ParrotheadCathy

Most of us have our ports on the left. But as kiz pointed out, as long as you aren't a one incision surgery patient then your port is around the longest scar.

Pronetus, this will sound like it's sort of out of left field. I am a parrot head, a Jimmy Buffett fan. Hence, my screen name. Parrot Heads are a very social bunch of people, but we do a LOT of community service as well. We call it "partying with a purpose". Go to www.phip.com and in the left upper corner, there is a pull down menu. Select Chapters to find a club close to you and contact information, and a link to the club's website. The other jumps will take you to information about clubs and activities. I've always said that the parrot head lifestyle will take up as much time as you give it. There are people from their 20s to their 70s, married, single, with or without children (we call our kids "parakeets" and an event that is suitable for kids is often called "keet friendly"). I'm in Atlanta. One of my club's charitable events is Parrot Head Cruise (www.parrotheadcruise.com) every year. about 500 parrot heads go on a cruise together and we raise money for breast cancer charities ($58,000 this year). Other clubs have golf tournaments, and such. We volunteer our time at everything from Habitat For Humanity to local shelters. And we have a blast doing it. It's just a suggestion...check us out!

Just a note ... it's not really a plateau until you've been stuck for at least 6 weeks. I laughed when my doc told me that once .... I mean, get real! If I'm stuck at a certain weight for more than a week, it makes me mad. what difference is there, really between 4 weeks and 6, LOL!

Elcee is right....it is based totally on your anatomy. I have a 10cc band; someone else very similar to me in height, weight, etc. might get the 14cc band. All based on what the surgeon sees when he gets the camera inside you!

I was told it is because of the irritation of the stomach lining that it can (and often does) cause. I had a bleeding ulcer a couple of years ago and was told by the gastroenterologist that I should never, ever take ibuprofen again for that very reason ... it can irritate the stomach lining and actually contribute to ulceration of the stomach lining. A prescription anti-inflammatory is apparently what caused my bleeding ulcer. Bottom line, I'd already given up ibuprofen so it was no issue for me, but for a lot of people, it is. They prefer it to Tylenol.

It's been a long time (knock wood) since I was sick BUT I had bronchitis several years ago and had a ferocious cough. The doc prescribed tessalon pearls. They look like Vitamin e for Alice in Wonderland after she got small, LOL. And worked really well. I remember being told to not chew them or break them open because they would temporarily affect my vocal chords so that I could not talk for hours. Cough syrup with codeine is the other thing that worked really well for me. And, of course, the cough is the last symptom to go away. Figures, right??? For me, personally, a hot shower can help with a myriad of things....as hot as I can stand it and stay in it until I start to run out of hot Water, LOL. Note, I (and many others) have been told to never take ibuprofen, only Tylenol, after banding.

Coco, just because you needed a bit of an unfill a few months ago certainly doesn't mean that they can't add some fill now! Make an appointment. Make sure they understand that you are not at your sweetspot.in the green zone..... Next, start journaling. I had to do this. Remember that you are the only person who reads that journal so please be very honest. If you eat 1 M&M, write it down. Once I did that I saw 2 things. First, I was waiting too long between lunch and dinner to eat so when I got home and started cooking, I was also grazing like crazy. Cure for that, a small snack (around 60 calories) such as low fat cheese or fruit. Second, I work in a small law firm and there is an abundance of free junk food in the kitchen....chips, crackers, nuts (and I realized I was eating a couple of tablespoons of peanuts every day) ....and now I'm starting to lose again. Not one of us here is perfect. If we were, we would never have needed a band. So take heart that just because you've had a wobble, doesn't mean you've fallen and can't get back up on the wagon.

I've always loved a good single barrel rum, which you should never, ever mix because it's just too darned good to ruin that way. I also will mix rum with Diet Coke. The rum kills about 90% of the carbonation in the first couple of minutes. It hasn't caused me any gas problems, at least. Scotch on the rocks with a twist is good for me, too (or a good single malt straight). BUT not everybody actually likes the taste of liquor; they actually like the taste of the mixers. So, scotch might not be an acceptable choice for a lot of people.

OMG, I went to True Results in Atlanta. Dr. Chris Hart. Sounds like it's still a matter of it coming down to the doctor! What True Results does is open a clinic and affiliate with an existing bariatric surgeon. So from one True Results office to another is just like from any one doctor to another. On my first visit, I was given a comprehensive book, dietary reference sheets, information on fills, and a ton of other stuff. It took me a week of evenings to read it all! I've said on here so many times that this or that varies from doctor to doctor but True Results (or the Realize centers, or other multi-location clinics) should standardize. Dr. Hart has an affiliate doctor who is not a surgeon that I usually see when I go in for fills. He's always in the office, while Dr. Hart obviously has a surgical schedule to keep. Tonight, when I go to bed, I will count my blessings for getting the standard of excellent care that I've received.

Well, you could try a variation of my pre-op diet. It wasn't too heinous and I certainly lost weight. one Protein shake for Breakfast and then again in the mid to late afternoon. For lunch and supper, 3 oz of lean Protein, steamed or raw veggies (remember that salad isn't very nutritious so look to other vegetables), and 15 grams of whole grain carbs. There are soooo many Protein shakes on the market. I like the SlimFast LOW CARB DIET which has 20 grams of protein and only 2 net grams of carbs.

The full feeling you're seeking isn't the right thing. As overweight people, what we always thought was "full" was actually "too full". Satiety is what you should experience once you reach your sweet spot. You should be able to eat a cup or less of food and no longer feel hungry and you should continue to feel that way for at least 4 hours. Less than 4 hours and you aren't quite there.

You said: "On a side note, I am ill with a sinus cold or virus. Could this have anything to do with it? " That infection produces mucus which can create a sort of blockage over the stoma (the opening created by your band). Until the infection is gone, precede your meals with a cup of hot coffee or tea or even broth, as hot as you can sip. This will help break up and thin out the mucus. That likely caused your problem.

I can honestly say that my doctor's office truly provided me with the information I needed along the way...but a lot of you guys have every right to be pissed off! A month of liquids? Arrggghhhhh! I had 10 days post-op and for a good portion of that I wasn't hungry. It was doable...and I knew even before surgery that on day 10 I would advance to mushy foods and had a huge list of what that included. Gas pains? Yep, I was warned, told what would take care of the gas that wasn't in my digestive tract. yada yada yada. Bottom line, I cannot tell you how many posts I've read and said to myself "what the hell?!? Why didn't your doc tell you this or warn you about that......." And, honestly, I think you should put it in writing and let them know that by not telling you these things, they set you up for massive confusion, frustration and, yes, anger. And bandster hell? My doc didn't call it that, but he warned that until my first fill I would be working pretty much on willpower alone. And I was told that my first fill would be "around 4ccs". And it was 4ccs. None of the little bitty fills that a lot of people have had to suffer through to finally get "there". I can't change your doctor, or take away the frustrations you've already experienced but I can say that you have to be your own advocate. Don't let them give you vague answers. Ask every question you can think of after you've read here. And don't mince your words...tell them that they could have made this a much better experience if they'd just given you adequate information!

Net carbs is total carb grams minus Fiber grams = netcarbs So, as an example 27 grams carbs -3 grams fiber ___ 24 net grams of carbs

I read your message as saying that this fill was 1.6cc but you don't say what your total is. It is likely that you are too tight ... if you can't swallow water, you certainly can't eat. Can you call the doc in TJ? Is it close enough to go back? If not, is there a Fill Centers USA near enough to you to get a slight unfill?

I was Type 2. Banded on 2/10/09. My doctor had me discontinue my Glucophage, Avandia and Amaryl starting the day of surgery. My A1c levels are presently 7.0. I still want to lose albout 55 pounds and my numbers are still going to improve but at 7.0, my doc says he will not medicate me as I am still losing because my A1c will continue to drop. Frankly, that's why I did this in the first place. Avandia is a "black box" drug (potential for cardiac complications is high with this drug) but it was what made the difference between control and no so good. My doc promised me I could come off it immediately, so I didn't look back, LOL.

LapHappy -- First on the agenda....go back to the doc! Over this period of tim, you likely have had a slight decrease in the amount of fill in your band. For lack of a better explanation, call it evaporation. Then start journaling. Nobody sees that journal but you so please be 100% honest about everything you put in your mouth. It will help you see what your weakensses/weak times of day are. That's the first step to getting back on track. RiceChex ... not sure about IBS and lap band, but I'm betting there's somebody on this site that has experience! Why don't you post a separate thread so that people immediately see your issue. That way you'll have a better idea of what you're going to need to discuss with your doctor. But the above comment still applies!

130 grams is alot. I try to have no more than 15 grams per meal (that's roughly a slice of lite bread). 130 grams is the equivalent of almost 9 slices of lite bread! That's almost a whole day's calories!!

DRY meats can be a problem. It's an avoidable one but it will require a little adjustment on your part. Steak...if you like it well done, that's over. It's just too darned dry. If I cook it myself, I take it to medium rare. If I order it out, I order it rare which usually gets me medium rare. chicken....please don't buy boneless skinless chicken breasts! LOL. They have no taste, they're expensive and they cook up dry...really dry. Buy split breasts that still have the bones. Cook them with the skin on but don't eat the skin. That protects the chicken and helps keep it moist. Baste it with chicken broth while you cook it. meat marinades are good too...and there are a heck of a lot of them to choose from. Fried food? Yeah, you can eat it but it's bad for you...greasy, carb laden....there are better choices out there. Yeah, have some as a treat occassionally but don't make a habit of any fried stuff! I was told no carbonated beverages, so I gave up my Diet Coke addiction and I'm better off for it. Beer? Yeah, I've had a few. Just let them get a little flat and don't drink them fast. You'll know if it's a problem because you'll feel pressure from the gas. The simple truth is that the band doesn't MAKE you make good food choices. It restricts how much you can eat -- and that is permanent. French fries? yeah, I can eat them and I do sometimes. They go down really easy, LOL. But you and I both know french fries are not healthy so they shouldn't be a weekly part of your food plans. Consider them a treat. I had some fried shrimp a couple of weeks ago. They were sooooo good, and I think I enjoyed them more because I hadn't had anything like that in quite a while. I sometimes have problems with soft bread. Toasted is not a problem. But if you take some bread in your fingers and kind of mush it up, it makes a tight little dough ball and that's why I have a problem with soft bread...it creates a lump that gets stuck. I was never, ever a sandwich person anyway, so that's never been an issue for me. Not everybody has a problem with soft bread, though. Any and all liquids pass through your pouch quite fast. That's why you are not supposed to drink anything with your meal or for about 30 minutes after....the liquids pass through so quickly that they would wash your food out of the pouch and into the lower part of your stomach and remove any chance of you feeling full.

Bottom line is, if you're obese, your PCP or OBGYN has talked to you about weight loss. May have pressed you to make efforts, offered diets to try, whatever. If you have a history of regular doctor visits, you have the basis of that history in your doctor's files and a letter from that doctor with expanded information from you incorporated will likely be enough!

Just because you can eat more than you've been told you should doesn't mean it's okay. A Subway sandwich is way too much bread! You need to be eating 3 oz or so of protein and then vegetables. Not 45 or so grams of carbohydrates.

I've been told by my doc to not drink Protein shakes because liquid passes through the stomach rather quickly and as a result there isn't a prolonged feeling of satiety. So I stopped drinking Protein Shakes completely and I am doing much better, especially in the mornings when I would find myself starving to death at about 10:30 AM. What Proteins do I like? Low fat cottage cheese has plenty of protein. Low fat cheese. eggs. Any meat (cooking methods chosen to accommodate what works for me), such as lean ground beef patties grilled (no more done than medium rare for me) but no bun. Greek yogurt (I don't like regular yogurt). Solid protein takes a while to be digested so it stays in your pouch longer, so it makes you feel full longer. Ditch the shakes. I was hooked on them, especially for breakfast because of the convenience. But taking the time to prepare solid food pays off by you being full longer.

Jenlaws, that's a new one on me. No pork or steak for a year? that's a HUGE part of my routine diet. As I said earlier, with steak I order it rare (which often gets you medium rare-ish in a restaurant) and that's no problem for me. At my house, pork tenderloin is a fave...I put it in a dish with seasonings, some mirepoix (which you can buy frozen in the vegetable department -- it's celery, onions and carrots), chicken or vegetable broth, cover the dish with foil and bake it until done. Very moist and reasonably tender (not fall apart, but tender). A filet steak is a small portion, very tender naturally and if not cooked too much can often be cut with a fork. That's more than I can say for a lot of chicken, LOL. None of us would tell you to go against your doctor's orders but I would consider confirming that one year thing. I can see where pork chops or "regular" steak as most of us know it might be a problem but.....

Thanks, all! My internist says he won't even refer me to a surgeon until I am under 190 pounds, which is about 20 pounds away. So we'll see what they say when I break into the 180s.....

I think this is one choice in life that can be a lot harder when you're young! I'm old enough to be your grandmother but I can tell you that at 17 I was very concerned that my friends approved of my actions and even my ideas. When they didn't, it made it hard to stick to my guns, so to speak. Your overweight friend doesn't want to be the only fat girl...think about how you would feel if the positions were switched. Your other friend? Yeah, she could be concerned that you'll become her main competition but she could have other feelings too. Concern about you having surgery and not really knowing what to think about it. Concern that whatever changes take place, they could change the quality of your friendship. It's not all that different for me, at my advanced age, LOL. I have several friends who are around my starting weight (294 pounds) and one in particular didn't have much to say to me for a while. I finally got a chance to talk to her when nobody else was around and once we talked, she was okay. My thinner friends, thankfully, have been supportive. I hope you and your friends can reach a comfortable place and that they can support you in your journey!