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You have NO reason to be embarrased to see any doctor for any reason. You are a survivor girl! :clap2: :hail: Your priorities have been correct; stay alive, regain control of your body and rebuild your strength and stamina. I would dare any doctor to criticize you for your weight after the last few years you have been having. It's worth a call to set the appointment, lay out your cards and say that you are now able to turn your attention to the band and you'd like to get checked out and back on track. Check some threads here for getting remotivated and call on us for support any time you need to. Glad to have you aboard! Jo Ann

Christa, I don't know what to tell you, but I wanted you to know that someone is listening out here. I really feel your frustration and dismay. Hang in there and just keep plugging. One question, is there any relationship to TOM? It's so easy to pick up a lot of Water weight at that time. To you. Jo Ann

I like Thera-Flu. Little packets you put into hot Water and drink. Nice on scratchy throat, fast acting. Some people say they taste awful but a little sweetener might help that out. I drink it straight after all these years. Hope you feel better! Jo Ann

Sherriyln, I think I sent you the Santa link by mistake! Try this one for the gift ideas Click here: Mighty Goods: Shopping Blog Jo Ann

Sherrilyn, Follow your heart on when you want to send them something as a thank you. There aren't any rules (or am I the only one who didn't get them?? ) You know, one of the things that the band is good for is to reevaluating ALL the ties we have to food. For me, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving food to people who are going to help me manage my issues with food. And if your office is anything like my doctor's office, the staff have all been through the surgery. I'll bet if you think a little bit, you might come up with something else non-food to say thank you. Here's a site that has some different kinds of ideas. Maybe something will appeal to you. Good lucK, Jo Ann http://www.mesasoftware.com/merrychristmas.htm

Deb, First, big hugs to you! What happened to you is no better than the bride who is all dressed up only to find the groom isn't coming! That sucks, big time! Now that I'm all fired up, who do you want me to go out and kill? Seriously though, there are no accidents in the universe and Saturday must be meant to be your day. We'll all be rooting for you and hoping for an easy surgery and splendidly uneventful recovery. Let us know how you did as soon as you can. Jo Ann

FLUORO- Dluor·o·scope A device equipped with a fluorescent screen on which the internal structures of an optically opaque object, such as the human body, may be continuously viewed as shadowy images formed by the differential transmission of x-rays through the object. Also called roentgenoscope. You swallow a special liquid and it lets the doc see exactly how the Fluid travels down to your stomach. It also lets the fill doc see exactly where the port is if necessary. Jo Ann

Then I would say, go for what is working for you! I'm not so sure I'd be willing nearly triple for the service either! Jo Ann

Mine does the fluoro each time (my fills were included in the cost of the surgery). It makes me feel a lot more comfortable with the process because it lets everyone see how much restriction there is and takes a level of guesswork out of the process. I've had a grand total of two fills, so my experience isn't extensive, but I like what I see so far. Jo Ann

Hey Boston, Don't know about your particular situation, but I've read of plenty of folks who have gone back after banding for a different operation and have come through it just fine. Hang out a bit and I'm sure you'll get the information you are looking for. Jo Ann

Excellent idea for a family gift to you! They'lkl be happy to get you what you really want and you'll be thrilled! I'm listening to New Country now on Sirius. What's funny is I am a die-hard R&B, Soul, Motown music fan, but someone turned me onto New Country and I lost my heart. Now, about that comment about it won't be much of a break because..... You're right, it won't be much of one if you are already worrying about the next thing! :eek: . It's like planning on sticking yourself with a sharp stick! Here's a radical thought. What if you had your Christmas break be about taking care of yourself, doing things that refresh your spirit and renew you;and if it looks like a serious task, or an "ought to", lay down until that moment passes? :eek: If you can do that, you will be in much better shape to do all that thesis thinking. Think about it? Jo Ann

Whooo! I am tired out just hearing you! I remember working all through college, carrying a 16 hour load, and of course time for friends and a social life. Everytime I sat down for more than a couple of minutes, I fell asleep. Looking back with the energy of a signficantly older person, sometimes I wonder how I did it. :-) What do you listen to when you drive? My ususal plan is to stock the car with music I love to sing along to. I crank it up and let 'er rip! Now there's satellite radio, so my favorite station never goes away. Hmmm. Maybe I should plan a road trip soon?? We're rooting for you here and think how nice the Christmas break is going to be -- right after you wake up! Jo Ann

Faybie, you are local! :wow2: I was considering that group too, but I'm never really sure which Saturday it is. Do you know! Unless it is the 16th, I can make it. I'd love to meet you. PM me your local information and at least we can meet for coffee. Jo Ann

MML, I hope the other postings have made the point that you haven't ruined everything yet. But please be aware that eating solid foods this early in your recovery can have some unpleasant implications down the road. Some of the reasons for keeping to liquids and progressing to mushies, soft food and finally solids is to keep the stomach from having to work really hard in the post-op/healing phase. This helps prevent irritation to the stomach as well as the esophagus. There is a potential to overfill the pouch and cause it to stretch out of shape. The main thing that should be happening in the first six weeks is healing. Weight loss, while desirable at any time, is not the goal right now. As the swelling in your stomach goes down you will feel less and less restriction and find you can eat more. Until you start getting fills, you will have be extra vigilant to avoid overeating. Each one of us had to deal with the hunger in the early days; you are not alone in this. Did your surgeon give you eating instructions - how long to stay at each stage? If you're not sure, call their office back and ask for that info and tell them that you are starving. They will give you advice about what you can safely eat now. In general, you are less likely to be starving if you keep your Protein intake high along with your Water intake. Invest in some Protein powder supplements -type protein into the search window and you'll get lots of recommendations. I personally prefer whey protein to soy, but you get lots of information and can make your own choice. Likewise, there are many recipes on this forum for tasty, protein filled food at whatever level you are eating. I hope I don't sound like I'm preaching to you. I just think that if you have gone through the effort and expense to get banded, it pays to be as smart as possible in order to get the best results. No one wants the feeling of having failed again. This band is a cool tool, but it can't do the work all alone. It needs to have a commited human. I wish you the best of luck and a smooth recovery. Please check in and let us know how you are doing! Jo Ann

:welcome: back! Glad to hear that you made a full recovery from the dreaded ED! We're glad to have you on the forum and hope you will post in from time to time and let us know how things are going for you. As an extra support see if you can find a group that matches the month you were banded in. Our monthly groups are a tremendous place of support and solace when we need it. Best of luck to you! Jo Ann

Hello all! Life since my second fill last Monday has been interesting. Some things I have learned: 1. It's not the first bite that's a killer. It's the second or third! 2. If you can drink it for Breakfast, that's a good option 3. Soup with lunch or dinner helps relax the esophagus and reduces PBs 4. A glass of wine does even better. 5. You will never be bored with a band! Jo Ann

The 18 yr old me would be stunned at my weight at this point; I was always racing somewhere and weighed only about 120. She'd be pleased to see that I got to be in research like she wanted, and surprised mightily by a 21 year marriage with two kids. She thought the house with the picket fence was gonna have just her inside! She'd be laughing her ass off that I turned into someone's Mom! :pound:

I'm pretty sure I had my first cup on the way home from the surgical center. I considered it a vital part of my liquids diet. However, I did notice that for the first couple of weeks that it felt better in my stomach if I didn't drink it at normal strength, and one cup was plenty. Now, I'm back up to normal - two Americanos (espresso and hot Water mixed) in the morning and one in the late afternoon. LIsten to your body and you will know what to do. Jo Ann

I do equate more organic with healthier and buy some fruits and vegetables that are organic. I don't buy as much as I would like to because the grocery stores have limited supplies of organic produce and it is priced very high compared to conventional. The stores I prefer, like Whole Foods ( also known as "Whole Paycheck") are not easy or convenient for me to get to. This will change in the fall when they complete the Whole Foods out where I live. To me, organic foods if grown under strict organic conditions, are more "live" or more nutrient dense than conventional. I look for the label but Iook at who is selling the product more. Hope this helps. Jo Ann

I didn't realize that you were newly post op. Be VERY gentle about anything that looks like compressing the abdomen. STOP if there is any pain. If so, then concentrate on straightening out your spine with a good stretch, heel drags and hamstring stretches for a few more days. Add other things in gradually. Jo Ann

I just heard about a cool web site on NPR today -- one that has really unique gift ideas..... Click here: Mighty Goods: Shopping Blog Maybe that will get your gift giving juices going. Jo Ann

And a grand hello to you as well! This is a great place for information and support from people who are experiencing life with this great weight loss tool. Take the time to look all around and you will find a wealth of information. Be sure to look on the front page of this forum and read the postings under Pre/Post surgical questions and the FAQs. Glad you have you aboard! Jo Ann

I can really relate - one of the reasons I decided to do WLS was the amount of back pain I woke up with each morning. I can say that there has been an improvement since the sx. I haven't lost a great deal of weight, so I'm reluctant to give all the credit to the weight loss. What I think is a bigger factor is the fact that I've returned to my back stretches before getting out of bed. This link shows a lot of back exercises, 15 in total. The ones I can do in bed before getting out of it in the morning are 2, 3, 7, 8, 12 and 13 -- The main thing to remember, regardless of what these pictures show is TO KEEP YOUR HEAD FLAT ON THE BED. NO PILLOW, NO HALF UPRIGHT. FLAT!! Take your time with these (which I'm sure you have because you are waking up so danged early! :uwelcome: ) Best wishes, dear! Jo Ann Click here: Back pain exercises for the spine on video free provided by Back.com Does your doctor know how much pain you are in? Are you taking Tylenol, etc?

BOH, I believe this is the proper action to take when food has fallen to the floor. Now you have to wait a minute or two so that others cannot deduce "cause" and "effect". But at the proper moment you just... Now if it's the case that you are best friends with the hostess, then you promise yourself that you will personally clean up this spot at the end of the party or you tattle on someone else!! :gossip: Jo Ann

Oh Green! ROFL :uwelcome: I agree, you should have things as good as your pussy does!