Jenn1214

I don't know what it is about the band and my cycle, but everything seems to be really off kilter since the surgery. I have been using birth control for years since being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries, so my cycle has been somewhat regular. After surgery, I had breakthrough bleeding for the first time in years that lasted for almost two weeks. I was so scared I went to my GYN, but she said everything was fine. She said it was the IV antibiotics and the stress from surgery that threw me out of whack. This month has been the worst yet. I've had cramps, fatigue, breakouts, and horrible chocolate cravings. I feel like a teenager again. It's almost like the birth control stopped working or something. The mood swings are terrible too...my poor fiance doesn't know how I'll be from one minute to the next. I thought I'd grown out of all this nonsense years ago, but here it is again to make one week out of the month miserable. I'm hoping my body will adjust and I'll go back to normal, but right now it's just hard to deal with on top of all the other things that have changed in my life recently. I'm just scared that these cravings for chocolate will throw my weight loss in reverse and all my hard work will be for nothing. I know I'd have to eat an awful lot of chocolate for that to happen, but one bad decision usually leads to another with me. I'm trying to stay strong and not fall off the wagon completely like I have so many other times. This time it's different though. I'm not technically on a diet anymore. I'm using the band as a tool to help me make good decisions and keep my portions and hunger under control. I know it will help keep me strong where my willpower failed me so many times. I'm just having a brief moment of weakness and need to acknowledge it so I won't go back to my "all or nothing" attitude that I've always had about weight loss. Maybe this PMS junk is just a test to show how strong I've become since having the surgery and that I will continue to succeed no matter what. I can and will lose this weight and keep it off for good this time. For my health, my self esteem, and my well being. I can do this!

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it seems like my PMS has gotten a lot worse since I was banded two months ago. I have been taking birth control for years so that has controlled my symptoms, but after the surgery even with BC I'm having cramps, terrible chocolate cravings, and I'm even breaking out! This has not happened to me in forever...I feel like a teenager again! I also notice my flow is a lot longer and heavier than it used to be, and I had breakthrough bleeding for the first time ever (my gyno chalked it up to the antibiotics and stress of surgery, but it was still weird). Any other ladies notice this? Why would the band have this effect?

As long as you are not eating to the point of being in pain, you shouldn't stretch your pouch. Take small bites and chew well and you should be fine.

I would feel a "lump" in my throat when I would drink water. Not sure what it was but it went away on its own eventually.

What a douche! My response would have had more insults and expletives in it!

Good luck! I named mine Bandy. My fiance thinks it's stupid but it works for me!

I had a my first fill at the end of last month. I did fine with it, stayed on liquids and mushies for a few days, and I definitely could feel a difference. Since about last week I'm noticing that I can eat more and don't feel full as fast (it's also that special time of the month). I'm going back to the doc on Wednesday but I was just curious if this happened to anyone else. I hope my band isn't leaking or something!

My fiance and I both had to have these tests. Turns out he has "mild" sleep apnea (which to me sounds like being a little bit pregnant but whatever) and has to wear a CPAP for a while until he seems the pulmonologist again. I thought for certain I had it because I wake up a lot during the night and always feel tired during the day. You never know until you have the sleep study!

I'm guessing he's not overweight is he? If everyone could lose weight through willpower alone, this website wouldn't even exist and we wouldn't be discussing it. Don't second guess your surgery...it will be the best thing you ever do for yourself.

Congratulations! Keep up the great work!

I had some routine bloodwork done recently and my doctor wants me to try and lower my cholesterol. My total is 191 which is within the normal range (and a hell of a lot better than 240!) but my triglycerides are borderline high. For anyone watching their cholesterol, how do you manage to get your protein in without supplements? I've switched from two whole eggs in the morning for breakfast to one whole egg and one egg white, and I only eat lowfat cheese. Any other suggestions? I also take Garlique everyday.

It doesn't sound like acid reflux to me. Reflux is painful, not annoying. Call your doc ASAP.

Today I went for my fitting for my bridesmaid's dress for my brother's upcoming wedding. Having ordered the dress back in September I was very worried that it wasn't going to fit and might have to be let out because I had gained a lot of weight after I ordered it. Not to mention that bridal sizes are all cockeyed and screwy so I had no idea what size it was in normal clothes anyway. It didn't fit, all right...it had to be taken in almost 2 sizes! It was so big I actually had so hold it so it wouldn't fall down while the seamstress pinned the straps on. I was actually in such shock I couldn't speak. I love my lap band!

I'm about two months out from surgery and I have not vomited, slimed or gotten stuck once (knock on wood!). I was very afraid of these side effects too because I know someone who keeps his band way too tight and he kept telling me his horror stories. So far so good for me!

Wow that is pretty extreme. My surgeon requires two DAYS of clear liquids, followed by two weeks of full liquids, then two weeks of mushies and finally solids.

I've been having the same problems! I have PCOS too but my last sonogram after surgery showed my ovaries were normal. I can't believe I'm breaking out again...I haven't bought pimple cream in years!

I would say liquid Tylenol is a must have. A lot of people say Gas X but it didn't really help me much with the gas pain. Have plenty of heat/ice packs around too.

This afternoon my fiance went to a christening for his cousin's daughter. We took some pictures and after looking at them later on I thought to myself "Hey, I don't look half bad!" It's amazing I actually let myself have my picture taken in the first place because normally I hide from the camera at all costs. Definitely an NSV for me!

This will be my second TOM after surgery. I have been fine with sweets up until this point but for some reason I have been craving chocolate for the past few days. I have a piece or two to relieve it and it's fine, but I can't keep doing this. How do you ladies deal with the cravings and other PMS symptoms?

Your surgeon is crazy. Here's what mine says: 1. Wait 15 minutes after drinking before you eat. Don't drink until an hour after you eat. 2. Don't spend more than 20 minutes on one meal. Chew, chew, chew. When you think you're done chew some more. 3. Take toddler sized bites (Mine actually says the size of a pencil eraser but it would take a year to eat at that rate). Unless your pouch is the size of my fingernail, there is no reason you need to wait 10 minutes between bites. Maybe a minute at the most. I remember you posted about this before...who is your surgeon?

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my ultimate food weakness! I also used to eat several bowls of sugary kids' cereal for breakfast pre banding.

Awesome! Keep up the great work!

I never want to be one of "those people" either. I know of one person who got the lap band who hasn't lost any weight in years because he guzzles beer and hard liquor, eats large portions of junk, and throws up constantly because he's too tight (but of course denied it when I pointed out that nightly vomiting is not normal). He also tried to rain on my parade by telling me I'd have the same problems. Everything has been fine for me so far! (knock on wood) You get out of the band what you put into it. "Those people" don't realize that. Keep up the good work and you'll never be one of them!

Rebecca, First of all, congratulations on your AMAZING weight loss! 146 pounds in a year is just incredible...you should be really proud! I definitely know where you are coming from...I have been an emotional eater most of my life and have always used food to soothe myself during tough times. It's hard to actually feel the emotions now and deal with them without food to "stuff" them down. I even have things from my past come up that I thought I had resolved...now I have to do it again WITHOUT food. It hasn't been easy and sometimes the urge to binge is very strong. I see a therapist once a week and journal about my feelings, which seems to help. As for the dating scene, don't be hard on yourself. Love comes when you least expect it...sounds so cheesy but that's how I met my fiance! He loved me at my highest weight because he could see past the fat, but it wasn't easy to love myself. With the lap band I'm slowly getting my self esteem back, and hopefully you will too! Keep up the great work!

It's getting to be that TOM and I'm sure some of you ladies can relate to the evil chocolate cravings we sometimes get. Truth be told, I don't really crave sweets like I used to but for some reason I pigged out on chocolate yesterday. I'm not going to beat myself up about it because what's done is done and I'm not doing to undo my weight loss in one moment of weakness. It just reminds me to be more diligent about what I put in my mouth and that one Hershey kiss leads to another (and another and another!). Why can't we crave brussel sprouts or something when we're PMSing? Oh well, today is another day and I'm doing fine.