mjsafari

No drinking 30 minutes before, during, and 1 hour after a meal. I find it very hard to get all my fluids in for the day though with that schedule.

I can't say enough nice things about Dr. Malley. He is great and really cares about his patients. Congrats on your decision and you are definitely making the right choice in a surgeon.

KarenB - thanks for info on the photos. I am been thinking about taking some. I have one of my husband and I pre-band that I need to scan in and have new photos next to. I think that will help. Congrats on your success! You are an inspiration! RubyJane - GREAT JOB! Keep it up! Stories like yours help those behind you to keep going. Erin - thanks for the encouragement. I have been looking for NSVs, because the scale can be very frustrating!

Thanks BetsyJane - my BMI is so high because I am only 5 foot tall. Amazingly I had no co-morbidities, but since it was high, I was approved by insurance very quickly after my 6 month supervised diet. It is amazing how much better I feel even after only 45lbs. I definitely feel like I am on the right track - time will tell, but it feels great right now!

I don't but I would like to know. I was thinking we needed to start a Junies pictures thread, so we could see our progress.

HazelBunny - BIG congrats! I am a little frustrated because even after 45lbs I haven't changed clothes sizes - but things I have fit better. I put my favorite pants on today. The were snug around my legs even when I was standing up, but I noticed today that they have movement - YEAH! I recently tried some clothes on at Fashion Bug and was disappointed that I am not a 24 yet - but I have pretty much been in denial that I was anything over a 24 anyway, so I have to accept that and keep going. I also noticed today that my seat belt fits better and the steering wheel doesn't rub my belly when I drive! It is happening, but not fast enough for me!

Heather - I personally would like to hear your not nice experiences, if it is something you would like to share. I think the good and the bad help me with my journey. If there is anything we could do to help you with yours, I am sure us Junies would do it.

There is definitely ALOT of goods and bads on LBT. I felt like I knew every possibility out there before I got my band. I had a fill last Monday and could not eat or drink anything without pain. I knew this meant I was too tight, but because of info on here that some people loosen up after a couple of days I waited to get unfilled. BUT I only waited 3 days - when I couldn't get anything in, not even liquids, I knew I needed an unfill. I didn't wait until I PBd. I had 1cc taken out and am fine now. I do get the full feeling - golf ball in the esophagus, but that is my signal to STOP eating. If I pay attention to that I won't PB. In fact even being over filled I have never truly PBd. My husband on the other hand has PBd alot. He does have to be conscious of what he eats when he is out. BUT that is because he has had restriction from day 1 and has not needed a fill at all. He has first bite syndrome. He slimes without even having eaten. I knew how to explain and help him through all of this because of the information available on this board. He is working through all the issues and loves his band - how can you not with 75lbs lost in a 2 months! Our surgeon's nurse said - he never got a change to "learn" with his band, he has had to deal with all the possible issues from the beginning. But he is dealing with it, is feeling great, and would be happy to tell anyone about how great the band is. I am very sorry that the OP is having so much trouble, but glad that she still loves her band. If she listens to the advice given, gets an unfill, I think from personal experience, she will feel a whole lot different. I hope she posts how things turn out for her. It is a journey not a race.

Janine - I do have a great doc and support staff. I was very concerned about erosion or slipping if I was too tight. It is much easier to have a little out and then work back up than to deal with something worse. I now have to be diligent about my portions, so I don't gain back what I lost this week! Insub - I appreciate everyone's posts and experiences and hope mine was helpful to others. Have a great Friday everyone!

For your sweet tooth, I would highly recommend this if you can find it. We get them at Wal-mart. You cut 6 bananas in half, insert the stick, then freeze the bananas for one hour. Warm the bag of chocolate up in hot Water, pour in to a shallow bowl and dip the bananas. Nutritional facts: 60 cal, 5g fat, 4g carbs (in the chocolate) They also come in strawberry and Peanut Butter.

BigBaby - I am so glad it went well! You are now back on the road. Well I had to give in and have a slight unfill. Everything I ate and drank hurt. Good news - I had lost 6 lbs since Monday, but I really needed to eat a little more. He had put 3 ccs in on Monday, giving me a total of 7ccs in my 10cc band. I called the nurse today, she said if you can come now I will take some out. It was after hours, but she stayed around for me! She took me to the fluro room, so I finally got to see my band and I got to watch her access the port. All went well and it was painless, we decided to take out 1cc. The water didn't hurt, so I knew it was better. We went out to dinner and I was able to eat without pain - unfortunately I could eat more than I should have. I was so hungry though after barely eating for 3 1/2 days! I am scheduled again for the 15th, so I may need a little back in. Where are FaithMD and Nina? I haven't seen them post in awhile. Have a good night - GET SOME SLEEP :-)

Suzzane - Sorry - the only single chief's fan I know is my niece - she is a hotty, but she is in California! I can't wait for the season to start! Darr - I am not going to promise the feeling will pass - I felt crappy most of the 2 weeks I was on the pre-op, so much so I cheated. I don't recommend that though, I almost didn't get my band, because my liver was still large even after losing 11lbs. My surgeon is great though and got me done. I kept reminding myself that this was not my permenent diet, I had 38 years to eat anything that I wanted, and my kids need me! My body fights hard when I don't feed it carbs, so looking back I probably should have thrown a regular protein shake in sometimes, instead of the low carb ones to help will some of the headaches and hunger.

That is the way I understood it. With restriction you are forced to chew more and eat slower, and then your pouch fills up sending that full signal. I just can't seem to convince the rest of my stomach that it is full! LOL I can feel full, but my stomach still rumbles - very frustrating.

Nope no bun - he is really in to watching his carbs. QT has cheese and chili now for their hot dogs, one of his favorite things to eat, so he couldn't resist getting the hot dog with chili and cheese. Well after that experience he said no more QT hot dogs for him!:phanvan

Janine - I did not feel any difference with my first fill of 4ccs (10cc AP band). BUT with my 2nd fill there was definitely a difference. I can feel everything slide down - kind of weird, but I am trying to "listen" to my body and figure out how to work with the band. I agree with insub on the "stuck" food. I watched my husband PB - he was eating a hot dog - he didn't chew the first bite well, but didn't get a reaction right away, so he had about 3 more bites. He put the hot dog down and started to drive, but then he was pulling over and opening the car door - everything came right back out. I think when we chew well or eat mushies they don't trigger the stoma to push back. The food is sitting in our pouch and slowly passing through the stoma. LadyHR - the Large AP is 14cc - that is what my husband has. Doc says he has some Fluid in from surgery and he hasn't had a fill yet, because he has been tight from about 2 weeks out. He has an appt today, so I am interested to see what the doc says. He is down 71lbs from May!

Suzanne - others on here have mentioned tightening up, even 2 weeks after their fill. I think it is smart for you to have the doc check it out. I am extremely tight after my fill on Monday, but have decided to wait and see if it loosens up. I have another appt. in 2 weeks, so I will see how it goes. I got about 1/2 a package of oatmeal down this morning. Definitely have the tightness in my chest from the first bite, but if I wait between bites, like I am supposed to, then I can get some more in. No sliming or PB's for me either - Knock on wood. I don't want to do that, I have watched my husband do it! Insub - I think we can talk about anything here and someone else will have experienced the same thing - especially on this thread!

If alcoholics or drug addicts walked around with their addictions showing - would anyone dare to make fun of them? Does anyone make fun of an obvious anorexic they pass on the street? NOPE - then why is it acceptable to make comments about overweight people? My husband won't tell me if someone gives me a look or a whispered comment, because he knows I will be right there in their face. I really don't care what people think about me, but I do care if they think it is okay to say something - especially if there are children around. Are they teaching their kids to hate everyone different from them or just fat people? Okay now I am on a tangent - I will step off!

I missed the opportunity to say Hi to both of you then! I was there yesterday also - 5Jacks - I came in not long before they called you, with my little blonde haired girl! I must have just missed Tracyinks also! 5Jacks - I was wondering how long you had been banded because I heard you say you were getting a fill, I thought you looked like you could be at your goal! I see you are down 71lbs from Jan - Congrats! Your boys were very quiet while they waited for you by the way. Mine went in with me and watched everything the Doc did.

Toni - Welcome back, we have missed you! BigBaby - so sorry about your port, hopefully it can be resolved quickly. I am now 1 day post 2nd fill. I managed last night to get about 5 table spoons of mashed potatoes in and one slice of a peach, but it took me a couple of hours. I had mashed potatoes this morning, but again it took a long time and I can feel every bite in my throat or my back. Water goes down, but it has to sit for a minute. I really really really don't want to get an unfill, but I wonder if I am too tight?? I have to be on soft foods for the next couple of days anyway, so I think I am going to wait it out. Is this how others have felt after a fill and then it loosened up?

Back from my 2nd fill today. When I drank the water after the fill it kind of sat in the back of my throat. I didn't feel like it was going to come back up, just that is was sitting there and then trickling down my throat. Doc asked if I wanted some out, but I said no, I would like to see if I can work with it. I forgot to ask how much he put in - he said all of my previous 4ccs were there. I had a Campbell's soup at hand, Velvety potato, when I got home. It has gone down, but I am only able to drink 1/2 of it. I feel full, but still hungry, because it is my TOM! This is a very hard time for me - I am always ravenously hungry the first couple of days. Hopefully this fill will help that!

Weight Loss - 39lbs since pre-op Clothes - no change in size, but what I have fit better Food - before today, not enough restriction, so I had to make the choice to stop - definitely understand, "I will just finish that". I had my 2nd fill today, so I hope to have a better stop now. I have tried really hard to make good choices, but if I want something I eat a little of it. It helps not keeping junk in the house. Emotionally - good this week, I was a little angry when my mother was here visiting - she kept asking my husband why it was working for him but not me! Like 35lbs in 4 weeks wasn't good enough. I finally said something just before she left - when was the last time you lost 35lbs in 4 weeks? She called yesterday to say that she and my sister were clothes shopping for me, because they knew how much it was going to cost me to keep replacing clothes. I said you guys keep saying this isn't going to work, so why would I need new clothes? I know a snotty thing to say, but they have not been very supportive. Now I am determined to prove them wrong!

Back from my 2nd fill - will post on 2nd fill thread, but wanted to let you know what they said about the pain when I bend over. The nurse said that is very common and usually goes away in 2-3 months. It takes time for the port to scar in place. So no worries for now, will just see if it goes away. I was down 7lbs since my last fill 2 weeks ago, so they were very happy with that. The nurse said that was really good for a month, so 2 weeks was great. I didn't think that sounded so good, but I guess I just want this to happen faster. Glad to be losing.

thanks for the answers on the port pain. Mine does not hurt all the time, just when I bend to the right - like Stella said, I can touch my left toes, but not my right without pain. I will let you know what my doc says Monday. I couldn't do any abdominal exercises even if wanted to because of this pain, but I haven't asked about any restrictions. I am having a hard time getting motivated to exercise! I am still losing well, but I know I need to get moving. My husband is doing amazing! Down 71lbs in 2 1/2 months without a fill - I told him people will ask why he needed the band! He knew he could lose, but couldn't keep it off, so it is a good choice for him. He only has 77 more lbs to goal. He does have all the issues that can come with band though - not being able to eat in the morning, sliming and PBs. He has an upper GI scheduled next month (as a follow-up on Barrett's esophagus), so we will know if his band is ok. Happy Losing, everyone!

Janine - good choice for mexican! We finally went out the other night to a mexican restaurant - first time since banding. I had 4 chips with cheese dip, grilled chicken breast with cheese and a creamy red sauce and black beans. I ate less than half and took the rest for lunch the next day. I think I looked at the menu a hundred times before I decided that was the best thing, thankfully it was very delicious. I do have to make the choice to stop most of the time still, I am hoping my 2nd fill on Monday will help. Is anyone have issues with their port when they bend over? If I bend over repeatedly or draw my legs up in bed at night, I get a burning pain where my port is. I thought it was my incision until I had my fill and realized it was my port. I am going to discuss with the surgeon on Monday, but just wondered if anyone else had that issue.

My husband and I were both approved by Aetna PPO - so there is hope. Remember though that your employer may be setting the rules for each surgery and can even exclude it, so as someone else mentioned, you may want to get your HR involved. I think what helped me the most was a letter from my GYN. If you don't see a family doc regularly, but you see your GYN every year - ask them for a letter of recommendation and have that chart sent over. She had documentation on all my fertility and PCOS issues as well as a annual weight.