ParaGirl

75 pounds is AMAZING! I am currently at 8cc's in a 14cc band and have good restriction. I was at 9cc's and couldnt get off of mushings, lost 10 pounds in 9 days and had to have 1cc drained out...it was killing me. I did not want to lose that way. I am still working, wish I have lost as much as you! Was sidetracked with a kidney stone last week. YIKES, the pain is excrusiating.

I am also having withdrawal. Ended up with severe pain and found it was a kidney stone! havent been to the gym in a week and a half. Going back today. Will start slow...

Well, the 9cc's I had in my band made it too tight. I lost 10 pounds in 9 days! Could not get chunky soup down without a fight! I went and got 1cc drained out and it is a huge difference. I still go slow, but am able to eat now. I never thought I would be one to get fluid taken out, I want restriction, but that was too much.

I had surgery on a Thursday and went back to work on Monday. It was a little tough, as I teach Kindergarten w/o an assistant, but I did ok. I like to eat soup or chili most days, and snack on protein shakes or bars throughout the day. I like teaching this age, but I believe I will be teaching middle school next year. What a change that will be!

I wouldlike to be able to come to the meeting whenever it is set. Please let me know. Thanks.

Hi, let's keep this thread up y'all! I have been out of commission lately with a kidney stone and a child with the flu, been a terrible week. I am ready to get back to work, I think my class has fallen apart without me.

I have the APL 14cc band with 9 cc in it and really tight restriction; what about everyone else?

Georgia Girl! please dont rule out kidney stones. I had my gal bladder out 10 years ago and the other night i was awakened with severe pain that has never been so bad since my gal stones. They found a kidney stone and i am still in pain. Just make sure you get it properly diagnosed!

i havent partaken in any illegal use of drugs in a long time, but I remember the intense munchies I used to get. Also, ice cream is easy to get down...and that would be the first thing i went for if i were to light up. just be careful, you dont want to eat too much.

I am pretty resticted right now, not able to eat much, but trying to keep my eating up. My tummy has been growling a lot and I can only think it is from being empty. Well....the other morning, at 1:45 am, I awoke with intense stomach pain, I thought I would die, I had nausia, sweat POURING down my face and chest, it was awful. The nausia led to totally dry heaving, and I mean, serious heaving. Went to the ER, and after 5 hours of hell, was told they couldnt find anything wrong. I had my gal bladder out 10 yrs ago, so it wasnt that...but the pain was as intense. Well, they sent me home saying it was probably just a severe stomach virus ( also found a urinary tract infection).... I then got a phone call at 6pm from the ER telling me the Radiologist found a kidney stone...finally, vidication! I know a guy who lost lots of weight, from over 300 to a normal 200, by going low carb and he started developing kidney stones. He is right now in the hospital for it...it is a little scary to me. Has anyone else suffered from kidney stones?

THat is very interesting. I am thinking that you have psyched yourself into thinking that you taste saline. As far as the missing the port thing, if you have had 8 fills with no restriction, you should have your doc draw the fluid out to see if it is even in there. Just a suggestion.

Oh wow, this 9cc fill is really tough! I have been eating things like soup, yogurt, and stew, and even the stew beef, all chewed up, is tough! This is really good restriction. Everyone who has tried, knows that eating chips is EASY, but I had about 4 corn chip (fritos) a little bit ago, and it feels like im gonna bring it back up! Is this too tight? I am able to eat beef stew...I haven't had the guts to try chicken yet, but that was my main source of protein prior tothis fill. I am also able to eat a protein bar, as long as the bites are tiny and i chew them up really well.

I am very fortunate in that my doc automatically uses the low profile port in all his surgeries. So if he is charging extra for it, it is just in the fee i paid anyway. I have seen both ports, and the low profile is considerably thinner. I would want it, but NOT if it meant pushing my surgery back a month.

I hit the gym today, worked my butt off too! Jess, why did you sell your elliptical? I have one at home too, but I rarely use it as it isnt as smooth and nice as the ones at the gym!

I must admit that preband, I could eat an entire large pizza. It is shameful the amount of food I could cram down my throat. Since the band, I have eaten drastically less than before. I do get hungry, but not like before. Much of my hunger is head hunger, and real hunger doesnt even bother me. A lot of the time my tummy grumbles and I still do not "feel" hungry. It is hard to explain, but when i suffer from head hunger, it is best for me to delay it, have something like a protein shake or a bar, or drink something. It WILL pass, but it is a daily struggle.

I have limited the number of people who know about my surgery. I have always had a lot of shame and guilt over my weight and did not want to feel like I was being judged.

I feel so fortunate; I am self pay also (17,400), but I have free fills for life! There is a limit, 6 per calendar year, but I am not complaining!

I burp a lot and they last forever! My two kids are amazed at my burping ability, they are impressed (which is funny, one of my boys likes to burp the A B C's)

Hi, I am now at 9 cc's with a lot of restriction. Just got that fill yesterday and I am on liquids, but had a hard time getting yogurt down. I was at 7 cc's for a while and felt some restriction, but was able to eat even pizza as long as I went slow. I didn't want the opportunity to even eat breads! I believe that 9 is going to be tough for me, but I need tough. I have a cruise in 5 weeks!!!

I have the APL band and up today got 2 more cc's for a total of 9cc's. I had some restriction with 7cc's but was eating too much and I wanted to be on lock down for a while. (We are going on a cruise in 5 weeks!) I am hoping that this does the trick, but that I am not too miserable!

Do you notice that once we get relaxed in our weight loss efforts, the same old food demons sneak back into our lives? I have certainly learned how to eat around my band when I want to! It really is sad what we do to ourselves when we need that little pick me up. I for one have to keep myself in check on a regular basis, or it is curtains for me. It amazes me to see how many people struggle with the same thing-food. Sometimes I wish this addiction could be taken from me, but this, I fear, is something I will fight my whole life.

Pull downs should help this area too. I refer to this area as "back boobies" too...because the flab doesnt just hang over the sides of our bra....YUK!

It is good to see so many "Gym Rats" out there. I know, as far as for me, I would NEVER have started working out and sticking to it, had it not been for the band. I measured today, and since the beginning of this oddesy, I have lost 5 1/2 inches off my waist!!! Yee Ha

Well, Ive finally lost about 3 pounds in the past week, so I am feeling better about things. I do see that my clothes are fitting much better and some are so big, I gave them away! It feels so good to get rid of my big clothes.

Going from one who was opposed to exercise, to someone who works out at the gym at least 5 days per week has not been so hard. My friends ask me how I find the time, which is one thing I always said I didn't have (not for exercise at least). Well, I realized that after work (I teach Kindergarten) I would come home and plop my fat behind on the couch. I would watch TV and surf the net until time to cook dinner. Well, guess what? that is when I exercise. I always thought that if I was working out, I just wouldnt have time to get all the things done that I needed to get done. Well, I am just taking the time that I used to do NOTHING, and I am using that time to work out. Anyway, those of you out there who dont think you can carve out the time, think again, you will find it.