Popping Port

DeLarla · June 10, 2004

I'm feeling odd, acutally. I thought the pain would be less severe today. I'm actually feeling it creep just a hair into where I usually get my menstrual cramps - just a tiny hair. Thanks for asking.

I'm taking Motrin by my doctor's advice. Motrin is supposed to be avoided, so I'm doing liquid Children's Motrin in the morning, then taking my daddy 800 mg pill with dinner. I'll do this for a couple days. If I'm normal, it should feel better by then. If I hurt myself, I'll know it and schedule a trip to Mexico.

I wasn't planning on getting a fill for many months because I want to use the unfilled band to summon every ounce of strength and willpower to fight the emotions that cause me to overeat. I don't want to rely on my band. Like Donali said, fix the emotions first. That's what I'm working on. However, I'll get a fill for convenience sake in as little as a few weeks if necessary because my friend wants a fill in 6 weeks. We'd be able to share the 5 hr drive to Mexico. Or if there's a problem with my port and I need to go to Mexico, I'll get a fill while there. But they'll probably tell me "no fill till boo boo is healed" at which point I'd have to steal the saline and have hubby do it in the garage!

I don't want to rely on restriction. Like my doctor said, my band is a tool, not a solution. Darn, I have to go to work.

donali · June 10, 2004

DeLarla, it's good that you are not planning on relying on restriction. Really, and truly, it is. I'm always begging people not to go too tight, not to keep getting fills if there is something else they can fix.

That being said....

It is ridiculous to NOT let the band help you!!! Having no fill at all for most people is not much better than having no band at all. I know you recently had a tiny PB episode, but I get the impression that 99.9% of the time you aren't really feeling that much different hunger-wise.

Getting a little fill will help with the hunger so you can focus on working on the emotional.

If you work the band right, eating less is easy, and not a struggle. Let it help you! There is no moral superiority to losing weight the hard way. We do NOT deserve to be punished for being fat!!! And forcing ourselves to struggle is a form of punishment, if there is an easier way. I am NOT saying don't do the emotional work - not at all, not at all. But there is no reason why you can't have both at the same time - less hunger, and emotional health.

What you're planning on doing is kind-of like BUYING the nicotine Patches, but not wearing them... :cool: Or as Sue (I think it's Sue) likes to say, buying a car, but not putting in the gas so it will run.

Of course, everyone's journey is their own, personal experience, and you have to decide what's best for you. This is just my opinionated 2 cents...

New Hope · June 10, 2004

Being a new bandster, I don't have much imput here. But yesterday, I had called my drs. office because I was having spastic sharp pains in my lower left abdomen (about where the left ovary is). The nurse said my body was probably still absorbing fluids and doing too much can aggravate it. I made dr. appt. for month end. May be too early for fill, but just want to get dr. o.k. on everything.

DeLarla · June 10, 2004

I'm glad you posted that, Don, cuz I never thought of it that way. My band works only one way so far: It feeds me fear. Fear of vomiting or busting my band open. Fear of gaining weight back. Yes, I will go get that fill when my friend is ready. I just want to make sure my port is healed and secure before messing around. My band has only made me feel restricted a couple times since I got it a month ago. And at the oddest times!