Mickey527

I never was a diet soda fan because the sugars gave me terrible headaches but I do like a coke once in a while. I have been craving them alot lately and since I am doing so well I give in to cravings once in a while. I had about 2 oz of coke before dinner on Christmas when everyone else was having hor-dourves. I poured the soda and stirred it as much as I could to take out some carbonation. I then took sips and just let the flavor fill my mouth before swallowing. It went down great with no burping after and I was able to enjoy my coke. I may even have 4 oz for New Years Eve!

Why no straw? My Dr never told me to avoid straws. I drink my water/crystal light every day in a plastic bottle with an attached straw but I dont' get gas pains. Is it something only new banders have ot avoid?

LOL I can definately relate too. I have what some on these boards have called "First Bite Syndrome". My Dr said he has never heard of it but I have it. I was at Disney World eating the most delicious chicken and pasta dish. I was near the bathroom because I know I that first bite will come up, then I can eat whatever I want. I took the first bite, waited about 10 min and bam! it wanted out. I ran to the Bathroom only to see the yellow sign "Bathroom closed for cleaning" Of course I didn't know where the nearest one was, I had never eaten at this resort before, so I banged on the door, the lady said "closed" and I said I can't wait, I have to throw up NOW! She let me in and I did what I needed, rinsed my mouth, washed my face and hands and went back to the table and finished my delicious dinner.

I have to add another.. leftover shrimp. I went to Red Lobster the other day and ate about 1/2 of my meal. Well I have first bite syndrome so I ate a bite, waited about 20 min for it to come up then ate 1/2 my meal. I reheated the food in the microwave two days later and had the first bite and brought it up then had the 2nd, then the 3rd, then the 4th. then I brought it all up and saliva vomited for the next 4 hours. I broke a blood vessel in my eye from the retching. Ughhh! I had 1 cc removed the day I ate Red Lobster for the first time and thought I was ok with eating, but that first bite syndrome is killing me. I have gained 4 lbs because the only thing I can keep down are sweets (chocolate) and protein shakes so I am drinking them 4 times a day. I see the dr again on Tuesday and am ready to have the band removed, I can't take this first bite stuff anymore.

Please let us know what the Dr says. I am having the same problems and my Dr is mystified. I had 2 cc in my band,1 after 1 month then another in Dec. (Banded in Sept 2009) I lost the weight by watching everything I eat, and I cut out most sweets. Don't seem to crave them anymore which is great. For the past three months when I take the first bite I feel stuck and can't swallow even the saliva and have to bring up that food. It sometimes takes 30 minutes to get it up because I can't make myself vomit. I try drinking a big gulp of liquid and all that comes up is the liquid or saliva. Then I can eat the rest of my dinner without a problem but I am sick of eating cold food. Tuesday I had 1 cc taken out (so now I have 1 cc). I ate good Tuesday and Wednesday but last night I took one bite and brought up saliva for 3 hours. It was the worst night of my life, and I wound up breaking a few blood vessels in my eyes from the vomiting and now my eyes are bloodshot. I called my Dr and was told to do shakes for a few days and then back to soft, but I can't even stomach the shakes, my stomach feels so queasy.

I am a cancer survivor and had a TRAM flap,they took my stomach muscle to rebuild my breast, instant tummy tuck! but the chemo caused the tissue to fail so they had to debride most of it so I went from a 38D to about a 36AA. Only 36 because that is what I am around, the breast is probably AAAA, but they don't make bras that small. I am wearing sport bras now just because I am not comfortable without one. I had the other breast reduced to match but now with the weight loss it has gotten smaller than the rebuilt one. I am going for a mastectomy on the other breast because I can't take this worrying now every year when they find something on my mammogram that winds up being nothing. So next month is the mastectomy, then in July I wl get implants for both breasts. I am looking at a 36 C now since I am wearing size 6 and anything bigger would be ridiculous.

Bread, Orange membranes, green beans, sometimes brocolli. I don't even try oranges any more, that was the worst, I do keep trying bread since I am such a carbo-holic. Last night I went to red Lobster and I was able to eat one of those garlic rolls without any problem, which is good but then again bad. I took 2 home for tonight with my leftovers.

I am down to goal (YEAH!!!) and my port is showing alot. It sticks out and shows when I wear a t-shirt. I have to wear button down shirts to have it be covered. I won't every wear a bikini (too old) but do feel comfortable in tucked in t-shirts so I am going to talk to my Dr about moving the port somewhere else. I can't have it put below my muscle because I don't have any stomach muscle on the right side since I had a Tram flap surgery after my mastectomy and they rebuilt my breast with my stomach muscle. they could move the port to the left side but I would rather have it under the skin than under the muscle where it is harder to access. I have only had one fill so I only have 2 cc in my port now. I have restriceted my food intake to a normal amount and I am very careful with what I eat so this tool helped me get the start I needed to lose what I have lost and gained over many many years. I feel that somewhere down the line I will start to gain again and need to port to get fills when that time comes.

I came on today to ask this same question. I have what I read here is called "first bite syndrome". When I eat something I get the dreaded stuck pain until I bring that bite up. No matter how much I chew it, I have to bring it up before I can eat anymore. I then can eat my entire meal without problem. I haven't eaten a hot meal in months. I have tried the warm tea before eating and that didn't work. I have only vomited 4 times in my entire life before the band and I HATE to vomit. I tried the finger down the throat, bending over, and chugging water but nothing brings the food up quickly, all I get is saliva and the water. It takes sometimes 1/2 hour or more of pain before I can finally gag enough to bring that bite up. My big problem now is that I have to go to FL to help a friend who is having surgery. I know that we will be eating out a few times and don't want to spend 1/2 hour in the bathroom trying to clear the food before I can eat my, by then, cold meal. I am going to the Dr the day before I leave to have some of my fill removed to try and help me while I am away, but I only have 2 cc in my band. I have been really good with watching everything I eat so I haven't needed many fills and I am almost to my goal. I am not afraid of overeating while there but I dont' want to continue with this "first bite syndrome" My question is: How can I bring that bite up quicker???

I had mine out 4 months after my band. Talk to your surgeon and ask for a HIDA scan rather than an ultrasound. My ultrasound said I had sludge in the gallbladder and the Dr said that wasn't enough of a reason to remove it. I had to have 3 episodes where I went to the ER in severe pain. I am cheap and won't pay $150 co-pay just for a shot of Demerol so I toughed it out at home. I finally had a HIDA scan where they inject something that goes right to the gallbladder while they are doing the scan. The HIDA scan showed that my gallbladder was not functioning correctly and it was removed a few days later. I also had severe pain, vomiting and nausea for about 2 weeks before they finally did the HIDA scan. One note: the stuff they inject is some kind of radioactive stuff and I was given a note that I had to carry for 4 days in case I had to go through any type of security. They told me it was the same stuff that terrorists use.

Sorry haven't been on line for a while. someone asked if I had asked the surgeon to do the gallbladder at the same time as the lap band. Yes, I did ask the surgeon but he didn't do gallbladders at the time. I went to the surgeon who did my mastectomy and he said without 3 severe episodes that brought me to the ER he wouldn't take it out. I am stoic? stubborn? have good pain tolerance? cheap? I won't go to the ER unless I am bleeding to death. It costs me $150 co-pay and I am on disability. $150 is my food budget for 2 months. I only had 1 severe to the ER episode, the others I tolerated at home. Once I had the band "installed" the gallbladder began to get bad but I put up with the pain at home. It wasn't until I vomited after every meal and walked doubled over to the DR that he did the HIDA scan and took it out. I had my band surgeon do it because he left his "band only" office and opened his own office where he does more types of surgery now and not just bands anymore.

thanks for pulling this up again. I did a search for it looking for protein cereal and Target but couldn't find it. I wrote another post about this cereal after reading this post. Again, thank you to the OP, this stuff is great.