tennisgal

Lisa, About 30 pounds since November. I was so depressed when I didn't loose anything the last couple of months but I didn't have much of a fill then so I knew it would get better. Now, I'm dealing with this stuck stuff...yuck! However, I have not gained ANY back at least and do not feel like I'm depriving myself at all except for a couple of things. So at least that's better than any diet. I'm going to hang in there and try to keep working in the right amount of fill and more Protein. It's just so much pressure when you see how much others have lost. Good luck!

Thanks for the info...no, I don't think I EVER want to go back to being completely unfilled. When I think about how much I could eat then...!!! I'm amazed that I'm not losing soo much when I compare what I used to eat to what I'm eating now. But that's not the case! I have to work for every pound and it is slow...about 30 pounds total since November. I'm a teacher and these last couple of weeks are VERY stressful and busy. When I get out of school, I'm going to really concentrate on mostly Proteins and keep up with what's giving me trouble and getting stuck. If I look at it carefully I think it may be mostly early in the morning and breads and sometimes meat which could be from not chewing. And then I'll go from there deciding on whether or not to do an unfill. Yesterday and today have been the first two days with no stuck episodes in a very long time. This is what happened last month, too. Got okay again right before going back for a fill so I went ahead and got another small fill. Who knows??? This is all very confusing. I just praying for just the right amount.

Colorado, just curious...was it necessary to get completely unfilled??? I was hoping for a small unfill.

Thanks so much for your advice!! I hear a lot about people PBing but not so much about this "stuck" issue. So it's good to hear from others that have gone through it. The thing is that last month I got my fill, had great restriction for a few days and then started getting stuck. Went ahead and got another fill at the beginning of this month and the same thing...best restriction EVER the first week and no stuck episodes and then a week later everything starts getting stuck. I just thought maybe there was some hump I needed to get over and eventually the fill would stay put and last but I don't think I can stand these stuck episodes anymore...probably do need a slight unfill. But at $150 a pop...yuck! I keep wondering if it's the chewing thing and I think it partly is but not all the time. Let me know if anyone else has dealt with this. Thanks so much!

I only have 5.25 cc but I seem to get stuck A LOT! However, I've only actually PB'd 3 times. But that was b/c I really work HARD to get thorugh my "stuck phases" without PBing. Sounds like I need an unfill but this is the first time that I've actually lost in months! So I'm just curious to see if others feel the sweet spot comes with a lot of "stuck episodes." Sometimes it's because I eat too fast or b/c the bites are too big but most of the time it happens no matter what or how much I eat. Any advice or is anyone else stuck a lot?

The tighter I get with my fills, the more often I feel the shoulder pain, too. However, I'm at 5.25 cc. If you've just had surgery recently, you're probably still swollen and you're just sensitive to your new fill. It will probably settle down. It's just something I deal with quite a bit now. Call your doc, though, if it continues and you don't think it's right.

I can completely identify with you. Two fills ago, I had great restriction for a few days and then not much. Then the last fill, everything seemed to get stuck but when it wasn't getting stuck, I could eat a TON! So I was very leary to get another fill this past Tuesday. However, it has been GREAT! Finally, for the first time in months the scale is moving and I can tell a big difference. The stuck episodes had gotten a little less the last week or so of that last fill, but I kept thinking why would I need a fill when everything seemed to be getting stuck. I guess it is the speed we're eating and the size of what we're swallowing. I think I've probably slowed down my eating with this fill and been very aware of portion size. Also, I'm being very careful not to eat dry meats. I just hope it lasts! It's so nice not to be hungry all the time! Slow down your eating and make sure you're taking small bites and chewing. It helped me a lot.

Hey, Shaun! I think we were banded the same day by Dr. Castro and we were at almost the same weight. You are beating me by about 7 pounds!! However, I only have 4.0 cc in my band right now. I get a fill next week but my local doc fills much slower than Dr. Castro would. So probably only .5 more. I sure hope it makes a difference. I really haven't lost anything for several weeks. Very depressing...just thought it was neat that we were both banded the same day and about the same weight.

Yes, I have only told my husband and parents. My children don't know either. It's difficult at first just b/c it's obvious you are changing your eating habits. My coworkers were used to me always being on a different diet, though, so no questions. However, now that I'm about 3 months out and the weight loss has really slowed, I'm glad I don't have everyone judging me. It hasn't been a drastric enough change that anyone has questioned. I have lost 25 plus pounds but that was the same 25 I'd lost dieting the year before so everyone so far just thinks I got back on the diet track. You will want someone to talk to though so I think you should at least tell one friend.

Hi! You might want to try Dr. Robbins in Dothan, AL. Not sure if they accept other patients or not but it's a lot closer and worth a try.

I'm honestly not sure about those details...I don't think it was attached TO the rib cage but my scar is almost right under the last rib and that's exactly what my pain felt like...like it was rubbing against thelowest part of my ribs. Your situation might be totally different. I just wanted you to know that those pains could be just the healing process. It took a couple of weeks for the pain to go completely away but felt better maybe within a week after the first severe pain. Good luck. It does sound like you have a bad doc and a tough situation.

I can't comment on multiple surgeries, but I will say that I felt the rib pain/rubbing after my surgery. It really scared me b/c I couldn't sit in the car to drive w/out that rubbing feeling and it would turn into a sharp pain whenever I turned a certain way. A heating pad helped tremendously and I really took it easy for a few days and then one day that rubbing feeling just went away. Everything else with my surgery went pretty well except for that. Hopefully, it's just the new position of the port. I feel like mine is much lower than my ribs but for some reason there was always that feeling like it was rubbing my ribs.

Hi! I flew out of state to have surgery. Got back to hotel from surgery early afternoon and flew out at 9:00 the next morning. I was worried, too. I didn't have any serious problems. I was very sore but was able to shower and dress pretty easily. Dress comfy and pack light. It was difficult to find any liquids to eat at the airport, like soup, and I was definitely nauseated by the time I got home. I ended up taking a few small bites of yogurt and making it liquid before swallowing. I also had a little "panic attack" on the airplane, but I am terrified to fly and had two flights. I think it was from being so nervous about the surgery and not eating, etc. Good luck!

I'm looking for a fill doctor in your area as well. I've only found one in Atlanta, which is still quite a drive for me. Do you mind me asking, who is the doctor you found and what they charge for fills??? B'ham would be a little shorter drive for me if that doctor was reasonable. Thanks for any help you can provide.

I went through TLC Edge to use Dr. Castro. You can choose between 4 doctors. Dr. Castro also gives the same price if you go directly through him. Google new beginnings surgery and you should find him. Not sure what differences there are if you go through him directly. I found that the TLC group was very thorough and got me set up for my self pay in less than two weeks. Hope this helps!