aubrie

I can feel both the port and the band. My port will from time to time become sore if I exercise strenuously, or do a lot of Ab work at the gym. I know where and what that is. This other feeling is as you describe. It's kind of like a bruise. I have a very small rib cage, and on occasion I can feel it bumping my ribs from the inside. It's an odd feeling. Not really painful. I also have a floating rib, so if it folds in if I sit wrong, it's even more pronounced. I'm used to it now. It doesn't bother me so much anymore. but I know what you're talking about.

My Mom must have been ahead of her time. When I was in high school she would call ladies pants that were to tight down there, "Tutu shapers". I guess it never occured to her that it was the woman, not the pants! LOL

Sounds like he might be scared. Fear of the unknown is a powerful thing. He's unsure of what it is exactly that you're doing. Provide him with all the pamphlets and information you can. He's afraid you'll change. You will, but for the better!! You'll still be the same on the inside, you'll just have a new and improved wrapper! LOL I guess some of us do change on the inside a bit. We have more self confidence, better self esteem and a brighter outlook on life. We can do more and enjoy more, so that makes us happier people. Is that such a bad thing? My husband was DELIGHTED to have his wife back. Our marriage is stronger and better than ever. My attitude improved, so things at home just went smoother. Let him know that these are possibilities. Maybe he's just focusing on the negative.

My doc recommended the Flintstones and the Centrum chewables. Both are fine and don't taste horrible. I also take the the Citrucal petites with Vitamin D. You have to take them twice a day since they are smaller, but they go through my band just fine and dissolve really fast. My biotin capsule is pretty small, but it keeps my hair from getting thin. I also discovered that Omega-3 is GREAT for my arthritis so I can exercise successfully. (good for hair, nails and skin too!) Those suckers are HUGE. I know this sounds gross, but I drop one in my hot coffee in the morning and they pop open. I suck the oil off the top, and it's done. One yucky sip and the rest is fine. Considering the enormous difference it's made in my flexibility, range of motion and I'm virtually pain free, it's a small price to pay!

I was banded 1 1/2 years ago. I'm doing well. I'm leaving for a two week vacation to the coast of Maine and am REALLY looking forward to eating the wonderful lobster there. I was there two years ago and know how awesome it is. I eat a lot of seafood, including crab, and don't have a problem with it, but lobster tends to be a little "tougher" or more rubbery than most seafood. I wondered if any of you up there have a problem eating it now that you're banded. I have trouble eating tough or dry white meat chicken so I'm concerned. I've read that lobster is a very low fat, superior source of protein, so I'm hoping the texture won't pose a problem.

anything looking like coffee granules is digested blood. this would indicate you could be bleeding in your stomach. Call your surgeon IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

Funny.... I don't have a problem with the rice, but the black seaweed stuff kills me. So I have to take mine apart if it has that. I love sushi. My son and I and my best friend go for sushi all the time. I'm delighted I can still eat it.

I am now limited in the type of drinks I consume since I can't drink carbonated stuff anymore, but I do enjoy wine now, and an occasional vodka and cranberry/pomegranate juice. My band seems to be very connected to my moods. If I'm angry, upset, sad, STRESSED, depressed or emotional, my band is tight. A glass of wine helps me relax and my band is fine. My band tightens on a long air plane ride as well. If it's not a morning flight, the glass of wine seems to help that as well. I did get tipsy a lot faster after banding though so you need to be careful. Also, since we all tend to be obsessive (food addicts) becoming a lush after banding is also a concern. Just be prudent.

Okay. Food made me feel better. We all know what that's about. The trick is, when you need comfort for yourself, and food is no longer the convenient option to do that, what can we do to replace it? Obviously, we can't go shopping every time we need a boost. I know I would be broke. So what to do? Well, you still need to pamper yourself and make yourself feel better. So......take a bubble bath, repot some pretty flowers, cut some flowers from your new garden and put them in vases around the house, give yourself a manicure, indulge in a facial, turn up the stereo and dance yourself silly, put some photos in an album and work on a scrapbook, re-arrange your furniture, take your old silk flower arrangements apart, and make some new ones,

While younger and much thinner, I had cute little bras, but nothing daring or sexy. Then the FAT piled on, and I was not into that kind of thing at all. :closedeyes:Granny bras were all that I could fit in......As I got older, I got more daring in what I liked, and moved away from "cute" but only DREAMED of one day wearing Victoria's Secret bras and panties. I never thought I would . thought it was over for me. Well THANK YOU LAP BAND!!!! I went in to Victoria's Secret this past weekend and was fitted for a bra. :thumbup:I got the SEXIEST pink satin and black lace bra ever and I'm so excited. I wore it to work yesterday, and it felt kind of strange to have cleavage, but I know I was standing 4 inches taller. What an ego boost!!!:confused: Man it feels good. :confused:

Where are you located Fireman?

I eat fruit religiously twice a day and on many days three times. I have a problem with the constipation that banding brings, and this seems to help. There are a couple of fruits that I seem to have more trouble with, but I just have to keep that in mind and chew better and longer. Strawberries are one of them. I eat a LOT of berries. If you eat citrus, try peeling the pithy skins off the sections before you eat them. Apples skins are a little tough as well, but everything else is fair game.

I to will not give up my salad!! I PREFER spinach salad and wild field greens, and I also add all kinds of things to it. Pickled beets, sweet peppers, avocado, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, almonds. I also like to put my protein on top. Lump crab meat, grilled salmon, grilled chicken or boiled shrimp. It all goes down together. No problem. I love balsamic vinegrette, and some of the others out now. There are so many to choose from, and some are naturally low in calorie. Considering all the vitamins and minerals in raw veggies, I think this doc is giving some very bad advice. These raw foods combat a multitude of illnesses, and help prevent the dreaded bandster constipation. Personally, I think a lot of U.S. bandsters suffer from constipation because of the preoccupation with protein. Fiber and whole grains are just as important. what's more, my doctor and nutritionist would agree with me.

Turbinado sugar is raw cane juice sugar. It's still sugar, but it's in it's raw form. It's not processed and bleached white with chemicals. It's a light brown color. You can get it organic as well, so the sugar cane hasn't been sprayed with pesticides. I have tried stevia and for whatever reason, I found it bitter, but I know a lot of people like it. I found some crackers the other day that were sweetened with molasses which is also good. Very high in iron.

I can't use it. It gives me headaches, loose stools, nausea. From the research I've done on it, it's nothing more than poison. I don't eat margarine either. I eat real butter and olive oil and I use turbinado sugar or honey. All used in extreme moderation of course. A teaspoon of sugar has approximately 16 calories. I think I can handle that......That's all I need in a cup of tea. I don't think a lot of people realize that wierd symptoms they have may be from artificial sweetners. I avoid it like the plague.

I started losing my hair at nine months out from surgery. BIG clumps. My hair is now very thin and wispy, but I've noticed (now 18 months out) that I have a halo of new growth. It looks ridiculous at the moment, but at least it's growing back. I've been taking 500 grams of Biotin every day for the last 5 months. My hairdresser and my doctor recommended it.

Don't beat yourself up. 30 pounds in three months is a "right on target" loss. You're doing fine. More than that and some doctors feel you are losing to fast. Don't forget, you want your skin to shrink in relation to your fat. who wants saggy, baggy skin right off the bat? As for your smoking...... During the day at work, be diligent about your diet. Eat proper bandster foods and do what ever your doctor says. When you get home, don't eat right away and THEN smoke afterward. You'll get hungry all over again. Smoke right when you get home, and maybe cook a really nice bandster meal while you're relaxing. I put on jazz and dance around the kitchen when I cook. It relaxes me. Then when the munchies hit you, it's time to eat your regular meal. A full meal that includes solid Protein should keep you full for a few hours. Snacks don't last as long. If you are not full on a protein meal for a few hours, then your band may need adjusting. If you're hungry later, stock up on fresh fruit, sugar free popsicles, or sugar free Jello or something. Just don't buy the tempting stuff any more. Just make a few adjustments.

Fireman....... You just made my whole day!!!!! :crying: I'm smiling from ear to ear. I suddenly feel young again. thanks.... I needed that!

When I had my WLS they brought me coffee the next morning for breakfast, and I was at a hospital that specialized in it. My doctor was fine with it. It doesn't stimulate my appetite AT ALL. If anything it suppresses it. I add a shot of vanilla slim fast in mine. It gives me a few extra vitamins and grams of protein. I limit it to two cups a day. I also buy high protein milk from Borden. 10 grams in a cup. If I'm out of Slim Fast I use that. I have a cup of Borden milk at bedtime. It helps me sleep.

I feel a gurgling type sensation when I have a fill. I feel my stoma tighten and then he backs off until I can swallow water. It does feel wierd.

Every ounce that I lose I feel more and more comfortable. I wish it were that way for you. Have you talked to your doctor or a therapist about this? If not, I think it would do you a world of good. I can't really help you with this as I was thin when I was younger. At age 24, just before getting pregnant with my first child, I weighed 115 lbs. Losing this weight is familiar to me, and it's like coming home to the real me. Do you mind my asking..... If you were comfortable with the way you were, why did you have WLS? I did it because I was miserable. Physically and psychologically. Did someone bully you into it? PLEASE talk to someone about this. Your self image is so important. You should be moving forward at this point, not going in reverse. I really hope you can work this out.

Several things can cause mild port area discomfort. I have found over the past year and a half that twisting and stretching, a vigorous abdominal workout at the club, or the misplaced kick of a small child can do it. Even a bout of constipation can irritate it. The hard stool passing behind it or underneath it can make it hurt. I even have certain pairs of pants that the waistband fits JUST RIGHT to cause discomfort. It's just a sensitive area.

My doc does the lidocaine routinely. I wasn't entirely sure I needed it, but after I thought about it, I wondered if that's how he gets my fills covered on my insurance. If it is, bless him....... I'll take the extra stick.

Lal, Here's my personal take on this issue. My response would be that, no, sliming is not "throwing up". When I slime, I can literally lean over the toilet at the waist, open my mouth and the slime just slides out in a big, mucky ball. There is no actual stomach contractions associated with it. In my opinion, "throwing up" is when the stomach contracts and forces the food up and out. That would include the stomach acid and partially digested food. Because of the potentially violent nature of the stomach contractions when vomiting, if you did it often enough and for any length of time, yes, it could cause the band to slip. Most surgeons want to know right away if you get a stomach virus and are vomiting a lot. They can give you medication to stop this. For me, a "PB" is one step further than sliming. It's the contents of the pouch coming up along with the slime. Still no stomach acid involved. It's more like a mild gag or coughing. Or a "wet belch". I know that sounds disgusting, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. Vomiting and throwing up is just nasty.... sour, out the nose, putrid and just plain horrible. It can also be somewhat painful. The force of the food coming from the lower stomach through the tiny opening of the stoma and through the little pouch can be very uncomfortable. Does that clarify it for you, or is it clear as mud?

What you can get in a terminal depends on the airport. In Houston, they have Wendy's. I bring on a cup of their chili. They also have a smoothie bar with lo-cal smoothies and you can get a shot of protein thrown in. BUT, If I'm on a long, extended, high altitude flight (40,000+ feet) I can't eat at all. My restriction is severly intensified by the changes in cabin pressure. I have to wait 6 -8 hours after a flight to eat again. Of course not eveyone has this problem, but some of us do. the little commuter, puddle jump flights don't seem to bother me. You'll just have to do trial and error the first few times.