SpideyMom

Ok, the surgeon's asst. says not to take sips of water because that will just sit on top of the stuck food. :blushing:

Thanks for the great ideas, Linda! You know, I am going out to lunch on Friday with a good friend, and I looked at the menu online already and decided to do just that -- order something off the appetizer menu. My surgeon said he used to give out cards to his patients that entitled them to be able to order off of the children's menu, but then he stopped because he felt that all the food on children's menus are foods that aren't that healthy for us -- fried chicken fingers, french fries, hot dogs, mac & cheese, etc. I never thought of it that way before!

Linda, I forgot to tell you that I was not eating bread or a bun. I had a slice of melted cheese, and some ketchup to moisten it. That's how I've eaten it successfully in the past. I just emailed my surgeon's assistant about whether I can take a sip of Water for stuck food. She's usually good about getting back to me by the end of the day. I'll let you know what she says. :blushing:

I was at home. I would highly recommend you get some papaya enzyme tablets and keep them with you at all times. It helped. I realized now that the bottle said to take 4 tabs, but I only took 3. So perhaps I could have gotten better relief the first time around. I do confess that I was SO hungry that my first bite was too big and I didn't chew well enough, so yes, my bad! I wouldn't worry too much about PBing or sliming while out because it's not like vomiting. A whole bunch doesn't come out of your mouth like vomit. Just the bite (or the saliva) comes back up into your mouth, and you will have time to get to the restroom before this happens. You will know it is stuck before the PB or sliming happens. The two times I've had troubles (one PB, one sliming) I have wanted to stand up and walk around, so excusing yourself from the table is probably a good idea. Then chew up the papaya enzyme (they are tasty!) and give it a little while. Morale of the story is: Tiny bites and make like a train: chew, chew, chew! :blushing:

OMG, last night I had a horrible time with a hamburger. I had no problems with hamburger before my first fill, but last night was murder. The first bite got stuck and it was very painful. After about 5-10 minutes of agonizing, knife-stabbing pain, I took a few Papaya Enzyme tablets, which helped a little. Waited about another 5-10 min. and felt good enough to take a second bite (I was starving!). Same thing happened, same routine.... This time, though, the enzyme tabs weren't helping so much, and I was burping a lot. My body wanted that meat out of there! I thought for sure I was going to PB, but much to my surprise, instead I slimed.... which is just the same as PBing but all that comes up is slimy spit -- lots of it. :wink2: That continued to happen until finally the meat worked its way down (another 10-15 minutes), during which time, I believe I slimed about 3 times. At that point, I gave my hamburger to my dh. So there you have it, Mayo Banditos, a first sliming experience, in case you were wondering.

I think we're all experiencing new things, and that's why it's so great that we can share them here on our forum. The Mayo Banditos are an awesome group! :wink:

Ooh, that sounds awesome! Thanks for the tip! :wink:

Less, I think you might need to up your caloric intake in order to start losing some weight. Your body is probably holding on b/c it thinks you are starving it. I was doing the same thing, and once I added some real foods and more calories, the weight started coming off! And don't worry about going to Vegas after a fill. You'll be fine. Just make sure you follow the rules -- small bites and chew, chew, chew! :wink: Hey, John, glad to hear that you got back in to see the doc! Isn't it freaky to feel Water get stuck in your throat? Yeah, same thing happened to me. They had to back me down 1 cc. I'm now at 6 cc. Sometimes I'm feel hungry, other times I can go for hours. Odd. Do you go back in another 2 weeks?

Jenny, that's a good idea! I have been known to feed my husband the leftovers, but some things he doesn't like. It's too bad I don't have a dog anymore. My dog used to eat just about anything but fruit & veggies. lol Maybe I can convince my dh it's time to adopt another one. . . :wink:

I have found that if I put my Water glass far away from me -- out of sight practically -- it helps me get through the meal without being tempted. Also, the smaller the bite, and the more you chew it up, the easier it is to not drink and eat. And, I always try to finish with something wet, such as fruit or yogurt. Makes a big difference! One woman in my support group said she brushes her teeth immediately after a meal. They also sell moisturizing mouthwash (which I use at night to avoid dry mouth) and that could be a good thing to help after a meal. Good luck! :wink:

Thanks so much! This sounds and looks wonderful! :smile: Thanks, also, truediva, for your recipe! My mouth is watering! :wink:

Thanks, Mindy! That makes a lot of sense! I absolutely don't want to jeopardize the band by eating too much. I just have to change my mindset. BTW, I looked at your before and after pics, and you look FABulous!!! You are a real inspiration! And I love your cute haircut! :bored:

AlaskaGirl, sounds like you have good restriction if you are full for that long on just 1/2 cup of food! Count your blessings! :bored:

Wow, Linda, what a dramatic difference in just 4 months! You look fabulous! :bored:

Karianne, you look fantastic! :thumbup: It's amazing the difference in just one month. I took before pictures, but I'm too embarrassed to post them. Perhaps when I take some "during" pictures that are a little more flattering. In the meantime, anyone else has some B&A pictures, we'd all love to see them. It's great inspiration! :bored:

Anyone else having a hard time throwing away good food when you're too full to eat anymore, but there's just a few bites left? I'm so tempted by my years of being part of the "clean plate club" that it is hard to throw away the last three bites of yummy yogurt or Soup or strawberries, etc. I need some help! Any good suggestions for breaking my habit of cleaning the plate? And, I'm really not into the idea of saving 3 bites of everything in the refrigerator. I just don't have the room! Nor do I have the room in my new tummy!

I absolutely agree -- call the doctor. My doc told me to call if I started feeling hungry all the time like before. So far, knock on wood, I'm doing okay, but I have 6 weeks before my next fill, so we'll see. Good luck, John. I hope you get your fill soon. And thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks, John! Trying to catch up to you! You are quite the inspiration, Mr. Already Halfway to Goal!

Linda, once you get some real Protein, it will definitely help with the hunger. Right now, those Protein drinks are adding nutrition, but they are just going right through the upper pouch, just like any drink would, so that's why you're not full. When do you get to eat real food? In the meantime, have you tried hummus, cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt? They are great sources of soft protein, but they are thick, so they fill you up. Good luck!

Wow, congrats to all of us! This is a great thread because so often we get totally wrapped up in what the number on the scale is, and we forget to look at the other victories we have achieved. Hooray!

I'm reporting back after 3 days. I must say, just getting 1 cc has actually made a difference!, much to my surprise! I do feel more restriction and cannot eat as much. And I suddenly dropped 4 lbs. :party: I think that was just a freaky Water weight coincidence, but hey, I'll take it however I can get it! :hurray: So, don't worry if the doctor only puts in a small amount. It really does make a difference. :thumbup:

My rings are getting looser! And I can wear jeans that I've had in my closet for 6+ months that were too tight. Now, if I can just get into the two pair of cute capris that I bought off the rack (didn't try on) that still have the tags on from 2 summers ago.....

My doc doesn't limit me to 1/2 cup at each meal. He said if I am still hungry, eat a little more. I have to learn to listen to my body, which is quite challenging, but it is working out. Sometimes I eat a cup, sometimes (but rarely) I eat only 1/4 cup. My body knows what it needs. The other thing is, I often will add unflavored Protein powder to Soups, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. to boast my protein intake. You can get very good unflavored protein from powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury. One scoop adds 21 g. protein, 90 cal., and 0 grams of fat. And because you add it to food, it is staying in your upper stomach longer, as opposed to drinking it down, like Mamadot said. HTH!

I :drool: this week, for a grand total of ... 30!

I had my first fill yesterday, and boy was I surprised! I thought all along I had no restriction. HA! The surgeon measured, and I had 5 cc's in me the whole time!! :eek: And I've been so hungry this whole time!! Anyhow, he only put in 1 cc, and said he will only put in 1 or 1.5 cc each time. :drool: I'm sitting here one day later, and I'm already hungry 2 1/2 hours after having a 12 oz. Protein shake. Oh, and I have to wait another 6 weeks before I go for my second fill. Boo. But, on the bright side, the needle stick was very simple! :tt2: