Puppypaws57

I had only skin left also. I was not a candidate for just a lift. I had lift and augmentation. I was not so thrilled with them the first 4 weeks. But now? I love my new ta-tas!

Why weren't you a candidate for just a lift, if you don't mind answering.

Great advice, but I eat such a small amount of food there is no way I can make it last 20 minutes.

Just wanted to give you a hug! {{{{HUGS}}}}

Oh Honey, I so understand. It seems that for us emotional eaters, the surgery doesn't help much.

Why would you even come to the Veteran's Forum?

Because it's an open forum and Terry has much insight and valuable information to offer?

OK. Fair enough. I know that I need answers from Veteran Bandsters or I would post on the other forums.

i am not a veteran but can offer you some advice. don't cut down on your meat, or Protein. that is what fills us up so we don't eat all the rest of the stuff. make sure you are taking the supplements. i really wanted to talk about you single status. when i got a divorce i was at a normal weight so had no reason not to date, but i had a toddler. i watched my friends bring men in and out of the kids lifes'. i didn't want that for my daughter. so for 7 years i didn't date. i wasn't even asked out. but it was all to my stand offish attitude. i wasn't approachable. as soon as i said okay now its time for you, its time to date i was asked out constantly and was married within a year. that was 28 years ago and i am still married to the man. so perhaps you are putting out those signals. make yourself available, turn on the charms and i bet someone will ask you out. and if they don't than you ask someone out. good luck. the veterans are around. it's the weekend.

Why would you even come to the Veteran's Forum?

Sharpie I am not 188. I am 284. I can't figure out how to change my weight that shows on my profile. I also don't believe my surgeon is pushing me to make money. I am probably pushing him more. He told me flat out that my success rate with GB isn't going to be any better. He said it is an option but that I should give my lapband another try. I have failed the lapband. I know it is all me. I know I need to go to counseling but I have done all that and am unsure how much it really helps me. In the past year or so since I have been gaining my weight back I have been suicidal most days. So taking care of my life was something not high on my list of priorities. The band does not like my antidepressant Zoloft. For some reason it gets stuck and I have terrible heartburn for hours later. I have worked with my PCP to try other antidepressants but none seems to work as well and I am tired of feeling like a guinea pig for pharmaceuticals.

Six weeks ago my surgeon removed all the Fluid from my band and I was able to restart my Zoloft. I was feeling much more upbeat and eager to start losing weight again. After getting a 3cc fill yesterday, my Zoloft got stuck. I am going to try and crush the pill and see if I can tolerate it.

I do believe that every new day we are blessed with is an opportunity to make a change. I am making this change again. I just really wanted to reach out to someone that could help with support. I welcome and appreciate all constructive criticism.

I am on anti-depressants too. My psychiatrist was able to get me my particular medicine in liquid form. Worth checking into. Maybe Zoloft has a liquid counterpart. {{{HUGS}}} I know it is so hard. My problem is me too!

My first doctor (I was his second patient ever) did not "attach" the band so I wasn't losing weight. Of course I wasn't - the band was there, but not connected. He just kept accusing me of not eating correctly and getting kinda testy about it. Finally my HUSBAND went with me and told the Dr. the same thing I had been saying and the Dr. listened to HIM. So the Dr. ordered a barium swallow and that is what we found out. So I got a second lap band. I guess the Dr. wouldn't listen to a woman and it took my husband getting involved to solve this. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I lost 60 pounds with the second lap band and was starting to eat more, so I thought a fill was in order. So now I go there and he pulls all the Fluid out, but the Water won't go down. Right now I have an empty band and am trying really hard not to eat all the things I couldn't before. I go in next week for another barium swallow and an endoscopy.

I still think the Dr. expected me to drink too much Water too quickly. I'll let you know what happens.

No. I was banded here in California.

My first doctor (I was his second patient ever) did not "attach" the band so I wasn't losing weight. Of course I wasn't - the band was there, but not connected. He just kept accusing me of not eating correctly and getting kinda testy about it. Finally my HUSBAND went with me and told the Dr. the same thing I had been saying and the Dr. listened to HIM. So the Dr. ordered a barium swallow and that is what we found out. So I got a second lap band. I guess the Dr. wouldn't listen to a woman and it took my husband getting involved to solve this. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I lost 60 pounds with the second lap band and was starting to eat more, so I thought a fill was in order. So now I go there and he pulls all the Fluid out, but the Water won't go down. Right now I have an empty band and am trying really hard not to eat all the things I couldn't before. I go in next week for another barium swallow and an endoscopy.

I still think the Dr. expected me to drink too much Water too quickly. I'll let you know what happens.

Stinks about your situation. Just not fair.

I have to drink Water when I get a fill, it tells them how much Fluid to put in. If the water gets hard to go down it's too tight, if it flows too fast, you need more.

Thank You. Do you have to drink that whole glass of water quickly?

OK - Went in for my first fill (after 2 years). The dr. didn't know how much I had in so he pulled all my liquid out. Then he had me drink an 8 oz glass of Water. I had to stop 1/2 thru it, but I got it down. I guess I had an air bubble. THEN he wants me to drink another 8 oz glass of water - WHO CAN DO THAT??? I drank some, but it got stuck on my chest and I thought I was going to throw up so I told him so. One of the rules I have is not to gulp water and that is what they want me to do during the test?

He doesn't understand what the problem is since my band is now empty. I mean that is a lot of liquid to ask me to drink, isn't it? Is this how other people get fills?

He doesn't understand what the problem is so I have an endoscopy planned plus a barium swallow to take pictures of my lap band.

Does this sound normal to anyone?

Thanks,

Terry

Tomorrow I am hoping to get my first fill. When the Dr. put in my 2nd (long story) lap band he put a fill in at the same time and I have been doing okay. Lately I have been able to eat a lot more, so I am hoping a fill will do the trick.

best of luck

please post about the entire experience...am excited to read about it.

nice to see you again by the way

I'm glad you remember me. You've done a great job!!!

Tomorrow I am hoping to get my first fill. When the Dr. put in my 2nd (long story) lap band he put a fill in at the same time and I have been doing okay. Lately I have been able to eat a lot more, so I am hoping a fill will do the trick.

what happened with your first band?... want to share with us ? ....

It's a long story, but I will be happy to share when I get back from my Dr. appt. Thanks for asking.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get my first fill. When the Dr. put in my 2nd (long story) lap band he put a fill in at the same time and I have been doing okay. Lately I have been able to eat a lot more, so I am hoping a fill will do the trick.

Terry...I am going thru the same. Only I have to take about 33 pills a day. They're divided out four x a day. I feel in my throat they get stuck. I feel like a heartburn feeling and get god awful pressure in my chest and then a powerful unrelenting headache. Yesterday I ate about 8 took my pills about 10 and it finally went away almost 1 pm. Time to take my 1:00 pills but didn't take them until 4 so I would have a slight repreive. But I had a Protein smoothy for lunch about 1:00 after "the feeling" went away and I had a hard time getting that down. And I also get chronic headaches on a normal basis and have to take those prn. They go down okay but still feel a little pressure when taking one pill. I see my band dr next week and have outlined this for him. These are pills I must take to keep my bipolar and headaches and OTC's for band and diabetes in check. Just venting. Thx for listening.

Also fogot to mention that since my first fill ofc3 cc I can only eat 2-3 bites then it comes up. But usually I can then eat the rest of my food. This happens at almost every meal. I am not as excited with this fill as I was before it. And I take a few weight gaining pills for my bipolar and even with the fill I am losing very slowly...almost too slow. I try to watch what I eat but when I get really hungry I eat whatever will go down the easiest. Bad choice? And my hair is falling out. It was thin bc of hypothyroidism but now have a few balding spots. I see my endocrinologist today so maybe get my thyroid in check and maybe with eating more Protein my hair will start coming back. There's alot more but I'll leave it like this. Thx

I am bipolar too. I had my Dr. switch as many as he could to liquids. Helps a lot since some of those pills are huge!

I had my Trileptal & Paxil changed to liquid meds. My Effexor is in capsules. My Trazadone & Seroquel are tablets and are just fine.

I really think she has a mental problem. Seriously. I'm not trying to make light of the situation.

Good luck to you. I think pictures of people we know and can relate to is a huge motivator!

I haven't had a fill, but my dr. did put some Fluid in the band during surgery. Seems he put in the right amount!

{{{{HUGS}}}} I just want to support you and let you know that my first band had a leak and I got a lot of the same feedback you are getting. My Dr. wouldn't check my band under floroscopy until my husband asked even though I had been telling my dr. that something was wrong. I had to get another band. My first one was a large one and I hear that it is hard to get restriction on that size band. Yes, the band is a tool, but it needs to help us. I have problems with head hunger and has been struggling too.

This is my problem too. It amazes me that so many people are able to overcome this once they are banded. I'm not. My insurance doesn't cover the therapy I need and we make way too much money for the sliding scale therapy. I'm just out of luck. I'm back to counting calories because I don't know what else to do.

Looked at your profile - what a difference! You look great. I go slow too.

Boy that is my downfall too.

2muchfun - I thought the same thing!

Just in time for Cinco De Mayo!