I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

Xray with Barium Swallow

Just got home from Scarborough Grace.. I just thought I'd let folks know that the barium swallow test is not that bad at all.

About 1/4c of white stuff that I likened to "Thinned out Toothpaste" (I always imagine things worse than they turn out to be)

1) I swallowed, no restriction

2) Dr. Yau withdrew Saline and it was "all clear" but not very much in my band...

3) He refilled me with saline and then made me drink barium again under xray and it went thru but burpeyish... oh yeah, restriction my old friend.

4) nancy said to go out and drink my cup of water and wait... it went down so I came home. Now having a protein drink slowly

5) Now if THIS fill leaks out then I have to go an have surgery to get the whole band replaced like new.[/quote]

Sure hope you don't leak out again!! sounds like it was a successful visit.

ok where did my signature go??????????????

See... that's what happened to me a week or so ago. My signature disappeared and it wouldn't come back. And now I can't get that stupid glittermaker site to work for me at all. So I just had to do my own signature for now. I want my glitter one back!!

See... that's what happened to me a week or so ago. My signature disappeared and it wouldn't come back. And now I can't get that stupid glittermaker site to work for me at all. So I just had to do my own signature for now. I want my glitter one back!!

Well it just came back all by it's self.... I went to glittlermaker and it would give me a new one - but then when i came back here it was back

who the heck knows what's going on - but i did see that message about mirror something that rlibtry was taking about - so it must have been showing up for some but not others... we are going to have to find a new site... for our signatures....

My glittermaker when nuts yesterday as well. It's not the first time and I can't be bothered trying to figure it out over and over again. It wouldn't let me create a new one this time around.

My glittermaker when nuts yesterday as well. It's not the first time and I can't be bothered trying to figure it out over and over again. It wouldn't let me create a new one this time around.

I think I am with you Ruby - mine keeps coming and going ...

Xray with Barium Swallow

Just got home from Scarborough Grace.. I just thought I'd let folks know that the barium swallow test is not that bad at all.

About 1/4c of white stuff that I likened to "Thinned out Toothpaste" (I always imagine things worse than they turn out to be)

1) I swallowed, no restriction

2) Dr. Yau withdrew Saline and it was "all clear" but not very much in my band...

3) He refilled me with saline and then made me drink barium again under xray and it went thru but burpeyish... oh yeah, restriction my old friend.

4) nancy said to go out and drink my cup of water and wait... it went down so I came home. Now having a protein drink slowly

5) Now if THIS fill leaks out then I have to go an have surgery to get the whole band replaced like new.

Peaches, I hope you do not have to go through this again. I don't know if you had insurance or were a self pay. If insurance covered the original surgery, would they cover this or if you are under the requirements would the insurance company deny because you no longer met requirements. Good luck.

Okay I am as tight as Scrouge McDuck today. I have had a TERRIBLE time with TERRIBLE pain everytime I eat. I called the doc today to reschedule my fill (they wanted me to come in on Jan 21- uhhh NO!) and talked to the nurse about how tight I am. Her suggestion is that I should come in. Again I am 5-6 hours away with a terrible snowstorm blowing in to the mountain passes as we speak. However there is a bariatric surgeon in the neighboring town so I may call them tomorrow and see how much it would cost for a tiny unfill. If it is cheaper than flying over, I may do it. After eating my egg this morning I thought I was going to die. I just got through with dinner and it wasn't much better. I was doing fine for the last few days, but today this band just tightened up like there was no tomorrow. I usually am not hungry but today I actually got hungry (growling tummy and everything) because I just couldn't get food down. It is funny, I don't normally feel hunger in my stomach, but I can tell when I need food because it feels like my eyes are starting to sink in to the back of my head. I know, BIZARRE! Hey but I am an odd duck anyways! I was at 348 calories before I got some chicken pureed in alfredo sauce down. Normally I wouldn't eat as much alfredo sauce, but I wanted some calories! I am going to go to mushies for a few days and see if I can get that to work. If I have to go to liquids at any point I am going in to get an unfill. I really don't see how people would want to be this tight. I guess to each their own.

Peaches - I have the barium drink everytime I go in for a fill. Since my doc does it under fluoro, we drink it everytime. It is bad, but not as bad as I remember it when I had an upper GI a few years ago. Plus I don't have to drink nearly as much! Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Janet- Thanks for the compliments about being a teacher. I hope that I have inspired some kids. I actually know that I have. Several students still keep in touch from last year and I have grown close to 1 in particular. Her brother died just before the beginning of school last year and it was tough on her family. I spent a lot of time with her and her family. They are wonderful people, but I was an outsider as I didn't live in the community so they could open up to me more. The town only had like 500 people in it and her brother died in a drunk driving accident (his friend was driving drunk and he was ejected from the car). A lot of people were very judgemental from that small town and so they needed someone to turn to. I happened to be that person and we have forged a great relationship. In fact I just went to see her at college the last time I went home. It is so great to see her so happy and successful after such a tough year.

Mango - I hope those hives go away quickly. You probably have already said this, but what grade do you teach?

Oh I have one more question. There is a lady that I am being "band buddies" with. Janet she is the one that I told you I PM'd because she was eating a cheeseburger with bun at like 11 days out. Anyways we have been chatting and she wanted to know if anyone had problems with their ports being irritated. Hers i being irritated by her bra when she sits a certain way and seems to be poking out when she walks at 3 weeks out. My port is below my ribs and is no where near my bra so I didn't have any answers. I pm'd her back to find out where her port is, but I said that I would ask if anyone had issues with this, and if so how long did it take to get used to it.

Well I am going to sit and watch tv. I am taking a night off from exercising. I just don't have any energy after the first day back at school!:notagree

Salsa - I'm not a teacher anymore. I'm a Dean, which is disciplinarian, of a middle school. The job Sucks!

I gotta go take some Ben. I'm freakin itching my skin off.

Hives at 9:00pm like clockwork.

Karri

I know that on my last fill it took some time for it to tighten up. Sounds like that's what yours has done. My doc does blind fills - the only time i did the fluro was the night of my surgery (banded at 7 a.m and went like 5p.m) they gave me something lemony tasting and I was so thristy it didn't taste band. If I were you I would see if that other doc will take you - I know it's a long way and you have bad weather - but you don't want to hurt yourself. Becareful...

My port is above my belly button to the left - its about 4 inches belwo my bra sits - so like you where near my bra - I had to wear elastic waisted pants when i first was banded cuz the buttoned ones made the port hurt even though it's not that close

I have read where some doc's put the port right below the middle of your breast bone.. My port hurt the longest - I want to say 2 week but it could have been longer

Mine doesn't stick out either - I can feel it - but you know what i am remembering - it did seem to stick out more when I was first banded -

She is still healing..

OK here is my motivation for the evening - I went to the gym not really feeling it today - so i said - oh just do 2 miles and then go home - well i did my 2 miles - and said to myself lower the speed a tad - and do one more mile. Well, that's what I did - I know there is a lot of debate over intenstity vs lenght of time exercising - but i figured that I might not have worked out as hard - but i did keep moving for that extra mile - so i burned more calories -

OK I am off to tv and my book... Ck back later...

Wow! I've finally hit the 6 month mark. This hasn't been bad at all. Only thing. Since mid-October I haven't dropped but a couple of pounds. I've had 2 fills. Just seems as though I can eat a lot more than I should be. I guess it must be time for another fill. Hope that will jump start me back on my journey.

Love reading everyone's progress. It's so motivating. Hopefully in 6 more months I'll be at my goal.

Good luck to everyone!

As for my body type I have 2 VERY distinct rolls with my belly button tucked neatly between them. I would really like to lose that damn top roll. All of the shirts just seem to cling to that one roll. So I can't wear my pants at my waist because otherwise my top roll sticks out like a sore thumb. So I have to find high waisted pants that will help mold the two rolls into one! Camp shirts are my favorite too, but again mine are all too big. I really don't have many clothes left that I can wear and I can't really afford to go buy new clothes right now. I need to go get a presser foot for my sewing machine and see if I can attempt to tailor my old clothes. I usually go through my clothes on Sunday's because I try to lay out my clothes for the week. I am too tired to make decisions at 4:45 am. And you are right about the thin material that just shows off everything. I really need clothes with structure. My back fat has almost gone away I have a few little bumps around my bra line, but most of my weight is front and center. My skin is starting to take a hit too. Yikes! My belly looks like my grandma's belly did when she was 95! I have read and heard that it can take up to a year for the skin to catch up, so there is hope. There is no way that I can afford to have plastic surgery nor do I really want it. As long as I can find clothes that make me look alright I will be fine.

Kerri,

I just had to giggle when I read this because I have the exact same problem!! In fact in the Hawaiian dress that my DH bought me before Christmas, that's the problem spot. As soon as I lose that, I'll be super happy. My DH has been playing with it now (I know, TMI) though like it's a third boob. It drives me up a wall, but he gets a kick out of it.

~Nichole

Okay I am as tight as Scrouge McDuck today. I have had a TERRIBLE time with TERRIBLE pain everytime I eat.

Maybe you should stick with liquids for a couple of days. Soup, juice, protein drinks, etc. Then see how things like jello or yoghurt go down. I would stay away even from the pureed food. Your fill might settle. I've mentioned before that for the first two days of my second fill, I was waking in the middle of the night choking on my own saliva because it wasn't going down.

Seeing as how you're so far away from your surgeon, I would wait unless you were really in pain. But yes, definitely check out the bariatric surgeon closer to you and see what they charge. It could work out to be a big saving in money for travel and the time taken out of your schedule to do so.

Keep us posted Karri.

Hers i being irritated by her bra when she sits a certain way and seems to be poking out when she walks at 3 weeks out. My port is below my ribs and is no where near my bra so I didn't have any answers.

Is it possible she's wearing an underwire bra and that upper roll of tummy fat that seems to be quite popular :rolleyes is lifting her port in the direction of the wire? For me I notice once in a while (often when I'm shaving my legs, lol) that when I turn a certain way my port will dig into me. Not near my ribs or anything, but I'll feel a definite lump.

So I went to the doctor again yesterday for my fill. Havent been since October when they wouldnt give me anything. I was hoping for at least a tadbit of a fill (feel like a crackhead wanting crack) but once again he said no. I had lost like 15 pounds in the past 6 weeks. I am starting to feel like I can eat a lil more but he seems to think I am just right.I dont go back until April 1st now. He said that I was making remarkable progress, and that alot of times people that start out with a lower BMI (mine was 35.5) dont do as well as people that are bigger. He even said that I was actually at a healthy BMI now...

As for port pain, I have never really had any. My port is right below my breast bone actually right in the center below my breast. I can feel it now, since I have lost this weight, feels about like large marble. But I have never experienced pain from it. My doc has never done anything to me but blind fills. Seems to work so Im not complaining.

As for Sliming...I do that ALOT...And it is oh so gross...I hear that its because I dont drink enough water, so I am going to up my water intake and see if that helps. PBing sucks but i think Sliming is the worse.

Any ideas on how to get this sliming under control?????

Any ideas on how to get this sliming under control?????

I wish! For me I can feel that huge lump in my chest and know that I''m not going to feel better until it get rid of it. Most times it doesn't want to go down, so it has to come back up and out. It's awful. It's just a big blob of slime, tmi.

I've cheated with water and drank it before and during a meal at times because I know if I don't, something's going to get stuck. It's probably not the best thing to do, but sometimes I'm really hungry and haven't been able to get anything down in the morning and want something to put in my stomach just to shut it up!

But I'm with you. I think I've been slipping with my water intake a lot of the time and need to keep track again. It starts again today. Now.

*runs off to get water bottle*

So here is the thing with this fill. I went to mushies (yogurt and cottage cheese) today and I am not having the excruciating pain that I was having yesterday, but there is a little pain and discomfort (pressure feeling in my chest). However, I am getting hungry in between meals. So I don't know if I am too tight, just right, or whining too much. I can still drink water pretty quickly so I really just don't know. The obvious thing is that I am not chewing well enough, but really (I would take an oath) I think that I am chewing quite well. I don't want to have the fill taken out and then be too loose, but I also don't want to do anything that will hurt me. I just got my fill back after being completely unfilled and I don't want to go back to that feeling. I really wish I would have thought this long distance doctor thing out more. I just went in with this positive attitude that I wasn't going to have any problems and for the most part I haven't. Does anyone think it would hurt me to wait a week or two before making the trip across the mountains or do you think I should go in? :help: I checked on the doc here and it is 350 for a non-patient unfill, 500 for a fill:eek:! It would be cheaper for me to fly to my doc.

Mango - A DEAN AND AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL! I get second place:scared: for the worst job! That is awful. There is no way that I could do that. I can't stand middle schoolers (no offense to you parents of middle schoolers). I am certain that during those years they become sub-human.