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OMG!!!! Is that what casued it. I take so many meds I didn't know what it was. I was taking the Carafate too and from the top of my mouth down my skin has a rash. That stuff was great for my stomach but no good on the skin. I haven't taken it for a few weeks but my skin is still extremly dry and it burns.

Interesting! I just finished a week of carafate I was prescribed to take after my dilation last Monday. It has done the same thing to my skin.

I can't decide if I should go for another fill or not. To be honest, I totally despise getting a fill. The process itself isn't that bad. I just hate the liquid diet that follows. Anyways, I've lost 114 lbs since being banded the end of November. I've only had two fills total and am unsure of the size of my band. If I'm not mistaken, I've had a total of about 1.5-2 cc. between both fills. Lately, I've found myself consuming more food in a meal. I'm a teacher and have not been on a good eating schedule this summer. I've only been getting two actual meals in during a days time since school has been out. Also, I've been enjoying ice-cream like it is nobody's business! I think I've let it become my third meal of the day!! With all of that said, I am still losing weight. I weigh myself once a week. Last week, I lost 3 lbs. So, should I go for the fill or not? If I don't have one this Friday, it will be the end of July before I have another opportunity.

Wee! Congratulations! You are about to change your LIFE. Wahoo! I've been where you are (just 2 weeks ago!) and I know it can be exciting and a little daunting, too... the diet leading up to surgery is totally manageable - just take it one day at a time, keep counting the sleeps down and surgery day will be here before you know it. I recommend you read my post in the "Pre-Surgery" forum "Tips for Surgery Day & Coming Home" for some suggestions on how to prep your room and your house for when you come home. Welcome to the forum! How exciting for you!

Congratulations! I remember how nervous and excited I was -- had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. It was all so much easier than I thought it would be. And the excitement has never worn off -- all these months later I still feel that thrill of having made this decision for myself. A year later I am so much healthier and happier. Getting that appetite monster off of my back was an amazing thing. Good luck to you -- so glad you're here on the forum. And you, too, Professor -- congratulations on being two weeks out. You are really on your way.

Thank you all for your responses. My husband has been forcing me to take more fluids. broth, very soft Jello, weak decaf tea, Water etc. and it seems to have helped the nausea a lot. how ever i have been throwing up. not much comes out, just a lil bit of liquid and then the dreaded bile. im so afraid that at this early stage i could be doing damage. of course it is the weekend now, and i have to wait to see my surgeon until next week. anyon else experience the throwing up in the early days of your band?

Call your doctor indeed. You don't need an appointment to get nausea meds. They will call them in to the pharmacy for you. I had the same issue as you. I felt gross after surgery and was dry heaving a LOT. Finally called the doctor after two days and he gave me the anti-nausea meds. They made me sleep and feel groggy but even feeling groggy, I felt SO much better since I didn't feel nauseous! I only had to take the meds for a day and some change, but boy I'm glad I called and got them. I felt horrible before. I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia and definitely was cursing my choice to have the surgery for the first week and change. I'd do it again though. I've been banded for almost three months and have dropped a little over 40 pounds. I am thankful for that, even though the first week after surgery was horrible!

I'm 8 weeks post surgery. I had my surgery locally where I live but fibbed my way though the process. Sadly I can now say I wish I had not. I am still severally depressed and unhappy. I started this journal to once again be the person I felt best at, prior to three kids. I'm miserable. Every time I eat I get heartburn. And I lack the motivation to drink gallons of water. I suck. Am I alone?

I would stick to whatever plan your doctor has given you. The first few weeks after surgery really difficult, hunger wise. I felt like I was hungry most of the time, but I stuck to my doctors plan and it's really paid off.

My stomach does tell me at times when I have had enough. I have discovered the pain of not chewing throughly on Christmas Eve and that slowed me down and in forced me to be a FIRM believer in my smaller silverware and plate. I now cut my meat smaller and (remember the chant we used to say to my girls when they were little) chew chew chew I realize the band is a tool not the "fix" of my fat so I will utilize it and loose the weight I need to loose. I have to try to curb my impatience attitude because it has taken me 26 yrs to get this fat I wont be 150 in 6 weeks..

Ok so I'm 3 1/2 weeks post op , I'm feeling hungry and jittery even after I eat . I'm doing the soft solids but it feels like I need a sugar burst , I never had diabetes or anything like that I can't get my nutrition to answer my emails I'm so pissed ... Any thoughts please ....

I'm not quite excited yet I kind of have to pinch myself...next week I will spend that time organizing myself and getting my vitamins and the such so when I get back from the hospital I am full speep ahead!

Welcome! You are already well on your way! I've been overweight my whole life too. I hope the rest of your pre-approval process goes smoothly. I was sleeved on 2/28/13 so I'm just a couple of months post-op. it boggles my mind sometimes that I actually had the surgery cuz I'm such a chicken about any kind of surgery. But I felt so strongly that this was the right thing for me to do. I want to be freed from my excess weight and it's happening! I kinda freaks me out! LOL! Best of luck to you! pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4

im down 45 since my banding (4/26) and 58 total since March 1 The fill I had just before my 5month post-op visit ended up being too tight, so i was back at the doc on 10/2 and had .5cc removed. it made a huge difference. since then I have been eating just about 1 cup food per meal (which is what my nutritionist wants me to be eating) however, some foods i can eat about 1.5cups. I try to stay away from those and just eat the ones that satisfy me with the smaller portions. I was hoping to have lost 8 lbs in the last month (2 per week) but 5 lbs is still good, and i know that had i got to the gym more this week (only made it there once) and didnt cheat and have ice cream a cpl of the days this month...i would have been at least 1-2 lbs closer to that 8 lbs. So i cant blame anyone but myself. I now know what i need to do this next month (and from here on out) if i want to up those weight loss numbers. I am suprised that 6 months after the surgery, I am still "learning" what and how to eat. I knew this wasnt going to be something i mastered overnight..but I still thought i would have a better grasp and better control over my eating by now. Good luck to everyone out there...i am very happy with my band and with what I have done so far...and its good to know that i can still change things up and do even better in the future, if i just put my mind to it.

My question would be what does your doctor consider mushies. My first week of mushies was yogurt or cottage cheese. Oatmeal would not have been approved by my doctor nor eggs. Both of those would either be second week of mushies or solid. My recommendation would be to stick to less dense foods for now such as cottage cheese, ricotta or yogurt.

It's likely the protein powder I had the same trouble for a few weeks also only liquids going in so it's going to come out it stops I couldn't stand any of the protein shakes at all I stopped using them they all tasted and smelled horrendous to me couldn't even choke it down if u can manage it good for u try to keep your strength up

When I had my pannus removal, my surgeon (the band surgeon, not the PS) insisted I have my band emptied - don't ask the PS - he probably won't have an opinion on the topic unless he's acquainted with lots of band patients. My band surgeon's reasoning was that any time you have a band you are subject to PB's and vomiting and you can rip those new stitches, esp. if it's an abdominal surgery. Mine was emptied and he began refilling in just a couple of weeks. I never did lose my restriction and never did feel hungry.

Ok bypass veterans, are there any things that you didn't find out until just before or after your surgery? One example is, I just found out that I will have to give myself a blood thinner injection for 7 days after surgery. Didn't know a thing about that until I met with the nurse coordinator this week. Not looking forward to that.

Thank you Gone 4 ever. Your advice is exactly what I've been thinking. For the past 7 months all I've constantly thought about was the insurance approval. Now that that's over, I'm saying "Oh my gosh, this is actually happening. Now what"! I have a week by week chart from the nutritionist that I think will help alot. As long as I follow that, I shouldn't take on too much too soon. Do you have any advice about the surgery and first few days?

My friend and I both have sleeve and even though our meals are small we get hungry two three hours later so even though snacking not encourage we just split up pour meals and eat them in two sittings or just eat small meals. The hunger is much different than before surgery and much more bearable and not so all encompassing but still around

Thank You all.. In the original post I had talked about how I was having pain in my left shoulder "above the left breast, bellow the collar bone" and how it was down in my left ribs. I had called my surgeons office about it and they said it sounded like normal excess gas pains from surgery "They have some patiants that complain with gas pains 3 months out" They told me to take it easy and if it didn't get better in a few days to call them back. That was Tuesday that I was finally able to talk to them. Friday I called back because I couldn't take them pain any longer. It was to much for me to be comfortable with, and I was already a big cry baby that day because I was hurting all week. Anyway off subject I called the surgeons office back and they told me that if its hurting still then I need to go to the nearest ER and get it looked at it didn't sound like it was gas pains any longer. The first hospital I went to was in our home town. We sat there and waited for hours before finally getting called back and after they took me back they stuck me twice to put an iv in. Finally i went back for what I thought was a complete CT Scan of my abdomin "boy was I wrong" They scanned my heart and the top part of my lungs for blood clots said everything was clear and perfect and that I could go home. The following night "Saturday" we had dinner with hubby's boss and co-workers. I felt ok "still in pain" so I sat back and listened to everyone chat around 8 I couldn't take it anymore we had to go home. By the time we left the restaraunt and got home my temp was 103.2 I took some tyelnol and a cool shower and went to bed. All night long I ran fever as high as 104.7 and as low as 102.9. Finally hubby was able to get ahold of my surgeon and thank goodness for that. He told hubby to bring me straight to the hospital he was calling ahead for test, but he wanted me here asap. That was around 9:30 we live an hour away so I got here around noon. Got checked in and the test started. First on the list was the chest x-ray which showed pneumonia 2nd on the list was blood work which showed elevated white blood cell count. 3rd on the list came around 10 that night and that was the Contrast CT Scan of my abdonimal area all the way down to my pelvis. That is what showed the fluid build up around the diaphragm and the absess on the outside of the lung. It was from that ever so scary OMG What if It happens to Me Leak!! I never knew I had it and never felt any pain in my stomach/abdominal area. It was always in my chest/shoulder and down my ribs all where the pain from pneumonia presents. I am not pleased with the hospital in our home town and will probably never use them again simply because had they found this Friday Night I would probably be typing this at home instead of in a hospital room over an hour away from my family,,

For some people it is instant but for others, it can take 1-2 weeks. Many people here also shared that they did not feel restriction until after a 2nd fill or more. So, it seems to be quite variable as to when patients finally find their "optimal level" of restriction. You'll learn a lot more as you read through the posts.

I'm on Long Island and have been banded since 3/30. My surgeon waits a full 8 weeks before giving a first fill so I got that a week ago. For some reason, it can take 1-2 weeks before a restriction "kicks-in" and you become aware of the band. I only had 1 cc put in and have a follow-up appointment on July 6. It appears I will need a second fill at that time. It's natural to be nervous about the surgery but I'm sure you'll do fine. It can be frustrating waiting for the surgery and then waiting for a fill and then waiting for the feeling of restriction to occur but eventually, it all works out. Unlike other forms of weight loss surgery, banding requires a lot more patience. :-)

I feel you, waiting is the hardest. My consultation was in early June and then I had the psych appt in early July. My surgeon requires an 8 week skills course and I have to lose 15lbs. At the end of the course, if I've lost the weight, they'll give me a surgery date. Oh but wait, there's more. They have a 2 week pre-op diet too. So I finish the course on September 9th and I'm hoping for surgery by the end of September at the earliest. I really thought about going to see another surgeon to see if there were less pre-op requirements but I really do like all the education they provide and I think it will really help. Their goal is that you're not surprised by anything after surgery. So I'm sucking it up and going through the long drawn out process because I know it will help me be more successful. Here endeth my rant.

I realize how incredibly tight my sleeve is when I read something like this. Two week ago I had a "bad" day.I was just so sick of watching every bite. I bought a 1 piece chicken meal (leg) w/ those little cups of cole slaw and baked beans. It took me the whole day to eat it. And I'm over 5 months out. I don't want people to take this the wrong way, but the further out I get, the more often I wish I could eat a little more. Yes, it sets you up for having to be responsible. But this deprivation is getting old. It sometimes feels a little prisionish to not be able to even eat a normal size grilled chicken leg. So try to look at it that way. Yes, you will have to be a bit more responsible to make sure you eat right. But you can eat. And a few months from now, you might realize what a mental health gift that is because I really sometimes feel like a prision of war. And as a side point, I am not losing weight fast. My body knows this isn't right. So if you have a larger capacity, don't think it means less or slower weight loss. It doesn't. You will be able to do fine with this. Just not perfect and unfortunately it sometimes seems a lot of people are all about perfection. I'm more about being at peace with my decision.