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I am 4 weeks post-op. I, too, had a small hiatel hernia. I rarely had acid reflux or heartburn, and the hernia never caused me any discomfort before surgery. Within the last few days, the heartburn has gotten worse. Today was my first fill, and I've had heartburn all day. Hope it goes away soon.:smile2:

I hate to say it but with all the fills I have gotten, which I am at 3.9cc in my 4cc band I have always been able to eat more than everyone with no feeling of being full. I have found that it is up to me, not just the band to do the work. I think to many people think this is the magic bullet that is going to do all the work for them, even though we are told that it takes hard work I don't think people believe that. You sound like maybe you want the band to do the work for you. SORRY, if your waiting, its not going to happen. Your young you have only yourself to take care of right now, CHANGE NOW, it only gets harder as you get older and have more responsiblilities and even more excuses to give yourself. Trust me, I have taken a long time to lose my weight and am still not there. I know what it means to make mistakes. I make them on a regular basis, but I never make excuses or lose focus of my big picture. Which is health and strength just as much as weight loss. Which takes exercise. DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP, WE ALL SLIP. REGROUP! My favorite quote is "NEVER CONFUSE A SINGLE DEFEAT WITH A FINAL DEFEAT." YOU CAN DO IT! We all like how the "forbidden foods" taste. You just have to eat more of the good than bad. Truthfully, if I exercise my 5 days like I'm suppose to I let myself have a day that I can have something "naughty". It gets me through the week. If you need anything even want to just chat private message me and I will give you my phone number. I really believe in you, now you need to start believing in yourself. GOOD LUCK

I'm a self pay so all I had was a 2week liver shrinking diet (but I did 3). I count from the day I started losing weight which was 5 weeks before surgery as it is all connected with my surgery - I started losing the day I got my surgery date !! Rach.

I'm on the same rollercoaster! Not that it's any fun. I am also self pay. I had an unfill in June and then gained 48 pounds. So my doctor told me to do the pre-op diet for 2 weeks. I ended up going longer. It jump started my system to lose again. Protein shake for breakfast, protein shake for lunch, 3oz lean meat with 1 cup green veggies and 1 cup fruit for dinner. No banana, starch veggies and low carbs. Totally worked! I'm back to smaller portions and losing again. Give it a try.

Greg, I just posted in the men's room almost the exact same problem and dates you are experiencing. I'm headed in for an adjustment fill with no X-ray next week and hope to get back on the horse. I've decided to start respecting my band and all the effort I've put into it over the last 5 years and let it do what I wanted it to do. Restrict the foods to that I eat to ones that will fuel my body rather then just take up space. I've spent the last 2 years trying to find things to eat as I enjoy eating rather then eating the things I know I can and should eat. I'm back to being excited about the band and the future rather then pissed off that I can't eat what I want. Come and join me for the rest of the summer and let's see how we can do. I'm getting up 45 minutes early to do 30 minutes on the treadmill. My goal is to go .25 of a mile further every week in that same time. I'll start off walking this week and try to finish with a walk/sprint combo by the end of the summer.

I had my op 3 weeks ago today, for the first week and a half I had no nausea etc, but since the middle of last week I have felt sick all the time. I started a mushy food on Wednesday and thought this May cure it but it hasn't. Is it normal to feel like this?

@@tfarr We are pretty close to the same. It's harder now to lose. I'm actually pretty happy where I'm at. How much more are you wanting to lose? I'm with you girl I wanted to lose 16 more but it seems like it's going to be really hard to get the rest off. I will probably have to start exercising to get it off. It's hard to stay motivated this long. I was thinking about doing a liquid diet for a week to see if that kicks the sweets addiction I've been having. I still don't eat much but when I do I just want to eat cookies

A month out, I had my first fill...4cc's....after which I started to, and did gain weight. I went for my second fill 4 weeks after that weighing more than my first fill visit.... Dr. was not surprised, he actually chuckled at my frustration....tried to explain to me that the band does absolutely nothing (in my case) until it gets properly adjusted...and that can take months.....It IS as though I have no band...all they did after all, was install it....they did not turn it on yet. Until then, if I wanted to loose, it was the old fashioned way...the way I tried...and failed...before I had surgery....that 4 letter word DIET In other words, I was in Bandster Hell.... BTW, everyone looses something post op, then eventually you start back on real solid food.

I had it for two weeks after the third week. It went away after a while but I used gas strips to get rid of them at the time. And make sure you stay up for a while after eating. I hated the taste of those strips so I would roll them and take them as a pill. Took care of the problem in minutes. I can and I will.

I had really bad reflux that lasted for a few weeks.... it got so bad that i had to see the surgeon, he suggested that i double the dose.. once in the morning and once in the evening. I tried this and it made it worse! So the next day i took nothing... gone..... turns out for me it was the PPI that was causing the reflux! 3 months post op now, i haven't had it since i went off it. How far out are you?

I've stuck to only getting weighed at my bariatric follow ups and PCP visits. So, I really only see my weight every 3-4 weeks. It's sometimes more if I'm sick. I'm actually anxious now about my current weight because I want to know if I've dropped below 200. However, I'm going to hold off until my three month follow up on Thursday. When you don't weigh yourself as often, then you aren't even aware of the stalls. It's not like you can do much about them anyway. Just keep following your plan and it will happen.

Yes. Just came off of one that lasted 2 weeks. Up, down, up, down. Frustrating, but if you stick with your plan, the weight will come off. Now I have lost 4 lbs in 3 days. That feels good!

Please stop weighing yourself every day. It will drive you crazy. I am a victim of the scale. In the beginning, I didn't bother weighing myself and was very happy . Then I decided I wanted to see how many pounds I would loose over night. That's when I noticed that I was in a stall. I have a hard time staying away from the scale now. I am trying to not weigh myself until Valentine's day which is next week. Eat alot of protein, drink alot of water, and just focus on enjoying today. You will do fine with your weight loss! Trust me. You will lose it.

i am so frustrated. I was loosing really good, I lost 9 lbs on pre op diet, then 18 lbs one week into the surgery. I haven't lost a single pound after that. I started eating enough protein n drink enough water but I'm not loosing. I'm on the puree phase right now. For breakfast I will have 2 egg whites, lunch I will have tuna n dinner I will have some type of soup( blenderized). Can someone please help me?

I go though that exact same thing! i have a severe carb addiction. like you, sweets is my downfall. This week I did lilmissdivas boot camp diet thing. it really helps with breaking that addiction and makes you focus on eating the right things. It has been easier than I thought but think its because i am so focused on getting that gallon of liquid in that I don't have time to think about junk food. there simply isn't any room fo it with all that liquid. I hate plain water, so I do crystal light and unsweetened tea. I wish you the very best!!

I'm the same way! All I've been able to think about since I got sleeved is all the stuff I want to do now that I either believed I was too fat to do or actually *was* too fat to do. Ride a horse, ride a bike, go on a cruise, do more travelling, go to High School reunions, start doing Pilates again -- alll alllowed after two three or six months. I blew off the surgery emotionally entirely. But now that it's past me, recovery and weight loss both seem like they're going to take FOREVER. Hey remember something for me. When you switch up eating stages, curb that enthusiasm. Seems like every time I moved up a stage I started having problems, but they were my own fault. More Impatience!

Actigall (Ursodiol generic name) is the name of the drug. There are also contraindications for this medication if you have liver issues. My surgeon only has 1/4 of his patients that need their gb out after WLS. I opted to NOT take Actigall. #1 Our livers work double time when losing weight rapidly especially when we're in ketosis. I didn't want to task my liver anymore than necessary. #2 The gb helps break down fat. During my losing stage, I ate full fat foods because light or fat free food had more carbs and sugar counts. #3 I had my GB out at 8 months post-op, and a lot of my food choices were nixed because my body would not process fat the same it did before losing my GB. I struggled with a lot of foods post gb removal. I can't imagine not having my GB during my losing stage. I would have been miserable. It's a hiatal hernia repair, and it is not the "norm". I didn't have one, and I had a band as well. Hiatal hernias often go undiagnosed until surgery, and they are repaired simultaneously as the sleeve surgery. These particular hernias can cause reflux, and repairing them can prolong recovery. The esophagus sometimes has spasms for several weeks to months post repair. It's not related to the sleeve at all. I researched so much that really I had zero surprises. I was a revision, and I walked in knowing my risks, complications, and that recovery would probably be extended. Of course, no amount of research prepared me for my specific complications, extensive recovery, but for the actual sleeve life I was well equipped for the ins and outs of surgery, and life post sleeve. I completely agree with buying samples of Protein, don't get hung up on a flavor because more than likely your tastes will change post-op. Don't buy any tubs, or large quantities of protein mixes/shakes until a couple of weeks post-op. If you do, more than likely, you'll end up with them being dust collectors. I bought only samples, and found one that I loved. But, 2 weeks into drinking it(4 weeks post-op), I started puking. Lovely, lactose intolerance hit me, and hit me hard. All whey Proteins were out for me. The soy and veggie proteins were horrible tasting and textured. I gave the one tub I did purchase away to friend. I never experienced a true stall. I always lost weight, every week. Some weeks I only lost 1-2 pounds, but I never the 2 full weeks without weight loss. BUT, stalls happen, and I would say 98% of WLS patients experience them. Our bodies really can't lose a pound a day forever, and it has to adjust. Start instilling better habits NOW. I had the learning curve with the sleeve pretty much beat because of my band experience. I had already quit drinking with my meals, already ate small bites, and always set my eating utensil down in between bites to help me slow down on eating. If you start these little changes now, as a pre-op, you'll find the transition to eating with the sleeve much easier. Also, eat your protein first, take at least 20 minutes to eat your meals, stop bringing a beverage to the table with you when you eat. Learn to identify your trigger foods, and avoid them, or enjoy them in moderation. Go ahead and start sucking down Clear liquids on a daily basis. If you're not a Water drinker, you might want to learn to start liking water now. If you hate water, find something that you can add to it. Clear liquids are essential in your recovery. Also, try to prepare yourself mentally for all the changes. If you have food issues such as emotional and compulsive eating, tackle those demons now. Don't think the sleeve will resolve these issues alone. They operate on our stomachs not our brains, and conquering the mental aspect of WLS is 75% of the battle. Best wishes, and keep reading, researching, and preparing yourself emotionally, mentally, and physically.

@@tfarr i'n not good at tough love, but here goes if you were next to me i would knock your block off!!! what's going on?? you lost 80 lbs!! that's great i know you regained some don't throw the baby out with the bath water!! you know why you got the sleeve improved health less medication knees feeling better too?? improved appearance too ability to live a longer life happiness for reasons above and feeling better about yourself sorry you have fallen off track TEMPORARILY gone back to old/bad habits lots of sweets what are you thinking??!! i know you can and will get back on the right road to success have 3 Protein shakes a day (nothing else) for about 3 days up to a week drink lllllots of Water alll day at least 64 oz doing the above will give you a jump start to loosing some weight at a faster time then go back to the beginning eat proper portions (measure( don't drink with meals, don't eat for 30 - 45 minutes after you eat, protein first, chew slowly etc etc do you stiil have a NUT, or could you get one?? scream for help anytime that's what we're here for support, answers, info, experiences, opinions after 10 months you should know all the rules but if you have a question/reminder about something ask away do you have any support? can you talk to hubby/SO, neighbor, friends etc ask if they can "be there" for you to talk with have as much confidence in yourself, that i have in you good luck kathy

I was hoping someone could help me jump start my losing again. I had to have rotator cuff surgery and of course my activities decreased. I am back to the fill before I was scheduled for surgery. And I have an appointment for another adjustment next week. But I need some advice to help me start losing again. Any suggestions on foods, or anything?? I am getting discouraged. I am limited on my exercise, well I can't do anything other than walk, which I am... Any suggestions??? Thanks Sherrie

So I was in my shower this morning taking a long hot one like I usually do. Because its where I do most my thinking. So I was looking at my scars and started thinking of the week after my surgery and how I had looked at these same scars and cried and thought what had I don't to myself?! And then I had a panic attack and nearly fainted in the shower. This morning I thought of that moment and realized that these scars are marks of a journey that changed my life for the best. I'm skinner and although still fat I don't hurt as much anymore my feet don't kill me at work. And I'm happy. So I began to laugh and laugh because i was so silly back then. and didn't realize I was doing it and Dave smashed in my bathroom door cause he thought I was screaming. So I'm skinny with a broken door oh well!

My first two weeks was only liquids, too. Clear broth, diluted juice, shakes mixed with water, sugar free popsicles, tea. I couldn't even have jello, pudding, yogurt, or baby food until weeks 3-4.

I think I'd hold of on any more cheese for a few more weeks. It doesn't sound like your stomach is ready for that.

Yeah ur stomachs probably telling u it's not ready, I was on liquids for 2 weeks, nothing but Protein shakes, drinking yogurts, thin Soup and Water. Even when I moved to the purée stage I stuck to mainly Protein Shakes just to try and get in the protein

Hey Vinesqueen, I always slime and never PB. Sometimes I wished I would PB just to get the crap back up. Anyhoo, this is what I call an NSD as in Defeat. I was in Columbia Missouri last week on a sales call and stopped by a little hole in the wall BBQ joint. Well about the easiest meat I can eat is polish sausga ein really small bites. Well How was I supposed to know they don't BBQ sausage in Missouri? We do in Texas so I thought everyone did. Well the only selections were Brisket, Chicken and Turkey. The chicken and turkey just looked too dry so I chose the beef plate with small potatoe salad. So I am sitting in this place all by myself at a rather large table. The lunch crowd has just started to trickle in. I slice a pice of beef about the size of a pencil erasure, pop it in my mouth abd chew for days it seems. I take a small bite of potatie salad and life is good. Until the next bite of meat. That is when the no detour sign was held up at my stomach and traffic came to a halt. Talk about sliming!!!!!!!!!! I had to get up from my plate (not even 1/20th eaten) and walk out the door to my truck and proceed to you know what for about 15 minutes. I swore I would never let that happen in public but lo and behold it did. Amazing I can eat sausage by the yard but one tiny piece of beef (WITH BBQ SAUCE) can bring me to my knees. The worst part was that I was out $11.95....................................................................