JMinDallas

I didn't take any pain meds either. I took liquid tylenol for the first 2 days, and only at night. It was more to help with the gas discomfort so I could sleep. Once I used the gas-x regularly I didn't take even the tylenol. I had no pain at all except for the gas.

I too had a bad cough about 1 wk post op. I was scared to death it would slip everytime I coughed. When I went for my first fill I kept thinking, they're going to find it's slipped and I can't get a fill. Thankfully all was well! I worry since I'm self pay...but now a little over 3 months post op, I don't worry much at all.

I couldn't agree more! As another poster mentioned, I rarely go into ones that start with I'm hungry. I too never went through a Bandster Hell. I ate smaller portions, and have always lost weight each week. I know at times I make mistakes and eat things I shouldn't, but overall I'm really proud of myself and the decisions I've made. I've also never thrown up (except once 2 wks post op when I made a dumb decision and ate too much ice cream and dry heaved), and have never had a stuck incident where it wouldn't go down (might have been lodged for a bit, but with the help of the chicken dance it went down!). If we look for the happier outcomes, we CAN be successful!!

You girls are so funny! Especially you Shurmeka! I can just imagine them rushing up on you! I enjoy going to the gym and have made a few friends there already. I guess I was just down on Monday and didn't realize. I went back to the gym yesterday and today. There is one girl there who always says good you here again, but in a nice way. She's been helpful. I bought some new workout clothes too, since mine were so baggy. I'm sure that will make me feel better too, to at least look a little less frumpy in my 40 lbs ago clothes! :thumbdown: Thanks again for the pep talk!

You know I had never had them before. I tasted them a few wks ago with some sugar and it was really good. Is it high in Protein?

I too was banded by Dr Kim on June 29, 2010. I've lost 40 lbs so far and going strong thankfully. I live in N Dallas area.

I joined 24hr last Monday. I've gone to the group classes every day last week, and now this morning. Don't get me wrong, I love working out and have a great time...BUT the skinny's make me super jealous! I hate looking at myself in the mirrrors, but it's kind of hard not to when they're all around you in the class. Some people seem unfriendly, which doesn't help. Others are pretty nice. (This is a note to myself to be nice to new people when they start.) How do you deal with it? Workout and ignore everyone else? It doesn't help either when I'm taking Zumba and don't know the moves yet like everyone else!

Good you went to the ER instead of waiting! Glad your feeling better!

I'm in N Dallas area. I'm a SAHM and FT worker from home...I do accounting. I'm also a foster mom, currently empty since we just adopted our 3rd kiddo.

My stomach growls too after I've eaten oatmeal for breakfast! :thumbup: I would ignore that tummy growling sound. Drink Water or something else you like, like Crystal Light. That helps me get through. I've started drinking a Protein Shake for Breakfast and I notice it keeps me from feeling hungry or hearing the growling sounds until lunch. I'm at my 3rd fill...a little more cc's than what you have, and I notice a difference. I do get full sooner. My stomach was growling last night when I went to bed, but I know I wasn't hungry. The NUT actually told me the stomach growling is a good sign because it shows your metabolism is working.

It was hard for me at first, but I tried to work on it. I would drink whatever was in my cup before serving myself food and I wouldn't fill my cup up. At restaurants, I do order something to drink, and I try to drink all of it before the food comes. But as others have said, once getting fills, it makes it impossible to drink while eating...and you'll learn the hard way. Starting with my last fill, I reached for my glass to take a sip because my food was a little lodged and I thought drinking would help. What a mistake that was! It hurt and made me even more lodged. I would say to try and practice good habits now, so when you do start feeling more restricted you'll already have good habits.

Yes, you're still swollen. If you can't keep things down, then you should get a slight unfill. If you're able to keep fluids down, ride it out and it gets looser as the swelling goes down. I just had another slight fill 3 hrs ago. I'm drinking a Protein shake, and it's taken about 30 mins and I'm still not quite done with it.

You'll be fine and it is totally worth it! I realized don't read these boards too much, or read them and take from them what will work for you. I haven't had any problems with eating anything I want...all with good moderation. Now that I've had 2 filles, I do need to watch what I eat. Ex, I notice I don't do too well on bread. I have taken small bites of it, and I'm ok, but I wouldn't consider having a sandwich. I do fine with pastas and rice, but just watch the amount I eat. I've even had slices of cheesecake and have still lost weight! I eat real food, not Protein shakes (except for fill time or for Breakfast when I choose to). Besides one episode, where I ate too much ice cream only 2 wks post op and dry retched, I've never had an episode of getting truly stuck or even PB'g. I do eat smaller portions, and start out with a small plate or bowl. I've actually been using my toddlers plates/bowls which has really helped me with portion control. I was scared too at first, but I am so glad I stuck it out and did it. I feel so good, and fitting into smaller clothes sizes is awesome!

How do you know it's not going down? Is it getting stuck? Or can you just not drink anymore if you tried? I noticed at first, I couldn't drink as fast. I had to take small sips. What helped was drinking out of my toddler's sippie cup. It would only let me drink so much at a time. That helped to get an idea of the amount of liquid I should swallow at once. I did keep a cup of Water by me all the time, so I could be sipping constantly. When drinking the Protein shakes, I could drink maybe 4 oz at a time. You just had surgery. Your stomach is swollen and needs time to get used to the foreign object inside it. Give it time and you'll soon be saying you can eat everything! :thumbup:

Ditto Elfie. Eat mushies, very soft stuff for now. Cream of wheat, cottage cheese, maybe very soft egg salad. I had another cc put in with my existing, and I notice a big difference too. I really have to watch what I eat and make sure I take really small bites and chew a lot. Sometimes it still gets lodged a little. It's all a learning curve still.

THANK YOU to whoever posted a few wks ago about doing the chicken dance to get lodged/stuck food to go down! :thumbup: I went out to eat last week and took a big bite of bread without thinking (too busy talking). It was stuck! I wasn't sliming or anything, but I could feel it painfully sitting there. Normally if I shift around a little, it'll go down, but no luck. I excused myself, went into the restroom and put my hands under my armpits and started waving them like a chicken. Maybe 10 times later, I could feel it sliding down. I couldn't believe it worked, but it did! So anyone out there who gets stuck, give it a try. It really does work.

I don't get stuck to the point of sliming, but just a slightly painful lodging of food. It's happened with bread, but only when I take a big bite without thinking first. Before my fill, I was able to eat a PBJ sandwich fine. After my 1st fill (now onto my 2nd fill) I can't do bread very well at all. I've had a really small piece of it, and it got lodged for a few moments. I have had pasta and rice, but same thing. Since my fill I have to take sm bites of it and it does ok. I tend to stay away from them.

When I first started eating, I noticed certain foods didn't agree with my tummy. It seemed to take a good 6 wks for my stomach issues to settle down. I would just be mindful of what you eat, and drink plenty of liquids.

Does anyone have an idea as to how much tax credit it is for WLS? I was self pay, paid about $10,500.

Yes, I had the same 'pain'. I think it's the gas still coming out.

I would get into the dr. It's probably an ear infection. Weird, I had an ear infection 3 wks after the lap band.

I notice the fill immediately. I had my 2nd fill yesterday, and drinking the barium stuff felt dift right away. I'm still on liquids, and I have to drink real slow or it kind of gets stuck, almost like a burp that needs to come out. Hard to explain. I did notice after my 1st fill two wks ago, that I noticed a difference after a week or so. I'd have more stuff lodged if I ate too quickly.

I had my first fill almost 2 wks ago. I'm the same way...breads and meats are not working well for me. I do notice if I chew them really really good they get lodged a little in the chest area, and then they release and go down. I too can eat a 3/4 to a cup of foods, I'm just watchful of what I choose to eat. I go for my 2nd fill next week and I'm a little worried it will get worse when eating certain foods.

I had 2 wks of liquids (I cheated a little by eating some mushies), then soft foods for a few days, and then went into a few more solid foods. I noticed when I get full I'd start to get stuck. Nothing bad, but I could feel it going down. That was my sign to stop eating, and I would. I started going out to eat about 3 wks post-op. I have a toddler, so I'd order something and him & I would share it. Or I eat from the appetizer menu. I've gone out to eat many times and haven't had any problems. Also, I've eaten ice cream several times and have had no problems. I've eaten McD's vanilla, popsicles, and other stuff. I don't eat a lot of it. If your family is going to eat, go with them. I'm sure you can eat a good soup there. And don't worry about the scale right now. You're still healing.

I'm the same way. I'll get stuck up high too. I try to remember to take really small bites. Eggs get me too. I don't normally drink when I eat, but if I eat a hardboiled egg, I usually have a small sip of water. Helps to get it down.