Howdy all. Alrighty, I have some questions....despite doing a ton of research and reading soooooooooooo many posts on here (& also searching on here) these are the ones that I still don't feel I have the "answers" to....help plse!!

1. This "restriction" thing...yes, I logically know what it is but how do you "feel" it? Is it just the "oh, I'm sooo full" feeling or do you know that you are "restricted" when you have one of those god awfully scary PBs/Golf balls I keep reading about. (y'all are givin' me night terrors!).

2. Once I am banded and way over my post-op stages and eating "normally"....is the amount to eat for every meal always around 1/2 to 1 cup (ie. for everything total at that meal?). Can someone plse confirm...is that the goal...not to eat more than 1 cup (amount wise) at one meal sitting?

3. I know you get anti-nausea meds to prevent vomiting after the surgery ...but despite that, did anyone still vomit? I'm so paranoid because the last time (yrs ago) I had anasth. I woke up vomiting (not a pretty site, let me tell ya)...scared it will happen again and ruin what was done.

4. I know y'all talk about how many 'ccs you have etc...and I do know what that refers to...but I didn't know there were diff. sizes of bands...(as to how many cc's they hold)....what if you get a band that isn't even BIG enough to have the right amount of ccs in it for your restriction? Is that possible?

5. Last one (for now!)...water....I know we have to drink LOTS of it; especially post op....but when we drink it, is it supposed to be in continuous small sippys or can I drink Water (liquids) normally (like I do now)...omigawd, I just thought of something...will I get one of those PB things from just drinking water?

Tks for your patience....I hope to one day be dishing out advise to other newbies....

:help:

I am newer at banding....March 20, 2006. So I will answer from recent perspective:

1. It almost feels like a lump in the center of my stomach. Doesn't necesarily hurt but can feel it..... I still don't really know what a PB is exactly?!

2. You are to eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup maximum for the rest of your life. If you can eat more than a cup and you are not losing then you need to be filled. Initially it's tough to even eat the 1/2 cup. I was on liquids for 3 weeks and I struggled to even eat that much.

3. I got a Scopolomine patch to wear for 3 days behind my ear after I told the anesthesiologist that I vomitted the last time I had surgery. Just tell the anesthesiologist and he will do ALOT to prevent you from vomitting!!! They protect you from vomitting at all costs I believe to avoid losing what the surgeon has done.

4. I was told that there are 3 sizes of bands that go around and it depends on your physical body weight, size etc to decide. I have 140lbs to lose approx. and I have a 4cc band. They can fill past the 4cc but do not usually need too. My dr's website is www.lapbandinstitute.com if you want to see and look at more about it it's pretty good.

5. You will NOT be able to drink more than small sips at first....they gave me liquid pain meds 15cc (1 TBSP) and told me to "chug" it and it was VERY painful to even take that much at first if that tells you much. Now within a few days I was able to sip more and more with time and now I drink quite comfortably.

HOpe this helps and remember it's just my experience!!!

God Bless,

Melody

Banded 3/20/06 -29lbs

I felt like I had something stuck between my throat and stomach for a week. I call that restrictive. Now 4 weeks post op... I get satisfied on 1 cup of anything. I don't have that stuff or full feeling I had pre-surgery. Because of things below, I do not push it!

I had my surgery on a Tuesay and had bad nausea and dry heaves on following Saturday afternoon. Doctor called in Suppository...saved my life!

Reason for nausea and dry heaves... I pushed the liquids too fast and had applesauce that morning. I went to Clear Liquids with baby sips.

I had a lot of problems drinking Water for 2 weeks. Doctor said to slowly sip at room temperture water out of a glass (no straw). Yes, this worked also.

3 - 4 weeks Post Op: PBed on Cottage cheese and Scrambled eggs... Can't get that tiny bite chew chew chew chew chew chew chew then swallow to stick in my brain.

1. This "restriction" thing...yes, I logically know what it is but how do you "feel" it? Is it just the "oh, I'm sooo full" feeling or do you know that you are "restricted" when you have one of those god awfully scary PBs/Golf balls I keep reading about. (y'all are givin' me night terrors!).

To me I just kind of feel the food going down. When something doesn't go right down, you can feel it hanging out. There's no easy way to describe this because it's not something you're likely to have felt before, so no "it feels likt *this" analogies to be made. I feel it more in my chest than right where my band is, but I've not had the golfball feeling. I don't feel pressure, I just feel that there's food there.

2. Once I am banded and way over my post-op stages and eating "normally"....is the amount to eat for every meal always around 1/2 to 1 cup (ie. for everything total at that meal?). Can someone plse confirm...is that the goal...not to eat more than 1 cup (amount wise) at one meal sitting?

I believe the "on paper" goal is 2 - 4 oz per meal, at least per my nutritionist. Most people I have talked with or heard from aim for about 3/4 - 1 cup, but I'll let others chime in - we all at different amounts.

3. I know you get anti-nausea meds to prevent vomiting after the surgery ...but despite that, did anyone still vomit? I'm so paranoid because the last time (yrs ago) I had anasth. I woke up vomiting (not a pretty site, let me tell ya)...scared it will happen again and ruin what was done.

No vomiting or nausea for me. No gas pains, either. My only discomfort was from the incisions themselves.

4. I know y'all talk about how many 'ccs you have etc...and I do know what that refers to...but I didn't know there were diff. sizes of bands...(as to how many cc's they hold)....what if you get a band that isn't even BIG enough to have the right amount of ccs in it for your restriction? Is that possible?

You'd have to have one heck of a tiny esophagus for that to be possible! I have a 4cc band and I've seen one inflated to capacity, and that's a seriously small opening! I don't think you'll have any worries there. You surgeon should select the band that is right for your natural organ size. Going in, based on the weight I had to lose (lots of it) he thought I would get a 10cc band, but once he saw my innards I got a 4.

5. Last one (for now!)...water....I know we have to drink LOTS of it; especially post op....but when we drink it, is it supposed to be in continuous small sippys or can I drink Water (liquids) normally (like I do now)...omigawd, I just thought of something...will I get one of those PB things from just drinking water?

I was a chugger post-op and afraid of this. I could down a 32oz glass w/o thinking twice, let alone stopping to breathe. The first few days post-op I drank slowly - small sips - one at a time. Then I went to taking larger mouth fulls, but only swallowing part of them at a time. It just gradually progressed as I felt comfortable, and now I can take a few (2 - 3) mouthfulls in succession. Not quite gulping, but not sipping. I drink enough that I don't really get thirsty, so I really only do this when I'm working out.

I've not PBed from water, but I do know someone whose band slipped to the point that they would PB their own saliva from swallowing. Being too tight I'd imagine could cause it to, but that should be a very rare occurence and not something you're likely to have to worry about.