I am not 2 sure what is going on with my band. For the past 2 weeks I have not been able to eat without everything getting stuck. I can't drink with out feeling the golfball in my chest. I am scheduled for a fill on the 29th and it doesn't look like I will be going. I have lost another 5 lbs but I am nervous that I am not getting the nutrition that I need. My last fill was around October 28th. I wasn't this tight till about 2 weeks ago. After my monthly cycle finished. I figured that it would loosen up but it has not. I talked to my Dr's office and they told me to call on Friday to cancel my appt. If I decide to. Could my band have slipped? Any information from you guys will be wonderful!! Thanks and have a Merry Christmas!

Welcome to the delayed restriction club!!

Unless you have had some strong vomitting episodes, it is unlikely that your band has slipped.

I just had three weeks of feeling super restricted (eating was pretty uncomfortable), but it finally seems to be easing up somewhat. I'm still frustrated with trying to get in all my liquids, so I'm not back to where I was yet.

Since many people comment that stress really affects their bands, it could be the upcoming holiday season getting to you, even if you don't feel particularly stressed. I definitely would not get a fill at this point.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply! I am PBing but I am pretty much making myself. When I feel like something is stuck my natural instinct is to make it come back up. Yesterday morning I took a bite of scrambled egg and I have felt like something has been stuck every since. So since I am PBing and sometimes vomiting but I am making myself do it does that count?

Yes, that counts. Definitely a dangerous cycle to get into. STOP!!!

I recommend "priming" yourself with very warm liquids first, then eating/drinking non-challenging foods (full liquids, blended chili, yoghurt, etc.) for a couple of days to rest your stomach/esophagus. The more irritated they become, the tighter you will be.

Although eggs are "soft", they don't really disinegrate into liquid when chewing, so I would avoid them for a while. Also, for the mornings particularly I would consider doing a liquid Protein source (if you're like most, you are tightest in the mornings and nights.) Save your "real" food for lunch, early dinner.

Whatever you choose to do, I would recommend that your goal be to stop the vomitting, involuntary or otherwise.

Take care of yourself, Kelly.

Thanks! I am gonna do the liquid thing for the next 3 days and see if anything changes. If I am just irritating my stomach then sure it will swell and get tighter. I talked to my Dr's office and again and they told me to go ahead and go to the hospital for a fill and tell the Dr what is going on and let him look at the band to see if everything is ok and maybe do an unfill. Maybe I am just tight because of the irritation that I have done to my stomach. Will 3 days of liquids make a difference with the irritation?

Three days should be plenty to calm the irritation, particularly if it is recent and there are no other reasons for the new restriction.

It never hurts to have the band placement checked out, so it's good you're having that done. Don't worry about having fill removed - if you're too loose later, you can have some put back in. As you are finding out, fills are not an exact science - there are too many factors and day to day changes.

That is true! I am gonna wait and see how things go. If I am on liquids and everthing goes back to the way it was before I'm not gonna get any taken out. I was hoping to have another fill before the new year due to insurance is paying 100% now. But, my health is more important than the money:-) Thanks so much for the replies. This board is a lifesaver!

Oh my GOD. I have been feeling exactly the same way and very scared something might be wrong. I have been very tight for the past few days. Unfortunately for me, I am going on a cruise today which means no food for me. Almost anything that I eat gives me the golf ball feeling. I PB 2x yesterday. So I thought I should do a Protein drink just to get some nutrition. I drank only half of the can because it felt like it was stuck. So I went to bed. At around 1:30 a.m. I got up cauphing. I could taste the drink in my throat so I am not sure if I was PB in my sleep or the fact that my head was lower than my body might have pushed the food back.

I hope this passes, I am very scared that something might be wrong.

Mary:(

Just to remind everyone, when you are very restricted, do NOT lie down within about 3-4 hours of eating/drinking something. It is very likely it could come back up, and waking up choking is dangerous, as if you aspirate any of that liquid you could get chemical pneumonia, which is no fun what-so-ever.

Avoid spicy foods, caffeine, carbonation, alchohol and acidic foods, such as orange juice, as those are all irritants and will make things worse.

Try and do relaxing things as much as possible, like hot tubs (whoo hoo!), massages, listening to soothing music, drinking warm fluids... It is time to pamper ourselves!!

Thanks so much Donali for your replies! This little tool makes me want to invest in an x-ray machine. I wish there was another way to make sure everything was ok other than by x-ray. Bebbly I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise and I hope this goes away for you and me:)

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

wow kelly! i hope you loosen up a little after some liquids you too bebbly and have a wonderful cruise.

i pb'd 3 times this weekend after a month or without doing once. unfortunalty i think mine was from not listening to my body and continuing to eat.

i'll be measuring my food for a while. it scares me when i golfball/PB it feels like i should be choking even though i can breath.

i think i just simply 'wanted to eat more'

Hi ladies!

How very weird! I've been experiencing increased restriction lately too! My fill was on 10/20 and the restriction seemed to have been easing before and through Thanksgiving and beyond. But just in the last week I'm suddenly having to stop eating after only a few bites.

I'm not complaining, as it's not been uncomfortable or troublesome, but wow--how very odd that it's happening to so many of us!

I guess we'd have to say:

"Can you say S T R E S S ?" Surely that is the only thing we all have in common at this time?

Unless... NO... THAT can't be it... You know how women in close proximity tend to cycle together... Perhaps we're starting to restrict "in sync." lol

hey kelly!

how are you feeling? did the liquids help?

No, but Thanks for asking!! I am having a hard time drinking water. I woke up this am feeling like I have something stuck in my throat. I have been burping alot (I know that is gross) but I thought if I told you in detail someone would have an answer for me about what is going on!! I am going on Monday to the hospital to figure this thing out. I am getting worried that something is wrong. But, hopefully it is just the stress!! Cause I have been feeling that for sure!

maybe you do have something stuck?

take it especially easy over this holiday weekend. i will be thinking of you!

i hope it is stress too! i glad its finally christmas eve! it'll all be over tommorrow!