I would like to draw on everyone's experience. Overall I am feeling great and things are going well. With one exception, despite following my doctor's orders to a tee on liquids and mushies, I am experiencing what I can only describe as a constant feeling of tightness in the area where I think the band is located (in my mind?). Up until about 4 days ago, this didn't exist and so I went to the doctor to have it checked out as I was paranoid in thinking the band had moved. We did an xray and I swallowed some stuff where we could watch in real time that it flowed right into my stomach and that the band was in the right place. So no problems there.

It is not really pain, just a tightness. I think it is worse when I am sitting at my desk. Gas medicines don't seem to alleviate it. And it comes and goes, sometimes worse than other times. But almost ever present for the past 5 days or so. I find this strange that I feel this now as I was not experiencing it for the first 10 days which one would assume would have the most pain.

So a few thoughts for your feedback;

1. Would it make sense that creamed mash potatoes would cause this?

2. Would it make sense that walking and some light exercise would cause this?

3. My doctor said my esophagus could have been "a little irritated inside"...does this make sense...and for 5 days?

4. Could it really just be some chest congestion from the start of a cold? Strange timing.

Anyways, appreciate the benefit of anyone's experience as always.

I think it may just be part of the healing process. I am 25 days out now and I experienced what I think you are describing around the same time. It wasn't really a pain but an uncomfortable feeling. I had port pain and incision pain the first couple weeks then this sensation came on suddenly after about two weeks and lasted about a week. The pressure/pulling was sort of in my midsection just below my rib cage, is that where yours is?

Give it a little time, this week was the first week that I really felt great.

Jodi, if I could describe where it is, I would say it is pretty much in the middle of my torso, just at the base of the rib cage and in my mind I am thinking...oh this is where the band meets the stomach/esophagus!!

It is definitely not pain, but rather a tightness and a feeling like it would be hard to take a deep breath (even though it isn't and it doesn't hurt to do that).

I expect it will go away and as you suggest it is all just part of it.

Yeah that's it! It was worrysome to me too but I had decided to wait until this week when I see my surgeon but it has since gone away..I hope for the same with you!

hi, i'm wondering if you are having some internal swelling. that has come back since you are off the pain medicine? that happened to me - a couple days after i was off the pain medication i felt a lot of tightness in that area. it did go away and while it was like that i found it hard to eat much - i felt full. is it like that?