Acadia

Sounds like you were in your green zone but didn't realise it. I was there, then got a fill - was over filled for two months, vomiting constantly but couldn't get an unfill because of insurance billing issues. Finally got an unfill and realised I was in the green zone. When you are in the green zone as little as 0.1 cc can put you into the red zone. Go back to the normal liquids, mushies, soft, then back to normal and stay there for a while then go back if you need to. You probably won't need to because you'll be more conscious about what you're eating but if you do need a fill do a tiny one 0.2 cc or so and ask them to do it under fluoroscopy and do a barium swallow so they can see the Fluid moving through the band so you don't get overfilled.

You're too full. And trust me - you do not want to be too full. Get the entire 0.5 cc taken out. You were very likely in your green zone but you didn't realise it. You're saying that you ate too much because you could. That's your issue and the band can't help you with that. The band's purpose is to make it so you can eat less because you eat slower - not because you physically can't cram anything else in the pouch, feel full faster because food is passing through and sending signals to your brain that you're full faster, and feel full longer by slightly pressing on a nerve that helps control hunger. If you were eating more than you should it's because you want to - and being too full won't stop that, you'll just revert to sliders and you will gain weight. Get an unfill and eat healthy foods and watch what you're eating and if you're really eating because you want to - not because you need to.

Very glad you were in the right mind to get an unfill. Remember - a tiny unfill can be the difference between being too full and gaining weight (due to eating sliders) and being in your green zone. Congrats on being back in a good place.

It sounds like you are a bit too tight or your band has started to slip. You shouldn't have extreme restriction, you should have little to no appetite for 4-5 hours between meals. That's what you should be aiming for. If you can't even get down 8 oz of Water in one shot - you are too tight. Go into your Dr. and ask them to do an unfill under fluoroscopy with a barium swallow so they can see exactly how the Fluid is moving. It should sit in the pouch for a split second before moving through. If it sits there for longer or only trickles through then you are way too tight.

Make sure you're allowed to crush the pills you're taking. Any time release or 24 hour pills CANNOT be crushed. Contact your pharmacist - not your Dr - to find out if it's safe. It's also unlikely that you have any restriction right now so you should be perfectly safe taking any pills the size of a tic-tac or M&M. If in doubt, take one pill - have a hot cup of tea nearby - swallow the pill with some cool Water, wait. If it feels stuck, drink some tea. I have no issues with taking over 12 pills at once including a large "horse pill" sized omega-3 and I'm in my green zone with restriction enough so that I can't eat bread, Pasta, rice, etc. and stay full for 4-5 hours between meals. Even right after surgery I had no issues with my pills. I didn't want to take them but they were fine.

It usually means you're too tight. I'd go in and ask for 0.10-0.25 cc to be taken out. That can make all the difference - and you won't gain with that little bit out so don't worry about that, you've learned how to eat and how to monitor your restriction. And, you'll be able to actually get all of your fluids in without issue.

I would also ask: What are you eating? Are you having pain when this happens? Do you have your gallbladder? Are you getting too much Fiber? Not enough fiber? Are you eating dairy when this happens? Does this happen when you eat raw fruits or veggies?

HmDiiva - you're way too tight, you really should get a small unfill. Being too tight can cause a lot of problems including band slippage and band erosion. Cocoabean - I'm similiar to you. When I was first banded I used to drink with meals because I didn't have a problem doing it. But now, drinking with a meal is a recipe for stuckage. So I may take super tiny little sips (maybe 3-4 drops of fluid) but never a gulp while eating. And usually for about 30 minutes after I have no desire to drink Fluid. Pink8671: I find that the closer you get to the green zone, the less you'll want or be able to drink during meals. It's a good idea not to drink during meals and to help that, someone on the board told me a great idea. Fill up a glass with some ice when you start your meal, throughout the meal you're only allowed to drink what's melted. That gives you just enough to whet your palette but keeps you from drinking a whole glass of something. About 20-30 minutes after a meal, then go ahead and start drinking normally again. Aim for 8-10 oz per hour.

Your tape should be off at 7 days. Beyond that it could attract too much crap and cause infection. Go to your Dr's office and ask a nurse to remove it if it isn't coming off.

1 L of Water weighs 2.5 lbs No surgeon would ever give you six liters of Fluid during surgery (it would kill you). It's likely they gave you 1 L of fluid (2.5 lbs) and your body did the rest. It could also be that your scale at home is different than your scale at the Dr. That medications you're on are causing fluid retention. etc. There are several reasons why your weight can go up that much. It's also not uncommon for men to gain 15-25 lbs when they have a major cheat day after they've been on a diet. They eat more salt and their body just pulls in all of that fluid and keeps it there. Drink lots of fluids, have some tea, and you'll be fine. However - if you have ANY chest pain, get to the ER immediately.

Please note that most ERs will NOT do anything for people with Lapband because they don't know how or what to do and the liability is too high. You need to see your Dr / Surgeon. Some bodies don't react well to devices being in them. If they've recently done a barium swallow under fluoroscopy and everything looks good then have them check for a hiatial hernia (can cause every symptom you're talking about). You may need to have your band removed, it might not work for your body - this is nothing that can be predicted. You may also want them to double check that you've been completely unfilled. It's not uncommon for doctors and nurses to think they've hit the port and pulled everything out, but they haven't.

karynj: there are a ton of gluten free products available, you should have no issues finding healthy and delicious foods. Try talking with local chefs as well, they can help you with gluten free recipes using vegetarian products that taste great. Congratulations Vanessa!

You're too tight. A slight unfill can be the difference between being too full and causing damage and being in your green zone. Go get half of what you had put in June removed, ask them to do a barium swallow under fluoroscopy to make sure you haven't slipped your band, caused swelling, or other complications.

I was completely alone after my surgery. While some things are a bit more difficult being alone has huge recovery benefits. It helps you get up and move to get your pain meds, etc. When you have someone around you are more apt to ask them to do it for you - which will prolong your recovery.

Something to keep in mind is that a lot of Protein powders will go super grainy and nasty when mixed in. And oatmeal is high in protein anyway so no need to add more. Definitely stay away from the prepackaged kind unless it's from somewhere like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's where they offer non-sweetened prepackaged oatmeal (blueberry flax is my fav from TJ's). I personally make mine really thick (I hate thin oatmeal) and I've never gotten stuck because it breaks down very fast as you chew it and add saliva.