chica

Hi, ladies! I'm back and I survived my travels. Eating while traveling was somewhat challenging since I was with a bunch of guys and they made me eat like a man: steaks, Bloody Caesars (like a Bloody Mary made with Clamato juice), scotch and even cheesecake one night! I just made sure I drank my drinks before dinner (or much later), focused on the Protein, small bites, and chewing. I ate much slower than everyone else, but they all just assumed that's due to my gender (they don't know about the band). And btw, cheesecake is protein, right?? :wink2: Lunches were a little easier as we went to a food court most days, so I could get bean soups or salads with protein. I only had one PB moment early one morning when I must not have been awake enough to chew the single small bite of quiche enough. Fortunately, I had plenty of time to go back to my hotel room to work it out (up) before I had to leave for class. I went in for my 3rd fill today, and they pulled out an extra 1.2cc that hadn't shown up in previous fills. :frown: I guess that was from the original fill/flush they do of the brand new band to get rid of air in it prior to surgery. Anyway, I'm now at 7.2cc in a 10cc band, and I'm hoping I'm going to feel some restriction this time to help me not be hungry and eat less. But all in all, I'm thrilled because my new official (dr's office) weight loss puts me in the 'Obese' category now. :thumbup:

Harley, Bratz, and Kerri, you all look great! Isn't it amazing how fast you've changed? And Kerri, I hope you don't mind my saying so, but it looks like you've got a new, great-fitting bra!! :biggrin2:

Hi! And can I just say, HOLY MOLY! Some of us (you, OTBT) are doing very, very well!!! :wink2: Congratulations on all the weight loss! After my 2nd fill, I had a rough couple of weeks -- I was taking bites that were too large sometimes, having a PB, and not giving my body sufficient time to recover from it. My doc wants me to follow his post-fill diet (2 days liquids, 2 days mushies) after a PB, and I kinda forgot that. So, I had one very bad experience really throwing up (sorry, TMI), and that's what brought me back to the doc's office to figure out what was going wrong. Bottom line: I'm being way more careful now with my bites. Other than that, all is good. I really need another fill, but with all that nonsense above, plus having to travel on business all next week and be around people 24/7, we decided to skip the fill and just wait till I get back. I'm hoping my weight loss will roll along after that fill... So, bandmates, has anyone reached that magical sweet spot? :smile:

Self-pay at Reston (VA) Surgery Center about $14,500. This includes all fees and fills for the first year.

I was in my doc's office today and we talked about band slippage and the consequences. I had a really violent episode of vomiting following a series of minor PBs, so he did a barium swallow to see how I was. (Fortunately, all is well other than a painful esophagus and a lot of swelling.) He told me that it's important to check the band out very soon after such a forceful incident. If the lower stomach slips up past the band (which can happen with vomiting), they can remove all the saline and allow the stomach to slip back down, and after a little healing period, they can return the fill. However, if the slippage goes unnoted for a couple of months, the stomach will actually scar into place above the band, and unfilling won't do the trick. That's when surgery is required to fix the problem. I suspect this is what's happened in your case. I'm sorry to hear you might be facing more surgery, but it sure sounds like the corrective surgery could be the thing to help you back on your journey. :biggrin:

Happy Birthday, Freetofly! Just curious... How was the Lobster Bisque? Worth the splurge? I enjoy eating there too, but it's so hard to resist those biscuits! :cursing:

I'm so confused. Why would it kick in after 2 weeks when the fill had been there the whole time? :confused2:

This is my question too. My doctor's office says you need to have 60+ grams of Protein daily over 3 meals (no Protein shakes, etc.). I'm not experiencing restriction yet, so I don't expect it to be 1/2cup right now. But even if I could, I don't get how this can work.... :glare:

Huh? Did I miss something there? :confused2:

David, I had my first fill Thursday, and I was told that if I throw up at all to revert to liquids for a couple of days to reduce the swelling and irritation around the band that results from a PB. Also, be sure to let the doctor's office know what happened when you next go in. Those were the instructions from my doctor... you should follow whatever your doctor has told you.

I'm not 100% sure I want to join this post -- mostly because there seems to be a lot of negativity, as others have said. Usually, when I come across a negative post, I walk away quietly. I need the positivity. On the other hand, some of what some people have perceived as hostile or negative probably wasn't meant that way. Relax, people! We're all in this together, and we should try to remember that we need to support each other in our efforts. :eek: Lise, back to your postings... glad to hear you're finally getting some restriction after this 4th fill. :tt1: I love your blog and check it at least once a week. You and your DH are so cute in the video interview! I'm one week behind you and have similar results so far. I've just had my first fill, and since I'm on liquids (2 days) and then mushies (2 days), I don't think I'll know if I have any restriction until I get back to soft foods. That's why I wonder how some people here feel like their band isn't working for them right after a fill. :sad: Liquids slip right through the band (unless you're overfilled), and mushies kinda do too. I'm not into calorie counting, carb counting, etc., I'm simply trying to focus on what I was told: Protein first, then veggies, and if you have room, fruit and maybe a little GOOD carbs. So far, that's all I've done (besides some walking), and that's how I hope to continue. And if I eat some pizza along the way, that's ok too (but I haven't done it yet). Fanny, I don't mean to attack your Pasta test for restriction, but I do want to repeat what my doctor told me about pasta (because I happen to love the stuff myself!). Try to avoid meals of pasta (maybe just a little on the side) because even if you chew, chew, chew it, it becomes quite gummy in your stomach, and therefore, you run the risk of getting a big, gloopy mess stuck and you may very well PB. On my mushy stage, I made this great pasta dish and had it blenderized. I had to add LOTS of liquid to make it the right consistency, but it sure opened my eyes about exactly what they said about the gumminess of pasta! :cursing: So, I guess what I'm saying is, maybe using a "hard" protein (chicken, meat, fish) and eating until you're sure you're content would be a safer choice. One last thing... many of you on this post are March '08 bandsters. If you haven't already, come join us on the Master Thread under Support Groups. It's a great way to see how everyone who's within the (relatively) same timeframe is doing. Commiserating, supporting, finding humor in our journeys...

Actually, my doctor allowed full liquids for pre-op and post-op (starting the day of surgery), so there may not be a restriction on using milk to mix with the unjury. If your doctor has you on full liquids, this should be fine. If you're restricted to clear liquids, then by all means, follow your doctor's instructions. And if you're not sure, give their office a call. BTW, I love chocolate Unjury mixed with skim milk, 1T Peanut Butter and ice!

Hi Cyrena, I'm curious given the small amount of food you eat now, how well do you think you meet your nutritional needs, specifically in the area of Protein? I have yet to get a fill, but I focus on protein... not really counting calories or carbs at this point. Portion control sounds great, but I want to know that even when properly restricted, I can get enough protein in. Thanks for all your posts with your experiences...:thumbup:

No offense taken here! :wink2: I'm having some tuna and yellowtail sashimi for lunch, but even more exciting is that soft-shell crabs are finally in season (albeit they're saying it'll be a short one). Floured and seasoned, sauteed in butter with a little fresh lemon juice... Ahhh....

SilverBand, It's my understanding that the weight submitted to your insurance is your original weight that you walked in with. He wants you to lose weight either to satisfy an insurance requirement of 6 months' doctor supervised diet (very common) or to show him you're serious. Hope that helps ease your mind... :huh2:

...and small children around to pick up the clicker when it falls to the floor!

Never heard of this... but wasn't he an Olympic gymnast or something??

I love to listen to my MP3 player when I go walking, keeps the pace up! Here are some of my entries (warning: some of these are quite old!)... Christina Aguilera - Fighter - Ain't No Other Man Christina A. plus Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink - Lady Marmalade (Moulin Rouge sdtk) Earth, Wind & Fire - Shining Star - September - Boogie Wonderland Janet Jackson - Pleasure Principle - What Have You Done For Me Lately - Control - Escapade Michael Jackson - Working Day & Night - Remember the Time The Jacksons - Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) Prince - Let's Go Crazy - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man - 1999 - Delirious Stevie Wonder - I Wish The Time - Pandemonium - Jerk Out Beyonce/Jay Z - Crazy in Love Rick James - Give It to Me Baby - Seventeen Teena Marie - Behind the Groove New Edition - If It Isn't Love

More than the protein shakes and water, what I used most of all for the first 3 days and nights was my recliner, a heating pad, and a pillow that I put over my stomach to remind my kids and husband not to go near that area when giving me lovely little kisses!

Sadly, my doc says no unless they've been through the blender after cooking. Not good. I tried it. Anything that requires chewing is not allowed in his book. Better for the soft foods weeks 5-6 on my doc's plan...

According to my kids, that's now called "Criss-cross applesauce"! And no, they're no longer in pre-school.:thumbs_up:

It's just your body adjusting. Really, stay off the scale and be patient. Try to limit your scale visits to once a week if you can. I can't, but I try to wait 3 days before I give in... And BTW, I don't really measure and track stuff so much as I focus on eating Protein and maybe a little veggies. Applesauce for dessert or maybe some protein pudding!

The difference for my surgeon using the surgical center or using the hospital is if you need to stay overnight to be monitored for stuff like apnea, high blood pressure, etc. If you don't have any other complications to look for, using the surgical center saves you about $3k, but you still have to do all the same pre-op requirements (psych test/eval, pre-op testing,etc.) It's not a way to bypass all the pre-op steps at all.

Dee, You won't love this answer, but the scale will likely go up a bit before it comes down. Your body will now be getting a little more carbs and fat than it had on liquids -- this is why it will go up a little, but trust in time that it will come back down. I promise! :thumbs_up: I'm just starting on soft foods now after 2 weeks on mushies, and I actually kinda enjoyed that stage. I was advised that anything decent (i.e. not ice cream) that I blended was eligible, including my favorite Pasta dish! Veal-filled ravioli with a spicy arrabiatta sauce and baby spinach. Yum! It looked horrible, but tasted great. Don't be afraid of the way your mushies look, just enjoy all the flavors you can taste now! The only thing that was not good blended was scrambled eggs. I'll probably try that in this stage...

Are y'all really foodies? :thumbup: If so, why am I not hearing all the juicy delicious details of what you ate at various restaurants or what wonderful dishes you've made at home?? Please, please help me out by giving me some descriptions! I need to eat vicariously because I'm just getting to soft foods now... I had a sushi roll for lunch today (brought it home so I could pick off most of the rice) -- it had tuna on the outside, salmon, white tuna and avocado on the inside. YUM! :Dancing_wub: