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Well folks, today is the day! I check in at 10:30, and my surgery should be around 12:30. I am super excited, not as nervous as I thought I would be. My pre-op appointment was yesterday, and everyone made me feel at ease. I will keep you posted on how things go!

PB stands for Productive Burp and sliming is not short for anything, it's just sliming. When something gets stuck while you're eating, you start sliming. It's a mucousy "slime" that's the result of an influx of the enzyme used to break down your food because it's trying to get rid of it. Sometimes the slime helps get it down, but sometimes it comes back up, which brings us to the PB. If the sliming doesn't get the food down, then it will come back up, which is what people are referring to as a productive burp. It's not quite like vomiting, but it is a regurgitation of the food, and the slime will come up with the food. <when sliming happens, I wouldn't really say that you can feel it happening, but you do feel a thick mucous in the back of your throat> Hopefully whatever was stuck will become dislodged and then you will fee MUCH better. When you are stuck it is a very uncomfortable feeling and it's like someone is sitting on you/you're having a heart attack. I didn't experience being stuck stuck until my third fill (6 cc's in a 10 cc band). I just have to make sure I chew my meat up before swallowing. The old habit of inhaling food or starting off eating fast because of being super hungry CAN NOT happen anymore. I have had to consciously think about slowing down my eating and chewing more.

I got banded in early June, and I have NEVER slimed, PB'd, or thrown up from the band. I've also never gotten anything stuck. I've only thrown up twice the whole time, but that's because I'm pregnant, not because the band had anything to do with it. You may not feel restriction until you get a fill, that's what they're for, the first six weeks are all for healing, so you're doing just AWESOME my friend! Congrats!

I lost another 4 lbs this week. 22 pounds since my surgery. 37 pounds since the start of the year. I can wear clothes now that I haven't worn in ages. It is nice to have so many clothing options. I have been hitting my protein goals every day. I usually hit or come close to hitting my water goals. I exercise every single day. Sometimes twice a day. Of course, that exercise is just walking swiftly. I am hoping the doc releases me a week early on the serious exercise. I don't see walking getting me much further. I have been struggling with depression. Not because I regret what I have done. Not because I miss food or feel left out. Well, I am not sure why I feel this way. It is an odd hopeless feeling. I don't get excited about fitting into my old clothes. I don't get excited about the idea of losing more weight. I am just kind of going through the motions. I had read that depression could be an issue for WLS patients. I am hoping this passes quickly.

Wish I could send my story out to everyone, but maybe it will get around. Left shoulder pain should only happen for a week or so after surgery if at all. It starts as gas which is trapped. Why the left shoulder? Because it's actually pressure on the diaphragm and the diaphragm and left shoulder are attached at hte same spot on the spinal cord. Your brain reads it as shoulder pain. HOWEVER, anyone having it longer likely has a piece of excess tubing hitting the diaphragm. That's the cause. There is always a little excess tubing - not everyone has it hitting the diaphragm and not everyone experiences pain when it does. MY STORY- not only did I have excess tubing hitting my diaphragm-----a stray piece of body fat wrapped around the tubing forming a noose, or vise around my diaphragm. Million to one shot, right? I complained for over a year as the pain became worse and my original surgeon (I have happily moved on) ignored me, made me feel stupid, and had any excuse that didn't involve him. In the end, although it was not his fault that hte fat wrapped it, he ignored my pain and suffering, and who knows....did he leave in too much tubing, opening me up to the problem? Tubing can be moved and my new surgeon took one look at my xray and scheduled surgery (before they know about the noose effect). He just saw that it was hitting me inside and saw no reason for me to have pain. The rest was a surprise to all. STAND UP TO YOUR SURGEON OR GO FOR ANOTHER OPINION. I LEARNED A LESSON AT GREAT COST - LOST A YEAR + to pain and gained weight trying to avoid the pain. Great good luck to anyone who has this problem- take care of yourself....no one is going to do it for you.

Wow...I'm surprised at all the negative comments....she's asking for advice not judgement. I happen to know a friend who does her own fills and has been doing so for the past few years. She also does a few other people in her circle of friends and has had no problems (knock on wood) now I've never done it and I personally feel more comfortable with my doctor doing it because he does it with fluro and last time he actually put too much in and had to remove it right away. He could only tell because of the fluro, I couldn't even tell. I'm just more comfortable with my doctor doing it, but if you have a good feel for your port area then more power to you! I would see if amazon sells the needles that you need so that you don't have to steal them next time... And for those who are even thinking of judging me for my comment ...go fly a kite! I'm not interested in what you have to say and your comments will not be entertained...