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Hi Tracy, When you say you have good and bad days, are you referring to restriction/tightness, or with your food choices? I think you mean the first, but just wanted to make sure. It's funny... I never noticed feeling tighter during my period UNTIL last month. I had been filled to 9 cc earlier in the month. That 1 cc made a big difference. I couldn't get food down and I had chest pain. I couldn't experience that every month, so my doctor removed the 1 cc, and now I'm at 8 cc again. I'm a little disappointed because that extra 1 cc made a good difference the remaining weeks of the month. I admit all of my choices aren't the best choices. I've never noticed more restriction during periods of feeling run down or tired. I'll have to pay closer attention to this. Stress is a possibility for me. I was under tremendous stress during my last period, which was the ordeal I explained above. As soon as my doctor removed that 1 cc, the chest pain subsided. Just make sure this isn't happening to you too frequently. Living with a band that's too tight could lead to a complication.

hi! not sure i can help but i can empathize as i'm the same boat! banded 6/08, lost 40 lbs and then after 6 months stopped cold. i was a bit overfilled, got acid reflux, had some Fluid out, on and on and more problems. i haven't had to have my band changed or anything but 51 weeks after the band - i had gallstones that were not there before the band and had to have gallbladder surgery - same surgeon 1 year minus 1 week to the day of my banding! anyway, sorry you are struggling. you are not alone if that helps! i stayed off this site for a long while because the success stories were actually depressing me! at my peak, i had 7+ cc's in my band and now i have 5.5 and can't seem to get up there again. just had a small unfill today due to vomiting - i have no idea why because i eat slowly, chew chew chew, stop when i'm full. it's frustrating. ah, well, good luck to you and to me and i hope we both find a way to make his work for us!

This week I averaged 530 calories a day.

I haven't visited the site in a while so am not sure how old this thread is but I would like to throw my 2 cents worth in anyway. I was banded January 2006 and have lost 60 pounds. I was doing great and loosing steadily until about 3 months ago. Then things slowed down. So I went in for my second fill 4 weeks ago. They put in a full 1 cc of fluid and had me try to swallow and nothing would go down. They backed off a little and still I had issues. So in the end I had .6 put in my band. I went home and thought everything would be fine. Ended up irritating my esophagus and stoma so went two weeks without being able to eat anything. I'm finally at the point where I can eat about 1/4 of a banana, 1/4 cup of steamed vegetables and about 2 bites of meat (not at the same time). I'm not hungry and I am loosing again (8 pounds in 4 weeks). I LOVE food, watch the food channel obesessively and love to cook. I now live vicarously through others by cooking for them. I have to say that at times I wish I could just eat 'normally' (which for me means very large amounts of high fat/calorie foods). But the old weight watchers motto of "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" has proven true for me. I would do it again in a heart beat dispite everything.

I am almost 3 weeks out from lapband and I feel nauseated quite a bit how normal is this or do I need to call my doc

Out of nowhere tonight I suddenly felt like I had to vomit, 3 hours after I ate dinner. I spit up a lot of liquid, and had a horrible burning sensation in my throat, and taste in my mouth. I've never had acid reflux, I suppose that is what it was? I haven't been taking my prilosec the last few weeks, since I thought maybe after two months with no problem I was in the clear? Questions - I did really well yesterday at thanksgiving, except I ate a big chunk of skin from a deep fried Turkey. Could that trigger an attack over 24 hours later? It's the first time I've had anything that fatty in probably eight months. It was the only thing I've done out of the ordinary, today was back to my regular diet, although I did fund a beef Jerky with no carbs, and had about half an ounce of that with lunch. I had pepcid complete in the house, and chewed one of those. I'll call the doctor tomorrow, but can I restart the prilosec tonight? Should I sleep sitting up tonight? Would that help prevent another episode? If that is what people with gerd go through, my sympathy level has just gone through the roof. What a miserable feeling.

I have been reading all the postings for weeks and at that several times a day. This is my first time posting myself and I want to first start out by thanking everyone of you for educating me before my decision to go ahead with "the new me!" I'm now on day 5 of liquids, and haven't cheated, not even once! This is the first for me. On every "diet" or change in my eating, I would atleast try one little something I wasn't suppose to. This journey in my life is so much different than anything else I've ever done. I'm so excited about my surgery date on the 9th, I can't even sleep. The thought of "the new me" has consumed all my thoughts. I find myself on this website atleast four times in the middle of the night. One thing I am a little concerned about is I've just come down with chest congestion. I've lost my voice, feel crapy (SP) and soar throat. I started a five day antibiotic.....what do you think??? Too close to my surgery date being sick? I'm praying that the antibiotic will kick this and I'll feel good as new in a few days. Thanks to everyone again! Kelly

what are you afraid of? The procedure? I don't know if this will help you, but I have never had any kind of anything done to me. No broken bones no surgeries. In fact the only time I have been in the hospital is One over night stay for the birth of my son and to visit other people LOL I am so convinced this is soooo safe that I am not scared in the least. My Dr told me the worst thing that he has happen is three of people had infection around the port area and they just go in and move it to a different location. For me the positive far out way the negative. Ultimately you have to do what is best for you. I would not even consider bypass the risk were to high for me but many people have had it done...it's not for me though. This on the other hand I can do. My biggest worry is, if I will be in alot of pain after wards. Do more research, talk to more people, people who have had it done, talk to your doctors. I did so much research and have read through these forums and my PCP Dr, one of her nurses had bypass I talked to her about it even though it was bypass. I hope this helps. I haven't been approved yet so my help and advise can only so far.

Hi everyone, I was looking on this site last night for recipes and found you guys. Actually I found Lisa under a food post. How you doing Lisa? I was suppose to talk to you that one afternoon at Dr. Fowler's office, but we lost each other in the shuffle. And how are you Miriam? I spoke with you at the September support group meeting. I think you were in our group when we split into groups. Your the one who wants to be able to sing again, yeah? Well it's good a bunch of us are all in one spot. I've been bouncing from support sites back and forth. I'm usually on ObesityHelp.com or Bandsters group on yahoo. I have found that this site has much more information, especially about FOOD.......lol :biggrin1:. Miriam, I think you and I are at about the same stage in the healing/eating phase as I was banded (final one) a day before you. My journey has been anything BUT normal as I had to be re-banded. I went in for the first banding on Weds., Sept. 26. After surgery and when I was up on the floor I got out of bed and started walking immediately. Dr. Fowler came up and was happy to see me walking so fast, but the news he had for me was a little upsetting. He said that my liver was one of the biggest he's seen yet and it was 5 times the size that it was suppose to be. He said I'm lucky that I decided to have this procedure when I did or 5-10 years down the road I'd be in big trouble. He said my liver didn't like the food choices I was making and then he said that he put on the "medium" band and that it was VERY tight and that I'd be lucky if I could swallow my own spit. Boy was he right!!!!!! I think he meant it as a euphemism and not to be taken seriously. All night I kept spitting into that pink emesis bowl. The next morning I went down with the lady next to me to get the swallow test and came back up to the room with a thumbs DOWN. Jennifer came up to my room and told me basically that I was swollen shut and I had to try to wait it out for the swelling to go down. Talk about totally BUMMED. To make a long story short, we waited day after day until Dr. Fowler realized that the swelling wasn't going to go down and that the band needed to be replaced with a larger size. He tried to get an anesthesiologist to do it on Sunday, but his friend was off island. When he said there wasn't going to be surgery on Sunday, I asked him if I could please try to drink some broth or tea and he said sure. I think it was more of like a "knock yourself out trying but nothing's going to stay down." Finally on Monday we headed back into the operating room. One good thing about being re-banded is that I got the new AP band that I wanted.....yippeee. You have no idea how hard it was being in the hospital from Weds. to Tues. and 5 of those days being hooked up to liquid nutrition (IV). I had such a hard time trying to sleep in there too because every 4 hours was glucose stick time, every 5 hours was vital signs and every 6 hours was the "bruising" heparin shot. It seemed that every time I turned the TV on, I was inundated with fast food commercials. The Taco Bell cheesy melt was a KILLER. I don't know how the rest of you ladies felt about the hospital, but I hope I never, ever have to be admitted to there again. While the nurses/aides were extremely nice, they (most) were not well versed in taking care of bariatric patients at all. I even explained to a few of them what it was that I actually had done. There was also on at least 3 occasions when they brought me food trays and I had to tell them that I was NPO and couldn't have anything to eat. The one aide said, "Oh your so honest." They finally put a sign above my bed on FRIDAY saying NPO so the others would know. Two different times I had to ask if my heparin was discontinued and they came back with my shot and told me, "thanks for reminding me." Geeeez, they sure have a long way to go if they're trying to become a Bariatric Center for Excellence. Well, that's my saga so far. How is everyone doing on foods? I keep reading my materials from Mary and at times am confused on what I'm suppose to be eating. One handout says at week 2 full liquids and another at week 2 says pureed foods. Thank heavens for this support site to find out what I'm suppose to be eating. I made this recipe for black bean Soup I found on here and it's really good. I feel I could eat the whole batch I made. I think the only time I've felt full so far is when I ate some cream of wheat in which I kept diluting it until it made I swear 2 cups. Sorry the post is so long. Hope to hear from you guys.

Had my sleeve 2/14, have had some issues and lot of pain and trials but have been in a pretty positive mood all things considered. Everyday I feel better and I know eventually it'll be back to normal. I am a little bummed that I've only lost 4 pounds after being on Clear liquids for 7 days, I mean what the heck??? I'm not cheating and I'm walking and I'm drinking as much as possible which is almost my 64oz a day and I'm still weighing the same as the day I came home which I'm told is the bloating and swelling but you'd think by now that would be gone and I'd also loose weight on top of that swelling weight? The others in my class that had surgery same day as me have lost twice my weight? ;( But even with that im trying not to worry there as this is a long term thing i'll see over time and thats ok but My issue now is I'm super moody! I woke up yesterday feeling angry and was like that all day. Didn't want to hang out with the kids or husband much cause they were simply getting on my nerves. To top that off everything smells off to me, the dog, others breath, the flowers, Water, sheets, curtains, u name it I have a problem with it and am throwing things out and washing everything. I don't like being moody, it's rarely ever me and my husband has been nothing but helpful, as he even took off the week to be with me and even slept in hospital with me... But I was so happy her went back to work today and that the kids went fishing with their friends! Ughhhhh what's wrong with me?

If you were further along I would tell you to try and cough it up , but as you are only 3 days out that could cause your band to slip. You can try papaya enzymes as they supposedly help to move/digest stuck food. However they have never done the trick for me. Try sucking crushed ice as that helps to reduce swelling and it is possible that you are swollen. Other than that I have no ideas, my Dr had me on liquids for 2 weeks after surgery so its hard to know what to suggest.

It also sounds to me like you need a slight unfill. You definitely don't want to cause more swelling by continuing to PB. You can't even really hold down mushie food. My doctor's rule is if you can't hold down liquids, you need an some saline removed. If you can get to mushies, but can't move to solid foods within two weeks, you need to come in for a slight unfill. This seems to be pretty standard from what I've read. Good luck, and I hope you get this resolved quickly.

You're right. Just lost so fast the first 2 weeks and not much after that. Sometimes I've got to remind myself that this is for life and not a short term fix. Thanks and best of luck to you

I'm excited I bought everything I need for a few weeks til I see how I feel I'm ready Mz Shay

5 weeks is harder...you should check with your NUT... since I'm WAAAAY past that, I can have Snacks like almonds, etc... you are too soon...you probably don't have somewhere to keep popsicles... good luck...be interested to hear what they say...

thanks FF, im in a 'normal' M-F 730-4 job except one week a month, if the 21 or 22 of the month falls on a weekend/holiday (yup, thanksgiving too) i have to work... it was supposed to be Saturday/Xmas Eve, but our boss did say come in Sunday instead ... i guess that's better... ???? hope the time flies for ya!

Bun1, goog luck. One week to go and counting. Don't be too anxious, I am sure it will all go well. How long are you staying there post-op?

So I am about 17 days post~op and doing great for the most part. I am on week 2 of full liquids. Tonight I woke up two times suddenly with this rushing/gushing feeling in my mouth. Not sure how to best describe it but it almost felt like a burst of bubbles rushing up my throat. It startled me awake and scared the living day lights out of me! I didn't feel like I needed to throw anything up and there didn't really seem to be a bunch of liquid in my mouth although it made me want to sip a little water. Anyone else have this? What is it?

Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Independence Day from BariatricPal! It’s a chance to show off your national pride if you tend to be patriotic. Otherwise, it’s a chance for a three-day weekend, some relaxation, and hopefully some celebrations and family time. And, of course, a chance to keep chasing your weight loss surgery goals. As always, we hope to help, so here’s what you’ll find in this newsletter. Independence Day: Celebrate Your Freedom Taking a Look at Those Summer Goals Red, White, and Blue Bariatric food Ideas Hope you love the newsletter and then take advantage of the long weekend and a little down time to logon to the BariatricPal forums to catch up on all the discussions. Thanks for all of your support, and Happy Independence Day! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Independence Day: Celebrate Your Freedom July 4 celebrates the freedoms we all cherish. Each of us can do what we wish, and that’s not something to be taken lightly. So as you go through these next few days, why not pay a little extra attention to the choices you are making each and every minute, and remember to be grateful that those choices are in your hands? The Freedom to Eat What You Want It may not be what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they signed the Declaration of Independence, but being free includes being free to eat what you want. So what’ll it be for you? pizza, chips, and a soda? Or tuna, yogurt, and strawberries? Nobody but you has the right to decide, so make the decision that would make the Founding Fathers proud – the decision that will make you the strongest and healthiest citizen possible. Land of Opportunity…and Options What’s another great thing about the freedom we have in this country? How about seeing how easy it is to get your hands on delicious, high-Protein foods? At The BariatricPal Store, you can get high-protein, low-carb meals, Snacks, and beverages for every occasion and every time of day. Our low-carb cereals, pastas, protein bars and protein powders, and instant entrees can be yours with the click of a button. The store promises the lowest prices available online, and we back our products with a satisfaction guarantee. Taking a Look at Those Summer Goals Summer has a habit of slipping away. At the beginning, it seems like it will last forever, with the long days stretching out endlessly. Then all of a sudden, the nights get crisp and autumn arrives before you know it. Don’t let your summer goals slip away with the summer! July 4 is a great time to refocus on those goals – or set them, if you haven’t already. So, here are a few steps you can take to be sure you can look back at Summer 2016 as one that did wonders for your health and weight. Remind yourself – or set – your goals. Keep them realistic, measurable, and under your control. There’s no point in setting a goal that depends on factors outside of your control. Examples of possible goals include getting in five servings of fruits and vegetables a day by summer’s end, walking a September 5k, and getting WLS in the fall. Figure out what you need to do to hit your goals. For example, what kind of diet do you need to follow? Do you need to train a certain way if you have a fitness goal? Do you need more information if your goal is to get surgery? Get working! Make any necessary changes to your diet if your goals are related to weight or eating habits. Write out your workout schedule, and stick to it. Make any phone calls to potential surgeons to gather more information about getting weight loss surgery if that’s your end-of-summer goal. Slow and steady effort is one of the biggest tricks to hitting your goals. Be patient and persistent; love yourself, and be confident that you can do it. With renewed focus and daily commitment, your efforts will add up to big things by the end of summer. Red, White, and Blue Bariatric Food Ideas A festive July 4 picnic or cookout can spell trouble if it involves the usual barbecue fare (slaw, burgers, and baked Beans come to mind) along with berry cheesecake, Cookies and cake decorated like the American flag, and brownies (just because they’re American!). You may already know how to handle a traditional barbecue (chicken breast and veggies, anyone?), but as for the red, white, and blue? There must be a better way to celebrate Old Glory than with fat and sugar! Instead of the high-calorie culprits, you can find weight loss surgery-friendly red, white, and blue food options to stay in the holiday spirit and to stay within your calorie goals. When you choose naturally colored foods, you’re almost sure to end up with nutritious, satisfying, and diet-friendly choices that actually are as Starting the Day Red, White, and Blue Get in the mood from the get-go with a bowl of protein oatmeal, whitened up with a swirl of fat-free ricotta cheese or Greek yogurt. Stir in some sliced strawberries and blueberries, and you’re on your way to a fiber and protein-filled day. The amount of sugar and calories in your breakfast doesn’t even compare to the load you’d get from a stack of pancakes with whipped cream and blueberry and strawberry syrup. Red, White, and Blue Cheese Dip Blue cheese contributes both the blue and the white colors, and it’s easy to add the red. Whip up your favorite blue cheese dip and serve it with red bell pepper strips, or, for a bit of a fancy twist, some baked beet chips. For the non-WLS patients at the party, serve some blue corn chips for an even more festive presentation. Red, White, and Blue Skewers If you’re planning to do a little July 4 grilling, keep it healthy while making it patriotic with red, white, and blue skewers. Use cherry tomatoes or red bell peppers, and add blue from eggplant slices. Then take your pick of white options, from button mushrooms or, for some protein, chicken breast or tofu. Drizzle your kebabs with olive oil and seasonings of your choice. Patriotic Dessert to Live For Granted, it may not be as decadent as a frosted cupcake with a candy flag it in, but a fresh fruit salad can do just as much for your patriotism and far more for your longevity. Watermelon, white nectarines, and fresh blueberries can be just the beginning, with plenty more choices like strawberries, grated coconut, and blackberries waiting in the wings. With these ideas for treats and tricks, have a wonderful and safe Independence Day! Thanks for reading the newsletter and continuing to support BariatricPal. We couldn’t do it without you!

HI all, I am here to wine again.:help: I am 1-week post op and these are my complaints: My port area pain is still pretty bad especially in the morning.:omg: I went for a 2 mile walk last night thinking it's gas but it didn't help. Then yesterday I read all this stuff about port flippage. Maybe I ripped my stitched and flipped it?? I don't know but it hurts all the time...sometimes just tenderness like just sitting here to type this....other times bad pain like standing up or laying down.:cry I am also burping to the point that my chest feels like it's popping out...especially when I drink anything.:phanvan I try to take small sips but it doesn't matter....does this go away eventually?

Hi, Yes, My doctor put me on a two week liquid diet.. the best shake besides my own w/ fruit is actually Ensure.. (Chocolate) 4 of those per day are great!.. My doctors pre-op info. also says that you can have raw veggies, or cooked (no beans, potatoes, peas, or corn) or you can have salad w/ vinegar.. so I have made this delicious meal outta veggie broth and green giant, just for one's brocolli and carrots, ( only 60 calories) combo the two and it's a great soup. I also have hot and sour soup from the chinese restaurant, This really helps! still shrinking the liver and chewing at same time... 1 more week till surgery whoo hoo.. my date is 4/28.

Hi HSJ, Wow, 4 weeks is that the normal amount of time to wait? I guess i'm starting to feel a little anxious. I had originally scheduled my appt many months ago and i cancelled. I unfortunately let someone discourage me and now i wish i hadn't. I quit my job in December because i was so unhappy and always felt stressed out and now i don't even want to consider a new job until i've lost some weight. I guess that's why i feel a little anxious.

1 week seems waay too soon to me, but them I'm just going by my doctor's schedule. He simply won't do a fill before 30 days (of course you can get an unfill at any time if you are uncomfortable). I'm personally very wary of any doctor who is way too aggressive with fills. Any fill runs the risk of extra swelling, and that can really become problematic if food gets stuck, and some people have had to have total unfills when that happens. Good luck!

@Floridays: Just took a look at your before & after pics! No one can tell that you require any surgical work! You have done fabulous! I will try to get hubby to help me post pics this week. I think that has a lot to do with success on these programs! And you are absolutely right about the heart attack, I don't want to think about it happening either! Thank you!

Yes!:faint: Lots of pain in my chest after this third fill. After the second one I would get this pain sometimes but only if I really over did it and ate the wrong things or didn't chew enough/took too big of bite, etc.:rolleyes I am still contemplating an unfill. It's my TOM next week so I am thinking about riding it out for now and seeing how I feel after the TOM.