Cocoabean

If this worked...I loaded it to my gallery here at LBT, then copied and pasted it.

Take the vicodin at night. It will help you sleep. Are you holding a pillow against your stomach when you cough? That will help give you support and lessen the pain. Does the tylenol handle your pain level? If not, call your surgeon and ask for something different than the vicodin. Is it jus the narcotic "high" you don't like or something else? There might be alternatives that are stronger than tylenlol. When I was banded I caught a cold around the time I was in the hospital, it was no fun being congested and coughing. I took one week off and tried to return the second. Ended up doing half-time the second week. I am fortunate that I have a great boss who told me to work what I could work. Hope you are feeling better soon!

You are averaging about a pound a week. Bandsters can expect 1-2 pounds per week. So you are losing within expectations. Keeping a journal is a great idea. I didn't journal through the weight-loss phase. But I did for grins and giggles a while back for a few days. I thought I was eating around 1200 calories a day. I was shocked to find I was actually eating about 1700!

It's a loooooong journey. If you cannot have treats once in a while, it is going to be very, very long. Keep up the good work!

Yes, I did. It took a while, and I didn't even notice it happening. I used to live for my next meal or snack. Then one day I realized that food didn't rule my thoughts any longer. I still love to eat, and I enjoy food. But it doesn't control my mind. I eat a meal and I am good to go for a few hours or longer depending on what I had. Eventually I start to get hungry (physically), and thoughts of food enter in again. I feel that now my brain is working the way that "normal weight" peoples' brains work.

For me PB and being stuck/sliming are two very different things. PB (productive burp) can happen "just because." MId-meal, mid-bite, mid-chew. Or even after I have finished the meal. Like a baby urps up a little bit of something unexpectedly. I burp and surprise! A mouthful of "stuff!" Sliming and being stuck is entirely different. It is usually brought on by pilot error, but not always. Too big of a bite or not chewing well enough are the usual culprits. If that comes back up or I have to help it come back up, it is not usually associated with a burp or gas of any type. It also usually involves discomfort, a PB doesn't. A PB just happens. Perhaps a little feeling of gas that I am going to burp first, but not that rock in the chest, OMG I want to die, WHY DID I EAT THAT YOU STOOOPID FOOL, feeling. I didn't experience my first stuck episode until after my second fill. I don't remember my first PB as they aren't that big of an event for me. Although I did have a PB the other night where I happened to be at the kitchen sink, DH passed by just as it happened. I burped, I spit, he looked. He says, "oh gross! Why did you do that?" I said, "uh, like I had a choice? Made you look! HA!" To which he responded that he is now blinded for life. He'll get over it.

I hope you are feeling better with the unfill. I don't believe it was the turkey, but cannot say for sure, as it was a first for me to eat ground turkey. Based on how easy it was to chew and my past history with "hamburgers on buns," I don't think it was the meat. After I had my unfill I was able to go back in a month later and get refilled with what was removed and a little more. Bands are our fickle friends!

You are very welcome. A slight unfill might be in order. You don't have to have all of the fill you had put in removed. I did that once. When I could not even get yogurt down, I knew I needed the unfill. I am blaming Wheelchair for my woes last night. Due to asking this question I was jinxed! I got stuck on a turkey burger. One of the worst episodes I've had in a while. One of these days I will learn that I really ought not to attempt eat the bun. AT ALL. Sometimes I can tolerate a few bites of it if I tear away the bottom and use it as a handle. Other times, no go. And usually my bites are just too big for my own good. It's something about holding the burger, I just tend to shove too much in. 3 years, and I am still learning. The ground turkey was a new food for me, as hamburger and veggie burgers just don't tend to work for me. The turkey was fine, but something else not so fine. I also didn't stop soon enough. (sigh) Sometimes we don't take our own advice. I am on shakes and liquids today. But still, I wouldn't trade my band to be back near my high weight and on BP meds and nearing diabetes.

I've never heard that one before. Fluid goes through the band, unless you are WAY too tight. At first you need to sip, sip, sip. I am over 3 years out. I can drink as fast as I can pour it down my throat with no problems. Some people with tighter bands can feel it gurgle through, but you'll lear how fast you can drink. Maybe they are just trying to remove any chance at liability if you crash?

Just a note, eggs are a notorious item for getting stuck. And you are so right, drinking Water while stuck is a VERY bad idea, unless you are near a toilet or sink, because it starts the launch sequence. For me now, I get stuck maybe once every couple of months. Then I tend to go in streaks. Once I get stuck once, I'll get stuck a few times in a row. If it was a really bad episode I'll do fluids and mushies only for the rest of the day and the next. The food that is the worst offender for me is white meat chicken. Doughnuts are the first runner-up. So I avoid both of those. When I was first banded I formed a habit of pausing before I took the first bite to remind myself that I am banded and need to chew, chew, chew. I still do it today, and it serves me well to remember not to take that first huge bite that is likely to get stuck. It also reminds me to eat slowly and wait between bites. Once you feel that tiny bit of pain like you are getting stuck, STOP eating. Wait for the pain to stop before you continue. If you add food on top of what feels like a potential stuck episode, it goes nowhere good. If you wait for the pain to subside, you can continue on. I've had times where I've gotten stuck on the first bite. That's the end of the meal. Over, done, kaput. It really is a learning experience. Take your time while you get to know your band. Mine is named Bandit because he has stolen many a meal from me!

Hello and welcome! Check with your doctor. It might matter, it might not. Mine wanted me to do HMR until I said that I had Medifast food at home from a previous attempt. He said that was fine. At this point, you don't want to be going against what YOUR surgeon wants you doing. They have their own reasons for what they order. He might prefer Optifast, but if you ask he might say that compare nutrition and it really doesn't matter. Check ebay also, you might be able to find some on the cheap. Just a thought.

That is the best attitude. If the skin overlap gives you medical problems, sometimes insurance will pay for removal. I'd love to have the wings removed, but there's no way insurance would pay, and I can't see paying the money for it. It is purely cosmetic unless I injure someone by waving good-bye! I'd love to have shirts fit looser on the upper arms though. I'd probably be able to go down a size. Oh well, I can thank my mom for my upper arms, they look a lot like hers. "Thanks, Mom!" I love her to pieces, but why could she not have given me her dancing talent rather than this??? (sigh)

I don't believe there is a whole lot we can do for the skin. I believe it is mainly genetics, age, and amount of weight lost. The muscle tone underneath helps a little bit, as does hydration, but overall...you either have the elasticity to snap back or you don't. So sad. I have a beautiful pair of bat wings myself...ugh. I use them to threaten my husband if he misbehaves! Whip! The wave that keeps on waving!

Glad to hear it isn't a slip. Take it very easy! Hope you are feeling better soon!

Make sure you need Protein shakes. I bought tons of the stuff before surgery only to find out my surgeon wants me eating my calories not doing shakes. So I went from Clear liquids to full liquids to solids. For that matter, find out what is on YOUR surgeon's post-op diet and get that. I like Isagenix shakes. They are available online. I use them after a fill, and after stuck episodes, or if I am just wanting something different. After surgery, have a heating pad for your tummy. It felt oh, so good. Don't lay flat unless you have someone to help you get up for a couple of days. Have all your chores done, so you don't have anything to worry about. Fill all your prescriptions before going to the hospital, but keep your nose out of the pain meds! Have the pain meds near where you will sleep. This is related to not laying flat. I woke up in bed the first night after the meds had worn off and couldn't move. If not for my DH I'd probably still be there unable to get up. Remove all your jewelry before going to the hospital.

Most patients do not get a fill until about 6 weeks post-op. Having had the Fluid that was put in at surgery removed, I'd say no, you'll not get a fill for a while. Your body went through a great trauma from the surgery. You are two weeks post-op. Your body needs time to heal. Weight loss will come. Have patience. If you have been eating 1200 calories a day, and are continuing to do so as you progress your post-op diet then you might be on a plateau. You might have to up your exercise or work with a nutritionist to find the right balance. Lap Band is not a malabsorptive procedure. You will still process the calories as you always have.

I heard a doctor on satellite radio the other day saying that many doctors outside the United States feel that the band is perfect for lower BMI patients. He said that it is actually being used more often for these types of patients. He felt that the success rate is higher for lower BMI bandsters than higher BMI bandsters. His take was that lower BMI folk were more likely to get to a normal BMI with a band than a higher BMI patient with a band.

Hi Alainna, Welcome to LBT. There are many bandsters who have gotten pregnant. There is even a pregnancy forum here! I am sorry to hear your pregnancy troubles. You can be banded and pregnant at the same time. Generally women have their bands unfilled during pregnancy to allow for more nutrition. I cannot speak to how soon after surgery you should wait to get pregnant. That would be a question for your doctors. You do need to be committed to your health. Having a band does not mean that you will magically lose weight. It helps with portion control, and it helps with hunger. For me, the weight loss was very easy, but I had to do my share of making good choices. How much weight does the military want you to lose before they will work on your fertility issues? With a band, you generally do not start losing weight immediately. For some it is a few months before the band is really helpful. We can generally expect about 1-2 pounds per week on average loss rate. You might consider a gastric bypass if you want to lose it faster. Bypass patients lose the majority of their excess weight in the first year. Speak to your bariatric doctor about pregnancy and bypass. I am not sure how that works out, but I am pretty sure it happens. I wish you all the best! Getting banded is one of the best decisions I have made for myself.

Rats! I wonder if it would show on a urine drug test? Like poppy seeds can show on some tests as an Opiate..?

OMG, I just burst out laughing. Glad I didn't have anything in my mouth! I am laughing WITH you! Of course!

Uh, congratulations? Welcome to being truly banded. After a stuck episode, I usually take it easy for a day or two with soft foods. I am like many bandsters. I sip coffee on the way to work at 6am then don't eat anything until about 8 or so. If I try to eat earlier, it is just plain ugly.

I have never heard of this, but the mucous and saliva make it sound as though the band is too tight. I leads me to think that perhaps the doctor used a band that was two small (the manufacturers have two sizes) or put Fluid in during the original surgery (some surgeons do that). I, too, have never heard of removing the stitches or fat around the stomach as a means of loosening things up. I have heard of unbuckling the band and leaving it open for a while until swelling has gone down. I can't say as I blame your husband for wanting it out pronto. Hope he feels better soon.

Do you still have your gallbladder? It sounds like a gallstone attack.

5 pounds per week is a very high rate of loss for someone at your weight. The question is, are you eating what you should be? How is your nutrition? Are you taking your Vitamins and getting in all your Protein? If all of that is positive then yay for you! Most of us lose very little in the first several weeks post-op.

When the band is inserted, they anchor it down by pulling your stomach over it and placing a few stitches to create a tunnel. When you eat solid foods you are causing your newly created pouch to grind putting pressure on these stitches before scar tissue has had a chance to form and truly anchor the band in place. Chewing meat....Well, have you every been chewing something, come across a hunk of gristle and swallowed it? Or perhaps gotten distracted while chewing, by wanting to say something, and swallowing before you were ready? If that happens with a band you are at risk for getting stuck (the good gets caught over the hole between the pouch and the big stomach below). This also causes the stomach to grind, putting pressure on the stitches. It is also very painful and can cause vomiting--not something you want to happen immediately post-op. Consuming liquids and already pureed foods means you eliminate that risk. If those stitches pop, you'll need more surgery to put them back in place. To me, that risk wasn't worth it. Hope you are feeling less hungry soon! They post-op phase sucks..but it IS worth it!