nallygirl

I do have an Allergan band. Maybe it is just flipped but its all the way to the right and resting at the bottom of my rib cage so I'm not sure how it would have moved all the way over there and still stayed attached. I agree though...bumps are nothing to mess with! I'm making an appt! Thanks for your reply!

Hi everyone! I have been banded for nearly a year now and so far it has been a great experience. Yesterday though I noticed a bump up under my ribcage where there wasn't a bump before. I felt around my belly button where my port normally should be and I can't feel it. So I'm wondering if my port has somehow become detached and has moved up? Is this possible? If it is should I make an emergency appt with my dr office or just wait until my next visit (in 4 weeks)? There is no pain...just a freaky bump on my rib cage!

Thanks for any advice of info!!

Hi everyone! I have been banded for nearly a year now and so far it has been a great experience. Yesterday though I noticed a bump up under my ribcage where there wasn't a bump before. I felt around my belly button where my port normally should be and I can't feel it. So I'm wondering if my port has somehow become detached and has moved up? Is this possible? If it is should I make an emergency appt with my dr office or just wait until my next visit (in 4 weeks)? There is no pain...just a freaky bump on my rib cage!

Thanks for any advice of info!!

Mine was about $300 for two weeks of Optifast shakes & Soup which also wasn't covered by insurance. I don't know if you have a Flex Spending Account but I was able to use that to pay for mine. I just had to submit the prescription from my doctor to prove it was a medical necessity. If that's not an option for you then I agree with everyone else, I would ask if you can buy something comparable on your own. Good luck!

Im in for 10 also!!

Checking in...final weight for this challenege is 234. Didn't make my goal but I'm still happy I'm losing

Natalie checking in with 2 pounds lost. Don't think I'll hit my goal for this challenge but still happy I'm losing!

Starting: 239

Current: 235

Have a great week everyone!

My recovery was pretty easy. I had my surgery on a Wednesday morning and was home by 4:30pm where I slept til the next day. I was very sore around my port site but other than that it wasn't too bad. I think I only used the pain meds for the first two days. By the third day I was out shopping with a friend and was back to work on Monday morning. I have a desk job though with not a lot of movement so it wasn't too bad. Other than pain what I really noticed was how tired I was. Probably could have used another day or two off work! Good luck with your surgery!!

Hmm pretty sure my body hates me. Was in the gym four times this week to include a killer kick boxing class and a spin class then a 4.5 mile walk for March of Dimes on Sunday. I was rewarded with a big fat 0 loss this week. Five days of working out and no loss is so frustrating. Back to tracking my calories this week and making sure I get my Protein in. Hopefully next week will show a loss.

Starting Weight: 239

Current Weight: 237

Opps accidentally posted under the wrong challenge! Not sure how to delete a post

Congratulations Bella!! So happy for you!!

Wow that has to be frustrating! I am not supposed to drink 30 min prior to eating and 30 min after eating which I usually stick to. I haven't heard anything though about waiting 10 minutes between bites. I take a bite, chew well and then take another. You'll feel it if you're doing something wrong (at least I have) like taking to large a bite or not chewing enough. As for drinking, the doctor didn't give me any instructions as to how to drink. I just drink like I normally did prior to surgery. Maybe the information they gave you was only supposed to be for right after surgery? Good luck with everything!

Cake, brownies and cheetos...yum how I miss them lol

From what I hear its normal. It took me about 6 days to have a normal BM...I was starting to worry!

Congrats on your approval!!

I was so scared to get on the scale this morning after the weekend I had but was very happy to see I'm down 2 pounds!! YAY!

Starting Weight: 239

Current Weight: 237

I only made it to the gym three times last week so my goal this week is to make it all four days!

I had my first fill a few weeks ago and mine was pretty much like yours. The PA injected me with something to numb the area but honestly it didn't help at all. It took her 10 minutes to find my port. She just kept moving the needle around and when she though she had the right spot she would push down and it felt like a bee sting when she did that. For the most part I couldn't feel it, until she would push down (which she did a lot). She gave me the same reason though for the difficulty, said it was because I have a lot of scar tissue blocking where she needed to go to insert the needle in the port. I'm hoping the next one is a little smoother but I'm kind of freaked out about it now too!

I need the motivation!! I'm in!!!

Name, real or screen~ Natalie

Age~ 34

Weight on May1st~ 239

Goal Weight for May 29th~ 230

Exercise Goal for May~ Hit the gym at least 4 times per week

Dietary Goal for May~ Make sure I'm drinking my Protein

Personal Goal for May~ Relax and enjoy a break from school!

Date Banded~ March 16, 2011

Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 29 lbs

I'm only a month out, won't get my first fill until next week but I average about 2 pounds per week.

I am 7 days pre-op and have been in depression since my surgery..I wish I would have not gotten it..there is a lot I did not find out until after I was banded...I am just know hearing about thus stuck thing...that scares the hell out of me...I think will never eat anything other than tuna and yogurt out of fear this will happen to me...bread is my favorite food I had no idea i would have to give it up completely...I thought this band was just about portion sizes not being deprived....what have I done to myself?

Hi Brooklynn, I know how you're feeling. It can be so overwhelming to read or hear about all these new "rules" you have to follow. I have been banded now for a month and I've been slowly adding new foods into my meals. Whenever I do try a new food I make sure to take a small bite, chew it really well then wait a minute to see how it goes. I do the same thing with the next few bites. So far so good, I haven't been stuck on anything yet. We'll see if that changes after a fill. I know some people on here have issues eating some foods, while others can eat anything they want without an issue. Just try something new as you're allowed to by your doctor and hopefully you won't have any problems. Just remember small bites and chew chew chew! Good luck to you!!

Congratulations!! Good luck with your surgery!!

Yes, the fill helps with hunger.

Thanks!

I'm so glad someone asked this question!! I am a month out and no Fluid in my band yet either. I've done really well on my own with whatever restriction I have. I can eat almost anything except ground beef if its too dry. I haven't tried bread, rice or Pasta though because I really want to stay away from them anyways since these are things I ate to much of before surgery. I am supposed to get my first fill in a week but I'm really back and forth on it. I have the same fear I won't be able to eat things like chicken, broccoli and apples like I can now but I also don't want to feel so hungry so often. Does anyone know if the fill help with the hunger?

I've only been banded for less thn a month. I've started getting really irritated with my mom & my mother-in-law (my MIL in particular). Every single time I talk to her she asks how my "diet" is going or how my weight loss is going. I always explain that I am well healed from surgery, that I have lost 20 pounds and have STILL lost 20 pounds and that my band is STILL empty so I'm not expecting to lose much more until my fill (tomorrow). I'm already kinda down that things are moving this slow and that I'm almost always hungry, so to have her/them asking so often is driving me nuts. I know it will get better, but I don't want the focus of every stinking conversation to be my band or my weight loss or my diet progress.

anyone else have similar issues?

Hi Marcy, I'm right there with you! I've been banded since March 16th and I've lost 22 pounds but haven't lost in the past week. I won't get a fill until the 27th and with being so hungry all the time it is really getting hard. I only told a handful of people about my surgery. It seems though like they ask on a daily basis how I'm doing and I know they are just trying to be supportive but it really stresses me out! I already have to answer to myself and I don't want to feel like I have to answer to other people also. I'm not really sure how to deal with it either without making people feel bad for asking. I guess we just have to focus on ourselves and do the best we can! Good luck with everything!!

Hi Jennifer! Congratulations on your surgery!! I agree with Reverie in that you should be focusing on healing right now. Its all too easy on this site to compare ourselves to someone else's journey which always leads to frustration or guilt that you may be doing something wrong. Its amazing how different everyone's body reacts to the surgery and from the 8 months I've been on these boards its hard to find two people with the exact same experiences. Its really important right now also to make sure you are drinking your Protein. In the days after my surgery it was the first thing I drank in the morning. Even if it didn't taste so great I knew it was what my body needed and I believe it has helped me tremendously. Now that I'm on mushies I track all my protein and calories on a website like FitDay and it keeps me accountable for what I'm putting in my mouth. I also make sure to measure my portions. While I could easily eat more than a cup of food at a meal I haven't broken from it since being banded. Not having restriction makes it so hard on everyone at this stage. Just stay focused on why you decided to make this change! Good Luck with your journey!!