GonnaRide

A few months ago, after six months of liquids only and insurance complications, I had an unfill. I haven't been back. I really feel like my body needed time to recover, get some nutrition and relax a little. I was doing well until I was in a car accident with my two youngest children, 5 and 8. Someone else hit us. Both cars totaled. We got a lawyer, who then died at age 55 of a massive coronary. I started stress eating, having to grab a lot of very poor fast food choices (who knew McD's fries weren't even close to as good as I remember them being) and I've put on way more than I should have. I'm in PT three days a week now. But omg. Chicken! I can eat chicken again! Broccoli is still iffy somedays. I really need to find motivation again. I'm nearly where I was pre-op. Between the back and forth filling unfilling and now this, I feel like I've wasted two years, gone through a horrible surgery for nothing and generally failed at this. I hope the rest of you are fairing better!

Is there anyone over in the Eastern side of NC that does the VSG? Raleigh is 4 hours from us, and Charlotte is about 7. I'd love to find someone closer!

Well, due to Hurricane Earl, my appt has been canceled for tomorrow. They've rescheduled me for Tuesday afternoon. *sigh*

I may do that. We have a hurricane headed at us, and supposed to start seeing the effects of it tomorrow evening. So I suspect that they will be closed on Friday now with this going on. They were overbooking to get me in, so it might be really tricky to get in tomorrow. We'll see how it goes! I really think I'm going to have him check and see if the band has slipped. I don't know if that's the case or not, but I'd kinda like to know. Again, much thanks to all of you!

Finally! I found the right place! I've been struggling with this for weeks now. It's usually about 7pm before I can get down anything solid. (I'm now 15 months post-banding and had been doing marvelously for a good while.) I've also found that even then, I have to have a cup of hot tea on standby in order to get anything down. I've got an appt on Friday, and in trying to determine if this is just too tight, or if it's ..well, I don't know, something else, I've done strictly liquids for the last two days. This afternoon I made mashed potatoes really runny and after two bites, I was leaning over the kitchen sink sliming and then puking. I've been having a lot of upper-right quadrant pain with this as well, but none of the reflux/acidy/heartburnish stuff. My gallbladder was taken out shortly before my lap-band because I had a ZERO% ejection fraction. I don't know what else it would be, but it's very reminiscent of the gallbladder pain. I sincerely appreciate this post, the candidness and information from y'all!

I completely cringed when I saw you were having beer. I'm not going to lecture though, ice cream is my beer equivalent, lol. Seriously though, the band isn't here to force us into good behavior, it only helps. The band is one of the SLOWEST ways to lose after a weight loss surgery. Gastric bypass-type surgeries create dramatic weight loss very quickly, but then slow down and I've seen too many who then start gaining it back. The lap-band is slower, but it's more successful typically and has a longer "lose" time as well as a higher keeping-it-off rate. Good things come to those who wait, and all that. This is a journey. It's not an instant cure. Each person is as unique and individual as the next. Just because x-number of people have y-result doesn't mean you will. It took me about 4 months to get into the "green zone" where I felt "like I should" with the band. And that has changed umpteen times since then. When I talked to my doc about it a few months after my surgery because I wasn't feeling any restriction either, he said something that made total sense. Your body is still recouping from MAJOR surgery. There's a foreign object around your throat! Taking it slow is the VERY best thing you can do for yourself long-term. Your body needs time to adjust, and you need to work slowly up to the proper restriction. Doing it too quickly can cause stretching of your pouch, swelling of the area where the band is, and that's so not worth it. You will find that "sweet spot" and when you do, the frustration will be forgotten. At least until the sweet spot moves on you. As someone who is insanely sensitive to a fill, it's so much better to err on the side of caution than get an overfill and have to have an emergency visit. I know this first hand, times about 10. Most ER's wont even touch a band, and you'd have to fly back out to your Dr. in an emergency situation. Do talk to your Doc, though, and try to hang in there. Tell your wife to shut it. (I say this as a wife, myself. Sometimes we forget you big strong men get your feelings hurt, too, and need a reminder.) Take a deep breath, put the beer down, go for a walk with your wife and tell her it's hard enough as it is, and you need her support.

It's so great to see you still here SpideyMom! I did call and have an appt for Friday morning. I think I'm going to do strictly liquids between now and then and see how that goes. I can't even get down an over-easy egg anymore! I can't recall the last time I had a piece of meat. My husband's been a grilling fool all summer, and I'd *so* love a piece of chicken, or pork! I found that I had to give up ground beef ages ago. What I'd do for a "big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat" as Jimmy Buffet says, lol! Of all the pills to possibly get stuck, apparently ibuprofen is the worst. I'd just had a fill on July 2nd (Friday), and woke up Sunday morning with a splitting headache. I'd been able to get them down no-problem before, and without thinking I just went for the drugs. My head was killing me and I was in one of those "just woke up and hurt like heck" fogs and took it without thinking. I ended up having to meet my doc at the office at 11pm the night of the 4th. I sat in the car with a bag, puking, while the hub and kids enjoyed the fireworks and ice cream. I'm really very sensitive to fills apparently as well. Sometimes even just 1/4 cc will send me to puking while I'm still in the office. More than once, I've left the office thinking I was okay, and within half an hour half to turn around and go back to have some taken back out. My doc is overly cautious with fills to not put in too much, especially with me, but it seems even the slightest change really can do me in. I sort of feel like I need to just take it back to liquids, do an unfill Friday and start over again. I'd even managed to lose 10 lbs over the Christmas holidays, and that was with us going to my parent's on vacation! Now I feel like I'm playing with these same 5 lbs back and forth. I still have 50-60 to go, so I'm about halfway to where I want to be. I'm thrilled with that, but this hang up the last 4 months is really bumming me out. As a total aside, I seriously miss broccoli. *sigh*

I actually had to have an unfill because of a gummy vitamin C. You'd have thought it would dissolve eventually, but it didn't seem to. So just be extra cautious. Not everyone can get away with them!

Howdy from another long-ago'er. I'm having this issue as well. I'd done *really* well for quite a while. Then I hit a period of overfilling where nothing went down, unfill, refill, rinse & repeat. Last time this happened, I got ibuprofen stuck and it irritated my esophagus (I was throwing up blood). Since then, nothing has been the same. Now, I have a hard time getting anything in. I have to drink something hot with any meal. Drinking calories! UGH! Sometimes I can get food down, and sometimes nothing will work. I can't drink anything cold, ever, without it closing up on me and off I go to the porcelain god. I'm way under on my Water intake because I can't bring myself to drink hot water. Usually it's tea, occasionally coffee. The problem is, I don't feel full. I actually *feel* hungry. It's really, really frustrating! What is this? Someone also mentioned going back and starting over. Are we talking strictly liquids for a week/more? I feel like the fill may not be the issue, but don't really know. I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this, it's a little better to know that someone understands!

I've been super busy with work related stuff and haven't had the time to poke my head in and see how y'all are doing. This thread is *awesome!* I'm so glad to be able to read everyone's experience. I had my first fill today, it was 1.5cc and I feel absolutely nothing. Except sore in my port area. I just had some Soup for dinner, and still feel no restriction. If I don't notice any changes in the next week or so, I'm going to see if I can get in again. I've actually gained a few pounds over the last few weeks. But like the Dr said, "This doesn't really start until today. Up till now, you were just healing." So we'll see! Big hugs to all my Bandito buddies! :wink:

Complete frankness here. Has anyone started having sex again yet? We celebrated 2 weeks post-op last night. :wink2: There was this strange pressure sensation, almost like I could feel the band moving (missionary position, but not full stomach contact). I've also noticed the same feeling when I slouch, or when I laugh. It's not quite "pain" but it's borderline. I usually put my hand over it and put pressure against it and that seems to help. I'm honestly not sure if it's the port itself or just where the port incision is still swollen/hard. When I touch it, it feels VERY close to the skin, like barely under the skin. Is this normal? Isn't the band supposed to be deeper? Anyone have any clue what I'm talking about, lol? The post-op instructions say it's okay to resume sex 2 weeks afterward, but I'm wondering if that's what everyone else was told, too.

I stopped weighing as often (every few days now) because the scale isn't moving. However, yesterday I re-measured everything and I've lost 3.5 inches in the last few weeks. So yay there! Don't forget, there's more than just a scale to measure progress

Good luck tomorrow everyone! We'll all be hoping for you to have an easy recovery. Can't wait to hear all about your big day!

I've also found that a popsicle or a little cup of Jello (sometimes with a squirt of the Cool Whip in a can) when I'm feeling hungry helps. I feel more like I've had something to eat, when I really haven't. And definitely getting in some protein helps.

Amen to all the above! I feel super blessed to have y'all to go through this with. Even when Cyndi asked for a kick in the butt, everyone was sensitive and helpful about it. There's a way to support and help each other with respect and without beating them down. I'm so proud to be a part of this fabulous group. Here's to the Mayo Banditos! /toasts with a Protein shake

Isn't this the part they call Bandster's Hell? I don't think we're supposed to feel any restriction at this point. But we have to be so sure to still follow the "rules" so we can heal. I've found that keeping a food journal really helps me stay honest and keeps me from eating things I really shouldn't. I don't want to see it in writing! Maybe that would be something that could help you to keep the cravings in check? Also, my nutritionist recommended eating something every 2 hours or so throughout the day at this point. It will help me get used to eating small meals more frequently and it keeps me from being hungry between times especially since I have no restriction right now. Hang in there. I think this is all trial and error for each of us until we find something that works for us. And thank you SpecialK for the very wise words! It definitely reinforces my desire to stay on course.

I so have that fear too! I can look down and the port side (god, now I really do feel like a boat!) definitely sticks out further. I have a little bit of hope because my Dr wouldn't even poke to show me where the port was because he said it's all still swollen for several weeks. But yes, I completely have this same thought every time I look down. Cyndi, ohhhh nooo!! That would be so frustrating. My DH should stress for weeks. Thankfully he had the big V last year and those worries are a thing of the past. Here's hoping there's nothing for you to worry about. Maybe use two next time?

My goal is to be back to walking half an hour this weekend. I'm also going to get one of those GoWear Fit things that keep track of how much I'm burning throughout the day. I want to be able to see how I'm doing, and where I need to improve.

I'm up to the mushy stage, and I still don't feel like I have any energy. I've been keeping a food diary, and my caloric intake is under 1000 every day. I've been focusing on getting enough Protein but it's not adding up to enough calories. There's definitely a huge learning curve with this band! Something I found yesterday was a multi-Vitamin by Viactiv, the company that makes the chocolate Calcium chews. They're really good, and I compared it to the One-A-Day and it was as good. It also had a few things like riboflavin (aka B2) that the One-A-Day didn't have. (Neither have Iron though.) I got both the multivitamin and the calcium, one in chocolate one in caramel. They were very easy to chew. I was afraid when I bought them that they wouldn't dissolve very well and I'd be stuck with this big wad of stuff. Plus, it felt like I was being completely bad they tasted sooo good!

Best wishes to all of you going in today! We'll be here when you get home. :smile:

Holy cow! Two incisions and only 20 minutes?! That's incredible! Best of luck on a continued easy recovery.

After stretch marks from six pregnancies, I'm not worried about a few incision scars, lol! The itchy isn't so bad as long as I keep hydrocortisone on them, but if I forget, or kinda rub them with my shirt without thinking, they itch like crazy.

Are you sure that's where the actual port is and not just the port incision? Mine is about 3 inches under my port incision. Mine is in the middleish, to the left. If you go straight up about 3 inches from my bellybutton, and then straight left 3 inches, it's right there.

FYI, baby food sucks too :redface: Especially macaroni beef & veggie. What WAS I thinking?

Back from the Dr's office. He said it's an allergic reaction to the steri-strips. :redface: Apparently it'll go away eventually.