DonnaMP

You really need to see your dr. The coffee ground stuff isn't normal at all. I've been banded 14 months and have never thrown up.

Nope. Been banded 14 months and no...not full at all on 1/2 cup

I can occasionally eat a grilled cheese if i smush it while cooking it. Occasionally I can eat rice but not often. Can't really do much pasta. The worst seems to be lettuces. I can do a warm spinach salad but not a cold salad. Can't do stringy meats or veggies. I don't really try breads except for the occasional grilled cheese. Mashed potatoes and potato soup are ok, but any other kind are just too dry and get stuck easily.

I did liquids for 1 week, mushy for 1 week then into regular solids and had no problem. I know more than a few people who have terrible trouble with even a little alcohol.

Most people think that getting the band will automatically take away your appetite and your cravings. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The band is to teach us control. I haven't changed much at all what I eat. There are some things that I physically can't eat because they get stuck but if I want something sweet I have it. Avoiding the "bad" foods doesn't teach you anything. Bad foods are never, ever gonna go away. You have to learn how to have a handful of cheetos instead of 1/2 a bag. Until you get 4-5 fills you're in bandster hell and will be miserable I'm 14 months out, down 102 lbs and its hard...been there, done that. You can do this. You don't have to deny yourself...just control yourself.

I've been banded for 14 months and yes I've lost...102 lbs to be exact but the band hasn't made my appetite go away and I've certainly felt hungry. Its not designed to take that away, its to teach you HOW to eat and what to eat. I don't know of anyone who has the band who's not at some point during the day starving. I know of no one who's appetite has disappeared just because they got the band.

Varies by person, i've never heard anyone complain of pain. Myself...its uncomfortable. I get a bit nauseous. I also get a lot of bruising and soreness over the next 3-4 days but at the time its not painful...just weird.

Very normal. I can never eat breakfast and most days can't do much for lunch either.

I'm a year out and mine is still tender. It hurts to lean against the kitchen counter sometimes...especially the first week after getting a fill. Not everyone's is tender but mine certainly is.

I was banded 10-12-2010 and I've lost 98 lbs so far. Yeah, thats kinda slow I guess compared to some but if I didn't get the band, I would've gained about that much. I'm not sure what I lost the first month or two, because I was worried about it even working. All I know is that since getting banded, the entire year, every 6 weeks I saw my surgeon and never gained. So...whatever was a loss, was a loss. The fills are a bit uncomfortable for me sometimes just because I bruise easy and the more you lose, the more prominent your port becomes so for a few days afterward, my port area is tender. I have all my fill done under fluoroscopy so my surgeon and I can actually see the restriction I have. I started out at 324 (actually the last day i weighed before even going to a seminar) and I'm now 226. I still have more to lose but thats ok. one thing you need to learn and understand right now is that this is YOUR journey. No one elses. You have to be able to do it on your own and not depend on your familys support. I'm sure they're like mine, they support you of course, they just don't understand what you're gonna need, how you're gonna have to change and the lifestyle change you're gonna have to make. Mine are finally understanding that I'm really and truly not starving myself. I eat what I want, when I want but let ME decide what goes on my plate. They've learned not to get offended when I say no to certain things. You'll do fine. Join the chat groups on here, they're really great if you don't have that support in real life.

For what its worth, am I completely happy with the band? Eh some days I am. Some days I get frustrated because the scale doesn't move. But all in all, I've lost 98 lbs in a year. Yes thats lots less than some, but more than others. I've never heard of all the issues that you seem to have and I agree with the others. Sounds like clinic and dr issues more than band issues but you have to remember *you* have to work your band. Sounds like some GERD issues to me. Maybe find a new doctor would be your best bet.

The chest pain you'll feel is NOT a heart attack...its gas from the surgery. Make sure you have Gas-X strips, heating pad and walk walk walk. Then when you're finished walking...walk some more. Do windmills with your arms. All these help get rid of the gas that makes you feel like you're dying!

What you're feeling is normal. DON'T rush your recovery! Your surgeon is doing your fills pretty fast!! Mine won't do a fill any sooner than 6 weeks so it wasn't until fill #5 that I felt ANY restriction. So...do the math. I'm a year out and have lost 98 lbs. Stick with what you KNOW to be doing. Eat your protein first, then veggies, then if you're still hungy, eat carbs. Learn the difference between head hunger and actual hunger. If you can walk away for half an hour, do something else and not be hungry, its head hunger. If you're shaky, sick, etc...its real hunger, so eat! Common misconception with the band is people (including me) think that you'll never be hungry again and you'll have restriction as soon as you wake up from surgery. Then...the ugly reality sets in. Relax and recover from a major surgery. You're not gonna have restriction for a while.

B or C I guess. I'm 1 year out, down 98 lbs. So far, due to work and life in general, exercise hasn't played a factor in the weight loss. I don't eat bread, rice, pasta or have anything to drink but water and sometimes tea. Breakfast is usually Carnation instant breakfast because nothing really wants to go down at 5am. Around 9am I have a banana. Usually lunch is Wendy's chili or lunchmeat and cheese, chicken breast, etc. Dinne is whatever I fix for my family. Last night it was salad, rotissiere chicken and bread sticks. I managed 5 bites of salad and 4 bites of chicken before the lettuce got stuck (typical when i try to eat salad). I never deprive myself from "junk food". We're all food addicts, we're surrounded by food every day and its NOT gonna go away. We have to learn how to have a little and be satisfied. Those that just avoid "the bad stuff" aren't really learning how to work their band in my opinion. No, its not good for us, but I've learned to be content with ONE cookie instead of 8-10. Whatever I want, I eat, whether its good for me or not. What works for one person isn't necessarily going to work for anyone else. Find what works for YOU and stick with it

A year in...down 98 lbs, 6.5cc's in my band..nothing goes down in the morning so no breakfast. Lunch is sometimes difficult as well. I do Wendy's chili a lot, throw in some cheese and in place of sour cream, use Greek yogurt to up the protein. I can't do wraps, or lettuce, so I try to just have a protein for lunch..turkey hotdog with some homemade chili, rollups (lunch meat and cheese rolled up). Hamburger patty with cheese melted on top. I can't do leftovers either, but I've found that while I'm cooking dinner, I make myself a few for work that aren't completely done (hamburgers and chicken) so that when I do microwave it, its not all dried out and tough.

I've been banded for a year and have went thru exactly the thoughts that you're having. I assumed that as soon as I woke up from surgery that I'd automatically just not be hungry and nothing can be farther from the truth. About 4 days after surgery all your hunger comes back plus some. You usually don't hit restriction until you've had 4-5 fills, which is about 4-5 months. By then, I was hating the thing and cussed it every minute of my day. I knew I shouldn't have done it. Even with hating it, I was losing weight slowly. Food surrounds us and the way I look at things is...I'm banded, not dead. Those foods aren't going to disappear just because I'm fat from overeating them. I'm NOT one of the banded people that never have a cookie, or candy or ice cream. This is my own personal journey and I refuse to deprive myself just because its a "naughty" food. I've learned moderation. I'm fine with a couple of cookies instead of 8-10. I still have baked potatoes when I want...but only a half. I definately eat more than 1/2 a cup of food at a time. My surgeon says 1-1 1/2 cups a meal is what he suggests. If it'll go down, I eat it. I avoid pasta and bread and rice because those do sometimes get stuck. The whole band "game" is mostly mental. If you're not ready for a complete lifestyle change, rethink your surgery but it will work if you work with it. I'm down 98 lbs in a year and I'm ok with that.

You just hit "bandster hell". Its the rough period after surgery, before you hit restriction. It could take 4-5 fills before you hit restriction. Being on liquids sucks. Remember that while you're on liquids, you can have as many protein shakes as you want...and drink lots of water. It gets a little better when you get to mushies but not much. Give the dr a call, maybe you can move to mushies a few days early.

My surgeon is conservative. I didn't get the first fill until 6 weeks, and he refuse to do them sooner than 6 weeks apart. I've been banded a year, 6 fills...6.5cc's in my band. Down 98 lbs

Banded a year...tea for breakfast. Lunch is usually a turkey hot dog or chicken breast. Dinner is a meat and veggies. No snacks usally. I'm usually around 800 calories. Down 98 lbs.

Never heard of anyone having to be on clear liquids for that long. For me, it was 24 hrs then to full liquids for a week, then a week of mushy, week of soft, then regular. Definately worth a phone call...you can't recover if you're weak and sick.

Definately sounds like gallbladder issues. You need to get that checked out. If it results in a lot of vomiting, you'll be at risk of your band slipping.

You should make sure that you are staying WELL hydrated. Having your period, weather, stress, ALL tighten your band. If you're sliming a lot, you're either eating too big a bite, or the wrong food. Try avoid bread, rice, pasta, anything stringy, salads for a while and see if that helps.

I don't even try to eat anything until lunch time. Its a VERY common problem.