kizzie

I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I hope you are feeling much better now. I'm really not sure why you haven't had any replies about your condition. Erosion is one of the main causes of having the band removed. Maybe you could re-post in the section of October 2009 (maybe there are others in your month who've had the same troubles) or in previous months.. It is odd they haven't replied here. I hope you manage to get everything sorted. I have had MAJOR troubles with my band in my first few weeks.. from port flipping 180 degrees to infection to inflammation of my oesophagus ..and all in the first 6 weeks!.. I've been banded for 18 months now and have lost 50 pounds. not as much as I'd like but it is easy to stray and forget the rules.. I was offered to have my band loosened so I could enjoy my vacation last summer.. I was MORTIFIED.. NO WAY!.. I told my doctor.. "you don't understand.. my friends and family.. they EAT!.. and I have no willpower.. I NEED my band! '... So as you can tell.. with all of my complications.. I love my band and it has certainly helped me from GAINING anymore weight.. I just need to refocus on my goal and start following the rules again.. otherwise my dear band may have to be taken out due to neglect and abuse!.. take care and let me know how you get on!.. :thumbup:

Hi L2BT and thank you for the welcome!. it is good to be back. I want to get on track again for good and use this tool to the best of my ability! I am actually english. I work with a family who live between the US, Caribbean and Spain. We are headed back to Marbella in a few weeks!.. I haven't seen much of Barcelona outside of the airport!..but yes you are right. Spain is a wonderful country with great people!. A wonderful culture.. actors, musicians etc.. My surgeon in Spain is very firm! ha.. but sympathetic at the same time.. he doesn't sugar coat anything!.. ha.. pun intended!..

thanks for the tips!.. I know that at my 'stage' of fullness/emptiness! I would still be hungry on 3oz of anything.. so I do need a fill ... I would be SO grateful for your refrigerator notes if you don't mind!.. I am just back from my hour long walk =3.6 miles. I am pretty tired today though. jetlag after a week in Vegas...going for a shower.. and then decide if I am hungry for dinner or not..!.. my email address is louisah2@mac.com....

Hi Allie Wow. what a great memory you have!. I did have many many complications after being banded.not to the fault of my surgeon.. just my body!.. and yes I had a port revision after the port ripped out of the muscle and flipped..that caused a severe infection.. so I had a hard time the first few months!..even needing a complete unfill as I was so swollen from infection that I couldn't swallow a sip of anything. ANYWAY!!.. all in the past now!.. I can't wait to get back to Spain and get some FILLS done!. Thank you for your support. I hope to lose LOADS more.. I just need to keep focused. Your weight loss is INCREDIBLE!.. 135 pounds! WOW!. I WISH WISH WISH that was me too. you must feel amazing..what is a regular day like for you?... do you count calories? or do you measure your food?.. How much exercise do you do?.. and do you stick to all of the rules?.. I actually forget the rules.. It wasn't until yesterday when I logged back in again that I remembered we aren't allowed to drink when we eat!!!.. eek.. ..I really need to get back on track!.. thank you again Allie.. well done to you!

Hey all.. June 18th will be my bandiversary as they say.. I had a great start.. and lost a lot up until September.. then I really started to slow down. Unfortunately for me.. my surgeon is in Spain and I am in Miami.. I have been here since Sept.. but going back to Spain in a few weeks.. I am down 50 pounds.. but really wish I had lost a lot more. I know I haven't been sticking to the rules. in fact I have forgotten most of them! Serves me right I guess considering I haven't logged onto this site since November!.. I do throw up a lot.. I get stuck a lot because I don't chew properly.. then I find myself filling up on the 'easy' foods.. ie.. soups.. ice creams etc.. How come the bad stuff goes down so easily yet the veggies, eggs and meats get STUCK!?.. I battle with this everyday.. but really want to get focused again.. I want to lose another 10 pounds before going to Spain at the end of the month. My exercise is good though. I have been averaging about 20 miles a week walking.. some days I will walk up to 12 miles throughout the day..as soon as a break time comes I walk for half of it.. then turn around and come back to work again!.. I would be LOST without my ipod! it keeps me going through the walking.. I can keep on and on as long as the battery holds out!.. I have even downloaded the Twilight Saga's (I read the books first) and believe me.. Edward Cullen keeps me WALKING!! ha.. anyway. .just wanted to say hi!.. well done everyone!. I hope to get going again now!.. Might put myself on that liquid diet again.. to calm down my poor stomach!.. x

Hey all.. June 18th will be my bandiversary as they say.. I had a great start.. and lost a lot up until September.. then I really started to slow down. Unfortunately for me.. my surgeon is in Spain and I am in Miami.. I have been here since Sept.. but going back to Spain in a few weeks.. I am down 50 pounds.. but really wish I had lost a lot more. I know I haven't been sticking to the rules. in fact I have forgotten most of them! Serves me right I guess considering I haven't logged onto this site since November!.. I do throw up a lot.. I get stuck a lot because I don't chew properly.. then I find myself filling up on the 'easy' foods.. ie.. soups.. ice creams etc.. How come the bad stuff goes down so easily yet the veggies, eggs and meats get STUCK!?.. I battle with this everyday.. but really want to get focused again.. I want to lose another 10 pounds before going to Spain at the end of the month. My exercise is good though. I have been averaging about 20 miles a week walking.. some days I will walk up to 12 miles throughout the day..as soon as a break time comes I walk for half of it.. then turn around and come back to work again!.. I would be LOST without my ipod! it keeps me going through the walking.. I can keep on and on as long as the battery holds out!.. I have even downloaded the Twilight Saga's (I read the books first) and believe me.. Edward Cullen keeps me WALKING!! ha.. anyway. .just wanted to say hi!.. well done everyone!. I hope to get going again now!.. Might put myself on that liquid diet again.. to calm down my poor stomach!.. x

thanks Allie.. and well done you.. I had my band two days before you, so you are an inspiration..... getting over my heartache.. slowly.. day by day... still in total shock.. but life has to go on.. I have walked between 3 and 8 miles everyday since last Thursday (Sunday -the day he dumped me- to Wednesday I have no memory.. )... so hoping this is it now... Good luck all.. everyone is doing so well.. Kizzie

I was at 30 pounds off in September..I left spain (and my surgeon) and haven't had a fill since... I gained 10 pounds up to Christmas.. and wondered if I would ever get back into this whole thing. I go back to Spain in June and wanted to show my surgeon what I have achieved... still looking for a fill dr who will take me... very hard ... BUT... I have just lost 14 pounds in 5 days.. and it isn't band related.. My boyfriend and I broke up one week ago... my life has been turned upside down... and then 3 days ago I found out that I may never get my Australian Permanent Residency visa even though I lodged it a year ago and have been trying to do it for 13 years... ..... no appetite... I didn't eat for 5 days.. and only have just started on a slim fast can a day.... just can't face food (maybe my breakthrough.. the first time I haven't turned to food in a crisis)..... not a healthy way I know.. but hey.. am 33 pounds down now..and want to keep it going now I have had the kick (in the heart) start that I needed again... well done all..

I am the SAME as you. I think there are a few of us out there. I can't eat ham and thin sliced meats (turkey, chicken) but CAN eat STEAK! and roasted turkey/chicken sliced a little thicker. I can also eat crunchy streaky bacon but not soft back bacon. I can't eat soft bread, but I can eat a crunchy crust, well done toast and crackers. For me the crunchier foods go down much easier. Sometimes though I get stuck with EVERYTHING!.. and silly me I will carry on with solids at my next meal and still get stuck instead of going back to liquids.. I also have a bad habit of forgoing Breakfast (like many I get stuck on everything first thing in the morning) so have a soy milk coffee or soy milk ht chocolate. Not good I know. I get so hungry sometimes and just can't face anymore cottage cheese!! lol But the weight I gained back (7 pounds) is now slowly coming off again.. thank the LORD!.. so hopefully be a few pounds lighter before I go to New Zealand next week for Christmas...!! (and will be thinner for my New Year holiday with my fiance in Hawaii!)... all this to look forward to!. Happy Holidays

hey there and welcome!!.. I got through my first two weeks by making different soups and just drinking the broths... I made french onion soup, chicken broth (and changed the herbs, one day with ginger, another with cilantro etc).. It doesn't have to be boring!!..

I have had to say goodbye to some favourites too.. some obvious ones.. Bread.. (I can eat very crunchy toast though.. 'sometimes' eggs , all forms. I get stuck very quickly with them Ham all thicknesses.. turkey and chicken slices too.. Mushrooms unless they are diced yoghurt.. just produces too much slime and I throw up!!.. Pasta but that is not really too hard to say goodbye to! I gained a lot because of pasta!!..

Thanks so much for writing back so quickly!!.. you are really motivating me to get back on track and start losing. I think I might join a gym!!.. I love the machines and rowing machines etc..and it will give me a chance to get out of the house for an hour!!.We have a great island to walk around here and a pool.. so I try to do both. but don't always.. I am thinking of trying biking again, since losing some weight my knees aren't so painful anymore.. (no cartlidge left).. gosh.. I feel excited again.. I haven't felt this for a few months!!.. (your food diary is a great help thank you!..and hey. I LOVE chicken nuggets and love the tenders too!!)

Congratulations you guys!!.. in the 80's is bloody brilliant..you are inspiring me!!.. you have no idea.. I have avoided this site like the plague since I have been in the US.. because I know I have STOPPED losing and haven't lost for 3 months.. which is devestating as I had lost so well in the beginning.... I really want to make this work and I know it does work.. so I have put myself back on liquids this morning.. and am going to start scheduling my exercise again.. Long2bthin.. I think my band is fine.. I put my throwing up down to stress I think.. I have been flying a lot lately too and I know I have a few days of being tighter when I fly.. and just as I am calming down again I am flying again!.. I am eating too quickly but I am still trying to find foods that work for me. I can't eat eggs in any form and so many foods cause me to 'slime' and produce a lot of mucus. (gross sorry!).. Funnily though I am fine with chocolate! and meat!.. I can eat meat in any form... and steak goes down very well!.. strange how we all react to this thing.. Thank the lord I got my period this morning and will now stop craving chocolate.. I haven't craved it like this since banding!.. I had gone off of it for a while but the days I was eating it I tried to adjust my calories elsewhere... but I do want to reach my hand out to you both and say a huge thanks for motivating my butt into action. you are doing so well that I am going to give myself mini goals... !!!.. would you mind emailing or messaging me a typical days menu and exercise schedule?.. this might help too!!.. thank you !!!!

Hi Stephanie!!.. How is the cute golf outfit!???.. great to hear from you. I was doing so well until I left Spain and the security of my doctor being there whenever I needed him (almost once a week because of my complications)..I haven't had a fill since Sept.. and I do get hungry BUT I am pb'ing and sliming A LOT.. and will raise my hand and say I have CRAVED chocolate like crazy these past three or four weeks and eaten far too much. I am lucky I haven't gained any weight.. but then the chocolate I have eaten has really been all I have been able to keep down!.. (not good I know!!.. thank the lord for vitamins).. I probably should have done this weeks ago but I am going back on liquids tomorrow. I think my poor tummy needs a break. I haven't had any losses even with all the throwing up.. (well not really throw up just blocked feeling and bringing that up).. .. anyway.. I am not particularly hungry but I am head hungry and need to keep motivated to not eat for the wrong reasons. I had a great routine in Spain and would like to get back on track. .. I hear what you are saying about the scale.. but now i have my scale back again I am weighing every day and it is helping me mentally to make the right choices.. even if it is to not GAIN! ... It keeps me positive and motivated..I guess it works for me and not for others.. HOPING to get to 40 pounds off by Christmas. I see so many 'Junesters' are at 60+.. and they had surgery AFTER me !.. quite disheartening for me... (Wonderful for them and crikey I would LOVE to be so motivated!.. hats of to them).. but I am mad that I haven't been able to do more.. I know I had many complications but that excuse is a few months past its sell by date! lol.. anyway.. chat soon and keep in touch!!!.. Louise :thumbdown: