Thinking of switching to a sleeve

[banded121512 2]

Ive been banded for 6 weeks now and the blasted pain that I get from eating is ridiculous.....it doesnt matter how little or how slowly I eat I stil get that "stuck" feeling and a discomfort that reminds me alot of the gas pains you feel for up to a week after being banded. I dont know what Im doing wrong but I have only lost maybe 5-7 lbs and I still feel hungry all the time but becuase of that stuck feeling i dont dare eat. Kiinda disappointed at this point cuz I paid outta pocket......pbst.....

[A New New Dawn 1,695]

I think you really should have a heart to heart with your doctor and nutritionist. You shouldn't have such difficulty.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I agree, it sounds like you need to talk to your doctor. For instance, did he put Fluid in your band during surgery? If so, you probably want to have some removed. Maybe you need to have your band placement checked, too.

As far as weight loss, 5-7 pounds is actually right on the expected schedule of 1-2 pounds a week. You have to remember, the weight didn't come on overnight and it's not going to disappear overnight either.

Hang in there, but definitely talk to your doctor and nutritionist.

[Tomander 614]

it's only been 6 weeks... talk to your doctor... have you had had a fill ?

Don't rush into anything until you speak with your doctor... it's still very early in the game... your still healing.

Tom, Toronto

Banded July 6 06

Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

Ive been banded for 6 weeks now and the blasted pain that I get from eating is ridiculous.....it doesnt matter how little or how slowly I eat I stil get that "stuck" feeling and a discomfort that reminds me alot of the gas pains you feel for up to a week after being banded. I dont know what Im doing wrong but I have only lost maybe 5-7 lbs and I still feel hungry all the time but becuase of that stuck feeling i dont dare eat. Kiinda disappointed at this point cuz I paid outta pocket......pbst.....

well, the others said what i will say, refer to your dr esp about pain and having trouble eating..i will say, that you being banded only a short time that you may have (eat) too early and that is a reason why you got stuck or felt uncomfortable (the swelling inside and trying to eat too soon with too much)

that being said, dont think switching to the sleeve (will magically make you lose weight quicker). it takes work just like with the band..you seriously have to let the band work (and help it by following the guidelines and you would have to do that with the sleeve also).

please call your dr as they are the ONLY ones who can advise you how to handle the issues you are having.

[TriciaLN 177]

It's only been 6 weeks. You need to give it time. Talk to your doc about what your feeling and come up with a solution. Your feelings about the band may change throughout this journey. Don't give up before experiencing the ride. Take care.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

I think it's way too early to give up on your band. And take my word for it: I had to revise from the band to the sleeve, and life with the sleeve is far more difficult than I ever expected it to be. And unlike the band, you can't adjust the sleeve. Once that big chunk of stomach is removed, it's gone forever, like it or not.

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

Ask your surgeon did he 'pre' fill your band during surgery. Like Missy said, if they did you may need to have the Fluid removed. Hang in there and don't give up. There has to be a reason this is happening, talk to the surgeon about it and find out what is going on and don't give up until you do!

Best of luck, keep us posted

[A New New Dawn 1,695]

I went back and read some of your earlier posts to try to see what you may be experiencing better right now. I really feel that you are struggling w/ the learning how to work with your band. (I don't mean that in a derragatory way, just it is a huge learning process). I notice you posted about having trouble with Breakfast. Have you tried doing the Protein shakes for Breakfast instead of eating? Many of us have "tight bands" in the morning. I can do oatmeal, shakes, or eggs over easy (scrambled eggs get stuck for me). If I am going to try to eat something more than that, I will often start w/ a hot cup of tea or coffee first to help loosen things up a bit. Also, and this is key, if you have had a stuck moment you should really stick to liquids for 24 hours, then soft foods, then back to solids. When food gets stuck it irritates the stoma and causes some swelling so trying to eat solid foods will cause another stuck or uncomfortable moment, from my experience.

I am not telling you this from reading a book but from my own personal challenges of learning how to work with my band. Yes, I did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people, and learned a lot about it by trial and error of what works and doesn't work for me. You are so newly banded and it is frustrating in the early stages until we figure it all out. I have seen many people post that they didn't "get it" until around 6 months.

Perhaps, "starting over" by having a Protein shake for breakfast, then regular food later in the day. Taking tiny bites, chewing very well (20-25x till it's mush), pausing, then next bite, etc. Not only is this a physical journey but it is a huge emotional journey as we have to learn all new habits and change our lifestyle of what we have done for so many years. Please be patient and please work with your doctor and nutritionist to help figure out what will work for you.

[bonmah77 20]

I have to agree with A New Dawn. I just had my second fill, banded Nov 8 and it has taken me this long to really get it. If I eat when I am not focused on eating, I tend to eat too fast and take bites that are too large. I then get that pain in the center of my chest, fortunatley I have never thrown up yet! But it is so important to eat slowly, chew chew chew, and rest up to a minute between bites. It is a new life, it takes time to learn how to live it

\

Good luck

[Baba Wawa 543]

At six weeks out, you're barely healed and many banded people don't lose anything during this time. The focus should be on developing band friendly eating habits; 1/2 cup food total, Protein first, chew each bite 25 times, tiny bites (corn kernel size), 20-30 min to complete your meal; no more, no less and stopping when you get the "soft stop" sign (runny nose, hiccup, sigh, etc) rather than a hard stop (feeling stuck, pb, regurgitation). You might have irritated the stomach around the band, causing swelling. Try going back to full liquids/mushies for a couple of days and take it very slow adding solids in. It is way too soon to give up. Call your band doctor if this doesn't improve within a few more days. If you had a primer fill at surgery, it might be too much for your individual anatomy. Good luck and keep us posted!

[cheryl2586 3,053]

At six weeks post op you should just now be on your second week of whole foods. Do you have a Fluid in your band? Have you called your doctor? Does he know your issues? I think rushing to change to a different surgery when you are still healing from this one is not a good idea. You havent given much information about your eating. When did you start solid foods. You may have severe swelling from getting stuck so much and need to give your stomach a rest with liquids.< /p>

[banded121512 2]

Thank you all so much for the heart felt comments and concern. At New Dawn, I have gone a few days with just drinking a Protein Shake for Breakfast, then about 10:30 I have a mushies snack like yogurt but by lunch i am so hungry that I grab something like a sandwich or a burrito and try to eat it slowly and as soon as I start to feel the restriction I stop (usually about 1/2 a burrito) but then about 20-30 min later I get that pain that goes up into my shoulder from the left side. so then I go another 4 or 5 hours without eating and try again to eat slowly but same problem, I get that pain into my shoulder. If truth be known I was banded down in Mexico, I dont have a follow up surgeon state side yet cuz I have to pay $3,000 out of pocket to meet with him. I do not currently have any saline in my band (I think they gave me 1 cc at the time of placement but that is it) I have a 10 cc band but if I am having this kind of restriction with only 1 cc I definitely do not want any more. My biggest concern is going so long with out eating. I was always told it is not good to do that. So I do not feel offended by anyone saying I am struggling but I feel like I am. I dont think its the band, but more my lack of knowledge of the "rules" even tho I read them, and try to put them into practice ie: small bites, chewing alot and stopping when I feel the restriction. so Im not sure why I have such bad "stuck" problems. Or maybe its not even stuck problems.....maybe its placement problem but I wont know til I come up with the 3 grand. Anyway, I will just continue to try and work with it and stick with liquids as much as possible to get my calories in. Thank you all so much again for all of the pro advice. btw what is considered "regular" food? ?? to me that would be a sandwhich (whole wheat) maybe some spaghetti or pastas....burrito, meatloaf, chicken breasts, brown rice with maybe roast and steamed veggies. Does that stuff sound like regular food?

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I'm not saying this harshly or to offend you, but you have to go about all this right way. Your follow up care here in the states should've been in place before you even left for Mexico. Coming home with to no doctor isn't wise and is a recipe for disaster. Your success or failure with the band is greatly dependent on your compliance and doctor follow up. Right now, you don't have either. Having the band without a follow up surgeon is like having a brand new car with four flat tires. Totally useless and going nowhere fast.

You absolutely have to find a way to start seeing a local doctor. The longer you wait and struggle, the greater the risk you're putting yourself in. You also need to get into a nutritionist and learn how to eat healthy with the band. We're not doctors or nutritionists, we can't tell you what to eat or what to do.

Again, I say this with compassion and concern, not to offend. You just really have to get this situation rectified because you're putting your health at serious risk.

Best wishes.

[banded121512 2]

Yes, my plan is to get a fill when I get my tax returns, so here pretty soon. I spoke with the surgeon before I was banded and told him I wouldnt be able to get a fill or follow up for about 8 weeks post of and he said most surgeons wont even see you till after 6 weeks anyway and that I would still lose cuz there would still be restriction and he did not seem concerned about it at all. and really Im not to concerned either because other than the stuck feelings Im not having any problems so its most likely that Im just not following the rulz as closely as I thought. I will be going in to see a surgeon over the next couple of weeks. I do not get offended easily, besides its a forum and ppl are free to say what they want. If I didnt want feed back I wouldnt ask for it so no worries about me getting offended. I appreciate the information.