SillyGoose

My first fill was today. What an experience! It was quite funny and my surgeon promised it would go better next time. First off, he was 45 minutes late because he was in an unexpected surgery. I was fine with that and understood. Then he was telling me how I don't have a lot of fat right under my skin, but I do have a lot deeper inside. He said that my port should be the easiest he's ever had to access because you can easily see and feel it (I've noticed that as well). He said it was very weird and I joked with him saying "you're telling me I have weird fat???" LOL! I think I embarrassed him. Anyway, he sticks the needle in and is digging around and can't seem to find it after all! He ended up sticking me 4 times before he found it! The lump that both he and I had been feeling was a hematoma (sp?) under the skin and the port was actually a little deeper than he thought! So, instead of me being the easiest ever, I wound up being the most difficult. He said he has never stuck someone that many times. The hematoma will go down in time and he wants me to remind him next time that the prominent lump is not the port so I don't have to go through that again! Even after going through all that, it wasn't that painful, but I am a little sore tonight. Oh, and he informed me that because I had so much fat on my stomach, he had to place a large band on me (I'm guessing that's the 14cc band). He added 4cc's to it at surgery and 2 more today giving me a total of 6cc's. It's too early for me to decided, but I think there might be a slight bit of restriction. I hope so anyway!

Just updating Name.............. Start ..........Current.......... Goal ........ToGo 3ShotRoc..............345..............263................220......... ..43 alabubba..............464..............464................400......... ...64 annieemmm.........200..............198.................170......... ..28 ashleyrenee......240...........240...........199...........41 barb12590............173..............161................155.......... .6 Betelnut…………......95….……...…273 …....……..245………….28 Bklyn1984.............317..............248................230......... ..18 blaze21................200.8...........192.8..............170....... .22.8 Chicky Abby..........314..............314................270............44 clcort...................236...............200...............200...... ......36 countrygirlNY........253..............217................182.......... ..35 crzytchr2004.........237..............232................210.......... .22 Fab by 50.............215..............204................175............29 Fordgal88.............199..............175................199......... ..24 Htaylor1021.....210............210............185.........25 Jazma .............261..........261............235..........24 Jennyt71...............245..............202................170........ ...32 keepingfaith08...225..........225.............190.........35 LessJess...............228..............228................199........ ....29 Letsgetitstarted.....229..............229................199.......... ..30 libbyjane1976.......283...............283................250.......... .33 LilMissDiva...........251.6............247.6..............227......... ..20.6 liz_hager..............158..............155.................145....... ....10 LisaRT.............254...........254.............225.........29 Long2BThin...........192..............187.................169......... ..18 Loveislovely...........191..............191.................169....... .. ..22 Mair.....................222..............220................199...... ......21 mamacj................316..............269................233......... ...36 Melody_mary_42f .277...........231............170..........49 MsNickelback....172...........167............149..........18 nicolerose........365...........288............260..........28 nursemelly.......245...........209............185..........24 onehotmama.........272.............237.................210............ 27 pbpuniser.............212..............212................182......... ..30 peachwood......251...........251............230..........21 picklesix...........197..........187.............170.........17 sexylips................238..............238................199....... ....39 SillyGoose............258...............238................228........ ...10 simone................182...............176.............160........... ....16 ukcatsfan.............340...............340................300........ ...40 workingmom.....214...........214............175.........39 ZiggyLove........226...........202............180.........22 Alleycia...........255...........226.............198........28 Sadie77...........277...........250.............220........30 Lalaredd..........240...........190..............150.......40

Thank you, however, I cannot take credit for this one. It was something that was taught to us at church last night and I felt that it could easily apply to all of us struggling here as well. Non-the-less, I still expect and believe! I just wanted to let you know that the weight loss I've had so far has NOT been consistent. It has been a constant battle. I had to do a 6 month pre op diet while trying to lose 5 to 10 percent of my body weight before I could get surgery. At one time, I had lost about 20lbs. Then I had to quit smoking and gained quit a bit of it back. Then I lost some during the pre op liquid diet. Needless to say, I only lost about 24 lbs during the 9 months I spent waiting for surgery (that adds up to only 2.6 lbs a month!). I then lost 11 lbs after surgery right away, but as soon as I started regular foods, I've lost nothing! It's been almost 4 weeks since I've seen a loss and was feeling very disappointed like you. Just keep pushing through - the restriction will come sooner or later!

I'm so sorry that you are struggling. I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one. Many of us newbies are currently in bandster HELL! I am one of them. I'm struggling with losing and gaining the same 4-5 lbs each week since I've been on solid food. I've also eaten things I know I shouldn't have. I believe this is what we need to do... We need to put the scales away! I weigh everyday and I'll put it away if you will! We need to EXPECT and truly BELIEVE that this band is going to work! We've gone through too much for it not too! During this time as we are waiting for restriction, we need to learn to be patient! This is something most of us (especially me) struggle with on a daily basis. We need to continue exercising and striving to eat the best that we can each day. We also need to follow our doctors orders as well as write down everything we are putting into our mouths to hold us accountable to ourselves. Most importantly - do not give up! We will fall, we will have trouble. But, we will also pick ourselves back up, dust ourselves off and keep on going! We can and will do this!

It sounds like everything is going will with you. Congrats on the fill - I'm happy to hear everything went well. I get mine a week from today. But, I know he will only put 1cc in Happy Birthday!

LifeStartsNow - Great post! I loved reading it and enjoyed all the info. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, that's a pretty aggressive first fill. I wish I could get that much on my first time, but I know it won't happen! My surgeon will only give 1cc at a time. He said that there is a little already in my band that he puts in at surgery. So, I'm guessing maybe 1cc is already in there? Anyway, good luck to you - I hope you're already feeling some restriction! Happy Easter!

I haven't lost a thing since I was given the okay to eat normal food. I sure am glad I didn't set my goal at too high of a number! I'm only updating because I realized I hadn't done so in quite awhile. Name.............. Start ..........Current.......... Goal ........ToGo 3ShotRoc..............345..............263................220......... ..43 alabubba..............464..............464................400......... ...64 annieemmm.........200..............198.................170......... ..28 ashleyrenee......240...........240...........199...........41 barb12590............173..............161................155.......... .6 Betelnut…………......95….……...…273 …....……..245………….28 Bklyn1984.............317..............256................230......... ..26 blaze21................200.8...........200.8..............170......... ..30.8 Chicky Abby..........314..............314................270............44 clcort...................236...............200...............200...... ......36 countrygirlNY........253..............217................182.......... ..35 crzytchr2004.........237..............232................210.......... .22 Fab by 50.............215..............204................175............29 Fordgal88.............199..............175................199......... ..24 Htaylor1021.....210............210............185.........25 Jazma .............261..........261............235..........24 Jennyt71...............245..............204................170........ ...34 keepingfaith08...225..........225.............190.........35 LessJess...............228..............228................199........ ....29 Letsgetitstarted.....229..............229................199.......... ..30 libbyjane1976.......283...............283................250.......... .33 LilMissDiva...........251.6............247.6..............227......... ..20.6 liz_hager..............158..............158.................145....... ....13 LisaRT.............254...........254.............225.........29 Long2BThin...........192..............190.................169......... ..21 Mair.....................222..............220................199...... ......21 mamacj................316..............269................233......... ...36 Melody_mary_42f .277...........231............170..........49 MsNickelback....172...........167............149..........18 nicolerose........365...........288............260..........28 nursemelly.......245...........209............185..........24 onehotmama.........272.............237.................210............ 27 pbpuniser.............212..............212................182......... ..30 peachwood......251...........251............230..........21 picklesix...........197..........187.............170.........17 sexylips................238..............238................199....... ....39 SillyGoose............258...............240................228........ ...12 simone................182...............176.............160........... ....16 ukcatsfan.............340...............340................300........ ...40 workingmom.....214...........214............175.........39 ZiggyLove........226...........202............180.........22

I'm feeling good. Haven't lost a thing since I started eating normal food. I had been walking about 2 miles everyday, but nothing for the past three days. I'm going to start again today. My biggest problem is snacking. I get so hungry on the portions my doc wants me eating and I wind up snacking through out the day. I'm snacking on good things - lots of Protein, but I still need to cut it out! I'm also having a hard time not drinking while eating. I find it very difficult to get all my Water in between meals, but I can easily down it while eating. My fist fill will be on 4/21. I hope it helps some.

I too am not losing a thing.

Thanks for your support. I can't wait till I can finally feel restriction. And, I know that it may take several months before I reach it! I normally don't crave ice cream. I think it was just the monthly stuff that caused me to weaken! Oh well, today is a new day! Have a great weekend everyone!

Lap Lady, I could have written your post! My incisions too are just about healed. My fill though is scheduled for 4/21. I too have been stuck on my weight loss and eating about the same amount as you... except for tonight! I've been PMSing big time and finally broke down today and I did eat more carbs than I was supposed to and had a little ice cream! My daughter has been watching me closely and I promised her I would follow the rules again starting tomorrow and no more ice cream till this same time next month! LOL! I've also been walking everyday this week - almost 2 miles a day which is a lot for me! I'd like to think this stall in our weight is our bodies playing catch up for all the quick weight loss we had so early on? I do pray the scales start moving in the right direction again soon!

I'm gonna hold you to that! lol I'm right there with ya - 6 weeks for me too!:smile2:

Well, I have definitely hit that pending plateau! Since I started soft foods, I think I've actually gained a pound! I wasn't worried at first, but now it's been a week and it's starting to bother me a little. I'm not taking in that many calories, but I am always hungry. Eventually it has to fall off right?!

Name.............. Start ..........Current.......... Goal ........ToGo 3ShotRoc..............345..............263................220......... ..43 alabubba..............464..............464................400......... ....64 annieemmm.........200..............198.................170......... ..28 barb12590............173..............163................155.......... ....8 Betelnut………….....295….……...…270 …....……..245………….25 Bklyn1984.............317..............256................230......... ..26 blaze21................200.8...........200.8..............170......... ..30.8 Chicky Abby..........314..............314................270...........44 countrygirlNY........253..............217................182.......... ..35 crzytchr2004.........237..............231................210.......... .21 Fab by 50.............215..............215................175...........40 Fordgal88.............199..............175................193.5....... ..18.5 Htaylor1021.....210............210............185.........25 Jennyt71...............245..............207................170........ ...37 keepingfaith08...225..........221.5.............190.......31.5 LessJess...............228..............228................199........ ...29 Letsgetitstarted.....229..............229................199.......... .30 libbyjane1976.......283...............283................250.......... 33 LilMissDiva...........251.6............247.6..............227......... .20.6 liz_hager..............158..............157.................145....... ....12 Long2BThin...........192..............191.................169......... ..22 Mair.....................222..............220................199...... .....21 mamacj................316..............269................233......... ...36 MsNickelback....172...........172............149..........23 nicolerose.......365..........288............260.........28 Nursemelly............245............210.................185.......... ...25 onehotmama.........272.............234.................210............ 24 pbpuniser.............212..............212................182......... ..30 peachwood......251...........251............230.........21 picklesix...........197..........197.............170.........27 sexylips................238..............238................199....... ....39 SillyGoose............258...............239................228........ ...11 simone................182...............182................160........ ...22 ukcatsfan.............340...............340................300........ ...40 workingmom.....214...........214............175.........39

So far I'm feeling pretty good. I've been busy and on the go all weekend. I'm tired now. My "port" area is still pretty tender. I can feel the port because it is just under the skin. My surgeon said he may have to reposition it when I get close to goal because it is likely to protrude. I was losing pretty steady everyday until I stared soft foods. Now I've stopped losing. I'm not going to worry about it yet though. My first fill is on 4/21/08. I started my walking routine again yesterday. I'm at about a mile and a half and hope to bump it up to two miles by the end of the week. I hope everyone has had a good weekend and a wonderful week next week!

I read a post several months ago that eating a few dried apricots everyday helps. Haven't tried it myself yet, but I will if the need to arises. Good luck!

Well, I went to my post op appointment this morning. All is great and he cleared me to level 2 which is eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, yogurt, & Peanut Butter (everything low fat or fat free). Next week I can add in Beans. He said he doesn't want me to ever drink another Protein drink. He wants all calories and protein to only come from food sources. I'm very okay with that! The first thing he asked me was how my appetite was doing. I told him I was STARVING!!! He laughed at me! He said that the swelling goes down a lot faster for some than others and that's why I'm so hungry. I also told him that I started taking Fiber for constipation and told me to stop that ASAP because the fiber will expand in our pouch and can stretch it! I had no idea. So, now I have to take milk of magnesia. I hope you all are doing great!

Hi everyone, Well I'm one week post-op and doing well. Thanks again for letting me be a part of this challenge. I hope everyone is doing well! Take Care! Name.............. Start ..........Current.......... Goal ........ToGo 3ShotRoc..............345..............263................220......... ..43 alabubba..............464..............464................400......... ....64 annieemmm.........200..............198.................170......... ..28 barb12590............173..............170................155.......... .15 Betelnut…………......95….……...…273 …....……..245………….28 Bklyn1984.............317..............256................230......... ..26 blaze21................200.8...........200.8..............170......... ..30.8 Chicky Abby..........314..............314................270...........44 countrygirlNY........253..............217................182.......... ..35 crzytchr2004.........237..............232................210.......... .22 Fab by 50.............215..............215................175...........40 Fordgal88.............199..............175................199......... ..24 Htaylor1021.....210............210............185.........25 Jennyt71...............245..............207................170........ ...37 keepingfaith08...225..........225.............190.......35 LessJess...............228..............228................199........ ...29 Letsgetitstarted.....229..............229................199.......... .30 libbyjane1976.......283...............283................250.......... 33 LilMissDiva...........251.6............247.6..............227......... .20.6 liz_hager..............158..............158.................145....... ....13 Long2BThin...........192..............191.................169......... ..22 Mair.....................222..............220................199...... .....21 mamacj................316..............269................233......... ...36 MsNickelback....172...........172............149..........23 onehotmama.........272.............237.................210............ 27 pbpuniser.............212..............212................182......... ..30 peachwood......251...........251............230.........21 picklesix...........197..........197.............170.........27 sexylips................238..............238................199....... ....39 SillyGoose............258...............243................228........ ...15 simone................182...............182................160........ ...22 ukcatsfan.............340...............340................300........ ...40 workingmom.....214...........214............175.........39

I too started back to work today. I made it the whole day, but boy am I exhausted now! So far I'm doing pretty good. The largest incision is still a little tender. I can sleep on both sides, but it's more difficult on my left side where my port is (sort of). I have been very hungry since Friday and have my follow up in two days. I hope he moves me to something more than Protein shakes and Water. I have cheated (at least according to my doctors rules) by having the broth only from veggie Soups. Fab by 50 - I feel your pain. I had horrible constipation for several days. I found out that the liquid pain meds (Mine is Loritab) can cause constipation. I was taking it the last few days only at night to help me sleep. I've now cut that out and started taking Fiber and today I am so much better! Took a couple days with the fiber - but I'm going to continue with it. I've always been regular - this is a first for me! LOL. Anyway, it sounds like everyone is doing so good! I really hope we keep this thread going for support - I know I'm one who needs it! Best wishes & keep up the great work everyone!

Yep, about 2 oz at a time. I just sip on it and put it back in the fridge. But I do agree with you, I think he will start me on solids sooner. I will get more details at me 2 week check up. However, he did give me an example of scrambled eggs, tuna salad, yogurt & soft cheese as the next step. I hope it's soon - I'm so hungry! I still can't believe how well you're doing! And, you better believe none of this is coming back! Take care and have a wonderful evening!

riley, You are doing absolutely great! Keep it up. As far as hunger goes, I've already started to experience it. My doc only has me on 1 shake throughout the day - only 1! and lots of water! I finally broke down the last two days when I was hungry and had the broth only from a can of veggie Soup. That seemed to do the trick. Anyway, when I get to the stage you are, I hope to remember your advice. Protein and no drinking while you eat! The no drinking part will be a challenge, but I'm determined to do it! Take care!

You know, walking really is great. I always despised it before - when I used to smoke. Now that I've quit smoking, I find walking a great stress relief! Best wishes to you!

15 lbs since Monday?! Wow, that's great - what does your doctor have you doing? Keep it up, you're doing great!

I was really hungry yesterday for the first time since surgery. It's amazing how different every one's post-op diets are. I would love to be eating tuna and chili right now. My surgeon has me on only Protein Drinks and water/Chrystal light for the first two weeks. Oh well - we have to follow our doctors orders right! Hope everyone is doing well!