abingdongirl

I just had my second fill this past Monday, and I just got off liquids and mushies but regular food does not go down the same way... I actually had a piece of meat get stuck last night so that wasn't good and I thought that I chewed it well but it still got stuck, so I got through it but it took almost an hour to get through it... I now have 4.5cc in a 10cc band...

Just got back from the doctors office for my second fill he put in 1cc so now I have 4.5 cc in my band on top of that I have gained a pound since my last visit not sure how, other than my cleaning out thing might have made me hold more Fluid. My fill was uneventful, very easy as I barely felt a pinch. he pulled it out and put it back in, I felt a little more restriction when I had to drink that cup of Water. on a down side I found out that my umbilical hernia mesh has popped out and will need to be repaired, the surgeon said well it definitly has to be repaired but I can wait a little bit, I think it is possible to get a tummy tuck for this kind of hernia especially since it failed once already and within two years. bummer but I don't plan to get it fixed no time soon.

Hey just wondering, I have issues with swelling here and there, my blood pressure is now a little weird the top number is great but my bottom number is still off a little, I am off of BP medication, and I haven't checked my blood sugar yet, however, this past two weeks was my first TOM since the surgery and my cravings were really bad, I noticed that I can eat almost anything but some foods take a minute to go down than others. I am due for my second fill on Monday and I think I am available for one more before I am done with my post-op visits, I am not sure how many I can have after that period via my insurance. My weight loss has fluctuated all this week I just started working out on a regular basis but it is hard with my schedule. I just can't wait till I hit my sweet spot and just can't eat those forbidden foods...

Hello all, I was banded on August 5th, so now 8 weeks out as of today and it has been great. I lost the first 18 lbs in the first 12 days, however, I have lost a full dress size and feeling good. My blood pressure is coming down and I am off BP meds. I had my first fill on the 22nd which was a great experience in that I had no numbing meds and no pain just a pinch and a fill of 3.5cc's I go for my next fill on October 6th I think, I just found out they moved to a new location and I won't know till today because that little bit is doing nothing for me. I don't eat that much, but it is still more than what the doctor wanted me to eat. Since my fill I lost an additional 5lbs I was very happy to see that. so that brings my total weight loss down to 24lbs and in a good 14/16 in some clothes and an 18 in my fitting clothes which is great from the size 20 I was in all summer. I am very happy with my band I have no regrets, even though I wanted RNY first I am glad I am losing at a steadier pace, and learning how to eat without bread, or cake. I have had one step where I got a little stuck and it hurt but no slime, however enough that I don't even crave it, at least for now. I notice I can eat more of the softer foods than I can eat regular cuts of chicken or meat. I am a happy camper for sure.

Thanks I was finally able to get out and see the doc. it appears i am constipated, even though I have been going everyday some how still got backed up... Well I have to take a pretty strong laxative to help move things along. I even got to take a copy of my X-ray to take with me to the surgeon, it was really neat to see my band sitting there and all looked good...

Well over the past two days I have had lots of gas in my upper intestines, I had my first fill this past tuesday and at first I had a hard time burping but now I don't burp as much it seems like the gas is stuck and has traveled to my intestines where it is now irritating an older abdominal hernia surgery to the point I can't laugh, sneeze or cough with out a very sore like pain... I plan to call the doctor since I am only 7 weeks out of surgery, however, I know it is just trapped gas and I have been using gas-X and phaszyme, with little relife. Has anyone every experienced this before

I must agree my ability to burp is not as good as it was before and I really liked to burp, now I am holding gas in my bowels which is not fun but this just started today and I had my fill on Tuesday evening, I started eating eggs today and they went down okay but I didn't burp much afterwards so I will have to ease back into foods again, but it felt okay.

I would call them back, my doctor looks at weight loss and the amount of food you can eat at a time, I was up to about 2 cups of food I won't know where I am at till friday with this fill but I am sure I will be back in two weeks to get my next fill, I am hoping that I will only need that one more fill for a while as I read you shouldn't get too many fills.

I can't say being back on liquids is a walk in the park, I really don't like my protien shakes that much so I have been experimenting with some of my earlier soups and I do feel fuller sooner just hungry quicker but I heard it changes once I get back on real food oh Friday can't get here quick enough...:thumbdown:

I got my first fill today, and I guess I now know my doc is a little aggressive, I have 3.5ccs in my 10cc band and it went in without a hitch, I didn't have numbing meds but it pinched for a second I was just happy he found it pretty quickly then He had me drink a cup of Water, and I could feel the seperation of my upper and lower stomach I had a pause then I felt it go down. the doc. told me that most people aren't at the sweet spot till 6 to 8 cc's and he hopes to get me there in the next month. I am home and now I know why they put you on liquids for a couple of days I feel like I need that. so it back to liquids for two days and then he told me to eat regular food see how I feel and if I am still able to eat more than a cup at a time, then come back for another fill. Now I just feel a little tight but not too tight and liquids are going down well, I am hoping to see my stalled weight start to move down over the next couple of weeks.

I was so excited when I saw this post, then I read the rest of what you have still been going through. Erin be proud to get yourself under 200lbs, however, being sick the whole time doesn't help at all, maybe once you get through this infection you may feel better, but you have to do what is right for your body, nobody else can do it for you. and you are right, you now know what can work for your body to help you lose the weight and keep off what you have already done. Congrats girly and have fun in your senior Year...

Wow, I am a little nervous I get my first fill on Tuesday which is 6 weeks since my surgery, I don't know what to expect, I don't think he uses a flouroscope or x-ray, but I too and 5'5" and now at 230 from 253 before surgery, but I have been at a stand still since starting regular but I do see the inches disapearing I am already down a whole dress size, even since the weight loss has slowed down. know I have a 10cc band, but not sure how much he will put in. I keep hearing some doctors are aggressive and some are more conservative, but I know I get full fast now, but then I get hungry again rather quickly, and I can pretty much eat anything. I will be sure to post something once I get done.

Well that is great about you getting home before lunch time, I would proably agree with you about waiting to have your first fill as you have had so many problems up to this point you may want to wait a week or two to see how you do on solids. I don't get my fill till the 22nd, which is two weeks away, I hope I can get some restriction, I have some but not enough. and all of this is with no fill at all...

Hey Erin I just wrote on your wall, I am glad you are doing a little better, I know what you mean as far as ready to feel like yourself again. I am now a full month out from my surgery and I still have two more weeks till I get my first fill, I cannot wait. I am hungry and can hold a lot of liquids and soft foods, but I haven't lost a single pound since the liquid stage, I even gained a couple back and re-lost it over this first week of school, I am walking a lot, I am not on full regular foods yet, I am suppose to go to regular foods this week but my throat is sensative I think from the hiatal hernia I had repaired with the band, I don't have a lot of restriction, but I had one instance of bread getting stuck from eating the school pizza, I know dumb move but it took a good day to get it to move out,with lots of hot tea. I think getting back to school will be good for you it will keep your mind off of your complications and frustrations, the only area I have found problems in is making sure I pack a lunch, last year I ate cafeteria food, and now I can't eat half of the foods they offer. and since you are still having trouble you should have a note to allow you to have a snack between lunch. Keep it up you will love your band, and new girly figure too...

Today makes a full month since surgery, my weight lost has stalled since I started mushies and food, although I had gained three pounds they are now gone again, so a total of 20lbs from my heavist and 18lbs since the surgery, which is awesome. I am still on soft foods, I have tried eating regular foods in small portions twice and ended up with this scratchy throat feeling and ended up going back to mushies and soft foods. I did have one instance where bread got stuck for almost a day it wasn't a full blockage, because I could still get my protien shake down but boy did I have to burp, so I ended up drinking a soda to get a good one up and it finally moved... but I felt swollen afterwards and went to liquids for a day and felt better. I am back to work, and back to real life running around and working all kinds of hours, My middle daughter had open heart surgery two weeks ago so we have been up with here most of the week and trying to keep up with my protien intake is still a little challenging, I am done with the protien shakes trying to get it through my foods. No port pain but I wake up in the mornings and now know what it means that the band is tight, my throat is also sore, and I am not sure if it is the hiatal hernia repair or what... but intersting I do know that ice Water feels really good first thing in the morning. So far loving the band

I have been asked several times "have you lost weight"? and my husband said my backside is getting smaller, my Shirts which were 18/20 are loser, and I have lost 10 inches all over my body, to include an inch off my lovely hips... I have a really big botty... :thumbup:

I was on full liquids for three weeks, but only on clear for three days. that is a long time for clear, are you sure it is strickly clear?

I was banded August 15th, still on mushies, I have been doing ok, I have minimal restriction where I feel full faster, but I am able to eat close to two cups of food at a time but I am having a hard time eating all of my meals, and keeping up with my busy schedule, school started and I am now back to work and it is a little hard. I have eaten chicken breast, and a couple of fries, but mostly mashed potatoes, and soft foods. but still way under the 1200 calories I should be eating a day.

Erin, do you know if you had a fill during your surgery, I would ask, because maybe if you did that is why you feel so bad, I remember you had issues with nausea after the surgery... :eek:Call the doctor and make a list of all of your concerns they are obligated to help you as you are still considered post op, follow-up. But this is major surgery even it you only have a few holes to show for it, you have to give your body a chance to heal, and with that it will go through many things you may have never experienced before, you will feel like yourself again:thumbup: It doesn't last long, but it will take some time.

I had that feeling too my first week, it was the swelling, it just takes time to go down. if you are really concerned I would just call the dr's office just to be sure.

I started mushies two days ago, and I feel ya Karen, I was so nervous about being able to eat one egg. I waited like 30 minutes before I took a sip of Water. I am still on mostly liquids and I have been eating mushies like one meal a day, I am really struggling with being back to work, and making sure I eat enough protien, and drink enough liquids. I did notice that I can eat about a cup of food and be sastified for three to four hours. so far I have had, homemade mash potato's and homemade beef gravy, lake trout fish with the skin pulled off, cottage cheese and SF Jello, and scambled eggs. the rest of the day it is mostly my Soups oh and I have had applesauce. For now there is no way I can make it to 1200 calories, getting in 600 is a struggle. :thumbup:

You could be coming down with a cold, I would call your doctor to see especially since you were doing well prior.

I am happy for you as well, I started mushies two days ago, and it is the best... But I did get one of those headaches from eating too much the first, had my blended Soup. My mushie stage is also soft foods, so I can have fish, pureed chicken, tuna fish, soft scrambled eggs and cottage cheese which helps with the protien intake as well. I still have that lump but it is no pain or anything, I see the surgeon Moday I cannot wait.

Hi, I was banded August 5th, I can't believe it is 17 days already, I started mushies two days ago, but I am finding it hard to get out of the liquid stage, I found I had a headache from eating all of the food the first two days. My first week was a little rough, I could walk around fine,and that helped with the gas but the left shoulder pain was horrible. now I only get once in a while. I find it hard to get in 50 grams of protien with the fluid requirements too. I lost 18 pounds in the first 12 days but nothing since I know I need to increase the calories so I plan to talk to my nutritionist about what I can do to increase both my protien and calories. other than that I am back to work part time and trying to balance eating right and working.

Bacon, my husband was fixing it for the children the other day and I swear it whispered "come on you chew me to mush... I know you want me" while I was sitting downstairs. and I almost went upstairs but I had some sugar free jello and sat down and ate that instead... but yeah I can't wait till the non-solid food stage is over just went to mushies two days ago.