POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I was banded on 3/13, last night I woke up with a rumpling sound coming out of my throat, it was like air I had to keep clearing my throat to get it to stop and it is still doing it this morning. Has anyone had something like that happen? :confused:

I WANTED TO GET MORE INFO ON THIS DOC. I HAVE ATTENDED HIS SEMINAR AND HE SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST. I'D LIKE TO GET AN ACTUAL PATIENTS OPINION, SO PLEASE REPLY IF YOU CAN GIVE ME SOME INFO! THANKS:thumbup:

I am down 18 lbs since my surgery date on March 12, 2009. its weird but I don't see it but MAN I can feel it, things are just feeling different all over my body. I am finally able to fit into some jeans that did not fit me for the last 6 months. I took out all of the "skinny" clothes that used to fit me when I had dropped 150 lbs and had to put away once I fell in love with my hubby and eating out at the same time. I am looking forward to 2 weddings this summer and a family trip to Orlando for 12 days with my kids and aunt and will look forward to wearing a bathing suit in public which I have not done in the last 3 years. My husband has lost 7 lbs in the last…

OK, I can't seem to get the hang of this, and I am really afraid it is going to make me throw up if I have to gag down some more jelly pepper with bitter pill fragments. I keep dumping half the pill on the counter.... Does anyone have recommendations that might help...?

Hi, i know we are not aloud to really use NSAIDS which Motrin is one. But sometimes Tylenol just does not cut the muscle ache pain i have. I am wondering if anyone occassionally uses Motrin and what dosage do you use? Any problems you have had?? Etc.

my doc says no drinking for 30 minutes before and after meals, since the liquid will help wash the food through easier, and you wont feel full. anyway, im 7days post op, and im already struggling with this. ive always drank tons with my meals. im the type of person that when we go out to eat, the waitress brings Water, and by the time she comes back to take the order i need a refill, lol. when i dont (pre band, im still on mostly liquid moving to mushy) it sometimes feels like the food gets stuck, especially breads. anyway, any tips or tricks to help me get over this? is a little water with my meal really that bad, provided i dont drink 3+ glasses like i used to?

I am asking because today is my 6 month mark and this month particularly I have been losing slowly, or more slowly than the past 3-4 months. I haven't needed a fill since the first of January so that may be the problem. I still feel fairly tight (some things get stuck) but I am beginning to get hungry much sooner between meals than I have before. So I'm just curious if those of you who have been banded at least 6 months are still losing 8 lbs or so a month or have you slowed down? Is it unrealistic to expect to keep losing 8+ lbs a month like I have been all the way to the year mark? Thanks for your input!

I have tried everything I think as far as Proteins and can't stand any of them. What to do. I have a full container of Roadside Lemonade, Natural Orange and the packets of the Crystal Sky. I have used 1/2 of a serving of each and can't stand no more. Would like to sell to someone who could use. Would take $60 for it. Any suggestions on tasteless proteins would be helpful

Im just getting to the part of my diet where I can advance to more solid food. So far I've tolerated everything pretty well. But so far every time I try chicken in any form I end up puking. Anyone else have problems with chicken? Any suggestions?

my surgey was 2-24 and at first i was losing weight rapidly.but the last several days since i feel almost no restriction so i've been eating like crazy. well tonight i eat a piece of chicken with dinner. needless to say it didnt go very well. i spent the next 2 hours sliming! god that was gross. by the tine 10:30 rolled around and it was time for work i was still sick. so i ended up heaving into a bag while driving to work. so much for thinking i could eat cuz i havent been filled. so to all my other newly banded friends who feel no restriction be careful. i know were all hungry as hell but theres a reason they have us advance our diets so slowly.

I am just wondering if I am the only one who is not hungry at all. It is almost like I am scared to eat or something. I am only on full liquids but I am just getting in 400 calories a day if I am lucky. It is kind of like it isn't even on my mind. I hope I am not the only one. Thanks for any advise. Lucky Losers!

Hi everyone - I was banded four days ago and I'm just wondering if the pain I'm feeling is normal. I've heard all about the dreaded gas pain, but I'm not sure how to tell if my pain is from gas or (worse) something else... I have a really sharp pain in my side every time I try to take a deep breath. I am not able to talk very loud or speak in very long sentences because of the side pain. When I drink liquid, I get the very same pain in the aforementioned side and it makes me feel incredibly full on just a few sips. This naughty little side hurts when I walk around as well. The only time it does not hurt is when I am laying still. The pain comes from the middle of …

I just woke up from a very long nap. I was laying on my back and was trying to feel my port, and then I realized that I can't find it or feel it. It feels like it isn't there. I felt EVERYWHERE on my left side and I don't feel it. Normally I can feel it, kind of like something bottle cap sized under my skin. I don't know what I should do. Should I call my surgeon ?? I'm really freaking out here because the idea of some kind of port surgery scares me a lot. I hated the first surgery, and I really don't want another one. I just need your opinions. Could it still be there, but since I've been asleep on my stomach, it's just kinda hidden and I should wait and see what happens…

I'm on the mushy stage of my post-op diet, wondering if I can start slowly adding lettuce back into my diet?

I am getting banded for multiple medical reasons, the least important being infertility. However, my doc is fairly sure that once I shed the extra pounds, viola, baby on board. Now I know the literature recommends 2 years inbetween being banded and being pregnant; So aside from that, is there anyone here that has been pregnant after banded? How long were you banded and how did the pregnancy go?:crying: Do they just unfill your band so that you can eat 'normally'? Can you even eat 'normal' with the band there, even unfilled?

I was banded on 7-18-09, I did great in the beginning and was doing great until december. I have 5.5 cc in my band and I just had a fill in the middle of febraury. I am not losing any weight. I excersise I am a gymnastics coach, and I have many people come up to me and tell me how great I look for I was 283 and today I am 207. I want to get to that 100 pound mark. I have the munchies, I eat my protein, I do my best to eat when I am suppose to. I crave sweets like crazy- mainly choclate and peanut butter. Ive done it in a shake- not the same...lol Anyone else done this? I am very committed to this. I am just getting discouraged. Plus I feel full yet my brain is telling m…

Ok...so my surgery was on 3/9...all went well very standard..was home next day, started with 1 oz. jello and 1 oz. chicken broth for meals, room temp. water/crystal lite inbetween meals...This was ok for 3 days, I wasn't getting nearly enough protein and the weakness and lethargy was really starting to set in. I had a constant feeling like a donkey kicked me in the chest...and thought I had swallowed a tennis ball...The pressure was great but normal...Then on Friday I started dry-gas-heaving...2 times Friday (one time at the soccer field in front of all the other Mom's...I am team Mom and of course had a lot of explaining to do...they actually thought I was hung over!?!) …

I am almost 9 months out and I am looking for someone to tell me the symptoms of a slipped band. I have a bad pain below my right shoulder blade. It is pretty bad at times. It has gotten worse in the last 3 days. I would appreciate any help with this. Just hoping its not the band. jazie

OK, I have a 10cc band. At least that is what I think I have but the PA said they could actually put more than that in if necessary so I don't know why it is called a 10 cc band. Anyway, my doctor is very conservative on fills. I thought I would finally be there after my last fill but I don't think I am. This was 3rd fill since my surgery in 9/08. I have lost 35 pounds. My problem has always been night time eating and it still is. I am basically dieting but at night I eat. And too much. Like last night. I went to my mom's after work. I ended up eating probably two cups of salad with low-cal dressing, 1.5 cups of spaghetti with meat sauce, and two slices of garl…

I am 2 1/2 week out and started having alot of pain in my left side and back area. feels like a kidney problem, dull ache when I walk, sit, or stand. I feel great when I am lying down. I saw my Dr. and he said the band is attached near the back so he was not concerned. HAS ANYONE experienced that pain and how long will it last? Also I have not lost any weight in 6 days and am falling off the wagon alittle. I feel hungry and have eaten out twice. I have no restriction and can't wait until I get my first fill.

I have talked to a lot of people who have had weight loss surgery who warn me about a replacement addiction. I was just curious what most bandsters have taken on sice their banding (new behavior, not old).

If you are having trouble imagining what 4oz looks like (at a restaurant and can't measure, too lazy to measure etc) just picture a common urine sample cup! they are almost exactly 4oz (within a few ml) It was a trick that my surgeon showed me--sticks in my head for sure Bet I got your attention with the thread title

:frown:Can your port be knocked loose? I noticed last night and this morning, I can not feel port like I used to. I also noticed I am not filling the restiriction in eating last night and this morning. I was banded 10-24-08 and have lost 40 lbs and very happy. But something does not feel right. Could I have become unfilled? I hit my left side on corner of bar type piece of furnitiure yesterday afternoon . Kathy:frown:

Can anyone tell me what is consider CLEAR liquids I have been told that milk and coffee is clear I had my banding on wed March 18th and I would like to know because right now I am eating Jello yuck and water Help Please

I got my band on May 29th 08 - last year and have lost about 60 lbs but have stopped losing now. I have had three fills but haven't been back for my 4th fill yet. I am between switching doctors for my fills (closer to home and work) and have started a new job so I am waiting to build up for time off. Although it is almost impossible for me to eat meat for breakfast and lunch still - to tight. I can eat it at dinner with the exception of chicken breast. I am getting hungry all the time now and am thinking I better get in for a fill but I am worried that it will be so tight that I wont be able to eat at breakfast and lunch at all. I haven't lost much over the past 4 …

I have done really well with my band, I am the first one to acknowledge that. I credit eating well and exercising 5 days a week at high intensity. I seem to plateau every 30 pounds or so. Does anyone else seem to plateau at regular intervals like this? They last so long and are so frustrating. This time around I have changed two of my days to a new and different kind of cardio work... spin class, and I love it... just started this last week though, so haven't really seen any results. I just am feeling sorta frustrated, and don't really have a great support system at home so thought maybe someone here could identify with me? Thanks for reading...

Can someone tell me what their incisions looked like 2 days post op? i have a lot of red and purple bruising?! is this normal?

Hi Everyone, I was banded on February 4th 2009. I never felt as if I was getting better after the surgery. On February 25th I had an upper GI done. It was discovered that there was a hole in my stomach. I was sent to the ER by my doctor so he could go in and take a look. He didn't believe I could have a hole. Well, after going in and taking a look he found there was indeed a hole. My band was removed. I spent ten days in the hospital. I can never have an other band because of scar tissue. At this point I would not want a band again---this has not been a good experience for me. I wish all of you the best on your journey. I will not be posting on here again. …

I forgot to ask my surgeon this question at my first fill yesterday. Why do they put you back on liquids for 2 days and mushies for 2 days following a fill?

I was out on the road with my hubby this week and I did everything right. I ate 3 times a day and 2 days I had a little snack. We went into a resturant to eat supper and I had baked chicken (only able to eat just a few bites) with sugar free bbq sauce, a few bites of a baked potatoe, and a few green Beans. I no more had taken a few bites of my food and I could already feel the pain hitting me and starting having that throwing up feeling. So, I excuse myself and ran to the bathroom and by the time i made it to the stall, I was throwing up ( didnt even get to shut the stall). After I was finished, I cleaned up and went back to the table just to sip on my splenda sweete…

Hi, I was banded this morning bright and early, Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. I am home now. And the pain is minimal if any. I don't have any gas (knock on wood). It only hurts when I twist or get out of the recliner, lol. The only thing even remotely giving me trouble is my throat where they put a tube down it. I started out my morning by going to the wrong hospital, but found out in time and made my appointment. There are so many Baylor Medical Centers around Grapevine, Texas it's ridiculous. The operation took 37 minutes from start to finish and that's including everything. About 27 minutes worth of surgery. Dr. Benavides is a Master!!! I was up walking 10 min…

I am 11 weeks post op, and still have some pain on the left side. My port is on the right side, and I don't have much problem with that anymore, but what is on the right side where the next larger incision is? It is still sore

Hi, got banded last Friday and I'm confused by some of the terms that you guys use. Could someone explain?

Hey all, I was just wondering if any of you have tried leptopril or any other diet pills after the lap band to speed up the weight loss? I'm considering leptopril but I'm not sure....What do you think?:smile:

Hey gang. I'm guilty for taking in a lot of great information from this site but not giving much back so I thought I would finally post something. I was banded by Dr. Gonzalez at TLC Edge in Plano 3 days ago. All in all, things are going well. I have been very pleased with Dr. G...he spent considerable time with me and my wife at my pre-op app't and answered any and every question we had! Op day: got to surgery center at 6:15 am, did paperwork soon thereafter and vitals were being done by 7:15. As far as I recall they were wheeling me back to the op room around 7:45. Next thing I knew it was close to 11 am and I was waking up. They seem pretty eager to get you going so…

Help! I've had this odd dizziness and nausea and can't tell if I'm sick or if there is something wrong with my band. I was banded on 2/24 and have been following the doctor's orders religiously. I eat no more than a cup of very soft food but most "meals" I can only eat about 1/2 cup. Since Thursday, I've been dizzy and feeling like crap. I vomited on Friday after 1/2 cup of cream of asparagus Soup. I haven't eat much since then and still feel gross. Does anyone have any thoughs about whether I could have done something to my band or did I merely catch a bug from my kids? Thanks for your help.

Hi, I am really sad, I was on these boards and saw that many of the people that had surgery back in JUNE 08 with me is hitting 85+ lost. I've only lost 44 pounds! I don't know what I am doing wrong. I know that I didn't exercise very much in the begining and now that I've started to regularly. There still isn't much of a difference. I've only had 3 fills. I think that may be the problem. I don't over eat, stay away from fried foods, breads, pastas all the fun stuff that got me here. I am just looking for any support I can get. I just don't get it.

Hey Everybody, I was wondering if anyone has experienced this or knows the answer to my question. Can my band swell up after coming down after a flight. Reason why I ask is because the last couple of weeks I have been doing fine with eating. After I got off the terminal I went to the restauraunt to order a soup and all of sudden I felt a pain. It was the same pain as if I swallowed a ball and it got stuck. I didn't throw up. I just burped it out. I get confused sometimes with this band. Because last night I ate great. I had salad, chicken, and mac and cheese. I may have eaten more than I should but never like I used to eat before the band. does the band maybe …

Hi everyone, I was reading some of the posts here about how chicken seems to be everyone's nightmare. Since I'm not quite on the mushies yet, I was wondering if anyone could fill me in on what foods gave them the most problems. Example: pasta, veggies, toast, eggs, meats and such. Reason I'm asking is my son graduates from college beginning of May and our entire family is heading down to Daytona for the graduation for 1 week. I'm going to be just at my 6-week post op, so I was wondering what to avoid eating so I don't run into a PB in front of the entire family. Thanks

Hi, I have not been feeling well all week, and for the past 4 days have had severe stomach and intestinal cramps (like when you have diarrhea) without the diarrhea though. I will be teaching my class or talking to someone, then double over in pain anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds. Sometimes it is only twice an hour, sometimes twice a minute. What do you think?

Has anyone on here had trouble with diarreha after surgery and how come the pants I wore right before surgery fit and now that I'm down 24 lbs. there to tight? How strange is that? :sneaky: Does every doctor have a different post op diet for their patient's because as I read alot of the threads here everyone seems to be able to consume creamy broths and yogurt right after surgery? I'm still only able to have clear liquids, clear broths, jello and my protein shakes for about 2-3 weeks, then I can graduate to creamy soups and semi-solid mushies. I would kill to be able to have a creamy soup, but I don't want to screw up the doc's orders. Any info wo…

When did everyone begin taking baths or start swimming after surgery? I was banded on January 27 (6 1/2 weeks ago). We are heading to a hotel with a pool for spring break on Sunday. My scars are healing very nicely...not to sound gross but there's not much of a scab left on my port incision.

Hello there. I was banded back on 12/29 and am loving my band thus far. I lost 15 lbs. during my 1st month and another 15 during my second month. Unfortunately, I've been bouncing back and forth between a 26 - 30 lb. loss regardless of what I do. My meals are looking like this: I'm basically drinking a cup of decaf coffee coffee with lite vanilla soymilk in the morning. Then 1/2 hr. after my coffee I have a Protein shake (Protein powder, 1 lt container of yogurt & lite vanilla soymilk). lunch is usually turkey & cheese rolled up, ham & cheese rolled up, a boca burger with cheese & mustard, a salad with chicken or a leftover protein & from dinner…

I had my second fill on Monday and am now at a total of 4.5 cc's and I am feeling a lot of restriction. The list of food that I can't eat is much larger then the food I can eat! I can't eat almost any meat except fish I called the dr yesterday thinking my band might be to tight and was told if I can keep down liquids (which I can) and if I can take in some solids that it might be tight but not to tight! I was told to add an extra protein shake to my diet and he would see next month. Anyone else been this tight after a second fill?

Hi, :-) I had my first fill today. It was a piece of cake, and this, coming from someone who is extremely needle phobic. I drank Water afterward and it stayed down. And I've lost two more pounds! I was afraid that I'd gained, or that I just wouldn't lose anything, but I did. I'm happy! Debbie

I'm a little worried- not too much because I'm going to have children in the future. Is there anything I can do to minimize the loose skin? Please share all the tips!

Has anyone ended up in emergency room from vomiting and not keeping anything down even water:sad:

Well I had my surgery on the 3ed and I went ahead and started eating other foods b/c I feel so good, and it doesn't bother me at all!!!!!!! So i figured as long as I took it and ate slow and chewed it up really really good, I could have it. And so far that seems to be true, I am having no pain when I eat at all. Has anyone else had this happen to them, I can eat a hole hot dog, very slowly chewing, And that seems like a lot to me!!!! Any thoughts would be great!!

:confused:Hi my name is Andrea, and I am new to this and just wanted to say I had my lap band surgery on 6/9/08 and had been doing really well. I went in for my 3rd fill on 1/10/09 and at that time I had lost 81lbs. But I noticed shortly after my last fill that I started having alot of acid reflux, somedays are worse than others, it's only kept me awake a couple of times, and pepcid otc worked for me. For the most part it happens generally throughout the day, I am going in for another fill on 3/30/09 and I know I have lost more, but I am afraid the dr. will take out fluid inplace of a fill. I do notice the acid reflux more with spicy foods or eating to much, and especiall…

Has anyone else had this problem? I was banded on 1/12/09. I can only eat a small portion before I feel my chest getting tight like something is stuck in there. But my problem is, I want to finish eating what I'm eating! Then I end up making myself sick. I didn't realize that there would be such a strong psychological hurdle. I just want to be able to finish one piece of pizza! I don't need to eat 4 pieces like I used to, but I at least want to enjoy a whole piece and not just bites of it. How do I get over this? Even when I have dieted in the past, I'm used to having a big salad or a big turkey sandwich on sugar free bread. I'm not getting mentally satisfied with…