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I have been banded for a year (12/11/09) and FINALLY hit my sweet spot, I believe. At least I know I can't get another fill because I'm finally at the point that I get stuck if I dont' chew slowly and thoroughly so I know I don't want a fill and I feel pretty satisfied with the amount of food I eat, I just have to learn the mind over matter point right now.

In any event, I digress! LOL. For the past two weeks or so everytime I eat something my stomach hurts. It's central area, not right or left, right below my breast bone. I don't know if that is where my band is and maybe there is a problem? Do I have an ulcer? I'm not sure what else it could be. Anyone have this problem? My surgeon is 1 1/2 hours away and my husband has to take off work to drive me so it's not like I can just pop in. Thought I'd try here first and see if anyone has experienced this.

He did the fill under fluoro with contrast to look for the leak because at my last fill he couldn't get any Fluid to come back out and because I was HUNGRY and eating large portions. It was like I never had the surgery. No restriction at all. So the fluoro was the test and he found it. DAMN! He says it's an easy fix but surgery is surgery and only six months out, this is disheartening.:ohmy:

Had a fill under fluoro today and the Dr. found a leak in my tubing. Surgery is scheduled for Friday. UGH! My rotten luck. Anyone else have this happen? He said this is only the third time he has seen this in the tubing.

I have a flipped port and my doctor has always been able to get Fluid out when giving me a fill but today he was not able to get any. He is going to do a fill under flouro in a few weeks to see what is going on. Hoping there is not a leak or a problem. Anyone have this before or heard of it?

My port is flipped as well. My doctor puts a pillow under my back and is able to tip it up enough to get a fill in. Has done this the last four fills but today he was not able to get any Fluid out so I'm having a fill under fluoro next time to see what is going on. Am hoping there is just a kink or something and not a leak. Don't want to have surgery again.

We remortgaged our house to have some home renovations done and we were going to redo the bathroom but I have decided a new paint job and towels will do the trick in there and that extra money is going for a boob job when the time is right. I was a D since I was 18 and then the last 10 years when I got really heavy was a DD - large DD - popping out my bra. Gaining and losing weight excessively the past ten years has caused one breast to be much larger than the other and after four children and the weight gain and loss they are SAGGING! Okay with a good bra on but not so attractive without. No cute tank tops or bathing suits, etc. I'm not too thrilled about surgery or recovery because I heard it's horrendous but I need things augmented and put back where they need to be!!!

If you start to get stuck DON'T DRINK Water it just works like a paste and makes the food stick together that much more. Just sit and let your body naturally move it. One time mine was so bad I had to actually bring it back up. Then I found out what sliming was. It's GROSS and I don't ever want to do that again so I make sure I chew! Good luck.

Four months out I only regret I didn't do this years ago but the first three weeks after surgery I did regret it. It was normal. I was in pain (I had never had surgery before in my life), I was HUNGRY, I couldn't eat, I was tired, I couldn't sleep comfortably, I was constipated - you know the routine. So I wasn't at my optimum and just felt like SHIT! Excuse my language. And I had it two weeks before Christmas - WRONG time of year to have it especially with little kids and parties and such. It was too much all at once. Once I started healing and adjusting things started to come together and my new life took hold and I had no regrets. It's kind of like giving birth. At the time it's so fresh and you're like "never doing that again" but it fades and you think "well it wasn't so bad." LOL :thumbup: I have been able to lose weight successfully in the past but have always gained it back within a year so this time I know (at least I hope!) that I will NEVER have to worry about that again and that is a GREAT feeling!!!!

When I was on softies and I had chicken salad for lunch I would just eat it with a fork and had some cottage cheese on the side.

I'm the same way. People think I'm strange because I don't burp - I just don't and can't really. I think I've burped about five times in my whole life and I'm almost 40! I also don't vomit much, a few times in the past 10 years maybe. I will feel nauseaus but never actually vomit. I suffer from Migraines too and they will make me nauseaus and I sleep them off! When I get stuck, it's horrible! I get that little bit of air and gurgling in my throat but I almost go into a panic attack because I can't relieve the pain and no matter what I do it doesn't get any better. I had a bad stuck episode about a month ago and experienced what sliming was. I don't ever want to do that again!

I had that pain, too. It felt like my guts were ripping out. Sorry to be so graphic. I thought I had tore my port loose or something, that is how bad it was. I couldn't bend over to pick anything up and couldn't sleep or lay on that side for months. I still get a pain there every once in awhile if I bend a certain way and it's been four months since surgery. I also have trouble sleeping on that side still, I have to put a small pillow underneath me first. It will get better, but it is not fun, that's for sure!

My port is tipped, not flipped. It was fine the first couple of months but then it just tipped, from losing weight. Doctor had a hard time and several needles getting it. Boy was that painful! So he put a pillow under my lower back and maneuvered enough that he could get the needle in and then remembered it when I went back last time and it was easier. Hopefully that is all he'll have to do for the future and I won't need surgery, but we'll see.

I'm at 7.5 cc in my 10 cc band and I still don't have restriction. I was banded 12/11/09. I will get another fill in a few weeks and I'm hoping it is the "magic" one and I have restriction with that one. This last fill (from 6.5 cc to 7.5 cc) really helped alot, the most of any, and made me finally realize the band was actually there and helping. Before that it was all me doing the work and I was really getting discouraged. Although I have been losing weight, I wanted better results by now.

I understand your frustration but don't sabotage yourself. Stick with your plan and learn to work with what you have. Good luck!

I was told no Motrin, too, ever again. I suffer Migraines and have always took 800 mg of Ibuprofen but am no longer allowed to take any Ibuprofen, only Acetominophen (Tylenol.) You might want to check with your doctor on that.

I was supposed to have a fill on the 10th but because I had a major stuck episode a couple weeks before and because I had lost 8 pounds in the four weeks between appointments my doctor opted not to give me one. I was SO disappointed!!! I had lost eight pounds because I am dieting and exercising NOT because the band is doing anything for me. I have NO restriction. I am HUNGRY all the time. I am just eating what I "think" I should eat and no more. Still only about 800 to 1,000 calories a day. He told me if I was still hungry after eating my 1 cup of food to eat more until I'm full, well okay, I did that and I do eat less than before surgery but I know it's WAY more than I should be eating according to the standards. For instance, I can eat 1/2 a sub, 1 cup of coleslaw, 1/2 an apple, and a cheestick - NO PROBLEM. Before surgery I would eat a whole sub, a small bag of chips, a whole apple, a large drink, and maybe a cookie or something, but now I should only be eating the 1/2 sub MAYBE. I have not lost any weight in two weeks. I go back on 3/12 and I'm definately asking for a fill then....

I am feeling MUCH fuller with smaller amounts of food than pre surgery that is FOR SURE. Before surgery I could go out to dinner and eat an appetizer, full dinner, and dessert, plus drink 2-3 drinks. Now when we go to dinner I can't eat 1/2 of my food, only about 1/4. No appetizer or dessert, and of course no drinks. I have started ordering Water though because the waitresses look at you like you have three heads when you say "nothing to drink" and they try and talk you into Water anyway so to save the hassle I just order water, plus I thought if I choked it would be good to have! LOL

I feel satiated at all my meals no matter what I eat. Because I have to chew so much I want to get to the point that the meal is over. Food does not taste so good when you have to pulverize it in your mouth. As for calories, I'm still stuck on what to do to increase. I don't want to eat fattening food as I am eating healthy now, but if I bump up my portions it will be too much. Here is a typical day for me:

one egg beater with some fat free cheese 50 cal

two slices of turkey bacon 60 cal

Protein shake 200 cal

chicken salad with reduce fat mayo 150 cal

wheat crackers 80 cal

1/2 an apple 50 cal

reduced fat string cheese 60 cal

handful of almonds 70 cal

Ground turkey burger w reduced fat cheese (no bun) 80 cal

10 sweet potato fries (baked) 50 cal

steamed broccoli with butter spray 40 cal

IF I have a snack at night I will have sugar free cool whip inside two chocolate wafers and frozen (homemade ice cream sandwich) which is 50 cal or sugar free choc pudding which is 80 cal or sugar free Jello which is 60 cal

I am getting a fill tomorrow, we'll see how it goes!!!

Thank you my bandster twin! LOL. I have had TREMENDOUS willpower. More than I ever thought I would. I have successfully "dieted" for years. Going 6-8-12 months without snacking, eating small portions, not cheating but then BAM I give in to temptation thinking "oh this one bag of chips tonight because I'm feeling bad won't hurt me" or "we are on vacation!" etc., and before you know it, right back up with the weight again.

If I could live through the two week liquid diet and not die, then I knew I could successfully live with this band. It is just so much to learn that you can't wrap your mind around PRE surgery.

I was baned on the same day! COngrats!!! YOU ARE DOING SOOOO WELLL!!!!! AMAZING!!! SOund slike you have had lots of will power in progress and I think it is just incredible. I had my first fill on 1/14/10 and felt some restriction for about one week and now not a much. I guess we just try and get the right amount and it is all so different for each individual. If no one has told you, you are just making such great progress, KEEP IT UP!

The food is not making me full, but I'm not hungry either. Hope that makes sense. I feel like I could eat more but I don't. I'm doing Portion Control. I don't walk away hungry but I know if I had more than the cup I could eat it, maybe another 1/4 to 1/2 cup. My hungriest is lunch time. This is a typical day for me:

7:30 a.m. one egg scrambled with a sprinkle of fat free cheese, 2 slices of turkey bacon. I often only eat 3/4 of the egg.

10:30 a.m. - I'm hungry, so I have a Protein shake made with 6 ounces of skim milk and some shaved ice

12 noon - 1 cup of chicken salad made with lowfat mayo and apple cut up very teeny and mixed in the chicken salad. 1 ounce of reduced fat cheddar cheese. Sometimes I will have 2 wheat ritz crackers with this because I need the crunch. I always feel like I could eat something else with this.

3 p.m.-3:30 p.m. I'm hungry, so I have a handful of almonds, or a reduced fat string cheese stick, or a hard boiled egg. Just a little something to get me through to dinner.

5 p.m. -5:30 p.m. dinner time. 1 cup of chili made with Beans and ground turkey and a sprinkle of fat free cheese melted on top.

Once a week I might have a sugar free Jello with one tablespoon of sugar free cool whip and a scoop of Protein powder mixed in as a chocolate mousse.

I only drink about 24 ounces of Water a day though.

I have a 10 cc band and it had 4.5 cc in it from surgery. Got 1 cc in it three weeks ago and I go to the doctor next week. He will give me a fill if I want one. I am thinking I need one but as I'm still so new to all this (just banded 12/11/09) I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be "doing." I can eat 1 cup of food at a sitting and three hours later I'm hungry. So do you think I need a fill? I've only lost about three pounds in the last three weeks (though I'm losing inches as my clothes are getting smaller.) Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!

Ahhh! The slime effect. Well this is how we learn. I believe that everyone should experience it once in their banded life so that they know what it is and how to deal with it when it DOES happen. You are right it's horrible but you know what not to eat or do next time. And never take a drink after you get stuck because that just makes it more stuck. I can't eat toast or beef. And it happened to me about 3 times already. You really can't be afraid to eat. You have to try things and some of them unfortunately won't agree with you. It might happen again. But then you will know that you can't eat those foods again.

Not all episodes last for a long period of time. And you don't want to make yourself gag all of the time because your band might slip. Obviously this time you had to because your pill got stuck.

After you get stuck like that and you slime, it's sometimes best to do the liquid phase for the remainder of the day because you tend to get irritated.

Well, maybe next time I will make the wheat toast more crispy. LOL. I did switch right away to chewables and actually no more upset stomach as I used to get with the pill. Thanks for the tip about drinking, I did not know that would make it worse and not better. I'll be sure not to do that. I suppose now that I think about it the liquid probably worked like glue. I honestly did not want it to come back up but I could get no relief and it was getting worse! So far I have been able to tolerate most things and when I feel the "hint" of anything that might feel like stuck, I just stop altogether!!! This is such a whole new life long learning experience. For the next two days I did mushies and shakes and I could feel that I was "hurt" on the inside. I'm assuming swelling.

I found this the other day after my first stuck episode and threw up my own disgusting jellyfish:

Preventing sliming with Lap-band surgery

I've had Chinese three times since being banded 12/11/09. Small portions of rice, steamed veggies, and chicken and have had no problems. I have to chew, chew, chew of course. The broccoli I cut small and chew well. I did get stuck once but I thought it was a carrot, and then just didn't eat carrots and did fine.

OMG I heard about the getting stuck and read about the getting stuck. Heard the term sliming but my doctor never told me ANYTHING and I never read anything about it until it happened to me! I thought I was going to die. Almost went to the ER. I chewed my food thoroughly, or so I thought, but took my Vitamin, which I guess is rather large and then was stuck. I have never felt pain like that before. I punched my chest repeatedly, husband pounded my back like an oversized baby. Tried to drink but the Water would just come back up. Didn't know what to do for over 10 minutes. Finally gagged myself three times and got some relief and then saw it was "slime." Don't mean to gross anyone out but would rather prepare someone who doesn't know - LIKE I DIDN'T - so they don't freak and know what to do. I'll know IF it happens again what to do to get some relief. That was the most disgusting and horrifying. I quickly switched to chewable vitamins and am swearing off bread - even though it was wheat toast, which I was told I could have! It's just not worth the risk.

Where does that crap come from and does anyone have repeated episodes of this?!

The surgeons office told me I should be eating 1/2 c to 1 c at meals and that by one year out a lean cuisine would be a normal portion for a meal. I can eat that now! I don't eat more than that though. They said 1/2 a sandwich should be a meal. I can eat 1/2 a sandwich and then cheese or cottage cheese or something else with it, etc. 1/2 c is not enough. If I eat at noon, I'm hungry by 3 - no way I can last until 5 or so when it's dinner time. Yet I feel if I have a snack - albeit a healthy one - I'll be cheating somehow. I suppose it's psychological at this point. Everyone says if I don't eat enough I won't lose either but I feel snacking got me into the predicament I'm in and I shouldn't eat unnecessarily, only when necessary. I'm trying not to look at food as enjoyment - that's what got me here. Food to me now is sustenance. If it's enjoyable, I will overindulge.

If I have pain in my chest it means I ate too much or something is stuck. If I have a that little "lump" or uncomfortable spot right between my breasts it means I'm full. I try not to get to that point. My cue is I hiccup. If I hiccup, I know I've had enough. I suppose it is the same thing as a burp, but I don't burp (don't all come flying at me, I've never burped - it's just the way my anatomy is!) My husband was banded five days after me and he burps when he is full or had enough - that is how we know. I try to only put on my plate what I think I should be eating and stop at that amount. It also helps - at least for me - to stand up towards the end of your meal. Every time I do that, when I'm not sure if I'm full or not, I will almost always hiccup, and then I know I'm full. For instance, today for lunch I had four wheat ritz crackers, four slices of reduced fat cheese, a handful of almonds, and a slice of cheese pizza on wheat crust. I ate all the cheese and crackers, almost all the almonds, and got 3/4 of the pizza done. I didn't think I was full but someone came to the door and I stood up to get it, hiccuped, and that was it. I was done.