Leena

If your doctor will give you one, I say go for the fill. With a MIL on the way, do you really need the stress of worrying about gaining weight? And since you were at a higher elevation and felt restriction it's hard to loose it afterwards. I know flying makes me feel more restricted, so much so that I watch what I eat the day before I fly- just liquids and then that day liquids again. On longer flights it can take 2 days for me to go back to normal. Getting into the green zone can take a while- and with bigger cc bands it seems to take you guys a lot more fills (just what I've noticed on here). I've been at the zero restriction point a few times- due to a slip and complete unfill and this was after years of having a band. It's not easy. As you actually do feel hungry. The only thing you can do at that point is eat healthy, exercise and avoid food at non meal times. I find crocheting and knitting keep my hands busy enough that I don't mind when everyone is snacking during prime time tv or a night time movie.

I would question what they're using to clean skin with when operating and filling you? Is it something like scrub care or hibiclense that have germ killing properties for up to 24 hours after used? Or are they using something not as strong. The same would go for fills. I know alcohol swabs are used in fills, but some drs use stronger germ killing agents. You might want to ask about these. Are you seeing a wound specialist now. I know in my area they have wound care centers- mostly used by diabetics and others having problems healing. I had a friend with cancer with a wound specialist as she was getting vacuumed shut after a surgery. She also had type 1 diabetes so it was really hard on her body and took constant vigilance of keeping everything clean. To the extent that she had to get rid of her small dogs and cats. And had someone come in to declutter her house and deep clean it.

The experience I had with my slip was that I could actually eat a bit more. But I had horrible aid reflux all the time: at night and during the day. My pain was all reflux related. I had a complete unfill which fixed the slip. They also found some ulceration inside too- hence the pain. Glad your dr is on top of it.

My port is on it's side- but still able to fill it. It's unusual that it flips the whole way as it's sutured in more than one place. Did your dr try having you stand, do a slight crunch with your abs? If I do a slight crunch with my abs my port is then accessible. The hard plastic is the side walls around the port. I've heard mine hit before.

PB is a productive burp. As it produces the food you just ate. It's not the same as being stuck- stuck is that icky feeling of a golf ball.

Lapbands are definitely getting phased out here. Yes you can still get one, but doctors are pushing the sleeve more and more these days. In this year alone 4 of my friends have undergone WLS- none of them were bands. One bypass and 3 sleeves. One of them asked about the band and her dr suggested the sleeve instead. I know my dr is doing more sleeves these days than bands- by far. It is a one and done surgery- with less followup than the band. My partner has the bypass and is 3 years out. In the last 2 years he's only been to the surgeon for a complication and that was it. Technically the surgeon came to him in the hospital after he was admitted to the ER with pain. It ended up being a twisted bowel which they found only because he explored after taking out a gallbladder that didn't look too bad.

I haven't had problems with carrots and the band, both cooked and raw have been good. You might need to chew a bit more.

I tried not ordering anything to drink, but that usually ends up with some weird looks. So I just go with Water by default, however I don't even touch it. In the last year I've become a vegetarian and you'll rarely find an unchewable piece of tofu or vegetable. Soups are by far my favorite thing to have out. I'm more adventurous out now as well: Pho, Indian, Japanese, Greek. When I did eat meat: rare filet minon was my go to for dinners out, and NJ has great steak. It's close enough to Philly and NY to go out for dinner.

4 days post-op..... has your doctor cleared you for exercise yet? I was cleared for walking- but nothing more until a month post-op. So you might want to ask your doctor if jogging and weights are allowed yet.

I didn't get a choice as to where my port was placed. However I'm good with where it is. Mine is midway between my belly button and right boob- just below my ribs. I know of people with their ports at the bra line who have hated it as well as those with waist line ports. So I feel pretty lucky about where mine is. When I've been thinner it has stuck out like a little button- but oh well. I know they now make low profile ones so you may be able to have the port changed when you get a TT if it's bothering you.

It can be found here in it's entirety for free. http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/10/27/mass-obesity-surgeon-license-suspended/uopBPHfH5cmYZJr3BuvWCP/story.html On the boston globe site.

I primarily do celery, ginger, spinach juice with just 1 small carrot and 1/2 green apple. Sometimes lettuce and a cucumber. I stay away from making juices with a high fruit content or sugar content. And one a day is good for me.

Holy crap! You'd think they'd have someone who knew how to do it. I really think we as patients should be trained in how to unfill in case of emergency. I travel out of the country quite a bit and can't imagine getting stuck in another country. I'm very cautious of eating outside the U.S. with my band. It bad enough to have to go to the doctor's in another country for something non-band related. This summer I was in Greece and got constipated. They don't have CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, etc. They have Pharmacies run by a pharmacist with nothing OTC (other than suncreen and lotion). So the pharmacist had to take my whole medical history before I could get anything- and I ended up with an disposable enema to take home for $6 U.S. Yes seriously. No milk of magnesia, no miralax, etc.

cottage cheese with balsamic vinegar lentil soup lentil anything applesauce with protein powder

GNC & Designer Whey have been my go to shakes. I recently discovered PB2 (it's a dried peanut powder that you can add to shakes). I make mine with Almond milk or coffee, gives them a little kick.

If your definition of kinky sex is edge play there are some general ground rules for the band: 1. No impact play on the port area as it's tender and can get damaged/flipped 2. If bondage is involved stay away from the port area as well. Also- bondage after eating- watch with ropes on the band area. 3. Inversions -to each his own- but on a full stomach with a band- No 4. Needles- not near the port area. 5. It may help to circle your port area in marker both laying down and standing. 6. Tens- not in the area of the port or band 7. Cupping - again not in the port or band area Fire is okay on the skin above the port as is wax and wand. These are just a few dos and don'ts off the top of my head.

A hot water bottle in bed at night works wonders. And it actually stays hot all night and is much more economical than an electric blanket. You're all going to laugh, but jammies with feet- yes they make them for grown ups.

What size is your band?

I just kept on moving mine over a finger. I went from a size 10 to a 5 in rings. And in spite of gaining some weight back my fingers stayed small. I didn't want to resize them constantly and risk ruining them. Also one of the rings I had couldn't be sized down to a 5 due to the way it was designed. FYI: Always ask for the chunk of gold/platinum/silver/etc cut out of your ring when it's resized as it does rightfully belong to you.

How are you doing today? I hope by now you're home and resting after this ordeal. Did you actually get a bariatric Dr? It might have been easier for you to go to the ER in NJ.

Congrats on getting through with Aetna!

It's a huber needle (non-coring). It's not the standard give someone a shot needle. Does your surgeon have an emergency line? If so I'd call the line and let them know you're at the hospital. And if your surgeon has rights at the hosptial. At the very least the hospital should speak with the covering surgeon and get all the details from them. I've had to go to the ER for seizures before- the ER called my neurologist to get instructions from him directly as they didn't have one there.

Congrats on making so much progress in the last year. Your photos look amazing

Glad you're at the ER. Please make sure you have someone who KNOWS how to unfill you do it. Hopefully they call in someone in Bariatrics. There is a right way to do it and a wrong way- as well as a specialized needle. Hope they make you comfy soon.

Just answer the forms honestly. They know that most people have tried just about everything under the sun before getting to the surgery point. Let's see here's a brief list of mine: my mom's dexatrim when I was 12, slimfast at 13, bulimia at 14, the cabbage Soup diet, WW, hypnosis, Atkins, South Beach... Trust me you'll be fine. If your program is good, you'll have a support group, psych, nutritionist and of course the forums here. I think we've all over thought it at some point, because it's really a big step that no one wants to jinx. Maybe just do a couple pages a day, after a nice relaxing bath. You'll get through the paperwork.