Lioness81970

Hi all - two things that I have learned through this whole process are 1 - just because someone else can eat it doesn't mean that you can and 2 - just because you WERE able to eat it once banded does not mean that you will ALWAYS be able to eat it. I have been banded for 5 years and I have had no problems what so ever. There are times when I can eat certain things....and then I will try to eat them again at a later date...and I can't. Tortilla chips - or any chips for that matter - are one of those foods. Some days I can eat them and some days I can't. Why does this happen? Who knows but instead of wondering day to day if I can eat them I just choose not to. You will really have to try for yourself to know what will work for you. Hope that helps!

I haven't seen you around here recently!! How are you doing?

The one thing that I remember vividly was the soreness in my stomach muscles. Have you ever done sit ups or crunches and the next day your stomach muscles are sore? Or you cough so much that they get sore? That's what I remember the most....feeling like I had just done 1000 sit ups!

Believe me - you will learn and QUICK the first time you have your band filled to proper restriction and you forget to chew. Once you feel that tightness in your chest so lovingly referred to as that golf ball feeling or you start "sliming", you will remember to chew the next time. :thumbup:

Hi Hope4Joy - I love your name - those are the names of my daughters!! Anyway, I would suggest going to another doctor. This is a personal decision that you need to make and the doctor shouldn't try to make that decision for you. I had my surgery in Nov of 2003 - going into my 5th year - and I couldn't be happier. I see people at work that have had the bypass done around the same time that I had my band done and they are gaining their weight back. I have maintained the same weight - with the exception of having a baby - since I have had the surgery. I started at 309 and right now I am between 195 and 205. Could I loose more weight if I wanted to? I'm sure I could but I'm happy right where I am at. I don't have the rollercoaster ride that I had prior to having the band done with loosing 10 pounds and gaining 15 back. You shouldn't let the doctor dictate which surgery you should have. This is YOUR choice and people with more than 100 to loose CAN loose it with the band....don't let him tell you otherwise!:thumbup:

When I had my surgery I took 2 weeks off. Honestly the only reason that I did was because I could. I was ready to go back to work in about 3 days. I had the surgery on Wednesday and was ready to go back on Monday. I guess it depends on how well your body responds to everything. Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you.

Some of my favorites: "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Mark Twain Nothing beats a failure but a try! Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent - Elenor Roosevelt And the one that is in my signature line: What I do today is important because I am paying a day of my life for it. What I accomplish must be worthwhile because the price is high.

I hate shoes with a passion and if I didn't have to wear them I wouldn't. The first thing I do when I get home, even before my coat comes off, is take my shoes off. Do I have people take their shoes off in my home? It depends on what season it is. I have hard wood floors all through my house AND I live in Wisconsin. Winter here is not nice and I don't want to have all that snow and slush and mud on my floors. I hate walking on wet floors and I don't want my baby crawling or walking around it that either. Do people get angry about it? Not at all. Will I take my shoes off at someone else's home? Absolutely if they want me to. Like I said, living in Wisconsin is not pretty in the least!

Hi - when I got pregnant with my daughter I was 180. At delivery I weighed 260. Right now I am at 205 and my daughter is 18months.

I have a question for the women here that have had a baby with the band. Have any of you breastfed with the band? If so, how long was it before you decided to have your band adjusted again? I currently am half filled but I am breasfeeding my daughter right now. I am coming upon 6 weeks and was just wondering if you were able to sustain enough in your system to continue breastfeeding if you were at full restriction. Not sure if I should wait or go for it. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone!! I ended up having the baby earlier that expected. She was due on Oct 31st but decided to come on Sept 26th. She weighed 4 lbs 14 oz and was 17 1 /2 inches long. We decided to name her Hope Virginia. She ended up in the NICU due to being preterm but luckily she was fine. They were just concerned with her weight and due to her being jaundice. Well she is a little piglet so the weight isn't too much of a concern anymore. She was able to leave the hospital yesterday with a weight of 4 lbs 10 oz and I took her back this morning for a weight check and she was 4lbs 13.3 oz. So as you can see she is doing quite well. :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: Just wanted to let everyone know!! untitled.bmp Hope2.bmp

I have added pictures to the original email.

Hi Kstar - I'm currently pregnant and in my 8th month:preggers: . So far I have had no complications other than some heartburn at the beginning. I did have to have my band pretty much unfilled due to this but once that was done I was fine. Now, with the baby getting so big I have had some occasional port pain but I think that's just cause she's up there. Funny thing is prior to having the band I had tons of complications with my pregnancies (this is #5) includng high blood pressure but I have been fine. I really think that losing all that weight really contributed to it.

Hi Eve - welcome!! What part of Wisconsin are you from? Milwaukee here.......

Hi - I am currently 32 weeks pregnant. I was banded in 2003. I had to have my band unfilled with 1/2 the fluid around 4 months because I was getting really painful heartburn. I have noticed lately though the further along I get the more restricted I feel. Currently I have gained 56 pounds of the weight that I had lost (as oppossed to 80 to 90 I usually gain) but my pregnancy has been good. With all of my other pregnancies I had high blood pressure, toxemia and a host of other pregnancy related illnesses.......but because I had lost all the weight with the band I think it stopped me from getting them this time. I'm not worried about loosing the weight though this time. I've done it once and I will do it again with the help of the band!

Hi Kashia - to date I have gained 58 pounds. I am actually due on Oct 31st but I will probably be induced if I'm lucky. I have a tendency to deliver VERY quickly and my doctor thinks it will be best to induce me so none of us are caught off guard. Just to give you an idea of how quick - my last daughter -from the time I got to the hospital to delivery was 21 minutes. My last son was induced and I had him in 4 hours! I have very quick deliveries and consider myself VERY LUCKY!!!

Kashia - is your band still full? I am in my 3rd trimester and I had my band almost completely unfilled for that specific reason. I was having really bad reflux and to be on the safe side the doctor removed the majority of my fill. Talk about feeling so much better. I was having really bad reflux prior to pregnancy and up until my 4th month and was taking Prevacid. Now with the pregnancy and the unfill in my band I can chew 2 TUMS and feel so much better. I was concerned with having my band unfilled but I figured that it will still be better to gain the weight back and work my (literally) ass off after I have the baby then to have complications that could have been avoided. Wish you the best of luck.

Well I have been banded since Nov 2003 and up until I got pregnant I never had any complications or anything. Lost over 100 pounds. Starting weight was 308.5 and when I found out I was pregnant my weight was down to 192. I know that once I have the baby the band will be there to help me loose all that I have gained!

I would REALLY love to go on this cruise. Unfortunately with the baby coming in October and me being out of work for 12 weeks money is going to be very tight:cry . I do hope that there is something like this planned for 2008. That would give me plenty of time to start saving and putting money away.

Oh Leva - no need to be scared. Everyone is different when it comes to these things. Some of us have problems with their first fill or first few fills and some just breeze by. No need to worry though. You've been through the worst part already - the surgery!!

I think it has to do with the band being empty. I am by no means scared of needles whatsoever and was actually looking forward to my first fill. WHen I had the very first one done I broke out into a cold sweat and felt like I was going to get sick and the doc and nurse actually had to hold me up so I didn't fall. Never have had that experience before. About a year and a 1/2 ago I had to have my band unfilled and when I went back to have it re-filled the exact same thing happened. I just chalked it up to my body getting used to this band around my stomach seeing as nothing like that every happened before. Those are the only times it happened though. All the future fills were a piece of cake.

COngratulations!!! :whoo: I am so happy for you. Seems like when you DON'T try that's when it happens. I wish you all the best in your pregnancy. Keep me (us) updated!!

And just found the time to actually come and post. Things have been crazy in my life and I just wanted to share with you all. FIrst of all my pregnancy has been going pretty good for the most part. I am due in October - the doctor is going to induce me when I am 38 weeks which should be about Oct 15th. I had to have my band unfilled to 1cc. I have gained about 60 lbs and that is depressing in itself seeing as I lost over 100 lbs pre pregnancy. My doctor said I needed to have it unfilled due to the serious heartburn I was having. They weren't sure if it was due to the band or to the pregnancy and I didn't want to take any chances either. I can always have the band refilled and start over but this baby only has one chance to be born healthy. The best part of this baby is that it has brought me and my husband closer than we have ever been. For those of you that remember we were in the process of getting a divorce. We aren't back together because of the baby but it has helped bring us closer together. I realized I didn't get married to get divorced and we had been together for 13 years. So with the help of marriage counseling we are doing quite well. I am having a girl - really wanted a boy - but having a girl none the less. :preggers: I am thinking the names Cassidy, Kaia, Tess, Carly or Isabella. What do you think? Just wanted to say hi and hope that my post finds each and everyone of you happy, healthy and loosing!!!

Luckily other than gaining weight I haven't had any complications. I had to have the band unfilled about my 4th month mark. I just started to have unbelievable heartburn and they just wanted to make sure it wasn't the band. It semed to subside a lot when I was unfilled. I went from 3.25 cc's down to 1 cc in my band. I figure after my 6 week postpartum mark I will get a fill again and start loosing. So glad I had the band. Never would be able to go back with the bypass.:clap2:

Another Leo here - hence my screen name. Leo the Lion (or in my case Lioness) and the numbers at the end represent my birthdate.....8/19/70:D