mdgarcia31665

My appointments have been scheduled in the afternoon the last three times. I try to eat a light lunch prior to being stuck because of the liquid diet for the next two days. The very last fill I got he found my port with no problem. The two times before that it took some digging and a few minutes. Left some pretty nice bruises:glare:. Hopefully it won't be so bad in the future. Make sure they numb you, it makes all the difference in the world.:thumbdown:

Okay girls, I'm there too. My friends will say "Hey Skinny". OMG! I am sitting at 220 I can only imagine what I looked like when I started this journey. Must have looked like a mansion because I feel like I look like a house! I know I am shrinking because my daughter can get her arms around me now and actually grab her wrists to give me the best hugs ever! I know too, that I, we, can not fall of of the wagon. We went through a lot to get on that wagon mentally and physically. Good luck to us!

Ahahahahahahahahahah!!!

Haha, my mom says now I know what skinny people feel like!

Have your doctor numb you before he gives you your fill. There really is no reason for them not to numb you before sticking you, especially if they have to dig around for your port. And don't be suprised of you have some good bruising afterwards. Can you see the syringe when you are getting your fill? My doctor told me the saline that is in your band is blue, I have seen it. They take all of the saline out first then put everything back in. Also ask them for a list of your fills and how much they put in if you don't know.

I usually try to stay away from the things that have gotten stuck in the past. Lately though chicken and tuna have been getting stuck and those are things I don't want to stay away from. No matter if I mix them they are getting stuck. I may need a slight unfill, I was filled two weeks ago. I am hoping I am at my sweet spot. Remember to chew your food really, really well and to take really small bites. After a fill you should also stick to mushies for a couple of days. This will give your stomach a chance to recuperate from being irritated. Good luck!

“OH MY GOD, WHERE DID YOUR FACE GO?” My brother said the same thing to me. I lose weight from the top down, so my face gets thinner first. He also says "Look at you, you're all dried up!" It isn't meant to be rude, it's just the words they use along with the tone. You can tell when someone is being mean, sarcastic, and rude, just like you can tell when they are being supportive and loving by saying things like "where did your face go and your all dried up". My dad asked my mom the other day "Where did my daughter go? She isn't fat anymore". I cracked up laughing.:wink_smile: Now I call him fat boy and he gets bugged.:thumbup: It's all in good fun. We love eachother very much and my family is supportive of me. That is all I need. The rude people are usually the haters and the ones who don't understand the hell we have been through to get where we are today.

I would call the doctor first and see what he says. It sounds like you are okay for now. Also ask him if you can schedule an appointment if you feel you need it prior to your 4 or 6 week scheduled appt. 8 hours is a long drive for him to tell you you don't need a fill. I go the other way around. I do really well for about two weeks after my fill and then have very little restriction the last two weeks before my next fill. By the way, you are doing great! Keep up the good work!:wink_smile:

Hey Carla, hang in there. 31lbs is great! Keep in mind that you are not eating nearly as much as you were prior to being banded. I have to keep reminding myself of that too.:grouphug: This tool that was given to us (or that we purchased) is going to help us get to where we need to be. We will be healthier and better (wait! we are already better) people for it. We will not fail because this is not a diet; it is a life change and we will prevail!:confused:

I tried crushing these Vitamins and they are horrible. I really like the Caltrate chewables.

I looked everywhere for the chewable citrate and couldn't find any. I started taking the Caltrate because of the fact they are chewable. I am afraid to swallow pills that are bigger than my meds because they get stuck. These seem to work for me and I am not having any adverse affects from them. I tried to take the viactive and had a weird side effect from it. I got my chewables from Wal-mart. Talk to your nutritionist about these if you are unsure. Good luck.

I use the Centrum chewables as well. I also use Caltrate 600+D chewables, mixed fruit flavors. They're not bad.

Okay, I'm bumping the thread. I too am a slow loser. Part of it is that I don't exercise like I should. I try to walk 2-3 miles a day. That just doesn't always happen. I need to get back into the gym (mine closed) but I may be moving and don't want to sink a whole bunch of money into something when I may not be able to use it. And the eating is going right back to where it used to be. Not the how much but the what. It is just so much easier to eat what everyone else is eating. Now I am going to go to the store, buy some grapefruit and take that 3 mile walk!:biggrin:

I followed a 1200 calorie diet for a little over a month before my surgery. On the day before my friends and I went to this old fast food restaurant called The Burger Bar. They have the greasiest fries and worst for you food in the area. I had a little bit of all my favorites. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it afterwards. I do miss it but it is definitely worth it!

Okay Bigjim. No sarcasm here: This is something I would not do myself, but since you are in the position you are in, I wish you the best of luck. It seems to me that you are capable of handling this and it went well. I don't think you would have attempted it if you weren't able to see the port. Again, I sincerely wish you the best of luck.

The sweet spot is when you are at optimal restriction. Your band doesn't even have to be full that I am aware of. I am thinking that I am near because where I could eat almost anything and nothing would get stuck, now quite a few different things get stuck. I could eat chicken with no problem before and now, more often than not, it gets stuck. Pork, hamburger, turkey :smile2:, and several other things are getting stuck. So, I will have to take my time, take smaller bites, and chew for ever. You shouldn't be drinking while you eat either. This washes the food down and you don't stay full as long and tend to gain weight. Also, the spaghetti and meat balls, eat the meat ball before the Pasta. Proteins first, veggies next and carbs if you have room left. The time it is taking you to eat your meals is fine. I, on the other hand, eat too fast.

It happened again! At Costco, having dinner (samples) and a piece of roast turkey got stuck. Trying to walk around keeping an eye out for a garbage can with no one around was riduculous. I went to the restroom but by the time I got there the "verp" (vomit burp) was gone. I guess the sweet spot is just around the bend. I really need to pay attention and be patient. I am at 6ccs in a 10cc band. I need to get down to business and work this like it was meant to be worked. This plateau is old.

Been there, done that. The first time something got stuck it was a vitamin. That was about 4 weeks after being banded. I switched to chewables and now all is good. A few weeks ago I took a bite of a hamburger patty and it got stuck. I am thinking because it was very dry, although it was a small bite. I had a couple of tortilla chips and they got stuck. Last night I was eating mexican food and it got stuck. I am learning what I can eat and what I can not. The pain is almost unbearable and the only way it goes away is to bring it back up. I don't recommend vomiting because it is bad for your band, but this is the only way for me to get rid of the pain. Unfortunately it is all of the good tasting stuff that gets stuck. Of course it would be that way; all the good stuff is bad for you...

The last two times I went for my fills, the doctor was digging too. I looked to see what he was doing because he was taking a while to find the port. When he found it he showed me the fluid in the syringe. when they fill you they pull fluid out to make sure they found the right spot. The fluid that comes out is blue (at least it is for me, anyone else?). He said that the fluid is blue so they know when they hit the right spot. Yea, you deserve an apology for the unprofessional conversation you overheard and a fill since he didn't give you one to begin with. Good luck.

Okay, I have a stock pile of sugar free fudgsicles in my freezer. They are 40 calories a pop. When I get a craving for something sweet I have one of those. I also have the sugar free popsicles, these are 15 calories each. Yes I have cookies and chips too. These are for my daughter. The chips are the 100 calorie packs. The cookies, regular. Every once in a while I will have a cookie, yea, they yell at me too. I try to ignore them and most times do a pretty good job. But when they yell really loud, I will have one or two. They are real small so I don't feel too bad. It is hard, but we can do this!

Glad you did...The same thing happened to me. I suffered with the dizzies for about a month before I realized that my bp could be too low. When I had it checked it was in the 90s/60s. My doctor took me off my meds except for the one bp med to control my migraines. We are playing with that one because I still get light headed sometimes. Great thread and info.

Hey everyone. Hope all is well with you. When you go to your classes, not matter where they are, SSF or Richmond be sure you ask questions. I was banded in SSF and the classes focus on RNY. There was only one lady who was being banded. I initially went to be banded but the doc wouldn't do it because I have to much scar tissue from some other issues I had. Be aggressive with your questions and make sure they are answered to your satisfaction. The team in SSF is really good and they are nice too. Good luck!

NP may be the psyc. eval. You have to meet with a psychiatrist (sp). They want to make sure you know what the rules are. They also will go over your history with you. It is pretty detailed and takes about 45 minutes. You will also need to get an EKG and a chest X-ray. If I remember correctly the only appointment left is with the medical doc. and he or she will set up your appointment with the surgeon. Good luck

Here's one: I can see my collar bones!

No not yet. I guess I better. This is not normal for me and has me kinda concerned. I guess I could just start taking the iron pills, but I will check with the doctor. Thanks for the suggestion.