Cocoabean

Hi laplrn, call your surgeon and see if you can get some anti-nausea meds. If you are taking pain meds, that can be causing the nausea. Also, because I was doing very well, my surgeon let me go a bit faster than I expected on the post-op progression to more solid foods. Perhaps your surgeon would give permission to try something a bit more substantial to see if it helps the nausea. Hope you feel better soon! Denise

Hi Bobbi, If you call your doc's office number you should get an answering service who can page the doc if necessary. I was too tight for a couple of weeks, it is very miserable. I got to where eating yogurt hurt and I got stuck on mashed potatoes. When I hit the wall and couldn't stand it, I'd have called the office and asked to speak to my doc if it had been the weekend. For me it happened on Thursday and they got me right in. Don't fool around with it, vomitting can cause band slippage, and it's best to avoid that! Best wishes, Denise

For my psych eval I had to explain what the surgery is, why I want it, and what I expect from it. We talked a bit about my medical history and so on. It was basically a conversation about me and my expectations. Simple really. My consult with the nutritionist was similar, what I was eating at the time, my overall eating and exercise habits and what to work towards. That was it, nothing scary or horrible. Denise

My surgeon does some sort of test pre-op to be certain smokers have quit. I cannot tell you much more than that as I quit several years ago. But in the pre-op seminar and support groups I went to, it came up and he said he would cancel anyone who did not quit. Your surgeon may be different, this is my experience with my surgeon. Denise

Thanks for the info Jaqui. It has been nearly two weeks since the unfill. I feel as though I am eating alot, but other than the pound and a half I put on right after the unfill, that I suspect was Water, I haven't gained. I haven't lost either, but it is nice to be able to eat. If I call this week, it will be three weeks or so before I can get in, if not more with the holidays here now. So it seems that is sufficient time for things to have settled in. BUT, I intend to ask for a very small fill. I just want to sneak up to my sweet spot, not overrun it! :rolleyes2: Denise

If it isn't carbonated it should be fine. I miss beer at social events, but for me, the loss is worth it. Best wishes, Denise

Thanks Miss Meliss and feefee. I'll be calling for an appointment this week. I have been able to down some chow lately. Yummy, but not great on the scale! Denise

Thanks, Carrie_C. I just don't want to appear that I am addicted to filling and unfilling, but I really do need more restriction now that things have calmed down! Denise

Mine is about 3" left (my left) of my belly button. I am about 20 lbs from goal. I am good with this location. Only drawback, high waisted pants that are a little snug sometimes bother it. My fix, buy new pants in my new smaller size that sit a bit below my waist. Denise

Hi all, 3 weeks ago I got my 3rd fill. Ended up too tight and had a partial unfill about a week ago (feeling great now!) My question is, I'd like to get another fill, smaller than what was removed, but don't know how long I should wait. I was just so relieved to feel better after the unfill I didn't even think to ask about a future fill. Anyone have any suggestions?? Thanks! Denise

You can try to appeal the 6 month requirement. I successfully appealed it. In my letter I stated my past attempts with weight lost and regained. I had Weight Watchers records and diary entries. Also, the NIH does not recommend a 6 month program in their consensus: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Program: Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity I quoted that in my letter. Best wishes, Denise

I agree you should call your doc. I am wondering if the larger portions have caused the band to slip? I am not sure that can happen. But throwing up can cause a slip. When my band was too tight, my doc said a concern is throwing up often and causing a slip. With a small slip, he said that unfilling and letting the stomach rest often takes care of things. Then you can refill. Definitely worth a call to the doc. Take care and feel better, Denise

Continuing with the unfill theme, I had .5ml and an air bubble removed a week ago as I was too tight. Feeling great now, but man, can I eat!!!! I failed to ask my surgeon how long I should wait for a refill as I was just so relieved to be able to swallow Water without pain. So, what do y'all think is a good amount of time to let my stomach rest after two weeks of being too tight and retching several times? I want more control, but not at the risk of my stomach or esophagus. I am thinking of calling early to mid-December as my surgeon books about 3 weeks out. That would give me 6-7 weeks of my current fill level. Thanks for any opinions!! Denise

Glad you are feeling better, Carrie! Being too tight is no fun at all. Of course my surgeon said that he prefers his patients to have looser bands and exercise more self-control. To which my husband replied that if I had self-control, I wouldn't need the band! He is right, but that was putting rather bluntly. Denise

I'm with kgloverii. My surgeon has no 'rules' for eating. I am not supposed to do Protein shakes (except after a fill) unless to not do so would mean skipping a meal of regular foods. He wants me eating a wide variety of foods and to learn how to eat and what works for me. There seem to be as many post-op eating plans out there as there are doctors. I chose to get banded because it doesn't carry the restrictions that bypass does. I wanted the freedom to eat foods I love, just less of them. So far...so good, for me. Denise

I had an experience like Barbiek. It was 2 weeks of misery before I went back in. Getting stuck on mashed potatoes was the final straw for me. Like Barbiek, I think I need a tad more restriction and will likely ask for another much smaller fill. But for now, it is nice to eat with confidence that I most likely won't slime and will be able to keep the food down. I got to the point where drinking plain Water was painful. Don't let it go that far. I've decided I'd rather be a little too loose than a little too tight!! Hope you feel better soon, Denise

My surgeon won't fill before 6 weeks out. He said I needed time to heal from the surgery. This time is known as Bandster Hell, and not without reason. You have a powerful tool just sitting there and you really want to use it! But you need to be fully healed after the surgery before getting a fill. Denise

I would consider postponing until after Thanksgiving. Especially as you don't want everyone to know of your surgery. I was to have my first fill 2 weeks before a cruise. I postponed until after. I was afraid of having problems while being so far from home. After my first fill I did not feel much restriction and would likely have been OK, but I didn't want to risk it. Just my thoughts! Denise

I did Medifast pre-op. My PCP suggested I try it for a permanent plan, so I did. UGH. I lasted about a week on that attempt. So I had plenty left when it came time for pre-op diet. I managed to gag it down and make it through the two weeks, but it was not a fun time for me, that is for sure. I'd just hold my breath and chug the shakes. I made it through and my surgeon said my liver was nice and small. So it IS worth it. You can DO it!!! Best wishes, Denise

That is around where I was for the pre-op phase. Now almost 9 months out, I come in around 1000-1200 calories per day. Except when I was too tight for a couple of weeks. Then I had a hard time getting anything down. Best wishes, Denise

I had to do a medical fast--my surgeon sells Optifast, but I had Medifast meals on hand from a previous diet attempt. So I did that for two weeks pre-op. I lost 8 lbs and my doc said my liver was nice and small for surgery. It seems all docs have different requirements and it may vary by patient. This was my experience. Post-op was Clear liquids for 3 days then fulll liquids for another week. After that I was able to progress to regular foods. Denise

You should check with your insurance company to be certain, but most of what I have seen is a BMI of 40 or higher is a stand-alone condition for surgery. Best wishes, Denise

In my pre-surgery seminar it was stated that sodas affect Calcium absorption or leach calcium from your system. So, I quit them due to that. I have tried carbonated drinks since being banded, but I cannot tolerate them, the bubbles are just too hard to consume and I usually end up with the hiccups--including beer But, since I don't enjoy drinking them, I don't really miss them. As for coffee, I drink one travel mug every day and an occassional latte without any negative effects. Just my 2 cents worth. Denise

Hi Shamrockgirl. How does blood get in? From the needle going into the port? My doc says that proper portions are those that satisfy me and I still lose weight. That is what he bases the need for fills on. I am not sure how much I am eating measuring cup wise, but last night I had about 1.5-2 oz of steak, some mushrooms and about an ounce of potato. I am much hungrier now than I was during my tight two weeks, but cannot determine if I am eating more than before the fill that put me over the top. I don't think I am, but need more time to tell as sometimes my band feels looser than at others. Denise

Hi Jacqui, thank you for your response. I appreciate that someone at goal hangs around to help us less veteran bandsters get through it all. I seem to be as loose as I was before the 1 ml was added. As you say, I need to wait and see where I settle in. But I am happy to be able to drink liquids without pain! I plan to wait a few weeks before scheduling another fill (which takes about three weeks to get in) to see how it turns out after any swelling has gone down. I'll take a slower weight loss in exchange for not hurting like I was! I am about 20 lbs from my goal, and I lost 7 lbs in the two weeks I was too tight...that just seems much too fast for my weight. The medical assistant said, "Holy Cow!" when she saw my loss when checking me in :rolleyes2: I have put back on 1.5 lbs since my unfill, but I figure that was Water weight as I was not able to get much water down during that time and was experiencing symptoms of dehydration. Denise