Band_Groupie

Gurgling and burping...all good things as it's my indicator that the restriction is there. I couldn't burp to save my life before, now...I burp like a teenage boy (I have two of them). Air has to come up for the food/drink to go down...think of it like a funnel. You'll get used to it. I love feeling the gurgling with my morning coffee, reassures me that the Band is helping me today! -BG

Hey peeps! I can't believe I've been away so long! The holidays were just SO busy this year and I was off enjoying every minute with my family (gained a couple of pounds, but still under goal, no worries, it's 'NORMAL' LOL). Hope you're all having a wonderful new year! Things are back to normal now, and I'm back to writing and finding ways to 'paying it forward' (like here). Here's the last few blogs (come visit me at my site and keep in touch!) -BG, (Lap) BAND GROUPIE http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/ Headline News! Did you watch the Today Show today? No, I'm going to gloss right over the fact that Hostess has filed for bankruptcy. OK, Yes, I know what just flashed in your mind…How quickly can I get to my local grocery store before the run on the Hostess section leaves the shelves completely bare? Quickly followed by…What did they say the shelf-life of a Twinkie is? OK, My third thought was...I haven't even experience the Deep Fried Twinkie yet!!! Personally, in my early obesity years, I had a decade of addiction to these: Followed by these: Which one is your fav? OK, I know…Enough of the food porn! There are hungry people out here! All right, let me fix this… I'm not even sure Hostess makes food, do they? It doesn't look like food, does it? Would your great-grandma think so? Does a Twinkie even have a real food products in the ingredients? I once saw a science museum experiment where they placed a piece of homemade cake under a sealed glass dome, and under a second dome was a Twinkie. You could barely see the slimy remains of the cake through the mold covering the inside of the first glass dome. The Twinkie? Looked as good as the day it was born. Hey, I wonder if all those preservatives I ate will keep me 'well preserved'. Don't believe it? Here's an NPR story about a teacher who has a 30 year old Twinkie: "The Shelf Life of a Vintage Twinkie"http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4780900 And if you still don't believe that calorie restriction is the best way to control your weight, have you heard of the Twinkie Diet? A (not obese) nutrition professor lost 27 pounds in two months by eating a Hostess treat every three hours instead of meals and restricting his caloric intake from 2,600 to 1,800. He (and I) are not recommending this (you know how I feel about diets)! http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html *shhh…and I didn't tell you this…Hostess promises that no matter who acquires the company, the Twinkie will live on* Now, back to the REAL headline segment. Today Show; Today's Consumer Segment, Elizabeth Mayhew, Editor-In-Chief, "Woman's Day Magazine" My overview: Due to consumer confidence last year was at an all time low, many items are coming down in price this year. 3D TV's, Tablet Computers, E-Readers, GPS Units, Sports Tickets, Cameras, Furniture, and one more item… Wine experts are calling this 'The year of the buyer.' People were not spending money on the $30+ last year bottles, so those prices are coming down. You'll see sales at merchants everywhere here. Look for Rhone wines/France, Tuscan wines/Italy, and Rioja wines/Spain. The only exception is Bordeaux (because there haven't been good vintages lately). In general, European wines (because of the Euro), and S. American wines as well. You can watch the segment here: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/45970790#null Reminder...Everything in moderation. Stock up peeps (no, not on Twinkies!)! Unless they're these... You're welcome. ------------------------------------------------ It's All How You Look At It I was updating my WL/Maintenance spreadsheet/chart and not for the first time noticed that it looks like the Himalayas…it might scare more than a few people about maintenance, not to mention unfills. I was thinking about how regular slow and steady beginners ski jump my WL phase chart looks compared to it (well, not the 6 mo. Pre-op, but the post-surgery). Then I got curious as to how many weeks both of these spanned? How many weeks has it been since the first time I reached goal (my Maintenance Chart starts there)? I was surprised to see that my WL Chart covered 81 weeks, and My Maintenance Chart covered 83...interesting! I wonder what the Maintenance Chart would look like if I gave it the same horizontal/vertical axis range as my WL Chart? So, to compare them equally, I chopped the last two weeks off my Maintenance Chart and both horizontal axis are now 81 weeks. I then expanded the Maintenance vertical axis to cover a 105 pounds range, with gridline intervals every 5 pounds (the same as my WL Chart). Wow…now Maintenance isn't anything to fear! You can clearly see that I had a partial unfill just a few weeks after reaching goal…but after the long awaited refill and making my way back down…well, things are pretty darn steady! Maintenance is nothing to be afraid of! Losing the Band…yep, we can all be afraid of that, because it means not having the help we all desperately need to finally get/keep the weight off (just look at my instant march upward and then white knuckling the wait)…but another thing this shows me is that unfills are nothing to be totally afraid of either. Yeah, gaining and losing it again isn't any fun, but as long as a refill is coming and I'll have the help of the Band again, I'll now know I'll be fine (remind me I said that at the next unfill)! I wish that I'd expected to have unfills along the way…maybe it wouldn't have seemed so traumatic. I think the Doc's should actually tell us to expect them! Unfills are a result of our personal learning process with the Band/operator error (dry meat and not enough chewing in my case), the complicated process of getting to just the right level of restriction at the same time we're losing internal fat, our Doc's approach to fill levels, and let’s face it…a little luck, and a dose of 'fickle' factor thrown in. Maintenance, unfills,…it's all how you look at it!

Sorry, I'll be back to explain... *Post Deleted for LB Book I'm writing Band Groupie http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/

Great WL! And you're doing wonderfully during Bandster Hell...all good lessons learned! Fillls are coming!

Make sure you're getting plenty of fluids now as dehydration can cause tightness. The band stoma is swollen and if you 'baby it' (depending on how sore you are, maybe even going to liquids only for a few days, or mushies, but follow what your Doc suggests) for a few days/week, the swelling should go down. When you're back to normal they can refill you again. My LB blog is here: http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/

Kara- Come take a peek at my blog (started it here, but I'm mainly on Blogger now, it's a safe site) http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/ I'm almost 2.5 years out and I've never 'dieted' with my Band (and I'm in the very middle of a 'normal' BMI...below goal). Yes, you'll have to eat lots of protein like chicken, just to meet your nutrition requirements, but there is NO food that I can't/don't eat and it's been that way since the first day I got my Band. I'm finishing up a LB book now (suggested by folks here), and it's posts like yours that spur me forward. Hugs -BG

:confused:OK, I've read some other threads here about this, but not much in describing the pain/causes/Band relation, so I'm starting my own. First, *A Note to Newbies is at the end...please read if you're perusing the 'complications forum'...I was a scared Newbie too and was here reading the Complications Forum. OK, the short version; tell me what you know about esophageal spasms and does it have any correlation with the Band or Reflux? The longer version is my story; 3 weeks ago a mild stuck episode (ribs at dinner) and a minor PB...the only thing memorable was that I had my first episode of acid reflux problem at night (which is a RED FLAG that you're too tight...coughing, spewing, acid bubbling into your esophagus or even nose...anything at night). I take daily Nexium and hadn't had a problem up until then. The reflux caused me to take some Tums that night and later I woke up with my esophagus full of acid and barely made it to the bathroom to do a major spew! Next day I had some soreness and it gradually got worse with food (lesson here, should have gone to liquids right away) until by the end of the day I was on liquids. I called the Doc's office the next morning (Monday) and after talking it through with the nurse, she told me to give it another day...I was fine. Three weeks of no problems, no tightness and one morning after eating my usual oatmeal and it going through with no problems, 1/2 hour later I get a sudden tightness in my chest that quickly ramped up until it felt like a heart attack and went straight through to my back (if I didn't have a Band I would have called the squad). A friend had suggested 'esophageal spasms', so we Googled it...I was surprised it doesn't always come and go like you'd think the word spasm means...my pain was intense and constant (there was NO burning or reflux pain). It was eased some by pain relievers and I eventually took a narcotic to sleep that night (I did have one vomit from the pain making me nauseous, NOT because anything felt stuck). Again I called the Doc on Monday morning and they got me in on Tuesday...I had a 2cc unfill (I was expecting this as I'd gotten very tight after the vomit, which came after the pain) and then, because I asked for it, a UGI/barium x-ray. Even after the partial unfill the thin barium wasn't even going through my esophagus and the thicker barium finally got a very thin line through (she said my esophagus and stoma were swollen perhaps from the vomiting, but there were no spasms going on...I knew that as there was no pain by days later when I was having this done). This morning I could eat my oatmeal with just a tiny bit of soreness (barium barely getting through yesterday afternoon, and now oatmeal can?). Another lesson; I'm wondering if the second incident would have happened if they'd done an unfill after the first. Got the phone call from my doc this morning NO slip!!! The pain before tightness this weekend is a mystery...and hopefully one that won't return! I'm now wondering if these were esophageal spasms and I had two people comment on my blog just yesterday that they have had them...I'm wondering if it's more common after Banding? I've read that they can be very intense and people often think they're having a heart attack, they can last for days or a short time, and they're not sure what causes them, but some sites say reflux is a suspect. It anyone knows anything or has had these, I'd appreciate any information!!! ================================ *A note to Newbies* Do NOT let a possible complication or chest pains I had for a day or two make you afraid of getting a Band. We all just post the bad things here to find out more about them...trust me, I don't post a thread for every wonderful thing that's happened (that's why it 'just seems' there are lots of complications...yes, I was a Newbie getting scared too). These things are very rare...my Doc told me in all the years he's been doing these their practice has had one slip...one...that's why he wasn't worried, but he let me go for the x-ray because I asked and he knew I needed the peace of mind (there was NO slip). If they had told me to come in after my first problem I doubt I would have had the second one. Knowledge is power...that's why I share everything (see, you just learned 'night time reflux problems of any kind=get in for a small unfill NOW'). I was WAY more upset about a possible slip because of the possibility of LOSING my Band....I was way more upset about that then the mystery, or even the pain. I'd put up with some unexplained chest pain, an unfill and much more to finally be where I am today...I swear it's SO worth it!!! A day or two of mystery chest pain that did no long-term damage vs. the pain I was in because of the Obesity and getting worse all the time...not to mention a shorter life...it's a no brainer... I LOVE MY BAND!!!

Hey girl! Nuts are my 'go to' protein snack, but I had to watch the portion size or prepackage them when I was hungrier or it was easy to overdo (I also learned not to buy cashews except in the mixed nut packs or I'd eat them all LOL). I also keep some roasted edamame to mix them with (not my fav, but doable with some nuts). I don't do the shakes (except after a fill) or bars, so I'm no help there.

Try taking him to a seminar (my DH went to two before he was convinced, and yes, he sounded the same and had watched me lose big chunks of weight many times) and have him read some stories you print here (I'm a blogger), and print some before/after photos too. I'm about 2.5 years out, 100 lbs. + still off and I'm in the middle of a normal BMI and have been maintaining...no more hypertension or prediabetes. My words for him are that I now feel like he does about food...normal...I can limit my intake and not feel like I'm starving all the time. The Band just helps to level the playing field. ((hugs)) -BG http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/

Haven't been on in awhile...and I've been a terrible blogger...life is too busy! Sorry about the troubles JayTee (and others). I've suffered with the dreaded GERD as well, starting I believe about 1 year out. Was on Nexium then way too tight and when I then got the reflux at night I knew it was a big problem so a big unfill, and the GERD went away instantly. Lost both/only Docs in the practice and gained 15 back while waiting months (think it was 6 or so) for a new Doc (reminded me how much I need my Band and that I can't do this alone...funny how I was beginning to think I could LOL). Got the new Doc and a fill, but only back to 5.6 and I was as high as 5.9 before the unfill. I get touched of burning ever now and again, but nothing some Tums can't handle and haven't had to start the Nexium again. For me, what I've learned is that heartburn/GERD is a big side effect of the Band and one I've learned to live with and control. The tighter I get, the worse it gets. I've learned that you have to stay ahead of it or it can spiral out of control quickly...any reflux during the night is a huge red flag it's gone too far. I drink plenty of water during the day, and have something on my stomach if there's a flare. I don't eat anything late and even when I drink water late I wait for it to go through before laying down (and I now like sleeping on two pillows anyway). If I have to, I'll start the Nexium again...at the first sign of a problem...I won't let it get to the point again that I need an unfill without doing everything I can to nip it in the bud first. As I've gotten thinner, I've had to eat less and less food and now it's hard just to get all the solid protein in...and I have to eat slowly as the 'stuck' doesn't show up right away for me. For the first time I've had PB's with eating one bite too much and that never happened before, so I have to be really cautious...PB's are also a big trigger for GERD getting worse (and I've learned to go to mushies/liquids after or I'm asking for GERD to flare). I also think many of us go through a period where we are just tired of it all and get lazy about the rules...I certainly have. Life is good here...145lbs. today (and no, I still haven't accepted my new self), kids are great, and DH and I just started planning our 30th anniversary trip for Spring. I'm meeting a large group of about 50 LB Bloggers in Chicago next month for a weekend. Hope everyone is great and I hope this awful GERD doesn't get the better of any of us! Fight the good fight friends...you're worth it! Love to all! -BG

April '09...Come out, come out, wherever you are....hello....HELLO?!! Anyone there?!! We're just one week from our April Bandiversaries (can you believe it's been 2 years?!) and I thought I'd see how everyone's lives are going...good, bad, indifferent? How's life? OK, I'll start...let's see, milestones in the last year... - Reached my dream goal of 100 pounds gone (for about a day, but it was a little low for me, but too cool to say '100'). - Had a partial unfill (Stuck, PB, too tight...weird after 10 mo. at the same fill level). - Spent months fixing their house for sale/moving my parent's out of their home of 44 years (happy move to a retirement condo). - Actually bought a bikini and wore it to the beach. - Still writing my blog (mostly over at Blogger), but not as often. I'm meeting a group of 50+ Blogger Bander's in Chicago this Fall (can't wait)! - Lost both of the only two surgeon's at my practice (left for other practices). - Gained 15+ pounds back (did you hear, I actually NEED my Lap-Band?). - DD found a great job and moved out into her first 'real' apartment (spent months helping her with home projects/move). - After four months with no doc, finally a new one and fill/sweet restriction again! - Back down about 10# and trying to get into maintenance mode. - I'm back to writing the book (a 'real Bander' handbook) after getting very derailed with both moves last year. Finishing it and back to looking for an agent. I'm still hoping it will see the light of day as I still get so many emails and questions from Banders looking for 'real' info.! Miss you all...how's it going? -BG

Keep the positive attitude, and keep reading those success stories and pics for motivation. Someone told me early on that there are a lot of negative posts here because they are the ones coming back for help...the successful ones are out enjoying their new lives. You're going to do great! -BG

CONGRATULATIONS BANDER! -BG

Kelly, Sounds like you need a small fill, and yes, it's not always easy to get to the perfect spot and I'd suggest doing a little at a time this round so you're not back to too tight (some find even .1cc can make a difference). When I'm at my sweet spot I have no hunger at all between meals, but I can still eat everything (slowly, chewed to death). -BG

Feel better soon! The next week should bring some big changes in how you feel. -BG

Hey GF! Sorry to hear you're having this (I had sciatic pain when I was pregnant the last time...awful stuff to live with). I have osteoarthritis several places in my spine and it's so much better since I got the weight off, so I hope yours will resolve. Look at you, and almost half way?! WOW! Keep it up!

OK, here's some tough love....the period where you're most likely to cause a LB complication (a slip is the most worrying eating too much too soon) is in the first 6 weeks post-band. Just remember, this period is for healing. It's not what you eat (although gooey bread items are a risk as they're on the top offenders of getting stuck), but how much and how well you're chewing. It's so much better to eat more tiny meals during this time. OK, now the love...I'm at goal and I've eaten a slice of our usual Friday night pizza ever since my healing was done...so keep telling yourself this isn't forever. Stop the guilt...there's NOTHING I don't/can't eat...just in moderation and with a conscious choice that you can't eat junk often if you want to lose the weight. Guilt is for diets and I've stopped that rollercoaster and got off. ((hugs)) BG

*Note: I just added my last 5 blogs here today and only this one shows up on the 'blogs' page (You'll have to click on 'The Sweet Spot' next to my name on the blogs page to view the other four). I'm losing it...No, not weight (still in my 155 holding pattern). I'm losing my mind. I went to see my surgeon, but I'll get to that in a moment (stay tuned for some LB info. below). I've been working on making pillows for the great room. I found the same fabric as is on the new recliners at JoAnn's. So I made four throw pillows for the couches. Then I recovered the bench cushion for the church pew to match (not shown yet). I stood back to admire my work and realized that I'd gone all Maria Von Trap with only one fabric...and it was the only fabric in the room (no window treatments in this room)...more than a little too matchy-matchy. So, back to JoAnn's for some more pillows (I decided to try my hand at some fancy pillows for the pew, since it's not sat on unless we have a crowd) and after bringing home lots of swatches I picked four new fabrics. Off to the fabric store once more and I found three of them and put them in the cart to be cut. Half-hour later and I still couldn't find the fourth fabric, so I asked an employee for help...in answer to the her question 'No, I have no clue which section of the fabrics I got the swatch from'. She found it in minutes and put it on the cutting table for them to cut for me. Home again and I start cutting my shapes for the pillows...hmmm...this fourth fabric has some snags and looks like it wont hold up very well...I start pondering going back for a different fabric...and then... ...the lightbulb goes off... ...I'm looking at the backside of the fabric! ...OMG, no wonder I couldn't find the fabric! It's solid, but more golden on the back and has a totally different weave (of course, stupid). I curse my blonde hair. So I also decided to make pillows for the recliners. And here are my fancy pillows and cushion for the pew (I just looked at images on Google to get some ideas to copy). Tons of work with different trims or beading on each one, and I'm not sure I even like them (the contrast of the cream fabric bugs me), but I'm hoping they'll grow on me. *Portion of Post Deleted For LB Book Follow me here: http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/

*Post Deleted For Lap Band Book Follow me here: http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/