BlueEyedKitty

Hey Utahns!! So after weeks of battling IHC (i lost) I've decided to just finance my band and go to Mexico. I'm now trying to decide which doc in Mexico to use, and who to see for fills after. I'm so happy to have found this site...I never would have made this decision if it weren't for all the wonderful support from everyone here! Hoping to be banded sometime in the next 6 weeks or so. Jill

Fills, in my opinion, are a piece of cake. A flu shot hurts worse than a fill. A blood draw is way worse than a fill. My doc does not numb the site first because his theory is the lidocaine stings worse than the actual fill needle. And having had 5 fills by him with no numbing, and 1 fill under fluoro by a dumbass radiologist with a lidocaine syringe, I'd have to agree with that. I can feel the band squeezing around my stomach when I get filled, but I honestly barely feel a thing from the needle stick. Don't worry about the fill, you'll do great!

Hey MusicalMomma, thanks for the reminder that there actually IS work involved, that the band's job is to help me, not to do all the work for me. I've been a bit stalled too, and just trying to figure out how to start again. Its comforting to know that not only do we have support here, but if necessary, we actually can start over if we have to. Best of luck! BTW, I'm curious about your detoxing, are you following a specific program? Jill

I will definitely be getting a lift! I'm hoping to reach my goal weight by the beginning of next year and would love that to be my birthday present to myself. Don't know if I'll need an implant to fill them out or not, but I'm certainly open to the idea. I had a reduction about 10 years ago, so with the previous reshaping and current deflating of my boobs they are just sagging and oddly shaped. Scars from one side of my ribcage to the other make it look like my boobs start in my armpits! So I would love to have them reshaped, lifted, implanted, whatever, just so they look nice and full and perky and back up where they belong. A side note about nipple sensation... Didn't lose sensation after reduction, thank goodness, and would be very sad to lose it for a lift.

Hello Lid There are some really great singles wards in the area by the U and Primary Childrens. I used to work at Primary and I miss it there, congrats on your new job! As far as good apartments or areas close to work, I would stick with the east side of the valley, Good areas to check on KSL.com classifieds under rentals: Sugarhouse, University, Millcreek, Avenues. You'll pay a little more, but if you want a reasonable commute to PCMC and a nice, safe neighborhood, I'd stay East. Of course, that's not to say there are not beautiful apartments and safe neighborhoods across town, but as an east side girl myself, that would be my suggestion. I work at LDS hospital which is not far from PCMC, and I live in the area, so if you have any questions feel free to PM me. Also, my doctor for follow up is Daniel Cottam at SL Regional and I think hes awesome. Good luck with your move! Jill

I'm a sleep tech and I work 7pm to 7am. I always take my dinner to work with me, steamed vegetables, yogurt, string cheese, slim fast, and eat it over the course of the night. Usually have some cereal when I get home from work in the morning before I go to bed. When I get up in the afternoons I have a smoothie (milk, banana, scoop of choc slim fast, ice, sometimes a little peanut butter). Another thing I do sometimes is cook a whole bunch of food and put it in freezer containers or foil or whatever and throw it all in the freezer so all I have to do is reach in and grab an entree when I'm looking for things to throw in my lunch sack. Chili freezes really well, as do burritos and lasagna. Too little time to get to the gym on my work days, so lately I have been just going for a walk, even if its only 30 minutes, just in my neighborhood when I get up in the afternoon. I work T-W-Th, so my days off are when I go to the gym and work out hard. I also keep a set of exercise bands in my work bag, and after my patients are in bed for the night and everything is quiet, I can do toning exercises at work. This keeps me from getting lazy for 3 days and then having a hard time keeping good habits on my days off. I like this thread! Its helpful for those of us with work schedules that are other than "normal" !!

I just had to have my port fixed because it was completely flipped over. The only reason for this that my doctor and I could come up with was that I had just gotten over a bad cold and had coughed my guts out for over a week and probably popped my stitches. The good news was that the procedure to flip it back was easy, he did it in the office without sedating me, 1 1/2" incision, couple of stitches and I was on my way.

I have had very thin, baby fine hair all my life, so the prospect of losing even more after banding was slightly disturbing. However, when I came to the realization that it was in fact getting thinner, I just decided to stop messing around with hair that I can't do a damn thing with at the moment and buzzed it all off!! It was seriously liberating, now it's about 1" all over my head and I LOVE IT! I'll probably think about growing it out a little once I get to goal weight, but right now while I'm still losing, spending lots of time at the gym, it's wonderful to just run my fingers through it with a little gel and go!! I bought a really cute wig when I decided to buzz my hair off, thinking I would just wear the wig for a year or so. Still love the wig (like if I have a date or something), but really I like my buzz cut better so the wig usually just stays in the closet. Don't stress out about hair loss, the consensus seems to be that some people lose it and some people don't, and if you're going to lose it no amount of Protein or Biotin or Vitamins will help. There are too many options for bad hair to waste energy worrying about it! Jill

I've lost an automobile tire and an average 2-year old. GOOD, I cant stand 2-year-olds!!!!

I was banded 4 months ago and have been on CPAP for the last 2 years. I love my CPAP because I sleep so well now, but I will love to get rid of it too. I've turned my pressure down twice since being banded, but I'm a Sleep Tech so I kindof just feel free to adjust my own equipment. Will probably take an oximeter home with me one of these days and just see what it does if I go without CPAP, but an oxi isn't the most accurate assessment of your respiratory status, so I'm planning on a follow up sleep study when I get under 200lbs. JB

Could something actually be stuck for 2 days? I would think it would have been broken down by now. I've had this horrible "golf ball" feeling since sunday night, and I can't even remember what the hell I ate! I just feel this terrible pressure in my chest, hurts when I take a deep breath. I've only been banded for 4 weeks, is this what STUCK feels like? I haven't PB'd, or slimed or vomited, doesn't feel like anything is trying to come up, but this ache under my sternum is making me nuts!! I think I'm going to put myself back on liquids for a couple of days and see if I can get rid of this pressure. Did I really sign up for this kind of discomfort?!!???!!! What was I thinking??? Jill

Salt Lake City

I can't see how it would be a problem. I've actually been looking into Master Cleanse.

I am in SLC and was banded in Mexico. I see Dr Cottam at Salt Lake Regional. The # to his office is 478-0010. They also have support groups that as a patients of Dr Cottam can attend. Hope this is helpful! Jill

I have always had ridiculously thin, baby fine hair, and knowing that I was likely to lose even more after banding was a little disturbing, but at least I was prepared. When I started to notice that my hair was thinner than normal I decided TO HELL WITH IT!! So here, step by step, is my solution... First, my "normal" hair... Then I went to my hairdresser, Nick. For years I have said that I wished I was brave enough to just shave my hair off... The "After the Clippers" pics... I have to say, getting rid of my hair is seriously liberating and as strange as it may be, I LOVE IT!!! But for going out, going to work, church, or anywhere else I need to look decent, I found a really cute wig... Having full, thick hair feels so strange!! I guess the reason I wanted to post this is because I have seen countless threads from people who were completely panicked about hair loss, and I just wanted to show that there are solutions. The hair loss wont last forever, and when I get to my goal weight I'll throw the wig in a drawer and let my hair grow again...but for now Im embracing my hair loss and enjoying the fact that whether I go with the buzz look or the wig, doing my hair takes 3 seconds!! :whoo: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JB

Thanks Lulu...it was definitely a little scary but I'm starting to really like it

Okay, trying pics again.... Before: Buzz: Wig: Hoping these pictures show....

Hi Everyone! I havent been on this thread for a while either. I've been a little frustrated because I've been stuck at 32 lbs for the last 2 weeks. I keep reminding myself that any weight lost prior to a fill is just a "bonus", and I think it's time for a fill since I havent had one yet. So my first fill will be in 2 weeks. I'm feeling really great though, threw out all my 3X scrubs for work which was lots of fun! I have the next 2 weeks off work, so my goal is to spend as much time as possible at the gym. I have a birthday coming up and my goal was to be -40 lbs by then, so I need to get moving!!! Happy Holidays to everyone!! Jill

I'm not worried about being ugly thin, because back when I was thin (15 years ago) I was beautiful, but I'm definitely worried about looking my age. Not that I'm old, will be 35 in a couple of weeks, but I usually say "29" because I can still get away with it. I hope I can still get away with 29 in another 6 months, but if I can't oh well, because I will definitely be healthier. And I'll be beautiful anyway!

sleep apnea tends to be worse if you sleep on your back.

Anyone else lost interest in food? I thought I was prepared for all sorts of food issues, but this one is unexpected: I have realized in the last week or so that I have basically lost all interest in food because I no longer get any enjoyment out of eating. As I expected to be battling head hunger for a long time, I have actually found this quite jarring, and perhaps a little depressing. I’ve only been banded for 2 months. The first month was so hard, always craving a cheeseburger, pizza, fries, coke, pasta, and now that I’m past the initial shock of losing all the things I love to eat, the only things left are things I don’t want to eat so I’m totally uninterested. Nothing sounds good. Nothing looks good. I have to force myself to eat half the time just because I know I need a little nutrition. I’m starting to get a little worried that I’m developing a new eating disorder at the opposite end of the spectrum from food addiction…Food Aversion. I have not had a fill yet because I definitely have restriction and can’t eat very much, and I’m losing appropriately. And maybe this is just a passing thing and my interest in food will come back. In a way I hope it doesn’t, because enjoyment of food is what got me fat in the first place, but I just thought this was so strange. Has anyone else experienced this?

My usual distraction is quilting. Occasionally crochet, but quilting is my favorite. I took up quilting a couple of years ago, and although it's not a cheap hobby, it's been a lifesaver the last 8 weeks since being banded. I'm trying to develop an exercise habit too, but that one's a bit harder!!

I've told pretty much everyone. My immediate family, my friends, my co-workers. Everyone has been so wonderfully supportive, and I actually like having the accountability of knowing that everyone is aware of my band.

Hey Sunshine...Good luck with your Drs appointments and everything else...you're in my prayers!!!!

Hi Friends! Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. Hope you all made it through thanksgiving without incident. I still have not had a fill yet, but I feel like I'm out of "bandster hell" because I definitely have restriction and I'm not hungry. Dr V said that since I have restriction and I'm losing at an appropriate rate that I dont even need to worry about getting a fill yet. I'm down 28 lbs and feel pretty good. Getting motivated to get to the gym has been harder than I expected. I think part of the problem is that it's so cold here right now I just don't want to venture out in the middle of the night, which is when I'm awake since I work nights. I wish this recurring pain in my shoulder/ribs would go away. Its not bad by any means, but I really notice it if I take a deep breath (sneeze, yawn), then I feel it in my shoulder, under my ribs, and in my diaphragm. Weird. I think the biggest challenge for me right now is food, and not because I'm hungry or want to eat all the time, but because I have completely lost all enjoyment from food. Eating is frequently slightly uncomfortable (probably eating too fast?), absolutely nothing sounds good to me anymore so I don't even want to eat, and I frequently have to force myself to at least eat something. I expected to be fighting head hunger for a long time, and although I'm glad not to be in that boat, I think I'm kindof sad that I no longer take any enjoyment at all from food. But enjoyment of food is what got me here in the first place, so I suppose it's a good thing. And I definitely cant complain that I'm 25% of the way to my goal in just under 2 months! Anyway, just wanted to check in...hope everyone else is doing well! Jill:D