onikenbai

I've been on a never ending string of liquids for days on end but it hasn't really helped, every time I go to actual solids, the problem is still there. Yesterday I had an exciting day though as I managed to keep down a salad. Meatloaf today was another story... two bites and no-go. I had hoped that four days of liquids would be enough to get stuff to stay down but no. Two more days till I meet with the nurse for a bit of an unfill. Until then, I love kool-aid! The funny thing is that what doesn't come up are my pills; I've had no trouble taking them. Logic says that if I'm too tight to keep food down, then pills should be a problem. So far so good. I don't get it. Maybe it's because I take them at night when I'm most likely to be able to keep food down? They're not big pills so maybe they just squeak through?

So a week or so ago I posted that I was getting really frustrated that I was banded last October, that I had lost no weight, and that I had terrible first bite syndrome but no real restriction once the first bite syndrome passed in about 30 min. So I was back at my doctor and he was of the belief that I was hovering on the border of restriction: I had enough to cause PBing and first bite syndrome, but not enough to be effective. His solution was to add an extra 1/2cc. Since the 12th I've barely been keeping Water down, and have only managed to get actual food in me a few times without puking it back up. Even Soup causes me to throw up 3 or 4 times in a half hour. The kicker is that I haven't lost a single ounce still. I fully realise that I'm too tight or that something is seriously wrong because I can't even drink in the mornings, nevermind eat. I called my clinic and they seem unconcerned that I'm throwing up 7-8 times a day. They've schedulled me to come in for a slight unfill next Tuesday, 5 days after I tell them I'm barely keeping liquids down. Now, either because my stomach is tired of the puking or something more serious is happening, my stomach is constantly hurting a bit. Not a pukey hurt, but a tugging pain hurt. On a completely empty stomach. All. the. time. I would like to change doctors, but because of the flat fee schedule in Canada it just isn't possible to change clinics like you would in the US. Am I wrong to be slightly pissed at my clinic? They fully know that I've been throwing up almost daily since early February and they really aren't looking into the problem. There's talk that if I'm still puking by early May they may send me for an X-ray to see what's going on. That's four honkin' months of puking! Of course there's something wrong! Fills aren't done under fluoro in Canada so the last time anybody actually saw what was going on with my band was the day I had it put in. I reaaaally don't want to be stuck with another surgery to fix a slipped band because my clinic glossed over the problems. They would be on the tap for it financially, so that's not my worry, but it would take me out of action at work for at least two months because of the type of job I do. Last October wasn't so bad to be on the restricted duty list, but right now I have to be able to haul buckets of water and spends lots of my life doing field work. I am not a happy camper. Sorry, minor rant over. But am I'm justified in being pissed at my clinic? Can't quite decide if I'm being a special snowflake or not.

the feeling that in 30 seconds you're going to puke your guts out all day long? Cause I'm there. A good chunk of the day I can barely get liquids down and eating isn't really happening. When I do eat, I better be near a bathroom because it's not likely to stay down. The funny thing is that I don't throw up the actual food... I just produce huge amounts of slime and the food stays down. What in the holly hell have I got myself into?:smile:

I've been having a lot of problems up to this point with terrible first bite syndrome which causes me to throw up my first bite no matter what food it is, followed 30 minutes later by having zero restriction. On going to the doctor on Monday he decided that the best solution for this was another fill. Since he doesn't use fluoro, we don't really have a clear picture of what's going on, but fill he did. liquids are going down ok, but since my fill my stomach feels like it's full of lead. It's hard to explain the feeling but this is the first time I've had it in the seven or eight fills I've had (I've totally lost count now) but it feels slightly flu-ish and like I'm going to hurl, but not so much that I hastily make my way towards the bathroom. Is this proper restriction finally? I realise some of the crappy feeling will be from swelling, but I'm just wondering if this is a common feeling, the incredible heaviness of the stomach?

I'm right there with you only I was banded last October and I paid 18K. I wish people would stop asking!! Isn't it obvious something isn't working as planned? Do you have to rub my nose in it?

I have this exact same problem. My first bite pretty much has to come up. I also am getting tired of cold food. After the bite comes up, I can eat two cups or more of food easily and I'm not losing any weight at all. Do I need more fill, less fill, what?!? I've tried to ask my doctor about it but I'm not getting a clear answer or any sort of solution. Since my doctor doesn't use fluoro ever, I don't have a good idea if I actually have proper restriction or bad restriction and a jumpy tummy. I find that a few good solid thumps to the sternum with the fist generally brings up the offending bite. If that doesn't work, chug a cup of Water. That does it every time for me.

The stringies in celery can be problematic if you just chomp the stalk. Problem solved if you chop it really small and then use it. No idea why onion is off limits. I've had no problems.

I doubt seriously that I could ever get my GP to do a fill or even an emergency unfill since she knows I paid a fortune for my band and she doesn't want to be blamed for screwing it up. I would think a lot of GPs would feel the same way, regardless if OHIP would pay them or not.

To answer the questions: I'm as active as I can be. I have fibromyalgia, which is incredibly painful and makes it hard to exercise. If I do too much in one day, I run the risk of not being able to walk at all for the next two or three days. I do get a fair bit of exercise at work because I do as much field work as my body will allow, but of course I could get more. I would acutally love to get more and I remember the days when I could ride my bike, but now I'm pretty much restricted to yoga and what I do at work, which is walking and the occasional groundwater sampling. Even at work I can only do so much exercise and field work before I collapse from the pain and exhaustion. Some days I suck it up and push through the pain to get work done, but ultimately I pay the price. Yep, the drugs I'm on do cause significant weight gain. Not much I can do there becuase without the drugs I am unable to function on the most basic level. The PB-ing stopped once I got out that bit of fill. I haven't had an instance of it in about a month now. It was only that one particularly bad week. Part of the problem may have been that I ran out of my anti-inflammatory drug and everything in my body puffed up. Yeah, we won't be letting that happen again. I do keep track of my food as time allows. I work about 50-60hrs a week, and with the 9-10hrs a day of sleep I need to keep my fibro under some control, there isn't a lot of time left some days. I do the best I can on the food front and get as much Protein in as possible. I unfortunately cannot have the protein powders. I have tried a wide variety of them and all of them leave me writhing on the floor in agony within the first few sips. Only when I was a week into my 3 week pre-op diet did it come out of my mother's mouth that I am biologically unable to digest a large number of Proteins due to a birth defect. Thanks for holding that little gem back mother... it's not like that could be important or anything :thumbup:. So my protein has to come from actual food, and even then that doesn't always sit well. Beans, chicken and fish... the holy trinity of the band. It sounds like I'm making 1000 excuses as to why this isn't working, but I am trying. With all the medical problems I have, some days it just isn't fun being me. Believe me, it's in my best interests to make this work. If it doesn't, there is a fairly good chance that the pressure that is building up in my brain will pull the retinas off my eyeballs, causing permanent blindness. If that's not a carrot in front of a carriage, I don't know what is. As I said, it's not always fun being me. Most days it really rather sucks.

I've had no problems with it. I buy the semi-dried slices. The completely dried coconut is sugar coated and sweeter than it needs to be for my taste.

So I was banded in October of 2009 and, with the exception of the pre-op diet weight, I've lost nothing since my surgery. I'm eating less than I used to and trying to be as active as my disabled body will let me, but no go. The biggest part of my problem is that I'm having restriction problems. I have terrible first bite syndrome. I take one bite and then have to sit and stare at my food for the next 20 minutes while my muscles relax for me to take a second. I've tried drinking something hot 20 minutes before trying to eat but that doesn't help much. Once I can eat again, I can eat almost limitlessly. I have about 7.5ccs in a large band. I did have about .3ccs more a month ago, but I kept PBing up everything and anything I ate on the first bite so I had to get a little bit out. I'm starting to get really frustrated. I'm trying to stick to the rules but I'm hungry and in pain at the same time. I'm just confused. Do I need more fill? Am I missing something? Is there something that they didn't tell me that I should know?

I had my surgery in October 2009 and haven't lost anything either. I'm still having troubles getting to proper restriction. This is not a quick fix. Yes, I am starting to get really frustrated over this, but it is far too early for you to panic.

Schools don't serve food, other than pizza day or something special, before high school. Some high schools have cafeteria, some don't. The general law of the land is that if you want your kid to eat during school hours, lunch gets packed. Plus you feed your kid before school. What I saw on that show was just horrifying. Who serves pizza for Breakfast to anybody other than a frat boy?! The thing that was the most surprising to me was the hostility toward Jamie over changing the status quo. Seriously, do they think that one week of a changed experimental diet is going to kill them? salad is not a weapon.

It sounds like the swelling has kicked in and the hole has got fairly small. How big was the fill? You might have had too much put in for you to take at one time, or you could just be one of those people who swells a lot. It doesn't sound like it's closed up completely or else you'd be hurling up spit. Your choices are to go have some taken out or to try to ride out the swelling phase, hoping you'll be good in a day or two. Warm liquids will help with the swelling and relaxing the stomach. You only have to take a few sips of Water after your fill? I have to put back at least a cup before they'll let me go home.

Could be partially stuck. Instead of sipping Water, try a water shot of about a cup. Just toss 'er back, but stand near a sink or toilet! I also find a few good thumps to the sternum helps move things along... but not usually downward.

Yes you can get stuck on liquids, so to speak. If the hole at the bottom is very small, drinking too much will result in the liquid sitting in your esophagus rather than your stomach. Some people can tolerate this. Most cannot. The goldfish crackers were probably what you got stuck on, even if they were incredibly mushy. When you wash dishes in the sink even the smallest amount of solid in the trap makes the Water not drain well. Your stomach is the same way.

Yes the Fluid is an enclosed environment, but it has to go through skin, a needle and your port to get there. It's possible that bacteria could get picked up along the way. It's good that they figured it out before it became a real problem. If they replaced your fluid and added 1/2cc, then you shouldn't be eating much beyond mushies yet. It's a fill. liquids for 48hrs to let the swelling go down. If you're still having trouble with anything more than mushies then don't push it.

I've never had fluoro, not even to check band placement. I kind of wish they'd use it at at least once to check that the band is in the right place and to see how my restriction is doing, especially since I'm having problems with no restriction to way too much in a very small increment. I'm not even sure my clinic has a fluoro unit.

My hair started falling out in handfuls the second week of my pre-op diet. So far I've lost about 1/3 of my hair and it's not slowing down. At this rate I'll be bald by fall.

I was on it for a while to relieve the pressure in my head. The only relief I got from it was the day I stopped having to pay for it. Otherwise it was a really expensive tic tac. My dose was fairly low though.

I've heard a good pair of Spanx does help a bit to keep the skin in order while it's shrinking. Unfortunately there isn't a cure-all for it and you may have to treat yourself to some plastics afterward. On the upside, the people I know who've had tummy lifts did get a bit of the thigh problem taken care of merely by doing the panni.

I say call her on her rudeness and call it a life lesson for her. Yes, it would be a tad rude on your part but c'est la vie. Possible comebacks: Wow, does it make you feel better to make others feel like crap? And your medical degree came from....? No, I think misery would be to stand around here listening to you any longer. You did the lifestyle change? Aren't you special. My personal favourite is to just break into tears and to leave the room sobbing. Then she feels like the tool she is and you don't catch the flack for being the crabby one who can't control herself. Slightly passive aggressive, but soooo fun.

60 days?!? You officially win the award for longest pre-op diet ever. That's insane.

Did you have to put on those oh so comfy compression stockings? I had to put them on before my surgery and I wasn't allowed to take them off for five days. Clot potential is minimized by walking often and keeping your feet up while you're sitting down. So lounge on that couch! That's an order! FYI if you got a shot of thinner during your surgery (which the vast majority of people do) stay clear of your dentist for the next three months if possible. It has a very long residence time in the body and the bleeding during your cleaning will be crazy. You may even find that your gums will bleed very easily when you brush your teeth for a while after surgery.

Rice I haven't even tried because it seems like tempting fate, but I can do mashed and boiled potatoes, but french fries are a no-go. No loss, I was never a fan of them anyway. I can do Pasta in the form of lasagna or something else baked with lots of liquid, but regular pasta not so much because it continues to expand a bit after you eat it. Regular doughy bread no. Pitas sometimes. I tried pizza once and that didn't end well. Actually, now that I think of it, I had rice in a soup. Again though, it was already expanded to 100% of its potential volume. I probably wouldn't tackle a bowl of it, especially if it were the Japanese rice I'm most used to. As rude as it is to refuse rice in Japan, it's probably more rude to throw it back up on somebody.