Search the Community

The time will go very fast! Tell Dr. Saltz hi for me! He and his staff are wonderful! My only advice to you at this point, is to exercise your little heart out. The better shape your in the better your recovery. As things get closer, we can come up with lots more advice! LOL!

Only gatorade? Yikes! I had slim fast and about 2 oz yogurt yesterday, today I had more yogurt (2 oz), 10 oz of milk, and am having tomato Soup now.. have had mabye 1/2 cup over almost an hour... my problem is I can't seem to tell if I'm full yet, but I don't feel hungry at all... even before eating. I think the pain is masking those "sensors"... anyone else experience that?

That sounds similar to what I was experiencing...I went to the surgeon and asked about this, and he said it's probably gas, so try to have 1 to 2 Gas-X pills before meals. Also, it's probably because you could be eating you meals too fast. I'm currently almost 6 weeks out, and I'm still trying to get used to eating more slowly. I followed this advice, and it seems to help me a lot. Please let me know how you make out!

It was so easy. I love that my surgeon talks to me about how well I'm doing and actually does the fills himself with his nurses help. Excited to see how the band and I will work together:)

I thought I would start a thread to ask for suggestions. This may not be the "Exercise Forum", but this forum gets more activity, so I cheated! LOL I want to load up my Ipod with songs that are fast, upbeat, happy...for when I start excercising. What are your favorite songs for exercising (sp)? I want to get lost in the music and just GO! Thanks, folks! Stef

Hello everybody! I have just moved my profile over from Lapband Talk to VSGTalk! I am so excited to be here! I had LapBand in Nov, 2009. I started at 297lbs - my highest weight ever. Optifast brought me down to 290 for surgery day. I was not very successful for the first 6 months or so, but once we found the right restriction, weight started dropping. For about a year, I lost steadily. I got remarried, ran my first 5K, got down to 204 pounds... the lowest I've ever been since weighing in at 199 in 8th grade PE! Then the trouble started. After going for a barium swallow for my Crohn's (no complications were occuring, just routine test), the technician thought my band was too tight. Why? Because at 7:30 in the morning, thick, nasty barium wouldn't go through my band fast enough for the test. So he called my LapBand dr and advised I have Fluid removed immediately. So I did. And from that point forward, over the next 6 months, I had fills and unfills because my band was sooooo finicky after messing with it. I began vomiting bile and acid every. single. night. I would wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air and nearly drowning in stomach acid. After about a month, my husband made me go to the doctor. They diagnosed a slip and removed all fluid in March 2012. They waited with hopes it would reposition on its own, but in August 2012 decided to have another surgery to reposition or replace the LapBand. When I woke up from surgery, I was told they had to remove it. The swelling was so bad, they couldn't move the one already there, but had to cut it out and would not attempt to put a new one in. In the meantime, my employer (and insurance) had changed. So it was a fight to get them to approve a VSG. But they did. After nutritionist appointments - again. And more classes - again. And even a visit to the shrink - again. They approved it. I am scheudle for VSG December 4, 2012. I CAN NOT WAIT to start living again. I have gained 60 pounds since the band was deflated and I can't stand the way I feel. Overstuffed in jeans (refuse to buy more). Out of breath at the top of stairs. Aches and pains and exhaustion again. I am so glad to be here and can't wait to get started!

I am almost 5 weeks out and anything I eat causes discomfort. The only thing that goes down ok and stays down ok is crackers. I am not sure if I am eating too much, too fast or what. My sleeve seems to be very very tiny- it would honestly suit me just fine to not eat at all, but I keep trying because I know that is how I'm going to lose the weight. Any advice??

PLEASE EXCUSE THE LONG POST :( Hi all. I had my first VSG consultation on 4/19/2018. My surgeon told me I would need to lose 100lbs during my pre-op stage (6 months required by insurance co) and prescribed phentermine. I lost 20lbs in 2 weeks but it gave me terrible side effects (depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia) so I quit. At that point I was faced with calling my surgeon and asking for something else and I never did it. The week following that I tried intermittent fasting and lost another 10lbs. Then, foolishly, I thought to myself just as I had a million times before, “I can do this myself!” And when it came time for my next appointment, I didn’t go. I didn’t call and cancel, I didn’t reschedule, I just. didn’t. go. I was struggling very hard with the idea of ever telling my family. My sister Kayla lost all her weight through diet and exercise and has kept most of it off for years and years and would NEVER support the idea of me have surgery. She has my dad’s ear and he would listen to whatever opinion she had about it. I live with my dad and he’d always thought if I would just exercise more and eat less the weight would fall off. I hate myself for not going to that appointment. If I had persevered, I’d be sleeved by now and well on my way to my new life but instead I gave up. The fad diet again proved unsuccessful and I put all the weight back on and then some. I’ve been lost these past nine months trying to figure out what to do and then last week Kayla was home visiting and she handed me a stack of papers. She had gone to a WLS seminar, my skinny sister, and taken pages upon pages of notes. She had done research. She had prepared a speech to tell me it’s time for me to do something about this. Y’all, I CRIED. So now, tomorrow, I’m scheduling another consultation and I’m DOING THIS. I FINALLY have my family’s full support and most of all I’m ready. I’m ready to stop making excuses. I’m ready to stop saying no to going to certain restaurants because I can’t fit in their booths. I’m ready to stop telling my friends that the reason I can’t go to the amusement park is because I get sick on rollercoasters when the reality is that I don’t fit. I’m ready to stop saying no to vacations that require flight. I’m ready to stop researching weight limits on everything I buy. I’m ready to have a LIFE. I have never known what’s it’s like to be a normal weight. Not ever. I’m not delusional, I KNOW this will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever do but it will be so worth the struggle. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey.

did anyone else (or is anyone else) having crazy weird pre-op dreams?! last night i dreamt i was in the hospital (which looked an awful lot like a 7-11/cheap motel combo) laying in a huge bathtub filled with bubbles while my nurse was busy making a bunch of big gulps. i drank part of one and she yelled at me that my surgery was going to be postponed if i continued to drink soda. so i sat in the bubble bath and nervously waited for the other nurse to come draw my blood. i panicked that i forgot my laptop and was scared that i couldn't find my friend to help me go through the surgery. the water got cold and then i woke up. i also had a dream that i was already banded and was on a roller coaster. we went over a HUGE hill (hill?) and then went down a dip super fast and i threw up my band! never mind that it's on the OUTSIDE on my tummy. i woke up freaked out a bit. LOL. i have WEEKS to go and i'm already having crazy dreams every night. can't wait to see what my mind produces as the date gets closer!!! :heh:

Banded 2/25/2010 :blushing: Ok, I have done my two week liquids and all has gone well... I'm starting week 3 and I noticed I did not have a food plan for week 3, so I call the doctors office. I was told not to start anything new until I have my first post op doctors visit which is next week. This was a problem... I was told don't eat chicken... Too late I ate chicken (Boston Market) I was told don't eat tuna... Too late I ate tuna (Canned) I was told don't eat chili... Too late I ate chili (Wendy's) I did not mean to do these things, but I thought I had a green light for week 3 as long as I was eating soft foods and chewed very well. My observations and experience: Pay attention to what you eat and how you eat it. While eating and being distracted, I ate too fast and got some food stuck (Poor chewing). Eat very slowly at every meal. If you eat too fast you don't allow your body to tell you its full and that's a very important sign to learn. Being too full will also feel like food is stuck. Wait before drinking when you feel full. Depending on what you eat, if you drink it might be painful if the Water is block due to food being processed thru your LAP-BAND®. This is the same pain as food getting stuck. Get your Protein. When your body is lacking protein and you are doing lots of activity, you body can not burn fat as fast as your using it and you will feel tired and listless. Be weary of being comfortable with certain foods. Even if you have eaten something before and all went well, the next time it might not. I had that experience with hard-boiled eggs. One day all went well and the next morning with the same routine all did not go well. Have a healthy respect for what you eat and use some common sense (I speak from experience lol). Understand the difference between cravings and hunger. These are different feelings and I notice that I may still crave things (which is normal) even though I'm not hungry. I have had to learn this and not mix the signals. Everyone is different. What works for some may not work for others such as breads, Pasta etc... Some folks can do salads and some cant, some can do steaks and some cant. You will discover this through trial and error, but don't be scared or discouraged, its just part of the process of re-adjusting your diet. I have come to realize how important food was in my life and today its just a source of nutrition. I admire the folks who took the steps to get the surgery done because it's a life altering event and that take a lot of courage. I have found this forum to be educational, encouraging and very supportive. I'm glad to be part of this group and I will try to give as much as I have received from this forum.

I think my initial inquiry appointment was April 29. I finished all appointments today and am having surgery on May 24. I totally agree.......FAST. I am excited and scared at the same time. Good luck to you.

I started my liquid today 5 shakes and 300 calories or less. I am surprised I am doing well do far 1 down 6 to go!!! Next Friday can't get here fast enough!!

Hey. My story is a little different but more personal but I don't mind sharing it. I grew up in a very abusive household. My dad was obsessive about fat. He made me start dieting at the age of four. I was drinking slim fast around the age of four or five and he would make me get up at five a.m. to exercise everyday. I was on dexatrim at seven. He was always merciless and it got worse as I got older. Looking back at older pictures of myself I realized I wasn't even big. I had gotten body dismorphia. I believe I was so stressed about being thin that I actually begin to binge and diet on a regular. By the time I was 14 I had gotten up to 245 pounds and was wearing 20 and 22 sizes. I got on ww and lost 100 pounds in high school but the cycle continued through my adult life after I had kids especially. Well my father and I got our relationship together and I forgave him and shortly after we mended our relationship, he was murdered. This was four years ago. I went through a majorly low depression, got involved with an abusive man, and my weight shot up in 2014 to 345 pounds. It was the biggest I had ever been in my life. And I decided to take my life back. I got on ww again and lost 30 pounds but couldn't lose anymore. And I remember crying out of frustration and praying about it and I said I'm going to do the sleeve surgery. (I had already researched it years before but didn't go through with the requirements) . So had to do a six month supervised diet and ended up losing almost 60 more pounds. So I've lost almost 100 before surgery. I just knew I had to do it for myself. I stopped smoking, dropped that loser I was with, and renewed my relationship with Jesus Christ. As far as my family I only told two people in my immediate family. I'm not telling anyone else.

I Think you just need to be a bit more patient. You most likely will be able to eat most anything but give it time. I'm almost 8 weeks now and things are improving everyday. I am not rushing things though, baby steps. Perhaps you are eating to fast or you are taking big bites? Just throwing out thoughts to help you through.

I take small bites and chew as much as I can. I try to slow down (this is the hardest change for me-I never realized how fast I must have eaten Pre-surgery! Part of my issue of being uncomfortable is acid reflux. I'm on Protonix, but it's not cutting it anymore even after doubling it to twice a day. I see my surgeon tomorrow and will ask him to give me a prescription for something else.

<br /> <br /> Congratulations on getting the ball rolling! There is a thread around here somewhere for lapbanders who started with a higher BMI, I will try to look for it and link it to you.. I hear you on the plateau, sometimes despite our best efforts, we have to run as fast as we can just to stay in the same place! The lapband seems like a great tool to help us move forward.. Goodluck with everything!

These are great questions, and here' s what my own personal 'version of reality' is: 1) No, 'fullness' and 'stuck' are not the same sensation; 2) re: " I've not yet ever had any feeling of fullness or satiety. " The really BIG discovery *for ME* was to discover the difference between "hungry" and "NOT hungry". As basic as that seems now, the importance had escaped me for decades. Metaphors and analogies may all have their flaws, yet to me here's the best way I can respond: "Full" is the John Phillip Sousa Band blaring its way down the esophagus and marching in place in your stomach. That's the sensation I grew up to seek and justify whether I could/should/would continue eating. It had nothing to do with hunger. Such external controls as "is there any more"; "What can I have next"; "Here clean up this last little bit" and "of course I'd like another helping" until it was all gone. "Satiety" is a bird song in a forest glade, while you enjoy the quiet away from the bustle & hustle. It is reflection and discover that 'no I'm NOT 'hungry' but could/would/might eat more given the opportunity. 'Stuck' is the nausea & discomfort of and Eating Error of too much/too fast/too dry/too poorly chewed/ etc. It is wanting to get rid of the discomfort and 'PB' or urking or vomiting or throwing up or whatever your upper gullet does to rid the excess bolus of whatever you choked down. Slime & watery eyes & vague thoughts of never wanting to do it again are intensified depending on just HOW stuck with WHAT kind of food we have ingested. My own 'first REALLY stuck' was about postOp 4th week or so, having nibbled a few triscuits somehow I launching into a swallow-them-whole-ALL-NOWWW!!! phase and, yes...."stuck". Didn't know whether to call EMTs or just lay down & die. Second time was a month later, on solid foods.....took a single (small) bite scrambled egg & grits.....mistake...was on a road trip....managed to goo & drool & slime & slather my way over the next 200 miles hurling out the window about every 2 minutes. Not so pleasant then either....yet it gave me a close look at the difference between 'full' and 'stuck' ....and yes, helped define 'HUNGER'. So I would hope these experiences can help you define the answers you need for your questions. And I encourage continueing to seek out the difference bewteen 'hunger' and 'satiety'. A most useful concept, in my ongoing journey.

I am 3 weeks post op RNY and was noticing when I drink or eat or sometimes with out any drink or eat it may be just sipping Water there are sounds of like coil springs that are going off in my upper chest and throat area?? I asked my NUT about it and she said I may be eating or sipping too fast, but this morning it happened again w/out any eating, or sipping. It doesn't hurt but I don't know what it is and other people who are close by can also hear it and I just say "I'm sorry, I don't know why I do that..." Any one else out there experience the same thing?

I have a hard time remembering to slow down. I am not a super fast eater, but after WLS it seems I find myself eating a little too fast for my tiny tyrant tummy. All of a sudden I will be FULL. Need to work on it.

Use smaller utensils. Put your fork down between bites. Consciously count the number of chews and chew slowly. If necessary pre cut your food into small pieces. If eating with other people, have conversations, that is not only interesting and fun, but it will take you longer to eat. Partition your portion, if you ate the first half too fast, wait a few minutes before eating the other half. You can do it! To be honest, I still need to improve on this too.

Congratulations! You need to remember your excitement about your perfect blood pressure in the future when you may get discouraged about the scale not moving as fast as you want it to! There are a lot of things that measure success and it's not always the numbers on the scale! You have just had your first success story! Keep up the good work, I have a feeling your going to get the hang of this really quick!

When? Because of the fast?

hi cherry blue. i am similiar.. i had an appointment with my doctor GP on 8th december to get a referal to the surgeon. which was a saturday, rang the surgeon monday morning and they said they had a cancellation, and a spot for me the next day. i saw the surgeon on the 9th. tentative booking made for surgery jan 21.. providing i go away. think about it and come back and see him monday gone with my decision. i rang him back monday.. confirmed it. and now surgery is jan 21. wow.l talk about fast. but i knew i wanted it. my dad has had a lapband for 6 years, and my sister for 3 and both have lost a massive amount of weight.. i just had to come to the decision to do it myself as well. i have to start Optifast, total Meal Replacement jan 1.. wow.. what a rollercoaster ride.. i have msn if you want to chat more neil4tracey@hotmail.com i am 40, two kids, married and living in perth. ] seeya tracey

Since my last fill, I hiccup quite a bit after about every meal. Does this mean, whoa, stop eating, or does it mean I am just eating too fast or what? Just wondering about others experiences with his Thx! Jodi

Last week, I ate something too fast and didn't feel my "full" signal and what you experienced happened to me. It wasn't nausea, but I had to expell whatever wasn't going into my stomach (and surprisingly that's all that came up, just that little bit). Should I have felt nauseaus? I don't know. I've thrown up without nausea before surgery so it's hard to say that the sensation has been completely removed. But I have no problem interpreting what I am feeling as "something's coming up soon, get ready". I havne't felt nausea since surgery but I can't say that I felt it much before surgery either.