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This might be not valid but the first few months if I drank anything and ate at same time I'd vomit. I couldn't eat any solids until 10 weeks... kept to protein shakes. But healed well and no issues.

Hello to all. I am a new kid on the block. I was banded 11/01/06. Weight at banding was 264 Goal weight is 150. My Dr. is Felix Spiegel Houston, Tx I live in Central Texas. I am new to forum boards. I live in a rural area and my computer is rather slow. I am really excited about the banding journey and just want to gather all the information I can here at the beginning. I feel great and only have a few aches from the procedure. I am on only liquids so far and doing OK. Thanks for any advice or input you have.

Well, after my last fill 11/10 I decided it was time to get more agressive and stop the cycle of fills every 8 wks. I went in today (4 wks since last fill) and told the Dr. that we're going to try this MY way and that I wanted a fill. I actually thought that we'd schedule it today as the past 2 fills have been done via flouroscopy (sp?) anyway, he gave me a fill today - I figured 2 or 3 ml would do the trick. Well he gave me 6.6ml :scared2: today and YES, I'm feeling restriction. I can drink just fine and will see how this goes. I only hope this doesn't turn into be careful what you ask for:ohmy:.

Been there, it's horrible. I keep a disposable enema in hand for 911 situations. Sometimes you just can't wait for pills to kick in! The enemas have provided relief for me within 10-15 min. Also, I bet the nuts actually helped. I have almonds included as a regular snack and I swear they help keep me regular. I also add fiber to my shakes, oatmeal & applesauce to prevent constipation. Your graphic description made me giggle too- sorry! Now you can laugh at me: A couple years ago I had the worst constipation of my life. I went into a pharmacy in the middle of the night asking for advice. The pharmacist showed me lots of pills but I needed immediate relief. Eventually I confessed that it felt like there was a baseball stuck in butt ready to come out. The pharmacist said 'oh, OK!' And gave me the enema.

Personally, I would not have a major, potentially life threatening surgery for a BMI that low, especially with no associated health risks. If you lost 10% of your weight, that would probably be enough to move you out of obesity and into overweight. I know people here with low BMI who have done this surgery, succeeded, and are fine, but you asked for opinions. My opinion is that the risk far outweighs the benefit in this circumstance. The statistical risk of complication is low....until YOU become the one with the complication, then it's 100% you...and your three little kids. Not sure if you've looked on this site for complications, but I'd suggest you research that. Whatever you decide, good luck!

Richmond Virginia. Bypass 10/14 with dr. Campos at VCU. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi! I'm having mine with Dr. Aquilina at VCU. I pray everything went well for you! HEIGHT 5'9.5" HW 305; Started with first surgery, dietician visit 10/21/16

I just got this idea if you were banded between 1 june and 10 june, we would like to start a weekly weight check. Every friday we weigh ourselves and see who will be the biggest loser :drool: just a way to keep us running and help each other if you like it please lets start from here ......

Each physician has their own diet plan pre and post op. My physician had me on Clear liquids (broth, sf Jello, sf popcicles, low cal juice) plus the Optifast for two weeks prior to banding. My banding was on Dec. 29th. I have followed a clear liquid diet since the banding with no Optifast. Tomorrow I have my first post op visit. I will then be able to eat creamed Soups, sf pudding, low fat yogurt, cream of wheat, and vegetable juices. One thing that was very helpful....I have a small ice cream freezer (one that sits on the counter). I freeze the container so it's aways ready. Put the vanilla Optifast in and blend for about 10 minutes. The result tastes just like a Wendy's Frosty. It is delicious. That was my treat every evening. I have two cases of the Optifast left and will not use it. If you are interested, or know anyone interested, I would be glad to give a good deal. (Case vanilla + case chocolate). Good luck with you new way of life.

I think for all of us this would be so difficult to deal with. Sounds like you sincerly want to lose weight. I like my surgeon but I love my dietician/nutritionist. I think if I ever experience any problems I would seek her advice before my doctor's unless it might be surgically related. My nutritionist is a full time bariatrics nutritionist. She only works with bariatric docs and bariatric patients. Nutritionists are much less expensive to consult with than a doctor although it sounds like you could use a very competent and caring bariatrics doctor. I just don't know if they exist? Most docs I've spoken with want to keep their visits to 10-15 minutes where you can spend up to an hour with a nutritionist for $50. Each doctor is so wrapped up in his/her own practice that most will not take on a consultation type roll for a patient who had surgery elsewhere. I'm sure there may be one but where? I'm assuming you're relationship with your surgeon went South? You should try to see him or ask around about a bariatrics nutritionist. tmf

I'm sorry, but insurance or not, I would have gone to a doctor sometime in the last 4 years, if I was vomiting up to 10 times a day. Were you actually vomiting, or just productive burping (where food comes back up, but without retching)?

Went to the pulmonary doctor today and found out that I can not travel for a month and I have to inject myself with blood thinners for 10 days. I have two trips planned for June, so is kind of a problem. They are trying to move up my date. Did anyone travel after their surgery? How many days did you stay in the hospital? Thanks for any help.

Hey newbi here! So I was sleeved on the 15th of may so I am a few weeks out and learning to deal with this! Personally I haven’t had a great time I have water nausea which makes it hard to get fluids, meant to have moved on now to trying “normal” food hard hard time with that, not overeating at all just can’t handle most real food. Some fish soup and some fruit is my diet while a little boring and i think my taste buds died oh like 10 weeks ago the pre op diet killed them lol Pains not been a issue for me never really was warm drinks like decafe tea is a godsend and icepoles lol Out of interest what do people do for protein when you can’t really eat much no red meat at all agrees with me, and I really do not like milkshakes plus I am lactose intolerant I do make them but its like ewwww coz I am not a fan of them! All in all other than not being able to do too much “normal” food mine has gone pretty good so far and I decided to stop lurking and join up so HI lol

'm almost three weeks out and combined with the six months pre-surgery, two week fast and 19 days post-op, I'm down 45 pounds. Hoot hoot!!!!! My question to you all is how many of you have met the goal that you and your doctor set? Thank you in advance!!

Silly is good with me. As big as my middle was, it must've taken a lot of energy for me to ignore the way it got inbetween me and the washing machine, my car's steering wheel, the kitchen counter, you name it. I also somehow managed to ignore the high tide mark of dropped and dribbled food grunge on my clothes. I think I'd rather have 10 silly little NSV's than 1 big one. Not saying I'd refuse 1 big one, but the little ones sure make me appreciate my new and improved quality of life. Whoever would've thought that weight loss would improve your relationship with your washing machine?!

Wow you look great for just losing 40 pounds. What was your starting weight day of surgery? How tall are you? I'm 10 weeks out and have lost 41 but 11 were pre op.. 30 have been after surgery and I'm 5'8..started 271..day of surgery 260..today I'm 230...but I look nothing like you do lol you look great

I got on my treadmill as soon as I got home from surgery--I did the hospital shuffle at 0.5 miles/hour--but I did 10 minutes every 2 hours during the day and added some time and some speed as I was able each day. By week 3 I could do 2 or 2.5 miles/hour for 30-60 minutes at a time. It did that twice a day--the main goal was to rebuild my stamina because at week 4, I was on a grueling 6 week trip to 6 different countries (12 flights, 10 cities, and two 10-hour car rides) for a business trip. I was on my feet all day most of the work days and hiking/site-seeing the other days. You're doing this to get healthy and to be able to do more things with your family. I would say to plan for it and work for it to make it happen! Just get your fluids and your Protein and walk, walk, walk. I can't believe how good I have felt --since 4 days post op--don't hold the 1st 4 days against me! :-)

Hi Timo, wow, now you probably out of the Hospital..? Right. I will get a better internet hook up, in about 7-10 days. Can Skype then, if you like. How are you feeling now... hang in there,it gets better. We can talk on phone , or meet up anywhere in the City or eastern Sub, if you like. OK, let me know, B-Franky

@@beachgal2935 Thank you for your words of encouragement! I'm not too much younger than you... I'm 46 and have been overweight since I was under 10 years old. Excited about this upcoming change in my life! (And accepting and working through the grieving stage of this positive life choice!)

I was sleeved on 10/2/2018 and am down 47lbs. I feel like my progress is slow but steady. I’m actually in the 250’s for the first time in YEARS! My hubby and I have a Vegas trip planned in January and my gift to myself if I’m under 250 is to go horseback riding for the first time ever. I’ve never been under the maximum weight in my adult life so I’ve always avoided doing it. I know it will be cold but I don’t care. My butt will be freezing doing something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m so excited. Now to continue this hard work. I’m about 60ish lbs from where I think I want to be, which is under 200, and it finally feels like a realistic goal! Here’s to being sexy in Vegas. To all my fellow sleevers “We’ve got this”! HW - 306 SW - 298 CW - 259 GW - none (just to be under 200) Height - 5’8 1/2

Okay I think I met the next people to be on Dr Oz's Show today in the doctor's office. I went in to get a slight unfill as I was too tight (took out .3cc). I met a very nice husband and wife couple who have both been Banded for 2 years. They looked like they had never been overweight in their whole life. We were talking about being banded and I was getting looks from the women like "have you had your surgery? really? What happen? Granted I am 169 but I was 253. When I told her I was here to get a small unfill she laughed at me “an unfill” I would NEVER get an unfill. We both stay as tight as we can and they were there for a fill. The women had been 136 lbs before the Band and her husband in the 170's She said she is never really hungry and when she is she gets so happy cause she knows she is losing weigh she now weighed in at 108 (really?) This is their diet: a small glass of juice in the morning and then for dinner they make vegtable stew and blend it up completly so it can go down no lunch. It takes her an hour to get down a bottle of water (really?) she added sometimes she can not get her own salivia down as band is too tight. She wants to be a tight as she can so nothing can go down, him also. She was still staring at me like no way could I have the band and still be so large? Well I have been in my size10 jeans for more than a year, thought I is was doing pretty good. When, I have just been through two weeks like that as after my last fill a month ago was great for 2 weeks But . . . 2 weeks later it kick in and no food, just water and watered down protien shakes I knew time for small unfill. I had lost 8 lbs in those two weeks but is was not fun, not normal. But after seeing her a small part of me wanted to run out of that office and get stuff for soup and some juice. I have been trying to lose 15 or 20 lbs for so long and I wanted to believe I could do the same for a while and hit goal. There was a young girl in the room with us who was just banded in Mexico and was there to get her first fill, she looked terrified. Aslo another women about my age was in the room and she just kept shaking her head at everyword they said. I tried to tell the young girl that was not what most people do, She got called for her fill and I never saw her again. When I got called I could feel 2 sets of eyes looking at my huge size 10 butt as I walked by. Not sure if they made it for their fill so she could keep gurgling night and day as I left them (alone) with the another lady and she was ready to kill. Cheri NOTE: these Doctors do fills for people Banded in Mexico. This was in Houston, Texas need the number message me

Hi I am going to be flying in May 9 with my sx on May 10 at CER. Do you stay at the Mariott hotel?

I was banded on Oct 3 and returned to work on Oct 9. I felt real good and was bored at home. I stand on my feet all day but I have been taking frequent breaks. Today is day 10 after surgery and I woke up with soreness around my port. I am going to work but my call it a short day. Is this soreness normal?

I was only about 10 pounds heavier than you. I am about 3 months out. I have lost 40 pounds and I am still losing. I am losing a lot slower than people that were bigger than me, but have to keep telling myself it's not a race. I just had to stop listening to other people because they kept telling me that I should try to do it the natural. I have never felt better about myself. I bought a swimsuit from Banana Republic the other day for my Spring Break trip. When it came in the mail, it was TOO BIG!

Like Ava fern said, there is no reason why you can't physically eat and drink at the same time. You won't hurt anything. The only reason for the rule is that liquid will flush the food through your sleeve faster and you may feel hungry sooner, thus eat more. I'm 10 months out, maintaining 12 pounds below goal and I don't pay much attention to timing when I eat and drink. I just don't overeat. But it is a good rule to follow while you are losing and/or until you figure out how much to eat and still lose or maintain.