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Haha! Yes, my surgeon said that the Lap-Band is equal to surgical bulimia! But it's no effort to puke. It's not like I feel particularly ill (except occasionally). It's more like a productive hiccup! I totally identify with those who say "never trust a fart". I also say "never trust a hiccup"!!!

That's true! And i would have puked and carried on at the party. Except there had been a slight issue with the door lock, and one of the guests had been locked in the bathroom for 3/4 of an hour! They had to take the door off to get him out. So puking in a bathroom with no door...?

I've learnt (this evening in fact) that you can't even eat half a barbecued sausage at a Christmas party without throwing up. Got so i'll I had to come home and vomit in peace!!

I was very alarmed at first, by the painful spasms and throwing up. At the time it seemed to go on for ages, but here i am 8 weeks out and no more spasms!

I think you have an addiction problem. I'm not saying that to be cruel, but honestly, I recognise your story. That was my story too, after I had both of my knees replaced. The pain was unbearable and getting worse. One year out, I was still on narcotics and arguing with my doctor, who said I had an addiction problem. I did not believe him. I was in PAIN. (I decided i had Fibro too...) Anyway, one morning I woke up and needed my medication. And I realised I wasn't in pain. Just needed the narcotics. I realised I WAS an addict and went cold turkey right there and then. It was the hardest thing i have ever done. Excruciatingly painful. Turns out, the pain I was feeling was actually the sensation of "coming down" off the meds. Felt like pain to me, but was actually being CAUSED by the narcotics (Oxynorm). I had to take them more and more frequently to keep on top of the "pain". A self perpetuating issue leading who knows where. Don't fight with your doctor. He may be a jerk, but your priority is you, and getting off the meds and getting your life back. Get help. Good luck.

check this out. It brought tears to my eyes. http://www.ted.com/playlists/77/new_to_ted.html

Couldn't have put it better myself. My first step? I'm going to get a job.

Yes please - photos!

Don't be afraid. We are all afraid when we hand our unconscious selves to the surgical team. But they are well trained and true professionals. I had a moment of panic on the operating table , before they knocked my out. I was thinking i could change my mind, right now! And the next thing i was asleep! Next time i woke up I was back in my room and feeling just a little bit of pain, but nothing major. So glad I went through with it!

I promise, it will get better. Do get out of bed. Go for a walk. Try to drink milk (I found milk easier than anything else to get down). Make sure you are taking your Vitamins. Remember you have had part of your stomach amputated. If you'd had a leg amputated you wouldn't expect to feel yourself within three weeks. Give yourself more time and have faith. Having major surgery can make you feel very down. Anaesthetics can make you feel really depressed for weeks. Our sudden change in lifestyle can cause grief for the old lifestyle... It will get better, but you have to help it. Get out of bed and get some fresh air. This too will pass (Hug)

Congratulations!! I'm glad I did it too!

Don't do guilt EG. It is destructive. We are on a learning journey, and some of us don't get the lesson immediately. As for dietary advice post op, it varies enormously. I was served pureed food on my second day post op. Couldn't eat it, but my surgeon is very relaxed about eating. The advice differs in the same way that the surgical techniques differ, and the experience of the surgeon differs. Some surgeons staple. Some staple and over-sew. Some staple, over-sew and glue! Leaks are actually kinda rare. You will not cause a leak by having a few bites of naughty food. Now, before everyone flames me, I am not "enabling". Of course everyone should stick to the plan, but when they fall off the wagon, just recognise that it's a blip. Work out why it happened and try not to let it happen again. But fear and guilt will not help. Facts and reason will.

Yep, I'd do it! Wish I had done it 50 lbs ago!!!

You are in the right place. Whoever said they were going to "grab" your gall bladder doesn't have a great bedside manner! What they will do is press lightly over the right side of your stomach to feel if your gall bladder is enlarged. It may be slightly tender, but not painful. However, my guess is that you are simply healing. I vomited 3 days straight (not 6, I know). I couldn't even keep Water down. I still vomit every couple of days if I overeat, or try to eat a vegetable! In the first few days, vomiting was terrifying, but now it's kinda routine! I hope you feel better soon. I'm sure you will. I wondered what the hell I'd done too, but I'm cool now.

We're hard wired to eat, just like any other animal. But we clever humans have managed to make our foods so dense in calories that we don't need to graze all day, yet our brains tell us we do. And for some reason, those of us who got fat think we have uniquely failed at this eating thing. Yet look around. There are more and more fat people and they are getting younger and younger. The problem is with the food, not the eating. I've been quite dismayed by how little I can eat. Sure, I'm glad to be losing the weight, and if that's the price I have to pay, then so be it. But I agree, it is unbelievably tiny!

Hell, yes! I love my sleeve! I was self pay too and I'm delighted. It's not all easy - some days I feel STARVING and can't eat, but the weight is coming off, and that's the whole idea. I agree with the constipation thing. I still have a Protein shake every morning for Breakfast and I add benefibre (3 teaspoons!) every day. Sometimes I add Benefibre to my evening drink as well. Haven't had a problem.

Haha! I like it!

That's just the way the weight goes. Veeery sloooowly some weeks. I have been exactly the same weight for 9 days straight now. But this has happened to me before, so I now just trust that the weight loss will happen...

That's brilliant. It is the neatest scar I have ever seen (from photos on the Web).

Congratulations!

Like Arts says, is really easy to eat simple carbs. Sometimes I feel like the protein hasn't really hit the spot! I'm full, but I'm still hungry. So I started having a couple of crackers at bed time. Then I started putting butter on my 2 crackers. Last night I had 4 crackers with butter. Got up this morning and threw the crackers away! Too dangerous to have them in the house!!!

How is the TT scar looking now?

Yep, double holy cow! You look amazing! :-)

Don't worry! It will get better. I felt like I had been hit by a bus. And I was STARVING all the time. I too, had regrets (not that it makes a difference!!) Eventually, the constant hunger goes away. And your energy will come back. We humans are impatient creatures - I finally realised that it takes weeks for the sleeve to heal, and not days. I don't regret it any more! Delighted with the weight loss and looking forward to seeing more. But I am still impatient - I want all the weight to be gone NOW!!! :-)

No one made me fat. I did it to myself - but not on purpose. Food (and alcohol) was like medicine. It made me feel OK in a way that nothing else did (does!). Now that I don't drink, and post-sleeve I don't eat, I feel quite lonely. Like I have lost a good friend. I know food and alcohol weren't true friends, but I miss them anyway...