Nooshie

i'm interested in the finding out the cause too. I've had my band over a year. I haven't had a fill for a while, but in the last couple weeks i've had a lot of gurgling and stomach gas....the gurgling vibrates up my esophagus. It's totally embarassing in social situation...yet, I don't really know that other's are tuned in to it, but I sure am. I've told my doc about it...but because it's not all the time, I can't seem to have it happen when i'm in the office.

Checking in after 1 year and 1 month. I just hit 70 pounds lost today! Woot! The past 3 months have been very slow....but i'm still exercising at Curves 3 x a week and we are now taking a weekly yoga class as well. I'm having a little trouble with reflux and gurgling...for some weird reason. it's like my band decided to self adjust? i have good restriction though and haven't had a fill in months. I feel great...and so much better about myself. Hope you're all doing well.

Hi Everyone, I haven't posted in a long while. I was banded on October 15. I'm really enjoying my journey. Not losing too quickly, but as my doc says, "don't compare yourself to others." I've lost 44 pounds! And when was the last time I could say I've lost that amount in 4.5 months? uh....never! I've been working really hard at exercising. I'm going to Curves 3-4 times a week, and my daugther and I signed up to do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (39 miles in two days) in September. So we're starting our training walks. I'm a 17 year breast cancer survivor, so being able to do this walk with my daughter is really special. I have my appointment this afternoon. I'm really not sure if I want a fill or not. I mean, I do because I want more weight loss, but since my fill 6 weeks ago, I've been experiencing more stuff getting stuck....so not sure if that will get worse with a fill...or what. I'll talk to the doc about that. Another thing is that I've been experiencing hair loss lately. I am orthodox christian and during this period of lent, we abstain from ALL animal products (including dairy, eggs, cheese), so it's a total vegan diet for me. Though I'm having my morning protein shake with soy milk, I feel that the hair loss is a direct result of the lessening of protein. I'll have to discuss that with the doc too and see what he says. So that's the update for me! I hope you are all well. love, me

hey there. I'm a bit discouraged myself but that doesn't mean I'm not thrilled to be banded. I go in for a fill this afternoon. I haven't lost but 6 pounds in six weeks since my fill. : ( And this is really disappointing to me because it's hard not to compare ourselves to one another. I see one person has lost 70+ pounds and I think...why can't I do that??? It's in my nature to be hard on myself and beat myself up about stuff like this...and thus the weight problem, no? So I'm trying to do the best I can. I have really been exercising regularly. Last time I went to the doc's they said that I needed to do more than 1/2 hour of cardio a day, so I've been going to Curves regularly and doing 3 circuits, if not four...or doing the Leslie Sansone 2 mile walk video on demand...or some other video. Still....slow weight loss. But my clothes are really big on me now...so I need to use that as a measure rather than the numbers. We'll see what they say today.

hey peeps, how are you all doing? i haven't been on the site too much lately. i had my second fill yesterday. My first fill was 3ccs....yesterday she put in another 2 cc's. I'm feeling restriction, though yesterday when I was there, my tummy was very bloated from my lunch, so i didn't know if what i was feeling was restriction, or just discomfort. HDMAMA, you're amazing to only be eating 1/2 cup of food and measuring it out. I try to eyeball it, but I know that I sometimes have more...but i'm not tempted for all the goodies like I used to be pre-band. Here at my office, they've got the candy and Cookies and all that right here, but i'm not even interested, and this, is miraculous! I've lost a total of 30 pounds (including pre-op) since October 1. The last 2-3 weeks has been just dealing with an up/down thing hovering back and forth over a 2 pound loss...but I think it's good now. oh! I have to tell you a negative behavior that came up the other day. So it's late at night, my husband and daughter are in bed. I'm working on my jewelry orders...and I walk into the kitchen, open the cupboard and there in front of me are some mini candy bars left from halloween (my husband's stash). You have to picture it. I get the bag, pull out an almond joy and take it back to my work table....and then i woke up. it was soooo weird. it was one of those "what are you doing!?" I put the candy bar back and just talked to myself to see what was going on. It was an old behavior that was coming back (the ghost of christmas past?). but it was mindless...totally. I felt good for saying no to it. But since "sneaking" was part of my past, I wanted to post it here. So how are you all doing?

I think it depends on your dietary requirements before and after surgery. My doctor has us on the liquids 2 weeks prior, and Clear Liquids 2 days prior...and then liquids again for 2 weeks after...and then mushies for 2 weeks after that...and then more textured foods...but still not everythign for weeks 5-8. I know in the weeks immediately after I wasn't getting very many calories at all because of the diet...not because of restriction from the band. I was banded on 10/15. Two weeks prior, on the liquids, I lost about 11 pounds, and have since lost a total of 27 pounds (including preop diet).

HDMama, No, i'm not really sure what you're supposed to eat, but remember the nutrition class pre-surgery? They kept saying, "you're only going to eat about a 1/4 of a cup." So I totally thought that's what life was going to be like -- at least for the first year. But maybe that's for bypass? I also thought that "having good restriction" would mean that things would have trouble going down...but that's not the case. I found that it just means (at least in my short experience) that you get fuller faster on way smaller portions. I also feel like I stop after eating my portion...but if it was in front of me, I could eat more...but really, i'm not hungry at all. my eyes are hungry sometimes but then I remind myself that I've come so far....I was just doing a look back at the year. Last January, I started this journey by coming to this site, looking at lapband, asking about it...February I talked to my doc and started the 6 month check in...did some fun vacationing this summer, banded in October and here I am...Hard to believe it's all behind me now, I'm banded. It's been a good year so far.:bored:

Hey Peeps, Just checking in. Banded on 10/15/09. I've lost 27 pounds so far (including 2 week pre-op). Doing well. Joined Curves and actually like it! Been going 3-4 X a week. This is a big deal for me, since I've never ever been a "public exerciser". Weight loss slowed down last week...lost nothing, then this morning found 2 pounds missing. so maybe it's a good sign. Had my first fill on 11/4. He put in 3cc. I feel good restriction, but can eat more than 1/4 cup. eating about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup...but still semi soft foods for another 2 weeks. Next fill is 12/16. If you haven't taken your "before" measurements...do it now. It really helped when the scale wasn't moving. I've lost inches! Woot. Good luck to all of you.

Liz, thanks so much for the diagram. I had no idea that it could be so high up. Interesting.

I have a question for you all. I'm trying to figure out what STUCK feels like. I've read posts about how it's kind of like a bubble in the chest area, as if you have swallowed air. But logistically speaking, WHY? Why would you feel it in your chest? If the band is at the lower end of the newly created stomach pouch, wouldn't the food that gets stuck be stuck in the band area as it empties into the lower stomach? This morning I had a couple slice of peeled fresh apple for my Breakfast with a couple spoons of yogurt. I didn't get a feeling of stuck in the chest...but I did feel it in the stomach....not pain, but just this pressure...like it was sitting there and not going down. This was the first of this feeling, so I thought, "hmmmm...maybe it's stuck" and took a papaya enzyme, a few minutes later, it was better. But the threads all point to "stuck" being in the chest...so I'm trying to figure out, anatomically, why. Any revelations?

Had my follow up appointment today and first fill. I was banded on October 15. I've lost 20 pounds so far. I was leary about my weight loss thinking, "what if my scale is weighing me differently than the doctor's" but it was confirmed. woot. I got my stitches out and everything seems to be healing well. I got to see my surgeon (not his assistant physician). I talked to him about the constipation and the protein shake causing it. He said I didn't have to take it, but to make sure I'm getting protein in my diet. Mushy foods for another week, and then weeks 5-8 bring in some more textured foods like ground beef/turkey, cooked veggies, fruits with no skin, etc. The fill was a little more painful that people had led on, but it was okay. He only put in 3cc, had me drink a glass of water. it went down fine...no problem. I told him but he said, we're taking it slow. In six weeks he will add more and said I will definitely feel it then. Liquids only for today. I had some soup for dinner, and I really feel a lot fuller. That's the update. How are you all doing?

Hey there! I work a desk job. I was banded on 10/15 (Thursday) and went back to work on 10/20/09 (Tuesday).

I wouldn't go swimming til you're all healed up. Since they tell you you can shower, but not soak in a tub, I imagine that would be similar in that you're incisions shouldn't be submerged for long periods of time. My doc said to wait about 3 weeks...but walking was recommended...a mile or more a day.

I had the same problem. Seemed that even the smallest sip would hurt...or cause a burp. but on day 6, that sensation was gone. now I can drink like normal. So I think as the swelling from the surgery goes down, it gets better. Glad you're feeling better!

Ref, October 6? Did you have your surgery already? or Nov. 6? - Nooshie