Kalipso2

my port is to the right of my belly button and up about 2"... it actually sits above the port incision, not right under it. yes, i can feel it but you can't see it. its funny because my port is almost like my safety blanket. when i'm upset or stressed and think about binging, i touch my port to remind me that i CAN do this. sometimes if i wear tight jeans that ride lower on the hips, when i set down the waistband will jamb under the port for a quick jab of pain.

you'll have to continue getting fills until you find your "sweet spot", which is when you feel completely full but not PB'ing after 1/2 cup of food and staying full for 4 hours. it usually takes multiple fills before you get to that point. you may even have to have a slight unfill at some point to find the exact spot. some say that even a .25cc unfill can make a huge difference. i've had several fills and a few unfills but it wasn't until my last fill on 12/31/08 that i actually FELT the restriction. my band was tight and i was afraid to eat for 2 days. after you get a fill you should do liquids and mushies until your stomach gets over the "trauma" of the fill. after the 2 days i feel normal and will go in next month for yet another fill.

congratulations! i was banded by Dr. Curry in april. i live in cleveland but make the drive down to cincinnati for my fills, etc. he was the best surgeon after all my research so i don't mind the drive! good luck on your first fill... don't be surprised if you don't actually get to see Dr. C.... he usually has someone else do the fills. most likely your fill will be done under flouroscopy (xray) to make sure the band hasn't moved at all. you'll have to stand in front of this big machine and you'll get to see your band on a computer screen... ask if they can print out a copy... i did and have it hung up at work lol don't be suprised though... you'll get sprayed with lidocaine to numb to skin but she'll IMMEDIATELY stick the needle into your port. i didn't know what she was doing the first time and i grabbed her arm before she could stick me. (not a good thing to do!! lol) if you ever have ANY questions EVER, Dr. Curry is great in returning emails... usually withing 2 hours! it's the one thing i really like about him. good luck on your new journey!! kris

i was told to just but OTC medicine (prilosec?) but i buy the generic store brand and it's been working great!

i'm 5'-4" and my beginning weight was 213. i had steadily gained weight over the past 10 years despite the numerous diets and nutritionists. my insurance did not cover surgery for anyone... even for a morbidly obese person. according to the BMI chart, i was obese. i was lower on the scale than many other people but i was still obese and wanted to be happier and healthier. it's not been an easy process... with a lower BMI it's been harder for me to lose the weight. the first 40 pounds came off easy but now i'm struggling.

time for an update! i've been on my acid reflux medication for over a month and i feel SO much better!! i had no idea that i even had acid reflux... i never felt bad at all except for the PB'ing. i've had to fills since my november appointment and i'm back up to 5.0cc in my band. even after gaining a pound during november & december, i feel good!

you look awesome, teri!! like you, i didn't see the scale move as much but it's almost like my body reshaped itself. keep up the great work!

i was about 2 weeks late after my surgery. i KNEW i wasn't pregnant so i patiently waited for it to come lol

1. i started this journey because i stopped having sex because i was too embarrassed about my body. (still lookin' for the next guy.... lol) 2. to shut my mom up. "kris marie... i'm calling to tell you that you're fat. i'm sure your friends don't want to hurt your feelings..." ok mom... but it's ok if YOU hurt my feelings? 3. my older sister who's had 2 kids weighed 60 pounds less than me! 4. i'm TIRED of being the fat friend guys feel like they have to be nice to so they can hook up with my tall, skinny friend! 5. a few years ago, one of my sister's ex-boyfriends saw me unexpectedly one day at my place of employment and asked when i was due. i've never been pregnant. i could go on and on... but honestly, deep down i started this journey out of vanity and not health reasons. i don't want to cringe and jump every time someone touches my back or arm. i want to wear nice form fitted clothes. i want to hear that i look nice. i'm not quite there yet but i'm on my way!

thank you SO much... that really means a lot to me!

i've been banded for 7 months now and have lost 40 pounds. i had been filled to 5.2cc in my 10cc band in July and it was too tight. i left it tight for 2 months because i thought i could work around the PB'ing multiple times but finally gave up in September and agreed to a slight unfill because i haven't lost any weight since August. when i went in for my unfill they checked my band under flouroscopy and my band was barely letting any Fluid thru and this caused my stoma to stretch. she took the fluid out and the liquid ran thru. i had to wait 2 months before coming back for a fill. i didn't PB much during these past 2 months and i assumed all was well when i went in for my fill on Friday. turns out i gained 4 pounds and they were NOT happy. in my defense... in September i was weighed in a tank top and shorts and on Friday i was weighed in with jeans and a sweater. i had my band checked again under flouroscopy on Friday and i was still WAY too tight. the liquid was just not draining and on top of that, i'm having a LOT of reflux but i don't feel it. my stomach is still dialated. it took 3 minutes for the barium to travel thru the band when it should have taken 30 seconds. even after all that, i still didn't want her to unfill me anymore than i was because i had gained 4 pounds back after the last unfill. she pulled out a chart showing me a stomach dialation and a slipped band. it scared me enough to let her take out .7cc. while i was trying to make my next appointment in 4 weeks, Dr. Curry (my surgeon) approached me. now THAT really scared me because he only see's pre-op patients and does the surgery. he rarely sees patients after surgery. he had the picture from my flouroscopy in his hands and said he personally wanted to see me next month. his nurse told him he was totally booked and he firmly said "Double book me." i'm to start back from scratch and eat ONLY Protein for the next 4 weeks... as much protein as i can stomach (no pun intended). i'm to up my exercise from 30 minutes 3 times a week to 45 minutes 5 times a week in hopes that it keeps my weight down. i'm scared because i don't feel the reflux but it looked BAD on the flouro machine. i'm scared because Dr. Curry wants to see me himself. i'm scared i'll have to have the band removed! i can't seem to stop crying. i'd be okay with the 40 pounds i've lost and not lose anymore if i could just keep the band. thanks for listening...

please don't beat yourself up. i know i cheated big time on my pre-op diet. the medi-fast crap they gave me was horrible. i still had many "last meals" before my surgery.

Name............Start........Current........Goal.......To Go CindyG...........191...........191...........178........13 Sades............186...........185...........175........11 Stephanie........175...........172...........155........18 shortgal.........173.6.........173.6.........168........5.6 Bandpal..........172.26........171.93........150........21.93 Momto1plus1......187...........185...........174........11 lindata..........174...........174...........169........5 kalipso2.................172.................172..................165.............7

yes, you definitely sound too tight. i thought my band would losen up a little after my last fill. stupid me, i waited 2 months before i went back for a slight unfill. i could do liquids just fine but nothing solid. so i basically lived on Slimfast and PB'ing episodes for 2 months. my band didn't slip but i did stretch my pouch. i'm having to wait 2 months before i can get another fill.

i was banded april 2008 and i lost all of my weight during the first 4 months. i haven't lost any during the last 2 months which is extremely frustrating but even if i don't love another pound i'd be happy! i started exercising in september... running actually... and while the scale hasn't moved, people have commented that i look slimmer. so it's not all about the scale but the way clothes fit too! (BUT i am going for another fill soon!!)

that's exactly what i'm worried about. i had a slight unfill of .5ccs in september and have to wait until next week for another fill. does the band get used to the current fill and if i get .5 this next time i'll be fine or will i have to struggle finding my sweet spot someplace in that .5cc.

i think you should be okay with an unfilled band as long as you don't keep your stomach constantly stuffed.

after my first fill i actually felt MORE hungry than i did before the fill. i got my second fill 3 weeks after the first fill and was overfilled. i went back and got a slight unfill and i still haven't found that "sweet spot" yet. my doctor is out of town, although not as far as yours is, and i had told myself i would go every month for the first year and that hasn't happened. i've gone 3 times in the past 6 months because it's a pain in the behind traveling so much. it seems like my body was just adjusting to the fill and i'd have another appointment. i have 2 years of free fills so i'll be traveling for awhile. i hope you find a closer doctor for fills soon!!

i didn't feel proper restriction until after my 2nd fill. it will take a couple of fills until you might actually feel full. you might feel a little restriction right now... right after your fill... because the fill causes your stomach to swell a bit which is why most doctors have their patients start the liquid and mushie phase over right after a fill. i can DEFINITELY tell when i'm full. it's a feeling like if i eat one more bite i'll throw up and i HAVE taken that bite and i have thrown up. this is all a learning curve right now... give it time, you'll get the hang of it!

i feel the same way, but i have always had very low self esteem issues. i have the mirrors in my apartment situated so that my head does not show in any of the mirrors... only my body. when i look in the mirror i still see the fat me, not the size 10 me.

pre-op and the surgery itself was a piece of cake (yummy lol)... for me it's the post-op that has been hard. you don't realize how addicted you are to food until it's taken away. now don't get me wrong... i would SO do this all over again but it's been the most difficult thing i've ever done. i can have carbonated sodas although i think that's part of the reason i've stopped losing recently. i can't have any bread or ground meat... no more pizza, no more burgers. my stomach just won't tolerate them anymore no matter how many times i've tried. the hardest part for me is deciding whether to listen to my stomach or my head. if i listen to my head that's telling me to eat, eat and eat... well, i end up throwing up but if i listen to my stomach i end up depressed. i still try to binge occasionally when i'm upset. the most recent was last week and i ordered a small double cheese and pepperoni pizza. i figured i'd eat 2 or 3 pieces and go throw up. i couldn't even finish one piece and i swear i threw up more than i ate. anyway, my point is that you have to be 110% sure you can do this. this is literally a lifestyle change. yes, i can still eat real food but i'm limited as to what i can eat. yes, it's strange only being able to eat 1/2 cup of food... not even an entire kid's meal. yes, it's hard to remember not to drink right before, during or after eating. BUT... i went from a size 16 to a size 10 (i'm still aiming for the size 6!). i get compliments DAILY. i feel so much healthier that i can't even describe. i'm even training for a 5k race. i made a lifetime committment to myself and there will always be the negatives along with the positives.

i feel the same way... so no, you're not the only one! i "gave up" dating a year ago this past July because i wanted to get my life in order... lose weight, gain self esteem, work out some issues with my family, stop letting ex-boyfriends just use me for sex. i "told" myself that i wouldn't start dating until January of 2009 to give myself enough time to get my act together. that date is rapidly approaching and i keep telling my friends i'm going to postpone my "coming out" date until i hit a year with my band which will be April 2009. the truth is... i'm scared that no one will ask me out come January. then what excuse will i tell my friends that i'm not dating? i go out with my skinny friend and the guys always want to by her drinks and since i'm her "fat friend" i get included. at least that's how my mind thinks. i know i still have a lot of self esteem issues to work thru because i still see the fat me in the mirror even though i'm wearing a size 8 or 10. maybe join a new social group where you know no one and have to make new friends and start off with people knowing the new you instead of the old you!

i know it may sound stupid but have you tried eating more? with weight watchers, they give you the points so that you use them. as long as you pick something healthy to get another 5 points or so your metabolism might kick into gear. your body may be going thru a starvation mode since you're not using all your points. also, your exercise might be causing the slowing down and even the gain... of course, muscle weighs more than fat. try not to pay much attention to the scale right now and watch for body changes instead.

Hi Ellisa... I was banded by Dr. C. in April! The office actually offered the Care Credit card to me as a payment option along with some other bank loan options. All the loans were basically the same.... payments with interest for a certain amount of years.

thanks for sharing your story. i think it's really important for the newbies to hear storied like this... that you can STILL gain weight even if you're banded! i learned a month into being banded how to eat around it... what i could eat large amounts of without PB'ing (like hot fudge sundaes). this is how so many people fail. it is a constant struggle for me... even being over 6 months post-op. when to stop eating. how to eat slow. how to take small bites. it even got as bad for me to being HAPPY when i would PB because that meant the binged food was coming out. it took my pouch getting stretched for me to re-evaluate my situation. i risked my band slipping. i risked wasting $12,000. i risked all the hard work i put towards losing the 41 pounds already gone. i'm back on track. it's hard but i'm going to do what it takes to lose the other 40 pounds!