Too Tight Or "real" Restriction??

[Chamie 29]

I had my LB done 6/12 and had my 1st fill in August. I never felt I had true restriction, but never ate more than one serving at a time (BIG change since before surgery). There were certainly foods that I couldn't tolerate (bread, tortillas, dry meats etc.), and I was losing weight very slowly until finally it stalled over the last month. Monday I had my second fill and now I am a bit concerned. I can drink anything- even GULP, but I am not tolerating soft foods very well. My first meal was scrambled eggs. I vomited. I have PB'd, even vomited before, but never with soft foods. My second meal was 3 bites of mac & cheese- I vomited. Last night I ate cream of mushroom Soup for dinner- no problem. This morning I got up and ate some canned spinach (I LOVE spinach) for breakfast- it took my over an hour to eat half of it. I could definitely feel restriction. I had to be very, very careful.

So- is this what it is supposed to be like??

If it is not, I am scared to change it. I have felt like quite a failure on this journey.

HELP!!

[MiniMi 1,468]

I think you are supposed to be on liquids for a few days after a fill. I have my first fill Nov 5th so I'm not experienced but from what I've read on this forum everyone goes on liquids for a few days after fill.

[Chamie 29]

Actually, my MD wanted me to eat "normally" after the fill. He wanted me to eat a burger patty for dinner. I didn't because I had worked night shift before the appointment and went to bed when I got home. When I got up (about 3am) I made 2 scrambled eggs.< /p>

[asquill17 72]

eggs can be difficult to get to "mush" state. I'm surprised ur doc wanted u to eat normally after your fill. Fills can swell your stoma for 24-48 hours which is why my doc says liquids for 24 hours, then soft Then back to solids. If I try to eat solids after a fill I have issues keeping it down as well. Also, 2 scrambled eggs might be too much for you to handle!

[Chamie 29]

I only cooked 2 eggs. I ate maybe 3 tablespoons before I vomited. End of meal. LOL! Eyes definitely bigger than my stomach!

My MD doesn't follow the conventional rules. I found that out early on when I went for my first fill and he refused to do it. He wanted me on a "normal" diet and not soft foods (I was 6 weeks post-op) before he filled me. My surgeon is different from the MD who does my fills. Different philosophy for sure.

[Chamie 29]

I had my surgery done in Mexico. My follow-up care is performed by Dr. Vafa Shayani. He is a pioneer in gastric banding surgery. He started performing LAP-BAND surgery soon after its FDA approval in 2001, making him one of the first surgeons in the United States to perform this procedure.

Dr. Shayani’s extensive experience and successful outcomes led to his status as a Proctor for the LAP-BAND. He has been approved by ASMBS as an Individual Surgeon with Bariatric Center of Excellence designation. Additionally, Dr. Shayani held the rank of Associate Professor of Surgery and the Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at Loyola.

I trust my MD implicitly. Just because he does things a bit differently than some other physicians doesnt mean he is doing them wrong.

[downhomechik 41]

Whenever I have a fill (I've had three) I am told the area can swell for 24-48 hrs and to eat full liquid first 24 hours and puree next 24 hours onto real food the next day to give your body a chance to let swelling go down and adjust. I can't do scrambled eggs because I can't train myself to actually chew them... My surgeon is great at what he does too but I've found he isn't good about giving advice on what and how to eat...my nutritionist has a complete fit about it. Support groups, this site, other bandsters are more helpful to me; just my 2 cents worth.

[Chamie 29]

I have shied away from this site over the last 2 months because I have felt like a failure.

But I DO agree that support is absolutely necessary! That is why I am back. There arent any support groups locally- maybe I should start one, but my schedule is crazy- 6 kids, grad school, work 50-60hr/week. That is why I appreciate the support from all of you so much!!

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,722]

I have shied away from this site over the last 2 months because I have felt like a failure.

But I DO agree that support is absolutely necessary! That is why I am back. There arent any support groups locally- maybe I should start one, but my schedule is crazy- 6 kids, grad school, work 50-60hr/week. That is why I appreciate the support from all of you so much!!

why on earth would you feel like a failure?

[Maddysgram 6,159]

I don't know about fills, not there yet. But I have heard dozens of ppl saying they can't do scrambled eggs anymore. They don't have problems with easy over though!

[Chamie 29]

Failure?? LOL!

Well, I am not a patient woman!!

I guess I expected instant results. It is too easy to compare yourself to others.

[bluetigereyes 95]

I have had several fills, and I dont usually do liquids for 24 hours, but I definitely do mushy. I am very tight right now, to the point that I eat about 1/2 cup of food and I'm done. If I even take 1 extra bite, its game over. I got my band in dec 2011, and did not see significant weight loss until May 2012. I was frustrated that I only lost 12 lbs from Dec to May, but then almost overnight it seemed, I started dropping the weight. I am now down 73lbs. 2lbs from my first goal. (to be in Onederland). Dont give up, give it some time. Also...DONT weight yourself every day!! I was so disappointed when I would do that...now I just weigh once a week, then I see my results better

[Chamie 29]

What I mean to say is that the majority of my weight loss was during the pre-op diet. I havent felt like I have done enough since surgery. Maybe now I will have some results.

[♕ajtexas♕ 3,771]

Your band might be irritated from you getting sick, might try liquids for a day. If you still struggle with mushies, call your doctor for a small unfill. It is not normal to struggle with mushies. I just had .1cc taken out because mushies was all I could handle. So, the smallest amounts can make a difference.

Good luck to you.

[2muchfun 8,928]

Well, it does sound like you may be a little too tight but I'd give it a week before you go back for a small unfill(if your doc allows it?). But, all of the posts that advised to wait 24-48 hours before eating regular food are right on. You could have some edema from the fill and you need to rule that out before you go back in.

eggs are a problem for many of us. Doesn't matter if it's 2 eggs or two teaspoons of eggs. For some reason they get stuck easily. Scrambled and hard boiled especially.

Vomiting! If you are inducing this, you need to stop. Vomiting can cause your band to rip away from the sutures that hold it in place. Your stomach convulses violently if you vomit and will force the band to ride up your stomach causing slippage or dislodging. If it's just a reaction, try to find a way to not put yourself in this situation.

How big are your bites? Need to be very small. Teaspoon or smaller if you are getting stuck often.

Finally, I only lost 25 lbs the first 4 months. Once I found restriction I started to lose weight. I never was too tight until my 6th fill. Don't get down on yourself and don't compare yourself to anyone else. If you compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to Chamie 6 months ago.

tmf