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I find the best way to get any kind of injection is to not watch the needle go in. So long as I do that I am fine. Normally they don't hurt, there is a small prick and that is it. It is a bit like getting blood taken or something. The anticipation of what it will be like is generally worse than the reality.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. So long as you recognise that and make sure you show better self control next time then not too much harm will have been done. As to the calorie counter, I would be very wary of believing their estimates of how many calories you use or need in a day, they are generally well over estimated.

If that is how you can do it then that is great. It is possible that your band was partially filled in surgery which may be giving you sufficient restriction. It is also possible that in the future you may need the help of a fill. What I don't like ( and I am sure this was unintentional) is that it makes it sound as though people who need the assistance of a fill are somehow inferior. We all have to remember that weight loss and being banded is a very individual journey and what works for 1 may not work for another. Congrats on doing so well.

What kind of alarms did you think you would set off???????

I would be careful with tandoori chicken as it can be very dry, you are better off trying a mild curry that has a lot of sauce. When I go out I worry about whether or not the food will go down rather than what is the healthiest, lowest calorie choice. After all this is a lifestyle change and nobody expects you to be perfect 100% of the time.

They probably just hit a small blood vessel. It happens sometimes, I wouldn't be worried.

You say self pay is not an option. It may have to be. If going to a Dr not covered by your insurance is the only way to get help then do it. If you don't get help then you will end up paying a lot more in the long run. Your health is more valuable than anything else.

Sounds like what used to be known as a Keloid scar.

I had the same thing happen. It culminated in me having to have Fluid taken out as I got stuck quite badly. I do not believe that I was too tight. Since being unfilled I have only had 1 episode of bad nightime choking/reflux. I sleep mainly on my side, sometimes on my back. I have not noticed a difference with sleeping position. If you do suffer with heartburn/reflux the best position to sleep in is supposedly on your left hand side. That is also the best side to put an unconcious person into the recovery position - it is all to do with the positioning of the organs. I do not understand why the reflux starts out of nowhere after a couple of years with no problems. I hope someone comes up with a definitive answer soon.

This was a well written article and it is something people struggle to grasp. Often restriction and the green zone is a lot more subtle than people expect but that is something they have to find out for them selves as no amount of telling them will convince them. They chase those fills like they do the holy grail! I didn't realise you had had your surgery already. Sorry to hear that there was a problem. Hope everything is able to go ahead soon.

It's normal to be tired after surgery. They have given you an anaesthetic, cut you open, moved bits around, inserted something that wasn't there before and then stitched you up again. On top of this because it was bariatric surgery you are on a restricted diet which also has an effect. So remember to be kind to yourself. Rest and don't try to run any marathons yet!

1500 is a lot if you are trying to lose. I would cut back to 1000 and see how that goes.

Agreed, you are way too tight. If you can't swallow and can't keep water down you have a major problem.

You will slow down when you find out why you have to. Until then it doesn't matter how hard you try it doesn't really sink in. When I have some restriction I eat slowly because if I don't it hurts or I get stuck. ATM I am struggling to eat slowly - I am in the process of having my fill slowly put back in and have no restriction. I eat just as fast as I did preband and it is not because I am trying to - it just happens.

My experience I went to the local hospitals ER dept about 2 months ago. You are all correct in thinking that most do not have experience with a band but that does not mean that they are not able to help you. OK I am in Australia so things may be slightly different but I would imagine they would be similar. I was admitted into emergency as I had a blockage and could not even swallow my own spit. They gave me some oral(liquid) painkillers and antiemetics. Pretty useless but I suppose they thought they should try. I could also taste them for hours afterwards as I kept spitting them back up.They put me onto a drip as I was obviously very dehydrated and this is one of the most important things that the ER needs to do. They also called in a Dr from my team. He himself was not a bariatric specialist but he knew in theory what to do. He discussed his plan of action with me as well to check what I thought. That might seem strange but obviously I have more experience with the band than he does. His first move was to try to take the Fluid out. He knew in theory what to do and where the port was but in practice could not hit the correct membrane. After trying twice he did not want to hurt me so he than arranged for it to be done under fluoro. It was a public holiday and they called a specialist radiologist in to do this for me.He also arranged for a CT to be done straight after the defill.I was then kept in until evening for obs to make sure everything was OK and that I was able to eat and drink before being allowed to go home. So he may not have been able to do the stuff himself but he was able to ensure that the hospital provided the correct treatment. I then got to see my Dr a couple of days later.

Oh help - she's back!

It sounds like you are trying to interpret your own results instead of waiting for your specialist to interpret them for you. We all know how dangerous Dr Google can be ( although he is helpful sometimes too). I would stop stressing and wait util you see your Dr , which presumably will be soon, and then ask him all these questions. If I am wrong and this is the info your Dr has given you then you need to go back to get him to explain and to tell you how he is going to fix it.

When was the last time you saw your Dr, you probably need another fill? Typically Realize bands need more fill to achieve restriction than Lapbands do. Also make sure that you are doing your part by choosing the correct foods and exercising.

You can eat anything you like. There is no forbidden food . It all depends on what you can and can't handle, whether you want to follow a "normal" diet or stick to an Atkin's style diet etc.

You need to start eating now the way you will need to once you are on solids. The sooner you get used to not eating and drinking together the better. You are highly unlikely to get stuck at this point (if you stick to what you are supposed to be eating) so it really shouldn't be a problem.

Stuck means stuck! Your stoma is blocked with something that does not want to go down. Your body then produces extra saliva to try and push it down and you cannot swallow the saliva as the stuck item is in the way so you have to cough it up. Depending on what you are stuck on it can take anything from minutes to hours to pass. Generally the best way to end the episode quickly is to try to cough the item back up if you can. Whilst you are stuck you will feel discomfort and possibly pain generally in the chest so if you didn't know better you might swear you were having a heart attack. You may still be hungry or thirsty but there is no point in trying to eat or drink as it won't go down and it just makes it worse.

My favourite description was from someone who isn't active on the boards atm, Bob. He said it felt like you were a vampire that had just been stabbed in the chest with a stake. I think that sums it up pretty well.

Depends what your salad consists of.Celery can cause problems and some people have issues with lettuce leaves. Also if you want raw carrot I suggest you grate it as big chunks are a major cause of stuck episodes. The main thing is to make sure your salad is a salad in the original definition of the word - a mix of veggies and leaves with maybe a small amount of Protein. Too often I hear people talking about a salad when what they are actually eating is a mix of meat, cheese, croutons,high fat dressing and possibly a few token leaves for luck!

How much fill are they putting in and taking out? Maybe they could put less in or take less out. From your message it sounds like it is an all or nothing approach but I am not sure.

Why are you worried that you are not getting enough calories? Creating a calorie deficit is what makes you lose weight.