RestlessMonkey

I can't BELIEVE that, since he lost it, he won't expedite it! GOOD GRIEF! Can you demand a refund and go to another doc? Or have your surgeon lean on him a little?

That's just nonsense. What a maroon.

Call your surgeon. Let him know what you've done and why. He's not your mama, and I don't mean you have to go hat in hand, ashamed. But, he needs to know. You may have a slip, you may have just pulled a stitch and will have one later on, you may be fine. We can't always feel it when our bands are messed up; we don't always feel slips etc.

Let your doc know; and tell him you doubt your ability to stick to a 4 week liquid post op diet, in light of this. Let him help you; he's the pro. Please, do this as soon as he's open tomorrow. You need an intervention of some sort.

I feel for you but may I also suggest some therapy? Life is stressful and it happens (although fortunately not often as scary as your DH's heart attack) and it is important to learn better ways than "food" to deal with it. I know this because it's something I too struggle with. Good luck! Try not to be too depressed; just look at it as a chance to really be ready!

The lap band is not right for everyone. Weight Loss Surgery is not "one supersize fits all". People who graze, snack, eat emotionally and can't get a handle on it, or have a severe sweet tooth may not do as well with the band, and find another surgery like bypass works better.

Similarly bypass, with it's restriction AND malabsorption, is the faster method of loss.

The smart consumer needs to read up on all forms of WLS and pick which, if any, is right for him or her.

And no, tighter doesn't mean faster loss. There is a range or zone where restriction is sufficient for the person to be full on 1/2 to 1 cup of food and stay that way for up to 6 hours or so. Too tight generally means the person turns to foods that go down easily (food getting stuck HURTS, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot) and most "slider" foods are high in fat and/or surgar and don't afford good weight loss.

Attending a seminar should give you some basic information.

I don't douche for the same reason I don't do things like "colon cleanse". Our normal healthy bacteria is there FOR A REASON! We remove it (like taking broad spectrum antibiotics) and we can be in for trouble (the subsequent yeast infections many get after the broad spectrum antibiotics)

Years ago our family doc told me "only use soap if it's dirty" and don't douche. If something's wrong, come see me. Otherwise, what germs are there are there for a reason.

Well you've lost 6 pounds in 7 days. What did you expect? Did he give you a liquid diet and say "do this 7 days and lose 25 pounds"? because unless you are REALLY edemetous there's no way you're losing a large amount in a week.

Did he tell you to lose a specific amount? Did he tell you how long to be on the liquid diet? Did you follow his direction? If you did what he told you to for the length he told you to, then odds are high you'll be fine.

Honestly? It takes a pattern of overeating to stretch the pouch and you may just need a fill. However depending on how MUCH you drink while you eat, if you were well restricted, the liquid might be giving you a problem. I know usually liquid goes on through but if you have food "stopping up" the stoma, the liquid can add bulk quickly to your pouch and you may be stretching it. Have your doc check it out. And see what his take is about drinking and eating.

I know I can't do it; if I try, it hurts. If I suddenly COULD drink while eating I'd be in to get checked out right away.

No it is not true and it doesn't just depend only on the size of the pill. I'm at my sweet spot and I take about 20 pills a day (some prescription, most Vitamins and supplements...and that's a choice. You don't have to take 100 Vitamins a day LOL)

My potassium pills (one of the prescriptions) are HUGE I mean HUGE. I used to have trouble taking them even preband. However they go down fine.

It depends a lot on you...your swallow strength, your esophagus, your pouch, how tight your band needs to be for you to "feel the love", etc.

You'll just have to wait and see. Some docs say only M & M sized, mine just told me "Sure you can take then if they don't get stuck or give you any trouble". So, I take them. :tt1:

Somebody once said "but what if they just sit there in your pouch?" The pouch has no (or severely limited) digestive enzymes, so by now they'd be coming back up because I've done this since I was on mushies post band! :thumbup:

I swear I think my husband must be a freaking saint (and I know he's not! LOL) because while I was preop and post op liquids etc he ate what I ate AT HOME. I didn't care if he ate away from home, but while here, he ate what I did when i did. He wants me to be happy and healthy (we've been married 26 years this year and he's literally been w/me through "thick and thin", or rather "thin and thick" ) If he had refused to help me in this way, we'd be in counseling now.

HOWEVER!! I think it's sucky about your insurance, but good that you're moving ahead. :tt1:

The BAND dilated, or your pouch dilated? Sorry but there's quite a difference, just need clarification.

I didn't answer your post but it's because I didn't see my response up there...

No I didn't cheat on mushies because I cheated preop and didn't get my band the first time out. I learned my lesson. I didn't cheat after that, because I didn't want to. I was hungry. It wasn't "because my doc told me no"...it was because I didn't want to hurt myself, or cause a slip.

I can eat any bread I've encountered. I stood in the kitchen a few months back and ate 2 pieces of white bread...not toasted, no butter, nothing but the bread. I did that to see if I could, actually (not a huge bread fan but I am a fan of variety) and it went down just fine.

So we're all different. I don't eat it much because as I said I'm not a bread fan, I don't much like sandwiches, etc. But bread, and breading, doesn't give me any problems. And I'm at my sweet spot.

AHA! See, I said a reason might be that you were filled during surgery! I am so NOT a professional regarding the lap band but time and again if I read people immediately post op who vomit liquids it's because their surgeon filled them, at least partially, during surgery! AAARRRGH!

Ok that wee rant is over. I am glad you called, and are now feeling better. I can only imagine you must've felt pretty cruddy. Not a happy start to your lap band life, but it should get better now!

Heather, I think you're on to something. If people are sensitive to tighter/looser depending on time of month, and if stress (a different but still potent hormone) tightens people up, then pregnancy and post partum must do a real number on the band. Some aspiring bariatric doc should do a study.

Oh Well you gotta love the screen names anyway

Mine is just my band. It's a tool. I like it, but it's just a tool.

This is what Health Care Reform is all about.BCBS is my insurer also.In fact I have two Health care policies one from my employer and one from my husbands employer.My family has been covered for over 25 yrs but I still have the same hurrdels to jump.I hate haveing them with me when I go to my doctor.I d trust the public option anyday.I finished my 6 months last month but their argument was that it did not happen over 160 days period as opposed to 6 visits with my primary. So they made me wait an additional 3 wks to get their number right.! I was finnally approved today only after one more hoop.My thoughts are they were betting I d drop dead or give up! A fat woman determined go figure,They did'nt get to collect.Hang in theredo what they want and GET WHAT YOU WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! good luck

You do realize that employers, at least so far, have a choice in purchasing insurance for their employees? And that not all major insurers require that 6 month wait? And that if your employer wanted to, it could purchase different coverage that did NOT have that stipulation?

Ok! I hope it is! I'm glad to know I was on the right track with hot liquids but really more glad that you called him to make sure you're ok! :sad: Hang in there; and don't forget adult liquid tylenol (shouldn't upset your stomach) for pain. Once you can take liquids again, that is.

Brent you need to call your surgeon. Most of us do PB at some point, but vomiting this early can cause a slip or other problems. You shouldn't be so restricted that you vomit. I don't mean to be gross, but you are just ingesting fluids; they should go through fine. Too tight people vomit up their saliva, or fluids they try to drink. So I wonder if you are abnormally swollen or, as I said, filled during surgery and now it's too much.

EITHER way; even if now you can drink just fine, call your doc. At the least they'll prescribe something for nausea (were you nauseated?) and can tell you what to take for gas etc. If he's closed, call the after-hours number. Don't let it go on all night; there's no reason to suffer! And he needs to know you vomited. OK? Let me know, if you think of it, and good luck!

Either you're still swollen from the surgery (common) OR your doc filled some during surgery (it's done, IMHO it's mean) or both. I think you're still ok; but if your doc is still open call and tell him/her. If not, just try to sip Water tonight, or depending on what's on your list of approved foods, something warm. (that will help things pass) Did he approve anything like broth, or Decaf coffee, anything warm that you like and can have?

Burping is very normal. Go ahead and drink and burp.

Hydrocodone/vicodin has vomiting as a common side effect; I can't take it for that reason. They make "Adult" liquid tylenol; get and take that. And if your surgeon allows, buy and use some gas x (chewable or strips)...that helps break the gas up. Otherwise, just drink your fluids and burp. If you don't get enough in you'll get dehydrated.

Check with your surgeon before chewing gum (sugarless or otherwise) There can be issues with it (gas from swallowed air, peristalsis from chewing and salivating with the gum, and "stuck" issues depending on your fill level) and some surgeons prefer their patients just stay away from it.

here's a link to a similar post made around 6-7 weeks ago...

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f263/how-did-you-come-up-your-user-name-99393/

For me it's much easier to do "the right thing" (although I do NOT sip my Water, tea etc. I drink. I dont gulp or chug, but I'm not and won't ever be a sipper. What a pain!) but since I hit my sweet spot in May, while I don't have to think about it as much, it isn't automatic all the time yet. I can get distracted (by conversation or whatever) and relapse. It happens less and less frequently though. It's easier than you'd think to get the knack.

Yes some here do have the Realize band and in fact, if you'll scroll on down throught the forums you'll find an area dedicated to "Realize Band Surgery".

Depends on your surgeon, and why s/he wanted/needed you to lose the weight. Many of us aren't given a number, just a preop diet.