2muchfun

Your esophagus enlarges and you can lose your peristaltic functions. food lingers here too long and doesn't pass through the lower esophageal sphincter into your stomach. If it's not serious, loosening the band can allow it to recover but sometimes it never does meaning you'll be on liquids for life.

Hasn't happened to me but it's good you're not taking any chances? Other than just gas, it could be a slip or dilation? Are you experiencing any acid reflux or nighttime coughing, hypersensitive to some foods? tmf

It is what it is. You can look elsewhere for cheaper fills and aftercare.

Fills can bring on discomfort due to the extra squeeze on your stomach and can last as long as 2 weeks but usually the inflammation goes down within a few days. If you're gulping food and drink now is the time to end that habit.

Insurance companies don't charge anything, they reimburse or pay on your behalf. Do you mean your co-pay is $150? I've seen where many docs charge up to $250 for a fill. I can understand if it's done under fluoroscopy but if it's just in the office it should be closer to $50. How much is your doctor charging? It doesn't hurt to ask your doctor if he accepts assignment?

Try to prepare enough food so that you can have leftovers a few times during the week or a meal or two hubby can manage himself? Take that time and walk for 30-60 minutes during these times. Make sure you take advantage of the two days off on weekends and walk or bike up to an hour a day. There are many exercises that can be done in your home during down times using bands: http://www.band-exercises.net/ There are many other videos on youtube that offers quick exercising routines for people in your position. The bottom line is this. If you enjoy the exercise you'll do it more often, so try to find something that you enjoy? For me, it's biking, tennis and racquetball. tmf

Great Job.

I still have cheesecake on occasion. costco has these frozen cheesecakes. There are 3 flavors, cut into 1.25 in squares. Probably about 90 squares to a box? Maybe once a month I'll pull 3 out and the wife and I split them. One of our only sweet indulgences.

Quick story: Back in the 70's I lived in Boulder, Co. The name of the restaurant was "TOA TOA". Chinese of course. Special dinner for 10 was the special. Required 10 or more people to order and had to be reserved. We'd meet up before the dinner and medicinally prepare ourselves(remember, this is Boulder, home of University of Colorado, the party college). We'd enter the restaurant and we'd gather in a small room where the staff would bring one main large platter after another. If we finished a platter, another different dish would appear. As soon as we didn't finish a platter, the food train would end. It's been a while but I recall that we'd down at least 8 main dishes in one evening. I'd nearly die from overstuffing myself. But, fond memories long long ago. tmf

I just remembered this one and posted it on the other food thread: "My Exception: I haven't had the guts to try a pastrami on rye. OMG...A pile of fresh pastrami on two slices of dark rye bread, lightly buttered with a smear of Dijon mustard, sauerkraut and provolone cheese. Pure heaven. I could eat half of one now but the thought of making the pile of pastrami into a few slices, cutting off the crust of the bread just taints the entire experience. And I'd be an idiot to try it in a restaurant without checking to see if they had several bathroom stalls to slime in

My Exception: I haven't had the guts to try a pastrami on rye. OMG...A pile of fresh pastrami on two slices of dark rye bread, lightly buttered with a smear of Dijon mustard, sauerkraut and provolone cheese. Pure heaven. I could eat half of one now but the thought of making the pile of pastrami into a few slices, cutting off the crust of the bread just taints the entire experience. And I'd be an idiot to try it in a restaurant without checking to see if they had several bathroom stalls to slime in

Donna, you should copy and repost your thread in a new topic/thread? There are only 5 people following this thread. You'll find that there are hundreds of people following the topics threads and you'll get a better response that way? New topics should always be started under the lap band forums and then select "New Topic"! Good luck. If you repost as a new topic you might add information as to weight loss and if the band is working? Are you in the green zone etc? Sounds like this is something only your doctor can advise on? tmf

We have a Chinese stir fry a couple times a month. It's good but OMG I loved Chinese buffets. Scary to think how many calories were in those 3 plates of food I devoured? And all the deep fried wings, rolls, crabcheese wontons?

Most fast foods. Especially hamburgers. They just don't have the zing and satisfaction they once had. Once upon a time I couldn't drive by a McD's without stopping and buying a double cheeseburger. I loved em. But now, eh!

So the interview with Cooper ended shortly after I sent that last post. I just re-listened to Cooper's segment. Seems like this is a lost cause. It's one thing that she can detail what needs to be done but no one lives in a world where healthcare is supplied as she suggests it should be? Unless of course you're uber rich and can afford a physician willing to spend the time needed to diagnose your specific metabolic DNA? You're right though. Very interesting and does address why so few succeed with diets. Genetics and environment play such a huge part in obesity and how difficult it is to diagnose specifically what drives us to eat. The bottom line for me was that there are so many factors that drive us to eat too much or eat the wrong foods it would take a specialist weeks and months to determine how to attack the problem? And of course, Blue Cross won't cover this and no PCP has a clue. Thanks for the post!

Nope, none. My band is there to keep me from eating too much and keeping me satisfied sooner. If I really want something I'll have it. Of course, some foods are harder to have than others. Steak, hot dogs, sushi are foods I can eat but I prefer to eat them in my home due to high stuck factors.

Congrats on 4.5 lbs. Just don't expect big losses like this forever? But wouldn't that be nice?? Keep up the good work. tmf

I'm 35 minutes in and it is interesting but this Dr is in denial. She says she sees no patients in her practice who got fat eating junk food, fast food, easy and cheap food? I do agree with the concept that our metabolism can make us fat or thin but isn't that a DUH? She seems to be able to isolate the fat/diabetic epidemic and can point to the problem but I'm not hearing any solutions. It'll take me a few days to get through this. I'll be back with more comments. tmf

Too tight. Don't force anything that makes you uncomfortable. Give it a few days to see if the stoma loosens. If you're eating rough solids and getting stuck you may be causing more inflammation and exacerbating the problem. Go back to Soups and liquids for a few days to see if the problem corrects itself. If not, head back to the clinic. A very small unfill of .1-.25 might be just enough. tmf

Your question begs an answer and I've only heard of two so far. 1. Someone once stated that when we lie down at night blood that has pooled in lower body(mostly legs) redistributes throughout our body including the lining in our stomach which makes the stoma smaller. 2. My own theory is, I think it takes several hours before my esophagus awakens. Seems like peristalsis in my esophagus doesn't get going till after 11 am? I have no idea what the scientific answer is but for me #2 seems to fit? tmf

36 for me. I've seen patients on the forum as low as 30 so it's been done.

I would do it again. I wish I could have done it years ago but looking at the band products and surgical techniques from a decade ago, I'm glad I had surgery when I did. Surgical techniques, aftercare and the band product are so much superior now than they were just 5 years ago. tmf

Look at your band site(stoma) as if it's a funnel. Large and even small chunks of food can plug it up. For me, it's usually just too much food eaten too fast that impacts and overwhelms the pouch area in front of the stoma. For example: Triscuits with all their little crisp threads, even chewed to mush, seem to behave like a dam in front of my stoma and no food can pass till the esophageal peristalsis contractions force the bolus of food to pass the stoma. Dry foods like chicken, roast pork and beef seem to struggle getting through my stoma. It rarely is painful for me but it is quite uncomfortable. It happened Saturday night at a restaurant. I had to wait about 30 minutes for it to pass. Sometimes, it can take an hour to pass. I've never been one who can PB(productive burp) these up. I do slime a lot though. Sliming is when your esophagus creates a lot of saliva/phlegm to lubricate the path through to the stomach. If you're home, you can spit it up. I've spent several minutes in restaurant bathrooms spitting up gobs of slime. It seems to reduce the pressure and discomfort. Ask me anything? I've probably been stuck 300 times in the last 2 years.

Here's a simple explanation as to why we stall after 2 weeks: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html And to those of you that believe they should be losing 10+ lbs a month? This is not a realistic goal. Just do the math. You may lose this kind of weight the first month but after that 4-6 lbs is more realistic. Very heavy people(mostly guys) who participate in extreme exercising for long periods may lose this kind of weight, but most of us can only look forward to a 500-700 calorie/day deficit which equals about 1.4 lbs a week. jmo tmf

I had no real pre-op diet. Just told to take it easy the day before and just liquids for dinner the night before. But, my surgery was the Monday following Thanksgiving, so I went out with a bang. We don't eat turkey for Thanksgiving, we have prime rib. I bought a prime, prime rib from costco and pigged out Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sick of food by Sunday and ready for surgery on Monday.