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This is not a big problem for most people. Throwing up, or PBing (productive burping) is the result of either careless eating habits (taking a bit bite and swallowing it without chewing enough, so it gets stuck), or having too much Fluid in your band so nearly all solid food gets stuck. Either way, the solution is a simple one. A) Take small to tiny bites and chew well, paying attention as you eat, and :bored: Get some fluid removed if it is too tight. Too much fluid in the band will slow your weight loss, just as too little will. Many bandsters PB rarely if at all. Learn all you can, and educate your family so they won't be so scared. And you don't really "get sick", you just pop out the offending piece of food, which still tastes like food and not like vomit! Hope this helps. Keep asking questions! That's what we are here for.

When I was with Kaiser, you had to get a referral from your PCP, get an appointment with the dietician (whom I detested), see her monthly for six months and lose a percentage of your weight to qualify to even see the surgeon, whose name I never learned. All I know is that two years ago he was in the District and operated at a hospital there (GW?) My PCP said their previous bariatric surgeon was fired due to an unacceptabe rate of complications. (They were also very highly bypass oriented. The dietician said they had no protocol in place for banding so I'd have to use the bypass one. Shesounded like no one had ever asked for a band before!) I ran like hell, and switched to Aetna last year, did the 3 month quick protocol and was banded last July. My only regret now is that I didn't leave KP years ago. I'm getting far better care from all of my various doctors without pulling teeth to get it. Hope this helps, and that KP has joined the 21st century by now....but I doubt it...

Don't worry, we read Typo fluently!

Hi, I'm in Vienna. I was banded by Drs. Halmi and Tran. They have a support group in Woodbridge and are working on starting one in the Vienna area. I believe I heard they are open to non patients, but I'm not sure. It's nice to know there are more of us in the area! Orea

Oh, that is heartening news! <fingers crossed> I'm breathing a big sigh of relief here. Let us know how it goes.

You'll get better results if you base your meals on 3 oz. lean Protein and 1/2 cup of veggies, with a couple of low fat dairy servings for your Calcium and a little low glycemic carb like whole grain or Beans if you have room. Try it for a few weeks and see. :-) Just because you can eat more, doesn't mean you should. It is your responsibility to protect your pouch by not overeating. (I'm not saying this is easy!) Good luck!

I am so sorry. That was an expensive lesson to learn, but a valuable one. I'm crossing my fingers that it's just a leak in the port (did he use the right kind of needle?) or in the tubing, and not in the band itself. If he used a needle that was not non-coring, he could have taken a chunk out of the self sealing portion of your port. This would be much easier to fix. I'd call this malpractice. Grounds for a lawsuit? Keep us posted, please. We care.

You can put in much more than the advertised amount in any given band.

Sip, sip, sip. Keep that Water bottle with you and try to sip every few minutes. Ideally when you are filled to your "green zone" you will be able to eat your bandster meal (3 oz. lean Protein, 1/2 cup vegetables) and feel satisfied for 3-4 hours. I'm not quite there yet, three fills out. I get a soft "stop" sensation that tells me I have eaten enough, but the hunger comes back in 1-2 hours. Almost there:thumbup:! Another sign that you need a fill is if you find yourself trolling for Snacks and wanting to graze.

Oh, and my mom would have said to beat up a pillow or kick the crap out of a cardboard box to let out some of that anger.

There is no doubt that this is a really stressful thing to go through. We work like the dickens to get our surgery, we get it, woohoo, and then we have to adjust. Everything is a little -or a lot! - different. We used to be able to eat without giving it much thought (which may be why we got so fat), and now we have to think about it, work at tiny bites, good choices, small portions and eating slowly. This is challenging! And those of us for whom food was an important emotional crutch have to deal with stuff coming up that we have smothered with food. Not to mention that we are healing from major jurgery and don't feel top notch for a while. So...let yourself cry. It's a good outlet. You might try meditation or something to help you relax and re-center. I'm several months out now and I find I am definitely bitchier than ever before. I get ticked off much more easily. I hope this stage passes before I alienate somebody I care about! So I will take my own advice and resume my qigong practice. It really helped me in the past. Good luck! You will find a 'new normal' with time. Orea

A leak or a slip. To put that much into a band when you have so much Fluid in there already is just plain crazy. This person does not know what he is doing. I'd rather drive the extra 90 minutes for a responsible and experienced fill.

Hydrate well beforehand so you aren't so thirsty as you eat. Then, keep your darn glass off the table! You will get used to it, but you have to keep working at following those rules. (This one was easy for me compared to eating slower! LOL)

It's stressful aand there definitely is a learning curve. I'm three and a half months out and still working on doing it better... But it does get easier and you find a new normal. Hang in there. :-)

Glad you are feeling better!:cool:

There is the "clear liquid" diet and the "full liquid" diet. The full liquid diet can be defined as anything you could sip through a straw. But it is wise to start this cautiously and see what you can tolerate on any given day. I was nauseous for several days, so i wasn't pushing my full liquids by any means. The other important thing to remember is that we need to take tiny sips, spaced apart, and constantly be monitoring our pouch and our tummy to see if it's going down okay and not stretching us or doing anything uncomfortable. If necessary, thin your desired food before consuming it, and just an ounce or two at a time, max. I was really glad I didn't have to do Clear Liquids postop. (I think some docs just do it to kickstart the weight loss.)

Same here. It relates to the port.

It's perfectly normal not lo lose or to gain during this period. I have only just started really losing since my second fill last week. I was not a happy camper up until then, but I've dropped 7 pounds in 8 days! So...know it WILL come...and keep doing your best until then. Good luck!

You can do this. It is really important to follow your instructions to the best of your ability. Tell yourself, "I can do anything for (fill in the amount of time)." Take it hour by hour or minute by minute if necessary, but decide to just do it. We made it through the tough times, so we know you can, too.

Know that days 2 and 3 are usually the toughest ones. The meds from your procedure are wearing off. Keep taking those pain meds as long as you need them, and don't wait for them to wear off, they work better at keeping pain away than removing it once it is there. Know also that by days 4 and 5 I felt pretty darn good. Just a little longer... {{{gentle hugs}}}

Rutabagas? How does she cook them? Inquiring minds want to know...

I'll stick to primarily Protein and produce. Iamy stick to tyhe dark meat since it is moister, and I may not need gravy with it. I'll probably make some butternut squash, not sure what other veg I will make. With a little stuffing, maybe a quarter cup max. I don't think rolls and potatoes are worth it. Maybe I'll do the mashed cauliflower. Partly it depends on whether we have friends joining us. BTW, if you are cooking, I always put lots and lots of chopped veggies in my stuffing. Makes it moist and flavorful, cuts the calories, yummy!

Google it and you will find many sources. And you can compare prices! :Dancing_sorry:

I was on full liquids immediately after leaving the hospital. (I stayed overnight.) No problem. Each of us must follow our own surgeon's instructions. If we trust them to cut us open, we need to trust their directions. But keep it simple and slow and in small quantities. Start easy. And SLOW. See what you tolerate this early. If full liquids do bother you, it won't hurt to spend a few days on clears. The important thing is that you get liquids in to keep hydrated. Sip. sip, sip. Good luck!

They are probably concerned about you swallowing rubbery chunks of egg white. If you mash it all well with a fork and make egg salad I think you would be okay -- but if in doubt, clear it with your doc.