JillyPoo

I live in Arizona. Monthly is too much, wish I lived closer!

Hello ladies, It has been a long time since I have been on here and too long since my last fill. I am coming to Denver for the support group meeting and a fill in March. Does anyone go to the support group meetings? I am in desperate need of not feeling alone, no one really gets it. They all seem to think that once you get it that is it, I don't know, I just feel like I am alone with it. Make sense? Anyway, let me know if anyone is planning on going, it would be nice to make some connections. There isn't any support group near me.

I haven't had a soda since 4th of July weekend '08'. I loved having one a day...like a treat so it has been kinda challenging at times. Ya know how there are foods out there that just make you crave a sode lol!?! I tried once and it felt horrible so I haven't had any since. Not worth it in my opinion... to risk what I have. Have a great day everyone :tongue2:

Nothing is worth your life :tongue2:. I hope you didn't think I was trying to down play what happened to you because I wasn't. I can't even imagine how scared and confused you must have been. I wish you the best...

Precious~ Oh my that is scary!!! I am so sorry that you had to experience that and it definitely sounds like the surgeon more than the band itself. I think that there are a lot more Realize bandsters out there than you think... We all just generalize it into the "LapBand". I LOVE my band!:smile2: Good luck to you in which ever one you choose.

I personally have started looking at breads as a "filler". Much the same as the stuff in dog food:thumbdown:. I know that is a yucky thing to picture but in my mind they are the same lol. I would rather fill up on something super yummy like extra meat and cheese as to have the bread. I take it off of everything and I avoid sandwhiches if possible. Plus it takes forever to get the bread able to eat. I have a really hard time with tortillas and I think lots of bandsters do so just use caution. Bread is the same way... it gets doughy so it is hard to pass through the band. Be careful and your body(band) will let you know if you can have it or not. You are thinking in the right direction of healthier and that is what matters now!!! Good luck and keep having those positive thoughts:thumbup:

SpideyMom~ thank you so much for the yummy yummy apple treat. I think I will get some apples at the store today and try it. Applesauce goes down funny too... maybe because it is so thick? Thanks again!! Have a great day ~Jill

I was a size tight 18~comfy 20 pants... Xl~1x Tops Now I am a size 8 pants... med~lg. It all depends on where ya shop!!! Some stores are just mean lol:blink:

I have a really hard time with apples, carrots, a lot of bread and any type of thin noodle. I miss apples the most....love love them :thumbup:. I don't get sick I just can't get them down.

I am thinking you are too tight, however it may still be irritated and swullen. Did you do the post op no hot liquids thing for a day or 2 after? I have more restriction with my last fill and things I could eat are giving me a little trouble now. I would definitely get a slight unfill if it keeps up! I am sorry you are having such discomfort...keep us all posted ok :scared2:

~Lupe~ I LOVE your quote:tt1:!!! I couldn't say it any better. Awesome, thanks for that :sad:

Hello all :sad: There are only a hand full of people that know and my kids aren't amung them. I feel like it is yours to tell if you want. My parents, husband, brother, best friends and a band buddy know about mine. My inlaws don't know and there are ways around having to tell them just to eat in front of them. My husband is awesome and helps a lot, he now eats slower so I don't look so out of place . I kind of spin things back on them lol. Like "You do know what a serving looks like right?" I want to be healthier and not live exessively anymore. I eat in the 20 minute frame everyone is supposed to eat in and I take half or more(usually more) of my food for lunch at home. It isn't a big deal for me anyway. I am sure it is liberating to tell people but I don't want to. I don't really have any reason to. I didn't and still don't want it to be the "hot topic" at every get together. All in all it is your choice, you can always tell later. There is good advice and experience here from everyone, that is the awesome thing about this site:thumbup:

Good morning all :scared2: I went in for a fill just last Tuesday-the first fill in 6 months. It was like the first all over again lol. I had forgotten just how much restriction I had... wow! I still ate way less than before and was doing great but the fill makes it so much easier, so there is really nothing wrong with looking forward to it. I don't think anyway. My Doctor is wonderful, and I go back on COOL liquids for the remainder of the day then mushies the next day. He doesn't want me to consume anything hot for at least the day because it could really irritate it :cursing: I love coffee!!! Just keep in mind it is a 30 min visit then life back to normal :cursing: Have a great day!!!

Good morning :wink2: My hubby stayed with me for a few days but I don't have small kids. I think a week would be enough. I am not sure if he does an individual plan or not. The office sent me paperwork explaining my pre and post op diets, the procedure and things to expect later. Dr. K and I had a conference call about a week before my surgery and went over the paperwork plus any questions I had. The only pre op diet that he had me do was No carbs for 10 days (I think lol) prior to surgery. This is to shrink your liver and you really need to stick to it. As far as post I am not 100%, but I don't recall it being as long as a month. I am sure if you called they would send you some paperwork :cryin:. Natalie is in his office and she is great! ~Jill

Mine is in the middle about 2 inches below my bra line. Maybe it is just the Doctors preference?

Kim~ I am not sure which would be better. You are right that you would have the comfort of your own vehicle and could stop ever so often to walk ect. I am assuming that your husband will be going with you? Planes are so hard and stressful you might be better off to drive. You never know too about making reservations and having to change last minute. I think driving is sounding more inviting lol. Take comfys and pillows:thumbup:. Glad I could help and hopefully make you feel a little more at ease about your trip and surgery. ~Jill

Hello my name is Jill and I was banded by Dr. K a little over a year ago and I too lived out of the area. I will answer what I can the best I can :closedeyes:. Congrats on your journey!!! 1) Yes, you will need some sort of transportation while you are there. His office is not near the surgical center(or wasn't when I got my surgery-so if he uses the same center then no). You will hae to ask the office to make sure he uses the same center. I find that rental cars change from day to day so check on that lol. 2)I live about 6 hours away from denver and we drove up for my surgery and stayed for 2 days afterwards. I was really uncomfortable on the drive home and it ended up taking us much longer which was miserable. I had gas and that fun stuff I didn't trust...if you get my drift lol. So I was having to use gas station potties which sucked! So I am not sure which is better but the drive wasn't fun. Not sure if i answered that hehe 3)Ok I looked into cabs in Denver and they are more expensive than if you just rent a car plus you can run around if you need to. You may need more meds, Soups, shopping who knows. But they are about $50 one way from the airport just to the main office :w00t:. So I would recommend that you rent a car everytime you go. I can find them as cheap as $30 a day most of the time. Make sure though that you allow about an hour/hour-half to get from theoffice to the rental car place and to the airport. Have them ticket your return so you don't need to get a ticket on the return side and only take carry on. The Denver airport is pretty user friendly. Just make sure to allow time!!! 4)We stayed near the surgical center and there were a few good places to eat there. Denver has everything you need and you are pretty close to a lot of it. I would mapquest or google everywhere you want to go ahead of time. I had maps to and from everywhere we thought we would want to go. The mall being one As far as walking distance there is some food but no shopping. 5)I now live in Arizona and even when i lived in Colorado I flew in for the day to get fills. I drive an hour or so to the airport, fly in get my rental car, go to my appointment, grab some cool Soup then back to the airport where I fly back, then finish off by a one or 2 hour drive home. It is a crazy day but it is doable. I have flown out 3 times I believe. I need to get my daughter to the bus but if I left something off or you want to ask more let me know. I would be happy to chat. Take care and talk soon. ~Jill

You can't eat anything? I had a fill on the 20th and after a fill you should stay to a post-op diet for the day if not more. I hadn't had a fill in 6 months and I think I am a little inflamed from that lol, so I am taking it easy. Instant mashed potatoes, thin soup and so on. One thing that is KEY is eating at a slow pace taking aprox 20 minutes to eat. I know that it is really hard to do but I can tell the difference in my hunger from that. Make sure too that you are not drinking 30 min before or after your meal, that makes a big difference as well. If you are still feeling hungry all of the time and literally can't eat anything then you need to talk to your doctor about it. We are not supposed to STARVE with the band!!! I hope that you get to feeling better soon. Let us know how you are doing...

Hello everyone :thumbup: I don't get on here very often but I went to get a fill yesterday. I just felt like praising Dr. K lol. He is amazing and I am so thankful to have him as my doc!!! I have gone to one other doc for a fill and that was a mess. Dr. K is just a natural...nothing more to say Thank you all for your words of encouragement and recommending him. Have a wonderful day!!! Oh and it was sure yucky in Denver yesterday bah!!!

Well I guess my question wasn't interesting enough or would cause controversy so no one bothered... LMAO. I asked my doctor and got all of the answers I was looking for anyway. There is no reason to worry unless your doctor is stretching the limits of your band and if that happens then it can rupture. That is scary!!!

Ok so I have been on here searching and reading as everyone else does and I came across a comment about being worried that their band was almost full. It started me thinking should I be worried? My band is almost full, I have about 1cc to go. How many out there are full or almost full and should I be worried. If so why? LOL the silly things we worry about.

I have the realize band and haven't had any problems with it. I was banded over a year ago and have lost 70lbs. I chose the realize band because it's port was a little wider and lower. I had less than 100lbs to lose and my doctor thought I would be happier with the lower port. For the most part I believe they are the same. Good luck in your journey :thumbup:

I agree with hummingbird, you need to see if they can reposition your port. You would think that would be obvious to the Doc. Maybe even get a second opinion on the matter. I can't even imagine how horrible that had to have been for you. I had a fill from an inexperienced doc and it was miserable. I am so sorry that you are having such a hard time and I hope it gets resolved fast so that you can start losing weight again... not just bouncing. Let us know how things are going for you.

I think that the first few weeks, maybe over a month is the toughest. We are use to consuming so much more before the band and when you take that away you always feel hungry. Even if you are not truely hungry your head makes you think you are. Your body goes from thousands of calories to hundreds basically overnight. The liquid and mushies is what most everyone on here are referring to as "starving". You do feel that way too, I won't lie. But like all things time passes and you will move out of that stage. Soups and things along those lines are probably one of the worst things you can eat and expect restriction. They are "slider" foods and there for don't give you that full feeling. After your first few months I would limit them. It is about what you eat, protein is the most important thing. I have had my band for over a year and it is the tool that I needed to help me. I still struggle with food and more than likely will for the rest of my life but I would never change having it. I am feeling the need for a fill now . Well blah blah blah I could talk forever. Oh and I think having support is a must!! I don't have a group so it sometimes is lonely. You need people that understand your feelings and emotions. Good luck in your adventures...what ever your choose.

Well I weigh myself WAY TOO much!! It's horrible that I feel compelled to do it every day. I am really trying to get out of that bad habbit. I have been banded for over a year and it wasn't until now that I am doing this. I was like all of you and didn't at first then did maybe once a week. I know that we fluctuate and I am driving myself mad. No one should be prisoner of their scale. I kinda think the reason I am doing it now is because I have almost hit my goal and am afraid of the bounce back. We all know that feeling... you hit the bottom and from experience we all go back up. It scares the poo out of me. So we are all scared, you of not losing (and I remember that feeling) and me of gaining. :eek: Dang this sickness!!!