Hi everyone,

I am really down today :cry . I had my first fill a week and a half ago, and I think there is something wrong (I got 1.8cc). I can have Soups and my Protein Drinks, chopped up chicken (like chicken salad), and even a Protein Bar (like pria). But the thing is, I tried scrambled eggs today, and I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. The pain was incredible. I don't understand. This has happened for the last week, I think I can eat something, and then BAM! :eek it hits me like a ton of bricks.

I know my fill is what it is supposed to be, because they did a fluorio and counted the seconds it took for the liquid to go through. The doctor said it had to be at least 30 seconds, anything less would not be enough restriction. After several tries it ended up at 1.8cc.

However, when does this awful heart attack feeling go away? Does it ever? How do you know what you can or can't eat? I mean scrambled eggs?? I thought this was a good choice, or am I way off?

Please help...I need advice and support to get me through this, I am beggining to wonder if I made a mistake.

A lot of the bandsters can't eat eggs. I am one of the lucky ones that can so far, but maybe with another fill I won't be able to. Can you eat solid meats? I would stay off the scrambled eggs and try the more solid proteins and see how that goes. You also might try fixing the eggs different, with cheese or salsa. You just need to try things, if they give you a problem, then wait for a few weeks and try them again. If it happens again, eliminate them. Each person is so different as to what they can and cannot eat. If you pb, make sure you go back to liquids for at least 24 hours. Good Luck!

Mom, its all a learning curve! Sounds like your band is telling you not to eat scrambled eggs. I get that pain too. Sometimes I will be able to eat something just fine and the next time I try it I get the pain. Just depends on how my fickle band is feeling at any given time, LOL!!

Thank you for all the support. Sometimes when this happens I feel so alone and sad. It is just such a learning curve, and it is like if I try something and it doesn't agree with me, then I lose an hour of my day because I feel so awful. I question if my fill is too much (even though inside I know it isn't). I feel like calling my doctor and crying to let some out, but then I won't lose. AHHH it is so frustrating.

If you pb, make sure you go back to liquids for at least 24 hours.

OK stupid question...what does PB stand for? I assume it means when your food comes back up?

Thanks all, keep the support and advice coming, I need all I can get right now.

You may be eating too fast. You describe exactly what happens to me if I take a too big of a bite or eat too fast. I can eat anything, including small amounts of bread, but I have to eat certain things like chicken and breads super, super slow, and small tiny bites. And I can't eat dry chicken, I have to use dipping sauce like barbeque or salsa. It is very, very painful, that's for sure. Listen to your band, it knows best.

I'll echo what everyone else has said. Scrambled eggs have been a problem for me since banding; one bite is enough to bring the pain. It's just not possible for me to masticate it enough, I guess. (That means chew.:cool: )

Don't worry, you're just learning. Stay away from eggs!

Mom,

PB means productive belching. When something you put in comes back out. Similar to over feeding a baby ad then burping them and getting the baby food back at you. Some people do this in a mild fashion some little harder then others.

When I first went back to eating I was eating egg beaters ever morning. And every moring food was getting stuck...So since white breads are a no no on my list I started checking out different breads(toasted of course) Same thing sticking everyday. SO I figured I had to cut out the breads all together..But it doesn't happen when I eat a sandwhich. The I read on one of the treads that someone was having trouble with eggs. I coulnd't believe it. EGGS??? my how could they stick. But after every morning having pain I tried easting every thing but the eggs and no matter what breads I toast I have no trouble till I had an egg or egg beater in there. SO it was the eggs and not there on myown personal NO NO list.

It is hit and miss with a lot of foods. Just experiment with very small portions and chew very good and if you can tolerate it your fine if not add to your NO NO list

WOW Greg, that is amazing. It is good to know it isn't just me. Ok so I have learned my lesson on eggs.

Anyone have anyother no no foods that have caused them problems? just so I know to stay away or approach with caution.

Yep. Scrambled eggs are a culprit for me too. I believe it's the texture and they tend to just 'settle' in the stoma, like potatoes. The only way I can eat them is if I mash them with a fork, like for a baby and even then, I have to be very careful. Fried eggs are fine.

It sounds to me like you have restriction. That's what we all want, right? :cool: Go slow, cut your food into eraser sized bites, chew, chew, chew. Stop at the first sign of resistance, the first big hiccup, etc. You'll get the hang of it!

I envy your restriction! I can eat almost anything as long as I chew, but a lot of people also have problems with rice, pasta, and even crackers.

It's funny that ya'll have such trouble with eggs. I start most mornings out with a cheese omlet and never have had a problem with it. Of course, its smothered in salsa so maybe that's what makes it go down so easy. My problems are dry meats & breads. But then, I can eat sweet breads like cake or cookies or cinnamon rolls just fine. Go figure...

Can I ask about how you were doing BEFORE the fill? I am almost 4 weeks post op - fill suppose to be at six... wondering what your experience has been in terms of how much you were able to eat, how you and your doc decided you need a fill.

I found your post (and replies) very helpful too... just wanted to thank you.

does anyone experience just plain old burping? I do that alot and sometimes it actually really hurts but I don't spit up anything so I don't know what it is? Any suggestions?

Blossom,

Believe it or not but I can have eggs anyway but scrambled. I eat them all the time just have to do sunnyside up or omelet style. But nice fluffy scambled eggs and its painville for 15-20 minutes.

Can I ask about how you were doing BEFORE the fill? I am almost 4 weeks post op - fill suppose to be at six... wondering what your experience has been in terms of how much you were able to eat, how you and your doc decided you need a fill.

I found your post (and replies) very helpful too... just wanted to thank you.

I knew I needed a fill 5 weeks post-op because I was able to eat without feeling restriction. Yes, I had to eat slowly, but I could pretty much eat anything slowly. Also, I stopped losing weight. I knew I was supposed to be losing at least 2 pounds per weeks this early on, but I wasn't.

Taking all this into consideration, my doctor had me come in for a fill. He filled me pretty aggressivly (1.8cc), It all went fine until day 3, then I really felt the restriction like never before. Be prepared. I thought it would be like the first two weeks after post-op but it wasn't. It was much harder to eat. After post-op I never threw-up or had PB, until the first fill.

I don't think I was phycologically ready for this. Had I to do over again, I would probably get 1cc then wait a few weeks (3 weeks) than the other .8cc. OK the weight loss was immediate, and I am happy for that. Since my first fill I have lost an additional 8 pounds in 2 weeks. YEAHH! But it has been very diffucult for me to ajust to the restriction.

Just remember, every one is different, and everyone handles restriction differently. I don't know how I would have gotten through these last few weeks without these boards and all the great support from everyone here.

Thanks.

Natalia, I had a similar experience with a tight fill, but I'm on a much slower timeline than you are. After my first fill of 1.2 cc I didn't have much restriction; it would come and go, and I was able to eat pretty big quantities, although certain foods (like eggs) always got stuck. I was exercising a lot, so I was still losing a few pounds and quite a few inches, but I was baffled as to why I could eat full servings of just about everything instead of the minute portions I had read about here.

So the holidays ended and I went in for another fill. This time not only did I get instant restriction, but I could feel every single swallow. I even made an appointment for an unfill after I had trouble swallowing water one night. That problem resolved itself, though, and now I think I have the normal restriction I had heard about.

Yes, it is a real shock after having a pretty loose band for months!

For me, the key is chewing the hell out of every bite, and avoiding dry meats. I also allow myself the occasional indulgence; for me, that means dessert. Yes, I know melted liquid goes right through the band, but even with one scoop of super-rich real ice cream twice a week, I'm still averaging 1000 - 1200 calories a day, well below my metabolic requirement of 1750 (that's how much I burn just sleeping and standing still). Give yourself a few days to get used to the restriction, and stay away from those eggs!