Pangaeus

Hello, I was lapbanded by Dr. Corvala in Tijuana several years ago and my new doctor wants a copy of my medical records. However, it is impossible to find contact information for the hospital. Does anyone know of any? Thank you!

Just wondering...I was in dire need of a diet Coke today...sipping one slowly over the course of 6 hours. How bad is soda?

I use food when I stressed, bored, sad, etc etc. Unfortunaty post band, I am still using it the same way cause I can still eat chocolate. I don't like gum, but need a new emotional crutch. I'm working on the pyschological issues, but my oral fixation must be met! What have you all used that worked?

Thanks for all your responses. I've found that a few months out and I am starting to put some weight back on because of chocolate- it goes down so easily, whereas things like chicken which I should be eating is more of a struggle. So I have to do something different. Last night when I went to bed I started having a craving so strong, I was anxious until I finally went and ate some chocolate. The eating addiction is like using drugs...my dopaminergic rewqard system in my brain has been rewired so that I only get feelings of joy from food (the way drug users only get feelings of joy from drugs). I've got to rewire that to something else!!

That is useful to know-thanks. I think when I am having a craving it is probably better to have a bit of soda with carbonation that chocolate!

The doctor just told me not to have it, but didn't tell me how bad it was on a scale of badness. I took little sips, let some of the carbonation fizz in my mouth and then swallowed. It didn't realy hurt, but like all things post-band made me fart alot.

I had surgery May 18 and had my first fill today. Floroscopy was used, so they filled while I drank barium. I am worried they gave me too much because I am not feeling that great right now. While filling me, they asked me to tell me when my chest started to hurt. It still hadn't started to hurt at 8cc, so they filled me with another cc up to 9cc (out of a 12cc band) at which point I could fill a slight pinch, but nothing too bad. I thought this was too much for a first fill, but the tech said that because I was younger (29) and pear shaped rather than apple shaped, I did not have as much intra-abdominal fat (which will provide some restriction), so I needed to be filled more. We watched the barium go through the band on the floroscopy screen and so the tech said it was good to go. I left the hospital and within a half hour or so, my chest did start to hurt. I'm back at home now, it is about 6 hours later and I still kinda have achy chest pain. I have had some sips of Water and juice, but I don't want anything else cause I am not feeling very good. It just seems like 9cc is a huge amount to get in one fill! Anybody else use floroscopy and so get a big fill? THx!

I have the same sharp pain that you describe. I am hoping that it is from swelling and not because it was filled too much. I have been able to drink protein shakes and eat cheese, but haven't tried any real solids. Did your pain go away with time?

The cheese is staying down pretty well, so hopefully it will be good to go. Thank you for all your input.

Hi all, I was wondering if it is normal to be in pain after a fill (and if so, how long does it last?)...I had my first fill this morning and about a half hour after that, my stomach started hurting and hasn't stopped since. Unhappy right now. :-(

Yeah, I have been getting my fills at the hospital I had the surgery at in Tijuana. Wow, that sounds really bad. The time it hurt the most was when I tried to swallow some pills last night (even though I cut it up into quarters). I just add two pieces of cheese, so I hope it will be ok. I really don't want to swell more- I want to swell less and moving on!

Hi there, thanks for responding. The pain got a lot better over the course of the night, but it is still there a bit. Plus, I can only get down a few sips of liquid at a time. I am worried because tomorrow I go back to work and am basically walking from 8-5 for my job so don't know if I will be able to get enough energy for liquids! I have been sipping the worlwide pure Protein drinks, which helps better than juice with my strength. I guess I am wondering if a few days after the fill it is normal to loosen up a bit, or at this fill amount I will always only be able to take down a couple sips of liquid at a time. Is there swelling involved when you get a fill? Thanks for your help!

Hi all, I would looove to hear some input from you because it seems like my first fill was alot larger that most other people. I had the surgery on May 18th and got my first fill yesterday, June 28. It was using floroscopy, so I could see the barium liquid go through (pretty cool!). The nurse put in 9cc saying that the average first fill is 7cc. She said I needed more because of my body shape and age. They didn't put in any liquid at the time of the surgery and I have a 12cc band. I felt fine when I left the hospital, but within a 1/2 hour, was starting to feel some pain and started getting nauseous. When I tried to take my pills last night, I cut it up in quarters but even still, was in so much pain. Nothing came up though. Its now more than 24 hours later and while I feel better than I did yesterday, I can only take a couple of sips of liquid at a time. I was having juice but was feeling really weak, so am having Worldwild Pure Protein drinks. It is staying down, but I am worried when I go to work tomorrow. I'm working at a summer camp and we are literally walking from 8-5. I'm afraid I will be super low energy tomorrow because I can't get in enough calories. Did anyone else have a really big fill?

I can get liquids down, but just a little at a time. The fill was done under floroscopy, meaning they fill a lot more at a time than they otherwise would. They gave me a 9 cc fill, which seems ridiculously large to me, but when I questioned them, they said it was fine. :-(

So I had a fill using floroscopy this morning and the tech put a whopping 9ccs in there. I was concerned about this amount, but because the barium went down, the tech said it was fine. However, I am in lots of pain right now. I'm rather unhappy. And I want to fart alot. I hope that when I wake up tomorrow this will all be gone! The first three weeks post-op I was able to stick to the program, but I started struggling once I was able to eat solids. I have been walking lots and lots due to my job but also have been eating chocolate every night, so my weight hasn't budged since I started on solids. But I'm ok with that for the time being. Really, its all been ok until today. I've been able to take some sips of juice throughout the day, but it hurts so much and I am concern about swallowing my pills. Boo.

So I had a fill using floroscopy this morning and the tech put a whopping 9ccs in there. I was concerned about this amount, but because the barium went down, the tech said it was fine. However, I am in lots of pain right now. I'm rather unhappy. And I want to fart alot. I hope that when I wake up tomorrow this will all be gone! The first three weeks post-op I was able to stick to the program, but I started struggling once I was able to eat solids. I have been walking lots and lots due to my job but also have been eating chocolate every night, so my weight hasn't budged since I started on solids. But I'm ok with that for the time being. Really, its all been ok until today. I've been able to take some sips of juice throughout the day, but it hurts so much and I am concern about swallowing my pills. Boo.

Just wondering...I'm at two weeks and of the five incisions, one incision, a mini one, has lost its steri strips. I have been covering the other incisions with big bandaids, but have gotten a rash from the bandaids, so I'm just gonna have to hope the steri strips are protection enough!

Hmm, so I guess I will gently encourage the strips to come off now. Thanks for all your input!

Yes, mine too on the left side. Two weeks out though and it is feeling alot alot better in terms of the sharp pain, so I would just give yourself some time. Seems like alot of people start to feel much better at the 2 week mark. Today though I had lots of gas...could be becaue I started a job and now just have the 30 min to eat, so I prob ate too fast. (TMI warning)...When I was finally able to take my 15 minute break, I took a walk by myself and had the most amazing loooong farts. I felt so much better after that. :-)

If there are emotional eating issues in your history, you may want to consider seeing a therapist?

I'm reading "When Food is Love" by Geneen Roth right now. My therapist reccomended it to me.

Someone on the forum directed me to TJ's world wide protein because it has alot of protein, is easily portable in the soda can it comes in and isn't too expensive. However, I don't find this protein drink filling at all. The cans come in either a 21 gram or a 35 gram of protein variety, so I should think all that protein should sorta fill me up, but it doesn't do much for me. Shouldn't protein drinks be filling since they have so much protein in them or am I off base?

Ok, will try the fruit mixed in. I've been having cream of wheat in the am and night (I love love it and was so happy to be able to add it in after the clears!) which fills me up and then add in a protein drink sometime during the day to make sure I am getting the protein. Don't really like them though.

I have been drinking Trader Joe's World Wide Protein. It comes in soda cans, so is very portable. that might help with energy too.