DaChanginQueen

Eatting solid foods to early can set you up for complications down the road. Your stitches, internally on your stomach, have not healed yet. The contracting action that the stomach does to digest solid food can rip those stiches. You may think you are tolerating it but you have no idea what you are doing to the stitches inside. I know it's hard...we've all been thru it...but risking a band slipping in the future because you ate too soon is NOT worth the moment of food too soon. Please think about the fact that you need to heal on the inside as well as the outside and stick to the Drs orders...they arn't trying to torture us..there are reasons for what they ask us to do. To the OP ask your Dr if you can move on to regular liquids..I had to be on clear liquids only 1 day..then reg liquids 2wks...reg liquids would at least allow Protein drinks..very runny cream of wheat etc.

I can't imagine getting stuck that many times either..poor girl. I just had a fill yesterday and was stuck only twice and I'm still sore..lol BTW good job with your WL I was banded in May of last year and just hit 80lbs this week!

You're certainly not the first one to have this happen to, so don't beat yourself up or feel ashamed to see the Dr. I would definately talk to a therapist and maybe get on a anti-depressant for a while...sometimes it's needed and can get you outta the funk you're in. Look for a support group in your area...even if you have to drag yourself there you will be surprised how much it can help. You're right..you have the tools and you can make it happen..sometimes we just need a little help.

Be that as it may...noone should be stuck 25+ times. I know my Dr had trouble one time and after sticking me 4x said "If I don't get in this time I'm gonna stop and do it under floro." What he did to her was excessive and should have never happened. Not only did he tramatise her but she is bruised and sore. I agree there are some difficult ports but over 25x?? Not good

The restriction you are feeling now is due to the swelling from surgery. Once you finish healing your hunger will start to come back. The time period between healing and restriction from fills can be hard so enjoy the non-hunger while it lasts!

I would show up at their office and demand to be seen. Sometimes the one that answers the phone is not as educated as one would assume. Who knows if the information you gave this person is even reaching the Dr. I cannot imagine any Dr. not thinking throwing up 7-8 times a day was a problem. The pain you describe is not normal and if they seem unconcerned then you need to be the "squeaky wheel" so to speak, show up in person and demand they see you. That is exactly what I would do! Good luck!

You are not doing anything wrong..the time period from surgery to good restriction is called banster hell for a reason! lol You have to remember that during pre-op and post-op you are doing mainly liquids and of course you are going to lose weight. Alot of that initial loss is water weight anyway. During a liquid/mushie type diet you have to adhere to while healing can change your metabolism somewhat. "Starvation mode" kicks in because of the reduced calories and then when you add back in solid foods it's very common to GAIN some weight. Eventually your metabolism will even out and as you get to decent restriction you WILL start losing...I promise! The worse thing you can do right now is worry about it. My Dr advised me to not even think about weight loss during the healing phase and to follow the eatting guidelines once I started getting fills and the rest will fall into place. The main thing now is to focus on perfecting your new eatting habits and getting each scheduled fill. That being said I know it's easier said than done...believe me. But since your asking I can tell you that we all go thru Banster HELL and we all get thru it! It will be alot different once you start to really feel restriction. Keep reaching out for support and encouragement it helps to know others feel your pain

I was on liquids for 2wks and then mushies for 2wks. It's real important to not eat solid foods too fast..even if you think you can tolerate them. Solid foods make the stomach contract to digest and if your stitches are not healed yet you can pop them and set yourself up for a slipped band down the road. It was very hard post-op but so worth it to not have complications later on. My favorite mushie food was refried beans with a bit of cheese and a dollop of daisy (sour cream)...lol Good luck to you!

I slept in a recliner after surgery as I have a bad back and cannot lay on my back for long. Actually I sometimes slept in a recliner before surgery too! I have a water bed and I could get in but I would have never been able to out...lol

Sounds like you are doing fine with amounts and calories in the AM. I never liked yogurt much either until I tried greek yogurt. Have you tried that? I usually buy the plain greek yogurt, Fage (pronounced Fa-yeh) brand and add 2 sweet and lows. It's kinda tart if you don't add sweetner. I add frozen rashberries and blueberries. It has 150 cal for 1 cup, the frozen berries are like 70 cal for 1 1/4 cup. Sometimes I add granola. I usually eat a fraction of those portion sizes so it's a really low cal breakfast and keeps me full for hours. Depending on my restriction level sometimes I eat again only when I cook dinner for my kids. Other things I eat are cottage cheese and pineapple, over easy egg and sausage patty, or some protein left over from the night before..lol I really like Advant-edge carb control protein drinks too if I'm in a hurry. By the way it's normal for you to be a little less satisfied with a liquid meal at your stage because all the swelling is gone and healing has happened. Once you get better restriction you may find it satisfies you again. Eatting your biggest meal in the AM and smaller in the PM is an excellent way to eat.

Hiccups are one thing people experience when they have eatten enough, it's called a "soft stop". If you listen to your body you will learn if you have a soft stop. Usually if you ignore your soft stop you will have problems..either getting stuck or being in pain because you over ate. The feeling of being full is different after being banded and you cannot rely on waiting for that feeling you used to get. Paying attention and eatting slowly while relearning our body signals is really important in the beginning. Other "soft stops" I've heard of are runny noses, sometimes just a sigh/gasp, burping, sneezing. You may or may not have a soft stop but if you do..even if you have a mouthful of food when it happens, it's time to stop eatting.

Hard to say since all bodies are different and of course everyone loses differently but I have heard that every 10lbs equals a dress size.

IMO he should have never stuck you so many times. What a horrible experience for you to have especially on your first fill! As for your question about the saline...I don' think he injected any...the sticks were to find the port which he obviously did'nt. After they get in the port then the saline is added. I don' know how large you are but I am a BIG girl...started at 441lbs (360lbs now!!) and have never been stuck that many times. I would question the skill of this person and maybe think of going somewhere else. In any event try not to let this horrible experience scare you away from getting fills..under floro it will be alot easier.

6wks is what my Dr said.

It should subside in a few days. I was just reading about Papaya enzymes..helps the stomach to break down protein. Good for stuck episodes involving meat, fish etc. It is also an anti-inflammatory effective in curbing swelling and fever that develops after the surgery. Who knew!

I wear one already because of diabetes so I should probably add Lapband to it.

I've had increased gas ever since surgery...I don't if it's the surgery but I didn't have this problem beforehand. I thought it was my sugar-free popsicles but I've cut them out for a period of time and while I noticed a decrease in gas after a few days I still had more gas than before surgery.

Acid reflux all of a sudden when you have not had a fill lately can be a symptom a slip as well. Definately see your Dr to rule that out. Good luck!

@weightogo- At just 16 days you have no restriction. Things won't get stuck until you start getting fills and get some restriction. You should be on mushy foods at this point anyway so be careful.

I had that happen too...sometimes on the way to the bathroom to PB it suddenly passes. I've also noticed that straightening up and taking a deep breath also helps things pass.

I eat them often but it goes to show...everyone is different. If you chewed really well and still got stuck it may be something you will have to avoid. If you think you ate too fast...give it another try. I've noticed that I sometimes get stuck on the first bite of something and then once it passes I can go on to eat without another problem. For me I've learned to chew and swallow and WAIT! Once I'm sure the first bite has passed I can procede with the rest of my meal. It's a learning process :frown: BTW congrats on making good choices when eatting out!

Don't torture yourself with the scale...it's a bad habit to get into. You are still healing from surgery and won't have proper restriction for several fills. Now is the time to focus on learning the lapband rules and getting used to this new lifestyle. If you follow the guidelines and journal what you are eatting you WILL start to lose weight. If you begin obsessing about the number on the scale now...you will make your journey much harder than it should be.

From my understanding the pouch test is to shrink your pouch.. for people who feel they may have stretched their pouch over time by over-eatting. This should not be a problem for you at this point. I would just follow the guidelines your Dr gave you this early on and get used to your new lapband.

Sounds like it's a good thing you found a new NUT cause they were NUTS!! lol

I really like EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control. They taste great and they are low in carbs and calories. 110cals and 3 net carbs (varies slightly depending on flavor) 17grams protein for 11oz.