luv2teach

I have some of the same issues... I will wake up coughing and sometime burping up something, or vomiting. I have had to keep a bucket next to my bed at times. When there is less fluid in my band I don't have has big an issue, but I know what you are going through.

reflux: YES YES YES gall bladder: had removed 1 year after surgery gout: was diagnosed with gout 1 year after surgery and had to have surgery to remove deposits in my toe joint. weight lost 120lbs. I had reflux before my surgery. For first year after surgery I had NO reflux problems. But since I have had a terrible time with reflux especially at night. I cannot eat anything after 7 pm or I will be up all night with reflux and naseau. I take prilosec twice a day now. I am 2 years post op. I eat tums like they are going out of stile. It doesn't matter what I eat. I have only a 1/2 a cc in my band at this time.

I have one that comes to mind immediately! My younger sister said to me on New Years Eve. "You are no better than a bulimic or anorexic...you hardly ever eat anything, and if you eat too much you puke it up" I was ready to kill her. She is just jealous because I am slimmer than she is now. hmmmm.

Band Ramblings! Well here is what has been going on as of late. The end of August I got really ill and had to have my gall bladder removed. I was at 198 when I went in for surgery. They took all the fluid out of my band, because I was so dehydrated and passing out. I went into my LapBand Doc, the middle of Sept and was down to 194 with no fluid in my band, so we did not do a fill. I went back in the end of Oct. and was up to 201. (tsk tsk):cursing: On Oct. 30th He put in 1cc. I felt o.k., was feeling some restriction and was down to 193 by Dec. 2. At that time we did not do a fill. By Christmas, I was sick with bad cold and sinus infection. I was so plugged up with flem and mucus that I was vomiting all the time. By Dec. 29th I was down to 174 :thumbdown: and very dehydrated and weak. Virtually passing out when I would get up to walk around. I should have called Doc sooner. My mom made me go in and see my doc. He was not happy :ohmy: with how I looked and was feeling and took all the fluid out again so I could get hydrated and get my strength back. ( you may be thinking, her band must have slipped ) My doc did have me do an upper GI and looked at how fluids were going down and everything was working properly... You may also be thinking, "restricted with only 1cc???" Yes, that is possible for me, for two reason, 1) I only have a 4cc band, 2) My band from the time of surgery is not in 'perfect' placement, it is kind of at a slight angle. (now you may be thinking, 'at an angle' my God that can't be good. I thought that at first too, but I have had really no problems, until just recently and my doc does not think that it has anything to do with band placement... He is sure it is ME not the band. I am sure of that too! :redface: I eat too fast and then I pay for it... I have really had a hard time training myself to slow down when I eat. It is even harder when you are only eating 4 to 6 oz of food and everyone else is having a supersized meal and they are done before you. Besides that I like to eat my food HOT! So, where is my weight at since my appt. on the 29th of Dec.? Well from 2:30pm on the 29th to 8:00am on the 30th I gained 12lbs which brought me up to 186:eek:. So I totally freaked out of course and called my Doc. He said that that was o.k. I was very dehydrated and now I was getting some fluids down. By January 5th I was up to 193 :huh2:. Now, I know that is not all weight from hydration. My next appt is not until March 5th, so I know I need to get my poop in a group or I am going to gain all kinds of weight. (very scary) So here is what I started to do on January 6th. 1) I have written down everything I am eating. (this has made a huge impact on what I have been putting in my mouth) 2) I have written down how many calories I am eating at each meal (I'm trying to stay around or under 1000 calories a day) 3) I have made myself go and exercise for 30 minutes every single day. ( I rarely have exercised before now...I know, shame shame) THE RESULTS: I have lost 5 lbs and I am down to 188 as of today. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I was banded on May 30th of 2007 Weight lost 104 lbs. Weight still to lose 33 lbs. My goal is to be down to 175 by my appt in March... without the fluid in the band.

Band Ramblings! Well here is what has been going on as of late. The end of August I got really ill and had to have my gall bladder removed. I was at 198 when I went in for surgery. They took all the fluid out of my band, because I was so dehydrated and passing out. I went into my LapBand Doc, the middle of Sept and was down to 194 with no fluid in my band, so we did not do a fill. I went back in the end of Oct. and was up to 201. (tsk tsk):thumbup: On Oct. 30th He put in 1cc. I felt o.k., was feeling some restriction and was down to 193 by Dec. 2. At that time we did not do a fill. By Christmas, I was sick with bad cold and sinus infection. I was so plugged up with flem and mucus that I was vomiting all the time. By Dec. 29th I was down to 174 :tounge_smile: and very dehydrated and weak. Virtually passing out when I would get up to walk around. I should have called Doc sooner. My mom made me go in and see my doc. He was not happy :ohmy: with how I looked and was feeling and took all the fluid out again so I could get hydrated and get my strength back. ( you may be thinking, her band must have slipped ) My doc did have me do an upper GI and looked at how fluids were going down and everything was working properly... You may also be thinking, "restricted with only 1cc???" Yes, that is possible for me, for two reason, 1) I only have a 4cc band, 2) My band from the time of surgery is not in 'perfect' placement, it is kind of at a slight angle. (now you may be thinking, 'at an angle' my God that can't be good. I thought that at first too, but I have had really no problems, until just recently and my doc does not think that it has anything to do with band placement... He is sure it is ME not the band. I am sure of that too! :thumbup: I eat too fast and then I pay for it... I have really had a hard time training myself to slow down when I eat. It is even harder when you are only eating 4 to 6 oz of food and everyone else is having a supersized meal and they are done before you. Besides that I like to eat my food HOT! So, where is my weight at since my appt. on the 29th of Dec.? Well from 2:30pm on the 29th to 8:00am on the 30th I gained 12lbs which brought me up to 186:eek:. So I totally freaked out of course and called my Doc. He said that that was o.k. I was very dehydrated and now I was getting some fluids down. By January 5th I was up to 193 :huh2:. Now, I know that is not all weight from hydration. My next appt is not until March 5th, so I know I need to get my poop in a group or I am going to gain all kinds of weight. (very scary) So here is what I started to do on January 6th. 1) I have written down everything I am eating. (this has made a huge impact on what I have been putting in my mouth) 2) I have written down how many calories I am eating at each meal (I'm trying to stay around or under 1000 calories a day) 3) I have made myself go and exercise for 30 minutes every single day. ( I rarely have exercised before now...I know, shame shame) THE RESULTS: I have lost 5 lbs and I am down to 188 as of today. :w00t::thumbup: :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I was banded on May 30th of 2007 Weight lost 104 lbs. Weight still to lose 33 lbs. My goal is to be down to 175 by my appt in March... without the fluid in the band.

I think you hit the nail on the head, and really describe what the band is all about. It is just a TOOL and we need to be conscious of what we put in our mouth. The band helps 'remind' us that we can't just shovel food in, or eat too much. I LOVE MY BAND! I don't keep my band a secret. I am very proud of the band and want everyone to know how it has helped me stay on track and be successful. Although the band is just a TOOL, I could not have lost the weight without it. I agree with you about being asked how much weight you have lost being 'fun' in the beginning...it really makes you feel good. But after awhile it gets to be an old topic...and your thinking to yourself, was I that disgusting before that people have to rant and rave now????? I have also found that people I know who haven't seen me in awhile tend to just sit and stare at me. I think it is because they can't believe how different I look. But it can be kind of embarassing...it can also be hard on your spouse, friends, or family who are around you all the time and get sick of people asking you about your weight loss when they have heard the story a million times and may even be struggling with losing weight themselves.... You will be glad to know that it slows down over time. People ask less and less, because they forget what you looked like before. :tounge_smile: Congrats on your band and all your hard work....KEEP IT UP! :thumbup: Amber (luv2teach)

SISTERS! :sleep: I have three sisters. One is 10 years older than me, one is my twin, and the other is 6 years younger than me. At first, I was hesitant to tell them I wanted to have surgery. My eldest sister is the cute, stylish, and always put together one. My twin is the tiny petite one and my little sis is the young and hip one. My title has always been "the fat one". So I was a little apprehensive about sharing my desire to have weight loss surgery. My thought was they would think I was taking the easy way out. So I did not say anything right away. When I finally got word that insurance would cover the surgery (after being denied first and resubmitting) I new it was time to tell. To my surprise they were all three very supportive and excited for me. :confused: Even in the beginning after surgery they would congratulate me when I told them how much weight I was down or would give me rave reviews about how I looked. This all sounds great doesn't it?????? Times have a changed! I am nearing my goal and have officially gone down a whole size smaller than two of my sisters and I am the same size as one of them. Talk about a complete turn around (there attitudes I mean). I get comments like "What size are those jeans???" it the snottiest of tones. My younger sister even said to me "You are no better than a bulimic, because if you eat too much you get sick." How RUDE!:eek: So I am at a loss for what to do or say. I have gotten to the point where I don't even want to spend time with them. So the question is, Is it better to be "the fat sister"? and still have your sis's or be the "slim sister" and have them green with envy? I wish I could make them realize that none of this ever had anything to do with the way I look, but with the way I feel. They should be able to realize that I am happier and healthier than I have ever been. My hope is that eventually they will get over the jealousy and embrace the fact that how we look is not a competition! I think of the many times my weight made me feel miserable and my sisters new just how to make it worse. I will give one example. We were at our Aunts for our grandmothers birthday. We were all sitting at a table and it was cramped. I ended up sitting in a spot that had a cabinet behind it and I was so squished in it was uncomfortable. I quietly asked my sister to switch spots with me, as there was nothing behind her giving more room. She refused and on top of that she loudly made such a stink about it that my cousin across the room offered me her chair because she could see how embarrassed I was. I was completely humiliated. :thumbup:

SISTERS! :iagree: I have three sisters. One is 10 years older than me, one is my twin, and the other is 6 years younger than me. At first, I was hesitant to tell them I wanted to have surgery. My eldest sister is the cute, stylish, and always put together one. My twin is the tiny petite one and my little sis is the young and hip one. My title has always been "the fat one". So I was a little apprehensive about sharing my desire to have weight loss surgery. My thought was they would think I was taking the easy way out. So I did not say anything right away. When I finally got word that insurance would cover the surgery (after being denied first and resubmitting) I new it was time to tell. To my surprise they were all three very supportive and excited for me. :confused: Even in the beginning after surgery they would congratulate me when I told them how much weight I was down or would give me rave reviews about how I looked. This all sounds great doesn't it?????? Times have a changed! I am nearing my goal and have officially gone down a whole size smaller than two of my sisters and I am the same size as one of them. Talk about a complete turn around (there attitudes I mean). I get comments like "What size are those jeans???" it the snottiest of tones. My younger sister even said to me "You are no better than a bulimic, because if you eat too much you get sick." How RUDE!:biggrin: So I am at a loss for what to do or say. I have gotten to the point where I don't even want to spend time with them. So the question is, Is it better to be "the fat sister"? and still have your sis's or be the "slim sister" and have them green with envy? I wish I could make them realize that none of this ever had anything to do with the way I look, but with the way I feel. They should be able to realize that I am happier and healthier than I have ever been. My hope is that eventually they will get over the jealousy and embrace the fact that how we look is not a competition! I think of the many times my weight made me feel miserable and my sisters new just how to make it worse. I will give one example. We were at our Aunts for our grandmothers birthday. We were all sitting at a table and it was cramped. I ended up sitting in a spot that had a cabinet behind it and I was so squished in it was uncomfortable. I quietly asked my sister to switch spots with me, as there was nothing behind her giving more room. She refused and on top of that she loudly made such a stink about it that my cousin across the room offered me her chair because she could see how embarrassed I was. I was completely humiliated. :grouphug:

:eek: A New Day! :sleep: I am feeling more positive today. I got up this morning, had my cup of coffee and a small bowl of cereal...only 160 with milk. Then I made my lunch. (this is a huge step for me, I never leave myself enough time to make lunch, and then I end up eat school lunch...lots of calories and fat...bad ) I made a small caesar salad.. only 200 calories with the dressing, parmesan, and 5 croutons....can't wait to eat it. I also got to school in time to walk the halls for a half hour while listening to my iPod...this too is a great accomplishment for me. My goal for this week is to write down everything I eat, and stay under 900 calories a day. I am having a heck of a time with no fluid in my band, so I have to be very very careful. I have officially gained 18 lbs since my Dec. 28th appointment :confused: when I was so dehydrated and passing out. So I am telling myself that about 10lbs was from being dehydrated and the rest is due to my lack of self control. So I am officially taking back control and I am going to lose that 18 by my March appointment without fluid in my band....:thumbup:

:biggrin: A New Day! :iagree: I am feeling more positive today. I got up this morning, had my cup of coffee and a small bowl of cereal...only 160 with milk. Then I made my lunch. (this is a huge step for me, I never leave myself enough time to make lunch, and then I end up eat school lunch...lots of calories and fat...bad :sorry:) I made a small caesar salad.. only 200 calories with the dressing, parmesan, and 5 croutons....can't wait to eat it. I also got to school in time to walk the halls for a half hour while listening to my iPod...this too is a great accomplishment for me. My goal for this week is to write down everything I eat, and stay under 900 calories a day. I am having a heck of a time with no fluid in my band, so I have to be very very careful. I have officially gained 18 lbs since my Dec. 28th appointment :confused: when I was so dehydrated and passing out. So I am telling myself that about 10lbs was from being dehydrated and the rest is due to my lack of self control. So I am officially taking back control and I am going to lose that 18 by my March appointment without fluid in my band....:grouphug:

Over the holidays I was very ill and became very dehydrated... I lost 19 lbs from Dec 2 -Dec 28 and had to go in and get fluid taken out. Needless to say I have been able to eat way better and have had no vomiting or pb's. I have also gained about 12 lbs back.:biggrin: I am freaking out! I don't have my next appt until March 3rd and I am worried I am going to gain even more. :confused: I am back to work today and hope that keeping busy will help me stay away from food. It is absolutely crazy how my mind has changed from I'm not Hungry to I want to eat everything! It was like a switch was flipped. Wish me Luck!:grouphug:

Over the holidays I was very ill and became very dehydrated... I lost 19 lbs from Dec 2 -Dec 28 and had to go in and get fluid taken out. Needless to say I have been able to eat way better and have had no vomiting or pb's. I have also gained about 12 lbs back.:eek: I am freaking out! I don't have my next appt until March 3rd and I am worried I am going to gain even more. :confused: I am back to work today and hope that keeping busy will help me stay away from food. It is absolutely crazy how my mind has changed from I'm not Hungry to I want to eat everything! It was like a switch was flipped. Wish me Luck!:thumbup:

About Me: Date Banded: 5/30/07 Weight Loss to Date: 120lbs (12/28/08) as of 1/7/09 back up to 192 gained 20 lbs...guess some of it was water weight cuz I was so dehydrated. Weight Still to Lose: 37 lbs I wish I would have come to this sight in my earlier days as a LAP BAND patient. I love the support group chat room and have found many new friends there. Now that I am reaching my goal, I am having some trouble with my band. I have heartburn and indigestion all the time. I have been prescribed prilosec to deal with that problem. I have also had to have my band emptied on three separate occasions. Currently my band is empty because I had been vomiting so much that I lost 19lbs in 24 days. I only had 1cc in my band...so I am a little worried about what is going on there. Doctor does not seem to be concerned? Even with empty band, I am having lots of heartburn and indigestion... I am paranoid that I may have an ulcer or something. I wonder if anyone else has these same problems? I am loving life without the weight. I can't believe how much better I feel about myself. I want to go out and see people and attend Christmas parties and visit old friends. I never used to do that before. I would have preferred to stay at home in the comfort and safety of my own shades drawn home. One of the things I wanted to say on here, if anyone is actually reading this is that when I am in the chat room so many times the topic is I don't feel restricted enough...I can eat and eat and eat. Well I felt the same way in the beginning and don't be too anxious to be filled. If you are losing and not feeling restricted that is absolutely awesome! The more restricted you feel the fewer choices in food that you have. Keep plugging along and remember that your band can't do all the work for you...it is just a tool to help you. You still have to make the right choices about what you put in your mouth. :thumbup: So off my soap box. Yesterday I went to lunch with an old college friend. We hadn't seen each other in two years. (before my surgery):thumbdown: It was the most amazing feeling to see the look on her face when she saw me. Oh how the band has changed my life.