beergut

Anybody getting any weird soreness ? I've got this soreness, it's like 2-3 inches to the right of my port. It feels like it's under my last rib on my right side. I can't figure out what the F it is and it's really bugging me.... I've kind of slowed down my weight loss so I think it might be time for a half CC fill. I guess I'll have to ask the surgeon.

I'm do not think I would have it removed unless medically necessary, like complications or erosion or some other specific need. However, once I reach my goals, I would like to slowly and gradually get unfilled to the point where it would be like I didn't have it at all. Hopefully, I can learn to live without it, but it's still there in case I start gaining again. Like Dave said, time will tell

Yeah, I never understood the before part. What does it matter if it's before? Water goes right though the band instantly. When I go out to a restaurant I get a water to sip on before my meal comes, and when my meal comes, that is it. I don't drink any more of it. I'm not understanding why they say no liquids before meals.

So about an hour ago, I finished off about 3 ounces of bone pork chop. Everything was cool, no problem, then I had a small bite of sweet potato and then all hell broke loose. Got stuck, slimed a bunch, and have been sliming/vomitting for the past 45 minutes. I thought I had got it all up, but it seems every 1-2 minutes my upper stomach clenches up and I can spit up a bunch more. Anyone experience anything like this and how long does it last? This is the first time in 4 months since getting banded of having a reaction like this, first time throwing up and everything...

Yeah, I wound up crouching on my knees with my butt as close to the floor as I could get it, and I felt something in my stomach push down I guess into my intestines. I think I'm good now. The washing machine is a perfect analogy, spin cycle ! Thanks for the advice...

It's no fun. Both immediate and delayed can occur. I'm usually pretty good w/ bread, but the other day @ Pei Wei I tried these vietnamese salad rolls. Well, whatever they made that wonton wrapper out of bound up really good as soon as it hit my band. It was extremely uncomfortable. Had to make a b-line for the bathroom and it came up fairly easily, but with lots of slime. It wasn't pretty. Those are the reminders to chew thoroughly!

So, every couple weeks, sometimes I wake up and I'm feeling a bit of soreness around my port site. Does anyone still get a tenderness around their port site from time to time? I'm 3.5 months from surgery, I figured all the soreness would be gone by now. It's not constant, and I am a stomach sleeper, so maybe I'm tossing too much at night and aggravating it ? It's kind of a pain in the bu- errr stomach...

I'm actually the opposite. I'm at 5cc and my last fill was about 45 days ago. First couple weeks I felt like you, no appetite, go could hours and then have to remember to eat my daily 1250 calories. I've been losing good weight, almost 50 lbs total, but now I'm getting a bit hungrier between meals. I think I might go in to the office in a couple weeks and get another .5cc to see if that keeps the hunger away.

Don't worry, you haven't even gotten a fill. Once you start getting fills, I doubt you'll be able to eat pizza much. After finally getting some restrictions, I've found that breads are kind of not worth the trouble of having to chew it 5 billion times so it goes down, and even then, it can gum up the works if you will. After a few stuck episodes and chest pains, you will adjust to the new lifestyle. Don't worry about anything before getting fills, you don't have any restriction. My fills culled my hunger a lot. I usually don't even NEED to eat unless its been 5-6 hours between meals. It'll get better.

Jess, good job, getting started with exercise is the hardest part. I feel I've leveled out a bit to losing 1.5-2.5 lbs a week since my fill up to 5cc. I guess I'm happy with that, but who doesn't want to lose a bunch of weight??

... BEER ...

This is pretty much what I get as well. Sometimes it goes away quickly, which just means that I didn't chew will enough, but if I eat too much, my lower stomach isn't used to all the food so fast, so I'll cramp up and get a lump in my throat. It's tough learning how your body reacts now. It's for the better.

I can't stand skinny girls, gotta have some curves. My wife is a size 12 and I think she is smokin hot. She wants to get down more, but I don't think I want her too ! You'll find the right person.

Got my last fill on 2/17. 1.5 additional CCs to my 3.5 already. 5 total in a 10 cc band. I think I might be at my sweet spot, but I'm unsure. I've lost 7 lbs in 10 days, but the past few days I've been able to get a bit more food than I'd like during meals. I can't tell if I'm adjusting and need maybe like .5 more or not. Some meals go down much easier, and some I really have to be careful with. After the first few days, I thought I might even be too tight. In any case, it's hard to have to learn everything over again, but I'm happy with my results so far....

Getting stuck is the worst and after a couple stuck episodes, you basically are conscientious about it from then on so you force yourself to eat small bites, chew really well and know what you are eating. Getting stuck is a pretty big deterrent in my mind, it's not something I enjoy so I try to take lots of precautions to avoid it. Sometimes I'll even take a few sips of warm Water before I eat anything questionable

I was under the impression that if ports don't flip after the first few weeks, they probably won't. So if I'm doing some ab heavy exercises, it's possible to flip the port? That would pretty much suck...

I figured I'd had to make an appearance in this thread as I have talked about this subject to my nutritionist and surgeon and both have told me that there really isn't any danger in drinking beer, but reminded me that is empty calories and I shouldn't drink it very often. I never understood how carbonation could stertch a pouch, considering a full pouch probably stretches the pouch more than a stomach full of carbonation. I'd be iwlling to be most doctors say NEVER is because there hasn't been any research done to specifically find out the effects of carbonation on lap band pouch swelling. They should do some research, but I probably won't volunteer Anyway, moderation. I love good beer. I haven't had any yet as I'm pretty focused on losing, but once summer rolls around, it's going to be hard to not sit outside and enjoy an ice cold beer on the deck or by the pool.

I just got upped to 5 cc on Thursday and now it's a whole new world for me. Before I could eat pretty much everything, no restrictions, but now I have to eat super slow and chew well even on soft things. Even then I still get a slight stuck feeling and it is horrible. I think I've gotten seriously stuck once, and PB'd it up w/ some slime. Other than that, I've had some rough pain and it suuuuuuucks ! But, I've started losing quicker in the past few days, and now I'm to the point where I've got head hungry, just no physical hunger, unless I am busy for 5+ hrs then my stomach starts to growl fiercely. I'm thinking I'm going to have to supplement my daily DIET w/ at least 2 Protein shakes a day just to reach my min. protein intake, which isn't bad, I love my Protein Shakes. Definitely a new world in learning how to eat.

Heather, I'm losing about a pound a day as well. Just hit 5cc in my band and finally getting some of that restriction and extended full feeling. Every time I go for my fills, and they see I'm losing 1-2 lbs a week, it seems like they are disappointed. I thought the goal was to lose slowly. If I lose 1-2 lbs every week for a year thats 52-104lbs. I would not be unhappy with that at all. Got 1.5 cc's the other day on top of my 3.5 first fill, only made it about 36 hours of liquids before making a regular meal.

First thing I would do is see if you could find a doctor in your area to administer your fills. 13 hour drives or getting on a plane to get a filled is probably the last thing in the world I would want to do. I got filled two days ago. 3.5 CCs in a 10cc band. I had a little swelling at night where I'd burp up liquids, but today I'm fine. find a fill doctor in your own state and go in there ASAP>

Buh, this Northeast weather is killing me. I've had two fills scheduled and cancelled ! Hopefully this Thursday we can squeeze it in. After losing about 4-5 lbs per week on liquids, I've definitely stalled out, losing only .5 to 1lb per week. Gotta get that fill !

So, I'm loving my band, and here is why... since getting off the mushie and getting back to solid foods, I have eaten like total crap. Terrible, I know. I haven't even exercised other than long walks most days. I will be 6 weeks post op. Just got back from vacation and eating bad, and somehow I still managed to lose another pound. 6 weeks post op, down 30 lbs, I get my first fill Thursday. New exercise regimen starts next Monday. Can't wait ! I'm definitely starting to really love the band.

I go for my first fill on the 27th, a bit late considering I was banded the 14 of December, but better late than never !

Try upping your calories to 1200-1300. I've found that when I try to limit myself to 1000 and below, my body goes into starvation mode and I hold onto every calorie I take in.

I must be lucky. Just hit 4 weeks post op today and I've had brown rice, white rice, white Pasta and wheat pasta and no difficulties. Could be a blessing or a curse. We'll see what happens after my first fill...