I have been reading and reading and looking thru different topics in a lot of different categories and all I can say is WOW! I'm overwhelmed at concerns that everyone has as people who have been banded, thinking about it, pre band, post band, and just everyone who have to adjust to different lifestyles. I'm hearing different terms that I've never heard before and I really just need to post some questions, hoping that some the answers will come in my directions as opposed to me having to search and search and search!

So here it goes:

What's a sweet spot? I have an idea, but clarification is needed.

How do I know if I need a fill or if I'm too filled?

Is it painful if you eat too much? I hear lots about heart burn.

Is your diet restricted completely to avoid certain foods once your back into the normal eating phase?

Is there anyone out there who found the liquid portion after your LB surgery completely torturous?

Has anyone had a leak and if so, how do they treat it?

How long is recovery time? I was planning to take 3 days off and go back in the middle of the week... is that too soon?

I like bulk Fiber... is that a no no forever after being banded?

What happens if you have a stomach virus and vomit? I know that vomiting, among other things, can loosen the band or displace it... is that indication for surgery?

I haven't told anyone but my husband and 1 friend that I'm having surgery because my family and many of my friends won't understand why I am doing this. For the last several months I've had to lie or come up with good stories as to why I'm always driving into NY during the week (I live in PA and have been doing all my appts and tests, etc in NY because if insurance issues). Is anyone else in the same situation where they have kept it a secret? I'm not even sure if I will tell anyone afterwards.

So these are some of my concerns and as I read on I know I will post many more!

Thank you all for your support and good luck to everyone out there in your journey :cursing:

Hi,

I'm newly banded (3 weeks post op) and understand you being overwhelmed. I'll try to answer some of the questions I can. The sweet spot is the perfect amount of fill and its different for every person. Some say it took 3 fills to get to the perfect amount of fill so that you feel good restriction and loose weight consistantly, others take many more fills to get there it just depends on you. Some people deal with many fills and then too much fill and then have to have some taken out to get to that sweet spot. I haven't had my first fill yet, so I'm far from my sweet spot.

Everyone seems to be different as to what they can eat after being filled good. A lot of people say they have trouble with most bread products. Right now, I'm at the point where I haven't had a fill and I can eat anything and my appetite is still pretty big. Right after surgery I was on a 2 week liquid Protein diet and the first week, I wasn't hungry at all and had trouble drinkng all of my shakes, then I started getting my appetite back and now its as if I didn't have surgery, but that is totally normal. I'm healing right now and there is no saline in my band. In another 2 weeks, I will go in and get my first fill (hopefully) and then start to feel some restriction. As of the last week, I stoped loosing weight, but my eating hasn't been the best either and I'm going to get back into exercise again.

Going back to work. I had to attend my grandmother's funeral 3 days after surgery and I posted a lot on this board because I was overcome with what to do. Well, 72 hours post op, I felt good (taking pain meds) and went to funeral, but was a little uncomfortable with bloating and gas, but nothing untolerable. If you work at a desk job, you might be ok, but if you were able to take a week off, you would be much more comfortable going back to work and you want to make sure you get plenty of rest and you might want you paint meds still and they make you sleepy. A lot of people don't even take the pain meds and feel great, but if it's possible for you to take a week of vacation, I think you will be glad you did.

I'm terrified of the stomach flu and am going to ask my Dr. about that when I see him. I have two young kids at home and they come home sick all the time. My youngest just had the stomach flu two days ago and I was freaking out. I washed my hands constantly and was careful not to drink out of the same glass, etc and I think I avoided it.

Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps. I only told my parents, brother and husband. I'm not going to tell anyone else. I've been able to be around people and no one has a clue as to what I did. The first day of surgery I was walking around fine and if someone had poped over the house, no one would be none the wiser. I told friends from the school I had the flu and 3 days later was at a funeral and no one knew.

Best of luck to you!

About being too filled, obviously I havn't experienced that and hope I don't, but I guess you have trouble getting things down and everything seems to get stuck, but after a fill, some people's stomachs are a little swollen and it could take a few days to be sure how the fill really is. Thats what I hear.

What's a sweet spot? I have an idea, but clarification is needed. The sweet spot is the point where upon a person achieves restriction that provides consisten weight loss. Usually you do not need further fills after reaching the sweet spot, however everyone has different results.

How do I know if I need a fill or if I'm too filled? Some signs of being to filled are vomiting, sliming, bps, food being stuck, and/or the inability to keep fluids down.

Is it painful if you eat too much? I hear lots about heart burn. I suppose it can be painful if you overeat. I have not had this experience because I don't over eat. I measure my food, track my calories, I eat slow and chew my food thoroughly. I am not distracted while eating, which means no tele, radio, car driving, or computer. I have never had heartburn pre-band or post band.

Is your diet restricted completely to avoid certain foods once your back into the normal eating phase? I can eat any food. I have no diet restrictions. I do eat in moderation. And if I am going to have high calorie foods, I increase my exercise to compensate for my sweet tooth. My doctor states that I can eat any food types, but the thing is the band is very fickle. What goes down the pipe for me might get stuck for someone else. You just have to see what food items work with your band.

Is there anyone out there who found the liquid portion after your LB surgery completely torturous? Yes, just plain and simple the liquid diet pre-band and post band sucks! But it does not last forever.

Has anyone had a leak and if so, how do they treat it? Yes, I have a leak, which the doctor and I monitor every month. At one fill, I was missing .5 cc at another fill I was missing 1cc. If the leak is significant, then revision surgery will occur.

How long is recovery time? I was planning to take 3 days off and go back in the middle of the week... is that too soon? It depends on your ability to recover and the type of job you have. Everyone's experience is different. I took two weeks off from my stationary job. I felt great going back to work with lots of energy.

I like bulk fiber... is that a no no forever after being banded? No food types or off the list for me, but what works for me may not work for you. Really, you just need to play by ear and see what works with your band.

What happens if you have a stomach virus and vomit? I know that vomiting, among other things, can loosen the band or displace it... is that indication for surgery? My doctor gave me anti-nasuea Patches just in case of an emergency...aka flu bug... Ask your doctor if they will do the same for you. Constant vomiting might make the band slip.

Is anyone else in the same situation where they have kept it a secret? I'm not even sure if I will tell anyone afterwards. I have not told anyone, except my sister. And the only reason why she knows is because she was my emergency contact person for the hospital. My family, friends, and employer do not know.

I do not lie; when people ask about my weight loss, I tell them the truth..I am training for a marathon and eating healthier foods.

I do not lie; when I need to go to the doctor. I tell my employer I have a medical appointment and I do not provide details of it. I am on FMLA to safe guard my job, so I can attend medical appointments. I am very aware of my HIPPA rights, and I chose not to disclose my medical information to anyone. I have to go 1.5 hours away to attend my appointments, so yes people are curious, but they don't dare ask me why.

Good luck!

Hi, Wendy Mary!

Thank you so much for your reply. Your answers helped me out very much. I appreciate you taking the time to post. 3 weeks out, how exciting for you :-) . I feel a little lost in this new venture and it's nice to hear from someone who is actually going thru it all. My condolences to you and your family for your loss. That must have been some emotional roller coaster for you. It is difficult to deal with death let alone recover from surgery and deal with a new lifestyle. My best to you.

Please keep me posted with your progress. I am excited to know how your first fill goes! Heck, I'm excited for everyone who is going thru this whole entire process!

Good luck!!! :cursing:

Hi!

Well, you have some answers already, but a few of your questions can be answered differently by different people just due to experience.

Is it painful if you eat too much? I have had three or four actual moments when I either ate too fast or had just that one bite that pushed me over. It is very uncomfortable. Okay... it was painful! Of those four times, only twice did I feel as though I might vomit, but didn't. (That was right after my first fill and I hadn't adjusted to it yet.) It takes just a little patience to go slowly and really tune into the signals your stomach is sending because they are very subtle. For me, I'll get a little burp or bubble feeling and make a slight sigh, and then I know I should stop because I'm approaching being full. The actual full feeling can be delayed, so the little signs that it's approaching will help you stop eating in time. The best thing is to take your time to eat slowly and chew carefully.

I hear lots about heart burn. No heart burn after, but I was on Prilosec before it. No need for it now.

Is your diet restricted completely to avoid certain foods once your back into the normal eating phase? Everyone tolerates certain foods differently. Some can eat lettuce with no problem, for me it is difficult. Definitely no carbonated beverages. Bread, though my surgeon said to avoid bread for the first three months, I really can't tolerate fluffy bread. I even tried this (either Pepperidge Farm or Sara Lee) Super Thin bread...it was a whole grain bread that was sliced so very thin....I thought for sure that would give me what I needed for a sandwich without causing trouble, but no, it was still too thick once I chewed it. You will also be told to avoid slider foods, or foods that liquify easily with high calories, like ice cream. They slip right past the band and so you might overeat if you don't measure out a reasonable serving. I also have trouble with asparagus now too... it just gets too stringy for me. Oh, and foods with tough skins like potato and apple, you have to be careful with the skin.

Is there anyone out there who found the liquid portion after your LB surgery completely torturous? I had an easy time with because I just wasn't hungry and felt full with just a few sips of Water. The days passed quicker than I thought they would, even though it was around Thanksgiving.

Has anyone had a leak and if so, how do they treat it?

How long is recovery time? I was planning to take 3 days off and go back in the middle of the week... is that too soon? It depends on your job, but at least a week is good.

I haven't told anyone but my husband and 1 friend that I'm having surgery because my family and many of my friends won't understand why I am doing this. For the last several months I've had to lie or come up with good stories as to why I'm always driving into NY during the week (I live in PA and have been doing all my appts and tests, etc in NY because if insurance issues). Is anyone else in the same situation where they have kept it a secret? I'm not even sure if I will tell anyone afterwards. Only my mom, husband, and three really close friends that don't have big mouths know. If you want to talk about it, PM me. I totally understand!

It's good you are taking lots of time to research and get your questions answered. Some of them, like about getting as virus or stomach flu, you should discuss with your surgeon how s/he normally treats patients with those situations. Does he have them call in? Visit? Is there a way to check for slippage? Things like that. Good communication with your surgeon is soooooooo important!

I wish you all the best!!! Take care!:cursing:

Hello Tquad-

Awesome info... tyvm! It sounds as if your doing well. I hope the leak doesn't present a problem. I read on another thread that someone was experiencing a leak and the dr now fills with something that is thicker than water but is just as harmless.

It makes me feel good that I am the only one who feels that it is no one else's business how I chose to lose weight or why I would decide on going with being banded. My immediate family doesn't have the weight issues that I do and they haven't struggled their entire lives like I have. My husband is naturally thin. He is 6'2" and can't get past 180-190 at his heaviest even if herthe were to consume an entire cow. At first he couldn't understand why I would put myself through such a process. He said at one point that if I put as much effort into losing weight as I have been into going to dr appts 300 miles away and putting myself thru diagnostic after diagnostic, then I would be well on my way to being smaller. Don't get me wrong, he's a wonderful man, but I suppose as a "skinny", he just doesn't see where I'm coming from. He's very supportive now. He knows how much this means to me. He takes days off when he can when I have my appts so he can he take care of the children. He asks a lot of questions and has even asked if he can come to the appointment where my surgeon will be explaining the actual procedure to me.

In any event, I thank you for your support and I am happy for your progress!

Best wishes to you :cursing:!

TQUAD-

I also have to add that you make an excellent point about not being distracted when you eat. Something I have to totally remind myself of everytime I eat! I do a lot of traveling and there is plenty of eating in the car. I do pack my own snacks and make my own lunches (something I've had to work REALLY hard at and make time to do), but when the music is on and I'm driving and I'm going from job to job, I can literally eat and entire sandwich or salad in 5 bites. I eat so fast that I don't remember what I ate or what it tasted like and I end up STILL hungry. I have to be mindful to chew chew chew... that is a work in progress! I'm like a dog that way... I will just gulp and swallow and the next thing you know, I'm bloated and unhappy and full. I have to count how many times I chew just so that I know that I'm doing it! I hope that stops soon...:cursing:

Great tip and thanks again!

Hello, SunnyRachel!

I just posted before regarding chewing. It's so important, I see. I'm really trying!

As far as the breads go... I decided to give them up now, the conventional loaf breads anyway. I've been doing wraps. I would like to give that up eventually as well and just roll my sandwiches in lettuce leaves.

My downfall is RICE. I'm Asian and grew up on it. I can eat it with ANY meal, any time of the day or night. It was a staple in our house rather than a side dish. I've almost given up the white rice :cursing:. I'll still have it every once in a while. I eat brown rice and though it just okay, it really doesn't replace the white stuff.

I really appreciate your honesty. I want to know the plain truth about everything! It looks as if you are doing well.

Not one of my friends know what I'm doing. As a matter of fact, the only one I'm talking to about this is a coworker whom I've only known for about 6 months. She has weight issues as well. She is not overweight by any means, but she can have the potential. She works out constantly and always watches what she eats. Her hubby went thru gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago so she is able to give me a fresh point of view... being the spouse of someone who has had bariatric surgery. She's been a wonderful supporter and I vent to her when I am stressing. I will be sure to look for you now when I need to discuss or vent!

Good luck to you as well and keep up the great work!