gentylwind

Its mostly just practice. Even as a heavy girl I have had no problem with meeting people, getting dates, having relationships. Go slow...its hard and its scary...but practice making yourself hold eye contact with a man and smiling. That's all. Just a smile. You will be amazed at the energy it gives you when they smile back. And something in you will feel the "zing" when he is smiling at you as an attractive woman. You will just know. When you are ready you can bump it up to saying hello or asking them a question. But try just holding eye contact and smiling first....that's the hardest part.

Yup, I am in my fourth week and get my first fill a week from today. I am very ready. I am using a certain size of rubbermaid type container to eat out of to help me recognize when it is time to quit eating. Usually within 10 minutes of stopping eating, the desire to eat more goes away. I never feel "full" but am getting to where I recognize real hunger. I look forward to the fill hopefully making this easier. I have 3 cc now, left in at surgery (10 cc band).

Only surprised it is on the right side instead of the left. I always assumed for some reason it would be on the left. I don't mind where mine is at. I am grossly unaware of it 99.9% of the time.

When I transitioned into more solid foods, I jumped up nine pounds. I have since dropped down six of those again, so I am up just three pounds. I get filled on the 22nd as well and look forward to it. I am using special rubbermaid type cups to eat out of so that I don't go over the amount i am supposed to eat at one sitting. Often I find I want to keep eating even though I am honestly not hungry anymore....just not stuffed. The little cups help me know when its time to stop..and usually within 10 minutes the craving for more food stops as well, especially if I brush my teeth right away.

Medicare does not cover it. It was one of the first things they announced at my seminar. I am so sorry.

I just want to thank everyone for talking about this here and giving their opinions. This is very valuable information to process for those of us who are graduating into the "real world" of "regular food" now.

Any chest pain is a medical emergency until proven otherwise. I hope you did go to the ER.

No, sepsis would result from introducing bacteria into the body due to insufficient sterile equipment and external conditions. I am a medical professional. I would never attempt this and am flabbergast that anyone would.

I was down 13something lbs at the one week mark. My doc was pleased.

Most surgeons feel it is unsafe to give a fill prior to the 4-6 week postop mark because you are still healing. It is pretty unusual to have a fill as soon after surgery as you are, Sooverit.

Thank you.:wink2: Amazing what just 22 pounds can do eh? Too bad though my butt still won't fit in the avatar.:crying:

I have never smoked and do not have COPD. :wink2:

Hang in there...it gets much better. :hug:

I am so very sorry for the loss of your father. It is always and ever too soon. Be tender with yourself. I know its hard, but try to make healthy choices when you do feel like eating. Dont' evaluate the fair or not fairness of your decision to be banded right now...just put one foot in front of the other. Stay hydrated. And know that many people feel your pain. I lost my father and my oldest child within 3 years of one another. There is nothing I can say to ease your sorrow. But know that I see it and hurt for you. May you find moments of peace.

The blood thinners given at surgery wear off fairly quickly (about two weeks maximum) and would not affect you 11 months after surgery in the slightest, unless you are on them chronically (every day). Its not the blood thinners making you cold.

COPD is a very ugly disorder that causes an extremely ugly death and is primarily caused by smoking. See below What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?: COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) disease, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. "Progressive" means the disease gets worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus (a slimy substance), wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Most people who have COPD smoke or used to smoke. Long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust, also may contribute to COPD. Overview To understand COPD, it helps to understand how the lungs work. The air that you breathe goes down your windpipe into tubes in your lungs called bronchial tubes, or airways. The airways are shaped like an upside-down tree with many branches. At the end of the branches are tiny air sacs called alveoli (al-VEE-uhl-eye). The airways and air sacs are elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills up with air like a small balloon. When you breathe out, the air sac deflates and the air goes out. In COPD, less air flows in and out of the airways because of one or more of the following: The airways and air sacs lose their elastic quality. The walls between many of the air sacs are destroyed. The walls of the airways become thick and inflamed (swollen). The airways make more mucus than usual, which tends to clog the airways. Healthy Alveoli and Damaged Alveoli The illustration shows the respiratory system and images of healthy alveoli and alveoli damaged by COPD. In the United States, the term "COPD" includes two main conditions—emphysema (em-fi-SE-ma) and chronic obstructive bronchitis (bron-KI-tis). In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs are damaged, causing them to lose their shape and become floppy. This damage also can destroy the walls of the air sacs, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones. In chronic obstructive bronchitis, the lining of the airways is constantly irritated and inflamed. This causes the lining to thicken. Lots of thick mucus forms in the airways, making it hard to breathe. Most people who have COPD have both emphysema and chronic obstructive bronchitis. Thus, the general term "COPD" is more accurate. Outlook COPD is a major cause of disability, and it's the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD. An additional 12 million likely have the disease and don't even know it. COPD develops slowly. Symptoms often worsen over time and can limit your ability to do routine activities. Severe COPD may prevent you from doing even basic activities like walking, cooking, or taking care of yourself. Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people. The disease isn't passed from person to person—you can't catch it from someone else. COPD has no cure yet, and doctors don't know how to reverse the damage to the airways and lungs. However, treatments and lifestyle changes can help you feel better, stay more active, and slow the progress of the disease. November 2008

I type for a living too and solve the cold stiff fingers issue by getting a little space heater under my desk. It helps.

Yep, I am having that here too. Its driving my SO nuts...I am freezing all the time.

I agree, the definition of kindness often gets skewed here. I don't find it kind to gloss over the truth, hand hold and soothe someone who is getting in their own way. I would rather hold up a mirror, and reassure the person they can do it. I've been bashed pretty hard here for that line of thinking though. Its not popular to hold someone's feet to the fire. I have no advice to offer the OP. I am too new on this journey and only myself beginning to discover how to deal with my head issues and make the band work for me. I struggle when I see people determined to still eat the same way they did before the band and then blame the band for their failures. I don't think the OP gave enough info to know if this is the case. Frankly, I think she needs to speak to her physician and nutritionist and go from there. One needs to be prepared when putting a question out on the Internet for the whole world to literally read, interpret, judge and respond that all kinds of responses are going to be given. If not prepared to handle that, don't put it out there. There are a lot of definitions for the word "support". I don't find coddling to be helpful for anyone. I think we as fat people often bash ourselves so hard for our own behavior that we think nobody else should then be allowed to say anything to us. Problem is, we aren't listening to ourselves. But we might listen to someone else. And the self esteem problems we have can twist words into things that are not actually being said. I see that here a lot. I think few people follow the band rules perfectly. I have noticed though that those who are the most successful do tend to follow a few crucial ones. They eat with an eye toward nutrition. They exercise on a regular basis. They watch portion sizes. And most of all, they persevere. They don't give up. I think most have had an eventful journey full of slips ups and learning from those. Far be it from me to deny anyone should fail their way forward...I sure do. But if someone asks the board what they are doing wrong or for an opinion, and then opinions are given, its a little bit silly to get upset when they are not necessarily the ones someone wants to hear. Any time someone reads something here that makes them feel bad inside, provided it is not full of personal insults, perhaps one should look for the little piece of truth that is niggling at them rather than getting mad? Usually there's a reason for feeling defensive. I learn a lot about myself when I take my ego out of it and just listen. I don't want anyone telling me its okay if I don't feel like doing what I need to do to meet my goals and if I don't feel like following doctor's orders. To me, support in those moments means having someone be brave enough to give it to me honest and straight. There's no need to be blatantly mean, but there's no need to feed me lies either. Its NOT okay to self sabotage. Its just not.

Always consult your doctor. Yes, some seepage is normal but only your doctor can determine if you have an infection brewing.

I think your outlook on the world is going to change a lot as your feelings about yourself change. Just as you feel others should be forgiving of your weight, you may consider not holding a prejudice against others for their own frailties and failings. In the end, it will only rob you of quality of life and relationships. To paint society with that broad brush will definitely close you off to relationships with new people who may or may not be guilty of what you have said. In all I would advise you to fix yourself first, learn to value your own opinion. The opposite of love is not hate. Its indifference. If you were okay with you down deep, you would not feel a remaining, angry grudge..you'd be indifferet to it. Hopefully as you conquer this demon, your anger will also leave you along with your excess weight. I wish you well on your journey to becoming the person you want to be, inside and out.

Yep, I get it when I ate too fast, too much or didn't chew good enough.

I was having severe back pain after my surgery due to my port and was told no vigorous exercise until 6 weeks postop due to that. Shopping-type walking is all I am allowed for now.

I didn't have a moment really. I got fed up, looked into WLS, decided I needed to try harder, did great, life happened, gained back, lived that way a while, got fed up, looked into WLS, decided I needed to try harder, did great, life happened, gained back, lived that way a while, rinse and repeat. After my oldest son died of leukemia (at 13 years of age, coming up on two years ago in January), I decided life was too short and that one of the ways I would honor his memory would be by making my body as healthy as I have control to make it. When my grief eased enough for me to not wish I had died right along side him, I began counseling, did my research, chose my surgeon and I took the plunge. I am doing very, very well.

I didn't even lose 5%. I lost 6.6 lbs from a weight of 242ish at my surgical consultation to 236ish on my surgery day. Been going strong since though, following the postop plan very strictly and enjoying life a lot.