HeatherO

We all go through this phase. Just hang in their until you start getting fills and keep following the plan. Also make sure that you are getting your proteins in first because they are more filling. Good luck.

How expensive are your fills going to be after a year?

I had the pain between one to four weeks out. It was stabbing occasionally and at its worse felt like a horse kicked me in the neck/shoulder. It wasn't gas, it was an irritated diaphram and gas-x did nothing for it. Tylenol also did nothing for it. I had a hernia repair during surgery, and those who have had it seem to complain about the long term neck/shoulder pain more often. Did you have a hernia repair? Massage helps. Hot baths where you have your shoulder and neck in the Water and your belly with the incisions above water also helped. Unfortunately, everything I did to combat the issue would just take it from stabbing horribly to fairly uncomfortable. Bear with it, it does go away.

I eventually gained several pounds but will update once I get back on track :0(.

That is just crazy. They just don't want to pay for potential complications/issues on their dime. I hope you can find a more reasonable insurance company.

Almost every doctor says you can shower the first couple of weeks. The goal is to keep the incision sites from staying wet very long, so clean them quickly and minimize Water exposure. Baths, pools, hot tubs are never allowed the first couple of weeks. One thing my doctor stressed is that you must use a clean towel or washclothe everytime, if you reuse them you can risk infection. I was also told that papertowels can be used to dry the incision sites. However, my preference was to air dry. I think you should be able to wash your hair just fine.

I used to have to cross my legs when I sneezed or coughed. It has resolved itself completely. I had a minimal problem before . . . and none now.

You should check out the clothing exchange forum on this website. It might help you to find friendly to free prices on clothing you can wear.

jmegirl said it all. :girl_hug: I agree 110%. You need to eat. If you don't get enough Protein and Vitamins in, you are much more likely to be weak, lethargic and suffer from hairloss down the road. The goal is good health more than to be skinny. Plus . . . how can you get your exercise in if you eat too little and have no energy.

Make sure you are getting in your Vitamins and Protein and are eating healthy well-balanced meals. It could also be that your body is still recovering which may make you extra tired. Iron deficiencies could be a possibility, you can always get tested to be sure. Another thing that really helps is exercise. That sounds like a contradiction . . . to be exausted and trying exercise, but it seems to get the blood flowing again and makes you feel more energetic afterwards. It works for me.

I always pb on rice once I hit my sweet spot. It clumps too much. This makes me a little sad because I miss sushi, lol. Oh well . . . that's banded life for ya. My worst day banded still beats my best day heavy hands down. A really rough pb will make me sore and uncomfortable for a couple of days. The most important thing is to not pb again on top of it. It doesn't sound like a slip to me either if you can get things down, but I am not a doctor by any means. However, I have learned the hard way that if you are not feeling comfortable, you need to go back to liquids/mushies until you feel decent again . . . otherwise your stomach irritation can just get worse and lead to more pb's and discomfort, sometimes to the point of needing an unfill to get back on track again.

I have noticed a theme in those who get a "pre-fill" and those who don't. It seems like Realize bands are usually empty and the Allergan/Inamed bands usually have a small fill. The fluid is saline or something similar, never bodily fluids.

I had a bit of a problem for a while as well, but can now do mini burps the majority of the time. They are tiny, no one can hear them and are just in my stomach to my throat. I have to do this after I drink and sometimes after eating. It helps to relieve pressure . . . but I am not sure if there is an anatomical difference that lets some people do this but not others. Gas-X strips that dissolve on your tounge might help if you are uncomfortable . . . and they are band friendly as well.

I have never heard clumping used either but I have heard of stuck, sliming, pb, etc. I guess you learn something new every day :0). I have been through that as well. Unfortunately, you just have to ride it out but it is utter misery when it is going on. I found that chicken and salmon have the ability to make that happen. I have to be very careful with those, but everything else works fine. I sometimes eat meat with a little low fat yogurt and it helps to avoid that. I also alternate bites of meat with veggies or whatever else I am having for dinner so that it doesn't stick together so bad.

dianegoe, I had the same exact issue. I got a little sick on a Sunday night, and got progressively worse every day until I could not get Water down by Thursday and had to go for an emergency unfill. My stomach was swollen from getting sick and it caused a snowball effect because I would go on liquids for a while, try to progress to mushies, get sick and pb, causing more swelling in the stomach . . . and repeated repeatedly. I got 2 cc's taken out on the 29th of August, it was instant immediate relief and afterwards I could eat anything, and I do mean anything. It was like being unbanded. I got 1.5 cc's put back in yesterday and I am at good restriction again. My previous fill went from the end of April to the end of August with absolutely no problems. I was at my sweet spot. It only took getting sick one time to cause this issue. I asked the nurse and she said that it does have the ability to snowball in that if you get really sick, it can keep progressing until you need an unfill within a couple of days. My nurse also said to take Motrin to relieve the inflammation in the stomach if this ever happens again. She said Motrin is OK for use on a very occasional basis and works great to relieve swelling in this specific situation, but you should never use it regularly or for an extended period because it is rough on the stomach. She also said that I might have been able to avoid the unfill if I would have stayed on liquids for a couple of days uninterrupted combined with Motrin. My cycle of trying to get back to normal foods too soon just added extra aggravation to my already swollen stomach. I am sorry you had to go through that in Spain, it was pretty terrible here in Ohio . . . and being abroad in a foreign hospital with people that are unfamiliar must have been very frightening and intimidating. I am going to Turkey for several weeks in mid-October and I am scared to death of having a similar situation so that is why I asked the nurse not to replace my fill level 100%. I hope you feel better very soon.

I guess my next question would be, what are you eating? How much protein and how many calories are you ingesting daily? Are you eating lean protiens first followed by veggies as the primary source of your nutrition? Are you taking in any carbs in the form of crackers, potatoes, etc?

kintime, you look wonderful in your pictures. The change is amazing and very motivating. Thanks for sharing.

It does sound like it has been a strange journey. You are doing absolutely wonderful and have such a great attitude. Not to mention you are getting very close to goal as well. This will all pass quickly and I am happy there is a good solution for you to rectifying the leak.

That is hilarious, if only we could get the subliminal messages more often, lol.

I guess my first question would be, what are you eating? What are your calorie and protein intake levels?

Jachut definitely has a point. I have been really strict about protein intake, yet I have hair loss. I take vitamins daily as well, eat lots of fresh veggies but almost no other carbs unless they are from a natural unprocessed source. I followed all of the rules and still have hair loss so protein can not be the answer in my case. Perhaps it is the very low calories for such an extended period. I am fairly sure that if I did not try to maintain a healthy diet and take my vitamins regularly, that what has been minor hair loss would probably have been major hairloss.

I didnt have additional problems other than my surgery was a little longer than the others and I was a little slower to recover post surgery, however the slow recovery time may have just been me and not the hernia repair, who knows? After surgery, I had severe neck and shoulder pain that last a few weeks. It was more than just gas and was unpleasant . . . but that also passed as well and I am doing great.

I had one as well which was easily fixed with banding.

25 pounds is not a huge loss over two years, specially if you have a higher bmi. I am not sure it would be that much of an issue depending on what your bmi happens to be.

I have read a lot of threads, but I have never once heard of a removal solely due to reflux/hiatal hernia or any combination. A partial unfill usually helps with reflux and most people who have had a hiatal hernia had it repaired during banding.