Gigi_Girl

Sorry about your loss. Glad you made the decision to be banded. I think you will find this forum very supportive.

Glad you are feeling restriction. What size is your band?

What time are you eating dinner? Are you eating more than 1 cup of food at dinner? Are you measuring and logging in your food? I know I am terrible if I don't log what I eat. (Either I get in a hurry and don't write it down and end up eating more than I should or I eat something stupid.) When I don't write it down, I don't lose weight.

Hopefully the scope will shed some light on your band placement.

Thanks for those words of encouragement. I really need that today!

Checking in. Holding at 200 this week. Next week is a new week and i should drop into onederland!

I did call the surgeon's office today. They told me that as long as it was just one stuck episode, not to worry, but to stay on my liquids until my stomach felt better and when I went back to solids to be very mindful of bite sizes, chewing and to take my time. We all have to be reminded from time to time. I'll see them on October 10 for a fill (if I am ready).

I doubt that you have ruined your band. We all fall off the wagon. Any restriction you may have felt early was from swelling. You won't have restriction from the band for several fills yet. Just keep up the good work of measuring and eating food slowly and chewing. I am a veteran bander that is starting over, and I have to remind myself too - see Major Stuck Episode that I just posted.

Hang in there. It is a learning process.

I am 5 weeks out and had a major stuck episode on Tuesday night. You would think I would know better since this is my second band, but how quickly we forget. I made it fine on the liquids and mushies, but when I eat dense foods, I have to be mindful of the basics: chew, chew, chew your small, small, small bites very slowly. I didn't and it got stuck. This was not my first stuck over the years, but the first that the discomfort has lasted. A couple of hours after I got the offending dinner up (chopped pork and baked beans), I had this cramp under my left breast (that is where our stomachs are banded) that made me have to stand up and walk it off. I slept elevated, put myself on anti-reflux meds and back on liquids Wednesday. May continue all day Thursday too even though stomach is feeling some better today, I think it needs a break.

Since mine was a band replacement, the doc put in 2 ccs of fill during surgery. (My first band, December 15, 2008, had a leak and I no longer had restriction and had gained 30# over the last year.) Since my follow up appt is coming up, and the pain was reducing, I didn't call the doc. I know the protocol, barium swallow to check for slippage and take out the 2ccs. He may still do this when I go in, but I wanted to give it a shot first.

Any suggestions? Would you do anything differently?

Absolutely! Glad to have you join the group. We all human and have our us and downs. This group is very supportive and full of ideas.

I use Bariatric Advantage, all chewable, Calcium (I prefer the Cherry flavor), Multi-Vitamin, and Iron supplement. I order online thru Diet Direct.

I am with Amber, but 5 months out, I have heard most people have at least 4cc depending on their hunger level.

I love my Greek yogurt for Breakfast. You can also get precooked bacon to have occasionally with a scrambled egg. A few slices of bacon is ready in the microwave in seconds. I also sometime do Protein Shakes in the blender.

I haven't heard of it. Interested to see what other answers you get.

Please... you look fabulous! Possibly your body is telling you that it is happy where you are by maintaining your weight for a year. If you lose more, so be it, but everyone's chemistry is different. But to give it one more shot at dropping more pounds, have you had a conversation with the bariatric doc about to see if another fill is possible?

I think this is great news! Saving your fills for future needs is a good thing.

I assume that you are six or seven weeks out from surgery. How much have you lost?

I think the reason we fall back on bad eating habits is food is something that we can control when we may not can control other aspects of our life. You would think with that statement we shouldn't have any trouble eating right, but I still struggle with not eating all those things we know that we are not supposed to eat.

I was rebanded in August after we discovered my first band had a leak. I have to start over with all the liquids, etc. and am slowly adding back in food. It occured to me this week that eating right is a lot like quitting smoking. (I quit 27 years ago. I don't have cravings, but could still pick up a cigarette and smoke it.) There are things out there that we know we can't have and we have to make the decision to say no. While we might occasionally backslide, we have to get up and start again.

This may not be the response you are looking for, but it is how I cope with the food habit.

Your port may be infected. Smart move to make an appointment. Did you tell the receptionist what the problem was?

Hiccups is a sign of being too full. If you are full and drink more it will cause the food/liquids to back up and out. I wouldn't be concerned with throwing up once, but continue to be cautious with what you eat today and if it happens again today or early tomorrow, call you doc. Don't know about your doc's office, but mine has short hours on Friday, so that's why I said to call on Thursday.

good luck to you

You are making progress, 42 pounds in two months is awesome! Life is a roller coaster, so we expect to have some bad days. You said that you have only had one fill since July which was probably the end of August. Just know that restriction will come...it may not be on the second fill, but on the third or fourth. Just know that tomorrow is a new start. You are doing great!

I have had both done separately. Recovery was about the same for each.

Nightart6, glad your surgery is over and hope you can go home soon! Keep us posted.

Wonderful! Keep up the good work!

Sept 15: Down 1.6 for the week to 201.4!

Marybell, a couple of suggestions on financing. Check to see if your doc's office offer Care Credit or other medical financing programs. I have also known others to use equity lines on their homes. I know that 4K is hard to come up with, but it is small compared to what the self pays must find.

Good luck to you!