Cocoabean

Oh my gosh! Chili cheese fries were my first stuck! No kidding. What a dork. Figured I'd just eat the chili off the top, right? HA! Once a food addict always a food addict. Anyway! I often order off the appetizer menu. Or DH and I will share meals. I'll get a house salad (ask for it to be delivered with his meal) and then steal off of his plate. That way they don't charge for a split. Be wary of foods you eat with your hands, like sandwiches and hamburgers. I deconstruct those, or else I take bites that are too big. Use a fork whenever possible to take smaller bites. If getting steak, go filet rather than NY Strip, it is just much more tender and easier to eat. With no fill, you should be able to handle most foods, but go slow, take small bites, and chew, chew, chew. Biggest thing is, enjoy your vacation! I did a 10 day cruise at 6 weeks post-op, I had a fabulous time.

Some surgeons do it this way, but most do not. Mine did a larger fill for the first then smaller ones to "sneak up" on my green zone or sweet spot. He says in his experience his band patients do better that way than filling too tight, unfilling, refilling, then unfilling. He doesn't like chasing the sweet spot if he doesn't have to.

I often say, "fickle, freaken, foofing, band!!!" About 3 weeks ago, 6 months after my last fill it decided to tighten up on me. I've always had day to day fluctuations, but this was crazy. I am now eating about half what I was with an occasional time where I can eat more. Very odd.

Hot diggity! Thanks Cheri!

Junk food like chips, Cookies, milkshakes, and the like will ALWAYS go down easily. You have to make the decision to not eat them. For me, I eat healthy solid Proteins and I am satisfied for a longer period of time than a meal used to last me before I was banded. Junk food doesn't call to me as much as it used to, but I still have to say NO! Yes, it is more challenging to eat solid proteins than to eat a bag of chips. But I have to make that choice for myself. The band makes it easier because it helps to control my physical hunger. In fact, part of why I chose the band is BECAUSE I would still be able to eat the foods I love, but in limited quantities. The band is not autopilot like bypass. We have to be accountable for what we eat.

Perhaps you need the malabsorption of bypass. Have you spoken to your surgeon about doing a revision? There are people who were unsuccessful with the band that became successful with bypass.

Hey there! LBT used to have a way to search for threads that had no replies. Does that still exist? I can't seem to locate it. If not, can it be added back? I like to find threads to which no response has been given, and see if someone has been overlooked. Have I overlooked something? Thanks!

I got horribly stuck on a banana after my 2nd or 3rd fill. They are a hit and miss food for me. When they get stuck, the cause me so much heartburn that I don't even try any more. After that episode, I didn't eat them again for a year. Then I was OK until my last fill. After puking up a whole banana, I am just not interested any longer. Gosh, I've written them so far out of my diet, I don't even list them when people ask what foods I can't eat. I suppose I need to list them!

I think I was on fill 2 before certain foods started giving me trouble. Each fill has a learning curve. Pay very close attention to your surgeon's refeeding schedule after a fill. Then take it very easy as you start eating a regular diet. For me it is white meat chicken/turkey and doughy breads. Other things are hit and miss, like sushi rolls, hamburger, thick Pasta (like lasagna). If you feel any pain around your sternum, STOP EATING!!!! That is my first sign of getting stuck. If I stop and wait, it will usually go down. If I keep eating, I am in for big pain.

First off, kudos to you for looking for ways to help. Mainly just be there for him. DON'T be his food police. If you are the cook in the family ask him what he wants/needs, and work together to prepare meals both of you can have. Once he is on regular foods there is no need to prepare separate meals for him. But if he is making poor choices, they are HIS choices, you are not responsible for those choices. I think the smaller portions are harder on a man in our society. Fellows are supposed to eat hearty and slam the food down. He has a lot of adjusting to do, and a huge learning curve as he gets used to his new way of life. As he goes through that learning curve, don't make him feel bad for mistakes he makes, or speedbumps he hits. When I get stuck, sometimes my husband gets very drama queen about it. "Oh my gosh, you'll never be able to eat THAT again!!! Now what???" That just adds to my stress. I much prefer it when he just takes it in stride with me. Mostly I appreciate when he says, "do you need me to do something to help you, or just leave you alone?" Just ask him flat out what is the best way you can support him. That shows respect and willingness to help.

Glad you recognized the signs. Hope you get back on track after a slight unfill.

Fever means you call. No matter what time it is.

Gatorade does have sugar in it. Not sure if they make a sugar free version. The last time I had true dehydration I used an electrolyte product from Isagenix. Not sure of its sugar content either, but it tastes better. Stress can make a band feel tighter, yes. But that is not my problem at the moment.

It often looks like we are bleeding to death! Just a little bit of blood in the toilet goes a LONG way! The first time I tore a little hemorrhoid, I thought I had opened up an artery. I was ready to call 911! DO mention it to your doc today though. Just to be on the safe side.

You can walk right away. Lifting is really individual to your surgeon, give the office a call on Monday. Also check your discharge papers, it might be in there. My surgeon gave us all a notebook with specifics for workouts and lifting. I can't remember what my instructions were. Bandster Hell is the time between surgery and the green zone. When you have your band, but it isn't helping you at all. Like having a beautiful sports car in the driveway with no gas in the tank. Bright red usually means you have a little tear near the anus or a hemorrhoid that tore. Dark red means bleeding further up. A call to your surgeon would not be out of line. That is what we pay them for.

I am south of Pendleton in San Diego! Welcome!

It's white knuckle time. Hang on, and best wishes. But I am glad you went in to get it addressed!

I had one a couple of months ago. No worries, I had to drink a liter over 15 minutes. It was horrid, but easily done.

Karen, I understand your hesitation. There are folks here who've had the banded plication and done very well. There might even be a banded plication forum. I have the AP Standard band. There is a Vertical Sleeve Talk forum like LBT, you might wander over there. There are lots of band to sleeve revisions there. And many happy sleevers. Does your surgeon have any idea why your band eroded? My surgeon says erosions are pretty rare with these "newer" bands that we have.

Karen, Shands is a great hospital. May I ask what band you had? We were banded a week apart. I am so sorry you went through all this. The sleeve scares me because they remove a large part of your stomach and toss it out. It's still such a new procedure. There's very little long-term data on it. But, they can convert it to bypass if you don't have sufficient weight loss with it. With banded plication, you'll have another band, yes? Is that something you really want to do? I don't envy you having to make this decision.

The last time I remember doing it was a few years ago after polishing off a bag of Cheetos (hangs head in shame). We were on our way home from our annual trip to Central California in our motorhome. About 15 minutes after finishing the flushing nausea hit, then the cramps, the sweating, and the diarrhea. Good thing we had the bathroom with us! There I was laid out on the floor, a big, hot mess, waiting for the symptoms to pass. It lasted about 20-30 minutes then I was back to normal. So, Amanda, I don't doubt that you dumped. Ain't it a joy?

You can advise the airline in advance that you have special dietary needs and ask them to get it for you. You can also purchase it after security in one of the food courts and carry it on. Bring an empty baggie and ask for some ice if it might be a while before you consume it to keep it chilled. Or the flight attendant might hold it for you in their galley area to keep it cold until you need it. No guarantee on that one though.

Awesome!! Sorry it has taken so long to get to resolution, but to have insurance coverage for it must be quite the relief!

Thanks for the update! Is your insurance covering the procedures? Best wishes in your decisions!

I had what I called "explosive decompressions"! It happened off and on for a bit. I can't really remember how long. It's 4 years ago now.