johnmordecai

Hi everybody. I'm writing as a lap-band failure. I had surgery in July 2009, and was faithful to the program for a year--lost 55 lbs. But I never found a sweet spot, and got too tight in May 2010, loosened in June 2010 but perhaps not enough. Anyway, I found I couldn't get anything down and began--yes--with milkshakes and the like to compensate. I began gaining, had some family trouble, and long story short, I'm here in March 2012 having gained all the weight back. I am going to call my surgeon's office and get a new fill-tighten-loosen, but I'm looking for advice-counsel-experience from those who have gone through something like this and have managed to get back on the horse and get straight. Thank you so much for your time.

I'm nine months post surgery. Last month I lost only a lb, after having stayed at the same fill amount as the previous month, when I lost 8. My doctor brought me up from 7.2 to 8. It's about 9 hours later and liquids are going down very slowly, with a lot of burping. It's not painful, but odd...Is this just today's adjustment and I'll be better off on Saturday? The problem is I'm going out of town on Saturday and will be away until Wednesday. What would you do? Wait it out or get an unfill? Never done an unfill before.

I'm four days after my first fill, 3 ccs in the band. Not much restriction. So I had a piece of halibut, an ear of corn, some pieces of cucumber, and about half a plum at dinner. Three hours later I'm really hungry. So I had a teaspoon of peanut butter. The halibut was half a lb. before cooking. Was this a good day or did I eat too much?

I had my first fill, 3 ccs in the Realize band. In the five hours since, I've been incredibly gassy and burpy. I haven't eaten anything, just had water. Also feel like I need to go #2 but can't. Normal?

A month after surgery, and I'm getting my first fill. It's been a tough two weeks because I experience no restriction whatever and after 26 days of liquids and mushies, I have been working hard not to eat everything in sight. I did pretty well, not great, no loss but no gain except maybe a pound. So what do you think I should expect? A small fill or a big one? My doc is Fielding in New York, he's doing the fill; will he go tight or start loose?

my doctor says four weeks.

I found this on the web. It's from 2007, but it's the most comprehensive medical journal I've seen on the subject of bariatric surgery. The link takes you directly to a PDF download of the file, which is an entire issue of the journal. www.generalsurgerynews.com/download/gsnse07issueWM.pdf

I did. It's cool.

yes. it could be the aftereffects of the anesthetic, which can last a few days.

I had surgery on July 20. And I am a man. Though I have been known to cry during Terms of Endearment.

So I'm in mushies, nearly two weeks post-op, and it's clear that a) I have no restriction whatever and :thumbdown: if I hold to the mushie diet I was given by the nutritionist, I am going to be living with painful hunger for another 17 days until I get my first fill. I haven't been eating anything sugary, cakey, or bready, and no dessert, so I still feel like I'm on a diet, but I feel like I just can't keep to the plan that I should act as though I have 4 ccs of saline in my band. Anyone btdt, or offer counsel?

The surgical swelling also causes you to gain.

It may be that your BMI doesn't suggest a distended liver, and so the pre-op diet isn't necessary in your case.

I'm 11 days out. The swelling seems to be gone and has left me very, very hungry--though oddly as I type this I'm not. I've lost 13 lbs since surgery, 26 in all. I won't have my fill until August 18 and this is going to be a tough period. I'm fortunate on this board in that my ultimate goal is only 70 lbs away. I don't feel deprived; I just feel hungry.

So I'm on mushies, and I went to get tuna salad for lunch at a local deli. I'd taken a few bites when I realized there was celery in it and celery is bad for the band. But the pieces of celery were very very small. Anyway, I chewed and chewed and chewed. Now, 15 minutes later, I'm feeling something in the back of my throat, almost like something is a little bit stuck, but nothing esophogeal is happening. I'm not inclined to hypochondria, so I'm a little worried and given that it's Friday afternoon, I doubt there's much I could get out of my dr's office. Any advice?