Jenn1214

I'm about 5 weeks out from surgery and I had the same discomfort you do at that stage. Your stomach just needs time to heal and the gas takes a little while to completely metabolize. t does get better, I promise!

I would call your doc right away if you're throwing up a lot. It will put you at risk for dehydration and you don't want to end up in the hospital!

I know the mantra of bandsters is pretty much "Small bites, chew well, go slow". I guess everyone has their own opinion of how big of a bite to take. My surgeon says that each bite I take should be the size of a #2 pencil eraser, but my nutrition said it's not necessary for it to be that small. It would take me a thousand years to finish a meal at that rate. So the question is, how big of a bite is just right?

After looking in the mirror today and seeing how baggy my size 20 jeans were getting, I decided to try my 18s and THEY FIT! They're a little tight around the tummy area but who cares?! A couple of weeks ago I couldn't even get them to button. It's nice to see my hard work pay off even though the scale didn't move this week!

I think it's so weird that every doctor seems to have a different opinion on the carbonation issue. My surgeon says absolutely no way to carbonation, but my fiance's surgeon says once in a while is fine. Some surgeons say that the carbonation will stretch your pouch, others say that idea is totally a myth. Make up your minds, docs!

My surgeon said I could swallow pills no problem, just don't swallow a whole bunch at once.

My mother passed away 7 years ago. When it first happened I remember feeling so afraid of losing someone else that I cared about that I would sometimes panic if someone didn't answer the phone when I called and I wanted to drive over to their house and kick the door down to make sure they were ok! Even now I will sometimes wake up in a cold sweat and check to see if my fiance is still breathing in bed next to me. I also find myself worrying what my life would be like without him, but I try so hard not to do that because I end up causing myself so much anxiety. I wish I had some advice for you but I am still struggling with this myself. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone.

I know this might sound crazy, but I have been noticing lately that without food to "stuff" down my emotions, I often lie awake at night thinking of sad memories from my past, many that I haven't thought of in years. It almost feels like I'm a volcano and all the negative memories that have been deep inside me are now erupting to the surface. It's really bizarre, and I never had this before I was banded. Anyone else experience this after banding or am I the only nutcase? I haven't gotten a chance to talk to my therapist about this yet because she's out sick., but I wanted to see if anyone else out there had a similar experience.

Awesome! Keep up the good work!

I'm not proud of it, but I definitely ate like I was never going to eat again before I got my band. Thank goodness for the pre op diet!

I have the Lemon Creme flavor...not the best tasting but it goes down easy enough.

I think this side effect is more common in gastric bypass patients. I've never heard of it with the lap band.

I was worried too, but more worried about getting stuck or not tolerating certain foods. I find my weight loss has definitely slowed down a bit, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

I'm a month post op today (yay me!). I've lost 25 pounds between the pre op diet and recovery period, but now it seems like my weight loss has stalled. I know it's probably a combination of being super sick with a sinus infection and subsequently being on 10,000 medications, not being able to exercise due to said infection, and taking in more calories (never more than 1200 though). Still, it's hard not to be frustrated when you don't see the number on the scale change. Not to mention my scale is schizo and gives me a different reading each and every time so I really don't always know what I weigh anyway. Every time I look in the mirror I can see my weight loss and I'm proud of myself for that, but I guess I'm too impatient. Always have been. I have to remember that I didn't put this weight on overnight, although sometimes it seems that way! I also know I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself because I'm getting married next summer and I want to look sexy and svelte in my wedding dress. They have to be ordered a long way in advance and I get anxiety just thinking about it...ugh. I wonder if my fat knows that and is purposely hanging around to piss me off. Screw you fat, I'm winning this battle and there's nothing you can do about it! I'll try to take a walk today and see if I can get my metabolism going without my sinuses acting up again and sending me into a delightful coughing fit. Also trying to up my water intake to flush myself out. Just gotta keep on trucking and pray this weight comes off!

Every surgeon is different. Mine doesn't want me to have anything carbonated ever (including beer), but my fiance's surgeon says once in a while is OK. The carbonation has the potential to stretch your pouch and make you feel uncomfortable, so you would have to see how you feel. Everyone reacts to the band differently.

I average between 60-70g per day

I felt the same way right after surgery. After drinking my umpteenth protein shake while watching everyone around me eat, I wondered if I would ever enjoy food again. I worried that I wouldn't be able to eat my favorite foods again. I definitely felt a loss in my life, because food was such a big part of it for so long. It was there for me in good times and in bad, to comfort me. And to make me feel guilty afterwards. Four weeks later, I've begun to come to terms with my new lifestyle. I can still enjoy food, just not in the massive quantities that I used to. Once I get my first fill I know there will probably be things I can't eat or that don't agree with me. I think this will be a lifelong learning process and I'll just have to take it one day at a time. The biggest thing for me is learning that I need to eat to live, not the other way around. Slowly but surely I'm getting there. You will too!

Where on LI are you? If you aren't too far from Syosset try setting a consultation with Dr. Geiss. He was my surgeon and I'm pretty happy so far. They have a great team and lots of support groups every month. They even have ones for people who haven't been banded yet that you can go to and learn about the process. You may be able to get the surgery even if your BMI is under 40 because you have some comorbid conditions. Good luck!

I'm a month post op and I haven't had a fill yet, but I feel I do have some restriction. Usually I just eat the recommended serving sizes the nutritionist gave me and then I'm just not hungry, but I'm not sure what "full" feels like. I figured this would be important to know since I'll be getting my first fill in a few weeks and I don't want any, er, unpleasant side effects

I've lost a two year old! Still have to lose the fats and oils the average American eats in a year and then I'll be up to newborn calf!

13 pounds in a month is pretty awesome in my opinion! Sounds like you're doing all the right things and your body is adjusting to your new healthy lifestyle. Don't get discouraged. I know it's disappointing when the number on the scale stays the same, but the weight will eventually come off. Keep up the good work!

Another good thing about the liquid diet besides making sure your liver is a workable size is it helps you start losing weight. Not a bad perk in my opinion!

I felt the same way after I was banded. I am definitely a food addict and an emotional eater, and the psychiatrist I met with before hand confirmed this. Today something interesting happened though...I was fixing my plate for my first solid food dinner and I found myself thinking "This is so much food!" I didn't finish everything because it felt like too much and I was satisfied anyway. I feel like having the lap band has almost "reprogrammed" my perception of what normal portions are and what hunger is. I used to live to eat, but now I eat to live.

I'm a little confused about when I have to take medicine with food. Should I take the pills first and then eat, or the other way around?

I know it's far too early to even be thinking about this, but I know I will need a breast lift and possibly implants after I reach my goal weight. Has anyone in my area had this procedure? Can you recommend your surgeon? How were the results? Thanks in advance!