HeatherO

I would say a more helpful doctor is in order. Also, I have read elsewhere where someone had a "kink" in their line so that it was exceedingly difficult to insert or withdraw Fluid. Did your doctor mean that he was having a physical problem inserting more fluid or only that he thought you were full enough that you should be feeling it? When you have restriction, you have restriction. If you chose to ignore it and try to over eat, eveything comes right back up. When everything is filled appropriately, there is no doubt that the band is there and working for you. It sounds like you are not close enough to your sweet spot. You should start calling around to check out a different doctor. There are also fill centers available that can help.

I understand where you are coming from. I had been involved in the past in a similar relationship with someone who met the need at the time but did not fulfill my needs. He is a great person still, I can never fault him . . . but he was not the person for me. I settled because I did not think I could do any better and my self esteem was not so good. I realized after the first year or so that I wasn't happy, but I stayed for many years because I had committed to the relationship, and this was a good person who really cared for me - he was just not the right person for me. I felt like the mother in the relationship because I had to take care of everything, it gets tiring not having a partner or true closeness. I finally bit the bullet and left. At this time, I had decided that I would never settle again for something that did not meet my personal needs. Shortly thereafter I met the right person for me. He loves me heavy, he loves me thin, he just loves me for me. We were married when I was 190 pounds (I don't like my wedding pictures at all, he loves them). We never run out of things to talk about, our interests are the same, he supports me through everything both emotionally, financially, physically. We are true partners if you understand what I mean. He even supported me through my decision to be banded, eventhough he was very afraid that it might be too drastic of a choice. He was my personal nurse doling out massages at any time, changing all my bandages, and attending every doctors visit. That is dedication for you, lol. Every year we are together improves our relationship. Had I never been banded, our relationship would still be solid and happy. However, being banded has definitely impacted our relationship. I have energy now, I am never afraid to get out and do something. We travel so much more now than before. I used to be an inhibited "lights off" kind of girl, but not anymore, lol. Life in general has just gotten more fulfilling and interesting with me being just me, uninhibited by extra pounds and the emotional baggage they cause. I think the real, true relationship changes that occur with banding just bring everything that already existed under the surface too light. For many of us, food is an addiction which helps us to avoid faciing certain things in our lives. If you weren't fulfilled before, you feel less so after. If you are with someone for the wrong reasons, it becomes more evident after banding. If you have a solid relationship with a true partner, it is strengthened by you finding your true self.

I have been through every stage of too loose and too tight . . . and you sound much too tight. You are not getting in enough liquids. That chest tightening feeling shouldn't occur with just liquids. Also, if you are only taking in liquids and have not moved on to mushies yet . . . it doesn't sound like it is going to get better quickly. Also, if you do start mushies and get stuck and pb . . . sometimes that causes swelling in your stomach which will make you even tighter than you are now. If you get much tighter, liquids may not go down and then you have an emergency situation. I would call now and see if you can get in today. Otherwise, given that this is a holiday weekend, you may not be able to get loosened up until early next week . . . which can be miserable and not very safe for your band or your health.

Thanks :0) sauces really help, you just have to be careful because some sauces can be high in calories. I have gotten in the habit of eating plain yogurt either alone or doctored up with spices along with meat. It is healthy, but not everyone likes it this way. My family is Turkish so we have a mediteranean diet and consume plain yogurt regularly with meals. Soups seems to go down fine, specially if the chunks of chicken aren't big. I am going to make some homemade turkey noodle soup on Friday with celery and carrots . . . it is one of my favorites and I can't wait.

Different brands can make all the difference in the world. I would definitely try something different.

Mine was a 4 week plan . . . 1 of Clear liquids, 1 of full liquids, 1 of mushies, 1 of softs and then on to normal food by week 5. It does seem like a long time and not easy . . . but definitely wait to see your doctor before you progress it. They do give you permission to progress from time to time depending on how you are doing. Being on liquids during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is very hard, so I commend you for it. Hang in there, you can make it through if you keep positive and what is a few weeks compared to the rest of your life. The post-op diet is extremely important for healing . . . but I think that there is one more reason for it just as important as healing . . . reframing your mind-set to get used to banded life. I have never seen statistics on this, but I had always assumed that the people that find the most success are the ones who follow doctors instructions for the first two months of banding. Those who are non-compliant at this stage are much more likely to find limited success later on.

My port is on my left side but it is under the bigger incision scar. However, I changed fill doctors and learned that almost everyone they see has it on their right side. It does sound like your port, specially with the bigger bulge and it being near your biggest incision. You will be able to feel it a lot easier once some of your abdominal swelling goes down. I had to laugh at that one. :crying:

I had it around four weeks out, but had also started doing abdominal exercises around the same time. The doctor assumed that mine was due to the exercises and asked me to back off for a little while longer. The pain diminished gradually, but it did have the feel of muscle soreness and an occasional sharp pulling feel. It went away completely within a couple of weeks. If I shake up my abdominal routine now, which I do from time to time, I still get an occasional twinge in this spot but I recover quickly. What does your doctor say about it?

I agree with going to liquid or chewable form. What I found with pills post banding is that when restriction is tight, if I take a pill that is too large I get stuck and up it comes pretty quickly. What is worse is that it is not like pb'ing, I actually vomit because you have to drink a full cup of Water with every pill and it builds up pressure. I now only take liquids or chewable anything. The other benefit to going liquid or chewable is that I am much more likely to get the fish oil burps for a few hours post banding. It is not pleasant, but at least with liquid or chewable, if your pouch is empty you can flush it through your system fast with water and never have that unpleasant side effect.

chicken is never good, even skinless, on the mushies phase in that you can get stuck and pb. Some doctors even put it on the list of "can not be used as a mushie." You can even have problems with it when you are on solids. I could get most Proteins down at about 5-6 weeks out without pain, even steak and ground beef. However, chicken and salmon where especially hard and stuck easily. There is something about the consistency that does not make them pass easily through the pouch. However once you are on solids, if you eat them with something else they go down easier. I started eating salmon with a little yogurt mixed with cucumber and dill and it works well. When I eat chicken, I have a bite or two of veggies or something else first and intersperse it with the rest of my meal.

Mine came a little early the day after surgery . . . and it never came early before. I think surgery is just a big shock to our bodies and we are all affected differently. I wouldn't worry about it, especially if you are not likely to have conceived prior to surgery. Just a word of caution, I can tell you that my periods changed after surgery. What was light with minimal cramping became heavy, longer and I was not a very pleasant person to be around with PMS. This happened over months 2-6 post banding. You store hormones in your fat, as you lose weight it is released and you might get "super-periods" like I did. This evened out after I lost about 50-60 pounds and I went back to normal again.

I would definitely call your doctor right away as well, especially since you feel it under your rib cage which is not really that far away from the band. It is also a holiday week if you are in the US so it is bette to call today then to wait until next Monday. How has your eating been since your last fill?? Have you gotten stuck at all or had an vomiting or pb episodes?

Your body needs a little time to adjust to the changes, plus you do not have much restriction as the swelling goes down in your stomach and before your first fill. I also stalled at this stage and it is normal. However, as long as you keep following the bandster rules and getting in your exercise, your weight will stop dropping again.

I am currently only 1 pound from my goal of a normal BMI and have lost close to 100% of my excess weight in the first year. I can tell you that I had the same exact thing happen. I lost for two weeks, and for the next month I had either a plateau or maybe even an occasional slight gain. My body had to adjust to the changes and it took a while. The first fill helped me to start losing again, although very, very, discouragingly slow. By the second fill I was losing slightly faster but soon found an amazing thing. I started exercising at that point which caused me to started losing relatively steady in that I lost every month but had lots of small plateaus, losses, plateaus, losses. The initial stall did not impact long term success. So basically, almost all of us stall a little at this stage and it is normal. If you keep following the bandster rules, you will do fine over time (especially if you can stay away from having ice cream or slider foods on any kind of regular basis). Exercise in any form is highly recommended if you want to improve your weightloss.

Giddyupgrandma, It is great that you got in to see your doctor. It doesn't seem like changes in diet and metabolism could affect how meds are affecting you. It might even be nice to get seen a little more often while you are going through the most active stages of weight loss. Hopefully as you are closer to goal, you will find numerous positive, healthy side affects that will help you to feel better every day with a stronger body.

Signs become more obvious and recognizeable over the next couple of weeks. You will soon find that you are more an expert at reading your body than you ever were pre-banding.

I understand the fear of getting a fill. I had always intended on getting a slight unfill closer to goal so I could eat comfortably but sensibly. There have been times that I have been uncomfortably banded where eating was a bit of a chore but I was losing the weight. Amazingly, I have found that I can still maintain or even lose (1-2 pounds a month so ultra-slow) with less of a fill now. I wonder if after all this time, perhaps my metabolism has changed with the steady exercise.

I would never bother to tell unless things get more serious. Afterall, what difference does it really make? It doesn't define you as a person . . . you are so much more than a bandster. Also, how many of us have friends who eat like birds and are "watching their girlish figures." It is perfectly acceptable to be weight conscious and eat sensibly.

It sounds like you are on the right track and will lose the final 12 before too long. Congrats on getting so close . . . the last few pounds are like a marathon, you have to work like a madwoman for them to fall off. I agree completely with the fake it until you make it. I have such a hard time dragging myself into the gym, but once I am there, I can't help but get a good workout. You just kind of get "in the zone" even if you say I'll only go for 10 minutes.

Gingerbug & Ang1982, you both look amazing, what a difference the band can help us to make. Conratulations!!!

I lost hair too. However, it has been so gradual, I am the only person who really notices it. I can definitely tell in the heft and feel of it when I pull it into a pony tail or wash it. I would say I went from relatively thick hair to average hair. Nothing terrible but it is noticeable.

I have also heard to wait at least a year, and to maintain your weight for some time so that your body has a chance to do some of its natural adjusting on its own. I have been lucky, it is not bikini belly but I look OK without clothes for the most part and there is only a little sag. However, now that I am pregnant, I don't know what it will look like by next summer, lol.

I lost about 16 to 17 pounds the first month but did keep it off. However, month two was definite plateau, no loss and no gain. After that it was in fits and starts throughout banding but most of my lost occurred in the first eight months of banding. I am losing very, very, extremely slow now . . . but still not gaining for which I am very happy.

You slime when you get stuck, your mouth fills with a substance that is thicker than saliva (kind of like snot but I am sorry for the description). It goes on overload in that you produce so much of it you will have to keep spitting it out into the toilet. When you are really stuck, you don't want to be anywhere but in the bathroom, believe me. Sometimes walking around or stretching your arms over your head help. Sometimes it doesn't. Being stuck usually lasts about 20 minutes for me, but sometimes people can be uncomfortable for over an hour. When I am stuck, if I lean over the toilet while standing and let gravity help to pull it out, it helps it to be finished faster (never vomiting, which you want to avoid at all costs and is dangerous for your band, but food that can not go down comes up through a process called PB or productive burping which happens a little faster if you assume this position). Other people have suggested drinking a little pineapple juice, or mixing a little meat tenderizer with Water or drinking something warm which they say works for them. When I am stuck I can not drink anything, I just get more stuck. Other people swear by papaya enzyme tablets which break up the food quickly but doesn't harm your stomach. You should be able to find these at Vitamin stores. Everyone who uses these says they work wonderfully but I have not tried them yet. Biggest thing about being stuck, once it happens a time or two, you learn to avoid it naturally because it is exceedingly unpleasant. It is almsot something that early bandsters are more prone to as they are first getting used to restriction.

That is wonderful news, better health for your children. More energy to run around, less dependence on medication. I am really happy for you, congrats.