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My Dr.'s guidelines are 2 weeks after surgery as well. I went swimming one day early, LOL. You shouldn't swim with open sores though of any kind, surgical or otherwise, because you risk infection. If your incision sites are not healed over, then don't swim until they are. I heal very fast, and had no scabbing or open sores, just closed over new red scars by around 10 days post-op, so felt fine to swim, just to be super careful I was cleaning them gently with antiseptic post swim and applying neosporin ointment with vitamin E as well. If you're unsure and want to swim earlier if you can get a Dr. to take a look at your incision sites they should be able to tell you if you are healed enough to swim or not.

Hi, after my second fill, I can even feel water (if I drink quickly), so I have to drink reasonably paced, or I feel the "pressure" of it building up. When I eat, if I eat, chew until it is gone, I can eat about 300calories of meat/vegies. Then I can feel myself being topped off, if I were to continue eating it would feel kinda like gagging. I didn't feel this after my first fill, now I truly feel the band is working like the tool it is supposed to be. Thats my input. Before, I could eat a lot lot more. It took mistakes to feel the band, like eating raw veggies too fast, or not chewing well.

Thanks so much for responding. I just came back from walking and I'm hoping this goes away real fast!!

Ugh, how annoying. I've had four surgeries now in the last 15 months - oh and two colonoscopies - and each and every single fricking time I've been scheduled for afternoon surgery AND when I get there, I still have ended up waiting four hours or so. It really gets my goat. Its hard enough to fast and go without Water - but its the going without coffee that REALLY gets to me. And the anxiety and boredom of waiting. The first time, I was having a huge bowel resection for rectal cancer and I knew I would be getting an ileostomy too so I was going to wake up after eight hours of surgery in mucho pain with a stoma and a bag, but it was going to be life saving. I cannot tell you how anxious I was, I was out of my mind, and I had to wait until about 4pm to go into surgery and they didnt even think to order me a pre med to relax me a bit. I was pretty delerious as I'd also done a bowel prep the day before so I was dehydrated to the point of dessication. that's happened to me with colonoscopies too - not only dont you drink and eat but you do the prep so you can actually be very sick by the time they take you in. And try downing the cup of coffee and sandwich you get afterwards with a lapband when you're that dehydrated, ugh. actually, come to think of it, I was first on the list for my band surger and in and out by 9 am, THAT was a good experience! Sorry, this isnt about me, lol. You cant do a thing about it, if possible try to sleep in and waste away as much of the morning as you can. We went for a gentle walk the morning before my very big surgery, went and did some errands at the shops, visited, anything to fill in the time. And I hope when you actually get there, you dont have a long wait. Even get a massage or something luxurious to relax you and take your mind off (if you're anything like me) being ready to KILL for a cup of coffee? And after all is said and done, your time WILL come. The bright side of it is that you will come out of the anaesthetic later in the day and sleep it off overnight. It was pretty ordinary having such an early surgery, sleeping off the anaesthetic during the day and then climbing the walls at night - couldnt get comfy, sick of being on my back, hospital noises and disturbances, nothing on the television etc. At least you will wake up the next morning a lot more normal.

I eat anything I want, just in much smaller servings. I can't eat things that are doughy, like soft breads, because they stick in my chest and it hurts until it gets through, but I haven't really had much of a problem with anything else. The only time any other food hurts is when i eat too fast, or don't chew it well enough, both of these issues require paying attention to eating while eating, which is something I am still working on. If I forget, it only takes one or two bites to remind me, and it can be the first bite that will stop me and make me wait a while until it gets down before I can continue eating. I do however work on making better choices just because I do want to succeed at this, and since my intake is so reduced, I want to make sure I'm getting in enough of what my body needs.

You're sweet to worry......some of us go through a bit of a depression right after the surgery. For me, it was that time period that I couldn't really eat, but hadn't seen results in weight loss..... The pain....geez, I don't really remember! Seriously, it wasn't that bad.... Fast forward six months.....I'm down fifty pounds....several sizes...I have more energy and a better mental attitude than I have in years. I still enjoy eating, I just don't eat as much. We still go out to eat, I'm just selective about what I order. Go in to it with a positive attitude and you will have a much more positive outcome.....

Intermittent fasting not very good for preop. I don't know any surgeon who would recommend it. There are some very good tasting protein shakes. Have you tried Fairlife Nutrition Chocolate. Tastes just like chocolate milk. I really hated Premiere Protein shakes and most powder-based shakes. You will need lots of protein (60-80g per day) after surgery so best you find one you like and start using now. Sent from my SM-T580 using BariatricPal mobile app

"ive heard some pretty bad things like slow weightloss...or no weightloss or bands getting stuck etc" You could experience slow weight loss with any of the WLS but usually the band is slower. No weight loss would mean you're not following the rules or your band is not tight enough or you fall into a group of banders who fail the band or the band failed them. Getting stuck means you've eaten too fast or eaten too big and food is backing up in your pouch or esophagus. We're not there to hear how the band was sold to you so not sure what your expectations might be? The band does not stop you from eating too much if that's what you want to do. The band is more of a voluntary means of eating less. The band helps people feel satisfied(satiety) with smaller portions. It requires you to eat a healthy diet. Unfortunately, about 34% of people who have the band are not successful. About 5% have their bands removed. Some of these people lose much less than they hope simply because they never feel the satiety. It's hard to say why it's this way? Most of us have/had an eating disorder and it's my belief that many of these people eat right past the satiety signals and some never feel those signals. Having said that, I'll take a 66% chance of success over the 0% chance I had with dieting.

I'm 10 months out and have had issues with vomiting since starting solids. My surgeon says it's likely to go away after a year or so. With meat, I've noticed I have more issues if it's dry at all. I can only handle chicken breast if it's really moist. I store mine with Water so it doesn't dry out. If I eat too much or too fast, I also throw up. Also can't eat anything spicy or fried or anything too sweet. Don't really need those last two anyway but it would be nice to have spicy food, I miss it.

Oooh you will have to let me know how it goes! I'll be there soon. YIPPEE! It seems like it is all moving so fast that I can't keep up.

I had my first appt. with my lap band Dr. yesterday. I have more questions than I did before. I have great insurance and don't have to do the medial supervised diets. So I am kind of on the fast track I think. I should be having my surgry in October. My doctor is Cavazos in San Antonio, Tx. I am really intrested to know what the recovery is like and any other useful information you can tell me. Thanks

I think your worrying over nothing. Dr. Sanchez told us after surgery that he'd done over 6600 lapbands, not rxy, and had NEVER lost a patient. That's damn good odds. Our odds are lots worse of getting killed on the highway. I don't think you should worry about anything. It happens so fast and quick that you don't know what hit you. As soon as I came to Dr. Sanchez came back to check on me and he said I lifted the covers and said "Why didn't you put my band in" he said he laughed and laughed. You'll do wonderfully and it's not dangerous.

Hello Everyone, My name is Santizzie and my husband and I have 4 children and live in Jax, Fl. We are both getting lap-band surgery. We were told today that our paperwork has been submitted to our insurance company for approval. So we have our hands crossed and are praying for a quick turn around with our approval. We have Tricare and they are normally pretty fast with the paper work. I'm very excited about our future and can't wait to get started on this journey. Good Luck to everyone and God Bless you all.

I can't believe how fast the summer went! All done with all the hoop jumping now "patiently" waiting for Ins approval!

I have found if I go VERY slowly with any new food, it allows me to find out how it is going, and if it is going to be a problem, then I do not have much of an issue, because I was going slowly. I am over 2 years out now, and have very few foods I do not eat---and of those, I CAN eat most of them, but they are not something worth the issues of eating them. When I began the process of figuring out food, and even now if I am feeling tight, I do this.... Cut my food up in very small bites. One piece at a time, chewed to oblivion! Then put my fork down, and wait...wait a full 2-3 minutes, it sounds quicker than it feels when you are waiting! But see how it feels in your stomach---if it feels as though it settled without issue, try another bite, and wait! If it is the first time I tried something known to be a trigger for some people, say rice....I would limit myself to 4-6 bites, and be done with it, in case it "reacted". The times I had nasty PB's I did not do this!!! The worst by far, come one day when we grabbed a donut, I ate 2 bites, probably way too big, but also way too fast, and not chewed properly, and before you know it, it felt like I had eaten a dozen donuts!!! My mouth was quickly filling with saliva---that kept getting thicker, and more kept forming, to the point I could not swallow any more, there was not anymore room, and it began to make me gag, and eventually it all come up, donut, and lots of slime---not pleasant at all!!! It totally turned me off of donuts!!! Another time, I was shopping with my granddaughter, and bought her some popcorn chicken, and popped a piece in my mouth without thinking, and reverted to old habits, chewed a couple of times and swallowed. About half way down I realized!!! Sure enough, when the sliming began, I just headed to the stores bathroom, to toss it all!!! Slow......well chewed bites, and allow yourself time to gauge how your stomach feels....and stop before you think you are full. If you wait until you feel full, when your stomach begins digesting, the saliva required for digestion, can be all it takes to make you overfull, then you will PB.....and it will have nothing to do with the food you ate----it will be due to eating too much. It sounds more difficult than it is. You just have to learn to listen to your own body, and stop early. If you become starved feeling later you can have a bite or 2 of something, but always try to stop with just enough, never over fill your pouch. And chew, chew, chew!!! Following these rules, I can eat all sorts of food, and yet have managed to lose my weight. I have never had a PB that caught me off guard, and was immediate, I always feel them coming, and can get to the restroom. Good Luck----be sure to follow your post op diet and it will be over sooner than you think!!! Kat

I did experience a stall at 3-4 weeks after surgery that lasted almost 3 weeks. It was also accompanied by intermittent constipation. Started taking Miralax at doctor recommendation. Constipation resolved and stall broken at about the same time. I attend a monthly group meeting of sleeve patients and the consensus there is that stalls are real and can occur from time to time. Most say an increase in exercise or even attention to quantities being eaten can break the stall and get you on the road again.

Amazing! You look great. How do you lost so much weight that fast?

Oh been there done that! My worst stuck episode lasted overnight into the next day. I was miserable. Now I'm getting much better at sensing if I am headed for Stucksville. This last fill puts me right on the border of perfect/too tight. If I chew correctly and slowly, perfect. Sloppy or fast, Stucksville. When it does happen, I call it quits and wait for the next mealtime. I never want that overnight misery again.

Hi all - I had surgery June 13 and the weight flew off. It came off so fast I felt like a rockstar! However, at four weeks my stall began and I haven't lost much of anything since then. I'm back on regular foods and not doing a good job on my Protein drinks (loved them before and holy cow they taste awful now...including the kind that allegedly have no taste). What kinds of foods were you all eating to get you past this terrible hurdle? It's so depressing - I am so hoping for 100 pounds by 4 or 5 months, but at this rate, I definitely won't hit it. Help...

Thanks for the response, Dr. C. I haven't departed from my instructions -- but it would sure be easier to comply if I understood the reasons for them. It's clear that bandsters need to start on clear liquids, then progress to pureed/mushy foods, then to small portions of regular foods. But how fast to make that progression, and how long to spend at each step, seems to be so variable. Does it depend on, say, how obese you were to start with, or some other factor? Thanks for any clarity you can bring to this question.

Hi Everyone, I've been sorta lurking around in here & on a group I belong to on Facebook. I have, what I feel to be, a frustrating issue & am not sure how to address it. A little background. back in 2011 I had a gastric sleeve done in Mexico, 2012 the acid reflux started & now it's out of hand. I was referred to a gastro & my 1st meeting with him we discussed him doing a bypass, which I have no problem with. He did an endoscopy & then I had to start seeing the round of Dr's to be fast tracked. Well on May 3 I had to go for my final green light, and I was given a yellow light from the psychologist. Reason 1) I was 4 days away from being smoke free for 60 days, 2) they have to talk to my therapist that I have been seeing since the end of February, and 3) I have to read a book called "End Emotional Eating". I was told that I have to read this, not because I'm an emotional eater, which I'm not, but because she says that I graze because I eat smaller meals spread throughout the day because of my sleeve, but I felt that she was just not understanding that I am NOT grazing. She is an intern, and I even tried telling her attending that I am not grazing, but I don't think that she knows enough of the story. Needless to say I have tried to read this book, I have tried to listen to this book, but I just can't get into it & I have to give her my take on the book before she will green light me. Also too, as of this past Wed, she has not called my therapist, and he has been waiting for the phone call from her so that he can get me part B of the green light. I am open to suggestions because this is beyond frustrating & I don't know what to do. Thanks, Lauri

Isn't this the hardest part about life... we often know what to do and how to do it, but simply don't. They call this part bandsters hell for a reason... it is difficult and frusterating because you are at where you were before the surgery. but, now we have more guilt because we feel like we made a mistake and our time/money was waisted. The best advice is to just stay on the right path. You knew going into this that this surgery was not a magic bullet and going to fix all of your problems. Everything worth achieving in life takes ambition and sacrifice. You made the right choice in having the surgery, now we need to just take more and more babysteps in making right choices. my best advice is to slowly switch from your old ways if you cant quit cold turkey... things i did/and am doing Food: i work alot and find it hard to make meals and not eat fast food... If its hard to stay away from fast foods then alter what you are getting there... at first instead of getting a hamburger get a grilled chicken sandwich and fries... and after you feel comfortable start cutting out the fries. Working out: start out with little steps... ie, take the stairs instead of the elevator... and then try walking around the neighborhood for 30 minutes instead of watching the extra re-runs of 2and a half men... then actually start going to the gym... Stick with it, you made the first big step... dont quit on the journey now. Dont regret not having bypass, this is far more healthy in the long run especially for younger people. My parents both had the bypass and they have to take LOTS of pills several times a day to supplement their diets. And they still strugle with dieting every day like i do. After having the lapband and seeing both of my parents have bypass i can honestly tell you that its not about the procedure you had, its about your personal dedication and devotion to improving your life. Good luck! Keep pressing on!

So it was last Monday I was sleeved and I get to start my protien shakes today. I have lost 14 lbs as of this morning woohoo.I am so excited to be starting my full liquids as I have been so hungry since Sunday and got tired really easy. So it will be nice to feel satisfied for a little while. Things are going very well, I am healing nicely. I havent had any pain. My worst pain was the day after surgery, the gas in my shoulder was like someone wacking me with a bat but I walked lots at the hospital and that went away fast. I so enjoy reading everyones posts aand just wanted to say thanks you all are an inspiration and have helped in more ways that you could imagine. God Bless and Good Luck!!!!!!

Yes I just had surgery on May 28. When will this pain go away. It hurts like hell. Not sure what hurts worse the gas , the nausea or this pain in my shoulder / neck Thank you for the fast replays. I was really scared . And my doctor hasn't called be back. Gotta love Vegas. Lol

I had gastric sleeve surgery on 12/11/18 and YES I feel clenching and get gurgling when I eat and drink. I'm assuming I'm eating too fast and getting too much air in.