snowbird

wait a minute, you have 3 cc in a 4 cc band and you are just two months past surgery???? That seems awfully tight awfully fast to me.

I wouldn't touch noodles, especially right after a fill, and hamburger is one of the hardest things for me to eat. Take it easy on liquids for a couple days to let everything settle down. As long as you are getting enough fluids into you, and not pbing, you are probably not doing any damage. Sometimes it takes me 3 or 4 weeks to get past the point you are at. I just have to stick with Soups and very soft foods for a while, and then all of a sudden the pain and stuck feeling are gone.

A lot of people who get surgery in Tijuana go out shopping in TJ the next day. I was outside the hotel walking around the afternoon after surgery. In fact, our doctor recommends a lot of walking to get rid of the gas they pump into you for the surgery. I did spend most of the day after we got home (3rd day after surgery) napping, but that was mostly because I thought I deserved it, rather than needed it!

How about one of those jogging strollers? Easier to store than a treadmill.

Many doctors advise against anything carbonated because it causes burping, which puts stress on the stomach and the band. This is especially true during the first six months after surgery, when the band has just been stitched into your stomach and you want to keep movement of the stomach to a minimum. I was never much of a carbonated beverage drinker anyway, and there are substitutes. When we go out we order Water with lemon, or iced tea. My husband then puts an envelope of artificial sweetener into the water for a light lemonade.

Fills take me about 5 minutes. Usually you wait at least 4 weeks between fills, but there is no standard maximum time between them. Some people don't have a fill for up to a year after surgery, but most want the first one about 6 weeks out. After that, you might never need another fill or might need one in two weeks. There can be swelling of the stomach after a fill, so many doctors want you to go back on liquids for 24-72 hours. Sometimes a fill seems to take a while to "take" so that is why it is good to wait a few weeks after a fill before getting another. My husband and I were banded the same day in October. He has had 3 fills and has less restriction than I do, and I've only had two. It is a very individual thing.

I'll tell her. She lives out near Key Center but works in GH, so she was concerned about driving home then having to drive back into town. I think she would like the 6:30 meeting time better.

I think we lumped all our imperfections under the "obese" category before, and now we get to nitpick ourselves to death. My nose is too big, look at those wrinkles, my skin sags. I realized today that I am more uncomfortable with the thought of going out in a swimsuit now than I was last summer, because of the sagging skin. Women are so hard on themselves!

Everything in life is a tradeoff. Every decision involves a counter-decision. You choose A, so you say no to B. In other words, you can't have your cake and eat it too--an appropriate phrase for lap banders, I think! Right before I was banded I felt like I was undergoing a real loss of my best friend, food. I still feel, occasionally, that I wish I could just order anything I want off the menu at a restaurant. But truely, it isn't that important to me anymore. And to quote King Jack, nothing tastes as good as being thin. You are too young to choose to go through the rest of your life fat. That's what you are too young for. And by the way, I do still enjoy a small slice of pizza once in a while. We had steak for Christmas dinner. It has to be thin crust pizza, and sometimes I just eat the toppings off of it. The steak has to be chewed so much that often I just give up because it isn't worth the trouble. Your desires change. You discover that the food isn't giving you the pleasure like it used to, but looking in the mirror gives you a whole lot more. Sex is better. Life is better. Meeting new people is more fun. Taking a walk is a joy, not a chore. I have better things in life to enjoy than pizza now!

If you were a member of a family of alcoholics, would you drink to keep them company?

winnk, please try to stay away from anything approaching solid food. Your stomach just had a foreign object stitched into it, and it doesn't need the stress of food rolling around in it. Even mushies should be eaten in moderation. Try to hang on a little longer and let your body heal up.

My doctor won't do a fill for 6 weeks after surgery, so I don't know what to say to you. What size band, and how much have your fills been?

xray, I have been traveling for four weeks and haven't had a full length mirror to look into during that time (we're in a little motorhome.) I went to the store the other day and tried on clothing. Size 8 pants! I cannot remember when I fit into size 8 pants. They were perfect. I barely recognized myself in the mirror! Like you said, I no longer feel like the fat woman when I meet someone new or talk to a sales clerk. It is a wonderful feeling, and worth the occasional discomfort of the band. Another interesting thing: I had a friend visit overnight Friday. She is and always has been extremely skinny. You know what? She eats as little as I do, and she is just as careful about what foods she puts into her body. We think of how we used to eat as the "normal" we can't do anymore. But the truth of it is, living to eat is NOT normal. It's way too common, especially here in the US, but it isn't normal and it certainly isn't healthy. The band makes us normal, not the opposite. If you have ever been to Europe or elsewhere in the world, you will see normal eating. We don't see it too much here in the US, with our high fructose corn syrup, processed prepared foods, and constant snacking. Just wanted to remind you of some of the reasons you did this. You are experiencing the pains of the procedure now, but the joys will come later. One last thing: anaesthesia and drugs can affect your mood and emotions. Don't trust them right now; just keep your eyes on the goal. It kind of reminds me of PMS, when I would have to tell myself I didn't really hate everyone, it's just the hormones. :smile2: When you are healed you will wonder what the fuss was all about.

My doctor told me the band system is pressurized, and you have to take out the Fluid when you have a fill. Does your doctor use fluoroscopy to check band position? I have also heard of doctors who are not truthful about the fill amounts. If you are not happy with your results, you may want to find someone else to do your next fill just to get a cross check on what is going on with your band. I would recommend fluoro with the fill to be sure the fill is going in the right place and the band is positioned correctly. Thanking my lucky stars I went to Mexico, where they don't say "Come back in two months" regardless of how I personally am feeling about my restriction level and when I will need another fill . . .

Mariposa, I know what you are talking about, although I do binge occasionally. I was on Atkins for three years, ate a lot of lean meats and roasted vegetables to total about 1600 cal a day, stayed under 30 g of carbs a day, but my portions were too large and I gradually gained back 35 of the 65 lb I lost. Doctors just smiled when I said I rode my bike 10 miles a day and didn't eat sugar. Yeah, sure. The band has worked well for me so far, by severely limiting my portion amounts. I expect my weight loss will slow down, but I'm 15 lb from my doctor's goal for me and 25 from my own personal goal. Just go for it and forget them!

I'll tell my daughter. She lives in Gig Harbor, and goes to the Port Orchard support group. DH and I will be up there in the summer, so if you are still going maybe we will join you!

Sure, it sounds like you are too tight. I can get food down better standing than sitting when I am too tight. Strangely enough, we often don't lose weight when we are too tight, because it is too easy to eat the wrong things and give up on the band. That said, you need to re-evaluate your commitment to eating better. Why do you have mayo, gravy and potatoes in the house? You need to stop buying them! No one needs them and if they are what you use to eat badly, you need to get them out of the house. I have no sugar, flour, potatoes, Pasta, rice, or bread in my house at any time unless I am having long term guests. I know if those foods walk through the door, my resolution to not eat them walks out. This morning I was thinking pancakes sound good for Breakfast. I rationalized that swedish pancakes didn't have much flour and were mostly egg; then I realized I didn't have ANY flour around. Problem solved and temptation averted. Just because you are too tight is not a reason to eat high calorie foods. You can still do low sugar Protein shakes, lowfat low sugar yogurt, Soups, and other healthy mushie foods until your unfill. Consider yourself kicked in the ass. Get to work and make this work for you!

xray, You have 124 lb to lose and think you should have tried harder? come on, girl, haven't you tried time and time again already, and it didn't work? We all have doubts at first, but for most of us this is the only thing that is going to work. God forbid that you wait until you are my age to do something about yourself. You now can't eat hamburgers, but you can spend your life being healthy and without experiencing the humiliation and prejudice that society heaps on fat people. Sounds like a great trade-off to me!

couple of questions: You can't eat, but you have only lost 20 lb? Then what foods are you taking in? What is your fill history? You sound like you are too tight and are not eating the right things. The band is designed to work with solid foods only. If you are too tight, can't get solids down, and are resorting to high calorie liquids, it isn't going to work.

My fill doctor showed me a port and the holes where the stitches go. He said some doctors just stitch it in one place, at the end opposite where the tubing goes in, and it is easy for the port to flip just like a yo yo twisting around on one string. He said that my surgeon stitches it on both sides of the tubing, and that usually is very effective in stopping the port from flipping. If you rip the stitches out through activity or nausea, then I would think all bets are off, though.

I'm just curious; did your doctor show you how the port was stitched in place? Mine said he stitches it on both sides so it is practically impossible to flip, and I don't really know if this is true or not.

I think the port is supposed to be where you can feel it, for ease in getting fills. Some people have the port repositioned after losing a lot of weight, to make it less noticeable.

"my little angel of the silicon fist" -- Ah, you are waxing poetical again, Jack!

There seems to be a move to more and more of the larger bands. I don't have any real information, but I would guess that the larger bands would allow your doctor to fine tune your fill levels better. I had a small 4 cc band in October 2007, and I think I am just about at my sweet spot with 1.9 after two fills.

Now, one piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream doth not a diet buster make. If you ate half the cake for lunch and the rest for dinner, maybe. I'm always amazed at people who write in here and say, "I ate an M&M! I am such a failure!!!" (I know I am overstating what you said, but it seems to be such a common theme I thought I'd inject my opinion here whether you asked for it or not.) My husband and I often have a treat or two each week. When it becomes a daily occurrence, THEN you are off the wagon. Second point: 1.8 in a 10 cc band is, for most people nuthin. DH's first fill was 4 cc, and the second fill was up to 6 cc. He has some times when he is restricted, but not much. He is on his third fill in four months, at 7 cc, and he can still eat a lot at one sitting. Third, I weigh myself daily. My weight fluctuates up to 3 lb from day to day, even though I am eating under 1200 calories every day. Your body retains Water sometimes, among other things. If you weigh once a month, you don't really have a good gauge on where your weight loss is, IMHO. If you are around the time of your period, by the way, not only your weight fluctuates a lot, but also your level of restriction, so try to time your fills away from that time of the month. Final point: relax, keep up with your fills, and the scale will move down. If you are concerned you are not eating the right amounts, keep a journal of your food intake and don't guess, measure your quantities for a week or so. I am often guilty of underestimating the amount of food I put on the plate.