Hey everyone! I hope you guys don't mind that I've started a new thread. I've been talking to Terri from Dr. B's office, and she wants to email all of Dr. Bagnato's patients about this website and this support chat that all of us Bagnato Bandsters have going on. She was really impressed by how we've been supporting each other and wants all of Dr. B's patients to be able to come here and get support.

I wanted the title of the thread to be clear and make sure everyone who was banded by Dr. Bagnato knows that they are welcome here, even if they don't live in Albany.

For anyone who is interested, we have formed a support group and have decided to meet once a month.

Our first group meeting will be Feb. 7th at Ruby Tuesday in Tifton, Ga at 6:00 pm. This meeting is basically just a "get to know each other" meeting. I hope to see all of you there!

Thanks. I was afraid that was what the answer would be. I've got a little more than a month to go until the first fill. I'll make it fine. I fought too hard with the insurance company not to! I guess I'll just have to go ahead and buy a bicycle and start riding. Maybe that will help.

Bagweaver - I'm in your shoes too. I was banded a little over three weeks ago. After about a week I was starving. I went to my followup appointment with Dr. B. and asked if I could be moved up to mushies. He agreed to move me up and that helped a bit. I've adjusted to the food now and its not too bad. It is a lot better than liquids! I still get hungry 1 1/2 hours after I eat breakfast/lunch/dinner. We're hungry because the intial swelling after surgery has gone down and we have no restriction. I found that drinking water, crystal lite for me, really helps with the hunger. I am so ready for my first fill and start eating again like an adult rather than an eight month old, but doing my best to stay patient. I have about three more weeks until my first fill. Good luck!

Hang in there guys! It does get better.

Mia,

I wonder if there is a way to adjust your CPAP machine on your own? I, too, have a CPAP, and was wondering whether significant weight loss would bother my sleeping (not that I've lost significant weight...yet!). I don't have the money for another sleep study, and I have a HUGE deductible which I would rather NOT satisfy this year!

Holly

Holly,

I had to REALLY fight my dr. on this one as he would not give me a RX for health star to reduce my pressure levels and they had to have a dr's order before doing so. It is my understanding, that they password protect the settings so that ppl cannot change them without a dr's consent for health reasons of course. What my dr. did do was give me an order for a self adjusting bipap machine to try for 6 months. However, I will still have to pay for the rental what insurance doesn't cover but it is STILL significantly less than what my copay for the sleep studies would have been. You would have thought me losing weight was just as bad as gaining weight to the ppl at the dr's office. I had to really get stern with them to even consider another option besides doing the sleep studies. I was so mad that I considered changing dr's but that would have surely ensured another sleep study and more tests and co pays so I really felt trapped. They had to order the self adjusting machine (it adjusts pressure levels depending on how you breathe). My machine should be here next week and I will let you know how it goes.

Pamela,

last night I had another episode of the acid fluid feeling when I laid down (this hasn't happened since the first few days after my fill) and my band has felt SUPER tight since then. I am taking it easy on my tummy and hoping this goes away. If not I'm considering a slight unfill on thursday. I don't know whats going on but I've been miserable all day. It actually feels like reflux to me and I haven't had that since being banded. I'm hoping it goes away and things go back to normal.

Hello Everyone:

Although ya'll do nto see much of me, i still visit this board daily. I think I should jsut figure out a way to mince this site up, make little fine lines out of it and snort it. I feel that addicted to this site. Each and every one of you is an inspiration and a life saver.

Well, it seems that my lack of social life/personal enrighment outside of work is finally getting to me. Don't get me wrong, I am not your typical 30 year old. I would rather gnaw my own legs off than to spend ALL my time hopping from club to club and doing what a lot of peopel my age consider "fun". However, I need some type of enrichment. But unlike a lot of you, I am really, REALLy new to GA. I live in Albany, GA. I have no kids and I am single. And because of where I work and this conflict of interest clause there, I doubt that anything will waltz into my life anytime soon. I have been her about a year. Besides my coworkers, (and you fabulous people) i don't know anyone. My closest friend lives in tallahassee and she is about to have twins, so her time is already being consumed. Being bored and lonely is starting to wear on me now. My family lives 5 hours away so I dont get to see those dear crazy peopel that often. My work schedule is crazy and I work the night shift.

I am looking for somethign to do. I said I don't go "clubbing" but i will go to one on occasion..maybe if it is a bbw or big girl kinda thing. Although I can't swim (no comments please), i will fish my butt off but I dont know any kind of spots to fish. I pass several rives and such, but i dont know how to access them. I love art, crafts, unique places to shop, festivals..stuff like that.

So this is my utter plight to find some self enrightment. 1. so that i wont go crazy and paint a face on a basketball like Tom hanks on Castaway and 2. when i get bored and lonely, i tend to eat.

i know that none of you are responsible for my personal enrightment or sanity (thank your stars for that) but any help would be appreciated.

PS. My next fill is on may 19th at 1:30pm. If anyone sees me there, don't be afraid to say hello.

Brina - I can feel your pain. All of my family are 3000 miles away, but at least when I moved her I had my husband and children to keep me busy. Just a couple of thoughts on the subject - is there a newcomers group in Albany? I found that the one here meets once a month and was made up of mostly 30-40 year olds. The other thought is, if you can stand the thought about exercising, how about joing a gym? At least it would help occupy your time. I wish you well.

Im worried. All saturday night I had horrible acid in my throat when I would lay down to sleep. Most of Sunday I could not keep much of anything down. My restriction was definately different than it has ever been. I took some mylanta last night and it seemed to help with the burning acid feeling. It has been over 4 weeks since my last fill so I have no real answer as to why I couldn't handle much yesterday. I go for a recheck on thursday and if I can make it till then I'm going to have some fluid removed if this continues. If today is as bad as yesterday come lunch time I'm going to the OTC. I just cannot pin point anything that I couldve eaten to make my stomach irritated or anything. And I have no clue why the sudden 'too tight' restriction occured. I"m putting myself on liquids for today and probably tomorrow and see if that will help my tummy some. I'm gonna give Elizabeth a call this morning and see what she thinks. It just came so sudden and I cannot glue down a reason as to why and that bothers me.

Mia, I'm sorry you are having a rough time of it. It definitely sounds like you need an unfill. I'm not experienced by any means, but it sounds what Elizabeth told me was the zone you don't want to be in. Go see them...it isn't worth being miserable!

Brina, as much as I hate doing it, I think exercise might be a good thing for you. You might meet some new people there and that could give you something more to do in your life. Also, you could check to see if any of the colleges offer any personal enrichment classes. I work at a tech college and we offer some really cool ones - ballroom dancing, sewing, gardening, piano for beginners, photography - all kinds of things I'd love to take if I had the time. Good luck!

Okay, now for my issue. I was filled 4/16 and immediately felt restriction and lost about 4 lbs that first week and a half. Then I immediately began the cycle of loosing and gaining the same 2 lbs. What is up? I have very slight restriction and know I could use another fill, but my appointment isn't until 5/20. I'm going to step up my exercise plan this week and try to do more than only walking, but I still have a removable cast on my left hand, so I can't really lift or grasp weights with that hand. I'm looking at this being the case until I have surgery at the end of the month.

Another question - I look at some people who have lost 50-60 lbs. or even 100 lbs in a short period of time and I'm wondering how you loose at that level and still get fills? I consider my weight loss to be at a snails pace, but according to Elizabeth, if I loose at least 4 more pounts by 5/20, then I don't get a fill. So how do you loose but still get filled? I'm confused!

ally,

I think maybe my figures are misleading- I have lost a total of 48 pounds since I began this journey- NOT since being banded- I lost 15 pounds prior to being banded on the sugar busters diet- I have gotten four fills and each time had not lost over the 2pounds per week. Trust me, Elizabeth will fight to not fill you if you've lost the typical amount. Like you after each fill I would lose the first week, then my restriction would lesson and I would fight with gaining and losing the same two-four pounds...go back and read my entries...you will find they are very similar to yours and several others are too.

I talked to malik, she says I'm too tight- so I'm going to test solids and lunch and if I PB she says I have to come in for an unfill. I can get liquids down fine and she did say I could wait till thursday if I wanted to remain on liquids but I'm thinking If I'm too tight, I should get an unfil to avoid slippage. So depending on how I do at lunch, I just might well be headed to albany this afternoon.

Hey everyone. I haven't been around much in the past couple of days. I've had a rough weedend. My BIL is in the hospital. He had multiple abscesses in his liver. They had to insert a drain tube in his liver to drain the infection. They also found out that he has a tumor in or on (?) his adrenal gland (kidney area). So not sure how the doctors are going to handle that yet.

Oh, and I think my staph infection is back, grrrrrr. Fortunately isn't not on my leg again but it is on my face. It is a little better than it was yesterday so I'm giving it until tomorrow and if it's not better, I'm going to the doctor.

Mia- Sorry you are having problems. It hasn't happen to me since a few days after my last fill. I hope you feel better soon.

How in the world did my rep power go from 2 to 22? I didn't get online at all yesterday and last time I was on here it was 2. That's just strange....

Somebody somewhere loves you Pam!

Mia - I hope you get to feeling better soon. Hopefully they'll be able to help you at the OTC. I'm not quite there, but you sound miserable. God bless!

I work at a tech college and we offer some really cool ones - ballroom dancing, sewing, gardening, piano for beginners, photography - all kinds of things I'd love to take if I had the time.

Ally - I'd love to take a photography class. I love photography and have since I was a child. Do you have a schedule of what might be available for summer? fall? I forget about the tech school here.

I AM SO CONFUSED... Malik told me to test with lunch so I got a lean cuisine Asian beef with rice and veggies (broccoli etc) I was able to eat it fine with no problems. So what do I do? I can't be too tight if I can eat that right? I mean surely if I was too tight I could not have eaten an entire lean cuisine correct? Why does my restriction vary so much from day to day??