mominoc

Glad you got a good solution! Where you are in restriction is my goal! I have my 2nd fill May 16th. Now only have 4ccs. Thanks for your posts. Gail

Hi there. I was banded Feb. 7th, 2011, and just have one fill so far. 5cc. I have never been able to eat bread since surgery. Can't eat it toasted, plain, sandwich, etc. it all gets stuck and once you get stuck you never want to try it again. It's painful. I've wondered about those 7-11 sandwiches like egg sandwich because they are soft, but i won't try one out of fear. I basically eat rice cakes. I eat them with tuna, Peanut Butter, cream cheese, regular cheese, basically anything topping works. I guess because they are crumbly they go down okay. I have to buy a lot of rice cakes because my two kids like them too. Pasta will go down if it's been cooked with like chicken broth...Lean Cuisines seem to be okay. I'm still new and figuring it out, but having anything stuck is too painful to go thru. I'm actually glad because it has removed bread for me, cake, anything like that. Less food to have to deal with. I eat a lot of greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lite and fit yogurt (I think that's the name) and lowfat cheeses. if pizza is crispy enough I can eat like one piece. I find vegetables difficult to eat, so I eat more fruit. Fresh fruit goes down pretty well, esp. watermelon. I've just said goodbye to bread......which I don't really mind at all. Salads instead of sandwiches are okay. I order a sandwich sometimes when out to eat and just don't eat the bread. Good luck!

I didn't think I would tell anyone, but I ended up telling many friends/family. Its ended up being no big deal and most are positive. I find it easier to tell sometimes, just takes any pressure off. I had to help myself and what others might judge I don't really care about. No one walks in my shoes...........no one knows better than me it was the right thing for me to do.

I didn't know I wouldn't be able to eat any bread. I didn't know crispy foods go down easily. I didn't know that chicken would be hard to eat. I didn't know fills take time. I didn't know I would have such a good internal tool to help me so much with food. I didn't know I would feel so much more capable helping myself not overeat. I didn't know I would be grateful for the band. I didn't know that the high I used to feel with food would be removed.

The first bite is truly the only good bite. After that its not that great. Mostly true of sweets and carb foods. The idea/dream of the food is better than the reality. For some reason now I get that finally.

I started getting cold after surgery too. Lost weight, so must be why. I was always hot before. If I do get hot now, it goes away fast. 2 months banded and looking forward to being colder as I keep losing. Hot was miserable.

I do best when I focus on protein first. If I get. Enough protein in, like 70 grrams, I don't feel hungry & I have more energy. Like Premiere shakes from Costco as a meal substitute or as a snack. Also, eggs, tuna, lean hamburger, greek yogurt, lean steak. Isopure drinks too. Fat free cottage cheese and milk. I add fresh fruit. Proteins seem to really help me not have cravings.

Hello, I remember I had side pain a few times after getting my band. I think I was still swollen from surgery maybe. It went away. I think I was eating a little too much and maybe drinking too much. I don't know, but that side pain did leave.

. I forgot to say that after my first fill Dr has me doing liquids for 2 days then soft foods for 2 days. I did feel a little bit queasy for a bit after fill, but it lef quickly. Other than that, no problems. Thanks again.

. I had my first fill today. 4cc's. Dr put in 5cc's, but the water I drank felt like it was in my chest, so took 1cc out. I did have to drink water, several good sips. It didn't hurt at all. Dr said I had a thin abdominal wall (not squishy fat) which makes it easy to find my port. I go back in 8 weeks. Said 1 pd a week was fine. Evidently the body adjusts to fills, so next visit I can get more fill if necessary. It takes time to find the right amount Dr. said. I had surgery $eb. 7th and have lost 33 pds so far. Dr. Said it was good. My Dr had me drink water & I do think that is necessary when getting a fill. Thank you for listening to my fill experience!

Click esspresso has caffeine? I was told no caffeine. ????

I haven't had caffeine since two weeks before my surgry Feb. 7th. I think I need some. I'm tired in the afternoons. But, I know my Dr said no caffeine. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Yes, I can't eat bread either. No pasta, pizza, even WASA type crackers don't work! It does hurt so badly. I don't even try it anymore. No fill yet either. Banded Feb 7th. Food removed like that is okay, less to deal with. I have gotten stuck twice and slimed once........hope never again! Yuk and pain!

I haven't had a fill yet. Banded Feb 7th. Fill on Mar. 24th. Down 35 from 305. I can't eat any bread, pastry, soft taco, pizza. I feel foods going thru port and when I do, I stop eating. I have kids, so took a bite of their pastry and it got stuck. Same with pizza. I feel a lot of foods have been removed. With a fill it may be more so, I don't know. I don't mind, actually makes it easier. If I feel too full my port will hurt even from too much water. I'm still figuring the band out, but it sounds like 1 to 2 pounds a week is normal. High weight doesn't matter, you can still lose a lot of weight. Don't know anything about the sweeet spot. Sorry.

I was banded Feb 7th. I've lost 35 pounds. 15 before surgery and 20 after. I have kept up my protein which helps me feel full and helps with cravings. I have my first fill March 29th. I do have some restriction now. I can't eat any bread, no soft tortilla, it all gets stuck. I can eat tortilla chips and salsa so when I learned some foods go right thru I knew I had to make good choices. I have hears at my support meetings it can take up to the 4th fill to get good restriction. In the mean time, I'm trying to eat healthy to maybe lose more. If I choose foods that go right thru I won't lose. Keep protein up and I'm walking. I really want to succeed. Thanks.

Never accept such behavior from your Doctor's secretary or anyone else. It sounds like she got caught being mean when you talked to the other secretary. You have the right to be treated nicely and when you aren't to ask to speak to someone else. Glad you got the attention you deserved, finally and a surgery date. You said you never saw a psychologist before getting lap band which is really amazing since its a requirement most places. Its necessary before lap band to understand what it will be like and if that works for a person. Gall bladder pain can be horrible, so empathize with that. I had mine removed years before lap band. Good luck and hope removing the band, gall bladder too, helps relieve your misery. You deserve to be happy.

Hardest thing for me is to not drink when I also eat. I will pick up my glass out of habit then notice and put it down. Its something I will eventually get used too. I also have some pain still @ big incision where port is. Left ribs........not bad really just notice someimes. Still healing I guess.

Hello. I was banded Feb 7th 2011 by Dr. Ali Orange Coast Memorial in Orange County, CA. Doing well. Lost 15 pre surgery and 15 or so after surgery. My blood pressure is already normal and it was high for years. I feel tired more than I did before banding. I'm learning what it feels like to feel full and how awful it feels to eat that extra bite or two. First fill in 2 weeks. Find I burp more now. Very glad I got banded. Had tried everything else. I do have some joint pain from weight and without Advil now I really feel it, so exercise is slow. For now riding a bike. Thanks and glad to be here.

Wow, I love this! I also have a Vitamix and make fruit/yogurt smoothies so far. I will try the vegetable drink now too. I'm only 5 weeks out from surgery and eating vegetables seems impossible. I haven't had a fill yet (next week) and still get restriction. I get full/too full easily. Vitamix @ least gives me a smoothie vegie option. Thanks for reminding me of all the machine can do. I make milkshakes for my kids. Soup.......lots of options. I need the energy. Thanks.

I like greek yogurt plain and non fat. Call me crazy, but its refreshing not to have it so sweet. If I want sweet, I get light & fit Yoplait vanilla yogurt. Greek is sooo good and full of protein.

Wow, my pre surgery nutritionist said to say goodbye to popcorn due to possibly getting a kernel with a seed in it stuck. I haven't eaten any since banded.

Yes, agree, muscle milk is good and like Premier both @ Costco. I dropped 15 pre surgery with these two. Still have one for dinner sometimes.

I get very cold now and have only lost 30 pounds. I have sweat my whole life even having a phobia about it and now I get so cold. I sleep with a robe on. It is much, much better than being so hot. I'm excited about losing more weight and know it will all balance out. Yay!

I'm just wondering what the symptoms are if you eat too much? I'm still figuring out how much food is enough or too much for me. I ate half a sandwich then later drank, I think too much fat free milk. My port area started hurting. I didn't eat anything else the rest of the day. I just sipped water. I'm. Thinking one symptom of getting too full for me is that area will hurt. Does anyone else have this? I am going to wait longer before drinking after I eat because I don't think I waited the full 30 mins. I'm still learning. Banded Feb. 7th.

Eat a lot of protein before a sweet to offset cravings. For me, protein helps me not want a sweet. Protein is my friend now.