barbara465

Yes I'm getting cold even with 30 lbs lost. My DH said to me before surgery that he couldn't wait until I lost some weight so I would be cold as well. He says we keep our house too cold. Now I won't admit I'm cold, but you can see me running around the house with my socks on and a throw blanket around me on the couch. I do have thyroid problems, but I take a pill each day. My tests just came back OK so it is the weight loss that is making the difference.

Third times the charm. Good luck to you. Sending you healing vibes.

Glad to hear good news Babs. I thought you were heading for a new band or worse from the other thread. Hope it continues and you are back on the right road. Good luck

Why are educators always at the bottom of the list of wage earners? I was making some career choices and thought I would like to teach for a few years before retirement. I went through the accrediation course. I have an MBA and have taught some college courses. I spent some time substituting while taking the course. I saw more body parts than I care to and more discipline and disrespect than I expected. I went back to industry making once again over 4 times teacher wages. I don't have to worry about how to protect myself if a student wages war on me. I don't have to worry about trying to bring a diverse classroom to the same level of learning. I am relatively safe. Teacher's should get hazzard pay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Politicians just don't get it. Education is the answer, but we don't bring the best to the playing field because we won't pay them. Stepping down off my soap box now ......

OK I've posted a sample signature line for the October challenge. Using 9/24 as a reporting date it says I've done 1 day out of 7 at 1200 calories, 64 oz of Water, and 1 day of 30 minutes exercise. Is that clear enough? So on October 8th you would enter how many days of each did you complete successfully. Pinkylee will then pick up those totals sometime during the week after sunday. Keep your signature line until the next reporting period and then update. The exercise portion was to do something everyday. It was to make us mindfull that each day we should do something. I'm open for discussion, but is it possible to do some light activity on your off gym days to complete the exercise? Two 15 minutes of walking would get you 30 minutes. The 1200 calorie intake can be monitored by you in whatever tracking system you want to use. For some, we are going to try the 6 meals a day. Others will stick to 3 meals and others will do some modification of those. The bottom line is to limit caloric intake to 1200 a day. The water is water. Not all liquids, but water. If I've misunderstood that one let me know. This is just a challenge to keep us motivated and going. We all seem to be struggling right now. You can use your own judgement if you want to modify the individual days. Bottom line effect is to make us aware of what we are doing and see if it makes a difference. Are we ready? We are doing a trial run now as explained by Pinkylee. The official start is October 1.

In the link to the thread they never talked to the doctor. It was always the surgicenter staff or his office. I was given his cell phone number and what hospital to go to if there was an emergency. I'm not defending Dr. Spiegel. I'm just saying how do we know he was made aware of the problem? I knew if I had an emergency and needed him I was to call his cell phone and go to Twelve Oaks. Any other emergency room was not going to get me him. I feel like he does great surgery. If you need aftercare from your surgeon, yes you should chose someone else. Complications? I would consult with him first. My opinion of course.

I'm hoping that Pinkylee will volunteer. If not, I'll do it. Let's put a ticker in our signature line that reads Junebie's October Challenge and list the following: Oct. 8 (15, 22, 29) Daily calories 1200: 7 Exercise 30 minutes: 6 Water: Yes S: ###lbs C: ###s End: ###s and update it each week. The number 7 is days and 6 is number of days I met the challenge, etc. Now, can you follow that? Did I make it too confusing?

OK lets modify the challenge slightly. Eat 1200 calories a day. It doesn't matter how you do it. Drink 64 oz of water/liquids. Exercise 30 minutes - no mater how you break it up in 15 minute chunks. It needs to be at least 30 minutes total. Will that work for everyone? We can start on October 1 and run through the 31st, Halloween. We can then compare of bewitching new bodies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, let's step back and evaluate. 1. If you PB everyday something is wrong. You are either overfilled, eating too fast, or eating the wrong foods. a. go for an unfill. You need to get your body adjusted back from the swelling. Go on liquids and then mushies b. Take 45 minutes to eat. Portion the food, cut it into small pieces, and eat slowly. Taste each bite and wait 1 minute between bites. c. Stay away from foods that are known to cause trouble. They include bread, dry meats, seeds and kernels - like corn. 2. Log food intake into a journal, www.fitday.com or www.sparkspeople.com are two good programs. a. Pay attention to caloric intake. Keep to 1200 calories b. Watch the carbs. We are on a modified Atkins so look to that program for assistance. c. Drink 64 oz of water or other liquds a day d. Take multi vitamin 3. Exercise daily. Walking for as little as 15 minutes a day will help. If you can walk twice a day for 15 minutes that's even better. It doesn't have to be strenous, it doesn't have to a be at a fancy gym, and you don't have to use expensive equipment. 4. Face some hard truths. a. We didn't get this way overnight. We won't get rid of it overnight. We didn't choose the gastric bypass for very good reasons. So don't expect their immediate results with the band. b. Eating high caloric foods, even in small amounts, is not going to help us lose weight. That bowl or cup of ice cream every day, those cookies, those few chips, those ????, add up and defeat our purpose. c. We must learn to be patient. Our bodies will lose the weight if we do the right things. It might not be on our timetable, but it will come. d. The right restriction will take many attempts. Enduring PBs, sliming, and burbing excessively, does more damage and is not good. The long term effects will be band damage. Slow fills, finding the proper restriction, will require us to be patient and will require us to be experiment. e. Staying on liquids and/or mushies, is not working with the band. The band is meant to be used eating normal foods, in smaller quanties. Liquids and mushies go through quickly, allowing hunger to return faster. f. Try eating hard protein first. Get 3-4 oz in at each meal. If you are tight during a certain period of the day, use a protein drink to supplement your intake. g. If 4-6 smaller meals works better for you, then do it. That might be a better approach than 3 meals a day. If you do this, then log everything you eat. It will be too easy to overeat if you don't. h. Fast food restaurants, like McDs, Wendys, Burger King, are not necessary stops in a fast paced life. You can find other ways to eat without going there. Just stop. If you must take the family there, its not good for them either, than let them eat. You don't. There is no good choice at those establishments and over time will defeat your program. i. If you are willing to pay full price to eat at a buffet where you will eat a cup of food, then go. If not, stay away. You can take the same money and buy a balanced meal somewhere else. Buffets are traditionally filled with high carb, starchy choices. We don't need them. I write this for myself as well. I am falling into bad habits. I am willing to do a challenge. Pinky lets figure it out. I like the 6 meals, exercise 30 minutes, drink 64oz of water, 1200 calorie approach. Can we get something together and get it on? We could start October 1st and check in once a week.

I shop the major department stores - Macy's and Dillards. I also order from Land's End and Coldwater creek. I buy a few things from Catherine's - mostly tops. I find a few things at Kohl's as well. I don't like the quality of target, wallmart, catherine's and kohl's.

I have had many woks, but I love my circulon one the best. I have a gas stove, it fits right on it, and I have it in 2 sizes. Its perfect for what I do with the wok and its easy to clean up. It has ridges around the circumference of the skillet, its deep enough for lots of veggies.

OH I'm glad you asked the question. I have noticed a big difference in the food I eat and how it tastes. Definitely get the metallic taste, but also a tasteless taste after chewing forever. I just don't like meat as much any more. Even my favorite pork chops started to taste weird. My husband tends to cook with a lot of flavoring and spice, but I find myself adding salt and pepper to give meat some taste. I thought part of it was just getting tired of chewing and finding it not worth the effort. Amazing how well ice cream still tastes and other empty calories.

Babs, Glad you are getting some answers. Maybe not good news, but sounds like you can plan a course of action. I hope everythings works out for you and that you can get unbanded and rebanded with minimal hassles. Its nice to hear that you found a doctor that cares and takes an interest. Hard to find these days in this business. Keep us updated.

Sometimes moving out of our comfort zone allows us to grow. No, not in weight, but in our experiences and skills. I believe things happen for a reason. That philosophy has guided me through a pretty good career and other challenges. Ask yourself why did this happen now? Maybe, it's time to venture back out, expand your scope, meet new friends and challenges. Your weight loss can continue, your support system may be the same or grow to include others. Evaluate your own goals. What will make you happy, satisified, and content? Good luck with your decisions.

All of my fills and unfills have been with fluro. I have something to add. My experience has been that even though its done under fluro, you can still be overfilled. When I leave the barium is still flowing through freely. Something happens between 6-9 days for me. I get restricted starting with a PB. I don't recover from it and have to get some saline taken out. When I'm in that position they do a barium swallow to see what's going on. It looks like it is still flowing freely. So take it for what's its worth. I would definitely do it under fluro given the choice. For me, it doesn't always tell the whole picture.

Hello Junebies! Hope everyone is doing well. I'm good, but I can eat too much. I try not to overdo, but definitely can eat more than 4-6 oz. I'll get a fill in early October and see if I can get some restriction. I have been eating 1 Activia a day for regularity. Seems to be working. I'm also drinking lots of water so that is helping. I don't want to get that way again. Its hard on your body. I ordered the Injury from the Internet. Now my doctor tells us he doesn't want us to use powdered protein. I have lots of it as his instructions were too late. I had already ordered it. I may add it to foods as I get braver as I worry that I don't get enough protein. I am doing better when eating all my hard protein first, then my vegetables, then my side dish. I can still eat everything, but I do get full and it stays with me longer. No weight loss this week. I ordered the walking tapes and hopefully they will be here soon. Then its exercising for me as I'm not doing enough of that. I've got the water habit now so next its the exercise.

I got one from this site, but its white. It is also very small in the wrist area. I ordered one from Iamed that is Teal and free. It is not here yet. The one from this site was $4.95 and included shipping.

After a fill you should stay on liquids a few days and then go to mushies. I would suggest you go back to that and give everything a chance to heal. Have a ice cream shake if you must, but don't eat solids. I won't yell at you for eating bread since you already did that. :puke: I have my reaction to a fill up to 9 days after so just go slow. Have some soup, drink a protein drink, broth. Go to thicker soups and then mushies. I like that bean/bacon soup and put it through the blender. Don't try solid meats for a few days to see where you are. Hope it gets better and that you aren't overfilled.

Yes it is normal. I also notice I run a slight fever and get chills several hours after a fill. I also get real tired and want a nap. It happens to me everytime.

OK the real question is "why were you eating toast"? I know, I know, some people can eat it. However, most doctors tell you no bread. Also, what you could eat unfilled is not the same things you can eat filled. I'm getting off my soap box now, but we really need to follow the rules. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm trying to keep all of this real. For you and for me. There are consequences for not following the rules. Bad things can happen even when we do obey the rules. Both of my PBs were 6-9 days after a fill, on mushy food that I had chewed and chewed and chewed. I don't recover from them and after several days of not eating I've had to go have a slight unfill.

There was an idea that maybe we could get on the Oprah show in June for our reunion. I think someone may be working on that. If not, the 2nd most popular was Las Vegas. Either one is good for me. I just want to be down 100 lbs by then. Today I got into a size 20 pant, from a size 24. It was hanging in my closet and I thought I would try it on. I can't believe it fit. I don't feel like I've lost since starting back on solid food from my last unfill episode. I am trying to eat more hard protein at start of each meal. It is a challenge to find things to eat. I do feel full when I do that, but I still can eat too much. I portion it out because I can eat more than 4 -6 ounces. I'm going to wait until after my trip to get a fill. I will get one in early Oct and hopefully that will carry me through until December. I can't believe I won the water challenge. I can't believe I'm drinking all this water, but I am. The more I drink the thirister I get. I am drinking all water and very little of anything else. Still have a cup or two of coffee in the mornings, but the rest is water.

You will definitely be hungry. At least I was. You do need to exercise some self control until you get a fill. I tried immediately to live like a banster. I didn't want to "stretch" my pouch. Also during the healing phase you don't want strain on the stiches, etc. Just because you can eat it doesn't mean you should. The hunger will start to go away after a fill. You will need less self control, but you still need to watch what you eat. Try portion controlling your food so you can "see" what you are eating. Good luck

The surgicenter files your insurance. You only have to pay your co-pay. I have been 5 times and have paid nothing. The office staff of many of these doctors runs hot and cold. Some days they are efficient and some days they aren't. I know Spiegel had a big shakeup in his and sometimes its good and sometimes its not. I chose the surgeon. My support I get elsewhere. Each has to make their own decision. You know what you require from a doctor. I find most specialists to be short on bedside manner. It just depends on you.

Try uploading a copy of your photo to www.photobucket.com. They have a utility that will resize the photo for use as a avatar. However, take a copy as it can't be resized once its processed.

The Physicians SurgiCenter of Houston is located at 7515 S. Main, 8th fl, Houston Tx 77030. Phone number is 713 799-9990. They are in the medical center, but just outside of the main hub. Their fills are done by a PA under fluro. The cost is $125. I think you need to be under the care of one of the 6-8 surgeons that operate there. I've found them to be very helpful. They will work with you to get you in when you need to. I've had to go for emergency unfills and they have always worked me in.