coltonwade

Give the unfill time to kick in , It might tighten up a bit in a day or so just like it took a bit for your fill to tighten up . Its not good to keep your band tight , that is what can cause slips and erosions . Anytime you THINK your too tight you probably are and you NEED to get unfilled. I learned that the hard way with the unfills. Unfills are scary at first you think your going to gain weight back ect. But dont think that way just get the unfill in the long run its better for you . HTH Mindy

I have been contemplating weather or not to "treat" my PCOS or not . I cant take birth control pills because of my migraines. But over the yrs I have not ever really done anything to actually treat the PCOS . now that im loosing my weight I am wondering if that is not enough ? Is there any benefit to taking the meds that just loosing weight can do ? Anyone have any ideas ? I gotta go to my yearly soon so i guess i'll discuss it with my OB then. Mindy

Can you tell a difference ? the last time i went in for an unfill by time i go to the docs office i could feel the pressure in my chest , it was not there when i called the day before. When he was done i felt MUCH better. Sometimes it takes a while for the fill to kick in and when it does you can go from being able to sip Water the day of the fill and the days after the fill to not being able to get it down at all. If you ever can not get water down ya gotta call your doc , if you get dehydrated you can get into big trouble. HTH Mindy

PS also if you want to eat pasta try whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash . Its YUMMY , i throw sauce and FF mozzarella cheese on it and my kids do not even know its not spaghetti Mindy

are you eating alot of carbs ? If you are try cutting back . i find if i eat carbs i crave crap ! I really find i dont even want that stuff anymore. I know i CAN eat them if i want but i find i dont really want them 99% of the time , IF i want a hamburger i'll order a chili cheeseburger no bun , the chili adds more protein , then i cut it in half and eat the other half the next day for lunch . I dont crave sweets much , maybe right before my periods and IF I do I try to do sugar free things, It helps control things. Try to make smart choices when you crave bad things and it helps control the bad cravings. HTH Mindy PS I didnt think you ate those things all the time :eek:

The only reason i dont want my periods is i get horrible migraines with them . I have been use to getting ( inducing) them 3 times a yr for over 10 yrs. I have chronic migraines and my menstral migraines are HORRIBLE . So i could live without them coming back LOL Mindy

Fast food i have found has not been conducive with the band, except Taco Bell. I cant eat breads and dont miss them either. But I have found most fast foods do not go well with my band , I get stuck nearly every time. Forget about eating in the car too ! Pizza I eat the toppings off of them . But I dont miss fast foods at all. IF my kids want to go to fast food places, they usually dont anymore, i have rubbed off on them , they will go to taco bell where i can eat ONE taco . But everyone is different. Some people can eat bread , i cant. Some can eat eggs, I cant eat any kind of eggs with out getting stuck . Congrats on your weight loss as well 5 Jacks Mindy

after your banded you look at food ( or at least I do ) differently . food for me is a tool to live . Its not something that is for enjoyment anymore. dont get me wrong i still like to eat , but I dont look at " OH I get to eat this food because i LOVE It " its not like that anymore. Sure every now and then I miss a burger . But I enjoy my new healthier life more than I miss those foods. Someone said once" I dont want to give eat veggies because i dont ENJOY those foods that are good for me " Well my response was " I eat those foods now because they keep me alive , food is not about enjoyment its about eating to live not living to eat " if you wont get banded because you cant eat breads, Pasta, ect honestly your not ready to be banded yet. Would i do it again YES in a nano second . Just my input Mindy

I was banded in July 07 and Im down 62 lbs , I have had PCOS for as long as I can remember. My periods are back ( something i could live with out LOL ) and so far so good on the weight loss. Like Georgia Girl its the only thing I have been able to loose weight on . There is a HUGE thread on PCOS and the band you might want to read. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/those-who-have-pcos-44999/ HTH Mindy

It is not uncommon however to become too tight a day or 2 later. Both times I have been tight I got too tight around 3 days post fill and was able to sip or drink Water just fine after my fill . That is why my doc has my on liquids for 6 days post op . It usually takes your fill a few days sometimes up to a week to "kick" in . So its not uncommon to be able to drink after a fill, then swelling to kick in and not be able to drink liquids . HTH Mindy

Sounds like your too tight , you need to call your doc ASAP ! mindy

Sue Sue, I probably wont be much help with the diabetes since i am not diabetic , however I do have PCOS which makes me produce more insulin and makes my weight loss very difficult . Which is why i ended up with the band. You are not an idiot. It seems to me you have not been hooked up with a doc that has taken the time to educate you . They are out there. Others who are diabetic will help you on that end. I too need to stay away from Carbs since its not good for my PCOS , it makes the cravings worse. I discovered during my pre op diet ( Low carb high Protein ) that i felt SO much better not eating them . So If you can learn to stay away from the things you are not suppose to eat it will help elimiate your cravings. have you tried a diabetic cook book possibly ? Try going to a book store and go through them and pick out a few that has the kind of food in it YOU WILL eat . Good luck hang in there. Mindy

Not to mention Dangerous and irresponsible I would think on the docs part to let a patient go and not teach them how to use their insulin ? How your power comes back on soon Jack . Be careful in the snow Mindy

Everytime I have a fill I have to drink the barium swallow. I dont find it that horrible though. mine tastes like Milk of Magnesia . Is the consitancy of it as well. I dont have to drink but a few sips of it . I only have to take very tiny sips , and a few at at time and im good. but I do have to do it , if your doc uses Flouro for fills your gonna have to suck it up and drink it . Think of it as milk or something. HTH Mindy

Nuke how many CC's does your band hold ? Thanks Mindy

Each doc is different, I would call the doc in the am and to be on the safe side only drink something. My docs office does not allow any food only clear liquids before a fill . But others allow you to eat before a fill. So If you can try to call even if its on the way . My fills are always at 3pm to i cant eat anything all day long on my fill days HTH Mindy

Im looking for a friend who lives In PA . Does anyone know of a doc in or near Phila PA who will see pts banded in Mexico ? Thanks Mindy

Sue Sue, Also please do not feel like this is your fault either. if anything you may want to consider a new doc. I think your doctor has done a real injustice to you if he truely did not give you the proper diabetes education you needed to manage your health. If you feel you can not get that education then you need to find another doc. HTH Mindy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!! And ROCK ON !!! Love Mindy

Your a diabetic ON Insulin and you do not know how to use it ? Then you need to go to your doctor and tell him you need to learn EVERYTHING about diabetes and insulin . Do not take this the wrong way but as a patient you HAVE To learn to advocate for yourself. If you do not know how to do something you HAVE TO speak up ! How long have you been on insulin ? Mindy

Sue Sue, Im not sure if you need any suggestions for new things to eat. But I just bought the biggest Loser cookbook , it has recipes that come from the show, they are REALLY good, and really simple ! Im not much of a cook but I really like this cook book. Just thought i would mention it . Im not sure how diabetic friendly it is but it might be worth a look ? Mindy

If your paper work says at week 4 start a new stage then that is what I would do . I know the new stages can be scary . They were for me . And I know you probably want to make sure your doing the right thing, i was the same way . There is no reason to stay on the stage your on now if you do not have to . But it wont hurt to double check what you think is right with your doc . His staff will/should know the regime as well . That's why some of us suggested you go ahead and call the office anyway . HTH Mindy

I always ask for a to go box when my meal comes as well and i put half of it in the box. Before my first fill I really did not worry too much about how much i was eating . I ate until I was satisfied and did not worry much about the amount. Once you get restriction you will be able to eat much much less. If you are worried about it maybe worry about calorie intake ? Make sure your getting in ENOUGH calories, right now its easy to not eat enough espically if your worried about how little you can eat. After your filled your band will tell you when enough is enough . Until then try the using your fist as a measure or a deck of cards if you want to measure ? HTH mindy

Steph, do you use something like sparkpeople.com to track your food intake ? I dont normally track calories ect. But I do use it when i slow down on weight loss to see where I am at . You might want to try that because it will show you if your getting in enough protein , calories, ect. I have a hard time with the slowing down eating as well. Its always a good idea to review the rules and I think we all have to do it from time to time. Also something else are you switching up your work out routine ? Sometimes your body needs to be confused with the work outs. Good luck let us know how it goes. Hope you see the scales move soon and no more pb's Mindy

Jack , I like your statement " since you have reached half your goal you are not in the failure category your in the freak out category " I Think that is where I am at now ! Thanks for that ! I needed to hear that myself ! Mindy