laughing about it. I offered alien sex to my husband (cause I think I look like an alien in it) hehe. Laughing certainly helped ease my stress over it. OK .. all that being said. I CANNOT WAIT to lose this machine. I still pretty much hate it. If I still need something after I lose the weight, I will be getting a dental appliance. My pulmonologist tells me they can be quite affective. Oh and my pulmonologist came to the hospital after surgery to make sure my machine was set up and working. There are alternatives. Look into sleep apnea dental appliances and ask your doctor about that option.

I'm so sorry to hear that your first visit following surgery went badly. Did you see a nutritionist before surgery or did your surgeon give you a schedule of what you should eat following surgery? If you still have questions, call the surgeon's office and ask that he/she return your call. If the nurse returns the call, tell him/her that you really need to speak with the surgeon, be firm. Have your questions ready. Regarding medication. I was given a pill cutter while recovering in the hospital to bring home with me, you can purchase these at any pharmacy. I was told to swallow nothing larger than an m&m. Good luck and gentle hugs.

Bras. They're expensive and as we lose weight they don't fit, like all our clothes. I don't want to buy new ones that aren't going to fit next month only to be repeated again. What to do? Any suggestions?

Hang in there! I know from previous diets that our bodies hit plateaus and it seems like nothing we do changes the outcome. BUT give it time and like vlp posted, try to change things up if for no other reason than to make things more interesting for yourself. You will start losing again if you hang in there. Let your body catch up! Smile whether you feel like it or not. I don't know why that works for me but it does lift my spirits. Good luck, keep us posted!