We need a place where we can support each other through our "more than most" journey. Just as turtles don't get much out of hearing us talking about fast we're losing, maybe it would give us a nice break from "I'm getting banded because I need to lose 60 lbs".

I think we have our own unique challenges, expectations, baggage, etc. -- and we need our own little niche to support eachother. We all have a very long journey ahead of us, and need to band together.

Dinner with friends....

Seems like everytime i try to go out and do dinner with friends i get chatting and even though im restricted, and wind up not eating a lot at all, i ALWAYS start burping and gurgling and making strange noises. I usually have to excuse myself and go to the bathroom where i burp and let it all gurgle and belch, but seriously for like an hour after im like that. If i am in a "too tight" phase, and finally get a good meal down, all my insides rumble around for the rest of the night.

I find this highly entertaining, and I really dont mind it that much, but i had one dear friend pat me on the back after dinner and say, "thats just absolutely gross honey" and we laughed, but i do wonder if eventually people just stop going to eat with me because of it.

Sounds like there are several ways to get the fill. Has anyone ever had it pop out of the port while inside????? That is what bothers me the most.

Hi BANDIT.1,

They try to do mine without anything, but at this point my port is tilted. I do not have to drink the barium. I do lie on a table and they use xray to locate the port. She sticks me and then removes all the Fluid (to check for leakage) and then adds the fluid back in pluse the additional for the fill. I have never had it "pop" out. Ask questions and don't let them off the hook until they answer them. Ask that you never get that same technition again. Maybe she was having a bad day, but you need to be comfortable with the how and why they are doing this. If they don't give you a suitable answer, ask for the office manager. Keep talking to people. Please don't let them off the hook. Like you said you are paying for this, get your monies worth.

My two-cents:-)

Cheers,

Mary

dinner with friends....

Seems like everytime i try to go out and do dinner with friends i get chatting and even though im restricted, and wind up not eating a lot at all, i ALWAYS start burping and gurgling and making strange noises. I usually have to excuse ....

Hi lizrbit,

I always say my burping is medically required. That lets everyone off the hook and my friends use the same phrasing now. Of course I have some gross friends...so maybe you just need some gross friendsLOL.

I never get that folks shy away from me because of the "difference" in my eating techniques.

Cheers,

Mary

thanks Mary, Im going to use that next time!

and yes, i could use some more "body function appreciative" friends :party: Im going to tell them that too.

just tell them better out than in if you leave it in it can cause problems lol!!!:heh:

WOW what a great thread! I had to get my BMI under 60 before my Dr would do my surgery. So it did give me the motivation that I needed. As you can see I had lost 43 pounds and got to have my surgery!

I do have a question did anyone experience horrible pain with there fill? OMG on Dec 19th I got my first fill and they took 3 tries and finally a VERY long needle to find it! I will NOT be doing that again real soon! The Dr said it is because I have a lot of belly fat and the port is very deep. Since my fill I am not able to eat much of anything, worse then when the band was first done, but no way am I going back for some of the fill to be removed! I can eat and drink my protien shakes so I know I am not going to get sick from it.

Anyway just wanted to join this wonderful threat! Good luck to all!

Hi Wishes: I used to have that horrible pain but my doctor now uses a local anathestic to numb the area before he does the fill. Now I dont feel anything related to the port fill other than the minor stick from the anathestic. The doc says that he finds this beneficial in that the patient isnt squirming all over the place. Maybe ask your doc about using an anathestic to numb you up.

My Dr has you lay flat on the table. He finds the port, does the fill, holds the needle in while he moves the table so you are in a sitting position. You then drink half of a big cup of water. He then puts the table flat, and then keeps going so your feet are higher than your head. He asks about reflux. Then he flattens out the bed and if you still have no reflux, he removes the needle. He has his hand on it the whole time.

WOW what a great thread! I had to get my BMI under 60 before my Dr would do my surgery. So it did give me the motivation that I needed. As you can see I had lost 43 pounds and got to have my surgery!

I do have a question did anyone experience horrible pain with there fill? OMG on Dec 19th I got my first fill and they took 3 tries and finally a VERY long needle to find it! I will NOT be doing that again real soon! The Dr said it is because I have a lot of belly fat and the port is very deep. Since my fill I am not able to eat much of anything, worse then when the band was first done, but no way am I going back for some of the fill to be removed! I can eat and drink my protien shakes so I know I am not going to get sick from it.

Anyway just wanted to join this wonderful threat! Good luck to all!

I am the queen of belly fat. I have chicken legs and wear a size 6/12 ring so you can imagine what my tummy looks like. Ive only had two fills the last one wasnt plesant but neither one was what I'd call painfull. If its possible, go to a place that uses the floro machine. it takes the guess work out of finding the port. if you cant go there make them use the extra long needle the first time. your restriction will probably get better, meaning not so tight because it seems like more often then not, the first fill doesnt offer too much. Sorry you went through that, dont let it stop you from the band 'WORKING" for you. im glad my first fill was more pleasant then the second or I would think real hard about going back. Im still worried about the thing coming out in the middle of the procedure(previous post) but the second fill is much better as far as restriction goes. Good Luck. this is a great thread huh?

Lil Miss, I think positive thinking worked for me. I just really did not believe I was going to be in a lot of pain...and I wasnt. I do have a fairly high tolerance for pain. But I thought for sure surgery wouldnt be this easy. But it was. Think positive and if you have anxiety as it gets closer have your doctor give you something.

Hi, I haven't had my surgery yet, will be doing so sometime in late March-my BMI is 51.4, so most definitely is needed. I am starting my pre-op diet tomorrow, which is quite early, but I am in the mindset to do this and this is for a lifetime, so might as well get started. I am almost embarassed to admit it, but when I got on the scale, I did not weigh as much as I thought I would! I haven't willingly stepped on a scale for many years and always turn my head when I have to, and tell the nurse not to say my weight out loud-like it was going to make a difference-enough of fooling myself-I am ready to get going. Wish me success, not luck, because luck has nothing to do with it.

Hi, I haven't had my surgery yet, will be doing so sometime in late March-my BMI is 51.4, so most definitely is needed. I am starting my pre-op diet tomorrow, which is quite early, but I am in the mindset to do this and this is for a lifetime, so might as well get started. I am almost embarassed to admit it, but when I got on the scale, I did not weigh as much as I thought I would! I haven't willingly stepped on a scale for many years and always turn my head when I have to, and tell the nurse not to say my weight out loud-like it was going to make a difference-enough of fooling myself-I am ready to get going. Wish me success, not luck, because luck has nothing to do with it.

:eek:

You will succeed---just please keep in mind that for me the hardest part was the pre-op diet----I don't know what your's is but mine was just 5 slim-fasts and a salad---a total of 1000 calories per day--i was very week and hungry all the time---I live in NYC so good food is every where it was awful----I just had to keep telling myself that it was worth it!--and it is!--i had my surgery in August and I am down 60 pounds!!!!

Hello friends! I started out at 379 and if I recall my weight at surgery was around 358.

I have posted this message several times and it still is in my "CTRL=C" operation on my computer..I'll paste it below. It's about restriction.

The only time I belch is when I have eaten too fast or gulped air/had some liquid with dinner. I backed off doing that. Certain foods will trigger a belching episode but it doesn't last beyond a few.

I got this card from Natalie at Dr. Kirshenbaum's office. I will retype it for the benefit of those who were and are where I was before my last fill:

Get into the Lap-Band Green Zone

ADD Fluid

When:

You appear to always feel hungry

You are able to eat big meals

You are 'looking for food'

SUB-OPTIMAL WEIGHT LOSS

GREEN ZONE

The Optimal Zone and what you target for

You have early and prolonged satiety

-you feel satisfied earlier at mealtime and that fullness sticks with you for a good while.

Small meals satisfy

Satisfactory weight loss or maintenance

OPTIMAL WEIGHT LOSS

Reduce Fluid

Difficulty swallowing

Reflux-Heartburn

Night Cough

Regurgitatioin

Poor Eating Behavior

SUB-OPTIMAL WEIGHTLOSS

..................................................

I hope this helps. It took me three fills to finally hit the zone. This "sweet spot" as it is known, is a lovely place to be. Mind you I have retrained myself to chew slowly, eat slowly, no liquids at meal time ( I will have the occasional room temperature drink of Water to cleanse the pallette). The band goes hand in hand with rechanging eating patterns (habits..event the bad ones) that we've developed over the years.

Thanks for posting that! I am going to paste it to a word document so I can look at it without surching for it. lol

mmh498

I starred being consious of what went into my mouth a few months before surgery too. It made the metifast diet much eaiser, for the two weeks prior to the band that I was told to. It gave me some time to get used to the idea that... This is it! It got my mind ready for when it would be manditory. and for me, this worked well. After surgey it wasn't such a shock to change EVERYTHING about the way I ate. I found Metifast easy to do at work. My Dr. gave me the two week supply. I paid 17,000. so "gave it" is sort of an under statement With the right mind set you WILL sucseed.

I wish you well.