feliciadawn

I suspected I had a hernia, and I did! I've had breathing issues for about 10 years, it always felt like something was sitting on top of my diaphragm, it was the hernia... I also had esophageal adhesions I didn't know I had - from having bad asthma and some pretty bad bouts of bronchitis over the years. Had swallowing issues where sometimes food would get stuck and I'd have to burp it back up...this was BEFORE the band. Since I had the band and the adhesions and hernia repaired, I can breathe better and I have not had ONE stuck episode! I can eat steak (chewing it really well, small bites, of course) again without having to burp it back up! I LOVE my band!

So, I've eaten pretty much whatever I want from around the time I started solids to now. I've just been unable to OVER eat, and I just don't want a lot of food! It's incredible! I've lost 44 lbs since about 2 weeks before my surgery in October and I've had no fill yet! This is the best Christmas present I've ever had. Usually at Xmas I gain at least 10 lbs and it never comes off and I just get fatter and fatter.. Merry Christmas, everyone!

So, no pain, no probs, no pb's no vomits...ever!! Banded 10/28/11 and scheduled to go get a fill in january. Anyway, when I lay down flat, I swear I can actually feel my band. I think its where my sternum would be, right above and between my ribs, under my bust line. When I run my hand over that area, there's a hard lump that feels like an extra bone. Am I a freak or can anyone else feel their's? I think I can feel it even better than my port!

I was banded in Mexico and here is what I used COMFY pants with as loose a waist as possible - wore this on surgery day, after surgery, and for about 2 weeks after. Bought some polyester stretchy pants for work Big, baggy, comfy shirts Slip on shoes Baby wipes (you may get diarrea) lotion chap stick lap top, books, Ipod, stuff to do. You might not want to do anything but lay around and watch TV. Gas-Ex! Tums! Anti Nausea liquid - you can get it at Wal Mart or Target, it's like 3 bucks. I only had to use it a couple times, but it helped ALOT....prevented me from throwing up, which could cause the band to slip. I will always keep it on hand. Your doc will prescribe a strong reflux medication, anti nausea, and pain killers, but get the Tums and stuff for extra. Food: First week (clear liquids) chicken broth - I would mix mine with cumin and lime, the cumin is good for nausea Gatorade recovery (g3, I think?) Protein Water special K protein water Vitamin water beef broth Veggie broth Coconut water, for me was a life saver. It tasted good and helped my tummy. I would mix garlic or basil or whatever herb sounded good into the broths, helped alot and made the tummy feel better. Garlic and Cumin and many other herbs are good for digestion and stomach upset, and it made it much more tasty. Popsicles. I ate them all the time. Jolly Rancher ones are the BEST! Don't worry about sugar free. It's gross and you don't want to fill your body with chemicals when you are recovering. It'll just make you feel worse. Same with Jello 2nd week (creamy liquids) bean with bacon Soup broth (added extra water to make more broth) split pea soup broth (same) Protein powder I loved Target brand "Nutrition drink" - tastes great and gets some protein and Vitamins pudding, I liked it with a little whip cream on top creamsicles fudgesicles

I am SO SO SO happy with my band. Was banded 10/28/11 by Dr Ortiz in Tijuana (the most amazing dr in the world) No problems whatsoever. Followed my 3 week liquid diet militantly, also did 2 weeks of liquids before surgery (this was the hardest part of the whole thing.) I haven't had a fill yet, going back down next month for a fill and follow up, but I'm down 43 pounds. It's amazing to get full on so much less food. I don't eat like a trucker anymore, and then look around for seconds!! I also had a hernia and esophogeal adhesions, which the dr also fixed. I had been feeling badly for years, breathing probs that had always been diagnosed as asthma by US doctors. Felt better the minute I woke up from surgery. Been breathing better, I can walk and climb the stairs without getting as out of breath. I have about 80 more lbs till i'm at my goal, but I know I will get there. It's definitely worth it. It will be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. It's Xmas and I haven't gained 1 pound.

My doc said one hour before and one hour after. Seems like they all have a different answer and I am so SICK of that. Everything to do with the band has a different answer depending on what doctor you talk to. Just go with how you feel. I try to wait 15-30 minutes after I eat...I don't worry about the before.

Thanks, i'm not worried about it. It's not my port, I know exactly where that is, in the muscle on my left side. Maybe it's just scar tissue... I actually kind of liked the idea that it could be the band, it was kind of neat to feel it there. Anyway, thanks for all the input! I'll ask the Dr when I go back.

They say that the carbonation in soda can make your pouch expand and cause your band to slip. Also, I don't know about you, but before surgery I know that if I drank soda, I could always eat more. If I was eating junk food and drinking soda, I could eat and eat and eat, but if I tried it without soda, not only did I not really want as much, but I got full faster. Soda is SO bad for you...they've done studies, and the stuff can melt metal if it's left sitting in it for a long time..especially coke. anyway, I loved diet soda but I've given it up..it's not worth it to me. I drink LOTS of water, sometimes I drink apple juice, but mostly water. I stay away from sugar free stuff. Just another chemical your body can't recognize...I've read that it actually makes you GAIN weight because your body doesn't know what to do with it. Water, juice once in a while, lots of coffee, tea, and iced tea. I love hot drinks.

I take the papaya enzyme now and then (average about once a day or so) after a larger or too greasy meal, or just after any meal when I feel sort of icky. Just had chinese for lunch, and even though I couldn't eat much of it, I felt kind of sick. Took 3 of the chewables and feeling better already! Nothing's been stuck yet, so I don't know if they help with that, but they do seem to aid digestion.

This sounds scary to me! If you can't even keep liquids down, you could get dehydrated. I would go back to my doc and get a complete unfill and see if that helps. It seems strange that the doc said everything was fine, but you can't keep anything down..

I have been banded about 1 month, just started regular foods this past Friday. Since I started regular food, I sometimes get this lump/bubble in my throat (or maybe esophogas?) Everything is going down fabulously, no stuck episodes and no vomiting, but this is getting really annoying. It feels like gas, and if I have a "real" burp, the kind from deep in your stomach, (gross, I know..sorry) it goes away for a while. I'm assuming it's gas, but worried it's reflux. It seems worse at night when laying down. Anyone else have this? I emailed my doctors, but thought I'd post here too. thanks!

I talked to my doctor today, he said it is normal. He said gas gets trapped in the band, and also it could be slightly inflamed and is still healing. He said drinking while eating can make it worse, and to make sure I am chewing and chewing and chewing. Anyway, it's a relief to know it's normal!

Every single thread I go to, I cannot read the posts at the bottom of the page. It's a bunch of scrambled up gibberish, and all of the lines run together. This just started when the site was re-done.

Just went to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn (awesome, by the way!) then to breakfast for our first meal! I had maybe 3 small bites of scrambled eggs, half a sausage, and 2-3 bites of grits. Everything went down well, it's been a couple hours, and I feel like I have something stuck in there. Feels like an air bubble. I was scared to eat, so I only ate a very little. I didn't feel terribly full, but I wasn't hungry anymore and a mouthful of grits felt like it just went down and stopped...is that what stuck feels like? I dunno..nothing came back up, water and my nightime pills (in halves) went down fine, so I don't think i'm stuck. Maybe i'm just panicking? It was my first real food in about 5 weeks, since starting the pre-op diet. I am afraid to eat!

Just ate again and the damn feeling is back. I hope this isn't how it's going to feel everytime I eat. It's not "stuck", but i'm not sure if it's reflux or gas or what. Anyone else have this issue?

I was banded by Dr Ortiz in Tijuana. He had us on 3 weeks of liquids, 7 days of clear, and since we were in MX most of the first seven days and the hotel had yummy homemade chicken broth and tortilla soup broth and popsicles, we did pretty good. After the first 7 days of clear, it was full liquids for two weeks, so protein shakes, creamy soups, etc. Friday is my first day of real food! I'm kind of scared to eat! LOL!

Just to add to what I said before...I think it's totally understandable not to want his parents or his family to know, it's none of THEIR business. BUT, you really should tell him, especially if the relationship has already progressed to the point where you are spending Thanksgiving with his family. He should and probably will understand. Don't worry! He will probably be happy you are going to be getting healthier! If he's not happy for you, he's REALLY REALLY not worth it, please find someone who appreciates you for who you are!

If you can't or won't tell him these things, what kind of relationship are you going to have anyway? Seriously, if you can't be honest, you have nothing. If he doesn't understand or doesn't like that you are doing this for yourself, he's not the one. It's hard to hear, I know, but if you can't trust each other, it's time to move on.

Give yourself a break! 1.5 miles a day two weeks after surgery is amazing! I will be at three weeks post-op on Friday, and I will have been on liquids for 3 weeks (not counting the two weeks before surgery!) My doc told me no working out (except walking) for three weeks, and liquids only for three weeks. Sooo...take a rest! Don't push yourself so hard. You will lose the weight, but you have to let yourself heal and (my doc and my mom the nurse says) it takes months until you are healed completely, sometimes even years. I'm not expecting the weight loss to take years...but I see the band as sort of like piercing your ears times 100. It took a loong time until I could wear heavy, dangly earrings without pain, and until the ears were completely healed and I no longer had to worry about them closing up. I think the band is sort of like that. Just let yourself heal! Personally, aside from a few short walks, I haven't worried about excersize or calories at ALL. I'm drinking until I feel full and i'm relaxing and sleeping a lot and I've lost 33 pounds! Just went back to full time days at work on Monday. You just have to do everything gradually and have patience with the process.

Sounds like your Doc is selling you on what he wants you to have (or maybe what he gets paid more to give you?) like most US doctors...they beat around the bush and give you a BS story until you eventually do what they want you to do, which puts the most money in their pocket. I was banded in Mexico 3 weeks ago and had an amazing experience. I have the 11cc Realize band, which is the oldest band there is and has been revamped and improved. The band they are using the most here in the US these days is a 14 cc band, and most of the time when they put it on you, there is already a fill in it because it is too big for most people to get ANY restriction at all. So, then, you will need many more fills to get to your "sweet spot" since the band is so large, which puts even MORE money in the doctors pockets. Maybe i'm wrong about all of this, but I just get the worst feeling when I go to the doctor here, especially after the experience I had down there. It's all about money in this country, they don't care about you. You're just a number. SO...good luck, fight when you feel it's right, and take care of YOURSELF because they certainly are NOT out to take care of you.

I'm glad I found this post! I am still on my liquid diet for a few more days, and it seems like the after surgery air is gone, but ever since I started "full liquids" (adding creamy Soups and Protein shakes) I have the longest, loudest belches after I eat or drink. I can't control them, and if I don't get them out, it hurts or I get hicccups. Embarrassing but yeah, small price to pay I guess.

I've got 8 more days of liquids on my post-op diet. I am dreaming of fettucine alfredo, fried chicken, pot pie, and anything else you can think of... My doctor's post op diet is just 21 days of liquids, then straight to solids. No mushies! I think I am going to do a few days of mushies anyway, just to get used to eating again. So, my question is, what was the first thing you ate and how much were you able to eat? Are you able to eat more after a while, or will I never be able to eat more than half a cup of food? I'm already missing food..starting the food grieving period, I guess. I'm already planning on eating Soups or mushies when I go out to avoid any stuck episodes in restaurants...but what can you eat and not eat? Can you eat Pasta? I am so excited to be able to eat in time for Thanksgiving! Including the pre-op diet, I will have been on 5 weeks of liquids.

Been banded 6 days. Everything's been great except I don't seem to know my body anymore. I've been burping and there seems to be liquid I COULD burp up but i'm keeping it down. I feel like i'm more swollen than I was, and I think it's making my band feel tighter and making it so I can't get as much down. Could only eat about 1/2 cup of broth, sipping coconut Water and water now and it's staying down. Nothing has come up but I feel WEIRD. I have a growly stomach and I want food, but the thought of eating solid food right now makes me sick. Sick of Clear Liquids but scared to try anything creamy in a couple days when it's allowed. I think my swollen tummy is also making it harder to breathe. Sitting upright hurts, but laying back doesn't feel good either. Standing feels best. Went to two different stores and walked my dog today, afterwards I felt so tired and my stomach felt as if it had been stretched too far. Gas pains in my chest/under breast area that I didn't have before. Had the hiccups the other day, and they did NOT feel good either. Someone help! I'm probably being overdramatic but I'm sick of this already.

So, since surgery day, if I bend over a little too far to the left (the side all of my incisions are on) I can feel a strange sensation against my ribs, as if something is rubbing against them. At first I thought it was the port, so called my doc and he said it could either be the port or the tubing. He says it's normal and that it would should stop after I build up scar tissue in there. But, 11 days out from surgery I am still feeling it. I lean to the right when I bend down and I feel like I can't relax when I sit in a straight - up position, I have to lean to the right. I find that if I cover it with my hand and push down on it a little when driving or bending down, it doesn't move as much. It doesn't hurt, it's just a VERY weird and annoying feeling. I am hoping it will stop, but if it doesn't, I may have to have it surgically moved down or something. It's driving me crazy.

Have you ever tried Thai sweet chili sauce? I have been using it on egg beaters eggs for a while, started WAY before surgery and will continue as soon as I can eat real food again! It's SO good and hardly any calories with the fake eggs. Those babies kept me full half a day, even before surgery. You can also cook those in the microwave.