sistasassy

I have to Magic Bullets and love them!

I have the 10cc band and the same amount of fill as you and my doc is more than willing to go beyond that. I mean, what is the other space for if not to fill it?

I would only drink tiny sips. Sounds like you still have a lot of swelling in there and may pretty closed off. Tiny tiny sips only. Then wait for a while to see if it goes down. If not, then you are probably swollen shut and may want to call your doc to avoid dehydration. As for the pain, that sounds like pretty normal recovery pain to me. I agree with the walking. Walk any time you have that pain and it should back off.

Not really, not on liquids. You need real food to be able to continue your weight loss. Hang in there. It will get better.

I believe there are some people that do not do well with the band for a number of different reasons known only to each specific person. It is not a "fix all." Even those who are successful with the band have to work at it. BUT, there are those that no matter how much they work at it, still do not see results. That is going to happen with anything.

I think most people are not able to tolerate bread after being banded unless it is toasted or crackers. I have been able to eat one slice of cheesy bread since being banded last November. All other bread has gotten stuck including cake.

No, you should be able to eat real food. Your weight loss will stall if you cannot. You should not be able to eat a massive amount but it should be real food. You just need to be sure to take small bites and chew really really well. I have found that fish and shrimp are my main sources of Protein now. I have trouble with chicken if it is not super moist. I then add in some veggies, usually steamed broccoli and after that a bit of starch, cheesy mashed potatoes are my fav. I also eat a bunch of fruits (eating watermelon right now) BUT must chew chew chew or up it will come. I have steered away from anything processed except an occasional chocolate milk shake. Just being honest on that one. I have been limiting myself to one per week on a high stress day. Chocolate fixes everything for me. :biggrin: It takes all the stress away. Anyway, fresh is the way to go if you at all can. It keeps the sodium down along with all the other funky chemicals they add. Back to the original subject, you DO need to be able to eat more than liquids and mushies, just probably not the first few days after a fill.

I think statistics are skewed in so many ways. There is no way to tell exactly what they consider a success of failure and why people succeeded or failed. For some it will be easy and for others it will be hard. Some will lose slow and some will lose fast. I think Everyone is different and what we should all really be looking at is whether the band is working for each of us personally. If there is a slip or erosion, that is beyond our control, most of the time. BUT, if we don't eat right and we don't lose, WE are the ones who failed, not the band.

I am sitting here reading this and chewing the heck out of my watermelon so that IT doesn't get stuck. Yes, the other day I PBed watermelon, of all things.

I took my own PJ's and changed right after surgery and I brought my own "security" blanket. I was much more comfortable. Take slippers so you can walk off any gas pains. I also took a bottle of lotion and body spray to keep smelling fresh and clean. That and lip balm is really all I used. Everything else sort of just sat there. Oh, don't forget to take your happy face :thumbup:! You are headed to a thinner and healthier you!

Hmmmm. Where to begin! My wedding rings are virtually falling off after once strangling my finger. I can sit in a chair and see the chair on both sides rather than my big ole butt hanging over the sides! I can see my collar bone again! My cheeks look awesome! I had to buy all new shoes because mine were all too big. HAD to buy new clothes even though I am not at goal because my skirt FELL OFF at church last week! I now weigh 30 lbs less than my hubby rather than 30 lbs more! I am shopping in the skinny girl side of the store again! I have gone from a 2X to a medium in most everything, My bra size is down to a 36D rather than a 42DD. I have a waistline! I can wear belts and colors again! I, too, can sit in a booth rather than squish into one. I have tons more energy! I can hop and run and climb and not die! I get killer compliments from just about everyone who sees me, young and old! Men hold the door open for me again rather than dropping it in my face. I wear a B in panty hose again instead of a Q. Oh my gosh, my brain is tired! There is so much more! I love NSVs, mine and everyone else's! It is sooooo neat to read them all! I get so excited!!!

I have sips of soda from time to time but never a full one and never more than a sip. The carbonation is a bit rough on me now that I am banded. Probably a good thing because I love soda way too much and that could have easily been a big hang up for me.

I love my protein shakes! I find that if I slack off in drinking them that my weight loss slows. I get a killer boost in weight loss if I take a couple of days and bump up my protein shakes.

These would be my choice, as well! When I crossed the ONEderland threshold, I bought a great Prada purse and when I crossed the "overweight" threshold I bought a wonderful bottle of Pleasures perfume (a great treat for me AND my husband :thumbup:).

I have osteopenia, as well. I am going this September for another bone scan. Hoping it has not progressed but will be no surprise to me if it has due to my diet over the past year.

I, personally, find that every meal is a mystery for me. Every day is different and every meal is different. I just never know. It can be the same food as well. I could have scrambled eggs now and eat them just fine and have them again later today and throw them up. I do find that chewing makes a big difference. Also, I have started taking really small bites and really thinking about the chewing process. If I don't, I get stuck. Even small things will get stuck for me if not chewed properly. I eat a lot of grilled shrimp and I cut them into tiny bites an they go down great. I can do chicken the same way but must have some kind of sauce or juice to moisten it. The only food I have not tried is steak. Still scared of that one.

It took days and days for my bowels to get back to normal after surgery. More like weeks. I would think a mild stool softener would be ok but you should really check with your doc to be sure. Also, you have probably not had enough to eat to really warrant the need for regular bowel movements. Remember that your real food intake is greatly reduced right now.

I would definitely give him a buzz just so he is aware of the fever even if he does nothing about it at this point.

Excellent way to put it.

I have never heard of blood with a PB. I would call the doctor to be safe.

I have a mother-in-law who will not even acknowledge that I have had the surgery let alone my weight loss. She is going to freak out when we show up at her door this summer and there is much less of me coming through the doorway. I can't wait! My sister-in-law, her other daughter-in-law also had the same surgery and she is being treated the same way. I also have a whole slew of friends who will no longer talk to me. I don't say one word about my surgery or how much I have lost UNLESS ASKED. The compliments have started really rolling in an now the haters are turning greener and greener.

My doctor is very very tight on his pre-op diet because he wants your liver shrunk as much as possible to make your surgery safer. Post-op he was much easier. He wanted me on liquids for two weeks then mushies for two weeks but his idea of mushies was anything that I could puree. I do recommend that you follow what your doctors asks of you and that you not find one on here and go with it just out of convenience. Your doctor is going to be working with you for a long time and you want to build trust and confidence between the two of you. If my doctor tells me I can't do something, I know he is telling me that because he has reason to believe it is for my own good. If I tell him something, he can trust that I am being honest and not manipulating the system and that there are no surprises down the road for him. You want that good relationship.

I have learned that, if need be, I could mash, blend, puree, or pulverize anything into a mushy and with a bit of broth or gravy it turns out nice and tasty. Let your inner creativity fly!

I agree with Monkey. I am finally at my sweet spot and it took just the tiniest fill to get me there. I have 5.75cc in a 10 cc band. I had had to have .25cc taken out (I was at 6cc after a .75cc fill) because I was too full. When we get close to the sweet spot it is a matter of fine tuning and you may need a bit added back in.

I would definitely go back into the doctor and keep working at it. I would ask about a leak and then I would get into the nutritionist and see if there is a change that needs to be made there. You have come too far to give up now. You have lost a great deal of weight and you can succeed.