Cocoabean

No worries, Birdy! A band is not a set it and forget it procedure as bypass and sleeves are (other than monitoring for nutritional levels of Vitamins and minerals in your blood in years to come). There is general maintenance involved. My surgeon wants me to have an Upper GI every year. He will not do a fill after the first year without one. There is a central coast person on the board. Xavier is the screen name, she was also self-pay. You might reach out to her. Haven't seen her around in a bit, but I've been out for about 3 weeks due to a non-band related illness. I am 4 years out, I get a little top-off fill about once a year. My surgeon will not do a fill without an Upper-GI. They run a few hundred dollars if you were to self pay. My last fill suddenly tightened up after 4 months. It has since gone back to normal, but it was tight for about 6 weeks. My surgeon has ordered an endoscope. That would be quite a bit more money as anesthesia is involved. I am not trying to scare you off, but you need to be fully aware of what you are getting into. Should you have a bad slip and need your band removed, that is another full surgery. If you had insurance that did not cover WLS, they'd cover some of the testing, and they'd cover emergency removal of a band. But without insurance, bands can get costly. Also, don't just go for the bargain. :-) All that said, I love my band and am very pleased with my decision. But I have insurance that covers my fills and tests.

Welcome to the forum! Remember with a band that follow-up care is crucial. Fills/unfills are needed to be successful. It can take 5-6 fills before you start losing. Some surgeons include fills for a year with their band fees, but not all. Fills and unfills can cost upwards of $300 or more. Do you have any specific questions?

We've almost all been there! You might try gas-x or gas-x strips. Remember, even though people say this is an easy surgery, it IS surgery on your stomach. It takes time to recover. Walking is really a good way to help get rid of gas. Hope you feel better soon!

Looking at your ticker and signature info, it appears to be 23 lbs since your surgery Feb 22. 23 lbs in 10 weeks is awesome. The first 6 weeks of being banded are for healing, not losing. Losing really doesn't start until we get our bands to the green zone which can take 5-6 fills. For me it took 4 months. Band literature says 1-2 pounds per week average weight loss. You are average 2.3, you are WELL above average. I think you are doing great.

Do you mean 3 weeks post-op? Chances are it isn't a slip. Most likely you still have swelling from surgery. Here is some info on slippage: Slippage may be mild and intermittent, or it may be severe and may not resolve. Symptoms are nausea and vomiting and a decrease in the ability to take foods or liquids. http://www.thinnerti...s/slippage.html If something feels wrong, call your surgeon.

It IS very convenient. Give it a try, you might like it.

I did it for my pre-op diet. It pretty well sucks in my opinion, but I lost 8 lbs in two weeks (I was at a lower BMI to start). My doc was very impressed with my achievement and told my DH that he could tell I stuck to it by the looks of my liver. It was very small and easy for him to maneuver around during the surgery, making it much safer for me. I did like the fact that it allowed for a "lean and green" meal each day, so I got to eat some real food.

4 years banded and I still get stuck, granted it is usually operator error. The level of fill in your band does have influence on getting stuck along with bite sizes and chewing. When I was overfilled, I got stuck on mashed potatoes and yogurt. You might indeed have some fill that was put in during surgery, they call it primer. I did not know it at the time, but I had 2cc put in during surgery. When it comes time for your fill talk over with your surgeon what you are eating, how much, and how long it keeps you satisfied between meals. Together you can make the determination of whether or not you need a fill. Your input will help him determine how much you need if you do get one.

My first stuck went on for 5 hours and Water would NOT go down. Walking seems to be the best thing for me. Papaya enzymes are in most Vitamin sections. Walgreens has them. I just got some to carry in my purse, haven't tried them yet. pineapple juice didn't do squat for me. Until you are out of pain, I don't suggest sipping water, but that is me. I've been known to chug some water, which starts the launch sequence and will bring the water and the offending item UP. Immediately. The book answer is to wait it out, though. I hope you feel better soon!

If it has caffeine in it, it will have a diuretic effect and does not count toward your liquid goals. Caffeine-free counts, but the majority of your liquids should be water if at all possible.

Eating should not be painful. Unless you are stuck. Keep and eye on things, if you get to where you cannot get liquids down go in ASAP. If yogurt is not going down well, you might be a little too tight. I was overfilled once, I was having trouble with yogurt, got stuck on string cheese. When I got stuck on mashed potatoes is when I cried uncle. I got half the fill I'd just had put in taken out. After things calmed down I went back a month later and had that put back in plus a little more. You might try going on all liquids for a day or so and let any swelling go down. Feel better!

Welcome, Brenda! This is a great place to be. Ask your questions. You'll get great support here.

That is so awesome, you are doing great on your program! (sitting here with a big stupid grin on my face)

I don't have my 3 month data, but it wasn't much. That is when I first really started losing. I had postponed my first fill due to a cruise. I was banded Feb 15, went on a Cruise the last 2 weeks of April, got my first fill sometime in late April/early May. At 6 months I was down 25 from my surgery day weigh-in. I was a lower BMI start. I was also a very slow loser, but I got there!

For the first 6 weeks you are healing, TRY not to get on the scale. HA! I know, I know. A band does not proving much weight loss immediately after surgery. This is NOT gastric bypass where patients lose the majority of their weight shortly after surgery. Your body has been through quite the trauma of surgery, you might have just a little bit of fill in your band, if any, from the surgery. If you are losing anything right now, it is due to YOU. Ok, anything you lose with a band is due to you, but it sure helps to be in the green zone. My surgeon told me not to worry about my weight until we started doing fills. If I gained a few, he didn't care, he said. He said that he knew I'd done tons of diets over the years and they don't work, why torture myself now with an unfilled band? Just wait until we get it adjusted right and THEN we'll talk about weight loss. LOVE him, by the way! I was banded Feb 15, 2008, I did not start losing until June, after my second fill. Really, this is a lifetime journey, not a one time event. It's a process. You will get there. To quote my favorite movie, "patience, Highlander."

Did you do it yet??? If you want to shower you need the bandages off, you don't want wet bandages staying on the incisions. THAT is a recipe for infection. Be brave, you can do it!

I've never weight/measure portions. When I eat, I eat slowly and really try to listen to my body telling me it is SATISFIED. Not full. If I eat until I am in discomfort, I have eaten too much. If there is pain, then I am most likely stuck. If I feel any pain I stop eating, because if I am stuck putting more food on top of it just makes it worse. If I stop at the first sign of pain, it will often go down and I can finish my meal. I eat until I am no longer hungry. It takes time to develop the skill, but I did not want to "diet" for the rest of my life, and weight/measuring portions is dieting to me.

Don't try a dense fish at first, like swordfish. I do pretty well with tilapia, I've gotten stuck on cod. Surprisingly, I can eat shrimp just fine. Remember small bites and chew well...especially when you are trying a new food.

It was a generic full liquid diet. If you have specific instructions from your doctor, stay with that, of course!

I was moved to full liquids at day 3. The soup should go down fairly quickly, and you'll feel better. If not and you are in pain, give your surgeon a call. Just do a few ounces at a time--sip sip sip and let it go down between sips. Feel better!

http://www.nlm.nih.g...ions/000206.htm What You Can Eat and Drink You can eat or drink only things that are liquid. You may have these foods and drinks: Water Fruit juices, including nectars and juices with pulp Butter, margarine, oil, cream, custard, and pudding Plain ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sherbet. Fruit ices and popsicles Sugar, honey, and syrups Soup broth (bouillon, consommé, and strained cream soups -- but NO solids) Gelatin (Jell-O) Boost, Ensure, Resource, Sustacal. and other liquid supplements Tea or coffee with cream or milk and sugar or honey Ask your doctor if you can include these foods in your full liquid diet: Cooked, refined cereals, such as Cream of Wheat, cream of rice, oatmeal, grits, or farina Strained meats, like the ones in baby food Potatoes pureed in soup Do NOT eat any kind of cheese, fruit (fresh, frozen, or canned), meat, and cereals that are not on your “okay” list. Also, do NOT eat raw or cooked vegetables. And, do NOT eat ice cream or other frozen Desserts that have any solids in them or on top – things like nuts, chocolate chips, and pieces of Cookies.

My doctor submitted to insurance right before Thanksgiving. They have 30 business days to respond. With all the holidays and office closures it was mid-January before I got approval, surgery was a month after that. My surgeon required a 2 week pre-op diet.

Sasha, you will find it to be an emotional roller coaster. We've been taught to clean our plates, then we have surgery so that we have to eat less...then we get angry when we CAN'T clean our plates... i mean really, how silly is that?? But I still struggle with the mental part of not being able to finish my portion, it's just wrong. There are starving kids in China! I can't take it home, I have to eat it. It's just a Lean Cuisine, I should be able to finish it! The list goes on and on. But really, we had this surgery to limit our intake. When you feel satisfied stop. If you feel pain STOP!!! If you feel pain and keep eating you are setting yourself up for more pain. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten stuck on the first bite of a meal. It makes me want to cry. The last time the DH and I were out for lunch. He was kind of pressuring me to eat even though I was in pain (stupid of me to listen) so I ate on top of the pain. On the way home I started sliming. It was a miserable ride. I thought I was going to have to have him pull over. I keep dog poo bags in my purse, but didn't want to urp in front of him, because he would join me. Listen to your band, don't listen to your plate or anyone else. You are worth it, the food is not! You will taste it again.

Oh yes! When you are dehydrated, do your rings fit tighter? Mine do. Shows me that my tissues puff-up trying to hang on to every drop of liquid. Your stomach would be the same. That would make your band feel tighter. My band's tightness changes from day-to-day. I call it a fickle, freakin', foofin' band! But I love it just the same!

I don't do low carb. I eat wraps rather than sandwiches. I don't have a problem with tortillas, but I do with soft breads. Many bandsters cannot eat tortillas, though. I am afraid it will be trial and error for you.