Firecallie

I agree, I switched because he was SO MUCH closer than my other dr. and a whole lot less busy. Easier to get in when I needed too. Guess I will be switching back!

Ok so I eat till I feel restriction (usually not a lot of food). Then I stop, clean up the plate and then litterally 5 minutes later i'm hungry again. It is almost like I stand up and the food goes thru the band. What do I do? Do I need a fill?

Well it has been years since I have been on the board but I decided I needed to start reutilizing my band. Before I was just doing it on my own and yo-yo dietiing. Suddenly I realize that I have this tool and I might as well use it. However, I have a few problems maybe you guys can help me with. 1. Eating out with friends and family is a big deal to me. Not everyone knows i'm banded. How do I go out to eat and eat a significantly smaller portion size without people being curious? 2. Anyone pregnant with the band. Does the band show on an ultrasound? Did your port stick out? I am not pregnant yet, I want to get back down to my goal weight and be healthy before I do. How will the band effect my future pregnancy? Will my obgyn need to know? How will the band come into play (other than making sure hte baby gets enough nutrition)

I can't figure it out. I know it's different for everyone but the doc puts you on liquids because of swelling (or did me anyway). Are you supposed to feel restriction with swelling or does the swelling somehow block the restriction?

This is so frustrating. I am 9 days post op taking my protein drinks, getting my water and doing ONLY liquids (and no more than 2 meals a day = protein for breakfast) and i'm GAINING weight. Why? I realize that the body goes through a starvation mode where it doesnt' want to metabolize as fast and all that but it has been 9 days and i've gone from maintaining since surgery to gaining 2 pounds. Anyone have an answer? A solution?

In one week I am getting Breast Augmentation. Ok...so I KNOW I KNOW that the doc says to completely unfill before surgery (incase you vomit and what not). But my doctor has prescribed TWO anti-nausea medicines so I think i'll be ok. I have been unfilled before and have never gotten back to the point of restriction that I needed to be at. What would you do? Do you think i'll be ok or do you think i'm foolish for not following the rules? Thanks

Hey you sound alot like me. I had my lapband 2 years ago and love it. I've had my ups and downs with it. You HAVE to work it for it to work. But it was so worth it. I reached goal weight months ago but found that I tend to maintain about 10 lbs higher than my original goal. I am 160. In a week I am going to have Breast Augmentation and I am so excited. I told myself that if I stayed somewhat stable for two years then I would reward myself with that. I reached goal, confidence went up and I am now in a relationship. The funny thing is, he likes me just how I am and doesn't understand why I want Breast Aug. but is still supportive. Now for your question. I went to Dr. Jayaseelan in Dallas, TX. I was beyond impressed with him and his staff. A year after my band I had to get my gallbladder out and he did that for me also. I would recommend him to ANYONE. In addition he has been in D Magazine's top Dallas Doctors. That may make your family feel a bit better. If you want to talk or have questions you can message me on yahoo or aim at firecallie0782. Good luck!

So my question is...when you get an unfill for awhile and are back to eating 1500 calories or so how do you get it back used to taking in more (but still within normal limits) calories?

I will give it a shot. Thank you for the info!

Hello everyone, I recently got a fill and it seems as if my stomach is swollen or irritated or something. I have no problem getting things down but I am aware of the discomfort in my stomach. How do i fix this? Will it just go away? Do i need to go back to liquids?

Yeah i wouldn't plan on being able to lay down on your stomach with the port and all. 4 days later I would have definatly been able to do an interview. However I find that surgery is quite easy for me. My gallbladder surgery I was shopping the next day. Well that day in a motorized scooter at the grocery store.

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Good luck!

I had to get mine removed after surgery....never had any problems before but I had the weightloss and bam...oh the pain. I want to say that he can remove it at the same time. When I had gallbladder pains it was very obvious "i want to die" pains at the top of my stomach. It came on very fast and went away just as fast though the time in between could sometimes last from 10 min to 5 hours<---was horrible. So good luck and keep us posted.

Went in today and everything is fine. So the loss of restriction and reflux was a coincidence. So that is good news for me!

I really don't. I can have whatever I want...just a much smaller portion. And I hate to say it but should the event arise that I get desperate (like I want pizza but it won't go down) I chew it up and spit it out and am thankful that I have the band to help me. Granted I don't do this even on a monthly basis but it does help.

My doc says to do liquids for 7 days after Fill. Clear liquids 24 hours after fill to help swelling go down. There is a chance that your stomach is swelled and making you too tight, or you could be over filled. I would try to back off for a few days and go on very liquid liquids to see if that helps

Story number one sounds exactly like my story, and yeah a lady at work went out "sick" for about 2 weeks and then got really thin really fast. However, I don't think Kirstie Ally had the band. My mother has managed to loose 60 lbs doing Jenny Craig. She is giving me a run for my money. She'd take the band any day but can't have it done for medical reasons

So after a night of acid reflux (and the fact that i've lost restriction) the doc. unfilled me Friday without a barium swallow. I go in monday for a swallow but I am wondering does an unfill irritate your stomach? I didn't get any eating instruction either? Should I be on a special diet or does it matter since there is not fill in the band?

Well the doc. saw me but couldn't do an barium swallow today so he unfilled me and told me to come back on monday. So what do I do in the mean time?

Sorry Jack, Those are great ideas btw. Thanks! Lately I have had a loss of restriction, I figured I needed a fill until I had one night of pretty bad reflux. That got me concerned. The doctor managed to see me today but could not do a barium swallow because everyone else was gone. So I was unfilled all the way and am waiting till Monday to go do the barium. What I have learned so far is that when i'm stressed (like now) or bored I want to eat. It makes me feel better. Alot better. But now I know I can't eat to feel better. If something is wrong I need to cut my diet so maybe my pouch and band will be ok by Monday. If something is not wrong I still don't need to pig out just because I don't have a band. So I am sitting here figuring out what will make me feel better other than food and am thus far no solutions are coming to mind. :-p. This too will pass I guess and things will be back to normal soon I hope.

off to work now...

I'm about to leave for work and somehow it has slipped my mind. I know clear liquids for 24 hours before a fill but what else? I don't know if i'm getting a fill or if my band slipped but i'm going to go find out today.

I haven't had restriction for awhile, but I figured that was just because I had lost weight and was at goal. Well last night and all day today for no apparent reason I have had seveare acid reflux and the feeling that something is stuck in my throat (which is very different feeling than something being stuck in my pouch). I am terrified I have a slip or dilation. I mean it seems to be that this is a sure sign that something is wrong with my band. Early on the doc. said that my pouch was slighly dialated but he didn't feel the need to do anything about it. Now I know i'm getting ahead of myself but I wonder if it slipped all the way.

I haven't had restriction for awhile, but I figured that was just because I had lost weight and was at goal. Well last night and all day today for no apparent reason I have had seveare acid reflux and the feeling that something is stuck in my throat (which is very different feeling than something being stuck in my pouch). I am terrified I have a slip. I mean it seems to be that this is a sure sign that something is wrong with my band. Early on the doc. said that my pouch was slighly dialated but he didn't feel the need to do anything about it. Now I know i'm getting ahead of myself but I wonder if it slipped all the way.