Texas Cutie

None of my family knows either as I did not want to hear negative stuff from them. So I completely understand this. If you need to talk you can always send me a PM or e-mail me. Good luck to you and congrats on the surgery! It is hard to do this without support but I think the forums help for sure!

Thanks so much La_Madam! That is good info. I actually was better within about 28 hours. I started back on pudding and I drank skim milk as it felt like that was helping. Maybe something a little heavier than clear liquid but not anything that could get stuck was what I needed to get it to pass. Today I ate chicken and it did the same thing but not for near as long. It seems like maybe I am just not ready for meats at all. I put a tiny bit of some well drained bacon in my potatoes (tiny pieces) and that seemed to have done ok. It seems I am very restricted. I am not really losing any weight though despite the major calorie reduction. My clothes are a lot looser but little on the scale. I am happy with comfy clothes though. Yeah I talked with my nurse about the restriction thing and she said it should go down. It does not seem like it is though. No compliants here just saying it is still very tight. I can not even comfortably eat a small yam. I found that out today. So it is going to take some time to learn how to eat and be comfortable. Sivan, there is a thread at the top that says for beginners and it has all that info in it. It helped me a lot to find that! So check there it is part of the section that I think someone already listed for you! Thanks again guys~

I am now on normal food and yesterday I ate roast that had cooked all day. I chewed it like 40 times and ate pretty small bites. But about 30 minutes to an hour after I started feeling like something was stuck. I kept thinking I was going to vomit but I have not. That was last night and today I can still feel something stuck and I still feel like I could vomit. But nothing is happening. I have no clue what I should do. I don't even have my first fill yet so I am not sure what the deal is. I had eaten turkey breast before on Thanksgiving (as the nurse said if I ate very slow and a very small amount I could) and not had a problem and this meat was really tender. So what gives??? What should I do? Actually it feels like it is stuck in my throat and not my stomach. I have never had anything stuck so I am not sure maybe that is where you feel it. Like upper chest and throat. I want to just throw up and never eat beef again but it is not happening!!!!!!!!! Uhhh I am in mysery! I am sticking to liquids today so far. Hoping it will get washed down or pushed back up or something. OH this is terrible!

Thanks so much! I have had something else do the same thing to me since then. It did not last nearly as long but it did happen. I guess it is just a learning game. Trying to figure out what MY body will tolerate and what works with my band??? Do you think? I guess another question is this. When it happens should I drink something and try to get it to pass through or should I leave it as is and use the experience to learn what not to eat or when I am eating too fast. What do you guys think? I mean it hurts like hell but is that part of how we teach ourselves how to eat properly and slowly enough?? I am noticing that the more the swelling goes down the more quickly I am eating! I think I need to pay more attention but then again I am only eating mashed sweet potatoes and really soft stuff for the most part. The roast will be way in the future if ever again! Thanks again!

Nope never got sick. I drank warm liquids all day yesterday and finally it passed. It totally felt like I had a throat full of food. This morning I am feeling fine and have learned that maybe beef is just not my thing. Sticking to really soft stuff today! Meat tenderizer? Really??? Thanks guys!

I am not on food. I am only two weeks out on wednesday. It happens first thing in the mornign when I have not drank anything. I am clueless as to what it could be. I guess maybe the shock of the surgery to my stomache? I do not know. But it is not eating related cause I am not eating. Drinking related it never seems to happen following anything specific. It has tapered off now. I have actually not had them in about 3 or 4 days. So that is really good!

Does anyone have those more than normal? This AM I had them pretty bad but sometimes it is just like on or two in the midst of nothing. I forgot to ask the doctor when I went. I tried to call but lines are busy! It is no more bothersome than hiccups are but I just want to make sure it will not harm anything? Anyone????

Yes I did see the radiology pics of the liquid going through. It was the day of surgery though so there was lots of swelling and it just trickled. As the swelling goes down more and more it is getting easier to drink the full Protein shakes. I can take larger sips now than I could last week. Makes it easier to get all of this Water down with the shakes. I am still not on food and will probably not be for a couple more weeks I suspect by then the swelling will be all the way down. If I keep loosing I will not get a fill until after the 1st as we are going out of state and I want to not have any probs in small town USA! Thanks for the info!

That is just crazy thanks. I called the doctors office and they basically said the same thing. ALthough they said it could also be due to something stuck in the band (Which I guess they mean the small stomache opening) and drinking fluids for a few days should stop it. I am still on fluids you would think they would know that!

my doc says if you are going to drink it let it sit opened for a while first. But who wants a coke that is not crispy???

No pun intended.

That is so awesome that you are at goal for the wedding congrats to you! I have heard such great things about Spivak from so many people!

Good luck to you too hun! When is your surgery???

These 11oz protien drinks are killing me! LOL how do you get 11oz in a 2 oz space in one hour???? Rotf

I was banded the 15th and I am still on liquids as well. I may go to mushies tomorrow when I have my first check. I can barely get down 1/4 - 1/3 of a sugar free Jello package letting it disolve and a popscicle at one sitting and it takes me more than 30 minutes to do it. Actually Dr. Spiegal has more experience than Spivak and more successful surgeries as far as TX dr's go. Spivak is a great surgeon and has been in the state longer but is not the most exprierienced TX dr. I am not saying Spiegal is the most either cause I just do not know, TX is a big place! I know several people who went to him Spivak and he is way more hands on. But as for surgical experience and success, Spiegal has more! I too was told something similar. It was not to lift more than 30 pounds for 3 months. Someone that I know who went to Spivak has small children and she was able to life them the monday after. So I don't know. My doctor told me I could lift but to listen to my body if I felt pulling it was too heavy. I am not lifting anything cause I want to be careful!

Hummmm, I am not eating mushies yet but I was told only 2oz at one time. I wonder why different doctors say different things. I would call mine if it were me. Cause I think they all have thier reasons for having the guidelines they do!

I felt dizzy as well but I think it was a decrease in calories. I was so tired after the 3rd day I could not walk upstairs in my house. All I wanted to do was sleep but on clear liquids there are no calories to do anything. If I take it easy I feel great all day. If I try to do my walks and I try to clean my whole house I wont last past 8:00pm!

I was banded 11/15 so we are just a couple of days apart. I burped all day at first everytime I ate or drank anything. Drinking slower helps it a lot. I feel rotten when I can not burp I am glad to burp it hurts if I can't. When I got home I was burping all the time and asked my hubby, did I burp before this and he said "no, I can not ever recall you burping". So that was a very big change for me. I think it is cause the whole for your stomache is smaller and it traps more air when you swallow drinks or food.

Are you walking like you are in pain. I started walking like normal right away swinging my arms and lifting them above my head right away cause I knew it would get worse if I was still and got stiff. I walked like crazy the first few days then stopped cause it was too few calories to do it. I think though if you are too tired you will hurt more cause you are not 100% and your pain threshhold drops without sleep. Call the doctor if you think something is not right. Have you tried like some lavender and or valerian tea to help you sleep? Maybe with some pain medication? Sorry you are having a bad time. I hope you feel better!

First, has anyone had gallbladder surgery and then this surgery later? I have not had gallbladder removed but I had previous laproscopic surgery and a hyst and this was nothing compared to either of those. I had a much harder time before. I was walking less than 2 hours out of recovery. I think that is key walk and walk like it does not hurt even if it does. That way you don't get stiff! Makes things much smoother. I can get the surgery on a Friday and be back to work on Monday?? I think if you have a four day week and then a week off at a desk job you should be find if you go to bed early and take your pain meds to get a good nights sleep. I am still on a clear liquid diet 7 days post op and the hardest thing for me has been energy levels due to so few calories. I think eating right out of surgery (which I have never heard of) will make you feel much better. First 3 days I felt awesome then I really felt drained cause of so few calories. Third, I've read great things about Dr. Ortiz; does anyone have any bad experiences with him to relate? No clue about him! Fourth, can you feel the port under your skin? Can the outline of it be seen under your skin? Still too much swelling. I can feel that that area is the area where there is the most tightness and the most of a pulling sensation! I have never heard of anyone say that they could feel or see it and I have met 10 people who have had it none could. Fifth, how do they fill it? Does it hurt? I would think they would have to pierce your skin each time, right? No fills yet and I surely do not feel as if I need one!!! For some reason this surgery is scaring me alot more than my gb one did and I'm not sure why. I was not scared about it but I did feel a little bit like what am I going to do or say when someone asks. My family would not have supported it. Any and all comments would be MOST appreciated. If I get the surgery it will be on Dec 15. Good luck to you and I hope it all goes well. Will you have to back there for fills or will a U.S. doctor do them? If you don't mind my asking what is the cost over there? You can PM if you like I am just curious how big the difference is. Mine was 16,000. Thanks! Your welcome and congrats to you!

I did not have to do all of that stuff. I am glad you got it done. Congrats on having the surgery. Good luck to you!

I tend to think that flexability plays a role as well. I mean of course when you have rolls in the way...flexible or not there will be things you can not do. I can cross my legs but I can not double cross them anymore and that I am looking forward to. Well that and Yoga Poses!