kacee

<p>Why are you going to someplace that is just starting to do the band? I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole. Especially if you are self-pay...you can choose where you go...unless you are in a town that has no options....</p>

See ya on the flip side! Welcome!

Basically they want you to take it slow and easy for the first 48 hours. I was told to do mushies for 48 hours, and whipped up beans, etc. falls into that category.

I completely re-thought my attitude about dieting when I got the band. Rather than looking up the mountain to the peak of where I needed to get (goal), I made MANY mini-goals that were reachable in a short time. That made all the difference in the world and gave me the incentive and success to continue my journey. I even try to make my plateaus mini-goals....like okay let's try and make THIS plateau last only two weeks instead of the normal three.....Every time you turn around you have a little victory of some kind so you don't feel overwhelmed.

Yeah, I've started doing that....I let the first two bites sit a while before I continue. If I can get past the first two bites I am okay, and it does make a huge difference!

When I hit about 3.5 months my hair started falling out and still is. Thank God I have loads of hair, but I am constantly fishing globs of it out of the shower drain. I'll probably start taking some hair/nails vitamins to supplement, though I know it just has to run its course.

I was the opposite...I felt a drastic change at 20 pounds and the only comments I got were "Well, I can see it kindof in your face...." which was disappointing. Suddenly though in the last 10 pounds (I'm at 48 now) EVERYONE is commenting. It's like I jumped over some fence or something.

I've been at what I consider "optimum" restriction for well over a month. Yep, there's a heck of a learning curve. Some people might say my band is too tight, but I am WORKING with it and adjusting and listening to what it tells me. Yes, I PB several times a week. It's odd, but a lot of times it happens when I take the first few bites of a meal. Everything gets clogged and that little bit comes up....and then I am FINE for the rest...providing I take it VERY slowly. Don't know if my esophagus clutches up or what. Generally the feeling that I get is after about 4-5 bites I get the tiniest bit nauseated feeling. The hunger goes away BAM and no matter if it's chocolate cake (not) or cottage cheese, I can push it away without a second thought. Some people would consider that too radical for them, but it works great for me. When I got my fill, the nurse said that the idea is to drink some liquid and feel it hesitate just for a "nano-second" and then go down. Then you have optimum restriction (providing it doesn't change). Generally, if you can eat things like bread without problem you probably need a little bit of a fill, or if you feel like you can eat a "large amount" (that is a "post band large amount", not a "preband large amount").

Naaaahhhh...you're not feeling ANYTHING out of the ordinary. It is VERY common to have zero response to the first fill. I would give it about 2 weeks and call your doctor and find out how quickly he will let you come back for another, and explain that there is no restriction and let him know you are able to eat things like bread easily (my doctor's office considers that a red flag for a fill). You have to be patient. This is an art as well as a science. They would rather under-do than over-do and err on the side of conservatism. I did not get any quality restriction until my THIRD fill. My fourth was just a "top off" and I am now perfect, but it didn't get that was overnight. You've got the rest of your life to work with the band and I know it is tempting to want action really fast, but you've got to flow with the process. This will pass.

It's the gas. Use your pain meds, heating pad, and walk walk walk. I never ceased to be amazed at where the gas could go....like up the side of my neck. OUCH.

<p>Heavenly days yes, MOST of us had that. My pain was in my left side, under the shoulderblade and shooting up my neck on the left side. It started about 2 days after surgery and was pretty brutal for about 2.5 weeks. I used pain meds, heating pad, Gas-X (which I took regularly) and WALKING. When you feel the need to burp and fart DO NOT HOLD BACK. These are the best things you can do, and believe me, you'll be doing it a LOT!!! After a while I kindof thought to myself "Screw being a lady, I gotta get some RELIEF!!!!"</p>

Five cuts is generally the norm. Sometimes they can hide one in your belly button (as is mine) so you really see only four incisions. I know he made an incision in my belly button, but I swear I could hardly see anything.

It's not just chewing food carefully, but also taking tiny tiny bites at this time. I recall having quite a few instances at first of discomfort when I tried to eat. You need to really slow down and listen to your body. You can NOT eat like you did before. The discomfort will go away as you learn the amounts your gut can accept and not over-tax yourself. It is trial and error and there IS a learning curve. When in doubt....eat SMALLER bites.

You will probably be intubated (after you are under) and you will most likely NOT have a catheter (operation is too short). Why does everyone get all bent out of shape about these things? The tube will be in while you are aleep and out while you are asleep. No big issue. Doctors don't normally tell you the entire mechanics of the procedure, so don't feel like your doctor is withholding information. It's nothing you are going to feel or know is there. You'll be aware of it just about as much as you'd be aware of some person stubbing their toe on the other side of town....

I remember when I reached one-derland. I was telling a co-worker and I burst into tears! What an incredible milestone. I used to CRINGE when I went to the doctor's and that extra KLUNK of the weight could be heard as they hit the 200 mark on the scale. I still have a hard time not hearing that KLUNK in my head! And to think that one-derland was about 30 pounds ago!!! WOW!

This is the first day of the rest of your life, future Butterfly!

I learned that hard lesson....NEVER NEVER NEVER try to "wash down" something that is stuck. It works on a regular gut, but not on ours. All it does is throw liquid in to float on top of the already stuck stuff....it just makes the clog worse.

I agree with Bubble! If the body just "shut down" and wouldn't lose weight we wouldn't have to worry about starvation in the world (what a concept!). It's all physics...cause and effect. I think some doctors are too quick to glop people in the "percentage group" and be done with it. Maybe they think they are making us feel better or something. Personally I find it a little disconcerting to be told that I have already "gone way past what is normally possible". Don't rain on my parade! :huytsao It is a GIVEN that the last few pounds will come off kicking and screaming, but that's a fact of life, something us professional dieters are well aware of (at least in our hearts)...:paranoid

Don't sweat it. I didn't get to my sweet spot until number 4. Believe me, when you start feeling restriction you are going to notice a change. Let your doctor know you felt exactly NOTHING. The whole Idea of going in for a fill is to get more put in. If he has a fouroscope, see if they can do the fill using that...it is a lot more exacting than the old "squirt and guess" because they can fill you to closing up initially and then start backing it off a little and should be able to get some change for you. The problem is that as you lose weight, each fill will relax a little. Much moreso at first, and a little less so as you get closer to goal. So at first, you are going to see the fill lose its punch fairly quick, and that will lessen with time.

Being able to get up off the floor once I got down there!

It really hasn't been around long enough to know, I would suspect. You might be able to find some studies done in Europe in the last decade, but I don't even think the band has been around prior to the 1990's there either.

I can say that I have had many girlfriends who were very happy with my size because I was not a "threat" to them. I was a good comfort zone. Especially when I was younger I seemed to "attract" very vivacious, gorgeous girlfriends. They knew that when we went to a party they could make "their grand entrance" and have everyone stop in awe as they entered the room. I did not want that, expect it, nor did I need it emotionally. I was just myself and it took the competitive pressure off of them. I wasn't out vying for the boys and wasn't expecting anything. They were "safe" with me. I believe there is always just a LITTLE of that in female relationships, whether we admit it or not. This edge of competition....if I were that type of person, Sue's Eye, I think I'd be a little worried about you, because though your picture is small, you seem to be a very beautiful girl. If you are that pretty with excess weight, you're gonna be a helluva "contender" when you slim down! (And this has nothing to do with being single or happily married, etc.)

Actually when you think about it, she wasn't really saying something hurtful at all. She was absolutely voicing a concern about her relationship with you and where she feared it would head if you lost weight. It is kindof refreshing to hear the truth from people....as much of a faux pax as it might be. I think I would have felt more sorry for her at that moment. What goes through my head... Does she think she will lose you as a friend if you "get skinny"? -- that you won't consider her worthy of your time -- that you will be embarassed to be seen with her (if she is the same size as you now) or that she will be jealous of you afterwards because you are "competition" if she is much smaller than you now. Her comment to you was totally about herself. Yes, it was about HER feelings of whatever loss she perceives, not of her well-wishes for your health, etc. If she is a good friend you can overlook that. Many of us have opened our mouths and inserted our feet...sometimes up to the kneecap.

Try to stick with things that are already in a fairly soft state. Steer clear of meats that are anything other than things like tuna, crab, (stuff that is flakey). I'd say definitely NO chicken. Chicken also tends to be dry. Many people have problems with chicken even when they are on solids. Fish was considered a mushie by my doctor.

Ain't it the truth!!!! Periodically I see posts where people ask if this is just a "snake oil sell" or something. I can tell you that it WORKS. I didn't think it would work for ME (you always figure you will be the one it will "fail" on!) and NO ONE was more surprised than I as the pounds fell off, my self-discipline shot through the roof!!!!