kimalicious

It took me two fills to finally have some hint of restriction. I gained 2 pounds somehow over the weekend and I am thinking of going for another fill. This band thing is harder than one thinks it would be. I am eating under 1000 calories a day and exercising 30 minutes a day and somehow still gained 2 pounds over the weekend! Our bodies are tricky and you are in the beginning stage and "wide open" as they say! Now that you are feeling better maybe start thinking of putting an exercise routine into your daily ritual to kickstart some weight loss while you are waiting to be filled! You can do it!!

The only test or appointments I had before my surgery was my blood drawn. My doc heard from my insurance before I did. Then I got my letter a few days later. Maybe he is giving you the head up about your insurance!

When people in my family don't understand what the surgery is that I have had. They think I will lose as fast as the gastric bypass. They ask me why it is taking me so long to lose my weight because other people they know have lost it quicker! UGGHGHGHGH

A fill takes my doc 5 minutes. You go in lay on your back, they numb the port area and stick a needle in to fill up your band. It doesn't hurt at all. You have to wait 30 minutes afterwards sipping water in the waiting room to make sure there are no problems. Everyone is different when it comes to food. My only issues so far have been pecans and tortillas that hurt going down. Everyone I talk to has different issues or different things. One major thing I am still working on getting used to is not drinking with my meals. You cannot drink with your meals or one hour after or you will not stay full since the drink will wash your food down. Again, every doctor is different.

Isn't that the best feeling that the time is coming!! Congrats on getting approved!!

I think I would have bypassed the drugs if I had Dr. Billy doin my surgery! He is hot!

I totally have the same problem, or at least used too. I got to a point where I was so big this problem went away. I think because we are overweight we tend to pay more attention to ourselves from the head up. As long ans the clothes are fitting from the head down, we are good. It is not bad to have a good outlook about yourself. It is much better than the opposite. Keep your head up because you are seeing yourself in the mirror and see what is on the inside too. You have to rememberwe are our worst critics especially when we are in pictures posed up against someone who we think looks fabulous!

Totally normal. Gas-ex helps...

I know you siad it was gross and my curiosity overcame me and I had to look. It is gross, but not so bad...it should heal up nicely. It is much better than I would have imagined. I'm glad you have so much support and love from your friends. Keep getting better!!

Sara, I got the band in hopes of losing weight to make getting pregnant easier when the time comes. Before my second fill I could eat anything and everything I wanted. If you are to become pregnant they just take the fill out and allow plenty of room and ease for food and nutrition for the baby. My doc also told me they originally called the lap-band the "fertility-band" because between the weight loss and women feeling better about themselves a lot of the original lap banders were getting pregnant. That is why if you are of the baby-makin age they request that you use birth control until you are at a healthy steady weight to carry a baby. My doc told me generally a year and a half out. I hope this info helps and good luck with your research.

Well, I am so glad you know what it is. This also means you may not reject your band and when your infection is healed you can try a new port!! Right!!?? Good thing you found a doc that is working with and being so supportive. THat is a great find and rare. I hope you continue to get better O' portless one!!

I know this is bad, but sometimes when my husband lays on top of me I can feel the pressure on it and wonder if I'm gonna bust it open!!

After I was banded for a few weeks I had the same feeling. It was almost like the back of my toungue was being pulled back...it was not painful, just weird. It went away after a week or so. I just figured it was my body getting used to the band...let me know if you find anything out...

First of all, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? You have lost 55 pounds in 2 months! THat is freakin awesome. They tell you when you get your band to expect 5-10 pounds lost a month. If you have lost all of this and don't even have a regular exercise routine that is Amazing. You need to look back and rethink this. THe second fill is always better than the first and your probably just in a funk or plateau. It will keep coming off it just gets harder the smaller you get. You have to work at it more. You can do this!! Keep at it and you will lose it! You have done better than most already and will surely improve with exercise. GO FOR IT GIRL!!!

"chunkydunk" BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAAA

WOW!! Ya'll both look fantastic...Great work both of you!

Jack, I wish I had the restriction early like you have. I have been working so hard since I got my fill, even hitting the Gazelle for 30 minutes a day. I got on the scale this morn and somehow I have gained weight. I was even on liquids for 4 days of last week. I know I am still averaging 10 pounds a month so I need to quit grippin and be more patient with myself. I will just have to get on that Gazelle for an hour today!

I finally know what it is like to have restriction. I think my doc was just joking when they put the first fill in. I was eating more after the first fill than with the initial surgery. But I just got back from lunch and went to Schlotsky's. I had a small sliced chicken breast sandwich and could only eat half of it. I had to eat it so slow and chew a million times so it wouldn't hurt going down, but was still done after I had half. I am reprogramming myself because I was always waiting to be so full when I ate. But, i figured out I just need the feeling that I am not hungry anymore instead of the feeling that I am so full I can't move, and that is stopping me from eating everything in front of me. I am finally working out and not stepping on the scale every day. I hope I can keep this postive move going. I was getting worried before this second fill because I thought my band had somehow evaporated. Now that I have restriction I can see how everyone else can do this now. I was wonderin what all the hype was about. HA! Did anyone else have this experience??

I double checked my Alavert and it does not have the D on it. It has still helped me. I asked my doc because the Mucinex is what I used to take but is a huge pill. She told me take the Alavert because it would keep the mucus from starting rather than breaking it up. Just an idea. Do listen to you band though because Leatha is right a small unfill could do the trick also while keeping you tight...

I know this happened and was painfull in the beginning for me and I just used a gulp of liquid Gas-ex every morning before breakfast and this curbed a lot of that feeling like you wanna burp but can't and then you do and it hurts. Have you tried something like this?

My thoughts are with your family. Here's to hoping everything goes smoothly and the EMT gets a swift kick in the rear end!!

I would not go for the unfill. I have the mucus problem too. My fill doctor recommended using Alavert-D in the disolvable tablets. They disolve on your tongue. They have helped me tremendously. You have to get rid of the problem causing the mucus before you worry about an unfill. I would talk to your doctor about liquid forms and disolvable forms of medications you can use to help you out. This is just a suggestion before you go for an unfill. Everyone has that crap worse when they lay down, lap band or not. I would ask you doc about this rather than the unfill.

So awesome!!! Congratulations on your weightloss...I love it when that number excites me tooo!!!!

That is an uplifting article. Just what I needed!

How long did it take you to do your whole head?? AB FAB DAHLING!!