Wheetsin

I wasn't hungry for like... since 2 days pre-op.

That's because your esophagus is still pumping. How tight are you? I believe foam is most commonly associated with saliva not being able to pass through the band. The esophagus keeps trying, and churns the saliva into the foam. I was overfilled, and had something stuck, and was yakking up either foam or what looked like egg whites for about 7 hours. A slight unfill brought immediate relief. Anything you put down your throat, when you're tight to the point of yakking up your saliva, is going to have to come up also. When you're to that point of being closed up, eat and drink nothing. What can you do? Pursue a slight unfill would be one suggetion. Stop eating/drinking when you're stuck would be another. Aside from that, you can't do much at all - your body is going to keep at it until such a point as that you're clear (when the stoma has relaxed...ie).

None of the remedies have ever done anything for me other than make it worse. When I PB, I just have to wait until my esophagus is clear. Normally it takes me 2 PBs, rarely 1, rarely more. But I can't say "2 hours" or "15 minutes" because it takes what it takes. Sometimes I PB once and need to again with 5 minutes, sometimes I've gone to bed feeling not quite OK after 1 PB and woken up a few hours later needing to PB. (I can usually tell if more are needed. My "sure sign" that the stoma is clear is that I can take a deep breath without pain in the band area. if I can't take a deep breath, or can't take one without pain, I'm fairly sure there's more to come). The only things I have found to expedite the PB are: 1. Actively spit the slime out vs. just letting it drool out, or trying to spit daintily. I have a strong gag reflex, and often the spitting is enough to get me to wretch. Once I wretch, the PB usually follows soon after. Sometimes I can wretch and nothing happens, so I will spit out what little sime is left. Just the spitting action can do it for me. (Imagine the stares I would get if anyone saw me over the kitchen sink doing my little *cach pooey* *cach pooey* *cach pooey* trying to PB). 2. Take deep breaths and sort of clench my diaphragm down as I exhale. Imagine a therapeutic inhale, and a muscle clench exhale, and you've pretty much got it. I don't know why, but often after a few exhales like this I can get the PB to happen.

Keep in mind that while fluid retention may impact your weight, it does not impact your fat loss. What could be happening is the retained fluid masks any weightloss, and then when the fluid is released, both the fluid weight and fatloss are suddenly represented on the scale.

I err on the direct side, so I would say something like "Mom, you're really irritating me, shut up." As for "the easy way out" - lots of stuff: 1. Ok, for the sake of argument let's say it is "easy." Who cares? Who determined that weightloss had to be earned the HARD way? What, is it weightloss suddenly invalid because you had WLS? As long as you lose weight and gain health, does HOW matter? I've NEVER NEVER NEVER understood this mentality. But I can tell you that 99.99999999% of the time it's made out of jealousy and could probably translate to something like, "I need to lose weight but don't have the balls/money/whatever for WLS." 2. Anyone who has walked a day with the band knows there's nothing easy about it. I would love for someone to follow me as the esopohgeal spasms have me doubled over, groaning out loud, and I have to keep a wad of papertowels to help catch the flood of slime. Look at the behaviors we have to change: how we chew, bite size, swallowing, portion control, etc. We have to be continuously aware of what we're doing and what our bodies are telling us. Changing behaviors IS easy, but someone who isn't changing theirs cannot say that yours are "easy." My mom's first two reactions when I told her I was thinking abotu doing this (she was already familiar with the proceduer and knew people who had it): 1. Oh, so you're not going to just try another diet? To which I replied, "What good have diets ever done?" 2. I'm going to be jealous if you lose a lot of weight. She came around, and is trying to get one herself now.

I would pick the hospital that you get th best vibes from. Peace of mind is worth a lot. I know many people who went the "free fills" route, and dislike the aftercare program so much that they're not wanting to go get their free fills. Not a good bargain, is it? I've never heard of an exercise person through a surgeon's program. I have heard of a psychologist, which you don't mention, but everyone here could benefit from (a good one). Might want to ask about that as well.

I told the dr (a cardiologist in Dallas) that I was hungry and he gave me 4cc's. Cardiologist? Why is a cardiologist doing your fills? Why is he involved at all with the band? The next day I couldn't swallow 1/2 a cup of tea all day total. What size is your band? I called his office after hours and he wouldn't call me back. His after hours told me to call the ER and they told me they couldn't help me. They could hydrate me but couldn't do anything w/ the band. This isn't unusual for hospitals/Ers to say, but anyone on staff with subdermal ports could help, I'd think (e.g. oncology nurses - my granfather's told me she deals with potrs all the time). In 12 hours, I threw up about 50 times. I called the surgeon in the morning and they immediately called me back from the surgery room.Still not understanding why a cardiologist is doing anything to your band, but when you say surgeon, are you referring to the cardiologist, or the person who placed your band? He emptied it completely and was real concerned that the dr didn't call me back after doing this to me. I gained 10 lbs after they removed all the Fluid in 1 week. Yeah, you were probably dehydrated. When you lost fluids, your body wants them back, it doesn't just say "oh well" and move on. The surgeon had told me to come see him for a fill after the swelling goes down and I am hydrated again. I went and they want to charge me 120.00 for a fill. I need a dr that can do this with my ins/co-pay. Who did your band surgery? What do they charge for fills? Was your surgery covered with ins or were you self pay? The surgeon says he is not suppose to do fills so I have no options. Other dr's won't take on other dr's patients. Any suggestions??? HELP.The surgeon as in cardiologist, or guy who placed the band? I've never heard of a laprascopis/bariatrics surgeon who is not supposed to do fills. If they don't do them themselves, then they usually offer a PA or someone who can. Sorry, I'm totally confused with doctor, surgeon, cardiololigst, surgeon, dr... can you clarify who's who, how you were banded, etc?

Unless I'm at home, I drink through a straw. Never had any issues. I'm not going to intentionally contradict anyone's post-op advice, or advise anyone to do anything other than what their surgeon has instructed. I personally drink through a straw all the time, and here are my thoughts. Consuming too much liquid. Unless you're too tight, pouch is already full, etc. liquids go through. There's a difference between "drinking with a straw" and "gulping with a straw". if you're intent to gulp, a straw isn't going to make a difference. If someone is really that concerned about it, all they have to do is use a skinny straw. Consuming too much air. I don't know about you guys, but I usually don't start the suck until the straw is already submerged in liquid, and I don't usually remove the straw from the liquid while I'm still sucking. So from whence cometh the extra air? Are we really "sucking in air", any more than we're "swallowing air" drinking from a glass?

My surgeon places in the upper abdomen mainly because, on larger patients (which I definitely was), it's much easier to feel through a small amount of fat to find the port near the breastbone, than to have to feel through who knows how much fat in the lower abdomen. The outline of my rib cage protrudes, the individual ribs don't unless I'm flat on my back, and my port is nowhere near showing. It's still a good hard poke down in there. I can easily feel it, but not see it.

I think you missed someone wanting some granola bites. Or sumpin.

Blue Diamond I believe it is has raw almonds with a chili lime seasoning. YUM!

It's hard to say for sure, but generally your port incision is your largest incision, as well as your sorest (most sore?) and slowest to heal. My surgeon placed the band and port through the same incision. Looking at your incisions, I'm guessing yours did the same.

I used to use sweetners, and then I thought, "Are the few carbs/calories I'm saving better for me than this teaspoon of chemical?" I'm trying to make the switch back to sugar. I just wish it would dissolve as well.

I'm tired of people who do not take responsibility. I cannot tell you how much this irritates me, and what's worse - it's CONSTANT. Parents for their children, people for themselves and their behaviors, individuals for the consequences they invoke. I hate finger pointers. I hate: ____ made me do it. I had to because of _____. It's not my fault, I can't help it, I have/was/_____. Own your friggin actions and reactions. I didn't make you mad, you reacted to something I said with anger. I didn't make your feelings hurt, you reacted to something I said with some emotional affect. This is everywhere. It's one of our worst plagues, a plague of irresponsibility, apathy and ignorance. We're catering to the lowest common denominator. I'm sick and tired of schools not teaching critical subjects at younger age, or even as mandatory in older ages. Things like personal finance, communication, ethics & diversity, critical thinking... all of the above normally aren't taught under college, and then, they're electives or aligned with major programs. I understand the limitations, but I would really like to see this change. I'd MUCH rather have been able to study finance than geography. I can learn the geography on my own if I need it. The finance - not so much. Lessons learned in geography - I've pointed to the wrong place on a map, or lost a game of Trivia pursuit. Lessons learned in personal finance - I'm up to my eyeballs in credit debt, had to declare bankruptcy, or don't know what 401k is. I'm tired of people who think they're owed something. Again, something that applies all over the place. Be glad you have what you do, and you're ebing given what you're already being given. Want more? Go work for it. Want more than that? Find a way to work more. Quit looking for ways to make it my responsibility to hand it to you. I'm tired of kick ass interior designers because I'm jealous of them, see their gorgeous pics, realize I don't like something about my house, and then spend $$$ to get equally mediocre results. I'm tired of young kids acting like, looking like, and being whores. This is a gender neutral statement. When I was 12 I wasn't worried about whether or not I gave good head. I was worried about making the all-star team. I feel a sick sort of pity for these people. Someone or something has influences their behavior, and as a society we're unequipped and uneducated about what we can to do help. And our culture is rewarding and inciting this behavior. Hmm, I wonder why it doesn't change... I'm tired of people who still write checks or, more specifically, wait until their entire cart is rung up befire beginning to manually write the check out. There are only two places that need to wait. C'mon, you can do it, go ahead and write the store's name... there you go! I hate that people who intentionally work high-risk, dangerous jobs are "heroes" for doing exactly what they're paid to do, when they're paid to do it. These are employees, not heroes. They agree by having the job that X risk is acceptable in exchange for X reward (intrinsic, extrinsic). If you're a cop, you kind of have to know that you have a chance of being shot at. If you're a firefighter, you might get burned. If you're a lion tamer, you might get bitten. You can't be surprised/in shock/disbelief if these things happen, and you're not a hero for going through it. I'm so sick and tired of people who actually think that not forwarding me the email with the puppy pics and rainbows will cause them 10 years of bad luck, or that they're really going to miss out on the free $20 Applebee's gift certificate. I hate tramp stamps. I hate that everything is a lawsuit. I hate infomercials about starving children. I mean - if you feel for them that much, teach them how to shoo a fly while you're there filming. I hate people who only show up in discussions or debates long enough to take a jab and run away. I see this much more on the internet than in real life. I attribute that to anyonymity. If you poke your head in the door, I still know who you are. If you post "I think this, now I'm done with this thread, bye!" - not so much. If you want to share your opinion, have the cajones to really represent them. If you can't back up your words, then at the very least say that to begin with. I should stop now, cause no one wants a novella.

I am a steak and chicken person as of now (not banded). I have a fear that I will never eat steak or chicken due to the band. I am also a big pizza person, but I know that has to change. I've removed red meat from my diet, but I can eat steak. I often eat chicken. I eat pizza when I want it. My question to you all is....After you switch to the solid food stage, are you able to eat some what normal, or can you not tolerate certain foods. Some people find there are things they can't tolerate. Some find that as long as they're chewing, monitoring bites, and swallowing bandster style, they can eat anything. (this is me) Some state that they can NEVER have meat or chicken...or both. some say fish (tuna, sushi) they can't eat. I would just eat the raw fish and no rice...or very little rice if possible. It's completely individual, and often seems to change. E.g. I know a LOT of people who could eat chiken in the beginning, but can't get it down now. I guess I am just normal having a concern as to the diet...way of life that will happen once I am banned. I don't want to be that, "special" diet man the rest of my life. I would guess that more bandsters than not find that they eat regular, well-balanced meals - just small ones. Which is a heckuva good approach, IMO. I would like to eat normal foods with limitation. Have a drink or three (lol) after dinner (a half our that is) The band does nothing to prevent drinking, unless you're clogged. That's one of the nice things about it, vs. some other WLS options (not that you can still drink, but that in and of itself, it doesn't exclude anything). You know what I mean...it is a concern of mine, but I am sure you have more experience than me....I am not banned yet. Just behave and we won't ban you. j/k - banned, banded, har har. It's completely individual. I had dinner with 4 other bandsters, and we all ordered something different based on 1) what we CARED to tolerate, and 2) what we COULD tolerate. Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

I don't think anyone is intentionally lying to you, you've probably just run into a miscommunication or misunderstanding (It has happened before that reps indicate somethign is covered when it's not. It is not a malicious lie, it's just confusion, usually). If you're getting different answers from different people, review your SPD for exclusions. If you don't see it listed, have your HR rep contact the insurance company to help them get it straightened out.

Posted earlier, lazy & don't want to retype:

There are a few comfort factors to keep in mind when you read the board. Messageboards more and more are migrating away from information and into support. Many of the people who come here are looking for help. Most people looking for help have some kind of a problem they're dealing with. E.g. the sampling of issues here is greatly magnified over the sampling of issues across the banded population. Band problems cause a sort of small scale mass hysteria, especially among researchers and newly banded folks. The posts about complications tend to be more dramatic in and of themselves (the way they're posted, the visual panic, etc.), but also bring a lot more traffic (hysteria). A thread about "OH SWEET GUMBY MY BAND HAS SLIPPED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" is, by nature, going to bring a lot more hits (and therefore a lot more visibility) than "5 yrs, no problems yet" will. More hits = you're more likely to see it.

:clap2: I once had a semi driver jack-knife his truck across the road to block me, climb out of his cab, and come at me with a crowbar. He was literally feet from my car when some construction workers tackled him to the ground. It took 8 men to hold him down, and he drew blood on at least 2 of them. Wishing I had a gun never came to mind. But I'm $^%&*#$ lucky he didn't have one. :biggrin1:

Just to the right of center abdomen, 2 or 3 inches down from my bra band. Or, just a bit down and to the right of the band. I can't see them from where I am now, so I'm not sure which picture to point you to, but in this post you can see the location of my port (this was right after a fill, so you can see where the needle was inserted) in relation to the band. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/211518-post151.html

There's no way to answer that. I wish we could. Everyone can eat different things, and in different amounts. For most people who fit the profile of a good candidate, the band will work. For some it won't.

Faith, do you want some clothes? Most of mine are packed away in storage, or I've sent them out to other bandsters, but I still have 3 or 4 bags of them at home that haven't made it to storage yet. I'd be happy to get rid of them. PM me with your size/style and I'll see what I have, if you're interested.

Aye, your surgeon should not fill you. If he tries to, decline or you're probably going to be too tight. Trust me, you don't want to be there, it's not fun, and it's not good for you. I too was able to get restriction from the band itself, without fill. I went for my first fill appt, and was told no. I came back a month later and got .5 cc. That was around 10 - 12 weeks out. It was several more weeks before I got my second fill of .5 cc. After that, the body changes were enough that I could move up to 1 cc at a time.

Erosion isn't the band itself eroding, the band keeps its integrity. Erosion refers to the organ being eroded into. Think of a tight string tied around a hot dog. Over time you may find that the string has actually cut into the hot dog. This will give you ap icture of what erosion refers to (loosely, I'm not saying that's the exact process of what happens).

The topic is a little outside the scope of LBT for its own forum, but here are some tips that I've learned: If you can commit to paying it off every month, get a Discover card. Charge everything you would have to buy anyway - groceries, gas, clothing, etc. If you're on a budget, the money for those items will be set aside anyway, and now you're getting the cash back bonus. We did this during a year we knew we would have some very large purchases. We had the cash, but used the card, then promptly paid it off. At the end of the year we got a LOT of money back, "free." But don't do this if you can't or won't pay the full balance every month. The minute you start accruing interest or late charges, it's no longer "free." Consolidate down your phones. We had a standard land line, plus ell phone, plus long distance carrier. Total for this was about $85 (land line) + $100 average long distance per month + $80 (unlimited mins cell phone plan) = $265. We fired the long distance provider, cancelled our regular land line service and added digital phone to our digital package, which costs about $40/month and has free local long distance and VERY cheap international rates. Then cut the cell phone to a rollover plan @ $43. So we went from $265 to about $85. That's like -- two new pairs of shoes EVERY month! :whoo: I have a hard time saving money. The money is there, but if I have it, I will spend it. So I have about 50 - 60% of my salary automatically deposited into a liquid savings account. Since I never "see" the money (e.g. it doesn't hit my checking account), I don't miss it, and every few months when I check the account balance, WOW, it's amazing how fast it adds up. The amount you can save doesn't matter, it's the process -- kick it over automatically so you never have it, in a manner of speaking. When we hit a certain amount, I will rol it over into one of my retirement plans. If we need something expensive (major purchases, vacations, etc.) this is where the money comes from. I pretty much quit carrying cash, minus $20 or so in case I want a drink, need to pay a toll, etc. If I have cash I spend it, and have a hard time accounting for where it went. People tend to focus on large savings accounts, even when they have credit debt. What good does 10k sitting there at maybe .25% do you, when you have 5k in credit debt at 25%? Pay that sucker off.