I love this band but I have had some strange times lately and I would love some of your thoughts on it. I have had 3 sticks since 11/30 where something had to come back because nothing was going down.

I have been trying to determine the common factor but I am at a loss. The first one was an antibiotic pill and hot cocoa (diet). I decided it was the combination of the ht beverage and the pill. I am wondering now if the burrito had anything to do with it. I had eaten a small burrito about 30-40 minutes prior to this. The second was a sugar cookie and a few bites of a chicken finger (I don't remember drinking anything). The third was one very small bite of a muffin/biscuit, a half a cup of coffee, and three bites of supper (BBQ meat and creamed spinach from my favorite restaurant). I think this one could have been the coffee. I don't have a problem not drinking with meals at home; I don't know why I think I have to at a restaurant.

I am getting concerned because I am having some discomfort or tenderness around my port site. I saw another post about port site tenderness. I have been searching for answers. I do not want to do anything that might cause problems for me or this band but I am not sure what to do differently.

Please let me know what you have figured out that works.

Thanks!

do you thinkthat is the right diet to follow? Sounds like you are eating hard foods.:tongue2:

It could be the flour products. I have found that tortillas are hard for me to get down. I can have a couple of small bites and that is it. If I take more I get stuck. I have not really had any bread/muffins, but it could be the same thing, it expands and is not super band friendly, well for me.

I have been able to eat very dry crackers with something moist. I have been able to eat some pita but that does vary from day to day. You might watch the bread, tortilla, muffins for a few days and see if that changes getting stuck.

Hope you are feeling better!

I was thinking the bread and I have really watched eating any sort of bread. I am with you on the crackers. I have even had a few chips and seem to do better with them than any type of bread. I guess I really do need to be more careful about eating what I should.

I hope this does not come off as being rude, cause I really am not trying to be. I have been reading post like yours and others...Didn't we get this done to us to help change our life styles. I do not want the chips, breads, nachos...etc. I want to be healthy and will stick to the high protein low carb lifestyle. Do any you see a nutrionalist as part of your post op lifestyle?:tongue2:

I see a nutritionist and she says having crackers or pita in moderation is fine. Personally I refuse to eat bread - I know how easy it would be to go back there. I ordered a wrap at lunch the other day and just ate the chicken out of it, didn't even attempt to take a couple of bites in a restaurant.

I think everybody has to find what works for them. I have had a hard time with red meats, so I don't even go there. Tuna has been hard for me to eat, but in my monthly group meeting everyone raves about tuna.

I know what my calorie and Protein limits are and I eat within in those by tracking my foods. That has been a huge help in making me more aware of serving size. I feel like I can judge portions fairly well, but I still measure on a regular basis to make sure I am getting it right.

The whole higher Protein, lower carbs theory is for just starting out IMO... Once you can eat solid foods consistently, a well balanced diet, which includes some reward foods is certainly appropriate.

Everyone has different foods which cause problems, especially depending on their level of restriction. Personally, I have not been able to eat any breads since getting my third fill in October. Crackers are a huge no no for me now too.

It would seem, however, that some of your food choices are not band friendly - or more specifically - not tutornmom friendly, because everyone has different tolerance levels. Careful experimentation is the best test. I would try softer and less doughy foods. Also try VERY small bites and chew, chew, chew before swallowing.

Good luck!

Brad

Brad, how many ounces of food can you tolerate ata time now?

Hey Gman! It really depends on where I'm at in my fill. I go back every 4 weeks for an evaluation, and thus far, have gotten a fill (of varying amounts) on every visit - the 5th one was today...

For the first week after getting a fill, I can usually only eat about 3/4 of a cup or so of food - depending on what it is. By weeks two and three, the band is a bit looser and I can eat a solid cup at a time. By the 4th week I could eat much more than a cup and that's when I have to really impose some discipline.

During the first week after a fill I'm VERY cautious about cutting food into VERY small pieces and chewing very well. But as the month goes on I tend to eat a bit larger pieces (as the restriction decreases) because I get better restriction that way. Really small pieces tend to get through the band pretty fast at that point.

I have a 4cc band and it's about half-full now. Surgeon said that the band loosens because of the loss of fat tissue beneath it, and noticing the decrease in the fill as the month goes on is exactly what he wants to see happen. I'm really glad I have a reasonably aggressive doc as far as fills go. It so helps keep the hunger at bay and make better food choices.

Good luck! Brad