GuyMontag

You likely will be able to as long as there aren't any complications. A week after surgery I was doing fine.

I think sugar craving is a lap band side effect. Lol.

Stress can really tighten your band. Not to mention that after a fill that gives you really good restriction can also cause you to unconsciously take in less fluids leading to dehydration. You may loosen up on your own or you could try liquid motrin to help with the swelling. There's certainly nothing wrong with getting a little fluid out and I do think it's worse to be too tight rather than too loose. Good luck!

w00t!

They can go down slow for me but I can eat them just fine if I take my time.

Definitely call doc's office. At best you're just swollen. However, throwing up can lead to a slip so better safe than sorry. Good luck!

Dumping syndrome doesn't apply to Lap Band. It is a side effect of getting gastric bypass. Once you heal you should be able sleep any way you want. The port isn't that uncomfortable for most people. Especially the newer lower profile ones that have been out for about five years or more.

I wonder too about the TMJ. Whenever I get really stressed over a long period I can develop it. I know that food is one of my primary coping mechanism so, not being able to cope = extra stress = TMJ, if I'm not careful.

I drank coffee fine for years after getting banded. Unfortunately, I figured out that caffeine actually causes me headaches so I only do decaf now. As for you, I don't see why coffee would be a problem at all.

Well the good news is you have not gained all your weight loss. Without your band you would probably weigh even more than you did when you got banded. Another piece of good news is that you are already banded and have a tool that can help you with the weight loss. I'm definitely sorry to hear about the trials you've gone through lately and honestly if it was me I would need some counseling to help get me back on track. We're here in the forums if you need help and encouragement and I'm sure you'll get more weight off and your life will start getting better. Good luck!

Not if they're done correctly!

I live in Florence.

Honestly, the main point is to shrink fat around the liver. If it was me and I was loosing weight, I'd do it with whatever shakes/food I damn well wanted. I do think the pre-op diet is important even though some docs don't use it. I wonder if the docs that don't use it use different precautions for the liver area during surgery?

First of all let me say how strong you are for posting this in here open and honestly. It's so easy to only share our awesome weight loss all the time and it can be hard to open ourselves up to get honest feedback and support in here. I think a lot of us hit a low number then bounce back up some although most won't admit it. I definitely understand what you're going through with having some Fluid out, stress, etc. I think sometimes we have to balance what we can live with weight wise in our lives vs. how much stress, etc. we allow to remain. I'm about to move and I'm looking for a new job so I know I'm going to be going through a lot of stress and instances where I can't have my band locking up on me so I'm purposely staying a little on the loose side. Sure, I could get more fluid and try to lose the last few pounds again but frankly, I'm choosing not to because I know I don't have the patience to do it right now. That's a choice I am making. Now, back to your weight loss. If you truly want to start losing again then you need to start switching stuff up and trying new things. Maybe therapy would help to evaluate what might be causing you to not lose the weight again or track your habits. Maybe a new diet plan, journaling, who knows. Just switch things up and see what happens. You've done a great job and I'm sure you'll continue making good choices. Sometimes we don't always move forward in our weight loss but as long as we're learning and applying what we learn that's what's most important. Good luck!

For me, Prilosec only prevents heart burn which is more of a daytime symptom for me. Acid reflux is a completely different beast. I get acid reflux at night if I eat right before bed so I try to make sure I don't eat at least 2 hours before I lay down. You may also try sleeping in a recliner or with some pillows to give you some relief. You can also prop things under your mattress or bed to help elevate the end by your head. Constant reflux is bad and can damage your esophagus. I would try something other than Prilosec for the reflux and maybe even talk to a general practitioner to get some relief ideas. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope you figure it out. PS - I had an interesting conversation with a colleague just yesterday and she posited that acid reflux is caused by low acidity in the body and the stomach produces more acid to try and up the pH of the body. Her solution was to start drinking lemonade on a daily basis and she said it worked for her. Now understand, this is completely anecdotal from my end but I know how desperate we can get when we're suffering and a glass of lemonade every day isn't a very hard fix to try. Good luck!

It took me 18 fills but my stomach kept getting leaner as I was loosing weight. 18 fills is not the norm but some people definitely need lots of fluid in their band for good restriction. Don't get discouraged, just keep going to the doc and getting more fills! You'll get there.

Keep working it and GOOD JOB!

I've been spending a lot of time on AllRecipes.com finding fun stuff to try. I can usually just browse the pictures and ingredients to see if they'll work for me and my band.

Just remember that weight loss is generally 80/20 diet/exercise. If all you can do is walk then do it every day. Diet will be the real key to your continued weight loss. Good job so far and keep up the good work! And no weight loss is too small to celebrate!

I sought therapy and it helped tremendously.

It's funny how our perspectives change on the pre-op diet. Before my diet I'd look at grilled chicken and be like, oh yuck. On pre-op diet I was so starving that grilled chicken looked like chili covered cheese fries because I was so hungry for something other than a damn protein shake. Hang in there. This is the worst part for sure. Bandster hell sucks to but at least you can eat during that time.

I had something similar happen to me after I had lost my weight. I used therapy to help me get back on track and it helped tremendously. Unfortunately, weight loss isn't always riding on a high and there are many weeks or months of tedious work that is involved. It's the consistency that makes it effective and keeps the weight loss lasting.

Yeah. You are on a loose/tight roller coaster it sounds like. Many things can make you tighter such as TOM, stress, salt, dehydration, eating something that irritates your stoma (where food passes through your band), exercise, time of day, etc. Also what you are eating could be causing your problems. For most, bread, rice, and pasta can make it very difficult to eat. Not to mention that if you throw up your irritate your stoma causing swelling and then you tighten up like crazy. When I'm especially tight it seems that dehydration is the number one culprit.

The most dramatic effects are usually at the beginning. I immediately stopped eating out as much. In the beginning it can really just be trying to find a balance and what works for you and your band. Once things settle down mealtime is just like it is anywhere else I guess. I think the more you prepare the less disruptive it is. I have a pretty good grasp on what I can and cannot comfortably eat so I don't find the band limiting me very much in social or family interactions. It definitely took me a year or so to get this way and I've been comfortable for the last several.

Dehydration would be my next guess.