HeatherO

Well . . . still no visit from Aunt Flo since I went off birth control in mid-August . . . took several tests from 9/15 on and nothing . . . until last night. I took another one on a whim (equate brand) and I got a + but the pregnancy line was hardly discernable. The test lines were this color and the pregnancy line was a little lighter than this color. So it was my last test and I bought a different one this morning (Answer brand) and made sure that I caught my first urine of the morning. It was the same result except this one shows just two lines. However, the second line was a little clearer in this test. So I suspect I might just be pregnant. I will take a final test in a few days to see if the color changes or I get a more positive result. Perhaps I ovulated late being my first cycle off of birth control and I did not actually conceive until around the time my TOM was due. With these pale colored lines . . . do you think it is possibly a false positive? I am afraid to get too excited just yet.

I think it would be great to have the support of your twin sister. I am happy to hear she is doing so well . . . and it will be great if you are in the same position next year. Good luck!!!

Change is good and banded life is great!!! You are one test closer to joing us on the band wagon. I would think asthma would improve with less weight and better physical fitness as well. Good luck with everything.

Congratulations . . . I had to poke a couple of new holes myself, lol.

I had an emergency unfill on September 11 and had gained weight!!!??!!! I was a little frustrated, but not yet ready to solidify the gain in the charts. I worked extra hard to get back to ground zero - 150 pounds. I had decided if it lasted much longer I will have to bite the bullet and update the charts. I eventually gained 4 pounds between the unfill on 9/11 to the refill on 9/23. I was horrified by how hard it was without a fill. I went from not being hungry (and sometimes ask myself "omg I missed lunch 2 hours ago and didn't notice") to the moment my eyes opened in bed I was thinking about BREAKFASSSTTTT. I felt like I could eat a horse. I actually was able to eat bread and rice again during this time. It was a continuous struggle with constant hunger and the food obsession that was missing since banding returned the very day I got the unfill. I really did my best to curb overeating. I had a few indulgences, of course, but tried not to overdo it and stay healthy in choices. I got a fill on Tuesday and, thank goodness for such sweet relief, I am back in the game again without too much damage being done. I am officially at my previously stated weight of 150. I didn't have the heart to change my stats in the wrong direction, but now that they are true again I feel like I am back on the losing band wagon. Look out goal, here I come!!!!!!

I had occasional reflux and ignored it because I was fine during the day and happy with my restriction level. It got worse one day and by 3-4 days later I couldn't even get Water down and had to get an emergency unfill which required 8 hours of driving. Thank goodness my husband drove because I was so miserable there was noooo way I could have done it. You need an unfill because you cant stay as is without risking your health. But if your fills are going to cost you $400 a pop, not to mention time and inconvenience, I would suggest looking for a fill center to do it locally or trying to see if you can get in as a transfer patient to a local facility. One thing I learned is that it can flare up miserably when unexpected . . . and if you need an emergency unfill it will definitely not be pleasant navigating airports or waiting for very long. Even if a local option is a little more expensive, it is best to have one available for an emergency situation just in case.

Hello Tiff, I am from NE Ohio as well. There are so many variations on what individual doctors require. Have you met with a surgeon or went to a support group yet? That is usually the best place to start.

I can't see anyway it could get in there unless it collected in the syringe on its way to the port. The band is a closed system unless you are accessing the port with a needle. Please let us know what the doctor says.

I am 5'3, and you?

After my emergency unfill, I eventually gained 4 pounds between the unfill to the refill on 9/23. I have not fasted at all I was horrified by how hard it was without a fill. I went from not being hungry (and sometimes ask myself "omg I missed lunch 2 hours ago and didn't notice") to the moment my eyes opened in bed I was thinking about BREAKFASSSTTTT. I felt like I could eat a horse. I actually was able to eat bread and rice again during this time. It was a continuous struggle with constant hunger and the food obsession that was missing since banding returned the very day I got the unfill. I really did my best to curb overeating. I had a few indulgences, of course, but tried not to overdo it and stay healthy in choices. I got a fill on Tuesday and, thank goodness for such sweet relief, I am back in the game again without too much damage being done. I am officially at my previously stated weight of 150. I didn't have the heart to change my stats in the wrong direction, but now that they are true again I feel like I am back on the losing band wagon. I will get an unfill for certain before Ramadan next year . . . but perhaps just a small one.

I eventually gained 4 pounds between the unfill on 8/29 to the refill on 9/23. I was horrified by how hard it was without a fill. I went from not being hungry (and sometimes asking myself "omg I missed lunch 2 hours ago and didn't notice") to the moment my eyes opened in bed I was thinking about BREAKFASSSTTTT :wub::drool:. I felt like I could eat a horse. I actually was able to eat bread and rice again during this time. It was a continuous struggle with constant hunger and the food obsession that was missing since banding returned the very day I got the unfill. I really did my best to curb overeating. I had a few indulgences, of course, but tried not to overdo it and stay healthy in choices. I got a fill on Tuesday and, thank goodness for such sweet relief, I am back in the game again without too much damage being done. I am officially at my previously stated weight of 150. I didn't have the heart to change my stats in the wrong direction, but now that they are true again I feel like I am back on the losing band wagon. Look out Halloween, here I come!!!!!! :tongue2::thumbup::wink2:

You just need another fill or maybe more to get to a decent restriction level. Schedule another appointment to get in as soon as you can. Having decent restriction makes all of the difference in the world. Good luck.

Congratulations . . . onederland sure feels great . . . and 6 pounds is nothing, you will be at 100 down before you know it. You are doing awesome!!!

Everyone is so different. If you read the statistics, most people experience significant weight loss with any form of surgery. Most people who don't tend to be more vocal . . . because when you are having issues you tend to do more research and seek answers. You may notice common themes in people who don't find success. * Eating slider foods, ice cream, sweets, chips that don't stay in your pouch. * Failure to eat healthy, balanced Proteins, fruits and veggies as the primary nutrition sources. * Grazing throughout the day instead of focusing on primary meals. * Lack of incorporating moderate exercise 3 times plus a week. * Failure to take personal responsibility for your health and well-being. Not being really ready to commit to a lifestyle change. * Failure to address the issues of emotional eating/food addiction that may have driven people to obesity in the first place. * Lack of adequate support systems through doctors offices, support groups, friends & family or online support. Are you really ready to do this . . . if so, you should be able to start looking at common reasons why people have success or failure and develop a strategy for how you will set your life up in such a way to encourage success or combat issues. The first step is to look inside yourself to help determine the reasons why you have a weight issue. Doing a lot of research also helps. Try to analyze people who are succeeding or failing on your own to develop traits that will gear you more for success than failure.

You are not far out from surgery and this is common. I was exactly the same over the first two weeks, definitely the same with the fast runs to the bathroom. It does pass quickly and you should be back to normal once you are off your Clear Liquids or onto the mushies phase. For stomach cramping/hurting. I found that it is better if I stayed away from cold and stuck with warm or hot beverages first thing in the morning or before having something cold. That really helps. It seems to relax everything.

I also went to TJ with Dr Corvala in Hospital Angeles. It was a good experience and I found a local doctor who does fills and aftercare for me. However, I did travel back there for my first fill which was great because they did it under flouro. I am not sure if you are going to Hospital Angeles or elsewhere . . . but if it is the same place, you can PM me and I will tell you all about my experiences.

They would have had you do a barium swallow in the hospital where you drink the pink Fluid and they take pictures, right? If you had a slip it would show up. You would also know if you were unable to ingest anything. If you still have any nausea, you should take some meds to prevent vomiting if at all possible. Are you still having vomiting episodes now or has it passed. I came out of anesthesia really slow and late. My husband was worried because they said I would be in my room in 30 minutes but it was more like 1.5 hours. I also evidently vomitted during surgery as well because the side of my mouth, neck and around my back had a purple stain from whatever they must have had inside my stomach. It was like a dark die and it actually took a couple of days to wear off. I guess anesthesia affects us all differently. I hope you are recovering well now.

I remember your previous posts where you hade to "take care" of him. Now you can focus more on yourself and find someone that suits you better. You have a great attitude and can make the best of any situation. :0)

Welcome to banded life!!! It is a very interesting lifestyle . . . and the best thing I have ever done for myself. It sounds exciting to live in Cyprus. I hope I will hae an opportunity to find my way in Cyprus some time in my life. I have spent time in Turkey so there must be some similarities . . . and I love being in Turkey. What languages do you speak? Is banding common there?

I agree with her:thumbup: Your body is just catching up to adjustments made in previous months, one fill won't cause it. I am also suffering from mild hairloss so I feel your pain. It does get better as long as you are eating healthy.

I guess it affects us all differently. After banding I had a mild diarrhea for weeks. I am normal now, but volume is greatly reduced, probably because intake is also greatly reduced.

I found for me that to keep my weight loss going I needed to cut out processed carbs. I still eat carbs, but they are primarily in the forms of vegetables and occasional fruit and only very rarely eat potatoes/crackers/etc maybe to around once per month. Typical day for me: Breakfast - 2 egg omelette with a little onions & green peppers tossed in and some low fat cheddar. Sometimes I will just have a cheesestick. Sometimes I am really tight in the morning and will just have a slimfast optima, but rarely. lunch - Tuna salad with a little low fat mayo & pickles and a small salad (maybe 1/2 cup tuna salad and 1/2 cups salad). Sometimes I will roll up a little turkey and cheese in a piece of lettuce and will have broccolli or something on the side. Sometimes I will have 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 piece of fruit. dinner - Salmon cooked with dill and non-stick cooking spray on the stove top with a salad near of chopped cucumber, dill and a little smashed garlic mixed into 1/4 cup of low fat yogurt. I could have a small chicken breast with steamed veggies. Sometimes I will make a small lean hamburger and eat it without the patty with a salad on the side. I stalled for about a month before I changed what I was eating. Before I changed I was eating mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc and I could not lose like this, eventhough my calories were down.

The variations have everything to do with height and body type. Some people are pears where they are bottom heavy but have more of a waist. Apple people tend to carry more weight in their abdomen to be a little more rounded at the top with skinnier legs and arms in proportion. Fat distribution is not equal in all people, if you carry a lot of belly fat, that is going to make a definite impact in the size of your pants or shirts. People that are more evenly distributed can generally wear smaller clothing then people who have concentrated areas. Height is very important. If you look at the difference of 220 pounds on someone who is 5'0 (who will look fairly obese) as compared to someone of 220 pounds who is 6'0 (who will be appear much closer to a normal bmi), you will see why the clothes fit differently. When I weighed 220, I was wearing the same size clothes as you . . . so perhaps we have a similar body type and our distribution is similar. At 150, I am in a size 8/10 and medium . . . perhaps you will be as well.

Congratulations Susan, that is wonderful news.

I eat salad almost daily. We have a turkish version of salad. It is finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and a very small amount of romaine and parsley chopped finely. This is topped by 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon and salt sprinkled on top. This is my all time favorite salad and band friendly in that there is no sugar or fat other than a small amount of olive oil on a large salad which we split three ways.