barbara465

Reginia - hope your weekend gets better with sick kids, crabby husband, and no smoking. Maybe you should just try to cut back on smoking for now without really quitting. As much as I support your decision to stop smoking, it just might be too much for now. Hope your fill does well for you. Speaking of scar tissue, I have complained about that big hard lump from day one. I don't think mine is scar tissue because it was there so fast. It doesn't seem to interefere with filling my port, but it definitely gets harder after I eat. Last night I think I had my left shoulder pain means I'm full pain. We returned from dinner and immediately my left shoulder neck area started to really hurt. It was so bad I finally went to bed with heating pad. I was very full from dinner and didn't make the connection right away. I'll have to watch for that to see if that is my signal for being full. Dr. Phil said about junk food don't bring it into the house. You will think twice before getting into the car and going to get it if it's not in the house. I think he's right. Melissa you have a good rule - the 3 day wait rule.

OK guys I did sorta well yesterday. I drank my water, had my multi vitamin, did good on food choices until dinner. We went out and I had a cheese enchillada, refried beans, and chips. Not bad, but the margarrita was definitely not on my calorie count for the day!!!! Now this is super bowl weekend and that seems to be an excuse for eating snack foods. Even if you are not a football fan the stores are loaded with greasy fast food like snacks to eat for the game. How are you going to handle all of that? I'm not buying any of it. I keep tortillia multi grain chips in the house. They are pretty good. Why not buy some of those 100 calorie packs of things for snacks? At least you will know what you are eating if you grab for something. February is love month. So its time for some tough love!!! Ready? We've got to stop grabbing for food mindlessly. We have got to stop reaching for food to pacify our moods. We've got to stop reaching for food to reward ourselves on our accomplishments. We just have to say NO. Ok here comes the biggie for me. No ice cream for the month of February. Not going to do it. Period. I'm giving it up for the month. I'm breaking the habit. News flash for those in Houston - In the food court where we meet, and they also have one in the Woodlands, is a restaurant called Pot Belly's. They have the BEST chilli ever. Don't know how many calories, but the small cup is enough for lunch. Had it yesterday and it was delicious. Full of protein too! Have a great weekend everyone. Don't over indulge in those football snacks!

Yes put them in a blender. If you are on "thicker" liquids you shouldn't have chunks of food. I sometimes added a little water to thin it out some. The thicker soups do fill you up more so you probably won't eat as much of it. Once on mushies you really will start to feel full.

Remember that this is HIS program and he needs to work it. My best advice is just be there for him. This takes some adjusting and you will have to adapt as well. Some meals he may not be able to eat and you need to just go with it. If you are the one making the meals you will need to learn what he can and can't eat. This is pretty much a trial and error type of exercise and changes with each fill. My DH is very supportive and also does all the cooking. He tries real hard to prepare what I can eat, while enjoying his own meals the way he wants. Hope all goes well for him. It's nice to hear from a supportive spouse. I love my band and it was the best thing I did for me.

Fills are the iffy part of this procedure. It takes time and patience until all is well and you are at the sweet spot for YOU. The time after surgery, and before a fill, you are wide open. Some experience swelling from the surgery, but for the most part the band is there waiting. It is a time to heal, but you should be careful not to gorge. Each fill can be different and each person has different reactions. They like you to wait at least 2 weeks between fills because some people don't react until then. I am one of those people that don't swell or react until 6-15 days after a fill. Trust me you don't want to be too tight. Try to use a little self control while you are seeking the sweet spot in your fills. Remember it is a process. As you lose weight you will need more fill to get restriction. Agressive fills can cause some severe pain. The fluro doesn't necessarily show restriction. I've gone in when I couldn't swallow spit and the fluro showed me wide open. They take a little out and the pain goes away and I can drink Water again. No change on the fluro. Fills to me are like trips to Vegas - it's a crap shoot. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. In our case, sometimes there is restriction, sometimes too much, and sometimes not enough. Give each fill a chance. Get to know your reaction to fills, how much you can take at any one time, and then play a more active role in your fill frequency and amounts. The best way to combat the challenges of fills is also to balance your intake. I know most don't want to hear that. They think the band should do all the work. Well, that simply is not true. Just because you can eat a whole chicken doesn't mean you should. Good luck to all.

Life before the band is different than life afterwards. I'm not sure that the before is a predicter of life afterwards. I ate fast, chewed little, drank Sprite or iced tea at every meal. Immediately after the band, I slowed down my eating to the point I was probably taking too long to eat, I chew, chew, chew, haven't had a sprite in 7 months, and never drink with a meal. Look inside yourself and try to figure out if this is really something you want to do, that you are commited for life to make these changes. Its funny now looking back. I just never think of sprite, of eating with less than 30 minutes to devote to it, not to serve my meals on a salad plate, not to eat in front of the TV, and not to reach for bread and butter when eating out. Life is full of changes. This is the best change I've made for myself. The decision is individual. Good luck on your decisions.

Here's my plan: Drink 64 oz of water a day Take my multivitamin daily walk 15 minutes/day 4 times a week ice cream only 3 times a week :rose:

I'm in let's do it. I like the idea of water, personal exercise program, and eating goals. I think we should try this and also think what we can do to stop the emotional eating. How do we stop self medicating our pain, stress, or whatever? It seems like quite a few of us are suffering from that.

My biggest pet peeve is with my husband. He thinks he has to return everyone's shopping cart to the store. We get out of the car and he rounds up a cart and wheels it into the store. He could grab my hand and escort ME into the store. My second pet peeve is those that brush their teeth in the public bathroom at work. I don't want to watch my husband brush his teeth, let alone a co-worker. It's just too gross for me.

I try everyday to drink my water. I was doing great until my fill started acting up. I'm back with my water today. Hopefully I can get it all in. About an hour after drinking that wine last night I was able to eat dinner. I don't think I'll try that for a while. Maybe I was just tight last night. Socialgal - hurray! That's great news. Let us know how you are doing when you get better. I am really pleased how far we've all come. I read yesterday one of the posts that a newbie posted. She was frustrated because she had only lost 10 lbs and she was 2 weeks after surgery. She wanted more. She had just started mushies and couldn't understand since she was eating less than before surgery why she wasn't losing faster. Please give me a break. Do any of these people do any research? Do they not know that its a time for healing? How fast do they think they can lose it? That post and the responses to that post just had me really pondering. Why are we complaining of our progress when we ARE making progress? Why are we dissatisfied with the rate we are losing, when we ARE losing? Why are we complaining our clothes don't fit, when they don't fit because they are TOO big? My job is done here. I've reset our expectations. Enjoy the successes!

Ok whose bright idea was the wine? I had a glass of white and then tried to eat. Wrong. First bite was a little awkward, but second was little golf ball. I'm now burbing, but not much pain. I think all the wine did was make me tipsy. Um, maybe that was the idea. Drink a glass of wine and you won't want to eat! Back to safe liquids for me.

Try measuring your food and putting it on a smaller plate. If eating out, immediately put the extra in a To Go box. This will help you stay in control during this time. Just go easy and eat your Protein. Eat like you are filled. Some of your fill could have been absorbed. This happens. Above all, don't stress and don't worry. Take the 2 weeks to heal. The band will be there when your body is ready to resume. Good luck to you and take care of YOU.

OK you are like me in that restriction doesn't show up on fluro. I have to wait 6-15 days before mine kicks in. If you are that hungry then get .2 or .3. Don't go over .3

I think I would go in with the idea of only get .1. If you gurgle with .2 then that is too much. You are probably real close to your spot so go real conservative. I've decided it's worth the extra money to me to go real slow. You also may want to rethink getting a fill this soon. I don't think the weight gain is really from you overeating and not after 2 week and not after being real tight. Now the real cause of the weight gain. Yes it could very well be the antismoking medicine. It also could be the gratification you are seeking with food instead of cigs. Why don't you log what you are eating to be sure? I also think it's hard to do both - weight loss and give up smoking. I commend you for trying, but I know it must be frustrating. Two big oral gratifications taken away at the same time. You might have to substitute with another oral fix. OK you guys minds out of the gutter - I was thinking singing or humming or whistling or public speaking or .... Also might want to think of some of that hard candy that has few calories. It could be something to suck on instead of thinking of cigs. Also, I saw a suggestion to pop one of those Listerine mouth referesher sheets that disolve in your mouth. They are supposed to take away the urge to eat. I haven't tried that.

Good luck to you TexasLady. I just had to go for yet another unfill. I had them take out .2 and instant relief. I tried it for almost 2 weeks, but just couldn't recover. I did have them check my fill and it was all there. I'm with you though in the fact that when they take it out to check it its almost the same as putting it in. I am going to take it slow and easy for a few days before easing back into solid foods. I just think some of us are way more sensitive. The fluro doesn't always tell the whole story. Good luck on your journey.

Welcome. This is a great thread. Pull up a chair and start reading our histories. We are one of the most popular threads on here.

What a difference a day makes and an unfill. They took out .2 and I feel wonderful. We checked the fill and I had it all so that was good. The fluro showed me wide open in their words, but I saw how slow it went through at first. I don't put my faith in those fluro because that doesn't tell them what is going on in the upper track. Although yesterday I didn't feel the instant relief I usually do, I was able to drink an entire bottle of water on the way home while talking to PinkyLee. I was able to drink a half bottle of water before going in so I think I must have opened up for that period of time. I've done lots of soul searching on this topic. I was beating myself up for having to go for yet another unfill. I toughed it out for over a week thinking it would go away and things would get better. I wasn't eating solids and only getting in some liquids during certain periods of the day. I couldn't get in an entire bottle of water on any of those days. I just don't think the lapband has to be that way and I'm not going to live my life that way either. I'm working with this band and learning about my own body's reactions. I've had IBS for years so why would I think that I wouldn't be sensitive to a band around my stomach? I don't think I'm unusual in my reactions. I just think I don't let it go. I can tolerate alot of pain so I don't think I'm too soft in that area. I try to go with the flow, but when the flow ain't working, its time for a change. I love this band and with everything I haven't had near the amount of problems as others have had and reported. I only PB after a fill and never really get stuck. I just think my stomach and/or my esphogus gets swollen and then there are problems after a fill. They also told me yesterday that some people are more sensitive to the omnipacque so that might be contributing to this. I have less in me than I did with the saline and yet am restricted. Go figure. They also told me yesterday that lots and lots of people had been in for unfills. Barbara12 were you the only one getting a fill? To me the secret to all of this is to do your own thing. That is, know how your body reacts and what works for you. Living with the band can be allright and doesn't have to be "bad". I don't venture much beyond the rules of the band. I still have a healthy dose of fear and awe for the tool implanted into me. I hope white wine works the same as red. I really don't care for red and prefer my wine on the sweeter side. I didn't dare drink any last night as I didn't have anything on my stomach. Look out tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Socialgal. Let us know how you are doing and what they did. Randi where are you? What have you decided to do? Let us know how you are. It's raining in Houston, but my spirits are high. I lost 8 lbs in the 3 weeks since my fill. I'm going to make my Valentine's challenge of 10 lbs. Have a great day everyone. Keep your spirits high. When down, look in the mirror at the great accomplishments each of us has achieved.

Aw shucks PinkyLee. You are so kind to me. I had .2 taken out, leaving me 1.7 of omnipaque. Instant relief. I was able to have some queso and refried beans for dinner. It felt so good to get something in my tummy. Thanks for all the support. I felt like I gave it a try and it wasn't calming down.

Going for unfill at 3:30. Activia is just gurgling. This is the pits. I hope I can hang on at work without too much difficulty. I'm really tired of this.

I have the same problems. I have discovered that I can't tolerate big fills and must get only about .3. They switched me to omnipacque when I started losing my fills. I had a fill on the 8th and now I can't keep liquids down. I've gone through this for a week now and one day I can eat soup the next I can't. I had a cold last of Dec and the 1st week of Jan. I thought it was mucous draining or something like that. However, I'm calling for an unfill since I just can't go this. I think some of us are just real sensitive to fills and the amounts. I swell 6-10 days after a fill. My doc has me on 3 days of liquids and 3 days of mushies after a fill. It still doesn't help me when my stomach decides to swell. Good luck and you might need to get an unfill.

I'll be there on the 5th. Yes, you can lose some of your fill. It is more typical after the 1st fill as some of it can get absorped by the band. I lost mine after several fills so they switched me to a thicker saline called omnipacque. Most of the fills are done by PA's at the surgicenter. You have to request your doctor if you want him to give it.

OK guys I know I sound like a broken record. Today I have been able to drink my cup of coffee and get my meds in without any pain. I'll try my activia in a little bit. I couldn't keep a tablespoon of soup down yesterday. I had the worst PB's I've ever had. I drove today in case I need to go to the surgicenter, but we'll see how the day goes. I don't want to get an unfill if I can avoid it. I keep thinking its the cold I had and its just draining. Side benefit - another 2 lbs gone. Of course it will probably come back if I can start to eat, but we'll see. I'm going to try the wine tonight and see if that helps. I just would like to get some soup or protein drink down. :confused: Poodles glad you got to eat some good food. Randi how are you doing today? Socialgal our thoughts are with you. Everyone try to have a good day. Somehow we're going to get through this.

Not getting better. Can't keep liquids or soft foods down for long. Every now and then I open up and can get some soup in. I'll wait a few more days and then go for an unfill. I think after a week this should not be happening.

Randi all I can say is what you are going through just sucks. I have had a week of not being able to eat most meals and PBing. I can't imagine going through that since June. I would definitely get an unfill of some sort and start over after a rest. The band will be there when you are ready and it is ready to behave itself. I can't tollerate big fills and maybe you can't either. It's not so much what's in the band, but the amount they put in and any one time. Maybe you are the same way. Once your stomach or whatever swells up it is a vicious cycle until it is over. Also, I assume they have checked for slippage? It sounds like that if you are PBing every day. No, that is no way to live and you shouldn't have to do that. I have started with Niacin tablets every morning and my hair has stopped falling out. I've done that for about 45 days now. You might want to consider that to see if it helps. Randi, you are not a failure. You are having a bad reaction to the band. Take some different steps and see if you can turn this around. Please consider a partial unfill or even a complete one, and give yourself time to recover. We are here for you. Please don't be a stranger. Let us know what is going on with you. We can't change your experiences, but we can offer some support and encouragement. Although, we can't feel all your pain, we all have had various issues. We stand together. On a personal note, things are a little better. I had a massage yesterday and then couldn't eat or drink for most of the evening. I did get some chicken noodle soup in. Today after I was up for several hours DH made me a little omelete. I was able to eat it, very, very slowly. I'll continue to eat soft foods and see if I can get past this. I did try the grapefruit juice after I couldn't eat yesterday. It was awful. I don't know if it was the brand DH bought or just the whole stuck feeling. I threw it away, slimed for a while, and then got better. I don't think I'll try that again. Aloe vera juice didn't work for me either, so maybe I'm just one that can't take some of these remedies. Rainy day in Houston. Good day to get some chores done and some R&R.

Glad you went for an unfill. I think that a 2.0 cc fill is very aggressive. Now you should take the time to learn new eating habits and probably new foods. What you can tollerate eating from fill to fill will vary as well as day to day. Lots of people have trouble with popcorn, chicken, steak, rice, and eggs. It is a trial by error type of process. However, there are certain foods that are generally not band friendly. This too will vary from person to person and from doctor to doctor. Eat slow, don't drink with meals or immediately after, and chew, chew, chew. Cut everything into tiny pieces the size of a pencil eraser. Put your fork down between bites and let the food go in before taking another bite. There are many threads on this forum that go into more detail, but you get the picture. I think a little fear about "bad" foods is good and keeps us honest. For me, I wouldn't dare try popcorn. The very thought of getting stuck on popcorn sends chills through me. There are plenty of bandsters that eat it and have no issues. Good luck and enjoy the journey.