2muchfun

If this is all about convincing your spouse you're ready for a fill, you're going to have to change your current eating habits so you get stuck less often. Even those of us who do eat slow, chew a lot and take small bites have an occasional stuck episode. It's just a part of being banded. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule but if you want his support, give him a reason to support your decision? Eat like a Bandster.

I'm afraid you're not going to like my comments but I eat what I ate before the surgery. I follow the rules, take small bites, chew my food to a Soup like consistency and eat as slow as I can. I eat sandwiches, eggs, chicken, fish, beef, Beans, rice, all veggies. If you follow the band eating rules, you should be able to lead a fairly normal diet. The foods you're eating are foods you shouldn't have been eating now or before you were banded. Grits, fresh or processed mashed potatoes, processed cereals, milk and cheese can be consumed but in much smaller quantities than you indicate. Just from a nutritional standpoint these foods hold very little nutritional value and can spike your insulin levels which soon makes you even more hungry. Soups are OK in small quantities but then again, they don't provide the satiety that solid foods provide. What you're eating is what we call "Slider Foods". They slide right through the band and won't give you the satisfaction that solid foods give unless you eat so much that your lower stomach fills to capacity. You won't be successful eating like that. Here is a series of videos from a well known bariatric surgeon that explain how the band works and why it works. It seems like you weren't informed on how this all works? I'm just saying all this so you will be successful. I don't know of anyone who ate slider foods from the start and lost a significant amount of weight? I highly recommend you watch these videos and I also recommend you have a consult with your nutritionist/dietician? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa3Lwt6ElIs&list=UL Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jYJipQ7vc part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbdhf44ZweI&feature=relmfu Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3TCKUn3YI Part 4

It seems as if every band failure is different. Sounds like you're heading to a removal? I don't really understand this first paragraph? There's no connection with the band and the port(except a long tube) so I don't quite understand the puncture? Hope there's no erosion. I'm not too big on chiropractors. They'll say about anything to get a patient to sign up for a series of visits. But you know your own body so the inflammation must be real? Could be a reaction to the band or some other problem. Get a real MD's opinion. Good luck, it seems like getting straight answers from doctors these days can be so difficult with the status of the healthcare situation? tmf

Oops, search reflux in "forums".

I've never had reflux so I'm in the dark with your health issues. Try searching on this site for reflux. I'd start with the search engine and search in the topics area. They don't have to be banded I'd think? Find some recent threads and maybe some folks who recently posted. Many people stop following this site when their lives improve? Search reflux at top of page in "this topic"

My daughter has Crohns disease and it took a frickin year before doctors took her seriously. Even now that she's been diagnosed it seems like the docs just brush her off as a hypochondriac. She really has to fight to be taken seriously. Make your wishes and beliefs known and don't let these docs push you around. jmo

What kind of emotions? One of mine was the fear of losing my favorite food comfort blankets. Turns out I can still eat those foods but in much smaller quantities. I'm OK with that. It's surprising how much we're willing to give up to look and feel healthier. One of my favorite quotes from this site came from Pink Dahlia: "I'm so stinkin' thrilled with my weight loss i dont even care about what i cant eat!"

Why not start the process again? There's also a group of folks who had 100+ lbs to lose called banded #7. Look it up in the forums area?

If you're on a PC there's a search engine for surgeons at the top of this page. Enter your zip or state and city to find others who have had or are having surgery near you. How did the surgery go? You should be home by now?

You probably already know this but continue eating like a Bandster and consume your protein first and make sure you stay away from processed foods. jmo

9 days to go!

You have to assume that since no one has responded your situation isn't normal? A gastroenterologist should be of some help. A bariatric surgeon with many band placements under his/her belt might have some experience? But, the gastroenterologist would have more exposure to reflux, much more exposure and experience? tmf

There's a support group headed by one of the members here. Her name is gowalking . I think she went to the same surgeon's office as you did? Anyway, this is a 100 lbs+ group and you're close enough? Visit it here http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/349818-banders-7/ . gowalking heads up a support group I believe in your neck of the wood/skyscrapers? Give it a look? tmf

Fills usually are at the option of every doctor and no two doctors are alike. I'd say most docs start fills around the 4-6 week mark. Most docs fill 1-2 CCs the first time. Then, it's incremental after that. But, you should ask your own surgeon what his/her protocol is for fills. I've read of some odd protocols on this forum. There are basically two sizes of bands. 10 and 14 CC bands. Some people never need a fill and feel satisfied with less food by just have an unfilled band around their stomach. Others go all the way to 14 CCs but that is rare. The green zone is the time you get that one fill that gives you satiety with less food and keeps you satisfied for up to 4 hours. Here's a series of videos from a famous bariatric doctor from Australia. Your doctor may have different views and protocols than this doctor but O'Brien covers most all questions you might have? Obey your own doctor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa3Lwt6ElIs&list=UL Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jYJipQ7vc part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbdhf44ZweI&feature=relmfu Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3TCKUn3YI Part 4

Fortunately I've never thrown up since being banded. I dread the day it happens. Think about it? Your lower stomach convulses and attempts to eject everything in your stomach but it has to launch it through a straw(your stoma). Extreme heaving is one of the main reasons bands slip. Be very careful for a few days? I would think there's a lot of swelling going on right around the band area which will only add to the whatever restriction you already have? I'd stick to shakes, creamy Soups, soups with very soft veggies. Maybe even break the rules a little and sip some Water with your meals until the swelling dissipates. Don't let anything get stuck in your pouch. tmf

That's up to you and your doctor. They should have given you some kind of booklet/pamphlet during your nutrition classes? Every doctor is different. It can be different for each patient too. Depends on how heavy you are, what kind of food triggers you are susceptible to and so on? The surgeon may give you or your chauffeur a diet to follow when they discharge you? Good luck, see you on the other side.

cyndiannbrown This may sound odd but eggs seem to be one of those foods that cause the most problems for many of us. I've never figured it out and I'm a big egg eater. Most of my diets were Atkins/low/no carb diets so eggs were always a comfort food. I still eat them, but I chew as much as I can. Most band patients cross-over to soft foods quite easily. The stoma is usually wide open unless you have one of those doctors that fills at surgery? For most of you, the band is not filled and you may never feel a wealth of satiety till you start having fills. I know for me, I did eat less after surgery but it was 3 months before I ever really felt like my band was doing anything. You'll hear this phrase often, "till there's restriction, it's just another diet". That means be prepared to watch those cravings and keep getting fills till you reach the green zone? Hopefully you're one of the lucky ones and never need a fill or maybe the band is tight enough as it is. Welcome to bandland.

NYLux12 I stalled two weeks out from surgery and didn't restart losing till I was about 4 months out. My visit with my nut did it for me. Good idea to visit with your nut.

The 3 week stall is different than stalls that come along months after surgery. Here's why: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html#.UqP7uBLn-Uk

One more thing, I gained 35 lbs from April 2015 to January 1st 2016. I know why. I was eating too much food, I had 1 CC removed from my band because it was too tight. I ate Cookies, candy, chips, crackers and generally too much food. I went in the first week of January and had him put .5 CC back in. I'm back in the green zone again and losing weight. Our bands must be adjusted/tweaked perfectly so that we feel satisfied with less food or this is just another diet we fail at. tmf

I have to point out the obvious. If you eat too many calories, you gain weight. Fills and the band are only tools to help you curb how much you eat. Fills are intended to slow the flow of food into your lower stomach by making the hole(stoma) smaller with each fill. Because it takes so much time to eat, the pulses(peristalsis) or massaging of food through the band gives you a feeling of satiety and you stop eating when you are no longer hungry. It took me 3 fills before I started to feel restriction. This forced me to eat smaller bites much slower and chew much more. It took 6 fills(6 months) total to reach the green zone. You don't say how long ago you were banded? Do you feel any restriction or satiety? What kind of food are you eating to gain nearly a lb a day? Slips usually do not cause you to eat more. Typically they cause you to eat less. If your pouch is dilated you might be able to eat more but not 30 lbs more?

Yay! I know how you feel and it's great aint it? tmf

We look forward to hearing of your journey? Don't be surprised if you feel nothing in the way of satiety this first month. There's lots that they don't tell you before you have surgery. tmf

MCD's double cheeseburger was my go to pacifier. I still have one every 2-3 months. I think I'll leave the Kale for you

Wow, your anniversaries will be 4 years apart First one will be in 2020?