I'm new to the forum also, just had my surgery on 6/29. I'm also feeling bloated, not feeling the LAP-BAND® itself, but I do have several incisions that hurt and kind of sting, maybe 4. I had a hiatal hernia repair also, maybe that's why so many. I'm on 3 protein shakes a day and what water I can squeeze in, supposed to have 24 ounces. The doctor and nutritionist say the protein is very important for healing. I will be so much happier when I get to mushy foods, because I need salty, non-sweet food other than chicken broth. And I so hope I will be successful with the lapband. It seemed very science fiction to me to do such a thing, but I feel so much better when I am able to read the success stories and hope that I will be like others someday and say I'm so happy I finally changed my life. I'm willing to eat correctly, just don't want to regain the weight.