ParrotheadCathy

Snereb, I really think you missed my point! I was not making fun of the jerks, nor was I suggesting that the OP do so either. I was trying to couch the experience in a way that made it better for the OP...a reason, if you will, to feel a little better about it. Push come to shove, every one of us has experienced some version of that, be it a funny look, sometimes rude comments, or whatever else. And a lot of the time, we aren't even aware of it because it is done behind our backs. Unfortunately for the OP it was in her face, even if the perpetrators didn't know it was. So I tried ito lighten it up and put it behind the OP. The best revenge REALLY IS living well -- and if making light of it helps it recede into yesterday quickly, well, that's a good thing.

Sue....I didn't even think of that!?!?!! I'm starting to have skin issues related to the flap of skin which creates skin touching skin. I guess if I create a track record of complaining about that too, it might help cover the whole thing or even more of it? If it's not one thing it's another, I guess. But I'm getting kind of tired of medical surprises, LOL. But if anybody has had surgery for a hernia like this, I'd love to hear about it.

I just saw my internist this morning for a check-up. He confirmed what I suspected ... I have a hernia in my belly button. He says it's most likely not new, but that losing weight made it more obvious. At any rate, he says I should be fine for the short term and that he would prefer not to send me on to a surgeon until I'm down to at least 190 (which is like 17 pounds away). So has anybody here had this type of a hernia and had surgery to repair it? What am I getting into with this?

There are a lot of doctors out there who are very cautious with fills, waiting 8 weeks or even more to give the first fill, and giving small amounts at fills. Luckily, my doctor did the first fill at 4 weeks and took me to 3.6 on the first fill and did another one 4 weeks later. At 3.6 I wasn't really feeling any restriction but I was working very hard at following my eating plan and basically "white knuckling" it until I got restriction. No, it's not easy. If it were, none of us here would have gotten the band in the first place. Just stick to the eating plan and if you get hungry in less than 4 hours eat PROTEIN. Protein takes longer to digest and that way keeps you feeling satisfied longer than a bit of fruit or a cracker or whatever else you might be snacking on right now.

Tantus, go get another fill. One fill probably hasn't got you to your sweet spot. And, like I already suggested in my post above, journal. You might just have a surprise waiting for you. It's easy to get complacent and eat too many calories because you aren't really keeping track anymore. My breakfast went from 190 EVERY MORNING to more than 200, more than 250. Once I saw that and changed that and added the little bit of cheese when I first get home, things started in the right direction again instead of just barely moving along.

Jen, call your insurance company and find out what testing they will require the surgeon has done prior to approval. Then you will have a bit of an idea. Not sure how quickly any specific insurance company approves, but some are rather quick.

Thank goodness it was "mild"...as mild as a stroke can be? I didn't do this for my looks. I did it to get rid of all the health issues I had and stop taking all the pills and to be healthy. If any good can come from a stroke (however mild or not), perhaps it will serve as a wake-up call? Keep us posted on her progress, okay?

I had all 4 taken out at once (about 30 years ago). When I woke up, I had a tube shaped icepak full of shaved ice that could be sort or wrapped around my jaw. I used the icepak that night at home. No swelling, no pain. My wisdom teeth were impacted AND malposed.

Thanks, BDBMaw! I always was the class clown. It wasn't really because I was fat; just because I can be pretty funny on occasion, LOL. Yeah, the OP could have said something that let them know she understood them, but it wouldn't have mattered to them. They would have laughed. How much better to take personal satisfaction in knowing that even though they saw fit to make fun of her, she knows she's come a long way in life, is changing what they criticized but they will no doubt continue DOING DRIVEWAYS, LOL.

The pictures are a good idea. Here's another one. I kept one outfit that fit me well at 284 pounds. Now, at 206, I sometimes find I don't see the thinner me in the mirror. I take out that outfit which now leaves me swimming in fabric and it reminds me just how far I've come. We, as humans, tend to be more critical of ourselves than others. You look at your reflection and you see the things you don't like and that keeps you from seeing the improvements you are making daily. Cut yourself a little slack. Buy yourself a small treat as a reward for starting the journey. I suggest jewelry but, of course, that's my new weakness, LOL. Set another goal, you pick, at which time you will reward yourself again. The jewelry depends on your budget, but the fact that it's something you wanted makes it special. Soon, it will be hard not to see the new you coming out of the pounds you're carrying now. Keep the faith!

Hey, think of it this way .... the creeps made fun of you but who's doing driveways for a living? The best revenge is living well.

I don't think that everybody who says they "vomit" actually vomits. Some of your descriptions are specificallly "productive burping" rather than vomiting. Vomiting involved severe contractions of your stomach muscles and bringing up the entire contents of your stomach, including stomach acids. Productive burp is what often happens when you get stuck. The stuck bite and any other food you swallow after that bite gets stuck can and often does come back up. Productive burps are pretty much entirely in your scope of control. A well done steak? I wouldn't even attempt to eat it because I KNOW that would get stuck and then PB. The biscuit? I know I have a problem with soft bread items (including pasta) so I don't eat them ... again, because 9 times out of 10, they stick and then PB. Like DantheMan, my doc anchors the band in place so slipping is pretty unlikely. If you have food come back up in the middle of a meal, you are (1) eating too fast, (2) taking bites that are too big, or (3) not chewing well enough -- or a combination of all three. I know; I've been there. And I saw Trinity's comment ... After I had a really bad cold, I had a lot of stuck episodes. I talked to my doc and found out that post nasal drip mucous can accumulate in your pouch and actually kind of block the stoma (the opening the band creates) and cause you to get stuck. I was told that as long as I had a sinus infection/cold/leftover PND, to drink a hot beverage before I ate my meal. Hope some of this helps! It all sounded so easy when we were researching the band, but so many "little" details come into play once it's you and your band. We have to keep asking our questions and hoping that another poster has an experience to share. And never, ever, hesitate to call your doc's office to ask questions!

You know, I was told that I should not even consider plastic surgery until ONE YEAR AFTER MAKING GOAL WEIGHT because your skin does still do some catching up. So cut yourself some slack, girl! Just keep doing what you need to do and see how it works out. And, as for me, I'd rather have some loose skin that diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression.....

When was your last fill? I know that I have been told that I should come in every 6 months once I reach goal weight. They will draw all the Fluid out and then re-fill to amount it should be. Apparently, over time, small amounts can "evaporate" (for lack of a better word). So if you haven't had a fill, GO. The Lap Band isn't that good? Your band hasn't failed you. I hate to be blunt, but it sounds like you've failed your band. It's only a tool, not a magic potion. Start journaling every bite of anything you put in your mouth. Use one of the free online journals. You'll find you are eating way too many calories. I find it helpful to make notes of what time of day I eat (meals, Snacks, random bites, whatever). You may see a pattern of "falling off the wagon" at a certain time of day (for me, it was consistently once I got home but before I could get dinner prepared and on the table. I learned to have one ounce of low fat cheese as soon as I walked in the door and then I was good. It made a difference. You need to work on your foods. Go back to the basics. And even if I sounded a little blunt, I and everybody else is here to help. We all have to help each other.

Wow, a few days short of a month and you're still on liquids? At 10 days, I was advanced to mushy food and 10 days after that to solids. I think a conversation with your doc is in order. You need to at least be moved to mushy food NOW and find out when solids come in. And, BTW, mushy food is a huge step because you can puree almost anything, LOL, so even if it isn't really mushy to start with you can make it be.

Suzanne, I have heard that some bandsters just have issues with heartburn or reflux, though I'm not sure why.

At first, I didn't excercise at all. The pounds were coming off pretty good and I was pretty happy. But I knew I was only going to get so far like that....and I was right. So I started walking about 4 miles every morning --- get up an hour early during the week to work it in. Then I started "wogging" or walking/jogging in intervals. Today, I clocked out a change to my route and pushed it to just over 5 miles. I didn't push it speed wise, but I'm pretty sure I can step it up a little and not add very many minutes to my time. My energy is out the roof, improving even more as I lose more. Things that I'd started to let slide are now targets for intense focus .... like my laundry room. Today, I dismantled that mess, cleaned everything, reorgnized the cabinets and shelves... It just seems I'm no longer willing to just sort-of do it. It has to be 100%.

Reflux can, and often is, one of the symptoms of being too tight. And some bandsters just have reflux..... You haven't had a fill in nearly a year. i was told to see the doc every 6 months after reaching goal because they will check Fluid level to make sure there hasn't been any "evaporation" (using that word for lack of a better choice). Don't jump to conclusions.

Remember that liquid DOES NOT STAY in the pouch but passes on through. Drinking a cup of soup really doesn't do anything but pass through the band area and into the lower part of your stomach. That's why you aren't supposed to drink with your meals or for a period after once you start eating solid food .... the well chewed food will wash right through along with all the liquid and eliminate any feeling of satisfaction from having eaten.

I financed mine through Care Credit. Capitol One also has a medical financing arm.

My understanding is that a slipped band can be seen under fluroscope or possibly xray. From the people I've read their comments on it if it happened to them, the first line of treatment is not removal, but a couple of weeks of liquid diet to see if it slips back into place on its own. My doctor said he stitches the band in place so that it won't slip, which if your mom has had a slip and has surgery, she might ask if that can be done.

FatMom, what you are describing sounds like the result of skin touching skin for a long period of time without regular washing. I suggest washing the areas well with an antibacterial soap (such as SafeGuard or Dial), drying fully (blow it with a hair dryer after you think it's dry) and apply a roll on antipesperant and blow that dry with the hair dryer. Should be gone in a couple of days. It was that long stretch with no shower that did you in. Your skin produces oils which make it damp even if it doesn't really feel damp and that brought on the rash. This is the same sort of rash that people experience after they've lost a good bit of weight and have a panniculus.

When we say "small" unfill, we really mean small! .2cc would be an excellent amount to get taken out and see how you do. Once you can eat normal diet and do away with the "easy" stuff, you'll be eating better, getting more water in and you start the downward trend again.

It just happened to me. I was stuck in the 215-223 range for 3 very long months, barely losing anything at all. Suddenly, in the past week, I've lost 5 pounds and am well below 215. So now, I'm thinking it may happen again at 185, which I weighed for several years (long ago and far away, LOL).

Asparagus and yams can still be in your diet. Just follow a couple of guidelines. Asparagus...get the "thin stemmed" because it's younger and hasn't had the time to build up stringy Fiber like the "fatter" stems. Yams/sweet potatoes...smaller potatoes, just like the asparagus has less time to build fiber. If you've ever baked a large sweet potato you've seen evidence of the fiber. I like to have some convenience meals in my planning ... this will be a great addition to your planning. -Take a sheet of foil -place a boneless skinless chicken breast or hamburger steak in the center -for the chicken, add a tablespoon or so of chicken broth; for the beef, add worcestershire sauce and a little Water -top either with 3-4 slices of potato, a bit of onion, garlic, carrots, broccoli, seasoning -fold foil into a package, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 350. The meat will be moist and tender, your side dish will be ready at the same time, and clean-up is just throwing away the foil and juices.