guile

yeah but when you consider you really don't have alot of restriction when it comes to fluids it pretty much passes right through. I would be concerned about stretching the pouch if the Fluid stayed in it for a while but it doesn't.

One question I have is if the smoothie is pretty much liquid and melts in your mouth can you drink a 20 or 32 oz smoothie in 20-30 minutes?

I'm at 2.4 on a 4cc band and I have to be careful with chicken. If it's too dry I'll be in misery for a while. Pretty much like Jack.

when did you "over do it" and did you PB? The few times I have eaten too fast or didn't chew good enough I PB'd and didn't feel too good for a day. Everytime I have PB'd I've gone back to liquids and mushies ( smoothie King rocks). Drink some Water and see if it stays down. If it does you're probably alright. If you can't keep fluids down I'd contact your doc.

Open Source Application Developer. Program in PHP, HTML, Python and mySQL. Also a web admin for web servers running Apache and MS IIS 6.0.

I have 3 cc's in a 4 cc band. Not sure yet if I need more fill, but doc says it can really hold 5 cc's.

What kind of experiences did you have with Dr. Maese? I got my first fill from him and didn't have any problems. My wife's port had flipped and our surgeon didn't put much effort into trying to correct it. He wanted to do a "minor" procedure ($11,000) to flip it, Dr. Maese did it with a small needle and did a fill for her all in about a minute. My experience with hm so far has been really good.

Well it is small and microscopic...but it's bacteria. It's good stuff, just spread it very thin. I made the mistake of putting it on like Peanut Butter and I swear I was trying to wipe my tongue for hours.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1. methotrexate can cause stomach discomfort

2. methotrexate can cause hairloss. Make sure you get enough Protein because if you don't that can cause hairloss as well

All of my meds are not extended release types so I chew them and wash em down with some propel.

Guile, How are you feeling today? Been thinking about you!

~cheri

Cheri,

Doing alot better. Last night it took me 45 minutes to eat 1.5 oz tuna Steak, 1/2 cup of mixed veggies and a String cheese. I felt full and was unable to finish the cheese. I'm using one of my 4 yo daughters forks. Talk about a small fork! The peas kept rolling off of it. In between meals I'm doing a Protein bar or shake. I definitely have a much better attitude now. Thanks for all of the replies, I appreciate the support!

Guile,

I just noticed you had your first fill less than a week ago, could this be part of the problem? Did you transition to a lighter load of food, or habits since then? I know my doc (who I do think is a little strict, but I digress) had me do liquids for a whole week after my first fill, which was a few weeks ago. That, though tough, really helped me to transition back into "trying" things, like I did after the liquid and mush phase post-surgery. I think, in my limited knowledge, it sounds like you're adjusting to your fill and that (from my research and a bit of personal experience) can take a little bit to figure out. I hope you are feeling better!

Dr. Maese had me do liquid for 2 days then I was back to solids. I was told to avoid dryer meats.

One thing I noticed in your post is that you have a salad at lunch. Do you put much Protein in that salad? Protein helps you to feel full for longer. Chuck in an egg or even have a protein shake instead and have a salad between lunch and dinner...That might help to stop the hunger too. You shouldn't really feel hungry, but I know I suffered from head hunger for awhile.

My salad is usually romaine lettuce, chicken breast (chopped), cheese and a hard biled egg that is sliced.

I just drank 6 ounces of Soy milk and so far so good. I'm just gonna have to eat small every 2 hours and go back to more Protein shakes.I'm terrified that I'm going to damage the band and then I'll be in a bad situation.

I was banded on 12/01/05 and have been losing weight at a pretty decent rate. My problem is I have been having a really hard time "learning" how to eat. Tonight I ate way too fast and ended up wretching cause I'm sure I had a blockage. I've had 3 PBs previously and they were like a baby spitting up, open mouth and material shot up. Tonight was my 4th and it was hell. Constant feeling of needing to burp, crushing pain in my chest and the inevitable wretching. I wretched 4-5 times and now I'm terrified I'm causing damage to my band. Doesn't help that I have been sick for a week so I've been draining down my throat but I know that dinner seems to be a meal that I eat quickly and have problems with. Today I had oatmeal for Breakfast, a Protein Bar around 10:00am, a small salad for lunch and I did fine until dinner then I inhaled it like I hadn't eaten in days. Within 15 minutes I was in my own personal hell. That triggered a panic episode that just compounded the situation. I'm at the point where i'm afraid to eat any real meal. Breakfast and lunch is always small and the large meal is problematic. I know if I keep doing this to myself I'm going to have complications. I don't know what to do now other then eating small meals and deal with the hunger. Rather be hungry then PB.

I have psoriatic arthritis so I live with pain quite often. I get Ultracet for pain. My GP and surgeon agree it's a good choice because it doesn't affect the stomach and it isn't as addictive as the Opioid Narcotics.

I'm on Effexor XR (time release). I just got banded in Mex and one of the other patients was a pharmacist. He said once I get restricted and can't take 'em whole anymore to open it up and sprinkle it on some applesauce or the like. It should do fine. I hope so cuz it's still working for me.

I would consult a Pharmacist in the states. Effexor XR is meant to be released slowly. If you open the capsule and take it like you described if your dose is high enough you can suffer from Serotonin Syndrome. I'd be careful.

I was banded on Dec 1st so I've just started on solids. The last 2 evenings I have had intense pain in my chest and had a sensation like I had to burp. I knew something was going to come up so I went to the restroom and after a couple of "burps" stuff came up. Some of it was like slimey and some of it was food. I think it happened because I ate too fast and didn't chew enough. What scares me is the possibility of causing slippage from the PBs.

I was banded on 12/01. I just started solids and I'm still adjusting to chewing a million times before I swallow. Tonight I ate a small wrap and ate too fast. I had pain and the sensation to burp. Eventually I had it come up like slime a couple of times and I feel fine now Other then worrying about possible damage I may have caused.

My wife went in for her first fill today and was told that her port flipped. Dr. Cribbins was unable to get to it so he said he will have to do a incision to turn it over. Anyone have this happen to them? I'm afraid to see what this will cost.

I am 4 weeks post op and am absolutely tired of the shakes and mushies. I've seen different docs have people start solids as early as 3 weeks.I'm ready for solids. When did ya'll start solids?

Panic Disorder w/ Agoraphobia

150mg of effexor==> been on it for about 6 months

2 mg of clonazepam==>been on it for 7 years

I'm from Greenleaf, Idaho but currently live in Wylie, Texas. I was banded December 1st, what a Christmas present!

So does everyone experience the shoulder pain? And am I understanding this right the pain in the shoulder is caused by gas?????? Doesnt sound right, I would assume the gas pains would be in the belly??

The reason you get the shoulder pain from the gas is because your diphram and shoulder share the same nerve pathway. Your brain doesn't know how to interpret the discomfort on your diphram so it registers it at your shoulder.

I was banded December 1st and am currently on strained creamy Soups, Jello, sf pudding, oatmeal etc.. On Saturday (Dec. 10th) I went to a Christmas party with my wife and cheated real bad. I ate 3 crackers, 3 small cubes of cheese and a very small meatball. Since I did that I have had very loose bowels and the left shoulder pain has come back. My question is, is it the food I ate causing it or is it the liquid diet? I hope I didn't do any damage in my moment of stupidity. I'm definitely not going to try to rationalize what I did.I never would have thought that I would feel both embarrased and disappointed for eating something so small.