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:teeth_smile: Hi, My name is Vickie and I am looking for a banding buddy/mentor. I was banded on 9/23 today I am 225 lbs. I am 41 and a RN that works in an administrative role. I live in Toms River New Jersey. I am a single parent with 2 kids 19yr and 17 yrs old. They are happy about the surgury but they now are learning to cook for themselves. It is funny my son is turning out to be a good cook and my daughter (the youngest) wants the frozen pizza, and hamburgers, and oh yeah I taught her to make chicken cutlets..with broccoli and egg noodles, that has become her new favorite. I cant say what my new favorite is because I am still on the clear liquid diet until tomorrow..then I get full liquids.....aren't I lucky? LOL I did cheat last night though, I had a sugar free pudding....I was hungry, son being a pain and my stomach was upset from drinking a fuze, so I needed something to coat the stomach. I dont feel bad cheating because I am allowed full liquids tomorrow and I did do well the rest of the post op period. I am walking a little bit, I should walk more--but the weather has been bad--can I make any more excuses??? Looking into joining a gym..but that is expensive. I go back to work Thursday so I will get plenty of walking then. I have stocked my refrigerator with all the Protein drinks and bought the Protein powder, have sugar free yogurt and made home made broccoli Soup...found a Great cookbook for when I can eat real food..it is awsome, breaks it all down into calories fat carbs and carb points. Have a follow up appointment with my nutritionist and metabolic Dr. looking forward to support group middle of next month. I would love to have my own personal buddy to help guide me on the right path to a healthier better me. I would appreciate hearing back from someone who has been on this journey and is willing to banter back and forth about issues both good and the bad. Looking forward to hearing from a buddy, thanks for reading my bio. Vickie

Hi everyone! Brand new here and really looking forward to setting up a support group. Banded 12/30/08 and doing well so far. Although, you probably all understand when I say I can't wait to eat real food again!

Let me get this straight...the only thing you've had has been protien drinks? Ok, did the doctor or nutritionist give you any kind of plan? Here is how my plan went: Days 1-4 clear liquid (Isopure, popcicles, Jello, broth) Days 5-14 liquids (yogurt, pudding, cream Soups, cream of wheat (made soupy) mashed potatos (made soupy) etc. Days 14-21 pureed (tuna, applesauce, chicken etc) I pretty much stuck to pureed soups and tuna Days 22-28 mushie food (refried Beans, eggs, ) Days 28 and on transition to regular food Now as days progressed you could still eat the things you had prior. By your first fill you should be eating regular food. Eating your protien first, then veggies, then carbs. You should be getting at least 60-100 grams of protien in. Your body can only absorb around 25 grams of protien at at time so your shakes or protien drinks should only be a filler or like a meal on the go (at least that's how I do it). I hope this helps you.

You may get several different opinions on the PB thing, but here is mine. PB = productive burp. For me this means air is trapped under food and sometimes it is very hard to burp. Sometimes it can be painful. When I do finally get the air to come out, a little food may come up into my esophagus or throat and then go back down. I have heard others say they actually heave when they PB and end up spitting it up in the trash or toilet. To me that is throwing up.

Hi Everyone, I got my surgery date, January 8, 2009, for RNY. Now I am so nervous, with the holidays coming on, my 49th birthday next week, and then surgery next month. I can't hardly eat! I am losing weight quickly, which would normally be a good thing, but at this rate my BMI will be too low to qualify for surgery! Has anyone else been so nervous that they can't hardly eat??? I thought I would be having the "Last Supper Syndrome" by now and gobbling up food like crazy. Probably by the time I have to go on the restricted two weeks diet I will be hungry as a horse and going nutso every time I pass a fast food joint! LOL!!!! Lisa

I had my first fill 07/09. I was given roughly 2 cc's in a 10 cc band. Didn't notice much difference. Until last night. Three-quarters of the way through a dinner (about 1 1/2 ups of food) I felt full, for the first time. This morning, I was 1/2 way through my oat-meal and I felt full. I covered the rest in plastic wrap and stuck in the fridge. I was just wondering has anyone else experienced this?

I notice that when I 'cheat' I have craving issues for a couple of days afterward. I dont slack off often but if I want to enjoy some ice cream with my kids I do. I did this on Saturday and I noticed yesterday I was just miserable craving all the junk. What am I missing here? Is it psychological? I gota taste of the ice cream and suddenly wanted to eat a half gallon of sherburt or did I have some sort of physiological response to the sugar/fat? I read briefly in a post somewhere that our system gets out of whack and and indulgance can trigger cravings and something about the glycemic index. Could use some insight on this. I am kind of hoping it is not all in my head cause I thought I was past this already (at least mostly). Also, what can one do to counteract this?

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I would give it some time...sounds like it might be inflammed from the pokes..After fills with my doctor they tell me to stay on liquid for 3 days and then 3 days of soft food..maybe you started eating too fast.. I hope your doing better..and you were able to keep your fill and get some food down..KUP :cool:

Day 19 post-op and so happy to be here. Until September I'd never heard of a sleeve gastrectomy and was not looking at doing bariatric surgery. Being overweight/obese most of my adult life I assumed I'd carry the burden and the health consequences to my grave. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2004 and have done a fair job of losing small amounts of weight, eating clean food and staying active BUT not enough to stop it's progression. At the age of 54 SO much of my mental energy has been spent on what to eat, how to eat it, shame over emotional binges, isolation due to my size and downright self- loathing. Several people I know had the Lap-band and I was curious about it. I got on the internet and Googled surgeons in the Dallas area (not my home) and filled out a form requesting information. That same day I got a call from a representative of Dr. Nicholson's Clinic and shared my heart and they offered a solution/tool in a Bariatric Vertical Sleeve. To make a long story short I planned my trip to Dallas for an informational class and personal Dr. consultation. I was sold and set my surgery date for Oct. 18th, 2011 at Forest Park Hospital, Dallas, TX. I was about a month out of surgery when I started doing some research and asking different questions. Because I live on a ranch an hour drive from any medical services the sleeve is an ideal choice. Three weeks post op the risk of surgical complications are nil. That has been a big peace of mind for me. I started my pre-op diet on Oct. 4th and found it to be a bit of a struggle. I despise sweet, milky drinks and gagged down Slimfast, HoneyMilk and Carnation Instant Breakfast Sugar Free. I did not know about the Bariatric Advantage Products or Unjury.....boy I wish I had. If I had one piece of advice it would be to hunt like crazy till you find something that you find pleasant and drinkable. It will make the days after surgery much less stressful. I've since ordered some of the above products. During this time I also meet with the psychologist, nutritionist and went through the pre-admit process. The whole time I wasn't sure I would go through with it. The Nicholson Clinic is really good about letting you know that you can cancel or delay until you are ready. Even the night before going in I was not sure. So many changes, so much to give up, so much unknown. It was by faith and the grace of God that I made it to the OR the next day.....and sooooo thankful that I did. My check-in was noon on the 18th of October. It went smoothly and I was in the holding area shortly after that. My husband went with me and was a huge support. It is good to have someone with you. Being dehydrated made some of the IV stuff a bit trying but that was over quickly and I was resting when the anethesiologist (sp) came in. I'd had a horrible cold the week before and had a nasty cough. He promised me he would get that cleared out and he was true to his word. Don't remember a thing after he injected a relaxing med into the IV. Woke up being moved to my bed. The whole day I kept dozing off and dreaming that the surgery was the next day and feeling the dread. Then I would realize it was OVER and feel utter elation. The 24 hour hospital stay is a bit of a blur. Good drugs. I will say that it was challenging to get up and walk regularly, not drink, and battle a crazy head hunger. I just wanted to eat big bites of some comfort food like mac and cheese or enchiladas. I thought I was starving to death and ask myself what the heck had I'd done. It was an internal battle. I'm not sure if anyone else has had a similar experience but it has really reinforced for me the need for the Sleeve surgery. It will be the tool that helps me finally overcome obesity and achieve my goals in life. It's just too short to waste sitting around in a love affair with food that doesn't love me back. Leaving the hospital and going to a hotel in the area worked out fine. I slept and sipped. On day three I was able to stop the pain medication and Tylenol...both were so sweet and gagging that I did better without. I used ice packs on my left side and it seemed to help. I must say that the pain was more than I had expected but not anything to keep someone from doing it. If I could have choked down the meds I probably would have taken them a few more days. Also, do practice sipping before your surgery. I used the one ounce cup for a week before just to get the hang of it. A week post-op and I was able to drink at just the right pace without thinking about it and loved feeling normal again. On the 8th day I flew home and had a 2.5 hour car ride. It went great and there is no place like home! I really began to heal quickly once I was in my own home. I've been following the Dr.s orders as well as possible and was back in Dallas for the 2-week post op exam. I've lost 22 pounds, yea, and can begin soft foods this coming Tuesday! Hello scrambled eggs! One note, I had really felt sore on my left side and was concerned that there was a problem. Turns out it is text book for week 2 due to the healing process and increased activity. This may not hold true for all Dr's patients but for Dr. Nick's he adds extra stitches in the left side muscles and they begin to pull. Who knew? Living in an isolated area it was recommended to me to find an online support group. My nutritionist suggested this one. I look forward to this part of the journey! It will be a pleasure to hear about each of your stories and learn from the experiences of others. There is no time like NOW! Source: Day 19 and I Can't Stop Smiling!

I'm curious how long a food item can be stuck. I've had things stuck for a couple hours, but wonder what the longest might be, before the food breaks down. Anyone have any ideas? Experiences with being stuck for a long time?

Hello all, I know this topic has been discussed at great length but sometimes it can help to write it down and get specific direction for one's self. I have stalled and have adapted some bad habits. I find myself eating Cereal for Breakfast rather than eggs, slider foods for lunch instead of grilled chicken, etc. I just recently had my most "aggressive" fill so I am excited about that but still the 9 months of hard work has paid off but I just need to get back on track. I've tried doing just liquids for a couple of days to get free from the carbs or bad habits only to find myself starving after the days of liquid. The scale hasn't moved for over 2 months and I am ready to get it moving again. I know I just need to start eating right but any other ideas? Also, as I add cardio to my routine I find myself even more hungry than when I don't work out. I know this is normal but it is a different hunger that I am not a fan of. I really want to eat a large portion after working out. Basically, just venting and looking for "here's what I have done with success when I am where you are" experiences as I know what I am going through is normal. My one year anniversary is coming up in less than 60 days and I'd like to finish the year strong and get below 195 before March 3, 2011. Any and all advice welcome.

Hi everyone, I was banded 1/19 and will get my first fill 2/18. I am excited yet nervous. I have those fears of how long will it take to find restriction. I feel like I have some with just the band and I am praying maybe with a fill or two I will progress. I know I have to keep doing what I need to do and I will. But honestly I am nervous that this will fail and I will fail. I have been on normal food for a about a week and a half and I can't eat certain things and if I don't chew really good it goes down rough and slow. I honestly hope this is a sign that I will find restriction within a couple fills. Well I love to hear about everyone's experiences. Thanks

Welcome Nancy. Yeah, it's pretty exciting to be starting this journey - and it gets more exciting as time goes by. Your date will be here before you know it. You will have a much shorter wait than I did. My surgeon's office works as fast as they safely can, but there is a great demand for this and other weight loss surgeries. Just be sure you follow all your surgeon's rules for your pre-op preparation and the post-op diet and exercise limitations. The first few weeks post surgery are critical to your band healing against your tummy and the port healing in place. You may not lose a lot of weight during that 6 weeks or so, but it will all fall into place as the months go by. It's been a wonderful journey - I love my band and the results I am having. food is no longer a top priority in my life and I have so much more energy, so much less arthritis pain. I wish you good luck.

Hi Tex, I'm in post op now.. have been for a few days and I'm finding I've had great energy minus the soreness and stuff. I'm thinking it's my Vitamin. See if you have an organic food place and get yourself a vitamin with really good absorption. Mine is liquid, multi, and get a B complex too and see if you have more energy.. Wendy

You're fine....sounds like it irritated your esophagus. Not to mention the mental impact, LOL. Heck, my first PB the food shot out of my mouth like a cannon ball. Thank God I was alone when that happened! You should be fine to eat mushy food or whatever goes down comfortably. It will go away pretty quickly.

...my last fill is too tight or if I am just still eating too fast or taking too big of bites, maybe not chewing enough...sigh. I had my 2nd fill the end of Oct and I went back to liquids and soft foods for first week, not an issue, except couldnt keep jello down, weird, but ok. So I start back on some regular foods and the foods get stuck, and it comes back up, then after a few minutes of PB'g I can eat...is this weird or what?

I drank nothing but soda for 16+ years and almost decided against the surgery because I didn't wanna give it up! I thought it would be so hard but surprisingly it hasn't been hard at all ... I don't even miss it! Now coffee is a whole nuther story ... I definitely drink more coffee now than I did before I was banded. I've become addicted to iced coffee :smile: ... Did your doctor say you couldn't have it after banding? As far as other things ... soft breads, soft flour tortillas and really spicy foods. I love spicy food, but when it sits in the pouch waiting to go down into the stomach, it's really uncomfortable for me. I can have maybe a small bite or two of bread or soft tortillas but I'm careful not to over-do it. I LOVE mexican food but no more burritos for me, unless I get them minus the tortilla and just eat the "innerds" but I can eat crunchy tacos with no problems. :w00t: Everyone is different though so after you're banded and back on solid foods you can do your own taste tests to see what you can & can't tolerate (and of course, it'll change as your fill level increases!) Best of luck to you! :wub:

hello all; I have had my band since March 2008 and I am amazed at the change in me as far as food is concerned. I realize that I truly was addicted to food and that I could have been on diets forever and they would not have solved the problem I have. Ever. I have had a total change in how I view and eat food. I lost 40 pounds the six months, then maintained that weight loss for a year (I have never done THAT before!) and now I am on a diet to lose another 35 or so. After that we'll see... Being able to maintain my weight for a year is astounding to me seeing how I really ate what ever I wanted. I see that is the main benefit of the band to me. I would like to say that maybe some people shouldn't try to lose all their weight the first year. Maybe it might be preferable for some folks to get used to the band and losing 50 pounds, rest a bit then start the next phase. Don't be discouraged if you cannot keep up with some of the folks who can lose a lot the first year- go at your own pace. I love my band but it really takes a total re-orientation with food and a lot of attitude adjustment to be comfortable. That's my 2 cents- hope it encourages the slow losers like me out there. Love and success on your journey- and as they say, your mileage may vary Sadie

I am in the same boat. I had my first fill experienced the same thing. I also asked the same questions you are asking. The responses I have received that it may take several fills before we hit the “sweet spot” I understand that when a fill is done that it causes swelling and that is why we feel restriction at first then when the swelling goes down then we are hungry and the food will go through faster therefore able to eat more. I have scheduled my second fill for this Thursday. When I called the Dr. office they asked if I was hungry? I told them yes so they told me I need another fill. :cursing: We just need to be patient. :thumbdown: Best wishes

Definitely do your research I live in NorCal and the surgery center that I went through offer a "Free Informational Seminar" weekly and one of the WL Surgeons and the Nurse Practioner headed up the Seminars so I was able to ask lots of questions about provider appproval, different types of WL surgeries, etc. any questions I had they answered. I went a few times and asked lots of questions and the Surgeon who generally hosted I chose to be my surgeon. The surgery is a tool! as Tawnie stated above some folks do workout and some do very little working out it's up to you and what you want to get out of this. This is not a fix all you still have to do the work which is eating right, working out, you're still going to have to deal with your emotions. 90% of this is mental if you haven't already researched and read, your mind is not having surgery so unless you change your mindset about food and exercising - basically creating a new life style you may not be successful in your WL journey. Definitely, continue to come on here and ask questions research and if you can go to a Informational Seminar or WL Support group prior so you can gain real insight the ups and downs I would recommend it.

I'm 62 and was pretty fit even though overweight all my adult life. I worked out AT A GYM 3-4 week and was able to eat moderately well into my early 50's but the excess baggage slowly gained over time and I went from 250 pounds at 52 to my max of 390 pounds, my current weight of 365 and I am 6'5". What Changed in my life from 52-62? I went from an active on my feet job to a desk job that demanded manditory overtime I stopped going to the gym as often and I continued to eat like I was still exercising like before. My life became a cycle of Eat sleep Work and I became too tired even to have fun on weekends. This was a true downard spiral. My company downsized and my job, the one that seemed so important and demanded so much time from me was gone. I was unable to find work and lived on the severance, unemployment and a small pension. At 62 a fat man even with experience and degrees will probably never find work. I was even turned down by McDonalds, guess they were afraid I would eat the product...Picture frosty day in hades for that. In that one year after being laid off till my 62'nd B'day I gained 35 pounds to reach that all time high and I was Miserable. I had to have a heart stint put in, The ol blood pressure went through the roof and deep dark depression set in. Why do I say all this because if you see yourself where I was then you realize No Job is worth what you are going through. If the band didn't work for you then you must make time to LOVE yourself and go to a fitness center or gym. Don't bother with buying equipment you will use for a clothes rack and take up space in your home. Do 1/2 to 1 hour of cardio limit weight training to 6-8 exercises for chest arms and back the legs will be ok with the cardio at the gym and ask the gym to set up a routine for you. Let them know weight loss is the goal not massive muscles. Go 3 times a week do not weight train the same muscle groups 2 days in a row except for walking thats what we were made to do. Park as far from your office as possible and get some extra walking in, Do the same at the stores you go to, walk. Never take the elevator for 1 or 2 floors, great exercise. You can stand up at your desk to work, it burns more calories. This follows in the suggestion of an under the desk leg exercisor is a good one. Your legs are 40% of the average mans muscle mass and a pedeling device with resistance also is better than sitting and doesn't keep you from typing on a computer or answering the phone. So you see and I am sure already know that theres lots of exercise opportunities you may be overlooking or avoiding. Talk to your nutritionist, find out whats going on, you are taking in more calories then you are burning the same as the rest of us. Do a follow up with your surgeon perhaps they can work with you to get you on track. Do all of this today, don't wait another day passes and another and pretty soon, if you'er lucky, you are 62 and perhaps in ill health and then the task will be that much harder. I'm not trying to be preachy, I'm just trying to show you a future that would be a lot harder than it needs to be. Let us know how it goes for you and I for one wish the very best for you. All of us here know it's not easy. Ask for help, work less play and laugh more. I finally realized that no matter how much I love food it doesn't love me back. Good Luck.

First off, you cant compare yourself to anyone or everyone else. You are an individual and your loss will be different than everyone elses . The gym will help your right. About your restriction , how big of a band do you have ? If you have a 10cc band then 6cc's might be right . But it takes time for the restriction to kick in , it also takes several fills for you to find the proper restrcition . If you just had your first fill it sounds like some patients is what is in order. it all takes time. As others say "the weight didnt come on over night its not going to come off over night" IF you are getting the "golf ball " feeling in your throat for me that is my " your full stop eating " feeling and that is when I know to stop eating . If you feel that feeling stop eating. If you feel that AND you have saliva come up and you food comes up and you throw up THAT Is pbing. PBing nothing more than throwing up really . IF you can not eat solids with out geting that feeling AND the saliva coming up or throwing up your too tight and need an unfill most likely . BUT since you just had a fill sometimes after fills we need to focus on the rules again , make sure your chewing your food, taking small bites and eating slowly . If your having problems with the fill call your doc. HTH Mindy

I think it's helpful to know what Head Hunger is. Because a lot of times my daughter will insist that she's hungry when it is clearly head hunger. I think we all do this to some extent. So ... Real hunger comes on gradually as the body slowly consumes the last meal it had. It can be satisfied by a wide variety of foods because it's about fuel, not a craving. Head hunger comes on suddenly, usually in response to a trigger of some sort. It often is a hunger for a specific food. With my dd, we'll pass McDonald's and she'll say "I'm hungry!" But the only thing she wants is a McFlurry --nothing else will satisfy her -- and 5 minutes after McD's is out of sight, she's not hungry any more. That's classic head hunger. The other type is where you find yourself in front of the fridge and you have no idea how you got there. You may feel a vague uneasiness (which you are interpreting as hunger). This one can sometimes be satisfied by any food (like real hunger) but sometimes nothing look good unless it's quick and easy -- which often means not good for you.

Usually erosion doesn't have many symptoms, most don't realize they have it. The biggest one is they tend to gain weight. Esophageal spasms feel like a heart attack many times. You can be walking across the room and suddenly find yourself doubled over in pain. It's like a charlie horse in your esophagus. Slips... often times you can't even keep Water down, you barf everything. Think of an hourglass, the top half being very small and the bottom very large. With a slip usually the back half of the stomach slides up through the band and the top half gets bigger and flops over to one side cutting off the pass through for food and liquids. You might feel a loss of restriction, very big and noticeable or an inability to keep anything down. I'd go to your doc and see what is going on with you.