KarenInOhio

i had my gallbladder out 13 years ago. for me, it would occur 2 hours after eating anything spicy, even just seasoned chicken. it felt like something was standing on my stomach. the pain would last about 30 minutes and then be gone. it was a horrible wretching pain, and i'd usually end up in a fetal position. i was glad to get that sucker out !!!

maybe she (your mother-in-law) needs to know that without weight loss surgery, the morbidly obese have only a 5% chance of keeping the weight off.

i would tell your surgeon and see what he suggests. he may give you a prescription to prevent blood clots (ie, with a needle).

ok, so i've had dry chicken and triscuits get stuck in my throat (near the base of my throat), and consequently have encountered sliming. but don't think i've had anything get stuck in my band. is that because i've only had one fill, and the opening is still big? when people talk about getting stuck, are they referring to their band or their throats?

it's actually a powder. but maybe mixing it with Crystal Light Sunrise Orange will help ! thanks !!!

any suggestions about what to do with an orange-flavored protein powder? it tastes too much like baby aspirin. i need some ideas.

i am surprised that when i eat too fast, i feel restriction at the base of my neck. i am also surprised that when something feels stuck in my throat, i start 'sliming'

i was banded 3/25. so since that date, i have lost exactly 20.

i didn't weigh in on friday, but did on sunday. i'm down exactly 30 since i started the optifast (2 weeks prior to surgery). couldn't be happier ! i love the band so far !

i have never heard of that. any idea where she got it ? trader joe's ? whole foods ?

that was funny. i can *totally* relate !

of course you can ! if you look under my profile, look at the threads i've been on. there is a lot of good info there.

we have to give this time. it takes a few fills before they find the 'sweet spot.' just remember that we are losing weight slower than the bypass people, which means, it's better for our skin tone. hang in there !!!

just wondering if you chose the Realize band or the Allergen?

i had my first fill on 4/24. he gave me 4 cc's. i did the "Water cup" test and could not get it all down, and felt lots of restriction, so he took 1/2 cc out. i do feel restriction now when i eat too fast. it's funny. i didn't think i would feel it at the base of my neck ! LOL

that's wonderful. my journey (from seminar to surgery) took 11.5 months. but it was worth it !!!

hi everyone. i'm from NE ohio (cleveland area). i work in the software industry, testing websites. i was banded on 3/25/09 and have been extremely happy with my results so far. i look forward to meeting others who have gone through this. i will try to make it to the meetings you have at polaris mall in columbus ! cheers ! karen

i'll be honest, i was surprised he did the fill at 4 wks post op. so now that i have had a fill, i do feel the restriction. i feel is when i eat too much food too fast, and i've felt it when i ate dry chicken (never again). i can eat more than 1.5 cups of food at a meal, but try not to. most days i have a Protein shake for Breakfast. then i have cut up chicken, with mushrooms, peas, cheese and salad dressing. then for dinner, usually some sort of chicken dish. i have yet to try bread. i'm afraid LOL. i have had some croutons, those were not a problem. and today, i ate part of a flour tortilla. that was not a problem either. probably because it's unlevened. my friend cathy had fruit and said it disagreed with her. i'll say one thing --- this sure is an adventure ! :ohmy:

this sounds like a lot of fun. how many people usually show up?

you might want to try the yoga position called "doggie downward" next time. for me, it worked in 30 seconds. here's a link to a pic of the position: http://perusals.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/downward-facing-dog_enlarged1.jpg

i had to take 2 psych tests ($800, not covered by my insurance). a total of 600 multiple choice questions. had to have 1 session with the psychologist (also not covered by my insurance, $150). then he wrote a lame letter saying i would benefit from more counseling, but it was not mandatory. guess what --- i got denied from insurance because of that letter ! i went back to see him 3 more times ($450 out of pocket). he wrote a new letter and i got approved.

is everyone getting their 1st fill? i had mine on friday 4/24. 4 weeks + 2 days after surgery. my doc gave me 4cc's. he asked me to drink a small cup of water afterwards. i drink about 75% of it and then started feeling pressure. he said he wanted to give me an aggressive fill since i was doing so well, but he was a little too aggressive. he had to remove 1/2 cc. so i have 3.5 cc's of saline. after our fill, he makes us go back on liquids for 48 hours. so tomorrow around noon, i should know if it's working !

i tried this last night (the position, not the juice) because i thought some triscuits got stick. and it worked in 60 seconds.

hi heather ! it's been a while & a lot has happened. i went for 3 more sessions with the psychologist, he wrote his next letter, & got approved. he did give me some coping tools etc. nothing major. so i got banded on 3/25. i'm getting my first fill on 4/24. a ex-coworker friend from progressive has been doing this with me all along. that was probably the biggest help of all. i see you're pregnant now, that's great !!!!

since the odds of keeping weight off for an average obese person (who didn't have WLS) is only 5%, they probably will figure it out anyways. and by that time, you may be so proud of your new bod, that you won't care who knows? good luck !!!