Banded and Not SURE!

[mskris 0]

Hi my name is Kris.

I was banded on April 27th. And on the first day, I felt a bit of cramping.. I drank broth at night, as I was told by night it would be ok. But by 3 or so days, I went and did have some mash tato's, and apple sauce. OK soo, I haven't had ANY pain,

and NO feeling of restriction.

OK sooo.. that was last week. THIS week, say 5 days ago,

I did have some toast, a bite of a blueberry muffin- and

still no feeling of restriction.

And so, testing myself, I had a plate of mash tatos, coleslaw,

and a bit of chicken..(cut into squares).

STILL no restriction..

NOW- today I went to the doctors, and was honest,

and was TOLD OFF for pushing my food past the stage

i'm supposed to be in which is puree ONLY. My doctor

was furious...

SOOOOOOOOO- now that has made me paranoid thinking

HOW did i eat so easily, and maybe i slipped.... (????)

aren't people that slip- GET PAIN (??)

and why don't i have ANY feeling of restriction (?)

im confused, because I AM losing weight, but

its because IM ON A DIET... NOT BECAUSE OF THE BAND.

if i am on a diet..

why did i do this in the first place (???)

I'm beginning to think this is a fad... that a simple

DIET is all i needed! ! !

I won't be able to get my fill till 1 month from now,

and I'm anxious to know what it will do to change anything.

and I'm worried that I slipped since I dont feel any restriction.

But I have not had any feeling of pain or feeling that

couldve happened.

After being told off by my doctor, im back on pureed food,

but ISN'T IT TOO LATE NOW, SINCE I'VE JUST ABOUT ATE

EVERYTHING- (chewing alot, and taking it slow, and small portions yes)...

but really - does the slipping happen AFTER the fill,

or could it have happened and i dont even know it-

this is all real confusing to me, i dont feel a darn thing,

and have no way of telling whats going on inside...but

I know one thing.. i want to eat, and i have eaten, and

i dont feel anything- - -

lol

help! :smile2:

kris (thanks! )

[OnTheWay to Thin 0]

OK you obviously did not fully understand the process, what to expect and what your responsibilities are. Your stomach is healing right now and can not handle real food, as it can break your stitches and cause all kinds of issues. It is vital that you follow your doctors orders to a T to be successful. At this stage of the game you DO NOT have restriction, your total purpose is to heal and get over the surgery, you WILL NOT have restriction until you start having fills and then it may take several to get to your sweet spot. This is the timeframe know as bandster hell, you have no restriction, but you are supposed to follow a diet. You will lose if you follow instructions, but very slowly. Most doctors wait 4-6 weeks to do fills and once you start having those this will change.

[WorkingMom 0]

It really is important to follow your Dr.'s instructions. The period immediately following surgery your stomach is healing from the surgery. It is adjusting to having a band around it, the stiches that hold the band are still in place, and thus, liquids only so that you allow healing. liquids are not given because of restriction.

Once you go on mushies, you may still find that you can eat a lot. After you go on regular foods, you very likely will be able to eat as much as you want. I am surprised your Dr.'s didn't give you an overview on what to expect after surgery.

You see frequent posts on this board with people referring to 'bandster hell'. Bandster Hell is theh time after surgery that you have little or no restriction and you can eat anything. Many are confused, as they question why they had surgery. Have patience, after a few fills ( not necessarily the first one, the second one or even the third one) restriction will come and you will shed pounds. Many surgeons are very conservative when it comes to fills and will not schedule them less than 6 weeks apart.

Please have a chat with your surgeon to find out what his/her expectations are of you, and please follow all future directions. Realize also that after a fill many surgeons require a liquid diet for 1 or 2 days followed by mushies for 1 or 2 days. Don't test the band at this point, listen to your Dr.!

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Jaffa 5]

Is this a joke?

Your first post?

[lulu's 0]

hi!!

hav t say i was very alike ur self no matter what i ate i never felt restriction! its been 17 months since iv had de band fitted and im still struggling trying to loose de weight! im after having fills but none seem to be sufficiant enough to stop me binge eating.. iv started to revert back to old habits of relying on slimming tablets to help speed de process !! im sorry to hav to say it but i reckon wit a little work i wld hav done as good on my own without de hardship and cost of de gastric band !! BUT on the other hand it has alot to do wit de hospital i got de procedure done wit (ACS),, they never fully explained de day to day living wit de band !! i think if i had de right information i could possibly get de best results!! not sure if im any help ?? hope things will get better for u !!! CHIN UP !!

[mskris 0]

HI.. NO this is not a joke! I wouldn't do that.. why do that here? I'm a grown woman, with kids, and don't play games.. Yes, its my first post, I have surfed through- read, but have not joined till now.

Thank you to those that answered seriously. Yes, I was informed that healing was going to be tough- but more so the actual healing of the outside, than in the inside. I was never shown images of the stitches, till today..after the fact- after the upset my doctor had. I think my office goes through so many of these surgeries that everyone is just a number to them. My doctor still doesnt know my name..

I knew the importance of the liquid for the day or so, but since ive been on a diet for weeks prior, (for preparation)- and looked at a new upcoming 4 more weeks of puree, i thought- THEY ARE BEING TOO CAUTIOUS. But now I see, that I have made an error.

Now the real test is going to happen.. can I stop the food that I let myself eat the last few days and go back to puree.. when i KNOW i can eat toast, and so on..

This is hard work.. I didn't realize it- and im thinking maybe a diet would've been easier...You see, I had to go through a 6 month nutrition program, then a Protein diet, then a fat free diet, and NOW i see I have another month to wait for a fill.. I just feel very fustrated with this waiting process.. I thought it would be faster, thats all.

and really, I'm just venting.

I appreciate the advice, and I will do my best.

thanks all, kris

[OnTheWay to Thin 0]

I know you are having a tough time, and I sympathize, but I must tell you that you HAVE to back off. When we eat chunky stuff, roughage and so on your stomach contracts to digest... if you continue with cole slaw chicken and other items you are not supposed to eat you up your chances of slippage or stitch tearing exponentially. No diet is easy, regardless of the method you use to accomplish it and the lap band is another form of a diet. Once you get to your sweet spot it will be easier, but for now you really need to follow your doctors program otherwise you will have done all this for nothing and have a very REAL possibility of long term complications. Good luck.

[mskris 0]

thanks everyone. Yes, while its kinda late, I AM serious about this. I just didn't realize the way the stitches hold and how slippage happens, and WHY its so important to have the pureed foods. Now i understand, and I have been good all day, and all night with my mush food. but being a good week late, I feel i'm reversing myself, and that if damage is done, its probably too late. I will though, continue my mush food, and continue following instructs. and I do hope when fill time comes, everything goes as it should.. Right now, I think all is ok, since i feel totally NOTHING happening...no pain, no sensations, no restriction, nothing.. so im going to take it as a good sign. Thanks again!

[Brandy~ 2]

I didn’t respond before now because I almost thought this was just a troll post.. But I will help out and hope that it isn’t

Hi my name is Kris.

I was banded on April 27th. And on the first day, I felt a bit of cramping.. I drank broth at night, as I was told by night it would be ok. But by 3 or so days, I went and did have some mash tato's, and apple sauce. OK soo, I haven't had ANY pain,

and NO feeling of restriction.

OK sooo.. that was last week. THIS week, say 5 days ago,

I did have some toast, a bite of a blueberry muffin- and

still no feeling of restriction.

Before having surgery did you meet with a nutritionist? Did the surgeon or anyone explain to you any preop post op diets? Were you given a list of foods with the days and weeks that you could have each one?

This is the MOST important stage of the healing process. The liquids are meant to run right through you as to avoid the stomach from contracting and digesting the food. The band is held in place with stitching that is on the exterior of the stomach… When the stomach contracts the stitches are being pulled and even once they heal they are not pulled as tight as they could be and could lead to slippage in the later years.

And so, testing myself, I had a plate of mash tatos, coleslaw,

and a bit of chicken..(cut into squares).

STILL no restriction..

You use the term “testing” if you’re testing something it’s because you’re checking to see if you can do something. The papers you had from the doctor with the diet on them should be a clue that “testing” yourself isn’t something you should be doing. Following a guideline is what you should do.

NOW- today I went to the doctors, and was honest,

and was TOLD OFF for pushing my food past the stage

i'm supposed to be in which is puree ONLY. My doctor

was furious...

The fact that the doctor was so furious is good and bad… Since he was so furious it makes me believe that he did give you the tools to succeed with this surgery IE the diet and the facts you needed to do your post op care. He must care to some degree if it upset him so bad.

SOOOOOOOOO- now that has made me paranoid thinking

HOW did i eat so easily, and maybe i slipped.... (????)

You ate so easily because the band was only “placed” it wasn’t placed and filled. Just because you can eat doesn’t mean you should… Right after surgery till you have restriction this period of time is called Bandster Hell. You will find it all over the boards here. This is the biggest complaint of the band… People expect a miracle the second they are rolled out of surgery.

aren't people that slip- GET PAIN (??)

and why don't i have ANY feeling of restriction (?)

Everyone that experiences a slippage has different symptons…. Some get very bad heartburn or refulux, some vomit, some have stomach pains, some salivate, slim or PB constantly. It all varies.

im confused, because I AM losing weight, but

its because IM ON A DIET... NOT BECAUSE OF THE BAND.

if i am on a diet..

why did i do this in the first place (???)

I'm beginning to think this is a fad... that a simple

DIET is all i needed! ! !

This is probably something you should of thought through a lot more before opting for surgery. I am not saying you made the wrong decision but doubting that makes me believe you might not have done all the homework. The % of people that lose and keep off their weight is so minimal in comparison to Bandsters that take the time to learn to eat right and use the band as a tool. The healthier we get the more we want to stay that way.

I won't be able to get my fill till 1 month from now,

and I'm anxious to know what it will do to change anything.

and I'm worried that I slipped since I dont feel any restriction.

But I have not had any feeling of pain or feeling that

couldve happened.

It might take 1 fill and it might take 4 fills you never know… I wouldn’t work yourself into a frenzy thinking that it will cure all at the first fill. You need to work on learning to eat the right foods for bandster and start exercising if you haven’t even if it’s just walking 20 minutes a day. Just get on a road to a healthier you. The weight will start falling off once you have restriction.

After being told off by my doctor, im back on pureed food,

but ISN'T IT TOO LATE NOW, SINCE I'VE JUST ABOUT ATE

EVERYTHING- (chewing alot, and taking it slow, and small portions yes)...

It’s not too late.. You’re still in the healing stage. Don’t cheat and do what he says. He is the one that knows how to get the band to heal in the correct position.

but really - does the slipping happen AFTER the fill,

or could it have happened and i dont even know it-

The slippage can happen at anytime.. A slip happens when the stomach contracts and the band slides off of it… This is because the stitches aren’t healed tight enough to hold it in place while the stomach pulses during the digestion of foods.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hi my name is Kris.

I was banded on April 27th. And on the first day, I felt a bit of cramping.. I drank broth at night, as I was told by night it would be ok. But by 3 or so days, I went and did have some mash tato's, and apple sauce. OK soo, I haven't had ANY pain,

and NO feeling of restriction.

OK sooo.. that was last week. THIS week, say 5 days ago,

I did have some toast, a bite of a blueberry muffin- and

still no feeling of restriction.

And so, testing myself, I had a plate of mash tatos, coleslaw,

and a bit of chicken..(cut into squares).

STILL no restriction..

NOW- today I went to the doctors, and was honest,

and was TOLD OFF for pushing my food past the stage

i'm supposed to be in which is puree ONLY. My doctor

was furious...

SOOOOOOOOO- now that has made me paranoid thinking

HOW did i eat so easily, and maybe i slipped.... (????)

aren't people that slip- GET PAIN (??)

and why don't i have ANY feeling of restriction (?)

im confused, because I AM losing weight, but

its because IM ON A DIET... NOT BECAUSE OF THE BAND.

if i am on a diet..

why did i do this in the first place (???)

I'm beginning to think this is a fad... that a simple

DIET is all i needed! ! !

I won't be able to get my fill till 1 month from now,

and I'm anxious to know what it will do to change anything.

and I'm worried that I slipped since I dont feel any restriction.

But I have not had any feeling of pain or feeling that

couldve happened.

After being told off by my doctor, im back on pureed food,

but ISN'T IT TOO LATE NOW, SINCE I'VE JUST ABOUT ATE

EVERYTHING- (chewing alot, and taking it slow, and small portions yes)...

but really - does the slipping happen AFTER the fill,

or could it have happened and i dont even know it-

this is all real confusing to me, i dont feel a darn thing,

and have no way of telling whats going on inside...but

I know one thing.. i want to eat, and i have eaten, and

i dont feel anything- - -

lol

help!

kris (thanks! )

No excuse, you should not have been eating solid foods after surgery. When you have a band place it is not the sutures that hold the band in place long term, it's the adhesions your body forms over the band. THAT is what holds the band in place long term.

When you drink Clear Liquids your stomach does not have to work hard to mix the liquid with stomach acid and push it through your stomach. When you drink full liquids it has to work just a little. When you eat solids, as you did, your stomach would look a bit spastic if you were able to watch it. All those little strands of adhesions trying to form break each time you eat food. Remember, it is the adhesions that hold your band in place long term. Scarring (adhesions) never grow in the same place with the same quality twice.

Bottom line is this, cheat on the post op diet today and you risk a slip 6-12 months down the road.

There is no reason to be cheating this early out. There is no reason to be testing anything this early out. There is no reason to justify food right now. Also, if you do eat too much bread (for example) and you vomit you stand a pretty fair chance of a slip.

Every newbie wonders if they slipped from 0-3 months. Then from 4-6 months they question if they eroded.

You ARE on a diet, you are on the post op diet. Banding, sleeves, bypass, DS... we are ALL on diets. Losing weight is not easy even with WLS. It's hard and you have to work for it especially the closer you get to goal.

Do you understand the whole concept of fills and getting restriction? You aren't supposed to feel much restriction until they start giving you restriction in the way of fills.

No, not all slips experience pain. Many have no clue. Some have reflux, some can eat a great deal, some can't get food or Water down, some have no symptoms and no idea.

Please don't do this again, you are just risking losing your band at a later time.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I didn’t respond before now because I almost thought this was just a troll post.. But I will help out and hope that it isn’t

Hi my name is Kris.

I was banded on April 27th. And on the first day, I felt a bit of cramping.. I drank broth at night, as I was told by night it would be ok. But by 3 or so days, I went and did have some mash tato's, and apple sauce. OK soo, I haven't had ANY pain,

and NO feeling of restriction.

OK sooo.. that was last week. THIS week, say 5 days ago,

I did have some toast, a bite of a blueberry muffin- and

still no feeling of restriction.

Before having surgery did you meet with a nutritionist? Did the surgeon or anyone explain to you any preop post op diets? Were you given a list of foods with the days and weeks that you could have each one?

This is the MOST important stage of the healing process. The liquids are meant to run right through you as to avoid the stomach from contracting and digesting the food. The band is held in place with stitching that is on the exterior of the stomach… When the stomach contracts the stitches are being pulled and even once they heal they are not pulled as tight as they could be and could lead to slippage in the later years.

And so, testing myself, I had a plate of mash tatos, coleslaw,

and a bit of chicken..(cut into squares).

STILL no restriction..

You use the term “testing” if you’re testing something it’s because you’re checking to see if you can do something. The papers you had from the doctor with the diet on them should be a clue that “testing” yourself isn’t something you should be doing. Following a guideline is what you should do.

NOW- today I went to the doctors, and was honest,

and was TOLD OFF for pushing my food past the stage

i'm supposed to be in which is puree ONLY. My doctor

was furious...

The fact that the doctor was so furious is good and bad… Since he was so furious it makes me believe that he did give you the tools to succeed with this surgery IE the diet and the facts you needed to do your post op care. He must care to some degree if it upset him so bad.

SOOOOOOOOO- now that has made me paranoid thinking

HOW did i eat so easily, and maybe i slipped.... (????)

You ate so easily because the band was only “placed” it wasn’t placed and filled. Just because you can eat doesn’t mean you should… Right after surgery till you have restriction this period of time is called Bandster Hell. You will find it all over the boards here. This is the biggest complaint of the band… People expect a miracle the second they are rolled out of surgery.

aren't people that slip- GET PAIN (??)

and why don't i have ANY feeling of restriction (?)

Everyone that experiences a slippage has different symptons…. Some get very bad heartburn or refulux, some vomit, some have stomach pains, some salivate, slim or PB constantly. It all varies.

im confused, because I AM losing weight, but

its because IM ON A DIET... NOT BECAUSE OF THE BAND.

if i am on a diet..

why did i do this in the first place (???)

I'm beginning to think this is a fad... that a simple

DIET is all i needed! ! !

This is probably something you should of thought through a lot more before opting for surgery. I am not saying you made the wrong decision but doubting that makes me believe you might not have done all the homework. The % of people that lose and keep off their weight is so minimal in comparison to Bandsters that take the time to learn to eat right and use the band as a tool. The healthier we get the more we want to stay that way.

I won't be able to get my fill till 1 month from now,

and I'm anxious to know what it will do to change anything.

and I'm worried that I slipped since I dont feel any restriction.

But I have not had any feeling of pain or feeling that

couldve happened.

It might take 1 fill and it might take 4 fills you never know… I wouldn’t work yourself into a frenzy thinking that it will cure all at the first fill. You need to work on learning to eat the right foods for bandster and start exercising if you haven’t even if it’s just walking 20 minutes a day. Just get on a road to a healthier you. The weight will start falling off once you have restriction.

After being told off by my doctor, im back on pureed food,

but ISN'T IT TOO LATE NOW, SINCE I'VE JUST ABOUT ATE

EVERYTHING- (chewing alot, and taking it slow, and small portions yes)...

It’s not too late.. You’re still in the healing stage. Don’t cheat and do what he says. He is the one that knows how to get the band to heal in the correct position.

but really - does the slipping happen AFTER the fill,

or could it have happened and i dont even know it-

The slippage can happen at anytime.. A slip happens when the stomach contracts and the band slides off of it… This is because the stitches aren’t healed tight enough to hold it in place while the stomach pulses during the digestion of foods.

GREAT post! I agree with everything you have written except for one part, the slip. Slips are when the stomach slides up through the band. Your banded stomach is kind of "tick" looking. You know what a tick looks like after it's done feeding? (I know, gross example but I'm not coming up with anything better.) It has a little head and a big body. Your banded stomach is similar, a little stomach on top of a big stomach.

When you have a slip your lower stomach slides up through the band and your stomach looks more like an hourglass. The pouch is too big. If it is just enlarged usually an unfil and liquids for a few weeks does the trick. If it is really big it flops over to one side of the band. Then nothing will pass through the stoma.

Some people can eat more when they have a slip, well.. the upper stomach is bigger so they can eat more. Some can't eat a thing, that's when the upper stomach flops over to one side of the band.

[lipstix64 1]

Whats a "Troll" post?

I didn’t respond before now because I almost thought this was just a troll post.. But I will help out and hope that it isn’t

Hi my name is Kris.

I was banded on April 27th. And on the first day, I felt a bit of cramping.. I drank broth at night, as I was told by night it would be ok. But by 3 or so days, I went and did have some mash tato's, and apple sauce. OK soo, I haven't had ANY pain,

and NO feeling of restriction.

OK sooo.. that was last week. THIS week, say 5 days ago,

I did have some toast, a bite of a blueberry muffin- and

still no feeling of restriction.

Before having surgery did you meet with a nutritionist? Did the surgeon or anyone explain to you any preop post op diets? Were you given a list of foods with the days and weeks that you could have each one?

This is the MOST important stage of the healing process. The liquids are meant to run right through you as to avoid the stomach from contracting and digesting the food. The band is held in place with stitching that is on the exterior of the stomach… When the stomach contracts the stitches are being pulled and even once they heal they are not pulled as tight as they could be and could lead to slippage in the later years.

And so, testing myself, I had a plate of mash tatos, coleslaw,

and a bit of chicken..(cut into squares).

STILL no restriction..

You use the term “testing” if you’re testing something it’s because you’re checking to see if you can do something. The papers you had from the doctor with the diet on them should be a clue that “testing” yourself isn’t something you should be doing. Following a guideline is what you should do.

NOW- today I went to the doctors, and was honest,

and was TOLD OFF for pushing my food past the stage

i'm supposed to be in which is puree ONLY. My doctor

was furious...

The fact that the doctor was so furious is good and bad… Since he was so furious it makes me believe that he did give you the tools to succeed with this surgery IE the diet and the facts you needed to do your post op care. He must care to some degree if it upset him so bad.

SOOOOOOOOO- now that has made me paranoid thinking

HOW did i eat so easily, and maybe i slipped.... (????)

You ate so easily because the band was only “placed” it wasn’t placed and filled. Just because you can eat doesn’t mean you should… Right after surgery till you have restriction this period of time is called Bandster Hell. You will find it all over the boards here. This is the biggest complaint of the band… People expect a miracle the second they are rolled out of surgery.

aren't people that slip- GET PAIN (??)

and why don't i have ANY feeling of restriction (?)

Everyone that experiences a slippage has different symptons…. Some get very bad heartburn or refulux, some vomit, some have stomach pains, some salivate, slim or PB constantly. It all varies.

im confused, because I AM losing weight, but

its because IM ON A DIET... NOT BECAUSE OF THE BAND.

if i am on a diet..

why did i do this in the first place (???)

I'm beginning to think this is a fad... that a simple

DIET is all i needed! ! !

This is probably something you should of thought through a lot more before opting for surgery. I am not saying you made the wrong decision but doubting that makes me believe you might not have done all the homework. The % of people that lose and keep off their weight is so minimal in comparison to Bandsters that take the time to learn to eat right and use the band as a tool. The healthier we get the more we want to stay that way.

I won't be able to get my fill till 1 month from now,

and I'm anxious to know what it will do to change anything.

and I'm worried that I slipped since I dont feel any restriction.

But I have not had any feeling of pain or feeling that

couldve happened.

It might take 1 fill and it might take 4 fills you never know… I wouldn’t work yourself into a frenzy thinking that it will cure all at the first fill. You need to work on learning to eat the right foods for bandster and start exercising if you haven’t even if it’s just walking 20 minutes a day. Just get on a road to a healthier you. The weight will start falling off once you have restriction.

After being told off by my doctor, im back on pureed food,

but ISN'T IT TOO LATE NOW, SINCE I'VE JUST ABOUT ATE

EVERYTHING- (chewing alot, and taking it slow, and small portions yes)...

It’s not too late.. You’re still in the healing stage. Don’t cheat and do what he says. He is the one that knows how to get the band to heal in the correct position.

but really - does the slipping happen AFTER the fill,

or could it have happened and i dont even know it-

The slippage can happen at anytime.. A slip happens when the stomach contracts and the band slides off of it… This is because the stitches aren’t healed tight enough to hold it in place while the stomach pulses during the digestion of foods.

[redhead722 0]

Every newbie wonders if they slipped from 0-3 months. Then from 4-6 months they question if they eroded.

I had to laugh at this. I am thinking maybe this is me….

I am 4 weeks post-op and had a small piece of bread and experienced my first sliming episode. Oh the pain! It only lasted about 3 minutes but it seemed like forever. I don't know if the bread was too big and not chewed well enough, or I was just not ready for it.

3 days later and I am now having chest, left shoulder and throat pain, it also hurts if a breath in too deeply. I am hoping that I have just irritated the pouch and I am going back on liquids for a few days to see if it clears up.

I would appreciate any opinions or similar experiences.

Thanks.

[Brandy~ 2]

GREAT post! I agree with everything you have written except for one part, the slip. Slips are when the stomach slides up through the band. Your banded stomach is kind of "tick" looking. You know what a tick looks like after it's done feeding? (I know, gross example but I'm not coming up with anything better.) It has a little head and a big body. Your banded stomach is similar, a little stomach on top of a big stomach.

When you have a slip your lower stomach slides up through the band and your stomach looks more like an hourglass. The pouch is too big. If it is just enlarged usually an unfil and liquids for a few weeks does the trick. If it is really big it flops over to one side of the band. Then nothing will pass through the stoma.

Some people can eat more when they have a slip, well.. the upper stomach is bigger so they can eat more. Some can't eat a thing, that's when the upper stomach flops over to one side of the band.

Yes I agree your definition was alot more clearer than mine. Thanks.