POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

can anyone tell me how the lap band can slip if it is sutured in place? Does it slip up instead of down? just wondering?

My client is coming to town tomorrow and is taking me and my entire department out to lunch. We're going to PF Chang's. Since I've never been there, I looked at their menu to see what my choices are. I was just banded seven days ago. I feel fabulous, and have had no nausea, vomiting, gas, nothing. I have already started to slowly incorporate solid foods (eggs, soft cheese, soups with noodles, etc.). My question is this: when did you feel comfortable eating lettuce or fish? I'm thinking if I take really, really small bites and chew 30 times (at least), I can order the lettuce wraps or the mahi-mahi with no sauce. PLEASE HELP with any suggestions. Thanks everyone!!

I've lost 17 lbs but, the majority was from the pre-op diet. I'm two weeks post op. Been doing mushy food for a week. I'm eating less than 1000 calories a day, I don't understand why the weight hasn't been dropping. I've been at the same weight for almost a week!!!

Hi all - today is my one-month anniversary and so far this has been eral easy for me. I have been able to eat anything with no PB, no sliming. Anytime I get that gas pian in my back, walking cures it right up. Last night, however, I had my first real experience with a stuck food (I think.) I tried a piece of pizza, but it wasn't really thin crust. About 15 minutes after eating it, I got that pain in my back that usually indicates full/gas. I did all my usual stuff...walking, Gas X strips. Some relief, but not all/. Today I woke up and the pain is still there....not sure if it is just sore, but it feels like a gas bubble I can't dislodge. I had soft food and liquid this a.…

hi everyone, i need a pep talk.........going into 2nd week post op (april 20 surgery). talk to doctor on friday, told them i was hungry, they told me to begin, sf pudding- yogart-cream Soup 1/2 cup - cream of wheat. which i have done, but my stomach is growling and i am hungry, not extremely, but i could eat more. could it just be in my head, since i am home and have lots of time on my hands (retired in january). need some thoughts. just tell me it will get better, just hate the feeling of always being hungry! thanks in advance, sandi

I was banded last Tuesday the 21st and so far so good, tonight I had a couple of Tbsp's of watery grits and then my back started hurting really bad so I tried to walk it off thinking it was just gas, so then when it didn't subside I took a small dose of pain medication and then I got sick it was more than just a burp up of some of the pain medication I did it several times, now my left shoulder is sore (same side as port) but I don't have the back pain, do you think I could've done some damage I know that band slippage can occur when you have this happen soon after surgery. Should I call my doctor tomorrow or just see how it goes? Thanks for any help. Theresa

i've only been banded for 2 months and so far i'm having farly decent success withit. but more and more i'm reading alot of posts on here from people hate the band. that have had so much trouble they've had it removed. or i've noticed alot people getting gastric sleeves. is there anyone who's had the band for a few years that still loves it. do you feel like you can eat normally if you chew properly? do you ever wanna have it removed? who's reached or is close to their goal without any major complications?

I've noticed throughout my browsing the forums that a lot of people choose to keep the fact they have had or are planning to have surgery a secret. Why? I don't consider it shameful in the least bit, and I haven't kept it a secret from anyone. Granted, I haven't worn a nametag that says, "Hi, I'm Jessica! Ask me about my lap band!" but why such secrecy?

I am SOOO excited! I am no longer morbidly obese. I uploaded new pics today and it was a real eye opener for me. I feel like a "normal" person. I know I have a lot to go still, but, it feels so obtainable now! Thanks for all of the support!:biggrin::ohmy:

I was banded 4/9 and am on soft foods. I have been getting nauseated after eating. Anyone else like this?

I was banded 4/9 and am now on soft foods. After I eat I get nauseous. Anyone else like this?

had surgery on april 20th. today felt really good and went grocery shopping. did not lift any thing heavier than 10 pound probably only about 5. just lots of trips from car to house. 1 bag at a time. (hubby golfing...not happy with me when he got home). now i have a little nagging dull ache in middle of belly. does not really hurt just i feel something. i go to doctors on april 29 for post op appt. anyway anyone else do lots of stuff to early? or anyone have a opinion what i did. i would think if band came lose it would hurt and i would know. thanks

Im trying to get this.... Im on mushies, only a few tblspns at a time, and Im supposed to do 20 gr protein mixed w/ milk btwn each meal. Do I get this with the protein powders? Im able to handle the 64oz. fluids by sipping, sipping etc. Am I on the right path??? Lost 11 lbs. in the first wk post op. feeling good-but starving at times. MY nut tells me I wont be hungry if I get the required protein in. Suggestions:cursing:

Hi all I have a question regarding foods and calorie intake I am on mushy/ solid food and I have noticed that it is quiet common to gain a few pounds back during this stage but I want to know what should I eat and what are the key factors in making sure I don't gain too much weight back during this time. I am starting to feel hungry and I am concerned that I am not getting the recommended amount of Protein? Please help thanks

I got my surgery in early Dec 2008 and I noticed no difference at all, I have had 3 fills, the last one was almost 2 weeks ago, out of nowhere on Thursday I noticed a big difference, all of a sudden it "kicked" in but its very shocking as I was able to eat business as usual since the day of my surgery. I have been dieting but in terms of portions, there was no difference. Anyway since Thursday I am unable to eat most foods, it seems to get stuck and today I had that PB everyone is talking about. How do I know if the fill made it too tight or if this is what I have been waiting for and I just have to adjust and learn?? On three seperate occasions, I had a really hard time …

I had surgery 4/9 and am now on soft foods. After I eat I get nauseous. Anyone else like this?

I was banded on 4/9. I am now on soft foods and after I eat I get nauseous. Anyone else like this?

I just created a ticker today, and it asked for a goal, which I put in as the amount that I remembered feeling good at from about 20 years ago, but maybe there is a way to determine "the" goal? or some health or formula for a weight goal?

earlier this week i had a craving for ice cream. not really sure why but just really wanted it. so i went to the store got a half gallon of rocky road. i ate a small dish. it satisfied the craving. i never went back for more. when my younger sister saw me eating it she accused me of cheating on my band, asked what was the point of the band if i was gonna cheat. i dont consider this cheating. i consider it normal. dont people that are thin already have an occasional snack. it really pissed me off. one of the worst things about my previous eating habits was the continuous guilt i felt over every bite i put in my mouth. thats part of how i got fat. you eat something thats ba…

Hi all I have a hard time remembering to not drink with meals! im afraid if i dont get a grip on this now that i will mess up my band! any advice, please help:frown:!

The last thread I posted was titled "How many do you have"? Referring to how many goals you may have with your weight. I said that my first goal was to get down to 200lbs even, no ounces. Well, I have hit that goal. I weight 200lbs and I am so excited. I hope that all of you reach your goals! The chart below starts for my 2nd goal of 150. I have currently lost 67 UNWANTED pounds url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/w678TMh/] [/url]

What type of solid foods will I be able to eat? right now i'm on mushies so tired of eggs, oatmeal, tuna, baked fish, refried beans and apple sauce. I was banded on 4/8/09. I need some ideas if any on how to spice up these mushie foods until i'm on solids. Also, my stomach is still swollen i lost 11.5 lbs but my pants are tight, How long does the swelling last?:laugh:

Ok - so my weight prior to the pre-op diet was 359, Op-day I was 347, and today after one week I weighed in at 332. So 15lbs in first week, 27lbs total....Needless to say, I am very happy! Not too hungry, but I start on mushies today, so I am def. looking forward to that. I think the key to this is chew chew chew - as if you chew enough, everything becomes soft and mushie, right??.... So my question for you band veterans out there is this: Can you eventually eat basically anything you want eventually? I mean, obviously this is a lifestyle change, I understand that, but gosh.... some buffalo wings and blue cheese sure would taste good again one day... Thanks and…

My extremely fickle band has been off and on tight over the last few weeks, subsequently I have gotten stuck twice and had 2 fairly bad PB episodes during which my nose bled, well actually poured is a better description. I called my doctor and while he didn't say it was considered normal, he did it was not uncommon. So here I am, asking my fellow bandsters if it has happened to you? Thanks for your help!

I've still got about 24 pounds more to lose, but people have begun asking me "how do you finally stop losing weight" and I don't have the answer. I haven't really pondered that question yet but so I will have an answer next time, I hope someone on here can tell me what you know about it. It seems like a really good question to me because every time I am asked that, I try to think about it and cannot come up with any reasonable way to explain it. Hopefully someone will be able to explain it to me. Thanks!!!

Is there anyone who has never had food get stuck, or pb'd? I have been very lucky so far, and have not experienced either. I'm going for my second fill tomorrow, and am just a little nervous about it happening because I might be too tight. Worrying before it actually happens is ridiculous, I know, but there it is. Debbie.

I am looking for some clarification. A lot of people speak of lapband hell. I just got my band on 4/16/09. I had a lot of swelling (I think) and was really tight up until a day or two ago. Now the hungries have set in and I am okay- just trying to drink, drink, drink in between my 1/4 C mushies three times a day (and two protein shakes). My question is related to after a fill.........if I am not in the green zone will my experience with hunger be the same as it is today or will it be better because I will have transitioned to solids and the food will actually stay in the little pouch and help me stay satieted a while longer? I can handle this a couple more weeks but…

I went for my first fill last month and found out i lost 50 pounds. Since then I have not lost one pound and I feel as if I can eat more and more though I try not too. Can anyone help me figure out why I havent lost anything? Also can anyone give me and idea of what there eating to lose the weight

I've had mild pain near my port on and off before, but this pain (which isn't severe, just ANNOYING and ouchy!) isn't fading away and hurts anytime I'm sitting or standing. . Anybody have any ideas of what it could be? I'm almost a month out from having my surgery and am going for a fill on Tuesday. . . . And just to ease my mind, what does a slipped band feel like? I'd imagine it'd be really painful? Thanks for any insights you guys have! On edit, it's to the RIGHT of my port, not the left. . .sorry about that!

Does anyone know how much sugar alcohol you are allowed a day? I know regular sugar is 8 grams.

I am into my 2nd week of having the lap band...I have lost 16 lbs already & am so excited. I have a question....did anyone else out there eat any of the "mushy" stage early? I had a couple of small bites of refried beans last night & feel great & noticed I felt a lot better as I think I needed the iron in the beans. I mean eating just chicken broth & cream soups really leaves me with no energy to exercise. I know alot of this depends on the person, but would feel better knowing that there may be others like myself...thank you so much for your POSITIVE feedback.

I get pains in my lower left side of my stomach when i walk.. anyone else experience this? also i had similar symptoms of the dumping syndrome??? my doc. said banders don't get dumping syndrome. this happen when i drank the juice to ceviche weird weird...had to go to the hospital.:smile2:

I was banded on 3-3-09 And I've lost about 11lbs since then. Good but not great. My surgeon is happy but Im not I can't seem to get into Exercising at all. I Went for a week straight and I just HATE doing it. I actually yawn during it:confused: what is that about ya know. It makes me so tired and lazy. So i just stopped after a week. I hear people say they have so much energy after they work out...Im like wth am I doing something wrong?? I would go for 30 min everyday I'd do the bike with an incline which made me sweat and i kept my heart rate up to 150 160, for 15min then I'd go down to the weight room and life weights and work my arms. Idk My energy level is just Not th…

I will began solid food on the 5th May. What foods can I be expecting? I'm so tired of eggs, mash potatoes, refried bean, cheese, cream of wheat and apple sauce.. also any suggestions on how to spice up these mushie foods???

This is so weird- I tried eating tortellini the other day- it was served cold and went down fine. Then I bought some at the store and boiled it and ate it hot. It got stuck and I had to pb it up! I just tried it again today COLD and everything was fine Does anyone have any information on the temperature of foods mattering to the band?

I am wondering if anyone has any advice. I have felt nautious since yesterday. Today I had the dry heaves 1x...should I call my doctor or has anyone else experienced this before? When should I be concerned. Thank you everyone; maybe I am paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

Just wondering how long others were on full liquids and when you were allowed to transition to "mushies." Also, I was banded on 4/24 and am looking for anything that I can eat that falls into liquid category, so I would really love it if some of you would share some of your favorite "liquid" sources of nutrition. My doctor gave me a list but if I have to eat chicken broth and sf jello much longer I am going to break down. Good thing I am really not that hungry yet. Thanks for any input you can offer.:laugh:

I can eat cream of rice is sounds good when you been on liquids for a whole week. i just never heard of it. i was told it was rice with cream of mushroom soup in . please let me know cause im HUngry !!!!:laugh:

I had the band and I lost a bunch of weight and when I tell people how they say, "oh, plastic surgery is so dangerous!" So, is the band plastic surgery?

I was banded in June 2008. Everything seemed fine and on track until December 2008. I began experiencing problems and kept going back to the surgeon to have my band unfilled. I would feel ok a few days then go back to being sick again...excessive vomiting, dehydration, and minimal infrequent bowel movements. I have been through many tests the last few months, an upper GI, endoscopy, and most recently a GES..gastric emptying study. It's been determined my digestive system is working too slow. The purpose of the band is to keep the food in the stomach longer so you feel full, but mine seems to be to the extreme. I am getting backed up and theres no where for the food…

Hi Everyone, I will be banded in 5 more sleeps and am excited as... bit scared i quess like everyone.My question right now is work, when i have had the surgery and i have 7days doctor certifcate off. i hope not but should i expect anymore time of due to any issues? I am a Supervisour in a bank so my job isnt too physical. How much time have you had of work due to banding any complications extra follow up after op? I know we have fills to do but you dont have them often do you? I have a great job and dont want to loose it coz im to sick to be there. Especially how the world is looking, Australia is in recession man... Have a great day, Hayley :tongue: …

Has anyone else had problems with muscle cramps?? I've always occassionally gotten cramps in my feet but it seems to be happening a lot more (daily) since I had surgery (2/27/09). I'm also fighting fatigue. I used to stay up until about 11 every night and could get up in the morning with no problems, but now I'm struggling to stay awake until 9. I'm talking a multi Vitamin religously. Anyone have any suggestions?

I'm on my full liquid diet and most of the soups pureed don't appeal to me, but I do like cream of potato soup. My local stop and shop doesn't carry it - do they still make it? Does anyone know what chain or where I can order online?

OK, this has happened 2x now. I PB so much that I dry heave. It feels like my whole lap band will come up too! Sometimes I can eat a lot, more often than not, I can't get much of anything down. Am I too tight? Every time I get ready to call for an un-fill, I can eat normally. What is going on? Please help me!

There's a thread somewhere on here asking what are the top three things you're going to do when you reach goal. Getting a pair of expensive jeans is VERY popular. My question is which brand of jeans are you planning on buying? :smile2: I always have trouble finding jeans I like so, I'd like to get some ideas for my "Dream Jeans".

OMG, I FEEL AMAZING!!! I have little to no pain, no nausea, constipation, gas, nothing. Prior to having my surgery, I was so well eduated, by the time I got home the day after surgery, I knew exactly what and how much food I could eat. I don't even need to use my pain meds...I've been out for walks and I feel like I've already lost 10 pounds (I'm sure I haven't)! Anyway, for people who are having problems, hang in there. I'm sending positive thoughts your way...

I just had my band on 4/21; however, I developped Pnuemonia the day after and I am still in the hospital for this. My problem right now is in between my chest (above) my port, I fell flutter like when youy baby kicked you from inside the first time or bubble felling (for guy :-), feel like indigestion and all in all don't feel too good at all. I am so scared that something bad is happening. The doctor will come and see me this evening but I cannot wait. Please if you have experience this, let me know. I am so scared.

Hi everyone, (Port-infection) I had surgery on March 12. A week post-op I noticed an infection developing at the post site area under the skin. Redness and warmth, but no drainage. My doctor started me on Antibiotics right away, but it did not respond to the antibiotics and a second antibiotic was added 6 days later. Still did not get any better - continued to get worse. Now my doctor opened the incision back up again today and drained it, but the infection reached the port itself and the port is now contaminated and I now have go through another surgery to have the port removed and possible even the band if the infection reached the band too. He said he will try and sal…

Just curious for those of you that have had the lap band whether or not you had an excessive amount of extra skin after losing weight? I already know I will want a tummy tuck because I have saggy skin from having children, but I'm afraid it's going to look even worse after I lose the weight I want and need to. How's your skin looking?

I was banded on 4/18 and can say that I haven't been 100% compliant w/ the liquid diet post op but last night and today I have been feeling a popping sensation when I bend over at the waist (like to pick something up) where the port scar is. It doesn't hurt. I am hoping that this is something that others have felt and is normal part of the healing and not something that I have done to my port or band. I am going to be following the liquid diet 100% from now on.