sherl

Hi! I've had my band for 3 years (or so) - I had all the fill removed for about a year (had breast cancer). I am back at it again, thankfully, but it is SO different this time around!!!! I HAD to learn exactly when I had enough to eat.....if I took 1 small bite or a sip of water after I had enough, I would throw it all up!!!!! I was embarrassed a number of times while eating out....barfed into my napkin......RAN to the bathroom........leaned out of my car door.....was gross!! BUT, now I am super sensitive to the signals my "belly" and band give to me. I can be eating right along and - instantly - I feel this "pressure" in my chest and start to get a little of that "clogged-up" feel and I KNOW I HAVE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY or it will all come up & fast....I have had a nice bite of food in my mouth and chewing away and I start to get this "feeling" and I KNOW I can not swallow what is in my mouth......now that can be a dilemma!! I've had to leave and "use" the restroom and just spit it all out. Once I figured out the "body signals" I have been MUCH better and a ton more comfortable. It is really weird because I NEVER had this problem?? the first time around - before I had beast cancer - so it has been a whole new learning experience for me!! Took me probably 3 good months before I "got" it!! SO, good luck cause it can be uncomfortable..........but you will figure out your "signals" too!!

HI! I have had my band for almost 3 years. I had all the fill removed for almost a year (I had breast cancer) and it is now all filled up, again!!! Glad it is - didn't realize how much it helped until it wasn't "in use" for that time period!! ANYWAY......I have had ongoing problems with constipation ever since I was banded. I've tried the "drink more water", "more fiber", "Activia yogurt"-got so my dog enjoyed it more then I did , etc., etc. - it helped just a little bit. What works for me is to take a stool softener every morning and a SENOKOT every other night. It is true that with the band we do not get as much fiber, so I mix Benefiber into my first drink of "whatever" in the morning. Before I got into this routine, I was very miserable (and MUCHO sore!!!) - I would sometimes not be able to "go" for 3 days or so..........and it was like sharp, jagged rocks!!!! (OUCH!)... Took some experimental time, but this seems to work O.K. for me!!! YEAH!!!! Good Luck!

Hi! I find if I "clog" it is generally from some sort of potato......which, of course, I love.....can't eat many French fries or hash browns anymore! Also, if I get "stuck" I CANNOT drink anything, even water, it just comes right back out..........I have to relax, quit eating, and just wait. I have learned the "signal" for when I am about to "clog"....I start to feel like my food is piled up a bit in my chest and is a bit uncomfortable, that's when I know that if I put in anything it will just come right back up. Took me a long time to figure out that certain feeling. I find that this happens to me more frequently when I eat my first solid meal of the day - takes awhile for the stomach to "wake up" I guess!! I have had some bad times with this little problem and it has been a bit embarrassing, too. AND it can be VERY painful - for me it hurts in my chest and I tend to feel like everything is sitting right at my throat. Sometimes ya just need to get to a bathroom and let it come out........really feels a lot better!! Kinda get used to it.