Rockin' Robyn

Thanks guys for the prayers....they seemed to have helped. I talked to the office today, and they have made lots of calls and waived their cost and got the amount down from over $5,000 to $1800!! I'm slotted for Friday, May 12th. It's my 3rd surgery, so maybe this time is the charm (so they say). I'll let you know how it goes, and thanks for all the prayers and encouraging words. Love you guys! Robyn

Hi Guys- I'm still here, tight as ever...... On liquids today, and still not a PB'less day (is that a word??) I'm supposed to call the nurse tomorrow to see what the official word is on the pricing. Pray for me tomorrow afternoon. I noticed many of you mentioning the knicked artery thing......Guys here's the thing....it was a fluke, it was not negligence in any way shape or form. When you accept the risk of someone sticking a 6 inch needle blindly into your abdomen in close relation to your internal organs, you have to accept that this is a known risk. Being an RN (in the sue happy specialty of OB), I know that in order to have a legitimate lawsuit (legitimate being the key word), you have to prove that the medical personnel has to NOT have acted as any other reasonable 'prudent' doctor. My doctor is wonderful, and it is not his OR my fault that I had this freaky blood vessel grow back and weave its way into the area of my port after surgery. It just happened......I dealt with it.....it's over. Now I have to deal with the new issue.....and hopefully someday I'll be able to say "I dealt with it...it's over!" Thanks for all of your words of encouragement. I know what I need to do...just praying it works out. Has definitely put in my plans to go to Florida to work for 13 weeks this summer :angry I'll keep you posted Robyn

Thanks so much guys for the support. I just left a little while to go to Walmart to get more Protein shakes. I haven't kept anything down all day. My hubby thought it might be 'soothing' to my band to try some ice cream. Couldn't even keep that down:omg: ....weird. I just hope nothing more than being overfilled is the issue here. Paula...thanks for that little tidbit. Not too much info at all. I'm desperate at this point and would try almost anything......

MelodyJ- Thanks so much for the advice of the pillows! I'm an RN...so that makes sense to me, but I wouldn't ever have though about the abd pressure thing. Maybe the reason it has been getting worse and worse is because I have been adding more and more pillows! (Just kidding...I know that's not the reason). Thanks for the kind words of encouragement, and keep the prayers coming. Robyn

Hi Friends- Feeling a little discouraged today and need to feel some love. I haven't shared with many here, but I have been having lots of problems since having my infected port removed at the end of December:think . Although I relish in the compliments of how good I look and how well I am doing with my weight loss, I have been too embarrassed to admit to my friends here that I am vomiting a minimum of 2-6 times per day!!! :help: Yes, I KNOW I'm too tight.:bananadoggywow: But I feel helpless in that I can't just go into the office like others and get a slight unfill in 5 minutes. I can keep liquids down and depending on the time of day, the food, and whatever unknown factors my fickle little band decides on....Generally I can't keep much more than 2-3 bites down at a time. I was perfectly restricted (thank God) with my last fill just 2 weeks before the port had to come out. But since the port removal, for some unknown reason...I have been even tighter. My wonderful doc has been very surprised at this, since there should have been a small amount of fill loss when he had to clamp and cap off the portless end of the band and hide it in my abdominal cavity. So now we are almost in May, and over the past 4 months...I have been experiencing worsening signs of being too tight....with no further fills!!! I have lost more weight, which should have made the band losen...not tighten!!! The acid reflux started in January and has worsened and worsened. I made an initial call to the office early on and asked for some Nexium. It worked well at first, but then not anymore. I never called the office back to let them know the agony I was going through because I knew what the answer was.....YET ANOTHER SURGERY because I was too tight!!! I have always thought....."ooh big deal" for people who mention they have acid reflux. But let me tell you, for those of you who have never experienced it...thank your lucky stars!! Mine is now so bad that I am sleeping with my head elevated on 4-5 pillows every night, and still waking up choking on mouthfulls of stomach acid and literally GASPING for air! This morning I finally had enough when I woke up and VIOLENTLY vomited mouthfuls of pure acid immediatley after waking (having not even eaten anything for 8 hours prior). When I finally got the nerve to call my doc this morning and let them know what was going on, they stressed the urgency of me being seen and got me in to see the doc within 2 hours. He had a good old fashion talk with me and let me know how worried he was about my band, especially if this continued. He all along has felt so bad for all of my complications...not only does he say it, but I can see it in his face. The plan right now is that he is going to have his nurse call the facilities he works with to see what if anything we can do to get the costs down. And he is waiving his normal surgical fees all together (which unfortunately the majority of the cost is anesthesia and facility charges). Problem is.....I know this is a necessary step...but spending more money on this band is just so difficult for us right now. My husband has been so incredibly supportive, but I can tell even he is getting frustrated. Now here's my problem.....Problem mostly comes from being self pay and not having any more money to blow on this experience. The total cost of the original surgery topped out over $17,000.....then add in the cost of an unexpected hospital stay related to an accidental 'knicking of an artery' during my first fill resulting in internal bleeding topping out over $13,000........luckily the removal of the port was covered by my insurance since due to the massive infection it was deemed 'medically necessary'.....Now add in the cost of approximately $5,000 more to have the port put back in. I guess the real kicker of the whole things is that the infection could happen all over again...no guarantees. So we are talking costs now totaling in excess of $30,000...with no guaranteed end in sight.:tired So friends...what should I do?? Try to wait it out and go against his advice until I can someday truly afford it?...thus gambling with the possibility of slippage, erosion, Barrett's esophogus, or even esophogeal cancer.....Be on liquids and mushies the rest of my life.... okay...okay...you're right I think I already know the answer:faint: Thanks for letting me vent. Love you all!

Isn't there any way to maybe at least give editing privledges at least to the person that started the thread??? I have peoples names who have worked very hard to get their names on the "100 pound club" list, but I cannot do it anymore. This is really a downer................:think

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!! This is the most hilarious post I have ever read. You really need to be a professional writer. I never heard something so descriptive....I felt like I was there with you! I had to read it to my husband and he was laughing too. Boy, your description is so real of what a PB is truly like. Sorry you had to go through it, but at least the first one is over:rolleyes: !

Wheetsin- So sorry the fill wasn't smooth sailing. The first one was the hardest for me...I think because the area is still a little tender. Also, as you lose more weight, the port isn't quite as 'deep' and takes less effort to feel/find. My body since day one has been the type that loses a large amount of weight quickly (10-15 pounds in 2 weeks) then goes into shock and plateaus for 2-3 weeks. It's been that way since my first month of banding. It's hard, but stay positive through the plateau. Try to make sure you are still getting the 60 gms protein/day, regardless of whether or not you are hungry. That is key to breaking through the plateau and continuing to lose weight on the minimal calories. (I know you already know this stuff:rolleyes: ). I'll be curious to know how you do with your fill. Keep me updated, and keep up the awesome work girl!!!! Love ya, Robyn

We have great support group meetings. We sit in a circle, everyone has name tags, and at the start of the meeting, we go around the circle and say our names...when we were banded...and how much we have lost this far (if we want to). Then the meeting is open up to questions from people who are not banded yet, who are there for info/advice from people who have been banded. Then we switch into questions from bandsters about issues they are having or questions. Then about 45-60 mins into the meeting, the nurse who moderates/runs the meetings will pass out an article or a copy of something she has made related to the topic we are discussing for the month. Some of the topics have been: How to deal with cravings, complications of the lap-band, head-hunger, fills....many of the same topics on this board. The thing people really like though are when they bring in guest speakers to talk about a topic. They are going to bring in a plastic surgeon to discuss PS after lap-band, costs, complications, what to expect etc. They are going to bring in the psychologist that meets with all of us pre-op to discuss the battles we still go through psychologically with food after LB surgery. One of the meetings I really enjoyed is when they actually brought our surgeon to one of the meetings, and he had our full attention for an hour to ask him anything we wanted. That was nice, because during office visits...timing is so limited and you undoubtedly forget to ask something you were wondering about. Our last meeting of the year, we have just a social with "lap-band friendly" appetizers. Another fun thing we do sometimes, is have a designated meeting where everyone brings all their clothes they have outgrown and we swap them out. Just a few suggestions.....I'll let you know I think of anything else fun.

Penni- I got my beautiful earrings yesterday in the mail. I posted my thank you on the wrong thread.....but again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU EASTER BUNNY!!!! They are beautiful, and they are sooooo me. You did so good at picking out just the right style/colors and everything. I am going to wear them Thursday with this new red top I got. I'll have my DH take some pics of me wearing them and post one on here. You're the best! Love ya! Robyn

YEAHHHHH!!!!! I got my gift in the mail today from my secret bunny! Thanks Penni. :nervous :nervous The earrings are awesome.!!! I can't wait to wear them on Thursday with an outfit that I was wondering how to accessorize. You did a great job. Thank you easter bunny!!!! ( P.S. Are we supposed to thank people or take pics and post on a different thread????) Love, Robyn:kiss2:

Congratulations Teresa! I am sooooooo excited for you. Rootin' for you here in Missouri. You can do it girl!!!! Keep up the excitement:clap2:

Purchased mine today......It won't arrive until April 7th though. I'm so excited for my secret bunny to receive it. I can't wait!!!!

Great post Wheetsin! My band is quite tight, so here goes: - Tortillas (white, wheat, corn?) NOOOO!! Absolutely no soft tortillas, PB every time. Crunchy tortilla chips, taco shells are fine. - salad (what kind of lettuce can you eat?) Yes. All are fine, but I have to chew, and because they are so fibrous, it is very filling. So I can usually only have a few bites, but sometimes I just crave a good salad. - Hard breads (pretzels, crackers, melba, etc.) Yes. Unfortunately it goes down better for me than I would like. Sometimes if I'm really craving bread at a restaurant, I will have just one bite of the outer HARD crust of the roll with lots of butter on it to lube it up. Never the inner soft part though. - "Fluffy" breads (pancakes, waffles, muffins) NOOO. Absolutely no breads that are crumbly, moist, or that would become moist/doughy if you put it in a glass of Water. - Ground meants (turkey, chuck, sirloin...) Yes...praise God I didn't lose my ability to eat steak! I just have to get the prime cuts that are juicy and moist. I have trouble with any/all leftovers, as they get pretty dried out in the microwave. I actually sometimes have the most trouble with chicken, but not always. - Shellfish/crustaceans (scallops, shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels...) Yes. Again praise God I can still eat crab legs/lobster! Shrimp is fine too, just have to chew it extra careful as it can be a little tough. - Hard cereal (grape nuts, oat bran, etc.) Yes, but don't usually waste the carbs. - Hard cheeses Yes, but don't usually waste the fats.

I think it's funny everyone is mentioning those damn McGriddles. They are so good because they are the absolute HIGHEST calorie, most fattening item on the breakfast menu. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I am a nurse and work in a HOSPITAL of all places that has a McDonalds on the ground floor next to the cafeteria (way to promote healthy eating huh?) As a manager, I would work long hard hours and sometimes eat up to 3 meals a day at McDonalds. Not only that, but before my surgery I was actually binging on eating 2 McGriddles in the morning. There I said it......about a week ago (7 months out from surgery) I had this overwhelming craving for a McGriddle. I am a bandster that can only eat about 4-5 bites of food at a setting. I thought to myself "Oh it will only be a bite or two, so it will be okay." Of course that day for whatever reason, my band was looser than normal, and I was able to eat all but about 2 bites of the damn thing. Didn't even taste good, and I felt like complete S..t after eating it. I didn't PB, but just felt gross/greasy/nauseated all day. It was actually good reinforcement to never eat one again. Damn McGriddles, I swear they are laced with some addictive drug!!

I was diagnosed with PCOS 14 years ago. All the typical symptoms....string of pearls, painful cysts, non-existent periods for years at a time, and 8 years of infertility treatments. I was on Glucaphage before when I was trying to get pregnant many years ago. Never really helped with weight loss. However, since my banding I was again not having periods, and at one point felt I was going to start one (retaining Fluid like crazy...gained 8 pounds in a week with no change in eating habits)...but never did for the next 2 months. I asked my doc to start me back on glucaphage to jump start my period (since I can't take birth control pills), and the glucaphage worked for me within days. A week later I had taken off the 8 pounds and then some. I am a rabbit and have had good success with the band.

Lisa- You look so amazingly happy in all these pics (and great choice by the way on the dress--you look awesome!). Congrats on your success at the convention! Wanna see close up pics of your prize! Robyn

Wheetsin- Thanks so much for starting this thread :scared: I am 5'6", starting weight at pre-op was 386. That made my BMI 62!!!!:faint: I am now at 269, which makes my current BMI 43. My goal is to be 236 by my one year bandiversary, which would make my one year weight loss total 150. I'm hopeful....but I think the loss is definitely starting to slow-so I'm beginning to believe what they say about the majority of the weight being lost in the first 6 months after banding. We'll see.......My ultimate goal, to be 199. I truly don't remember being anything starting with the words "one hundred" since the school nurse weighed me in 6th grade and told me I was too fat. :confused: With all of that said, I feel the best I have in a very long time. I can wear jeans, I can feel a few bones that I never knew I had, I can chase my 3 year old literally running up the stairs, etc etc etc. Funny though saying I would be happy to maintain my loss and stay at 269....but I guess others wouldn't understand that unless they had been almost 400 pounds before. Hmmmm.... just talking out loud:rolleyes:

I'm so glad you posted this...I have felt exactly the same way. I still keep hanging onto the hope that people/friends that DON'T know I have had WLS will ask me 'have you lost a little weight?' That is still yet to happen, and I am down by 117. Now of course I have over 230 pounds to lose, so I guess it is to be somewhat expected. I have lost just 50% of my excess weight....so my husband pointed out to me, it would be like a 180 pound person wanting to get down to 150 pounds, and having only lost half (15) pounds, you wouldn't really notice. I don't know if I buy that or not, but it sounds good in theory. The only people to this day that ever mention me looking good or losing weight are the people that know I have had WLS....which I don't want to discount-their compliments still feel good. But for some reason in my silly little mind, it would mean so much more if someone who didn't know my little secret would notice the changes in me;)

Happy Bandiversary Vines! What an incredible list of NSV's. You truly are an inspiration to us all! Robyn

Great job Wheetsin! Keep up the great work!!!

There are so many variables that weigh in on this issue.....but the answer is YES it is 'possible'.....and possibilities give people hope. I had NO hope before my band. I was approaching 400 pounds, and I was never one of those overweight people that had lost 100 pounds 3-4 times in my life and gained it back. I tried everything, and nothing ever seemed to work. The most I had ever lost after trying 100's of diets since I was 10 years old, was 40 pounds, ONCE! The band has been my answer to prayer. I never in my life thought I would EVER lose 100 pounds, not even this time around. I didn't believe in myself. I still don't believe it has actually happened. But 8 months after banding, I have lost 115 pounds. Many people IM me and ask what I am doing.....I don't think anything special, but I am VERY strict on myself and do what my physician has told me to do. I also am of the mindset that I may not have my band in another year (since I had a port infection which makes me more susceptible to a future erosion). So I make the most of every moment. And most importantly, (I may get hammered for this:rolleyes: )....Banded in KS and I were banded by the same surgeon. He is awesome in that he does fills very assertively. Sometimes he filled me every 2-3 weeks to get me to my sweet spot asap. It took me 7 fills to get there. Had I had a surgeon that made me wait 6 weeks between fills, that means it would have taken me a whopping 42 weeks (or 10.5 months) to get to my sweet spot. Being as they say the majority of the weight is lost in the first 6 months....waiting so long between fills for people who are feeing absolutely no restriction just doesn't make sense to me. The only time this makes sense is waiting for the first fill so the area can heal. The band hasn't been around very long, and I know the research is starting to turn in a different direction on this topic....so hopefully as the research data gets out to the surgeons, this 6 week rule will turn around. Anyway...that's just my 2 cents...But I TRULY believe in my case anyway that the timing of the fills have been absolutely key. Just make sure you ask your surgeon his philosophy on fills, and how long he will make you wait in between.

1. Eat only three small meals a day-YES 2. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly-YES 3. Stop eating as soon as you feel full-90% OF THE TIME 4. Do not drink while you are eating-YES (HURTS TOO MUCH) 5. Do not eat between meals-USUALLY NOT 6. Eat only good quality foods-NO, NOT ALL THE TIME 7. Avoid fibrous foods-NO 8. Drink enough fluids during the day-YES 9. Drink only low-calorie liquids-YES 10.Exercise at least 30 mintues a day-NO :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: So would only doing 6/10 give me a D- ??????:omg:

Funny- I was thinking about starting a similiar post....I was just telling someone the other day that I actually HATE food. I used to love it....loved the way it smelled, loved the way it tasted, loved the full feeling it gave me, loved the way it made me feel in general. I can honestly say now that I HATE IT!! It doesn't smell good anymore, doesn't taste like anything anymore, and definitely does not make me feel good. After a 5-6 bites, I hate the full, sometimes painful feeling I get now. Now don't get me wrong, my mind still says to me "Doesn't a filet mignon, or a slice of chocolate cake sound good right now." I can taste/eat most anything, but I just don't get hardly any satisfaction of any kind out of it anymore. I guess that's the whole point of the band. However, I have to say that even after nearly 8 months with the band, it is still psychologically very disappointing to NOT be comforted/fulfilled by my desperate cravings. I'm not sure that the psychological elements and/or the thoughts of overeating will ever go away. But the physicial desire to continue eating more and more to keep my old 'high' going is definitely gone, and has been for a long time. I miss the feeling of euphoria I used to get by binging on my whimsical cravings, but I don't miss the way I used to feel 114 pounds ago:D

AWESOME JOB HEATHER!!!!:confused: Keep up the great work!:kiss2: Robyn