54Shirley

Are you taking any Vitamins? We are all put on FLINTSTONES COMPLETE with CHOLINE. I do about 4 a day, it keeps me peppy. I have tried Costcos with the choline, and no comparison. I still felt BLAGH. They are in a orange box must say CHOLINE on the front of box. You can go online for coupons for Flintstones vitamins, and get coupons that will work for this one. When I get hungry on the side,,, I chew 4 of them, and I get my vitamins plus I kill the hunger. you can google choline, and read about it. Hope you feel better.

Try my fitnesspal.com (IF YOU WANT) Also it's free. You will log in all your info that it asks you, and then will tell you your calorie intake. (I KNOW YOU SAID YOU STOPPED COUNTING CALORIES) You would type in your food, and it will tell you your calories and Protein for the day. Then include your exercise, and t will tell you what your burning off.. All the foods are stored in memory, so it's easy to locate them, check a box, and hit enter. Otherwise you do a search and click on it, then it's stored. You will see what your eating a day. It's a good thing. Shirley.

I believe you !

I agree with the person above. My Husband is on 3 different kind of Blood Pressure Pills. The point is to keep all Blood Pressure DOWN. So for someone on a lot of meds. I don't see it as possible. He should talk to his Dr. and see if in his opinion,,,,,, if he were to have the WLS, would he be able to get off of the Meds. If he says yes, and that is what he wants in life, then go for it. Plus he will only be healthier.

Just remember It is a S L O W go. 1 to 2lbs a week is the norm. But you can get stuck at the scale, and you might be losing inches. Sometimes we just sit in Limbo for a while until the body jump starts again. Hang in there, Your doing Fine as long as your not gaining... :party:

You should be measuring, and weighing your food, and recording your calories, either on paper or myfitnesspal.com is free, and I see a lot of people belong there including me. I stay between 800-1200 calories a day, and 60-80G of Protein a day. If you do this, and practice putting the fork down while you are chewing, and Waite about 30 seconds until you take another small bite, and chew, chew, chew. You won't have to worry about stretching your pouch. That comes from stuffing yourself to much, and that's not what this band is all about. So until you get filled,,,, you might as well practice the wright way of doing this. Otherwise if your eating habits are poor, you are going to be stuck, and learning will be a little harder with a fill. This way if you make a small mistake, you won't be stuck. This is up to you, but it is a good thought. Shirley.

You will have to call your Ins. Company on that one. They will look at your policy, and they can answer your questions then.

Try about 3 1/2 days liquid only !, then a day of mushies, then try food. If no luck then go in. If it's only swelling,,, it should go down.

I'm very GLAD for you ! I hope your able to keep your fill, and that is was just swelling, Let me know how your doing...... Shirley.

Here's a good one: Take a large container of cottage cheese, 8oz. cool whip, can of crushed pineapple, 1 small box of Jello. Pour the jello in a bowel NO Water ! add the cool whip to the dry jello, and stir until blended then add in the cottage cheese, stir until blended add the drained crushed pineapple, blend in. chill overnight. OMG what a great tasting salad. It's a FLUFF.

Welcome Aboard ! Just remember to watch the calories on whatever you blend. It still adds up. Shirley.

That sounds good., just take your time.

I agree with all of this... The bottom line is make contact with the Ins. Company, get a name and extension to the person your dealing with, and ask if you get all the paperwork that she needs for the surgery, can you go threw her. Because it might be getting lost in Transit. Now get a file and make 2 of everything you have. If you have to have proof from your PCP, ask for the printouts of your visits. The same goes for the specialists. Any and all paperwork, you make copies of. If you choose to go threw the Ins., and they will help you. You will have the paperwork, and copies in case they say we lost something. NOT A PROBLEM for you, because you have a file on yourself.

So your swelling went down, that's great... Now you move on to mushies, and see if you can stand it. (THIS WAY YOU KNOW IF YOUR REALLY TO FULL.) If it is not a problem, and you want to stay the way you are, then it's up to you. Or if you want to get a little unfill, that's up to you too. But you really should see if mushies (JUST A LITTLE GOES DOWN.) Even if it's a little watery oatmeal. Remember about 3 days of liquid after every fill, then 1 day mushies, then move on to food. Otherwise in the liquid stage if you eat, you will probably swell up.

I'm surprised no one knows about this one. Wash with soap and water, then rinse and pat dry, do not rub. (OR USE THE DRYER) The skin is also chafed (MY DR. TOLD ME THIS ONE) When your dry rub on NOXZEMA medicated skin cream. It's for chaffed skin.. End of the day repeat the whole process washing and all., continue until skin is healed, It should be gone in a few days. Whenever I have a outbreak that's what I do. It works too.

That is FANTASTIC ! Know you can really enjoy your life.

I use MUSCLE MILK LIGHT: Cookies n Creme, Chocolate Milk, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Strawberry Milkshake, Vanilla Creme. These I always keep in the house in case I want a change. (DO NOT BUY THERE CHOCOLATE ! IT'S LOUSEY). These are all available on ebay, just shop around. That's for a White Jug full.

What makes me Happy???? hmmm. I would say any weight loss at all (even if it came out of my Big Toe,,, It's a loss.) Smaller size clothes, Being able to walk around the block without sucking air, and much more. Especially having a Good Surgeon. That makes me very Happy.

YES ! I was way to tight so they emptied me. If you can sip lukewarm stuff and keep it down, they might just take out a little to make the difference. I couldn't swallow spit ! and that is know lie. That's when he thought he blew the band... I know it's rough, but if you can at least swallow something, and keep it down, then he might just say that your a little to full, because you got threw the weekend. You know what I mean !

My first time banded I told everyone. Well I heard nothing but bad news all the way around. Now that I have been refilled by a new surgeon, in a new town. I have told no one. It's none of there business if there only going to complain about it, or talk to me like they are someone that has walked in my shoes. If she is truly your Best Friend. Once you have this done, she will be there to support you. Or she's really not a true best friend. You have to do whats wright, and healthy for you. She should come around to sensible thinking. Shirley.

Welcome aboard Melissa ! Shirley.

If your in THE RED ZONE. Where nothing will go down. Until you get unfilled, you will have to try to see what works for you. I understand the idea of the cold helping to reduce the swelling... But don't forget ! Cold also closes the muscles up where the band is sitting. Anyone that don't believe it. Just go get a glass of ice cold, even cold, and drink it, then you wil feel the muscles closing up. I wouldn't go to hot, I would try to stay tap water warm. I do this all the time, and it goes down easier. At this point what have you got to lose! You don't want that band to slip from throwing up... If you can't do it at all, then go to the E.R. where he works out of, and tell them what's wrong and that he is your Dr.. Someone has got to be able to help you out... (I HAVE BEEN IN YOUR SHOES BEFORE, AND I KNOW IT IS HELL!)

Try warm ! If cold isn't working for you, and hot isn't. Then try lukewarm. You know when you get filled you are suppose to stay on liquids for 2 1/2 to 3 days. If you eat, it causes swelling. Then mushies for a day. So try to sip liquids, and I hope your better by Monday.

Speaking of Cottage Cheese ! Here is something you can have, and it is good. Ingredients: ! large Cottage Cheese * or 12 oz. Cool Whip 1 small box of Jello (NO Water AT ALL) Small can of crushed pineapple (IF YOU CAN) Empty the jello in a bowl, and add the cool whip to it. Stir until dissolved. Blend in the cottage cheese, then if you can add drained crushed pineapple. Chill, then serve. I had a cup of it for dinner, It was Delicious. Hope this helps. Also Muscle Milk Light helps kill the hunger. Look for it on ebay. Type in MUSCLE MILK, and MUSCLE MILK LIGHT will appear, that's what you want. Then look for prices, when you find $5.99 a jug for strawberry milkshake, you found my supplier. It's good stuff, you can't beat the price, and it kills hunger. Take a look for yourself.

When you first get on the Forum, scroll down and look for your state, click on it then look for your city and search for a Center of Excellence Hospital. Also just ask if anyone knows of a COE hospital in your area. That works too. I'm sure you will come threw. Just do your research, and you will help solve your problem.