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Hi. I'm sure this has been addressed before and hate to be repetitive; however, I need some help and reassurance please. I have a 4cc band and was banded on 10/26/05. I don't know what my current fill is but the last one I got was 3 weeks ago. This last fill was the first time I really felt any restriction and I was PB'ing all the time because I was having to get used to it being tight. Then last Wednesday I went out to eat with my daughter. That day at lunch I had had some trouble eating but just thought it was the usual eating too fast, too big of bites, not chewing, etc. Then that night at the cafeteria, I could get NOTHING to go down. I had to run to the ladies room 3-4 times. I was sooo embarrassed...of course there were people in there that I knew! Once I almost didn't even make it to the bathroom. I tried later that night to eat, no go...the next morning...no go...and Thursday afternoon...no go. I called my doc and they told me to stay on warm liquids and not to worry about slippage, etc. Finally later Thursday, after much broth, I could eat. Now I don't have much restriction I feel. I have PB'd maybe 3x when I tried to take my medicine or when I just absolutely ate too fast running out the door! Geez, when am I going to learn. I am making bad choices, and not losing weight. I really thought it would be much easier. I see talk of people losing some restriction as time goes on...but I still seem to drink when I eat~! I struggle with this daily. How do I get my head on straight, and can a fill go from absolutely very tight to no restriction?

I got my second fill this morning, 2ml, my first was also 2ml. I barely got the Water down (8 oz.) in 45 minutes (too fast?) and now I still have slight pressure in my chest, nausea, hiccupping and burping. Lots of saliva, too!! Very uncomfortable. I called the office and the doctor is in surgery. Any advise, is this normal?

Tell me about this zumba. I see it on TV & it looks so good & so fast & sweety... Have you seen the commercial on the Shawn T (I think that's how it's spell) it looks so good for the stomach. You know since I'm not rich & it's hard to save alot of money with 3 kids. I was thinking if I buy this DVD maybe my tummy will be super flat & so the rest of my body so I won't need plastic surgery? What you think?

I am officially 8 weeks out, and I still can't finish most of my food, even in small portions. You're right, I think I drink myself full with all of that Water, leaving little room for anything but my allotments of Protein and veggies. I carry a liter bottle around with me everywhere, and I am always amazed at how fast it gets empty. I hate to repeat myself from other posts, but if you're not all that in to water by itself, don't add flavorings, but rather get some good tasting bottle water. I've found that if I add Crystal Lite and so forth, my tongue expects sweetness at all times. But now that I just drink plain old H2O, I don't crave sweets much anymore. One more addiction down!

Yes. I had the same kind of thing happen to me. My surgery was October 21 of this year, and up until then I had been planning to get this surgery for about two years now. I had friends and family who were totally supportive until the last minute, and then some people who were supportive the whole time. I found that the people most argumentative about the procedure were the ones that were very ignorant on the surgery itself, the statistics, the success stories, and just information in general. My sister, who is in the medical field told my mom to tell me a few days before to warn me that my stomach could stretch and that I could also experience a stomach rupture. I had people at work, saying, "Well, do you know that you have to eat healthy afterwards? Can you do that?" It infuriated me! What?! I have to eat healthy afterwards? Why don't they tell you that? (sarcasm) Now, two weeks out, back to work after one week, and 15 lbs lost, I get the last laugh because they are all like, "Wow! You were right! It's amazing how fast you recover and how well it's working!" Don't get discouraged. I even doubted myself a few days after surgery, laying in bed thinking, "Why didn't I listen to the people that warned me? Why did I do it?" But, that went away VERY quickly after all the pain meds wore off, and I was up and about and feeling great! I'm still getting used to what and how I can eat, but I've stuck with soups, yogurt, protein shakes, and oatmeal for the most part. I get full very quickly and I can actually go a whole day at work, with just a protein shake and some oatmeal, without feeling starved! Everyday, it becomes more natural to me, almost like I never even got surgery. The pain is NOTHING! And, with each pound lost, and each extra inch of loose clothing, the motivation and resolve that you've made the right decision really sinks in! Your mom will be supportive. Some people just have to see it to believe it! You'll make her a believer. You can do it, and you'll be SO glad you did!

I have a busy life and have a crazy nutty schedule that rules my life 1 baby daddy, 2 beautiful children, 1 house to run, 1 building to operate , 1 spa to run, 9 employees sometimes varies love interests and a partridge in a pear tree. But anyway i am not 19 months post op. HAVE LOST 74 lbs !!!!! Holy crap - i know i havent blogged in a long time but i now wear a regular ladies pant size 16 comfortably sometime a 14w still having bosy issues and eating issues - think my band is about half full and i am down to only eating about 2-3 oz at a time some funnie things that have changed for me I really cant eat rice or bread without feeling uncomfortable. White heavy foods are very hard to digest so after a while i really dont even want them at all !!! imagine a fat girl not into mashed potatoes. I have to stay very conscious of what i am eating and how much. I can eat anything i really want however the volume is so small i never thought this little food would fill me but it does. After losing 8 pants sizes i find myself wanting to excercise. I bought myself a gazelle excercize machine for christmas. Is great to do 30 minutes makes it a couple miles easy workout but effecient at getting up my heart rate. I am also finding out that i have way more endurance and energy. been working like a dog doing outdoor work - cleaning taking down walls in my house never a dull moment. People have told me how thin my face looks this is where things get strange for me even though i knwo my clothes are smaller and the number on the scale has dropped when i look in the mirror i still see myself as a fat girl. I mean i am actually less than 200 lbs for the first time in like 10 years maybe more - I have never been this thin as an adult. Is great get lots of attention from guys i feel sexy - still curvy i have a big ol butt. thinkin i always will but not that i am at 199 lbs my goal is 150 that means goal is only 49 lbs away at my current rate i am losing about 1-2 lbs a week 49 lbs will be here before 2011 and we all know how fast the years can fly by have even been looking at vacations bathing suits things that just might have made my skin crawl for a while i am now embracing. Is nuts the fat girl still lives in my head though she talks to me - :eat the cake" take one more bite- save that for a little while you will eat more again soon - aaauuuggghhh ! SHut Up already i have more wilpower have thrown away great dinners with moutheatering flavors - just trying my best to listen to my body and when i do that first deep breath at dinner I STOP EATING- is such a novel thing for me i will checkin more often and keep updates current watch out bathing suits stores i am coming in ! :thumbup:

You know, for me it was definitely quantity. I never really liked "junk food" though certainly high caloric food. But even when I was making healthy choices, I ate for three!!!! LOL Especially at my age. I was eating as much as my teen aged son!!! Also, I tended to skip meals alot --i.e., not eat all day -- then really eat a lot, very, very fast at night, often a few hours before bedtime. This surgery has really forced me to change all that. I have to eat throughout the day. And because it's not much, I seem to be able to just have those few bites I need to fuel my body. One thing I do notice though is the amount of food people eat!!! It blows my mind!!! and of course, I am so very clear that I was one of those people!!! :-) But it's just weird now to really see the quantities!!! LOL

Mother-in-law went shopping at Costco and got me two cases of their brand of slim-fast. I am still assuming that I will be starting my pre-op liquid diet on Wednesday being that Tuesday I have my first appointment with the surgeon. I am nervous. I am also ready to start actually losing weight. I'm ready to feel like I am doing something to better my life. Even the four and a half days until my doctor appointment seems forever away. I am just ready to know how long it will be until I am banded. I'm ready to start..... I'm ready for it all. I'll give an update on Tuesday after my appointment. Hopefully I'll know more by then.

Hi Anthrochika, I had my surgery in Mexico in April and I'm jumping up and down I'm so happy and I've only lost43 lbs. 65 lbs with less than proper fills is remarkable. You should be so proud. I live in Michigan so we are quite a ways away but we can always write if you like. I have had a couple of bad incidents this last month with sliming but I can tell you that they were mostly my own fault. Eating too fast and not chewing enough makes a big difference in that teeny tiny pouch. Sounds like you have found a good Dr. that you trust so follow his advice and you should be fine. In fact you are fine, you just need to believe it! Blessings, Sally

oh grammy... she was an idiot. She had recently discovered slowcooking/crockpot cooking and felt it was the answer to all over eating. You have got to be kidding me. i have slow cooked, fast cooked, baked, grilled - you name it, for years - and yet weighed 300#. It is a stereotype that all obese people live off mcdonalds and cheetos.

Wow..you guys are doing fabulous! Keep up the great work.. Amonroy...I have a 10cc band with 6.5 cc and dont feel restriction..I am following the rule..my next adjustment is 3.24.09..I wanna reach that sweet spot because when i eat i dont feel like ive eaten.. Amonroy--I go to the chinese buffet here where I live & have chicken..crab legs..steamed clams..broccoli stuff like that..I drink unsweetened iced tea when I there...I go to burger king & get a side salad with grilled chicken..i avoid Mcdonalds because i heard that they spray their chicken with sugar water so it doesnt dry out...Its hard to eat fast food because the choices are limited..sometimes when u are out and about you want something fast..i always opt for chicken or salad...once in a blue moon i will have ice cream but not a big portion.Any suggestions??

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a little feedback or simular experience from anyone who wants to share. Here's my story: For about the last 6 weeks I've been having reflux problems at night. I feel acid in my throat and have a sore throat in the morning. I tried taking Zantac 150mg but it didn't help. Then I tried Prilosec which helped a little bit. I also elevated the head of my bed and stopped eating after 6pm. I also cut out acidic foods. Since none of this seemed to get rid of it completely, I called my fill doctors office. He was on vacation so his nurse told me to go to my primary doctor and ask to have an upper gi/barium swallow done. I just got the results of the upper gi and the impression by the radiologist reads: "old duodenal ulcer or duodenal inflammation.". The primary doctor told me to go back to see the fill doctor (his office is closed until monday) because she didn't know what to do from here. In the mean time she gave me Nexium to take and I'm doing MUCH better since taking it. I don't have any acid in my throat and my sore throat has gone away. I didn't have much faith in the radiologist who did the upper gi because he had never seen a lapband before. He asked me lots of questions about it including "when are you going to have it removed". He didn't understand that I couldn't drink the barium really fast because I had to wait a minute in between swallows for it to go down (it was morning and I try to be extra careful in the morning because I'm a little tighter then in the afternoon) It made me nervous! I have to call the fill doctor on Monday to see if he'll see me. I posted a message on Dr. Kuri's website to see what others thought and I got an immediate email from JoAnn (patient facilitator) telling me to call Dr. Kuri right away! And Sandy,RN told me to get an unfill right away to prevent reflux damage of the esophagus. She thinks I've waited too long already but as soon as I realized the reflux wasn't a temporary thing, I made appointments (it just took a long time to get an appointment with the primary doctor and then I had to wait to have the upper gi done and then another week to get the results) Oh, I hope my band has not eroded or something terrible. I'm doing so well with my weight loss (it's been slow but steady). I hate to think of loosing my band and gaining it all back. :-( Anyone else have a simular experience?

The excitement of the pre-band life is long gone. All the hoops that had to be jumped through for the insurance companies. Then you have the "has my liver shrunk enough" issues. The pre-op tests, the dreaded "head shrinker" appointment and the liquid diet. The after glow of the first weeks post op band have faded. We learned a new vocabulary - Mushies, PB, Sliming. We went through our stages and excitely shared the foods we were able to add. And we learned. We learned to Never eat and drink at the same time. Cut into small pieces. Eat slowly. CHEW CHEW CHEW. The scale began it's decline, maybe even hitting "uncharted water". Some lost fast, some lost slow. For me, getting under 200 was a celebration. I had not been under 200 in OVER 25 years. Now, the scale appears to be STUCK. I know, I eat too much cereal, but when you cannot have dairy or milk products, it is a PAIN. I don't eat bread, rice, pasta, fried foods, refined sugar. I am as my daughter calls it, a MONOVORE. I can live off of the same 5 foods and be quite happy. So Tuna, Salmon, Green Beans, Peas, Applesauce-they have different flavors and oatmeal. But I am happy - I may weigh 180 but I am happy. So as plateaus go, this one is okay with me. Maybe it is just the "non excitement" that makes it so nice. I like the quiet of now. I still step on the scale expecting to see 280 instead of the 180. Sometime I wake in a cold sweat and that was my nightmare. But then I awaken to the clear daylight and I see it was all a bad dream. A dream to learn from, but as with all dreams, it fades. I am happy.

Hi - I was banded on April 24th and I had the most horrible chest pains last night - so I came on here to find out why. I obviously ate too fast and not enough chewing. Boy oh boy - thought I was having a heart attack :cursing: - not that I know what that feels like :cursing:. So - here is the good thing I have learnt a lesson and now I wont do that again. I had a Japanese Bento box - which I used to be able to inhale - yum yum, but yesterday could only do half - I thought that I no longer had any restriction so I would be able to do it. I am seeing my surgeon this afternoon and hopefully I will get a fill soon - haven't asked enough questions I have decided. But thanks for your help. :cursing:

Ok- here goes: It is not a full feeling like you ate too much. When u are banded, you have a small pouch at the top of your stomach that gets filled when you eat too much. So, when that gets filled, you literally, physically CANT eat anymore. If you try to eat more, you will not be able to get it down and you will feel like the food is just sitting there at the top of your band and you will throw it up. Thats called a PB or Productive Burp. Sliming is when you have eaten too much and now will produce a lot of slimey saliva and then you feel like u will throw up and YOU WILL THROW UP! Thats why u have to take small bites, chew alot and eat slowly. Also, there will be times when you eat so fast and dont chew, that you will get a pain in your chest that is horrible. So, its is nothing like eating so much that youre sickeningly full, your band gets full. I still want to eat, but I cant. Not a big deal. Follow the rules and that wont happen. Good luck.

Congratulations on making this choice and props to you on taking action now! Here's some unasked-for advice. Not knowing how BCBS responds typically, but knowing how my insurance resisted, I strongly recommend keeping a journal of each interaction pertaining to this surgery, with insurance, with Drs, nutritionists, etc. if you use a computer a lot, use it. I kept an electronic journal in Microsoft Word. I logged the date, and just wrote brief broken sentences that cut to the chase, like, "09/12/12. Phone call w/insurance rep, Bianca L. (936-999-9999). Requested list of criteria required to get insurance approval. She will email it to me by 2 pm." "10/04/12. Met surgeon, Dr B, on 1st appt. Was set up with monthly appts with Nut Counselor for 6 months." "03/17/13. Pre-op appt with Dr B. Scheduled surgery 4/17." Keep track of what BCBS requires yourself. Don't rely on them or the surgeon's staff. Do they require months of nutritional counseling? If so, how many? Do they require a psychological evaluation? Do they require a 6-month log of what you ate every day? Will they want to see your Dr's records showing what your weight has been over the past 3 years? And, don't take for granted that your PCP (primary care physician) and surgeon are shaking hands smoothly on everything. If you call and verify the PCP provided the necessary records, and confirm the surgeon's staff received it, things will go easier and quicker. And, if your insurance requires several months of counseling, don't despair. I learned a lot in those appts and the time allowed me to really make peace with this permanent lifestyle change. By the time they wheeled me into the OR, I was so happy, as soon as my gurney crossed the OR threshold, I raised my fist in the air and pulled it down fast yelling out, "YES!" I worked hard to arrive at THAT moment and I marked the success with a mini-celebration. I was soooo ready! We are all here on this site to exchange ideas, questions, and reassurances. If you haven't yet, fill out your profile. Post a before picture. Take your measurements the night before surgery. There will be times your weight loss will stall, but the inches will continue to melt away. Good luck on your journey!

I think my doc has the right idea with no hard and fast rules on times spent at each stage. He's a big believer in listening to your body, taking it slowly and introducing new foods carefully and seeing what you tolerate. If your body is ready to move quickly, that's fine, if you need to take longer at each stage, that's good too. Everyone is different.

I'm SO guilty of doing this. I ate too much, too fast tonight and had to race home sliming out the window all of the way then I really lost it when I got home. I am just not totally in the habit yet of eating small bits and slooooowing down. I'm also here to admit that I sucked the flavoring off of Cool Ranch Dorito chips and threw the chips in the trash. I just wanted the salty taste soooo bad!

It took about 30 lbs and I still notice most people don't really want to comment. Jealous? I am just now really noticing for myself, mostly when I try on old clothes that didn't fit before. I didn't keep my surgery a secret so I guess that most people are just thinking it's not happening fast enough. Lot's of people expect the by-pass results. My husband always comments though and that's what counts!

I had surgery three days ago. This morning I drank warm decaf tea and wonder if i drank it too fast. It was about a cup and I drank it over maybe 5-7 minutes. I didn't feel anything unusual immediately but about 5 minutes later, I was lying down and felt a sharp tight pain under my left breast, like when you have gas around your heart. Have any of you ever experienced that or know what caused it? Thanks.

I'm 9 months out and have lost a total of 114 lbs (30 or so before surgery). It's very slow now... 2-3 lbs per month. The doctor said that's normal, but it's still hard to take after losing so much so fast! I need to step up my exercise a bit and see if that helps get me going. I'd like to lose at least 10 lbs more.

I've got a rant about three different types of calls. 1. The no return call from contractors - I'm having work done on my house, I've called various trades including plumbers, roofers, landscapers and masons. The masonry job is estimated to be at about $15,000. I had a guy give me an estimate last Fall and we parted saying I would call him in the Spring. Fast forward to MARCH when I email him with the photos of similar work that was done at my brothers house (per his request) and with the info on the material I picked out. Crickets. I emailed again two weeks later asking when he might be able to come out again and start the job. He emailed me that he would be out that weekend and would call with the date/time. Crickets. I called him. He said he was really busy but where he had given me estimate last year he would make time for me. (GEE THANKS!) I had a neighbor and a good friend use him last year and they both said he does awesome work but he's hard to get a hold of. He finally called and said he would be out on this past Sunday.........NADA, NOTHING...no call/no show. He better not call me any time soon. I had a tree limb fall off a very high Pine tree and it crashed into my garage in the back of the house. I didn't realize that the branch had actually put a fist sized hole in the roof and damaged it a few more places. I also developed a leak in the main roof after the guys shoveling the roof hit the pipe coming out of the roof from the bathroom with the shovel. I don't know the technical name for that pipe, but it vents the air from the bathroom. I went on Angie's list and looked up "roof repair". I called 8 roofers. 4 of them called me back and "they are only doing entire roof jobs, no repairs", 3 never called. The last guy is great - and is fixing the roof and my chimney (he's putting a cap on it) tomorrow. I will definitely be giving him a good review online once the work is done. 2. No return calls from LICSW/Therapists. I've been looking for a therapist for a while. I went online to my health provider, put in my info and found two therapists that have some experience with bariatric patients. I called one and left a voicemail with my info. CRICKETS. No return call. I emailed another - she initially emailed right away and said she would call me to schedule the following week. Never happened. I called a referral service that my NUT gave me. They called me back right away and gave me the names of two therapists - one of whom I had already emailed and she ignored me. I gave her another shot. NOPE. No return call, no return email. The other therapist who was new to me - I called. I left a voicemail. That was three days ago. Good thing I wasn't in crisis huh?! I am at the point where I am ready to give up. 3. This call JUST happened while I was typing this. I got a call from the "BLANK PARTY" on a recorded line telling me that we couldn't let SO AND SO into the White House and should they send out my party material confirming I would pledge $200 or should they put me down for $100?! H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEYSTICKS NO????!!!! No sweetheart - I don't know how you got my cell phone # but lose it fast and don't ever call me again. The nerve. I don't want to get into politics but both sides are making me ill. I'm not at the point where I'm moving to Canada or going to load up on shotgun shells or anything but the political landscape right now is just downright depressing. Luckily I have an awesome plumber who recommended a masonry guy and I called him today. He's coming out TOMORROW to price the job. He was pleasant and courteous and I'll be making sure that he gets a good review online too if he decides to do the work (and does a good job....I'm figuring he will Ok - RANT OVER. Thanks for listening!

HiI Everyone! So I went to my nutritionist today to ck in and it'll be 3 months since my surgery nxt wk. Ive had a 1cc fill about a month ago and I've lost 10lbs (I was careful to NOT say ONLY 10 lbs bc it's a loss nonetheless!) anywho in reviewing some bloodwork I did about a month ago she said my thyroid is out of control...(hypo).. I'm going back to see the MD nxt wk to see if medication wb required but I've been diagnosed before (2010) as "intermittent hypothyroid" most annoying diagnosis ever.. However THC levels have only gotten worse post surgery.. I read that having surgery, stress and other factors can trigger the hormonal imbalance.. Has anyone else experienced this? Where you put on meds? Had surgery to remove thyroid/did it help? Change of diet? Any info would be helpful.

Kitty, I completely understand .......buddy let me tell you you are in your infancy in this process....just about everyone , we'll for most patients we have gone through exactly what you were describing ....I went through it too and it is isolating and it is difficult .....the nausea is horrible .....in my case my nausea came from being dehydrated.... I too could not get the recommended amount of Fluid in....I stopped eating completely and I started losing a lot of weight very fast ...I ended up in the hospital with infusion therapy to bring my fluids back up to normal levels ....I will tell you that now that I'm fully hydrated .....I'm seven weeks out and I feel amazing .....so do know this horrible part will pass..... it does take some time it's...... not overnight but it will pass...... I promise.... the diarrhea will stop..... that irritability will stop..... the ability to take Vitamins will come back the ability to eat normal food will come back..... I promise..... but when I was 12days along or even a week ago I never thought I was ever going to feel normal again.... I swear to you after hitting seven weeks and being fully hydrated I'm taking my vitamins I'm eating I'm drinking all that I should and it's like night and day ...hang in there and know it WILL end... Shel Y That gives me hope Shel- I cried a little reading your response. I guess I just wasn't expecting it to be this hard. I really thought the first few days would be super difficult and then I'd be pretty much back to normal. I'm worse now than I was then (except the wretched gas pains are gone) and I was really starting to feel defective. When you say you stopped eating...what did your typical day look like? I'm drinking til my urine is very light yellow/clear so I don't think I'm dehydrated, but I'm at the point where I've barely had TWO BITES of soup each day for the last 4 days. I'm just waiting for my hair to start falling out. I'm really glad I took a month off from work. I actually contemplated going back the week after surgery! I don't know how in the world I would have managed that. And when I do go back (on the 19th), I imagine I'll still be feeling like absolute s***.