Tips and Tricks of Living with My Band over 8 years

[NaNa 878]

I made this post about 5 years ago on another site a few years ago and it was very helpful to newbies so I thought I would post it here

"Disclaimer, this is from my OWN journey and also seeing thousands of other lap banders journeys over the years"

1. If you drink COLD liquids or cold things the band will tighten up.

2. If you drink hot liquids the band will loosen up.

3. Most women that have menstrual cycles tissues around the band will tighten therefore causing the band to tighten up while menstruating and then loosen up right before or after a cycle.

4. The band will tighten if you get stressed about something, always leave a little wiggle room for unexpected tightness of the band, otherwise those who are very tight may find themselves not able to swallow their spit and cause irritation.

5. For many people the band will tighten during flying or even high elevation, those who live in mountainous terrains above sea level may experience a tighter band than those who live in flatter areas.

6. The band is tighter for most in the mornings, when you lie down this cause it to tighten further, something about how the saline moves around in the band which causes it to get tighter when you lie down.

7. When you have a GOOD FILL level you will notice you can't eat as much while sitting down, so don't cheat and stand up and eat!

8. When you have a GOOD FILL level, you will NOT be able to eat and drink at the same time, trust me, this will cause PBing and vomiting and cause the food and liquid to stack up and there is no where to go but back up. (This is an update to this one, many people can eat and drink at the same time, so this may be on an individual level).

9. When you are tightly restricted avoid, grilled chicken IN PUBLIC, make sure your meat are moist, example when I eat salads I add lots of dressing in order to eat this at work without getting stuck, but salad dressing is fattening, but it' not fattening only if you are only able to eat about 5 bites of it and get full/satisfied.

10. To avoid slimming and frequent vomiting (which may cause slippage or a stretched pouch if done daily) make sure you take pea size bites and chew and wait until you feel the food go through, the food IS SUPPOSED to gently ease down your esophagus slowly without PAIN, if you are having painful eating, you are not eating properly OR you are way too tight. Also if you are in public and eating at a restaurant you may want to order a hot tea or Soup to prevent first bite syndrome, typically the first bite is the toughest. Some people disregard this and they may vomit and if this is done regularly you will be on your way to become a revision patient.

11. Eating with the band will become very easy when you learn your band and signals of how tight you might be, your restriction WILL NEVER BE THE SAME EVERY DAY, you will have some days a little bit looser than others, THIS IS WITH ANY RESTRICTIVE SURGERY INCLUDING RNY OR THE SLEEVE, but the band is a bit more finicky since it is filled with saline so you have to eat accordingly based on how tight you are, However,...restriction should NOT vary a great deal, meaning one day Soup and one day 2 whole Big Macs...lol, if your restriction varies that much you got a problem and need to see your doctor to make sure you are properly restricted or if you have a stretched pouch.

12. Clearing the pouch out daily -- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR LIVING with your band in peace! this is what I do to clear my pouch out daily, I make sure I drink Water after I eat before I go to bed, also chew about 2 papaya tablet from (GNC) this also helps clear my pouch out and avoid any indigestion while I lay down at night and I have a good night’s sleep even if I eat very close to bed time. But this will NOT work if you have a slipped band or esophageal issues or band damage.

13. Some foods may irritate you more such as spicy foods, fried foods, chocolate, mints, onions, coffee, these things may cause heartburn in some and may not in others, I can tolerate them as long as I don't overdo it, but taking a pepcid or other heartburn meds will help.

14. Getting food stuck - I've been stuck several times and it is not a good feeling so I try to avoid it as much as I can, the first thing I would do if I get stuck is excuse myself in go somewhere private and raise my arms and take deep breaths and message the middle of my chest this has helped me many times to prevent vomiting and when I message my sternum between the breast this will help move the food down, the food will either slide down or you will throw it up.

15. If you are truly stuck you may have to see your surgeon for an emergency unfill, you will know if you are truly stuck, this may cause breathing problems and can be quite scary and repeated vomiting, but as soon as the food becomes unstuck, most of the time you will feel better immediately.

16. You should ALWAYS be able to eat solid food, even if it's only 5 bites at a time you should be able to eat solid food with your band, if you get a fill and you have trouble with liquids, you are too tight and this will eventually cause problems.

17. It usually takes about 3-7 fills until you reach your sweet spot safely, If you can never get a good fill level, sweet spot, meaning too tight or too looseyou may want to change surgeons and seek a band surgeon only -- your fill giver may not be filling you properly, it should not take that much time to reach your sweet spot, your sweet spot should not be painful or have nightly reflux or pain or vomiting, the sweet spot should allow you to eat a few bites of solid food and you get a signal to stop eating like a hiccup, burp, sneeze, runny nose, and you may feel like you have eaten a thanksgiving dinner on about 4-5 oz of food.

18. The band will restrict dense solid foods better than soup or liquids, you will get fuller on these foods quicker, the band is designed to restrict solid foods, if you are too tight you may not be able to eat healthy foods that are required, which may result in no weight loss.

19. How to know if you are in trouble (deep do do) with your band, Reflux is that slippery slope type issue and should ALWAYS be of concern to lap banders, any time you get a new fill and if you experience reflux that is frequent, you should see your surgeon immediately, there are two types of refux with the band that needs to be CLARIFIED.

20. If you plan on going VERY tight with your band use common sense and puree your food, because eating solids on a too tight band will be a nightmare and you will eventually slip your band, if you don't want to remove saline, puree! and drink Protein drinks and when you lose the weight you want, reduce saline, because you will surely cause band slippage if you attempt to eat "regular solid food" on a too tight band for long periods of time (but word of caution, this may not work for everyone and can be very dangerous to some).

How can you tell if your band is about to slip?

1. The dangerous reflux that indicates band slippage or (pouch dilation) is when it awakes you from your sleep and vomit and nasty liquid starts to shoot up into your nose and mouth, or a constant dry cough that is not associated with a cold. THIS REFLUX REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION from your surgeon and possible saline reduced and Upper Gi to check your band.

2. The not so dangerous reflux is when you are in the green zone and you ate too close to bedtime and you wake up with "stuff" in your mouth and have to spit it out, what I've done to correct this type of reflux is to drink Water before bed along with a few Papaya enzymes (from GNC) which helps ease digestion and move food through a tight band from the upper pouch to lower stomach to clear out that food.

3. However, you should NOT get reflux often WHEN YOU ARE TRULY in the Green Zone, if your reflux is every night despite taking the precautions of clearing out your pouch and not eating too close to bedtime, you are probably in the Red Zone and need some saline out or you may have other issues that needs to be followed up by your band surgeon.

What to eat and how much should be discussed with your Nutritionist, but most who have success with their bands walk or exercise DAILY, eat lean Proteins first and veggies and drink water, it's just that simple.

[ccjll 177]

This is GREAT!! Thank you so very much NaNa for posting, this is exactly why this site Rocks!

[toritz 64]

Thank you! Great info.

[Redesigned_Curves 312]

Thanks for sharing!!

[JOANNE M HOLL 388]

NaNa, You are just what I needed this morning. Thanks!

[tmanning 4]

Thank you very much for the info. I just had my 2nd fill and was wondering about #1 and 2. I thought maybe something was wrong with me. Thanks again.

[Debbie3sons 1,936]

I need to copy this and look back on it or send it to y E. ail pleas this is very helpful , thankyou.

[LadyDiva618 359]

Thanks for sharing

[Pittsburgher 261]

Great info for newbies. Thanks for sharing

[Lady VS 1,147]

Awesome advice. Thanks for sharing.

[daz 0]

I made this post about 5 years ago on another site a few years ago and it was very helpful to newbies so I thought I would post it here "Disclaimer' date=' this is from my OWN journey and also seeing thousands of other lap banders journeys over the years" 1. If you drink COLD liquids or cold things the band will tighten up. 2. If you drink hot liquids the band will loosen up. 3. Most women that have menstrual cycles tissues around the band will tighten therefore causing the band to tighten up while menstruating and then loosen up right before or after a cycle. 4. The band will tighten if you get stressed about something, always leave a little wiggle room for unexpected tightness of the band, otherwise those who are very tight may find themselves not able to swallow their spit and cause irritation. 5. For many people the band will tighten during flying or even high elevation, those who live in mountainous terrains above sea level may experience a tighter band than those who live in flatter areas. 6. The band is tighter for most in the mornings, when you lie down this cause it to tighten further, something about how the saline moves around in the band which causes it to get tighter when you lie down. 7. When you have a GOOD FILL level you will notice you can't eat as much while sitting down, so don't cheat and stand up and eat! 8. When you have a GOOD FILL level, you will NOT be able to eat and drink at the same time, trust me, this will cause PBing and vomiting and cause the food and liquid to stack up and there is no where to go but back up. (This is an update to this one, many people can eat and drink at the same time, so this may be on an individual level). 9. When you are tightly restricted avoid, grilled chicken IN PUBLIC, make sure your meat are moist, example when I eat salads I add lots of dressing in order to eat this at work without getting stuck, but Salad Dressing is fattening, but it' not fattening only if you are only able to eat about 5 bites of it and get full/satisfied. 10. To avoid slimming and frequent vomiting (which may cause slippage or a stretched pouch if done daily) make sure you take pea size bites and chew and wait until you feel the food go through, the food IS SUPPOSED to gently ease down your esophagus slowly without PAIN, if you are having painful eating, you are not eating properly OR you are way too tight. Also if you are in public and eating at a restaurant you may want to order a hot tea or Soup to prevent first bite syndrome, typically the first bite is the toughest. Some people disregard this and they may vomit and if this is done regularly you will be on your way to become a revision patient. 11. Eating with the band will become very easy when you learn your band and signals of how tight you might be, your restriction WILL NEVER BE THE SAME EVERY DAY, you will have some days a little bit looser than others, THIS IS WITH ANY RESTRICTIVE SURGERY INCLUDING RNY OR THE SLEEVE, but the band is a bit more finicky since it is filled with saline so you have to eat accordingly based on how tight you are, However,...restriction should NOT vary a great deal, meaning one day soup and one day 2 whole Big Macs...lol, if your restriction varies that much you got a problem and need to see your doctor to make sure you are properly restricted or if you have a stretched pouch. 12. Clearing the pouch out daily -- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR LIVING with your band in peace! this is what I do to clear my pouch out daily, I make sure I drink Water after I eat before I go to bed, also chew about 2 papaya tablet from (GNC) this also helps clear my pouch out and avoid any indigestion while I lay down at night and I have a good night’s sleep even if I eat very close to bed time. But this will NOT work if you have a slipped band or esophageal issues or band damage. 13. Some foods may irritate you more such as spicy foods, fried foods, chocolate, mints, onions, coffee, these things may cause heartburn in some and may not in others, I can tolerate them as long as I don't overdo it, but taking a pepcid or other heartburn meds will help. 14. Getting food stuck - I've been stuck several times and it is not a good feeling so I try to avoid it as much as I can, the first thing I would do if I get stuck is excuse myself in go somewhere private and raise my arms and take deep breaths and message the middle of my chest this has helped me many times to prevent vomiting and when I message my sternum between the breast this will help move the food down, the food will either slide down or you will throw it up. 15. If you are truly stuck you may have to see your surgeon for an emergency unfill, you will know if you are truly stuck, this may cause breathing problems and can be quite scary and repeated vomiting, but as soon as the food becomes unstuck, most of the time you will feel better immediately. 16. You should ALWAYS be able to eat solid food, even if it's only 5 bites at a time you should be able to eat solid food with your band, if you get a fill and you have trouble with liquids, you are too tight and this will eventually cause problems. 17. It usually takes about 3-7 fills until you reach your sweet spot safely, If you can never get a good fill level, sweet spot, meaning too tight or too looseyou may want to change surgeons and seek a band surgeon only -- your fill giver may not be filling you properly, it should not take that much time to reach your sweet spot, your sweet spot should not be painful or have nightly reflux or pain or vomiting, the sweet spot should allow you to eat a few bites of solid food and you get a signal to stop eating like a hiccup, burp, sneeze, runny nose, and you may feel like you have eaten a thanksgiving dinner on about 4-5 oz of food. 18. The band will restrict dense solid foods better than soup or liquids, you will get fuller on these foods quicker, the band is designed to restrict solid foods, if you are too tight you may not be able to eat healthy foods that are required, which may result in no weight loss. 19. How to know if you are in trouble (deep do do) with your band, Reflux is that slippery slope type issue and should ALWAYS be of concern to lap banders, any time you get a new fill and if you experience reflux that is frequent, you should see your surgeon immediately, there are two types of refux with the band that needs to be CLARIFIED. 20. If you plan on going VERY tight with your band use common sense and puree your food, because eating solids on a too tight band will be a nightmare and you will eventually slip your band, if you don't want to remove saline, puree! and drink Protein Drinks and when you lose the weight you want, reduce saline, because you will surely cause band slippage if you attempt to eat "regular solid food" on a too tight band for long periods of time (but word of caution, this may not work for everyone and can be very dangerous to some). How can you tell if your band is about to slip? 1. The dangerous reflux that indicates band slippage or (pouch dilation) is when it awakes you from your sleep and vomit and nasty liquid starts to shoot up into your nose and mouth, or a constant dry cough that is not associated with a cold. THIS REFLUX REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION from your surgeon and possible saline reduced and Upper Gi to check your band. 2. The not so dangerous reflux is when you are in the green zone and you ate too close to bedtime and you wake up with "stuff" in your mouth and have to spit it out, what I've done to correct this type of reflux is to drink water before bed along with a few Papaya enzymes (from GNC) which helps ease digestion and move food through a tight band from the upper pouch to lower stomach to clear out that food. 3. However, you should NOT get reflux often WHEN YOU ARE TRULY in the Green Zone, if your reflux is every night despite taking the precautions of clearing out your pouch and not eating too close to bedtime, you are probably in the Red Zone and need some saline out or you may have other issues that needs to be followed up by your band surgeon. What to eat and how much should be discussed with your Nutritionist, but most who have success with their bands walk or exercise DAILY, eat lean Proteins first and veggies and drink water, it's just that simple.[/quote']brilliant advice, thank you for sharing ????