Hello Junbies ......

I haven't seen a June Band Crew thread yet so thought I would start it .

I'll be banded on June 9th in Texas. I'm getting very excited about it. I know that the band is just a "tool" to aid in my weight loss journey and it will take a lot of hard work on my part to make it successful. I've been overweight my whole life with the earliest memories being around age 4. Although no one else in my family is overweight, I am extremely fortunate to have full family support in my decision. I know that there are many people who's family doesn't offer the support they need. I would love to meet other pre-bandsters being banded in June to walk with me to the banded side of life and offer each other support.

I wish you all the best.

Melissa Lea :hippie:

Pre-bandster 240 lbs

June 9, 2006

Spivak

self-pay

I think that these big fills cause more problems. I know everyone wants restriction now and it cost money to get fills. I don't think we allow our body to get used to the new restriction. As you know it takes me days.

Also, do you just drink liquids day of fill? Do you drink something warm or at room temperature before a fill? These are some tips I've read to get a good fill.

Hope you are doing better. Don't wait too long with too much restriction. If it starts to go south then get an unfill.

Still fighting cold, but getting better. I'm not eating or drinking much. Not hungry. Tonight I could taste our dinner, but didn't want much. Maybe I have restriction? Or maybe its in my head.

I drive 4 hours one way for a fill so I have been very careful. This is the way mine have gone.

August 1cc

September 1cc for a total of 2

October .5 for 2.5cc

November I really debated and we settled on a small .2

Got stuck a little more often but no real problems with PB's.

December I still didnt know if I needed one but the doc asked me if I was still hungry between meals and I was. So again I settled on a small .2. He usually goes from 2.5 to 3.0 but with driving that far I didnt want to get too tight. So I been sneaking up on the sweet spot. The first 2 weeks at 2.9 ( which is where I am now) I did PB a few times. I finally stayed on full liquids and mushies for a few days to let it settle and now I am doing real well. I think we need to relearn so much every time we get a fill. I know I have. I told my friend that had rny that it is almost like baby steps. Instead of coming out of surgery not being able to eat more than 1/4 C of anything. I got to slowly let my habits change into eating smaller and smaller portions.

I told my regular doc yesterday that I like that I have to make the right decisions. These little set backs are just that little. I will get there. I will just have to get busy.

Well, it's official, I am definitely too tight. I couldn't even get down broth. It's coming back up. Even if it IS temporary and it gets better, I can't imagine that the residual restriction will be okay; so tomorrow morning, I'm going to see if they can take half out. The first three fills I got was .5, I think we just got a weeeee bit agressive with 1.0. So I'll see if .5 works. The good thing is that I don't pay for fills, it's incorporated in the expense of physician fees, so if I need to go again, I can. Thank God!

Looks like you need to get an unfill Aimee. I am against these aggressive fills. I don't think most can tolerate them and you put other factors with it like TOM, cold, stress, etc. and its just a gamble as to what will get you first.

One of the other bandsters was telling me of a new band and port system. I guess in the future we won't be getting fills from needles, etc. We will be getting them with a little device that expands or deflates the band itself. Just point and click. Now I ask you, is that dangerous or not? So it goes something like this: I am going to a party tonight and I want to eat. Point and click open me up. I need to fit in this too tight dress next week so point and click close me up. I think that is too iffy for me, but who knows. It might be a good thing. You wouldn't have to wait for appointments for fills and unfills. I'd be afraid I would go through a security system and have it tighten me up. :eek:

Barbara, the point and click filling would definitely be bad for me. I know myself well enough that if I can get away with it, I will. I would be finding all sorts of good reasons for deflating. Yikes.

A fill for me takes up most of a whole day. I have to travel to the mainland, so I plan it well. The fill doctor gave me a handful of huber needles and a couple of syringes. He said it was a good idea to have the needles on hand in case of emergency when there aren't a lot of people knowledgeable about bands around. He also suggested I could do my own unfill in the event of an emergency. I thought that was quite cool.

whew, what a relief!

I got .5 out of the 1.0 they gave me yesterday and I feel like a new woman. I do have more restriction, but it's soooo much better.

Point and Click to me would be really cool - IF it's in the hand of the MD or PA/NP. otherwise, it would be no different to me than being able to cheat on a diet when I want.

Medical devices constantly change and we'll see many more changes over the life of our band. What I would rather see is the ability to live (thin) without the band. Barbara4 assures me we're in this for the long haul and I'm afraid she's right. A girl can dream can't she?

I am pretty sure that the point and click band would have to be in the hands of a professional. I think it would be wonderful if my regular NP could be involved in my fills because she is always asking me questions about my surgery so she can refer others. But on the other hand my surgeon believes that the level of follow up care (ie monthly appts for first year then less often after that) that his clinic provides attributes to his patients having comparable losses to that of RNY patients. I think that is the one thing that my RNY friends have a hard time understanding is that this requires so much more after care. My one friend went for her 6 week check up and hasnt been back in 4 years. She sees her regular doc for any thing she needs. The problem is that most regular docs dont know enough about the band.

Lady, you said that right. My own PCP talked a good talk, but when I mentioned my port he was surprised the band was adjustable. Scarey.

Ok. Am I the only one who has "hunkered down" in this cold weather eating myself into oblivion?

There's a great new thread on "Complications" - "Dilated Pouch" started by Beversman.

I need to get back to the "old ways".

Barbara12 you snuck in on me and no you aren't. I polished off the last of the Hershy dark chocolate today and didn't even enjoy it!

i am definetly hunkered down today, but since my fill yesterday and the following pb on water, I can't eat. Which is probably a good thing.

Hunkered down, stress eating, plain ole feeling sorry for myself. I am here with ya. I am almost afraid I am gonna need professional help. My accident has me scared to death to drive in the snow. I guess it doesnt help that I have only driven one time. I ride to work with a friend. The stress of the insurance company low-balling my settlement and just everyday worries. My dh lost his job 6 days after my surgery and we have been hanging on till now. He is finally working but playing catch up is crazy. Now I am going to owe $2000 on my car. I am just maxed out. I hate to keep whining to you ladies. I will get through it.

I have been "hunkered down" with a whiney hubby, crazy kid, and sick dog. I am ready to go back to work with 200+ teenagers.

I have eaten way too much today. I need to stop, because my pouch is already dilated. Guess I will go find that new thread...

Stay warm ladies...

Well holy heck people... all that thread did was confuse me. Now I just don't know if I am doing anything right.

How much can you eat at a time? Let me be specific about the question.

At night, when you eat dinner, how much can you eat? Can you eat a whole frozen dinner (10 ounces)? Can you eat 1 cup of something? For example: I had 1 cup of low carb pasta with diced chicken and alfredo sauce tonight. I measured it... but was that too much?

I can eat 1 cup of cauliflower/leek puree. I can eat a 10 ounce South Beach dinner for lunch or dinner. I can eat a South Beach pizza (6.8 oz) late at night. 1 cup chicken salad... no problem.

Sad thing is, that I still get hungry. If I am eating too much and still getting hungry, I am sunk...