ElfiePoo

I was the same. When I woke up in recovery, they asked if I was in pain. I wasn't so they didn't give me any more pain meds. Same over the next several hours. I went home with a prescription for pain meds, but never filled it and I was back at work the next day. .

Postop diets vary quite dramatically. Some are right back on solid foods within days, some within 2 weeks and some doctors keep their patients on liquids for a month. I asked my surgeon why such drastic postop diets and he said it's because many surgeons just use the same diet for banding as they do for bypass and sleeve. The bypass and sleeve require such a drastic postop diet because they've literally cut into your stomach and it needs time to heal. According to my surgeon, such a drastic diet is not necessary for the band. That said, if you're having trouble sticking to it, talk to your doctor and tell him/her. You may find they'll move you along faster through the stages. That's happened to a number of people here. .

My surgeon didn't feel it was necessary and I was comfortable with that. .

♫♪It's raining, It's pouring...and I'm not complaining because at least it isn't snow!! So no trip to Ohio this weekend. Driving 5 hours in the rain with a headache (from the barometric pressure changing) is not my idea of fun. What to do...hmmm...my youngest has been bugging me about repairing his baby quilt (actually the size of a lap quilt) so he can use it again. I'm not sure what that says when your 3 grown sons cart their 'yaya's' all over with them...including onto the plane. Oh...and so do their wives!! My oldest son's quilt is over 20 years old and *somewhere* inside all of the Patches is his original baby quilt. He actually made me put in a 'trap door' about 3x3" so he could get to the inner original quilt. I have weird sons. So, off to take some aspirin, relax with a hot cup of tea and Martha Stewart and see where I go from there. Have a good one! .

Just get up and move around, Gax-X and heating pad...and time. Usually goes away in a few days if it's gas. .

If you won't follow the rules for any WLS, I guess there's nothing more to be said. .

Nykee, Unfortunately, the bypass won't make eating impossible. Have you determined 'why' you eat? You asked why you should get an unfill if you're going to eat if you do. Well, you're 6 years post band surgery. Bands have a limited life span so at some point they're going to have to go in and take yours out and/or replace it. It's very possible that you're doing enough damage to that band area from being too tight that there is a very real possibility that you'll lose that band completely.

Nights were the roughest for me too. I found that if I kept my hands busy while I watched tv, I didn't get the munchies. Most likely because if the hands were busy, my brain was engaged as well. So now I do needlepoint or quilt or even scrapbook when I watch tv. Sometimes I just play solitaire on the computer. Anything to keep the head involved in something other than wondering what's in the refrigerator. .

Please forgive me for being blunt... You need to get an unfill. If you're having days where you can't even drink the necessary fluids to keep you hydrated and you're living on slider foods...you are *too full*. If you're unable to eat Protein and vegies...you are *too full*. Frequent episodes of ejecting stuck food may not 'technically' be called vomiting, but it is still damaging to the esophagus which was not designed for that kind of frequent abuse. The band was designed to put pressure on the vagus nerves which tell the stomach to stop producing 'ghrelin' (hunger hormone) so we can eat a normal meal (e.g. 3 oz of protein, 1/2-1 c vegies) and be satisfied for 4 hours or so. It won't stop you from eating as there is very little 'restrictive' component. No WLS will do what you want it to. You can eat your way around all of them...including the bypass. Just ask those who've had one and now weigh more than when they first had the surgery. WLS is only a tool...and I know people hate that word...but that's what it is. *WE* still have to be willing to make the necessary changes in our eating. We have to be the ones to choose to eat the right food and choose to put that fork down. My .02...get your band completely unfilled and allow your band area to rest for 3-4 weeks. My guess is you're probably dealing with swelling from the stuck episodes. Then I'd do several days of Protein shakes...again, to let the band area rest *and* get the sugar out of your system. You need to stop eating the junk and get yourself on some type of eating plan that you can follow. Most importantly...you need to stop expecting the band to do all the work. No WLS is going to fit that criteria. Don't look for the band to stop you from eating. Look for it to stop the 'hunger'. *That* is the sweet spot. No...4 years of not complying with the rules of the band are not 'proof' that you will comply with the rules of bypass. I am sorry if that seems harsh, but in this instance, I really feel it is best to be blunt. .

Denise, My sister-in-law and my daughter-in-law are both federal employees too. Not sure what my sil does, but my daughter-in-law is a social worker with the VA helping returning disabled vets find housing, employment and get into training programs...so I'm sure they'll consider her 'nonessential'. God forbid our government should actually live up to its obligations to our returning soldiers. I'm thinking if our congressmen and senators would each give up a week or two of their salaries, the people who actually *need* a salary wouldn't have to do without. .

Many people say they're addicted to 'food'...and that may be true. Some believe they eat for emotional reasons...and that may be true also. It may also be that their bodies just don't process certain carbohydrates properly and as long as they're eating these particular carbs, their body physically craves them. Stress can cause insulin responses in our body as well and again start the carb cravings. Diabetes has become an epidemic in the U.S. and what a lot of people don't realize is that insulin resistance generally starts years before the diabetes and can be prevented and reversed in these early stages just by eliminating these particular carbs. There's a wonderful book by Dr. Richard Bernstein called "The Diabetes Solution" that explains all of this and the science behind it. As a result of Dr. Bernstein, I no longer eat grains, starches or fruit (none of which are necessary for the body). Many people might say that you can't eat this way for life. They're wrong...people do. It just depends on the motivation. Some people would say you can't give up peanuts or wheat...and yet people with allergies to these things do because their feedback for eating these foods is immediate and, perhaps, fatal depending on how extreme that allergy is. Their motivation is literally keeping their life. My suggestion, if you're struggling with carbs, experiment and see if ridding yourself of them decreases or eliminates the physical cravings. It may provide the answer you seek. It may also eliminate the depression (they're finding a link to that as well. .

This is what my surgeon said as well. Slippage is not as common as it once was because now most surgeons will take a fold of the stomach and pull it over the band and stitch it down...similar to the elastic waist of a pair of slacks. .

Never heard of the Synthra shakes. I do the EAS chocolate powder mixed with unsweetened almond milk - 25gm Protein and 4 carbs. .

Never heard of the Synthra shakes. I do the EAS chocolate powder mixed with unsweetened almond milk - 25gm Protein and 4 carbs. .

Karen: Congratulations! Enjoy your pregnancy...it's a great time! Deb: My sympathies on your dad's passing...and big smack of bad karma to the jackass who broke into your house! Lynn: Love the NSV (re: recuperation time). They just keep coming! Woohoo! Crystal: How are you doing with the 'hunger' control? Not much new going on here. Just trying to tweak my WOE so that it's working at optimum to control my blood sugar levels. For any diabetics here, I highly recommend Dr. Bernstein's "Diabetic Solution". His solution for diabetics (Type 1 or 2) is similar to what Atkins recommends for everyone, although there are some slightly different things because Bernstein's goal is to get consistently 'normal' blood sugar readings for both Type 1 and 2 diabetics. So goodbye my lovely tomatoes...which I could have on Atkins but can't according to Bernstein. For the anti-Atkins (low carb, high fat) folks, Bernstein does a much better job at showing and explaining the science behind why fat is not the problem than Atkins did. I'm debating about visiting my folks this weekend, but good grief it's more complicated when you have to pack up and take food as well. We'll see if I have the mental energy for that much pre-planning. Have a good one! .

I don't go over 1200. Otherwise I don't worry about it.

I think you're all very smart for realizing the band isn't working for you because *you* aren't doing your part and while some might think another type of WLS might better serve you, the reality is that they won't help either unless you get a handle on your eating. Good luck to you all! .

So...I had my early morning visit with my primary care...who I love to death because she actually listens to me. I can print things off on the internet, take them in and say, "Look...this is what they have to say about dealing with..." and she'll actually take it and do some more research and either call me on the phone or talk to me about it at my next appointment. I was telling her this morning that I was having one of my whiney days where I resented the fact that I can't have my fruit. Ok...it's hard, but I really can live without the grains and starches...but c'mon...fruit!? Anyway, we were talking about whether or not my insulin resistance will ever reverse itself to where my body can tolerate these things and she said most likely...over time, but still only in much more limited quantities than a person without this metabolic disorder. The she said, "But I can tell you how you can resolve your insulin resistance much more quickly and it only involves one small change." Happily and hopefully I queried, "Yes??" She gets this smug little grin on her face and says, "Exercise." (cuz I've been fighting her on starting a regular exercise program. On the way out, she said, "You just have to ask yourself...how bad do you want that fruit?" Most days I really like her. Today wasn't the day. .

Yeahhhh! Do you ever have those days when you kind of 'understand' why an anorexic does what they do? Seriously...when the rest of life seems to be spiraling 'out of control', this is one area where we can have absolute control if we choose.

Some days I'll have 2 scrambled eggs, other days 1 egg. Some mornings just a Protein shake. Have you decided what your long-term plan of eating will be (e.g. Atkins, Weight Watchers, etc.?). If so, I'd go by that. If you have trouble eating in the mornings due to band tightness, try starting with a hot cup of tea or coffee. I've even started with just a cup of hot Water. It seemed to help loosen the band a bit. If all else fails and you just can't eat in the morning, make your breakfast a slider...just pick something that is higher in protein because that's what's going to help stave off the hunger.

You may feel great, but your body still needs time to heal. Your port most likely has stitches holding it in place and this area needs time for the port to 'settle' in solidly. Same with your band. Most surgeons fold a flap of tissue over the band to keep it from slipping. This needs time to heal. You don't want to have to go back in when the stitches rip and your port flips. I went home with strict instructions to walk for 30 minutes each day to prevent blood clots but no real exertion for 2 weeks. At my 2 week postop visit, he cleared me for more walking but still no exercises that involved jumping, bending or contorting for at least another 2 weeks. I don't ride bikes (absolutely no sense of balance and I'd need training wheels ), but aren't most bikes built in such a way that you have to lean forward? That would've been a no-no for me and my port was above my waist. I'd talk to your surgeon, although you may find in the next day or two that your body is also telling you that you overdid it with soreness in your port area.

You guys do know this thread is over 3 years old and the OP hasn't posted in what looks like forever so may not even be here? .

Don't beat yourself up...just get back on the horse. This is a lifechanging experience and very few of us are going to immediately 'fix' what got us here in the first place...but we keep *trying*. Your doctor's response doesn't surprise me. The intelligent ones know the band isn't a quick or easy fix. It is, in fact, a learning experience in itself because the band works differently for everyone. So decide on a WOE that you can live with long-term and then 'just do it' as the Nike commercials say...and when you fall (and I guarantee you will because we all do), pick yourself right back up and take the next step forward. Your discovery that you need this forum is dead on. I honestly believe that the only reason I've been as successful as I have and not given up through all my trials with the band, is because of the support system I have here. So, I look forward to seeing you around. .

Sorry...I'm still not understanding. If you are talking about the postop diet, you'll have to be specific about what yours is because they vary all over the map so I don't know what 'Phase 2" is. Some surgeons put their patients on a month long postop liquid diet, others go through various stages until finally at the end of a month they're back on solids and many of us were back on solids after 2 weeks. If you're back on solid foods, then the vegies you eat will depend on the WOE you've chosen (e.g. weight watchers, Atkins, South Beach, etc.). Hope this helps. .

My intent is not to offend, but I think you may find that, while technically not an alcoholic, you do have a drinking problem...and are on your way. Even you admit that you are not a 'light drinker'. For what it's worth, here's a standard test that asks 22 short questions to help you determine at what level you are. Just FYI. Now, that said, alcohol creates another problem (besides the incredibly high pointless calories) with many people and that is that it gives 'em the munchies. If not that night, then the next day. So now you get to white knuckle through the physical cravings. Another reason to give it up or at least make it a very infrequent occurrence...and, if you can't, that's a *big red flag*. For many of us, our relationship with food is the pivotal point which all other relationships revolve and, many times, in order to be successful at changing our relationship with the food...those other relationships have to change as well. It's a complete lifestyle change and it is *HARD*. I'd start with the 3-5 nights at the bars. Go ahead and go if that's what you enjoy...but pass on the alcohol and stick to carbonated Water or diet drinks. After all, it's not necessary to drink to have fun, yes? Then again, that's one of the reasons I gave up bar hopping when I was younger. I was never much of a drinker and found that drunks are never funny unless you're buzzed or drunk too. If you find it's no fun if you aren't drinking...find another way of entertaining yourself. Saves on the calories and any physical cravings the alcohol causes. Invite your friends to do other activities instead of going to the bars. Maybe take up a new interest together - Zumba, for example. Fun *and* exercise. Then pass up those fast food places! If you plan ahead and make sure you have some ready made foods that fit into whatever WOE you're following, then all you have to do is get home and dive into your own refrigerator. I always have cheese, cut up celery and hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator so that if I do find myself so hungry I know I'm not going to make it until dinner is ready, I have something there to nibble on to keep the food demons at bay. If you don't have a problem with carbs and can eat fruit, then carry around an apple or something similar so when you get those munchies on the way home, you can munch on your fruit instead of hitting that fast food place. My favorite phrase these days is 'living intentionally' so I avoid the pitfalls with preplanning rather than falling into an 'oops' moment of eating that is filled with regret and guilt. You can do this. You obviously want to or you would not have gotten banded. We're here for you. Now *you* be there for you. Edit: My apologies if this appears a bit rambling. It's 4:30 a.m. and I can't sleep but I'm also not fully awake. Insomnia...gotta love it.