donali

:scared: :welldone2: YAAAAAAY! :Banane21:

They're baaaack!!! :welldone2: :clap2:

They're baaaack!!! :welldone2: :clap2:

I agree that it is more likely your needle-happy doc punctured your tubing when he missed the port, and you have a slow leak. It seems as though many people with erosion have NO symptoms at all - not even loss of restriction, so I would start with the fill theory. Have the doc pull all the fill out to see how much is in there, and then give you a regular fill. When you feel the loss of restriction again, see how much of the last fill they can pull out. Keep us posted!

Whoo hooo!!! Congrats! :clap2:

SF is a debateable topic. Mostly people choose SF to reduce the number of calories (particularly liquid calories) that they ingest. There is wide debate on the safety of artificial sweetners, and whether or not they actually increase cravings for sweet things. Sugar, in addition to containing empty calories, tends to spike the blood sugar, which creates an insulin reponse that turns dietary fat into body fat. Once the insulin has removed the sugar from the blood, most people have some sort of blood sugar "crash" that makes them hungry and craving sugar again. I don't think there is any simple answer for people who like sweets. Whole fruit would be the best option, but somehow doesn't satisfy most people's desire for chocolate and other sweet baked goods. There are some more complex "natural" sugars, like black strap molasses and honey, but I don't know how much of a difference that really makes, as opposed to white sugar. I think it's clear, though, that we should probably avoid corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup at all costs... :phanvan

Hi Diane - It does sound like you are overfilled. If you need to work with this restriction for financial/convenience reasons, there are a few things you could do that might help, but bear in mind that if you continue to PB you are seriously risking a band slip, and that's a much bigger deal than getting an unfill. 1. ALWAYS start every "meal" with very warm liquids and small, small sips. 2. Avoid anything cold in the mornings. 3. Do warm liquids only in the mornings - heat up some apple juice diluted with Water, or something similar. I would avoid anything as thick as a smoothie. 4. At lunch time, start with very warm liquids. After a full cup of hot tea (or whatever you choose), have something thicker, like yoghurt and see how that does. If you have no problems, try some well blended chicken or tuna salad and see how it goes. 5. At dinner time, start again with very warm liquids. Follow the same protocol as lunch, but you will probably find you are more open at night and have less problems with real food. IF you PB, do liquids only for the rest of the day. It sounds as though you are irritating your stomach with all the PBing, and as soon as the swelling goes down the cycle starts all over again. If you don't want a small unfill (for whatever reason) you will REALLY, seriously have to baby yourself for as long as it takes. I am NOT advocating anyone keep a fill as tight as yours sounds, but some people can learn to work with it, and as time goes on it should loosen up naturally with weight loss. If you cannot avoid PBing, then you really MUST find someone to do a slight unfill for you. Promise?? :welldone2:

TommyO - I am totally stoked that you know the words to "My Favorite Things"! :mad:

Hi, P'nut!! :wave: Some people DO PB because they do not listen to the advice of their doctors. BUT... It's a rare bandster that has NEVER done it, ever. For most bandsters, it's just a matter of time. In the 18 months I was banded, it happened to me only a handful of times. The first time was a big surprise - it was on over easy eggs all mushed up. Now, who would have thought... :mad: Just FYI. :love:

LOL They're STILL tender. At least, I think they are... LOL I'll have to make my own thread with pictures instead of hijacking Crystal's. But hey, VQ, this keeps your thread on top!! xxoo :mad:

NEEDLES?!?! :lalala: :car: :faint2: :faint: :rip: Okay, I'm back. What were we talking about, again??? :mad: LOL

My undying gratitude. :hail: :mad:

:focus: I have NEVER heard anyone suggest that newbies or non-banded (whether pre-band or unbanded) people shouldn't give advice. Or that someone must be banded xx amount of time, or have xx amount of fills. That's simply ridiculous. What I get up in arms about is when the tone of the board starts to shift to blaming the obese for their disease. You want a board where everyone is belittled because of "lack of willpower" you can find plenty of other boards that fit in just nicely with that attitude. I have no tolerance for it here. I have been through a LOT of emotional counseling on this subject, and I have read a LOT about obesity, and what exactly causes it. The truth is, there is no one simple answer. And just because I happen to believe that for ME there is a biological explanation in addition to an emotional component does NOT mean that I am unwilling to take responsibility for my actions. BUT - just because I am the one putting the donut in my mouth doesn't mean that it's just a simple matter of NOT putting it in my mouth. For those people who have to lock their door and then check it ten times before they actually leave the house - yes, THEY are choosing to do that, and yet there is something very deep and primal driving their actions, and it is almost like they have no control. No therapist would tell them "Just stop. Use your willpower." I think eating some things for some of us is like that. And I think some of us are more hungry than others. And I think most obese people have a strength of will that far exceeds many others who do not have to fight this disease. Willpower is not indefatigable. It is not limitless. It is not designed for the long haul. There has to be a plan put into place - that's the willpower part of it. Then the plan has to be followed - that's the building habit part of it. Obesity is NOT unbeatable, but it's a complicated thing, and I resent someone trying to reduce it to a simple equation of calories in=calories out. It is so much more than that, and most people need a whole arsenol of weapons to fight and win the battle. And telling the people who are fighting the battle that they are not committed to the journey flies in the face of everything I know and feel as an obese person. IMHO

Tommy - Sounds like reflux to me. But your later posts makes it sound like it only happens with pbutter. Which in that case, I would have to ask... uh... why you keep eating it at night? :mad: Perhaps if you chased it down with several hot beverages? Generally accepted wisdom is to not lay down before 3 hours or so after your last meal. How long are you waiting? Are you already drinking hot liquids to wash down the pbutter? Otherwise, I'm with the others - I'd recommend eating it at lunch or Breakfast instead of at night. :car:

I'm home sick today, too. I guess that's a half happy thing... lol :mad:

How is everyone?? Everything go great, I hope?? Thinking about the newbies. *hugs*

I would definitely go with your lawyer's advice, and definitely give him a heads up on your soon to be ex's new attitude and threats. (((hugs)))

Being too tight (resulting in vomiting) and yet having a greater capacity for food is not a good sign. You could very well have a slip, and I would go and have a fluoro so your doc can check on the position of your band. If the band is still in a good place, then I would get a slight unfill so that the "good" food doesn't get stuck, and you can actually fill up on some Protein, veggies and fruit and feel satisfied without having to reach for the more easily consumed sweets. You do know that vomiting is the #1 cause of slippage, right? So you want to avoid that at ALL costs. Really. Good luck, and let us know how the fluoro goes!

I'm sooooo jealous. Can anyone give detailed instructions on the side thingy???

I have read that the calcium in milk is too coarse for humans to use - that it's meant for baby cows, not humans. Cows don't drink milk to make milk - they eat nothing but greens and grains, which supply all the calcium they need not only to keep their own bones healthy, but with enough left over to create a high calcium milk for their offspring (to build big, heavy cow bones).I don't think this is a very popular stance, as the government seems hellbent on pushing milk products on the public, and I don't even know how true it is, but...The argument that no other adult animals on this planet need to drink milk (of any species, let alone a different species) to supply their calcium needs seems kind of significant to me, and implies that humans probably don't need to, either...FWIW

This is some info I found last year regarding the vagus nerve. Sounds pretty important, and scary to mess with according to these sites?!?! lol http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddise...gastroparesis/ http://www.answers.com/topic/vagus-nerve http://www.bartleby.com/107/205.html It would be interesting to know if/how often the vagus nerve is a complication of banding or unbanding. Anyone suffer from this? Anyone know anymore??

(((Leatha))) So amazing that the journey can be so different for the SAME person with two different bands... I wonder what the real cause is? I wish your doc would pay attention to your motility issues - I think that's a pretty big deal... xxoo

Hi! Congrats on your progress, and keep on keeping on! You can do it! rah rah rah!!

Here you go!!

Hmmmm.... My post didn't appear... It said something to the effect of: Beautiful!!! Congrats!! I'm still not up to the pain of getting a tattoo - for my bday present I settled for an eyebrow waxing. *ouch!!* They still are tender!! lol I know, what a weenie! Great tat!! Whoo hooo!! Welcome to the tattooed gentry!!