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Back in Oct of 2012, I had to have my band completely emptied because I had air trapped just above my pouch. I had to be on a liquid diet for about 3 weeks. It helped me loose 7 pounds. So, although your band may be empty its better to go have it check and emptied if necessary; hopefully correcting the issue you are having, then to risk having to have the band removed.

I have had my band since August 2012 and things have been great! But since my last fill 3 weeks before Christmas things have gone downhill, at the start of the last fill I was managing fine but also eating unhealthy as it was Christmas. I had one or two episodes where I nearly threw up, I just tried to keep it in and the feeling went away. Now it is getting worse and every time I eat something solid I feel the need to throw up and need to spit slimey saliva (sorry for the gross details). Today I had a cheese toastie and actually threw up a little but I think it was because before I had chicken and noodles and nearly threw up. Is my band too tight? Why is it getting worse? I'm worried if I get an unfill that I will still be able to eat too much but at the same time I'm worried about damaging my band and stomach!

Talk with your dietician. She comes along with the process too. I had a eating plan in my booklet. I got a booklet that told me every 2 to 3 weeks what to eat... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using the BariatricPal App

Well it's been a while since I've communicated. Sorry, but life issues taken presidence. I've been caring for my hubby who fell out of bed one morning having a seizure. It's been tough but God is good and we are taking it a day at a time. He had 4 total by the time the ambulance got to the hospital. I'm eating but can't eat much. I fight to stay away from the sweet and fatty stuff but I must be doing pretty good because I'm still losing. I have to admit I'm kinda of tired of the shakes. They taste good and I've added fruit and a raw egg. I try to have at least 1 a day. Now I'm thinking about buying the T25 workout video, not sure when I can do it yet with my knee accident but I want to have it. I drink ISO 100 it's like a shake but I've never been big on shakes is the issue. I've missed you all and hopefully I'm back at least 1-2 times a week. Be blessed and keep losing!

Hey ladies I was wondering when you started your period after surgery? I'm 3 weeks out and I'm having crazy I cramps like it wants to start grr!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone - Just found this site a week or so ago... I don't have a surgery date yet - last appointment (6 mo) with my PCP is next week - yippee! Hoping to get scheduled by the end of January, for maybe late February / March. My doctor is going to be Dr. Carmody at St. Mary's in Richmond, VA. Any one know anything about him? Just wanted to say hello! I'm sure I'll post more as I get closer to the actual date. Happy New Year!

Date of Surgery: October 26, 2009 (my "re-birth day") Pre-op weight: 288 Current weight: 208 weight goal: 150 Pre-op health issues: sleep apnea asthma high cholesterol joint pain difficulty walking, needed cane often shortness of breath had surgery on both knees due to torn cartilages from excessive weight back surgery was recommended I could not walk more than 1 1/2 blocks before I was out of breath, and experienced severe lower back pain that made me cry and stop in my tracks. My doctor was adamant that I had to have back surgery, saying it was not related to my weight. I needed numerous cortisone shots to relieve the pain. The back doctor told me I had to have back surgery if I wanted to be able to walk without pain - "I SAID NO". I wanted to see if the pain would subside if I lost some weight, AND IT DID! I no longer walk with a cane. I can walk many blocks without shortness of breath and WITHOUT PAIN. Dr. George Fielding of the NYU Program for Surgical Weight Loss and his staff saved my life. There are two other wonderful doctors at NYU, Christine J. Ren Fielding (his wife) and Marina Kurian. Although I was confident that any of these three doctors would do a good job, I chose Dr. Fielding for several reasons. First, he had the LAP-BAND® surgery himself, and I felt he would really know what I was going through, and that he would really understand my feelings. Second, he is an Aussie, and I love his accent (LOL) - I love to hear him talk, so I ask him a lot of silly questions just to hear him talk in that Australian accent. I have had five fills so far - I skipped one month because my band was still very tight, and I knew they would tell me I did not need a fill - and I would still have to pay the co-pay. I saved myself a $40.00 co-pay (lol). I am going in for my 6th filling today, May 13, 2010. The only thing I hate about their office is that their scale always shows me three pounds heavier than my home scale! So I always ask if I can bring in my scale with me but after laughing at me, they tell me I can't do it (Grrrrr). I was told by Gaspar, one of the Nurse-Practitioners, that I should write an article for their newsletter about the type of exercising I do to help with the weight loss. I do lots of home exercising by using things commonly found at home, such as lifting weights (liquid laundry detergent), etc! I am thinking about doing that, but I also thought about starting this blog to have a shared support system. In this blog, hopefully you will find many helpful tools, such as: 1. healthy recipes, called recipe of the day 2. types of exercises 3. activities 4. ability to share your thoughts and feelings http://life-after-lap-band®.blogspot.com/ :thumbup::thumbup:

I'm 1 week post-op and looking for a good place for online support. The place that I had my surgery done is 2 hours away and I can't drive that far everytime I need support. Anyway, I'm just wondering if there is anyone else out there from Maine?????:car:

I got banded on the 3rd two weeks today and just about all day I have a hard sharp pain right under my left breast every time a breath it's worse

My dietician gave me the following advice and I hope this helps you. After surgery your on a liquid diet for approximately 2 weeks. Must be in liquid form, thin enough to pass through a straw, smooth, has no lumps and no fizzy. Suitable fluids Commercial Protein drinks Plain Water Coffee/tea Drinking yogurt fruit juice Vegetable Juice Tin strained soup/stocks They also recommend you take a liquid Multivitamin. For constipation take prune juice or benifiber. Hope this information helps you, I could email you the information which will be in more detail if you like, just email me your email address.

I had a ct Iv contrast and still two weeks and only spots swollen are where I have tatoos

one of my friends that i met on this forum did her 2 week pre op (muscle milk light) ....and she ended up losing 33 lbs. Doc thought she could lose the rest on her own so she ended up not getting the surgery. I'll be happy with 20!

The truth is that yes you will have some energy loss in the very beginning of your journey. While you are on the 2 week liquid diet before and perhaps after surgery. You will feel a bit tired and drag a little as your body detoxes from the "junk" foods and starts to adapt to eating high Protein and quality food. After surgery we are all tired for a bit, we just had major surgery. Once you heal up and your body has adjusted your going to feel amazing and have so much more energy provided you keep your nutrition up and follow your doctors recommended nutrition plan including any Vitamins they may tell you to take. Over all your going to feel better once you lose some pounds.

I had my preop and all is well but i need my galbladder removed now i'm freaked out. I did not know that i had problems. so next week they take it too. so my questions is what kind of recovery am i looking forward to? healing? will I be sore and can I go back in a week to work? thats what I had planned only one week. i may be able to take 2 more days but my dr( dentist/boss) utilizes me. I guess I do not want any problems with my job and i dont want any issues with healing. any thoughts?

Hi all! I'm day 17 post op and down 37 pounds! ! I'm thrilled at my loss! But, having a really hard time with nausea and coughing up stomach bile. I often get a metallic taste in my mouth. I am trying my BEST to get all my Water and Protein shakes down and have good days and not so good days. But, this constant nausea that started back up after a week is making me lose my appetite. Does it ever go away??

The same thing happened to me! I called my doctor after about 1 week of being on antibiotics and told him that I had a surgery coming up and that I still had the cold. He put me on a stronger antibiotic. I then called my surgeon and told him what was going on and he said that I would be fine for surgery that was scheduled 4 days from then. He told me to continue taking the new antibiotic and he would still do surgery considering I wasn't extremely ill. It all worked out so I would advise you to call your primary doc and see if he can give you something stronger and then call your surgeon and explain the situation. Good luck!!!

Hi Everyone, very happy to have found this sight - I am in the process of getting the date for my seminar- I have actually already seen a surgeon because I have a hiatal hernia and have been aspirating stomach acid into my lungs - really hurts - got bronchitis almost pneumonia from it - so I was considering the nissen fundoplication proceedure, after talking with the surgeon he suggested I go to the seminar before I make my decision about the nissen or the lap band - i have struggled with my weight for about 15-20 years now, i am 46 - i hope to hear next week about the dat of the seminar - i am in alabama but am going to Vanderbilt - has anyone else been there? Am going to read the posts now - look forward to knowing ya'll better - Beth

Hey Meeshee!! We may just be having the surgery at the same time. I met with the surgeon today. I have to see the nutritionist next week, then the physiological appt and then a scope test. I don't think I will have to have a supervised nutrition plan. In getting excited! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi everyone, I tried to do some research on this before I posted but didn't seem to find anything. I've never had a problem taking pills before. I would take a few smaller pills at a time, no problem. I'm currently one month post op, and I've been taking my surgeon prescribed Prilosec and actigall since one week post op. I had been having trouble getting these down. It wasn't so much my stomach giving my problems, it was actually swallowing them, and getting them to my stomach. They felt like they were stuck in the back of my throat! I drank Water but it didn't seem to help, slowly I would feel them going down. Now that I'm a month post op, I just added a one a day Multivitamin capsule instead of the liquid I was taking, and it's really thrown me off the deep end. I feel like they get in my throat and two days in a row I had to run to the bathroom because I was this close to throwing up. I just can't think of a reason why I would be having physical difficulties swallowing pills now. Once they make it to my stomach I'm fine. Is this all in my head? Has anyone else had this issue? Or any suggestions? I'll talk to my doctor next week anyway. Thanks for the help! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I started my surgery journey in December with my first weigh in with my GP. I have had all the required test done seemed like it was never ending but worth it. Now I go this next Thursday for my final GP weigh in yea! My office has already scheduled a date for July 7th. I'm praying nothing goes wrong with my approval. I have to do a two week liquid diet before hand. Some fears of failure have been bothering me lately I want this so much but have the what if I don't lose weight. Has anyone else felt this way pre surgery?

I'm in that weird limbo period between doctor's visits...still awaiting a surgery date and getting really impatient! I have my final clearance next week, and final appointment with the surgeon following that. I feel like if I don't hurry up and get this surgery I'm going to chicken out...anyone else feel that way? Hating the waiting game...

My preop diet consisted of a protein shake breakfast and lunch then dinner I was allowed 4oz of protein and a veggie and then of course you can have all the sugar free jello and popsicles for snacks I always stayed under 700-800 calories daily you'll have a headache the first couple of days but just take some Tylenol and it will pass after the first few days it really wasn't hard you can do it !!!!! I lost 16 lbs on my two week preop diet I felt prepared after surgery on my liquid diet :-)

Also the two week liquid diet is to shrink your liver so the surgeon has an easier time performing the procedure. I lost 12 pounds during my two weeks. don't sweat it. If you have to excersize a tad bit, then do what you have to do. you in the home stretch now.

I was a smoker for over 20 years and tried everything . Chantix, Patches, etc. Zyban was a miracle drug. You choose a day then smoke through the week leading up to it and then stop. When you stop, that's it. I stopped two and a half year ago and never went back. It was amazingly easy.

I have BCBS in Fl thru my husbands employer and its been two weeks since my paperwork was submitted. Others on here said they waited three weeks for approval from BCBS. There was one person who said she waited 8 months. I pray to God I don't have to wait that long. I'm ready to change my life for the better. Can't wait to feel better emotionally, physically and mentally. Good luck and I pray you don't have to wait long either.