barbara465

So sorry the meeting with the lawyer has been postponed. Hang in there. You need to toughen up a little. I know its hard, but he's playing mind games with you. Don't tip your hand about anything. Make sure you have some money socked away somewhere where he doesn't know about it. Take it out of grocery money if you have to, but put some aside. He needs to be removed from the house until the divorce is settled. Don't feel sorry for him. You can't continue with these mind games and mental abuse. It will all come together at some point, but until then, he needs to leave. Make the lawyer do that for your sanity.

Isn't it great what we can wear now. I went to Palais Royal and bought 2 pair of slacks in a size 20. I didn't think I would be able to wear them yet as they were cheap. Two pair for $38. I got home and tried them on. They fit. They look good and I don't think you can tell how cheap they are. I figure they are good for a month or so. Great buys out there for transition wear.

Congrats!!! You are having wonderful success. I hope I can join you in that onederland soon! Continued success.

While reaching into the hall closet today for a jacket I got my husband's jacket by mistake. I didn't realize it until I got to the kitchen and some light. It was a beautiful green suede jacket in a size Large. My husband said oh that's mine, but it might fit you now. I laughed, but I tried it on. I'm now at work wearing his suede jacket!!!!! I never thought this would fit. It's going to be a good day. I can't stop the grin that's on my face. :clap2:

Leila so glad you are doing well. Yes, take plenty of time to rest and take care of you. The weight loss and all that goes with it will still be here when you're ready. What a beautiful day in Houston today. The weather is just great. Crisp and cool. We don't get too many like this here.

Thanks Darrin for your post. Chalk it up to feeling sorry for myself. I try to be a good bandster and follow my doctor's order. I wouldn't want to be the cause of someone not getting the surgery. However, I wouldn't want them to think that the band comes without its challenges. For me, the band is a good thing. I don't regret having it. I do now have a greater appreciation for its nuiances in all of us. I do now know that being a "good" bandster will not protect me from complications. Sorry if I came off offensive. I read in your post, which you say you did not intend, that if we were having problems we were doing something wrong. Sorry.

Oh I'm so happy to see new June bandsters join us and tell their stories. Thank you for posting!!! This is a great day for me. I feel great and the trials of earlier in the week seem to be behind me. I think I have restriction, but just enough. I am no longer in pain, but I am very, very, careful of what I eat. Today I'm going to join a few friends for lunch. I missed our monthly brunch last week because of my PBing, so I'm glad to see some of them today. Friends are a great outlet for me. Advice needed on non band topic: My DH and I are going on a cruise for Christmas. We invited his female cousin to join us and one of my friends agreed to go. Those 2 will be sharing a cabin. My friend, who turned 60 a few days before me, is going through some trauma. Not sure what it is, but I think she is not adjusting to turning 60 well. We went to Hilton Head together and she just acted weird during that trip. Anyway, she just doesn't want to go on the trip. She would back out now if it wasn't for Dick's cousin. It would cost her more if she didn't share the cabin. What should I do? I want to see if another one of my friends will go before I left the original one off the hook. However, I don't want to feed her depression if that's what's going on. I just don't know what to do, if anything. Help!

I'm 4 months in and my hair is falling out. My new nightime entertainment while watching TV is running my hand thrugh my hair and seeing all the strands that are left on my hand. I don't have any bald spots, but if this continues I may.

I'm not sure he is totally opposite, but more that than the same. He is of average weight, pretty active, and has lots of energy. He is always wanting to be on the go, while I want my down time. I also had the band so I could keep up with him.

Good to hear of your success. You should be proud of yourself and shout it out for all to hear. p.s. Telly looks great and has had TT surgery. That woman is amazing.

I had surgery on a Tuesday and answered email that day from work. I worked from home the rest of the week and returned to the office on Monday. It was easier to work from home so I didn't have to worry about finding clothes to go over my swelled belly.

I get a pain in my left shoulder or rib cage. That is my signal to stop eating that I'm full. Sometimes it also means gas. You get this a lot after surgery for a month or two. Some say is referal pain from the diaphram. Hiccups for me mean I'm in trouble. I sometimes PB with them, but usually I just endure them and belch a few times and they go away. I get them after a fill when I'm too tight. I eat pretzels as my snack food and haven't had any trouble. However, don't drink anything when you are experiencing hiccups or belching or gurgling. This usually leads to worse symptoms.

Welcome Lisa. Hope you find this thread as helpful as I do. It is good to share experiences with others that were banded at same time.

It is difficult to see how much everyone else is losing. That's the problem with our community. We get to see what everyone is doing. We can be doing everything right, but don't see the results other have. Just keep with your program and eventually those fat cells have to leave our body. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will lose slowly. Sometimes I lose the same 3 lbs over and over. Hang in there. Keep getting everything checked to make sure there is nothing wrong with the band and that the fill is adequate. Keep eating the right foods and getting some exercise. That's all you (we) can do. Don't beat yourself up over no or little weight loss. It won't do any good. On a positive note I was able to eat dinner last night. I ate a normal sized bandster meal. I was full. This is the first time I've actually felt that full feeling. It was good. The tightness in my throat (chest) comes and goes, but not as intense as it was. I just know not to slug my water, but take it slow and easy. I've been reading about some doctors saying that the change in weather causes some to get tight. Umm, that is what I told someone the other day. Restriction just came on me so fast. Maybe there is something in that. I know when I flew a few weeks ago I got tighter coming and going. Not enough to cause problems, but I did feel the difference. OK guys its going to be a GOOD weekend.

I love to stick my nose in a good book, or read one of my magazines, or just chill with a good program I've recorded. I love to put some quiet music on and take a nap.

OK if you are doing this in complete secrecy, and you live with your husband, you are going to have a few problems pulling this off. Mainly, you will be sore after the surgery and may need to sleep in a recliner or somewhere other than your bed. Getting up and down from chairs, sofa, bed, the first few days may be a little difficult to hide from someone. You might consider going to a little vacation and staying in a hotel. I don't think you need "help". It is nice however to have some assistance. With good planning you can everything you need prior to surgery and do quite well by yourself. There are good lists on what you need post surgery on this website. Get a good book, movies, etc. and just chill for a few days. Good luck

Yes I've heard about eggs. However, I've never had a problem. Its been one of my safe foods. I'm not going to try scrambled eggs for a while. I may try egg beater omlette, but not anytime soon. I'm wondering if part of my problem now is reflux, but it mainfests differently than pre banding. I'm going to start taking my aciphex for a few days and see if that helps. I seem to be open in the afternoon. Lunch went down just fine today, but it was a mushie. I'm drinking my water now. I'm not gulping it, but can take some pretty big swallows. Not sure what will happen come dinnertime. I'm just going to go with this for a while and see what happens. I'm not Pbing so I'm not in danger. I do stop eating when the golf ball appears.

Call your doctor. If you can't drink enough to keep hydrated you will continue to have problems. You might have to go in for an IV to keep this from happening. Your doctor is your best source of relief/help for now. Good luck to you.

Maybe I'm overly sensititve today so take my comments as they are intended - to share information. I consider myself a really good bandster. I don't eat any of the forbidden foods, stay within an acceptable calorie and carb range, drink my Water, don't eat solids if I can't devote 45 minutes to eating, chew, chew, chew, don't drink with meals and wait at least 60 minutes after, use a small plate and small utensils, cut my meat into tiny, tiny, bites, and eat solid Proteins instead of relying on liquids. I follow the guidelines of my doctor concerning fills and go on Clear Liquids the day of a fill, 3 days of liquids after and 3 days of mushies. I don't use dry Protein for shakes and I don't have oatmeal (doctor's orders). That being said: I have had two episodes of PBs 6-10 days after a fill that required an unfill. I could not recover from them and knew enough to go in and get an unfill so I wouldn't do damage. I've had 1 episode 11 days after a slight fill (happening now) that caused a PB on scrambled eggs that took me almost 7 hours to recover from, followed by another one the next morning that took about 4 hours to recover. I went on liquids/mushies for several days to minimize problems. I now seem to be in an unpredictable phase of my experiences. I can't eat in the am (activia takes 3 hours to eat). I can drink my water and coffee. lunch is going down well and late afternoons restriction returns and dinner is a golf ball. In desperation the last episode has left me eating an ice cream cone several hours later for dinner. I'm a bad bandster! Although these are MY experiences, they are NOT because I'm doing something wrong, or not paying attention to how I'm eating, or eating the WRONG food. Although this thread is open to everyone and they are welcomed, the thread is for those banded in June. The theory being we will understand each of the phases we are in and can help each other. I post things here I wouldn't post in the general threads. I share my experiences because a. I need support b. to share what I'm going through c. to explain my action/reaction d. so others will know. I read the posts for the same reasons in reverse and to offer support/encouragement/praise/sympathy when needed and wanted. No one should assume that because someone experiences something "bad" that it is their fault. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't. This is the risk we took when we got banded. Our comments here are concentrated so maybe we come across as whiners, complainers, or not using the tool as intended. I personally don't feel that way, but I guess others reading our posts may. I'm personally thrilled that I got the band. It has helped me tremendously. It does confuse me at times and I get distressed when it doesn't behave. I am a rules player so I follow the rules of being banded pretty darn well. One of the things we all have to stop hiding is the fact that the band is still relatively new and its long range effects on our bodies is unknown. Also, complications happen to the best of us. The "it won't happen to me" statements have to stop. It can, and probably will. Some may be more severe than others, but there are definitely oddities about the band. There are few that go through this process with absolutely NO side effects. Its all a matter of what we are willing to accept. I accepted all the risks and I'm willing to put up with reasonable side effects. However, I use this thread to help keep me sane, to get support, to get advice, and to get suggestions on making it better. OK, I guess I've said enough. I'm not trying to make anyone mad or uncomfortable. I just felt this needed to be said. Take it in the spirit in which it is written.

Your story is awesome. We share the same surgery date. You have made wonderful progress. I'm so glad you have gone this far without a fill. That is remarkable. Experience has told me that once you start with fills, the world changes (or can change). Most of us start experiencing more of the bandster complications. Continued good luck on your journey.

I remember reading on another thread about the US company that made arrangements for the surgeries in MX. Not sure if it the same one you are dealing with, but you may want to do a search to see. Glad you were able to switch and feel better about all of it. Good luck with your surgery.

4 months out and still feel that my breathe is bad. At least it is really bad in the morning. I use breathe mints throughout the day and try to be very aware of it when around other people.

I've gotten nausous after an episode. It's like you want to PB, but you don't. I had to sit in my recliner last night for a good hour and not move. I didn't want to PB and have to start all over again. However, I haven't had it last all day. I had a cup of coffee this morning and a few sips of Water. I have been trying to eat my activia, but I'm getting the gurgles and hiccups. Not sure what is going on. I may have to start taking my aciphex and see if that calms me down. I really don't want to go for an unfill. I am really confused because some of the posts seem like this is how its supposed to be. This is not as bad as when I was really over filled. It is just a come and go kind of thing. I think there is a time of day when I can eat. I guess I'll just play with this for a while and see what happens. Most of the time I don't worry about any of this. I've started going back to my life and not letting this consume my every thought. I think that is best. A little planning up front for meals and then let it go. I'm losing and that is a good thing. I still want to do it in a healthy way so I'll be careful. Love you guys for all the support. It's nice not doing this alone.

I got the golf ball again last night also after only 3 bites. I felt the tightening in my throat before I sat down so I knew it was iffy. Not sure what is going on in the later afternoon/evening hours. I didn't eat dinner, but was able to eat an ice cream cone a couple of hours later. No PB just tightness in throat feeling. I can eat mid day so maybe that's my meal time. For now I'm going with this unless I start PBing. If so I'll go for a slight unfill. I must just be borderline. No stress yesterday at all so don't feel that was it. Hang in there everyone.

I gurgle when I'm filled too much or if I'm having a PBing episode, caused from being over filled. There is no controling it.