angyl2314

Well I have a 4cc band, and have gotten 2 fills since banding. I guess in total I had 2 CCs. Not sure what is in there now with evaporation and stuff. Would love to have this conversation with my surgeon but he is quite unreachable. I have an appointment with him next week...impressive! I want to have a slight unfill because I hate that it takes me a few hours before I can drink in the morning. That makes me crazy. I am also supposed to meet with the nutritionist to come up with a new diet plan. She said we are going to increase my calories and change the kind of food I eat because with my band this restricted I have a hard time with certain solids.

John, I posted bigger pics in post #549. It's on the previous page. You can check them out there. Thank you everyone for the compliments and continued support!!!

Thanks Tonya, I feel great...kinda

I have so much restriction ALL OF THE TIME, and I haven't had a fill since March of last year. I can not drink anything in the mornings for about an hour and a half after I get up. I am not necessarily PBing, but I get stuck a lot, and voluntarily sick because I have food "pooled up" in my little stomach. Sounds gross but I don't know how to explain it. It is like food that may have already been broken down but regurgitated. I have no idea...it's gross and I could do without it. I would prefer to know exactly what it was though instead of me trying to diagnose myself...lol. I just called my doctor...surprise surprise...he is STILL out sick. Yawn.

I remember you had the tummy tuck. I've been following your progress. You're my plastic surgery "go to" person lol. I am considering the tummy tuck and lower body lift. As you can see I have a lot of skin on my thighs that needs to be tightened. It makes me kinda uncomfortable. I was aiming at the surgery for like May so I can be bikini ready, but am pushing it off till fall because I want to use my time off for actual vacations.

Ha! Thank you. Now if I can just get up the nerve to finish the job off with the plastic surgery. Blah...

I was banded in January 2007. The first time it came up was probably March or April of 2007. I had revision surgery in August, which was a cinch. But...it came up AGAIN. I haven't even bothered to go for another revision because I have only had 2 fills, and have reached my goal. I am starting to reconsider though because I experience significant pain when I work out with my trainer.

I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN MY DOCTOR!!! He was on vacation and now he's sick. Ugh! I have been having a rough time getting fluids down first thing in the morning. It's like my band is so tight. It takes a little while before I can get stuff down comfortably. It really sucks tho. Hopefully I can get in with Dr. Reliable this week. Here are my most recent pics...my first "after 100 lbs" shots. In the bathing suit pics you can see the skin I need to have worked on on my legs. My friend did have a great time playing with the skin the other night while we were shopping. She said it was "relaxing" and that the skin was "like a stress ball". I laughed. Weird thing is that I play with my tummy skin sometimes when I am sitting in bed...haha

So now that I have hit my 100 lbs mark I NEED TO STOP LOSING WEIGHT lol. God, I never thought I would be saying that...EVER. I had a stomach virus yesterday which took me right over that threshold. By the way, the stomach virus sucked!!! I meet with the nutrionist tomorrow, and can hopefully get in to see my surgeon to discuss a slight unfill. I have to talk about my eating habits with my nutrionist, and my food journal. What??? I have never kept a food journal, and my eating habits are deplorable. Oh well, guess I have to face the music.

After 14 months I was able to read the numbers 145.2 on the scale, which probably have not been under my feet since 1991...PROBABLY. I tried calling my doctor to schedule an appointment with him next week, but it is snowing pretty badly here, and Mr. Reliable's office is closed. Shocking!!!

I was thrilled to see the numbers 145.2 on my scale this morning. 14 months and 95 lbs later. It feels great!!! I am pushing for 5 more lbs though because I think it sounds better to say I've lost a hundred pounds instead of ninety five lol. Tonya- You always have such a good perspective on things. Through ups and downs you have maintained such positivity. Stick with it. It IS a huge struggle, but the pay off is worth. Mommi- CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW BODY! I guess maybe I should get myself in gear and start scheduling my appointment.

I have been a big barrell of complications. The first of which was my port came up from the muscle back in April. I had revision surgery in August, and surprisingly enough it came up AGAIN. I have always had very very tight restriction, but instead of dealing with my doctor and discussing possibilities and solutions with him, I just continue what I am doing. I am not starving. I just eat VERY VERY little portions, but a few times throughout the day. I supplement myself with Ensure and yogurts. (I didn't mention that my doctor is extremely hard to get in touch with. When I finally do speak to him it is usually me yelling at him for the fact that it has taken me so long). Most recently I had pneumonia, which the doctors figured I had for a number of weeks without symptoms. That had a direct effect on my eating. I thought my band had slipped, but CT scan proved otherwise. With regard to what I eat. Well, today I had about 1.5 eggs with yolk for breakfast. For lunch I had a small arugula salad with goat cheese (but was only able to eat very little of it because my eggs sat in my stomach for so long). I had apple juice in between. Tonight I am having some tuna and salmon sashimi. That is a typical day for me. It is just some days, like yesterday, I can tolerate a lot more food. Then today my digestion is very very slow. I have gone days without eating, but that was months ago, when I was struggling with food challenges, coming to learn what my body can and cannot tolerate. I lose no weight when I don't eat. I just want to get through the next few pounds and have a slight unfill. I think that will help.

You are my inspiration.

I was so happy to be able to eat today. There are maybe 7 days a month when I can ACTUALLY eat without feeling physically horrible. I plan on doing something for maintenance, but was considering working with a nutritionist. It's a 2 fold reason...for myself, and because my brother is obese and won't do any drastic weight loss thing. I figure he will at least see a nutritionist if I go. I am not thrilled with the level of follow up I have gotten with my surgeon and his associates, so I rather branch out on my own. I do lose weight consistently, rapidly even. Last week alone I lost 3 lbs in 3 days. They I plateau, and back to a losing binge. I think I will talk to my doctor about a slight unfill. I only have about 1.5 CCs in there now, maybe take .5 out? I'm sure with the fact that I have so little, even a little out would make a big difference.

I was banded 1/3/07. I am 5'4". My highest weight was back in 2002 at 272 lbs. I lost 55 lbs on Weight Watchers, but through the years slowly put some weight back on. The summer of 2006 I reached my breaking point and decided something needed to be done and I was over struggling with my weight. I was banded at 240 lbs with a BMI of 40. I am not 146 lbs with a BMI of 25.1. 24.9 is "normal weight" so I decided that was good enough for me...even though I think I'll push to the 100 lbs mark (6 more lbs). I think I just keep changing my goal because I don't know what happens next. I am considering plastic surgery (lower body lift and tummy tuck), but have to become a little more comfortable with such an extensive procedure before making my final decision. So how do I stop losing weight? I have a tiny amount of fill in my band (about 1-1.5 CCs). Do I get "unfilled"? I don't feel I have learned any really good coping skills and positive behavioral eating techniques....meaning with no band I do not think I will be able to maintain my weight. I feel lost and confused. Anyone else going through this? Or is there any advice for me out there?

wow, so close to your tummy tuck? How do you feel? I went for my consultation, but am so big of a chicken that I got scared and less motivated. I would be doing the lower body lift and tummy tuck. Doc said it would be like 5-6 hour surgery....yikes. I agree with the chocolate. God bless Hersheys!

I haven't had a fill in like 10 months but there are times that I get so tight. I swear our bands are affected by environmental factors like the moon and tides and weather...OR SOMETHING. I can't think of any other explanation. I stopped trying to figure it out and just deal with it, but my coping mechanism isn't great....I eat ice cream. It works, though! It's so frustrating, right? How have you been dealing? What have you been eating? I tried going back to mushies, which was hard since I kinda skipped that stage to begin with. Any suggestions?

It feels great to be "almost there". Today I am actually just ONE POUND from goal. Wow, so quick. But I feel terrible today, as I have over the last few weeks. As I have mentioned I have very little fill. I technically had 2 fills, the last of which was in April, I think. But I am not sure the first one even took because that was when I was having issues with my port coming up. So I guesstimate that I have maybe 1.5 CCs, but I have SO MUCH restriction. Truthfully, it sucks. I can't even drink today. I'd say there are maybe 2-3 days a week that I can actually "eat". Trade off is that I got to goal, but is the sacifice worth it? And I still have no idea what happens when I am ready to stop losing weight. Does my doctor "unfill" me? And is it REALLY going to make a difference to me anyway? These are all questions I would LOVE to ask my doctor, but he is really about as useful as a broken condom. I am so thankful for all the support on here. You guys are great. I really don't think I would have been able to make it without you all.

I was just posting pics on the before and after thread and I mentioned how I just saw a picture that was taken of me this weekend and it shocked me. I still have such a weird self image. I see myself as, not necessarily fat, but at least chubby, still. But I look really thin in this picture. It's all this dumb loose skin. Not that I have much but it is what skews my self image. Anyhow, for those who may be interested, this is what I look like now. I have my 1 year before and after pics on this webside: Before and After: One year later - a photoset on Flickr

I am now 3 lbs away from goal...what happens? I guess that is a question I should be asking my doctor, but talking to him makes me crazy sometimes. I am still getting over the pneumonia and have to go for a chest xray this week to check if I got rid of the infection. I would think that the band would be loosened or something when goal is attained, but considering I only have probably just over 1cc in my band, I can't imagine how much of a difference it is gonna make for me. And now that I am close to goal, I am being sucked into the weird unrealistic goal thinking. I am about to hit a weight that is considered "normal" for my height and frame, and physically I look good, but I still see myself as "fat", and keep thinking about women my height who are 115-120 lbs, which still makes me like 25 lbs heavier than that. Then I think that maybe I should just keep losing weight, even though the people around me tell me to stop. Does anyone else struggle with these thoughts?

I really don't remember how long it was before the day I think the port actually came up, but it was like close to a month, I think. Unfortunately, it was not for a few months after that when my doctor FINALLY confirmed this. I had revision surgery in August. In considering this surgery I asked about the low profile port also, but my doctor convinced me against it. I don't remember why, but whatever it was it must have sounded rational. I knew shortly after the revision surgery that the sutures didn't take AGAIN, but my doctor was convinced they had and that all was fine. (He is great at appeasing me). So now, I see him yesterday to discuss my symptoms and thoughts about my band having slipped. He sent me for a CT scan. I had the test, and the doctor on staff read the results and reported to my doctor. My doctor "promised" me that my band is fine...but I "have a pnuemonia" in my left lung. I have no idea wtf that means, but apparently I'm pretty sick lol. Needless to say I am asymptomatic, and have decided to go for a second opinion on Monday. Oh, but in all this my doctor said I was right and that my port did in fact come up again. Apparently, I have very resistant stomach muscles. I'll keep you posted. I have a question though. Has anyone felt that they have been getting sicker easier since the rapid weight loss? Like maybe more susceptible to things, maybe from compromised immune systems or something? I've been sicker this year than I can remember previous years.

The port issue is the problem I had. My port ripped up from the muscle. The pain was slight over time, and then became excruciating, which ended me up in the ER. That was the day the stitches must have actually come up. The initial pain was just leading up to the inevitable, I suppose. I had the revision surgery in August, but um, I don't think the stitches held that time either...shocking lol. I have little dumb problems ALL THE TIME. I figure I don't want to mess with the port much because it is somewhat of an advantage, in the event I want to have the band removed in time, I have an argument for insurance to cover the procedure. The pain is mild and irritating, but nothing debilitating. Next problem...why do I think my bad slipped? I hope I am being a hypochondriac (I am sure I didn't spell that right, but too lazy to spell check). Anyhow, the last few weeks I have difficulty getting even liquids down. Lately, with solid food, some time after I eat it, if I am sitting down it seems that the food has been broken down into a more liquid form and I begin to regurgitate and choke. And I suffer a lot of heartburn. I googled all these symptoms...and I find band slippage. GREAT!!! I see my not-so-helpful doctor on Friday. Um thank God it isn't an emergency! I'll keep you guys posted. 7....more....lbs. That's it lol

I forgot what that was. My nutrional habits are awful. I am actually eating a steak, for the first time since the surgery, but I need to get some sort of protein and iron. I had my 1 year post op bloodwork done today. God, they take A LOT of blood. That can't be good for me lol. Sunshine: I am about 8 lbs away from goal...I think. I am 153 lbs, and according to those sick doctor's charts I am supposed to be about 137-145, depending which chart you look at. According to BMI I am ALMOST not "overweight" haha. Sometimes all these numbers make my head hurt. I feel great, but some crazy doctor made a height and weight chart back in like 1930 which says I am STILL fat! Blah. The restriction is good but gets very frustrating. There are days I just want to eat a real meal and keep it down. That very rarely happens. I bought some ensure shakes to keep at home and at the office for those hard to swallow days. I'll let you guys know how that works out.

I have only had 2 fills since I was banded last January, and I honestly don't think my first fill took because that was when I was having my complication with my port coming up from the muscle. I have SO much restriction all the time, some days more than others. I can barely get liquids, aside from water, down. I have not had a "real" meal in weeks. I am about 7 lbs from goal so I am going to finish up and have my band loosened. I am thinking about becoming involved with a nutrionist because I do not have good eating habits yet. Actually, I still try to eat like I am fat, especially when ordering food at a restaurant. I do not over eat, but I certainly over order. It's ridiculous. Oh well...I ate poorly for 30 years, I guess I can't break that habit in just 1

My before pictures shocked me.