EricBermudez

I ve heard several bandsters open their bands in the morning either with hot liquids or iced drinks. Mine works better with cold drinks....

In my case pop corn sticks easily in my band. Pop Corn is lightweight, I have trouble eating food that is lightweight.

I started drinking carbonated beverages about 2 years after surgery. Maybe the pouch got larger, or after a while you are able to manage that kind of drinks.

I have trouble eating salads, I believe that is because they are light in weight so the do not cause pressure, so it is difficult to pass the restriction. I believe this time you are having more restriction maybe because the band could be place higher than before. In my case my band is in a higher position, so it is more difficult to eat solid food.

Been banded for more then 5 years and no problems at all.

I am the other way around; my band gets looser after any kind of physical activity!!!!

I started suffering insomnia when I almost reached my weight goal. I believe that as you get thinner you feel better and get Hyper. I was unfilled 2 months ago and regained 30 Lbs. and started feeling sleepy and started sweating and feeling hot. I just had my fill 2 weeks ago and started loosing weight and started to feel better in terms of activeness.

I am from San Jose Costa Rica, even the fills down here are very cheap $40. My DR. uses a special needle that has another needle inside, so when he punctures the port it wont make as much damage as a normal syringe also the needle is round edged all around. He uses a special syringe made especially for the fills, and HE STILL THROWS THE SYRINGE WITH THE NEEDLE AWAY. By doing this he prevents a port infection. BEWARE:embarassed::embarassed:

Cloe I am happy this quote from Wheetsin helped you. Wheetsin is the one we should say thanks to. I need to learn how to post a quote correctly.!!!

Hi, I believe you do not have enough restriction. Even if the band is unfilled you will notice a little bit of restriction. About the bread it is difficult once the band restricts enough. Let us know how many c.c. you got ( if any). Sometimes it takes several fills to feel the band working.

I have my Lapband in a higher position than normal ( Dr. told me that is the way they are putting it on people that suffer from compulsive eating disorders), so my way of eating is different. As my band is higher I have bigger chances of PBing. This is my problem>>>> For me to start eating solids I must drink a large glass of liquid to open the band. I believe the weight of the liquid produces pressure and makes food pass easier. I need to drink Iced Water and it takes me like 30 minutes to really start eating solids ( 1 hour in mornings ). I heard some Bandsters take Hot drinks to start opening the Band, which sounds more logical, cause the heat makes the band "softer". But for me there is no way I can open with hot drinks ( it has to be with ice). How many of you guys drink hot or cold????

Thanks for all that feedback. I drink 30 minutes before eating. Tried eating solids first but does not work.

I usually make an unfill once a year, because I just feel its good to give that area a rest. Everytime I make the unfill I do tests to check if I have erosion, and eat whatever I want to remember myself how does it feel to eat normally. When it is time to refill, my Dr. usually fills mty band 2.2 C.C., after a week he finnaly adds solution to 2.7 C.C which is my normal fill level. That way I start getting used to the fill again. I have no signs of erosion or complications up to date.

Well, I have the same 4c.c. band and have about 2.7 c.c. and since I started with 2.2 C.C I had trouble mostly in the mornings. I start drinking liquids very slowly, once I feel liquid passes I eat something solid. Some bandsters said the usually drink hot liquids; cold liquids work better on me. When I had 2.2 C.C. once I could let liquid pass I could eat anything I wanted, since I have 2.7 C.C. I open the band with liquid, but eat very little. Sometimes you have the same restriction at the beginning no matter how many c.c. once you can pass liquid, the solids make the difference depending on the c.c. variation. For me it is very difficult to eat on every meal, cause of the proccess I got to do with the liquids ( its worst on mornings ). Sometimes I do not eat dinner, just a glass of milk. Hope this helps!!!

After a week surgery I started eating very soft mashed potatoes, and put in a blender a piece of steak with gravy to make it like a puree. You have to avoid the solids. So you can put anything in the blender. On the 3rd day of surgery I was eating McD. Sundaes and shakes instead of a meal, just for variety. Eat mashed potatoes,guacamole, Hummus,refried beans,sour cream with ONLY 2 soda crackers ( you must chew about 30 times ) , also I ated about 10 Froot loops very slowly with milk 1 at a time about 1 per minute and drink it with any liquid. Eating like this will make the food pass throught without clogging where the stomach is restricted with the band. If you eat the froot loops at once it will clog and start making pressure.You must eat very slow and dissolve it with water. The liquid and mushie diet is just to make the band attach well to the stomach the more you wait the better.Remember you may have about 10-20 % restriction even if the band is not filled. Do not worry about gaining weight during this period; you will have plenty of time after the band is filled. The most important thing is to add varity during those 4-6 weeks of liquids and mushies. Just try not to force the band once you feel a little pain try eating slower.

I ve heard bandsters talking about their band getting tighter after a flight. I have not felt that or maybe have not gave importance to it. You know restrictions varies a little day by day. Thanks

I had lapband surgery with Dr. Rumbaut. Had a fill with another Dr. and band got punctured. Dr. Rumbaut repaired it for free, I just paid for the Clinic about $160. If it is a band defect the Dr. that made surgery can claim that to the band manufacturer for a reimbursement of the repair cost. Dr. must show proof it was a defect. If the Dr. that made the fill was responsible he should fix it for free. Unless he explained the risk of doing fills without Fluoro.

Well I am thankful my family is well. I am doing well; good health, 5 years with the band and still no complications.

Now that you mention a long flight, an idea came to me. I believe that flying dehydates, so when u are dehydrated the band gets tighter, or the area where the band is located gets kind of irritated and restriction happens.

QUote from WHEETSIN >>> st bite syndrome? Just good ol' restriction? <HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->I've read LOTS of descriptions, and there's just enough difference in what I experience that I'm not sure if it's just the band doing what it's supposed to be doing, or of it's one of the more unpleasant things of the band doing what it's supposed to be doing. I'm not conerned or worried, at all, I just want to learn what my body is doing/telling me. For all I know, this is just how things are with true restriction. I don't know, I've never had it before. I'll add that I recently had my 2nd fill, bringing me to 2cc in a 4cc band. Usually, not always, when I take my first 1 - 4 bites of food, it's unpleasant. Not bad, but just inpleasant enough that I have to stop and focus (which I'm also doing so that I can begin to learn what my body is feeling & what it's telling me)... or if I'm at a restaurant I'll put my fork down, lower my head, and take some deep breaths. I'll describe it as starting with a mild pain lower in my abdomen, near my bellybutton, pretty much immediately after I swallow... and sometimes very slight/mild discomfort between my shoulderblades (which is where I feel PBs). After that starts to subside, I will feel discomfort where I assume the band was placed... either REALLY feeling the food there, or something that feels more muscular in nature (maybe that's the pouch working to push the food through?) The first time this happened it concerned me a bit so I took a very small sip of Water and that REALLY made it HURT. In the worst case scenario, I feel like I have to burp but nothing comes up, which is part of what happened when I had my PB, but get no other symptoms of PB like salivating, pain in other areas, etc. I do this maybe once or twice, then usually end up hiccuping instead. *shrug* All discomfort usually subsides completely within 20 seconds. While this is going on, and immediately after, there is some gurgling from the band -- what I assume is the food passing through? There's also quite a bit of other "noise"... that sounds kind of like a burp, but I'm not burping. I can "feel" the noise coming, too... slight pressure, then errrippddddd. I made this noise a lot for the first 3 - 5 days after surgery, too. I notice this happening most frequently (in the whole 3 days it's been happening) the first time of the day that I eat, regardless of time of day. I also notice it's worse/more frequent if my first bite is something soft, like applesauce, compared to something harder, like chicken. It has not yet happened with a liquid.

Quote From DIVALICIOUSDEE>>>> "First Bite Syndrome" ??? <HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Okay I have a fill of about 2.8 or 2.9cc's in a 4cc band. Almost every time I take my first two bites of food I get the Deer in the Headlights look because I get stuck. I know this is not a good thing. Sometimes if I take deep breaths it goes down. Weird it feels like kind of a plop when it does. On other occasions not that many it comes back up. This only happens after the first 2 bites(not all the time but frequent enough to question). DOes this mean I am overfilled. After the food either goes down or comes back up I am good to go and can finish eating. Help!!!

I might be wrong, I believe it is when you have to take abot 2 bites; then wait abotu10-15 minutes to really start eating your meal. By doing this your band will allow you to eat.:phanvan :phanvan

That is right Carol, on my first weeks with the band everytime my family and I ate out, I usually sat close to the bathroom just in case I need to PB. Sometimes I PB several times and came out the bathroom with my eyes red and watering. I got used to that. Also waiters keep asking me if everything is alright. Also I got used to eating cold food,because of the time it takes to take a bite. I belive that's normal among us bandsters.

Hairloss is common even when you diet. Maybe there is a lack of a mineral or any kind of Vitamin. I believe that is only at the beginning, cause the body is getting used to a new diet. Try taking something like Centrum. I am a man in the mid 30's and have thin hair, and have not had any problem with my hair.

I had something similar but just by my shoulder. And sometimes that pain came back when I ate and had that fullness sensation. So everytime I was full, I had that pain. It could be gas. Then after a while that sensation was felt less and less until it disappeared by itself. Usually after any surgery air comes inside the body and searches a way out. I might be guessing.