LowPSI

Yes to both. And if you can, you'll be better off if you can spit out the slime, rather than having it clog the pipe again.

Upchucking with a band is much less traumatic and post-op, you're stomach will be empty or possibly have a little fluid. If there was a "best" time to do it, that's it! Ask your doc and he will likely prescribe something for you, either pre or post-op.

I assure you, when you have restriction (after a few fills) you won't be able to quickly eat anything - let lone a Big Mac! LOL Big Macs will likely be possible, but you may not think them worth the effort. What happens in the first few weeks after surgery is nothing like what happens when you get restriction. It will come, just try to be patient and not sabotage yourself until it does.

Remember the song? The knee bone connected to the, thigh bone... Well, our phrenic nerve is connected to our Lap Band! Actually, the stomach is. With so many of us having shoulder pain, I wonder if this is the cause, rather than gas? I'm adding a post of mine from another thread here because I thought this subject needs its own thread. "Based on my personal observations (no "gas" pains post-op) and the many posts on this forum, I seriously doubt that pain in the shoulder is gas. If it were, why do I get it only after a fill? I'm not the only one this happens to, either. From what I can tell, again, based on others' posts - and after speaking with my doc - the band, at least for a few days to a week after installation - and sometimes fills - applies pressure to the phrenic nerve, which causes the shoulder pain. For additional information, Google "phrenic nerve gastric band". "

I love salad, but when I have restriction, salad doesn't love me! I would caution you to be very careful eating salad - or any new food - when you have restriction. (At the first sign of any "feeling" in your throat...STOP eating! LOL and give it a minute or two to pass through.)

Based on my personal observations (no "gas" pains post-op) and the many posts on this forum, I seriously doubt that pain in the shoulder is gas. If it were, why do I get it only after a fill? I'm not the only one this happens to, either. From what I can tell, again, based on others' posts - and after speaking with my doc - the band, at least for a few days to a week after installation - and sometimes fills - applies pressure to the phrenic nerve, which causes the shoulder pain. For additional information, Google "phrenic nerve gastric band".

Follow-up: Doc tried to add 2cc today, but had to take back .5, so I'm now at 7 and have the most restriction I've had so far.

No matter what, take the pain meds when offered! LOL Why suffer if you don't have to?

Isn't it nice to know that you're "normal"? I had my first fill on 12/13 (3.5 to 5.5 in a 14cc band) and also had great restriction...for about 2 weeks. I made it through the holidays without gaining and had another fill today to 7cc. With the first fill, I could actually eat from the first day. (Forgot about doing liquids for a day or 2.) With my fill this morning, if it isn't liquid, it isn't going down! To see just how much restriction I have, I gulped about a cup of Water. Have you ever gotten stuck on water? (Fortunately, I was near a sink!) Like Dave mentioned, it would seem that you are still aways from true restriction. Are you paying per fill? It seems that those that do, get smaller fills, which means more of them. My fills are included, so it seems my doc wants to get me to restriction asap. Just wondering.

I had 3.5cc at installation. My first fill was another 2cc and I had restriction for about 2 weeks. Almost no restriction now. Getting another fill Monday, which I hope will be another 1.5 or 2cc, which would take me to 7 or 7.5. My doc normally will fill after 4 weeks,though he said that if there is no restriction, he will do it after 2 weeks, so I'm hoping that getting to my "sweet spot" won't take as long as some.

My wife's a cardiac nurse, and from what you describe, I would strongly recommend you see your doc or a cardiologist to rule out any heart issues. Better safe than sorry! (Especially since it happened again - and I assume you weren't eating an Popsicle the second time!)

Both my doc and nut said to mix 50/50 caf and decaf and enjoy - just watch what I put in it.

I too was told how horrible ANY soda is. In some of my pre-op group sessions, I would ask why and be shot down. After I had my surgery, I asked my doc what the REAL story is. Bottom line - at least for me - is that any gas from carbonation has 2 exits, so any expanding of the pouch is brief and does no harm. The real reason, from my doc, is that he wants me to change the way I eat and for me, it must include stopping soda - even diet soda. A practical reason, at least in the first few post-op weeks, is that caffeine is a diuretic and getting and staying hydrated is essential. His final words - and this goes for anything I eat - is moderation! (Something the Band will help me with.) I no longer drink diet soda, I've switched to Crystal Light. BTW, I can not drink water! I can't stand the taste - or lack thereof. I used to drink at least a gallon of Diet Coke every day (2 - 52oz Extreme Gulps from 7-11 during the day and a 2 liter at home in the pm.) and switched to caffeine-free 5 weeks pre-op when I had my colonoscopy. Diet Coke was the last thing I drank the night before surgery. I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. I actually found myself in a situation where I didn't have a drink with me and "had" to drink a diet soda - with no problem.

Getting "stuck" happens after eating - usually - a small amount of food. eg: I just tried a Pillsbury Grand. After 3 bites, it was backing-up. Many of us get stuck on bread - which, along with Pillsbury Grands, has relatively no nutritional value. As far as I can tell, much of what determines whether anything gets "stuck" is how big a bite we take along with how well we chew.

What about the reserves?

I just posted this in another thread: We have restriction post-op due to swelling, which goes away in a week or so. The time between when you lose that initial restriction and when you get it back via a fill or fills is called Bandsters' Hell. During this time of healing, we have to exercise restraint, as many can eat as much as before installation and feel that they've somehow failed. This is normal, so follow the diet your doc or nutritionist gave you and hang-in there until you get filled. Good luck!

We have restriction post-op due to swelling, which goes away in a week or so. The time between when you lose that initial restriction and when you get it back via a fill or fills is called Bandsters' Hell. During this time of healing, we have to exercise restraint, as many can eat as much as before installation and feel that they've somehow failed. This is normal, so follow the diet your doc or nutritionist gave you and hang-in there until you get filled. Good luck!

OK, let's think this through...Our pre-op liquid diet gave (most of) us amazing weight loss. As odd as it may seem, much of that loss is Water. During our stay at the hospital, we are given a lot of fluids IV. Each bag of Fluid weighs about 2 lbs and it can take a few days for all that fluid to filter out. (Some have complained of gaining weight after surgery and this is most likely why.) So...we need to take the long-term view and not let the fluctuations, that will occur in the 2 - 4 weeks around our installations, get to us.

I got my 14cc band 11/10. It was installed with 3.5 cc. On 12/13, I had my first fill of an additional 2 cc, for a total of 5.5. I have a little more restriction than post-op, some things stick more than others, but I think 6 or 6.5 is going to be my sweet spot. If your doc is willing to do fills faster than 30 days, I would probably add 1 cc at a time from this point.

Really glad things are "going" better for you. 32 oz by mouth is an awful lot of liquid immediately post op. I didn't have anything but ice chips for the first 20 hours, then a few oz for the swallow test and a small juice and a little bit of Jello. Drinking a quart might have made me queasy. FYI, 1000 cc's is about 1 quart (33 or so oz), which weighs about 2 lbs. This explains why most of us gain weight when we have the band installed. It will take a few days to drain.

I don't understand. Why do you say "only" 15 lbs? You've lost almost 4 lbs per week! Sounds great to me!

"Normal" people can eat whatever they want - they just don't KEEP eating! Most of us can't stop with just a little of something, that's why we got fat. Having the Band, properly adjusted, allows us to control our portions - or suffer the consequences! It's like getting our hand slapped when we reach for more. I know if I had more self control, I wouldn't need the band, but I don't, so I do. As has been said many times on this forum, our Band is a tool. If we use it properly, we will get the job done. If we don't (by eating the wrong food) we may still get the job done, but it will take longer. I don't know if the analogies work for you, but I certainly don't want to drag this out any longer than necessary.

I had gotten stuck before, but I too had my first fill on Monday. WOW, what a difference! I thought I had restriction before, but I now have a hard time getting down more than a few bites of most foods. Like you, foods that used to be my sources of Protein find me looking for a bucket. (Must remember: small bites and chew, chew, chew!)

I had my first fill yesterday, 5.5 cc's (3.5 at installation) in a 14 cc band. I was told to do liquids for 2 days before real food. Without thinking, I had a bowl of chili a few hours later! LOL I realized halfway through, but since it was going down OK, I finished. I can feel restriction, sort of like after surgery. I had normal needle pain after the lidocain wore off. The biggest difference is that I had left shoulder pain later in the evening! Hmmm. I never had that after surgery, so I'm wondering if it was from being walked by our dog or if it's from the fill. I guess I'll have to wait until the next fill.