LooLooMac

I am in shock, and quite scared. I really feel for those of you who have only just had your surgery! You must feel frightened and alone. Please feel free to connect with me if you want support! I'm scared too, but, at least if we join together we can support each other.

I just found out...holy crap, this is so scary.... I also really feel for Nisrine, and all staff who may have just lost their jobs. What a crummy situation for all of us! Anyone who wants to connect with me to support each other, please feel free!

Hi everyone, It's been two years since I had my surgery, and recently I've experienced some major changes. I started suffering from really bad night coughing a few months ago, and was vomiting a lot during the day as well. I opted to have a substantial defill, and that helped a lot. The weird thing is, even though I'm at a much lower level of restriction than I have been for a couple of years, I still experience more unpleasant side effects and complications. For example, I have heartburn constantly--and I never did before, even when I was at a higher level of restriction! I am not sure if I should get another defill, because I feel like if I had any less restriction I'd have no restriction at all. I can already eat a lot more than I could before, and can eat lots of foods like salads that I couldn't before. I'm worried that another defill will leave me with no restriction at all. But on the other hand, I have heartburn all day until after dinner, and then again a couple hours after eating dinner. I take Tums every single night when I go to bed. (Could that be making it worse???) Any help or suggestions from those who've been banded for a few years now would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! Keep me posted and let me know what happens with the upper GI. My fingers are crossed, for both of us!!

Hmm. Good tip. I'm guilty of indulging in carbonated beverages...it feels like it doesn't affect me, but who knows???

Hang in there! You WILL be able to eat real food again, but you just had surgery and you have to give your body time to heal. But in a few weeks, you'll feel like your old self again! Try to remember when you're feeling down that this feeling will pass. It's momentary, and it's normal. Try to "eat" something when you're hungry--i.e., drink something. You shouldn't be starving. It does take a bit of time to get used to distinguishing between head hunger and real hunger. So you may just be feeling head hunger, because it's such an adjustment when you have to stick with just liquids after surgery. But if you're having major hunger pains, I would eat! Soups, milk, whatever. Give yourself a treat if you are really desperate--chocolate milk or something. You're better off having liquids that are high in Protein and will fill you up rather than sugery drinks that may make you hungrier, but if you're desperate I don't know. You may want to just get some calories in you so you're not feeling so hungry and deprived (feelings of deprivation NEVER work for me, personally). It depends what your doctor has recommended; and ultimately even with the band what you put in your mouth is your choice. You can do it! Good luck!

I eat a lot of soup, too. But I actually find liquids a bit harder to get down than certain solids (like crackers) early in the day, so I have no issues with overeating my soup at lunch. I make my own soup, too. I don't put any cream or cheese in it, but I always make pureed soup so it still tastes creamy! But I don't think there's anything wrong with putting a little cream in your soup if you are keeping your overall caloric intake at a good level. If it's satisfying, then you're less likely to indulge somewhere else! I don't notice that sweets go down easier than other foods, but I do find that some days are a little tighter than other days. For me, time of day has a huge impact. And also, sometimes I'll struggle with a meal and then all of a sudden it feels like the floodgates have opened and I can eat a ton! So for me, it definitely varies.

I was hungry on the clear liquids after a few days, too! It's probably a good sign, it could mean you're less inflamed, and it definitely means your body is on the mend. Once you go to full liquids, and it's not long now, it'll be A LOT better. They're very filling! Especially warm ones. So hang in there, you're almost there!

I definitely have a delayed response to fills, usually after a couple of days I get a lot tighter. My fill nurse told me that's actually quite common. I also find that my tightness fluctuates a bit with some days/weeks a lot tighter than others. So, don't worry too much. Just take it really slow, and see how your body responds.

Hi there, I had my surgery in Toronto, but am currently living in Halifax, NS. Just wondering if there is anyone else out there who has been banded, too?

Way to go, girl! Congrats!!

Don't worry, you're not alone. I had a fill last week, and it was torture at first. The same symptoms you're describing. It was so bad, I decided to go off food altogether for a couple of days. I stuck to just green tea with honey. All of a sudden, it's like night and day. Now I feel perfectly fine! I went from fearing for my life to feeling absolutely great, seemingly overnight. I'm not sure if it was the "break" I gave my stomach from food or not, I'll never know. But I do know that sometimes the swelling just goes away, without needing an unfill. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply! Last night I tried taking liquid Gaviscon right before I went to sleep, and it seemed to help a bit. I've also gone back to Clear liquids for a day or two, just to see if there is some inflammation, because I thought if there is it might help. If you think it will get worse over time, then I should definitely call. Thanks for your help!

Hi there, I am 10 months post-op, and just got a fill last Monday that took me from 6.7 to 6.9 cc's. At 6.7, I found I could still eat quite a large amount of food in the evening, although in the mornings and at lunch time I felt a lot of restriction. After my fill, I feel that my restriction level is perfect. I can eat solid food, but I feel full after a small amount, and still feel satisfied throughout the day. It's perfect! It's the "sweet spot" I've been waiting for all these months! Except for one, major, thing: Every night since I got my fill, I wake up coughing up stomach acid. Sometimes I dream that I'm choking, and wake to find my throat filled with bile. I'm really worried that this is really serious. But on the other hand, I finally feel so good about my level of restriction and feel fine all day long. But, I also don't want to put myself at risk for band slippage--or even something more serious. I was just wondering if anyone out there has any advice. Is it possible I'm just inflamed, and this will stop in a couple of weeks? Or is this a sign that I'm too full and need an unfill? And finally, is this something I need to take care of immediately? Or can I wait a week or two to see if things improve? It's not worth risking my health, but I just don't know how seriously I should be reacting to this night-time situation. Thanks for any advice!!

Oh Megan, you're not alone! My experience is EXACTLY the same. I gave up even trying to eat breakfast a long time ago, and lunch is very small and either Soup or crackers. But evenings, I could eat a massive amount of food! I was living like this for a long time, and not losing weight because I was eating too much at night (and/or eating junk). So, I just got another fill. Now I feel like my restriction level is great--I still don't eat breakfast (just slowly sip tea with some soy milk), and lunch is tiny. But my evening eating is now nicely restricted, so I feel quite full after just a small amount of food. I feel like the level is perfect, but guess what? Now I have major heartburn and am waking up every night with acid reflux (sometimes I even vomit). So, obviously that's no good. I'll probably end up having to get the fill removed if this doesn't get better. And then I'll be right back to where I was, with not much restriction at all in the evenings. Anyway, just so you know, you're not the only one in that boat. And I struggle with making poor choices, and being hungry, and cravings, etc. If I didn't have issues with food, I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place! I've only lost 40 lbs in 10 months. I'm ok with that, though. The way I see it, this is a learning process. I am tweaking my restriction till I find what works best for me overall, and then learning to work with life at that level of restriction. Don't be too hard on yourself! In my opinion, that kind of thinking can actually lead to behaviour that causes weight gain. As long as you've lost weight, that's good. Just keep heading in that direction--it's a heck of a lot better than gaining!

The main thing you must realize is it is NOT a quick fix--it's a slow process, that still requires a lot of hard work on your part. If you're like me and have an emotional relationship with food, then the band can only do so much. It won't stop you from drinking chocolate milk, eating chips, or ice cream. I expected the band to do it all for me, and I realize now that it's only a tool. Having said that, it is a helpful tool. My weight loss has been very slow, and for me there has also been a lot of pain and discomfort along the way. But I would still do it again. I'm not one of those people who changed their lives as soon as they had their surgery--I sabotaged myself along the way, didn't want to change, and resisted the help that the band was actually giving me (figuring out "tricks" to getting around the restriction, like eating late at night or eating chips). But even so, as time went on, I learned to let go of a lot of my emotional attachment to food, and just let the band do what it was supposed to. I don't think I could have let go without the band there. So even for me, someone who has only lost 40 lbs in the 10 months since my surgery, I feel like it IS something I would do again. Good luck with your decision!

Hey there, I just joined the forum yesterday, although I had my surgery almost 5 weeks ago. I really wish I'd discovered this sooner, because the journey so far hasn't been that easy and it was more difficult doing it on my own. I have only told one person I had this surgery, because I felt people wouldn't understand or would question my spending the money. I've been having some difficulty with pain, and a lot of difficulty with sticking to the pre- and post-op diets (a couple of blips on each...hence the pain? I don't know...). All in all I feel pretty good. I've had my first fill (4 cc's), and I feel only slight restriction--in fact, I've felt like I can pretty much eat anything since about 2 weeks after the surgery. Hopefully that'll change as I get more fills. It's great to be part of this community, and I'm really looking forward to sharing our journeys together! :thumbup:

The psychological element is HUGE for me, too! I think it's actually the most important factor. Message me if you ever need someone to talk to--I totally get it! And don't be afraid to get someone professional who can address your emotional/psychological well-being, too.

I'm in Toronto!

Ugh...ok, I will. Thanks so much for the help though!

I am almost 5 weeks post-op, and I am still experiencing a fair amount of pain. It's not the incisions, or at the port, so I'm getting worried that it's never going to go away or that there's something wrong. It can be a sharp pain, sometimes triggered by something (e.g., if I slouch) and sometimes completely out of the blue. It seems unrelated to whether I have an empty stomach or have just eaten, etc. I've had only one fill so far, so I don't have much restriction just yet. Could I be over-eating and just don't know it? Or is it just that my body is still healing?

It's a couple of inches below my incision/port site, a couple of inches above my belly button, and about 5 inches (to my) right of my belly button. It's hard to say how long it lasts. The severe pain lasts only a second or two at a time, but the painful periods like this lasts hours and hours (almost constant)...

Don't be too hard on yourself for a bit here and there -- it could be a lot worse. Let's face it, most of us wouldn't be here if we had no issues with food! For me, "forbidden foods" are a huge trigger. I cheated on my post-op diet too, not that I'm proud of that or advocating it. Being hungry is clearly a trigger for you, so it's good that you recognize that and now you can prevent future slips with that knowledge. I found certain soups to be very filling: Imagine brand organic 'Creamy chicken Soup' was really good: low fat, non-dairy, not too high in carbs, and had Protein because it was chicken. Try for soft foods that have protein, and even some fat, to make you feel more full. Warm/hot drinks make me feel fuller, and so does a glass of Water before a meal. Good luck!