michmouse

Hi all, I am 3 years post band and have kept off 70 lbs., although I should lose approx. another 70! Anyway, I have a question. After banding it was hard to burp, and if I did, it was a real small kind of burp, not like before. Now, I am having issues with belching. It is becoming more and more frequent and especially when I lie on my left (stomach) side. I have not had this happen before and I am wondering if maybe something is wrong. Has anyone had this same problem?

Does anyone have any suggestions that could help me get back on track? I was banded Feb. 06 and to date have lost 80 lbs. But havent lost a thing since Thanksgiving. I have about 8cc in a 10 cc band, and for a while there, it was so tight that I had a problem eating any kind of meat, and would throw up. I didnt want to get an unfill, so I just didnt eat that much, and especially not meat. Now it seems that I can eat anything again, and too much of it! I have heard that if you are too tight for a long period of time, thats when you can have problems with erosion, or slipping, so I am not sure about another fill. Instead, does anyone have any ideas on how I can jump start my weight loss? Any food ideas would be helpful too since the Protein thing can get very boring. Also, does anyone track how many calories/carbs they eat, and what are the correct amounts. I always hear different things. ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!!! :help:

I lost 18 lbs the first week, and have continually lost, even if it was a small amount. I just had my 3rd fill, 8 total in a 10cc band, and as of today, total lost since Feb. 6, 2006= 63 pounds. :clap2:

I suffered from reflux before banding, and it seemed to disappear afterwards. Then, out of nowhere after my 3rd fill (7 cc total in 10 cc band) WHAM! It was the worse I have ever had. The only thing that works for me is the maximum strenth Pepcid. I am now 99% better, and I drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day. I usually take one if I am eating trigger foods, like tomato based dishes, excess coffee, spicy foods. I have not had a problem since. Hope this gets better for you!

I don't know if I am doing something wrong or not. I have a 10 cc band with 5.5 in it. I was banded Feb. 6, 06, and have lost about 34 lbs. With this last fill, the only problem I have is that if I don't chew well enough, or take small bites, it kind of hurts going down. But once I get passed that, I still can eat too much. I've been told that with the lap band tool you shouldn't have to really be "dieting" that with proper restriction you should be full. Does anyone have any suggestions for jumpstarting the weight loss? Should I have more of a fill? Any questions or comments would be greatly appreciated!!! :help: Also, does anyone reccommend eating lean cuisines, or just small portions of whatever the rest of the family is eating?

Katdancer, Fills are done with a needle, a very large one although you only really feel it when it first goes in your skin, and then I can't feel much after that. I was told to expect up to 8 fills in the first year, trying to get the proper restriction. My port is on the lower left of my stomach. You lie on a table and have to do a "crunch" during your fills. As far as recovery, the first week was hard for me, very sore, and I opted to stay home 6 weeks just to give myself extra time. I have heard of people staying home only a week or two. The gastric is definately a quicker form of weight loss, and with the band you have to pick the right foods and proper portions. I too was considering it, but am happy with the choice I made. Good luck with whatever you choose. I am almost 4 months out and have lost 41 pounds. :grouphug:

Geegee A fluoro fill is when it's done under an "xray". My doc had me lie on a table and they have the machine above you. He can see what's going on in there, and he does the fill that way. It is much easier and he can get a better idea of how much of a fill to give you. I wish all my fills could be done that way! :confused:

I too have scar tissue below the incision where my port is on the left side, just below my waistline. My doctor always tells me "wow, lots of scar tissue:. He said it will go away eventually, but my husband has scar tissue from a surgery over 25 years ago, so who knows.

First, the port doesn't actually stick out of your body. It is under the skin. As far as choking, I 've never felt that, it's more like after you swallow and it feels like a golf ball, but not in my throat, down lower. It is a very personal decision, but so far it has been worth it for me. I am down 35 lbs at 3 months. I have learned that I have to eat a lot slower, and chew VERY well. I just had my 3rd fill and if I don't I have that golf ball pain. I am pleased so far, but again like I said, it is a personal decision. Do your homework and research to see which procedure best suits your life. Good luck!

I have a question. I am worried that I may have stretched my pouch. How do you know if you did? I am 3 months post op, down 30 pounds, 2 fills totalling 4 cc's in a 10 cc band. The problem is that I don't really seem to get the full sensation. I have restriction as far as sometimes it hurts if I swallow and don't chew well, but I can eat way more than I should, and I have on occasion. Am I just not at proper restriction yet, or by eating too much have I stretched my stomach? Any thoughts on this? Any suggestions? Thanks! :help:

My surgery also took about 40 min. It was done in the hospital, I was under general anesthesia, so yes, completely knocked out. As with the last post, you spend a few hours in recovery to wake up, drink something and walk, then usually are released. You just have to have your oxygen level above 90 (is what I was told) The fills are not really painful. I use the word uncomfortable. The only part that hurt me a tiny bit was when the needle initially goes in, then just some pressure with them trying to find the port. The hardest part for me is if I need to be in a crunch position, or lift my legs. All in all, no big deal. Good luck! :confused:

I also felt like I could eat way too much after my 1st fill (2cc) in a 10cc band. I am 10 weeks post op and have lost 33 lbs. I must say I feel like a lot of that has been by me controlling what I am eating. If I allowed myself I could eat a lot more. I try to choose low carb, low calorie, high Protein foods. A typical Breakfast for me is a 2.5 oz Protein Bar, 2 cups of coffee, lunch tuna or chicken salad, 3 or 4 crackers, dinner chicken, or beef, maybe up to 6 oz, sometimes with a vegetable. If I snack it is either low carb yogurt, or cheese, sometimes pretzels if I need crunchy, salty stuff. After my second fill of 2 more cc's, I am more satisfied with less food, and need to chew really well. Chicken and beef can be hard to get down. I still could eat way too much though, so am looking forward to next fill in 2 weeks and hopefully more restriction. Drinking Water definately helps and I don't drink for an hour after a meal. Just try to be smart about your choices until the fills kick in. :clap2:

My first fill was 2cc. The only difference I felt was I had to chew my food better or it felt a little weird going down. My second fill was last week (2 weeks after the first), another 2 cc. I am not as hungry now as I was, and I have to be careful chewing because if not, it really hurts. Sometimes this causes me to lose my appetite, but I guess that's not such a bad thing! LOL! I didn't have any pain with the fills, just a pinch when the needle goes in. The hardest part is trying to stay in a "crunch" position, either with my shoulders off the table, or by raising my legs. That's hard to do! Other than that I felt no pain. Good luck!!! :nervous

Hi Luci, I am not sure how it will be exactly for you, but here is what I experienced. I did not have any terrible pain while in the hospital (stayed there about 9 hours after the procedure), and the pain I had at home was pretty manageable with the meds I was given by my doc. I however had a real hard time bending to sit down, and worse trying to get back up. My husband had to pull me off of the couch, and also ease me down into bed at night. When I would walk, I would have to literally hold the lower part of my stomach. For some reason it felt like my insides would fall out, like something was hanging down. I also had pretty bad left shoulder pain, as this was from the gas they use during the operation, although it helped to walk. I can't say I had bad pain, just EXTREMELY sore for the first few days. I have read several posts from people who seem to have had a much easier time than me though, so I guess you never know. If you have anyone who could help you with the little guys for a couple of days incase you need it, I would say welcome it. You never know! Hope this helps, and good luck with your procedure! :clap2:

I had almost exactly the same problems as you. The smell and taste of Isopure almost made me throw up! The first 3 or 4 days I didn't get anywhere close to my minimum protein requirements. My doc said to concentrate on hydration first, protein second, so I did. I mostly drank water or diluted juice, (I had a water bottle with me all day)and my husband would bring me 1 oz shots of protein every hour. After a couple of days I could drink 4 oz at a time of the protein, and eventually 8 oz. In the beginning I would mix the protein powder with either carnation instant breakfast, or slim fast. This helped me with the taste part. Now I actually like my protein ( I mix it with carb countdown milk) It just takes a while, but soon you will be able to get it all in. The other thing, I had thrush in my mouth. I had a horrible taste and a milky white coating on my tongue, not to mention the bad breath! My doc called me in a prescription for Nystatin, and it went away in about a week. It made everything taste gross though! You might keep that in mind. Good Luck! :clap2:

My advice is to do your homework. I was going to have the bypass, but instead went with the band. Also, it's not entirely correct that the bypass is reversible. I was advised that it is much more dangerous if they go back to try to reverse it. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Archermom, The hospital did an EKG, blood draw, vitals, and asked me a ton of questions relating to my medical history. Dr. Snyder just talked to me, looked at my stomach and that was it. Short and sweet. I spent about 30 min at the hospital and about the same at Dr. Snyders. They did make me do a little test on the lap band. Mostly multiple choice. He goes over it with you during the appt. Good Luck! :clap2:

Here's wishing you all the best on your surgery, recovery and wonderful weight loss! You are in good hands and I am sure everything will be great! Keep in touch with your progress! :biggrin1:

I also used Dr. Snyder in Denver. He is wonderful! Check out his website: www.denverbariatrics.com I was banded on Feb. 6 and am down 23 pounds. He is also very experienced and the staff are great!

Just to be safe, I would get a sleep study done. I too have sleep apnea, and use a cpap. My husband loves it! It took a little getting used to, but I feel so much better when I wake up. Before it I actually stopped breathing over 180 times during my sleep study. If you have apnea, it also puts a strain on your heart, which can result in heart disease. My cpap is extremely quiet, and the only time it sounds like Darth Vader is if you open your mouth. Take care! :notagree

Hi, I was banded on 2/6/06 by Dr. Michael Snyder in Denver, CO. He is awesome! I have lost 23 pounds in 23 days. I too was a self pay, the total he charges for lap band is 12,700. If you would like to research it, the website is www.denverbariatrics.com. You do have to attend his seminar, and for out of town patients, they set your 1st appt. around the same time as the seminar so you don't have to come back again. Check it out, he is wonderful, and not too far from Utah! Good luck!