ErinMarie

You're not her. You can't live her life. And you shouldn't even try!
You need to leave her alone. Her weight is not YOUR problem, even though you seem to think it is.
And it may not be a problem to her.
I think you're reliving your own problem and seeking relief from your own anxiety.

Had my annual mammogram last night.
Just roll those puppies out there - how sad!!!!!!!!
Yup...implants. Here they come. I've had the consult all ready - that sealed the deal!
Now I really have to seriously research....any advice?

Funny story.. (kinda sad, but makes a point)
There's a guy in my office building who acts like he's God's gift. We work for separate companies, but we use the same parking lot, entrance and walkways. our businesses are close enough that we pass each other frequently.
I've worked here for 10 years - the first time he saw me (I was 310#) he did the eyeroll and promptly walked past without even acknowledging my "good morning". Doesn't even look in my direction or hold the door open for me like he does other people (even guys). It really didn't bother me because I didn't find him attractive AT ALL and his type makes me sick.
Once I decided to do WLS, I wanted to see if I could get him to notice me, so for the 6 months leading up to the surgery, I made a point to get in his face and be all "Hello!", "How are you today", "Good Morning", "Have a great day" as much as possible. Then I avoided him after surgery for over 8 months.
Fast forward to a couple months ago, I'm 10-15 from goal, and had forgotten all about him. This guy is holding the door open for me. It's snowing so I hurry past and go to my work. Next time I see him it's really nice out so I don't need a coat, and I have on nice, more form fitting cloths. He actually speaks to me and asks how long I've worked here!! So I just stop and look at him. then I eyeball him up and down, roll my eyes, turn on my heels and walk away with my head high shaking it.
"I may be fat - but you're ugly and there's no diet that can fix that"

Hey ladies - I've seen forum posts about unwanted advances after WLS. I'm just curious to know if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon pre-WLS...
For the past decade I've noticed a certain type of man hits on me. Usually he's gross, missing a couple teeth, smells like cigarette smoke, and is either hanging out of someone else's car or standing behind me at a grocery store carrying a bottle of booze and a package of hot dogs. I get the feeling they think they have a shot with me because I am obese, therefore must be lonely and desperate.
I always reject them and then they get really offended like they can't believe I'm ungrateful for the attention. One man shouted as I walked away "Well, you're fat anyway!" YES. I am fat. Thank you for stating the obvious. That doesn't mean I should be glad scumbags are interested in knocking boots with me.
Anyone else have this problem? Does it get better or worse as you lost weight?
Personally I'd rather not get attention at all (positive or negative). I just want to be left alone. I'm happy with my marriage and that's enough.

Thanks guys. I have my Associates in Criminal Justice and that's what I'm going to get the Bachelor's in. They will call me back a week from Friday to go over some things. Right now I just need to get my transcripts mailed to them so I can see what they will accept for credits. They will take up to 90 credits. I am going to give my manager a heads up too, to ensure that there won't be any issues with reimbursement for the courses.

I was on the bus home the other day and when we passed the high school I saw that they had a sign for Bay Path University. I've been wanting to go back to school and get my Bachelors (I have my Associate Degree) so I looked it up. They have a campus at the high school for their "One Day A Week" college. I talked to one of the Admission's peeps today and I filled out the online application. I even completed the financial aid paperwork, but I know I won't qualify. Luckily my work will reimburse me up to $6,000 a year for classes (as long as I get a "C" or better). The school even has a "deferred payment" program knowing that most jobs won't pay until after you get your grades.
I'm going to start in September. I'm excited. I haven't been this excited since finding out my surgery was approved.

@@ErinMarie how much fill do you have in your band right now?
I would start by taking a breath. You just had a baby my friend and congratulations on that! Being a new parent (even if this is not your first child) is an awesome task and breast feeding is demanding. I can understand why you may be having an issue with proper band eating mechanics.
That said however, you really want to be sure that you are not hurting yourself by getting stuck to often. So the first thing I would want to do is to take some time if you are able to check on your band. To make sure that things are all sitting right and working well. Once you have done that, give yourself a few days of liquid diet to help "reset" things, and give your stomach a chance to heal. If you have gotten stuck even just once, your stomach could be swollen and the space in your stoma could be smaller than you think it is and this could be another reason you are getting stuck more often.
Before taking that step to switch to Protein drinks for a few days, consult with a lactation specialist and get their advice. As well as the advice of your pediatrician to be sure that your not feeding the baby anything that could cause an issue. After all a cranky baby is not going to make you feel great
If all is well go on a liquid diet as you did pre-op and/or post op and supplement with some non fat greek yogurt, make some sugar free fat free pudding etc. Give your band a break and let it heal and reset, you will start losing weight and most importantly you will feel better.
As for your hubby, it's nice to see that he is concerned for your health and well being. Show him that you are concerned for yourself and your family as well by taking the time to check in with your band Dr. and baby Dr. and take the next steps to make you both happy and healthy!!
Let us know how it goes!

When I was pregnant with my now 16 month old, I had half of my Fluid removed because I was nauseous. When I had my son I had a fill, but it didn't really do much. I went back to the way I used to eat for a bit, then I ended up paying more attention to my foods, I breastfeed the whole year or so, more like 14-15 months and I ended up too tight to where no matter what I ate I got stuck, some days multiple times a day, no matter what I ate, I never lost anything, I went and got a small 1cc unfill and felt so much better. I then could wa again, after 6 weeks I went and got a tiny fill 0.2 cc and now I feel so much better, I can eat and I'm back to loosing weight again. It was hard for me because I gained so much during pregnancy, and I lost a total of 80 pounds before I got pregnant. But I went back to basics, put myself on a 1 week liquid diet, restarted everything. And now I'm down again. I just had to restart

If this is all about convincing your spouse you're ready for a fill, you're going to have to change your current eating habits so you get stuck less often.
Even those of us who do eat slow, chew a lot and take small bites have an occasional stuck episode. It's just a part of being banded. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule but if you want his support, give him a reason to support your decision? Eat like a Bandster.

How many cc's are in your band already? If you get stuck often it might be too tight... Are you eating a lot of slider foods? From my understanding, for the band to be effective you need to eat slowly and chew well. Personally, I think you should work on changing the way you eat before you get another fill. Get in the habit of following the lap band rules (eat slow, chew very well, small bites, etc.) and then see how you feel.
If you find you're still hungry between meals and/or you're able to overeat in one sitting I'd make an appointment to see a doctor. This all should be between you and your doctor - your husband shouldn't have a say in it IMHO. If he's worried about your health, educate him in how the band works and don't scare him by getting stuck (i.e. slow down!). I got stuck once and it made my partner panic, too. It's not fun to see your spouse in pain like that so try to do your part so that doesn't happen and then he'll probably trust your judgment more.
Good luck!

Good luck to you all. I had my band 3 1/2 years, lost 124 pounds and was doing great until my doctor moved and I had to get a new doc. In no time, my band was overfilled. It slipped. The reflux, night coughs and rapid weight loss..it was crazy until April, 2014 when I began vomiting blood, could not sit or lay down, horrible pain - I thought I was going to die - rushed via ambulance to the ER. I could not even sip Water. After a total unfill (a different surgeon - #3 in the mix), cat scan and complete bed rest for twelve hours, the band had to be removed as it was restricting the blood supply to my stomach. For the next 6 months, I went without my band - I felt OK, but was ravenous when it came to food. OUT OF CONTROL was an understatement. I gained 50 pounds in less than 6 months. I went from a size 8 to a size 14/16 and climbing. Fortunately, I was continuously seeing the #3 surgeon and he saw my struggle. December 29, 2014 - he put my band back in (secured a different way I think) and I feel fantastic. So glad to have my little reminder back. I have lost 20 pounds in the weeks since surgery and doing great. No fills yet and don't really think I need one yet. We did discuss doing RNY - but I weighed 208 and he doctor thought I would lose too much weight and that could cause a whole bunch of issues (I am 5'2" and 63 years old). So, we went with the band again. I am so happy. I walk every day 3-4 miles and my portion sizes of food is back to the way they should be. Have I eaten a "no no" - sure - we all do from time to time, but now I know it will only be one cookie and not the whole bag..one or two chips and not the whole case..Good luck with whatever your decision is and whatever the results but I for one am so glad to have my band back. It is part of me. I plan on taking this part of me when I leave this life. I will be so careful. As for the cause of the slippage - the doctor says he has no idea...sometimes, they just slip. He did say he did not think it was anything I did to make it slip - that was a good thing. The journey continues....
Melinda in Florida

First of all... Congrats!
If you are super tight to the point of being uncomfortable, stuck a lot, having acid reflux, or not able to eat at least 1200 calories THEN you should get at least a small unfill to relieve some of that pain and get the nutrition your baby needs.
I got small unfill for both pregnancies (currently pregnant with #2) due to major swelling and not be able to eat food without it feeling stuck in my chest all day long. I also had really bad reflux at night. I only had to get 1.5 cc taken out this time to help that pain and I've done okay so far. I'm eating what I want to a point but its not to the extent I was pre-band. I'm 13 weeks and I've gained probably about 5 lbs total so far. Last pregnancy I had 4 cc's out and gained 60 lbs by the end, so I'm really trying to NOT do that again!
Good luck!

i was banded december 2010 i was 97kilos
got pregnant october 2011 i was 69 kilos
when my baby was born july 2012 i was 75 kilos
i dropped few kilos in the following year 2013
then in 2014 i started gaining and gaining weight and now i am 82 kilos
i never did an unfill on the band even during pregnancy i was fine with it the way it was
i had though 2 refills after delivery to a total of 6.5ml out of 10ml
i have a good restriction i dont eat much i am unable to eat without chewing very very well..
anyways solid food is not an issue, just the sugary stuff i just want the will not to buy and eat any anymore!!

Well first things first mama, GET RID OF THOSE SWEETS! If they are around, get away from them! I'm currently pregnant again, so my sweet tooth is through the roof! I try to balance it out. I'll eat grapes and drink some Water and then see if I want something else (like chocolate). Sometimes the urge goes away, or I get busy and don't have time to sneak a sweet treat...or sometimes, I just don't want to share with my toddler

I am 33w now. I'm definitely not in the red or yellow. I could eat just about anything. I'm so hungry all the time. My problem now is that my belly is pressed so tight that my port area is numb and tender to the touch. I'm sure it's from muscles pulling around it. I see my OB on Monday and if it really starts to hurt worse I'll go see my Lap Band doc.
I super regret getting my band unfilled. I HAVE gained 50 lbs so far. It all seems to be in my belly...and ankles. LOL

i was doing great, before getting pregnant
then suddenly i was indulging few here and there, but after i had my baby till now i feel i am under alot of stress
i grab everything sweet around..
my son is 3 years old now the last year was the worse
i am so afraid of gaining back the weight i lost.. already everyone think i am a failure!

Thanks!@@JustWatchMe
Just checking in again with everyone. Baby is doing well and I'm at 25w. My eating however, is out of control and I can't believe that I've gained back about 40 lbs since the beginning of November. I have not been keeping up with good habits and it's so sad. I want to exercise, but I'm so tired. I nap frequently or I just can't get through the day. I am waiting for my gestational diabetes results, which is it sad to expect I'll have a positive? I do need a swift kick in the butt to kick sugar out of my life again. The only real exercise I've had is cleaning the house, which is definitely me nesting, getting ready for baby.
Hope you are all doing well.

I was banded 3 years ago, I have lost a total of 125 lbs and gained 30 back in the last 6 months. I had a really bad stomach bug that lasted 3 days and my Dr was scared I would slip from all the puking so they unfilled my band and I found out real quick that I NEEEEED my band!! lol. I gained 25 pounds because well I love food and I love to eat and I did just that.. and stopped going to the gym. I know, I won't make excuses it was all me lol. Anyway I started going back to the gym got some Fluid back in and was on a roll them BOOM sick as a dog for almost 3 weeks and found out that I was pregnant!!! I have PCOS and endometriosis so to be pregnant and not have been on all kind of meds is a MIRACLE. Anyway my little miracle has been growing for 7 weeks today. Had my 1st ultrasound at 6 weeks bc I am considered high risk and had a bloated ovum a few years ago and just wanted to make sure I was actually pregnant. Anyway all is well and healthy and I could not be any more excited!!! I am well aware of the risk of mc again and don't need any reminders of that. What I do need from you guys is any other banders preggo or already delivered. Did you get an unfill? When did you know you needed any unfil? I have a 14 cc band and I am currently at 8 ccs. the bariatric clinic says as long as I can get my Protein not to get an unfil until I needed it. But my band feels crazy tight and I wonder should I just get some out or do I just get it all unfilled again. I'm sick all day, not just in the morning so nothing sounds good right now except fresh fruit but I hope and pray I get lucky and this goes away after 2nd trimester arrives. If I get lucky I don't want to be so greedy that I gain a ton of weight. As my last 6 months showed I like to eat good food lol.
anyway share your story thanks for reading my short novel lol....

Had a great sonogram today! Baby is perfectly healthy and besides gaining weight (UGH!) I'm doing great! Just wanted to check in with everyone and let you know how things are going.

We sent it digitally as well as via FedEx to Dr. H as well as the shows producers. I know they're all going to receive the letters. The only question is if we'll receive an actual response or better yet, halt Dr. H from bad mouthing WLS.

Well said Alex! I hope it gets to who it needs to!

@@Keeper, @@ErinMarie, Thanks for asking about me. Baby is doing well--passed all the genetic testing and sonos so far. At Wednesday's appointment, heartbeat was 160. I'm still confounded that this all happened and is still going strong!! I just announced to many colleagues and a class of students (I'm a HS teacher) yesterday.
It's been very tough since I got unfilled. I have my appetite back and it's stronger than ever. I gave myself permission to eat, and I've gained 11 lbs since November!! I've stopped running because the weather is so bad, and the thought of smelling the sweaty gym makes my stomach turn. The last two weeks I've tried to make more of a concerted effort to eat more Protein and a "rainbow" every day. Once the snow lets up I'm heading back out to walk. I miss it terribly.
Had I known I wasn't going to have morning sickness hardly at all, I wouldn't have gotten the unfill, but I was worried and the doc wanted to do the unfill. I do battle cravings, but lately they have been for salad (esp greek salad for some reason) and kale smoothies, so I'm gladly giving in to those. Trying to stay away from those damn Cookies.

thanks for replies, I actualy figured out why i gained so much so fast and was extreamly swollen apparently i have a sodiuma allergy or my body is unable to process all the sodium and salt so i started limiting sodium from my diet and im at a steady weight gain now. i just have to read all labels...

I'm almost 15 weeks. Going a little nuts because I'm waiting on my genetic testing results. I also hate that appts are a month apart. I wish I could go more often to make sure everything is ok with baby.
It's nice to see other preggie banders.

NT scan this weekend was very good! Next step is genetic testing in 2 weeks. Wish us luck!