Bandista

Hi Danni, congratulations on your surgery and starting this new chapter in your life. My first fill was at four weeks, then I had another at five, another at six. Some people don't need fills at all. It really varies by individual and also by surgeon. If you feel like you will need a fill maybe you should call up and have that conversation with the scheduler, i.e. could they please try to get you in prior to the time the surgeon is going away so you can start the fill process sooner than the six-week mark. Good luck with all!

@JustWatchMe Beige, it goes with everything.

Hi there -- for me I can tell when I've gone too far and there is no other resolution except to blap it up. Sometimes I sip liquids to aid in this process, though of course the idea is not to have gotten into this situation in the first place. There have been times when I've been able to resolve a stuck episode by putting my arms up really high. We have a post & beam house and I can sort of hang from a couple of pegs to work my back out. This opens the chest and sometimes it has opened my stoma that little bit it needed in order for the food to pass through. It was a learning process for me to get to slow the heck down, etc., and I still get stuck once in a while if I'm not careful. Those old tendencies to shovel food in too quickly or not to chew properly -- I can forget that but quickly get reminded by the band. Good luck with all -- sounds like you're really getting there. Even with the occasional episodes, I wouldn't trade any of this.

This is a great thread! Quick side note: When I first saw your name (teacherlady) along with the title, I thought -- well, no wonder. If you are a teacher, you have such a difficult job and this is not an easy time of year. I have lots of friends who teach at various levels and balancing the needs of the students with the administrative BS can be quite a challenge. So pat yourself on the back for not actually throttling some one every day. IT comes to mind, or HR. Really, the hoops we have to navigate these days in our professional lives can make our jobs so much more difficult than they used to be. But that's not what your post is about....... WLS has been such an amazingly empowering experience. Pretty early in the process I started to realize that the choice I had made to put myself and my healthy future first was giving me a new kind of fierceness. It's something I didn't really expect -- I suppose I was so consumed by the numbers game and how much weight I would lose by whatever time that it hadn't really occurred to me that there would be changes regarding my strength of character. I stand up for myself now. It was always there before, my backbone (I wasn't exactly Susie Creamcheese if you know what I mean) but I was tamping down my feelings with food rather than laying it out on the line. I have always been a truth-teller but I am a quiet person, introspective and soft-spoken. These days I find I don't censor myself as much. I am quicker to let people know where I stand on a particular topic and I am especially careful now about not doing things I don't want to do. This was a problem for me -- obligation as a primary motivation rather than desire. I worried about disappointing other people; instead I disappointed myself over and over again. I'm making up for that now, seeing to my own needs. And mostly the people around me really benefit from that. They like it when I'm full of joy -- and the joy comes from putting myself first. There were things that had to go. No more obligatory socializing. I don't want to waste my time being with people I don't want to be with -- and as an introvert that can mean I am holing up a bit sometimes. That seizing of my time and space is something new. People don't always understand about people who need to be alone for chunks of time. No more putting other people's projects ahead of my own and then feeling like I don't have time for my own creative work. I am my project right now and that feels very important. I think you should pat yourself on the back for the amazing job you've done in reclaiming your life. It sounds like impulse control might be an issue for all of us -- after all, our impulse was always to go for the food and now we don't do that. I wonder if there is something very simple, like putting the forefinger and thumb together and taking a breath prior to letting loose. Or going to the page. I journal a great deal and good grief if any one ever got hold of the whinging and whining -- but it's a release for me. That's one place where I really tell it like it is. Like it is at that moment anyway. Which brings up another point. I'm 53 and peri-menopause is really something. There has got to be a lot going on chemically in all of our bodies (male and female) when we have dropped so much weight. Plus we are not taking in what w used to -- think of the work our bodies had to do to digest all the extra food. All the processing systems must be so different now. Our livers, digestive tracks, hormones are all busy in a new way. This makes me want to do some deep breathing exercises. Maybe that's where it's at, the full yogic breaths and all that. I have become a major walker in these last months and I know that the breathing associated with the level of fast-walking I'm doing has helped me with a lot of feelings. I have a friend I walk with and often one of us has a little rant -- it's a great way to blow off steam. Just know you're not alone -- here we all are undergoing the same changes. Best wishes to you and congratulations on everything. You are doing beautifully.

We already have a lot of ice packs in our freezer (arthritis) -- I am intrigued by this notion but not sure at the start of the cold season I am ready to strap an ice pack on my little flubby tummy (no longer the big Mrs. Winnie-the-Pooh profile but would like the last of it to go, go, go). But still, I may be trying this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/11152348/30-minute-ice-packs-could-be-key-to-burning-away-body-fat-say-scientists.html

Hi there, congratulations on starting this new chapter! It's so strange what works and what doesn't. For me something like that fruit may have just gone down too fast -- those slippery foods can be hard to chew up enough and just so yummy it can be too much too fast. Good news is now you know what it feels like, the blapping something up......when I was starting out I had to do some practicing with a timer to force myself to slow down. I was a real shoveler. I still have to make myself put down my utensil between bites -- my natural inclination is to keep going. So even at 11 months I'm still working on it. Quite fun to be a delicate eater now, though -- a dainty little bite, chew, chew, chew. Push the food around on the plate, put the little fork down, wait, pick up for the next wee bite.....oh, that's a thing that's helpful for me -- the smaller utensils. I use demitasse spoons and shrimp forks at home.

Fried egg.......I used to like scrambled but my band likes a fried egg instead.

@@friendly5, @@Inner Surfer Girl Fast food places wash produce in preservatives -- I'm sensitive to that stuff and can taste it immediately. Yuck. FIT is a product that has a consumer version and one for "restaurants" (McDonald's, etc.)......

Oh dear. I hope you feel better! Take it easy -- and hope the foot pain resolves, too. I use those Sole brand inserts and they are life-changing.

I make meatloaf with oatmeal -- works great. And now that the cold months are here we will have oatmeal here and there. I like the chewy oatmeal also......but I don't have much due to carbs, etc. I tend to add maple syrup. Yum!

Hi there and congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I was banded in November last year and I am SO happy. Best wishes for this new chapter opening in your life.

Phew. Any thoughts on what caused the condition to start with? So happy you are feeling better. Have a nice relaxing weekend.

Sounds to me like you're doing beautifully -- so much about the band is listening to our bodies and learning to respond in a healthy way. Good for you!

@@PSRS520 yippee! I so remember the agony of waiting........ You are on your way!

Phew -- so glad. If you need a little taken out, you need a little taken out -- no worries. This is the adjustable part of the adjustable band. Sending best wishes your way. Let us know how you're doing!

@@roundisashape go for it! I have also started but never finished. Jodi, it's a writing challenge for the month of November.

@@JustWatchMe thanks for the caution -- why even bother with Acetaminophen if it doesn't even work but has toxic properties, geesh. Guess I get a little desperate sometimes. And I'm so glad your own inflammation issues are better right now -- I'd take that as a good sign for winter to come. Some resolution there through diet and exercise. As you say, S-T-R-E-S-S definitely does a number. @@F_it I'm with you on the hydrotherapy! We have a steam shower and I finish with what we call a Finnish finish -- hot and cold contrast as much as I can take. We have a hot tub, too, and that is a true luxury. Got it when my husband was recovering from back surgery numero three but I'm the one that benefits most. Love that thing. Every one said never get a used hot tub. Well, we had to -- didn't have the $$$ for anything else. It was $300 and works beautifully. We have it on a porch and when we're out there star-gazing we feel like the luckiest people alive. @@dylanmiles23 fun on the Common! My parents both grew up on the hill -- Mt. Vernon Street. I love to go down at holiday time to see all the lights. Have fun with Max.......a bit jealous here.

All of those plus B-52, Tomander, JCF, Junkie, etc. -- there are lots of great guys out there. Check out this thread: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/309093-banders-6/ and go to the end. There's a lot of chatter there and some of our favorite guys.

Hi there, protocols vary but yours sounds similar to mine. My surgeon doesn't share the amount of the fills (does not want his patients obsessing about that) but he is definitely of the small frequent fills school of thought. My first fill was a month out, then five weeks, then six weeks -- then I finally felt a bit of "restriction" (weird word to use -- see link below) -- then a couple of weeks later I went back for another and finally achieved the green zone. Was in it for a bit then slipped out -- perhaps from losing weight -- and went back. Had to have a small unfill at one point. In other words, for some of us it is a process to get to the green. In hindsight I am glad because I am some one who really needed those weeks to get my eating habits switched up. I was such a fast eater and it took me a while to modify old behaviors. I'm glad my band wasn't too tight from the get-go or I would have been miserable. Good luck to you -- you will get there! Enjoy your bites of food thoroughly, really taste it, chew, chew, chew and then watch and listen for signals from your body. Sometimes I just get a little bored, that is my "full" signal. Other times there's a sigh. Some people get a little runny nose or have a cough -- it's all so interesting!

I would get to urgent care immediately and call my primary care physician's office to let them know what's going on. Get medical attention! And let us know how you're doing. You could have a bug or something -- don't panic. But get yourself seen. It's Friday and you don't want to go through the weekend potentially getting worse. Take care of yourself!

Hi there, you are in good company here. If we could have lost our weight through diet and exercise then why would we need weight loss surgery? I just had a few flaxseeds in my little portion of yogurt and fruit -- a few nuts. Prior to my surgery I would not have been able to have just one serving -- I would have had a lot. Probably drizzled a bunch of maple syrup on it as well. Then I may have gone looking for something else. It was that way with me, the more, more, more. Having my appetite dimmed by the band has allowed me to be satisfied on a small portion of food. It is heaven being out of food jail. So don't be hard on yourself -- most if not all of us have been where you are right now. It's a desperate feeling. Here's the thing -- how to comply with whatever hoops you need to navigate in order to get what you want. When I saw your height and weight so similar to mine I immediately wanted to ask you about whether there is any kind of BMI requirement. For instance my insurance required a minimum BMI of 40. Others (and this is here in the States, I have no idea about Canada) have a 35. My insurance company did not care about co-morbidities (some roll those into the equation); I had to be at 250 or I couldn't get them to pay for the surgery. I just want to make sure you are "allowed" to lose weight -- that you will still qualify. They really have us over a barrel, don't they? Sorry to throw that into the works but just while you're gathering all the information and making a plan. You have taken a really big step already in deciding to choose yourself and your healthy future -- this will make you stronger and fiercer in your life, able to do things you might not have imagined before. Don't give up! There are two things I was really glad I did while I was going through the process: I upped my exercise. I didn't want to but I did it anyway and that helped me tremendously. Also I got a therapist to go through the process with me. We really worked on identifying my triggers for emotional eating, eating from boredom and habit, stress eating, rewarding myself eating. You know, eating, eating, eating. We got down to the brass tacks of it all -- the when and where. It was tedious but I'm so glad I did it as we were able to identify some very particular situations which don't trip me up anymore because I can see them coming. The other thing I did was spend a lot of time reading through posts on this site. It got to be so I could spot the successful people right away and I followed them. If there were negative posts I just skipped them, did not engage. I asked questions and people were so generous with information -- I took what felt right and left the rest behind. Good luck to you -- you are worth all of this, you deserve this and you will find success!

@☠carolinagirl☠ Mahvahlous is right, dahling -- you look so happy and healthy! And hey, it's Friday, yippee!

@@F_it thanks for chiming in on your experience with Cymbalta. We are all so different and such bags of chemicals. Like you, I am very sensitive to drugs of any kind so my trial with low-dose Cymbalta for arthritis relief didn't last very long. I felt like I needed to give it a go and I do think there was some perceived relief, but it didn't agree with me. The first night I took it I felt like I was tripping so I backed off to a lower dose to begin -- that should have been a signal right there. The thing is, at 53 with this much pain if there's anything out there that may possibly work then I want to make sure I've at least investigated. Unfortunately we have to be our own guinea pigs sometimes. So sorry for everything you went through with the Fibromyalgia and your experience on Cymbalta. We have got to do something about these auto-immune disorders, for crying out loud! I have had horrific experiences with steroids -- in fact the overnight weight gain I had from Prednisone (ha, that just auto-corrected to "prisoner") kicked off twenty years of overweight and all kinds of other complications in my body. The arthritis has been really flaring lately and I know that has to do with the change in weather. I have been walking outdoors most and now that the temps are under fifty (we've had the thirties here, eek!) I find that cold really exacerbates the joint pain later in the day. Last night I took a couple of Tylenol -- has never done much for me -- and a couple of tequila cocktails. That is something that helps, and I figure alcohol as a drug is better than a lot of what gets prescribed by various physicians even though they generally disapprove of that. But you got to do what you've got to do! I use ice packs, too. Seems so ironic that cold makes arthritis worse yet ice packs reduce inflammation -- makes no sense!

A beautiful autumn for a very happy birthday -- have at it! And this is a nice opportunity to say thank you! for all you do to bring people together on this site. It has helped me so much to connect with others throughout the WLS process. Best wishes for a great weekend and a wonderful year!

Yippee! So happy for you.......feels great, doesn't it?