Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

Congratulations Mylah! 50lbs is a huge milestone.

Tess, it sounds like your MD does every fill under fluro. My MD does not do it under fluro. They ask how you have been feeling and then gauage the fill based on how much you've been a ble to eat,how your weight loss has been and how hungry you've been. We start out completely empty, so it takes a few fill to feel any restriction since they won't do more than 2 cc at a time.

I will be going for a fill soon since I had my 2cc unfill due to gastritis a few weeks ago. I am hungry and if I let myself I can pretty much eat anything.

Fluroscopy gives you a pretty hefty dose of radiation, so I would not want to do a fill under fluro too often. It really does sound like the most scientific way of knowing how restricted you are.

Christine

Just came back from the surgeon. I am down another 3 pounds!!! My port is feeling better, just going to keep an eye on it for now, no redness or swelling etc... He said we would adjust the band as needed, and asked if I felt like I had enough restriction, which I do feel happy at this point. "Don't fix what ain't broke"! I am just going with it!!!!!:Dancing_biggrin:

Hey, all.

It's Return of the Prodigal Son, Part 7! Or something...

Since my last fill, I've been pretty much in free fall, every day a Last Supper day. I've been avoiding the scales (like LBT, they get in the way of the sort of denial levels necessary for a good, solid free fall), but I can feel my clothes tighter, which sucks royally.

I have a fill today, and am hoping I get some restriction, because Lord knows I'm unwilling to stop overeating by myself.

SO! Nice to see you all, and I'll catch up with what I've missed as I return to the fold over the next few days. God and my APL band willing...

Hey, all.

It's Return of the Prodigal Son, Part 7! Or something...

Since my last fill, I've been pretty much in free fall, every day a Last Supper day. I've been avoiding the scales (like LBT, they get in the way of the sort of denial levels necessary for a good, solid free fall), but I can feel my clothes tighter, which sucks royally.

I have a fill today, and am hoping I get some restriction, because Lord knows I'm unwilling to stop overeating by myself.

SO! Nice to see you all, and I'll catch up with what I've missed as I return to the fold over the next few days. God and my APL band willing...

Hmmmm.... the name sounds familiar. Fenton.....Fenton...Fenton... OH YAH! I remember him!!!!!

I guess we can call off the private investigators we hired to find you!!!!!LOL

Seriously, Jonathan... get back on the bus with us... plenty of room... put one foot in front of the other, get that fill and get going again!!!!!! Today is a new day for being in control!!!! (NOT A LAST SUPPER DAY!!)

Hey, all.

It's Return of the Prodigal Son, Part 7! Or something...

Since my last fill, I've been pretty much in free fall, every day a Last Supper day. I've been avoiding the scales (like LBT, they get in the way of the sort of denial levels necessary for a good, solid free fall), but I can feel my clothes tighter, which sucks royally.

I have a fill today, and am hoping I get some restriction, because Lord knows I'm unwilling to stop overeating by myself.

SO! Nice to see you all, and I'll catch up with what I've missed as I return to the fold over the next few days. God and my APL band willing...

He returns...Welcome back!!!

Sorry to hear you are having such issues... :party:

another fill hopefully will help that situation!!!!

Hope all has been well with you! We haven't seen you for quite a bit!

Anxious to hear how the fill goes.

I go to my DR today, but not anticipating a fill. Since last fill, 9/19, I have had great restriction. It seems odd to me with an APL band and not even filled half way!! But I'll take it!! :Dancing_biggrin: Usually I eat no more than 1/2 cup..Of course there are those foods that allow me to get a bit more in!. I have noticed a bit of a weigght gain, just a few pounds, but am attributing that to my recent//on-going physical therapy for my knee..

Welcome back, Fenton! It's good to "see" you. Good luck with that fill... I hope it brings you the control you've been wanting. :party:

Hello again, Shamrocks. Wow, I don't know what I'd do if I were limited to 3 fills per year! Since I had a complete unfill 3 weeks ago after band slippage (OMG, I did the last supper thing too!), I've had 2 fills, and the second one turned out to be too much, so yet another slight unfill. But the good news is that this time it feels pretty good so far, and I'm still working my way up to real food. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! :Dancing_biggrin:

I was a self-pay patient, and my fees cover unlimited visits/fills for the first year. I think I'm starting to panic about what happens when my year is up. I don't realistically see me reaching my goal by March unless I really do find that sweet spot and have great success. Is anyone else feeling this time pressure?

Chica I didn't know you had band slippage. What do they do for that? Does it require more surgery? Fenton, it's good to hear from you again. I hope you find some restriction which will put a stop to your last suppers. I am recovering from the mother of all colds right now and now my hubby has it too. Yuck! Hope you all are doing well.

Kathy, When they say the band slips, it's really that it's position has changed because the lower stomach has slipped up over the band. This happens from serious episodes of heaving and throwing up.

I had a fill that was very tight, and after the first PB, everything became so swollen that virtually nothing stayed down. Like an idiot, I was trying to wait for the swelling to go down by going to just liquids, but that didn't work for days. Dehydrated, I finally went to the office, but by then the damage was done. So after xraying to check the band's position, they completely unfilled it so the stomach can slip back down. Then a week later, I was ready to start with a new fill.

If they know about this happening soon enough (within a week or two), it usually heals itself by unfilling. Otherwise, the band may scar into place and that does require surgery to fix.

Nice to see everyone in March doing quite well. I started off pretty slow and had to have my port repositioned last month so now I am doing catchup work!! Any ideas on getting things back on track....

Banded 3.12.08/first fill 5/08/port repositioned and filled 9.12.08

as to

Edited October 21, 200817 yr by tp00h

Hey...welcome back Fenton. I hope your fill today helps you out. Since my recent slight unfill, I too have been allowing myself some tastes that turn into more. I have to reschedule my next fill due to a new work schedule. I hope they can give me something soon. I hate the whole hunger is not an emergency policy....but I do understand it.

Christine

Thanks for explaining the slipped band to us Chica. I for one didn't understand how that worked. I hope you are doing well now. tp00h the only suggestion I have is to start back on liquids and go slow. You have my sympathy since it's tough to start all over again. Once you get back on track it should be smooth sailing again. Keep us posted on your progress.

Back from my weekend in Vegas....full of misbehavior....not the food kind though! We seriously ate three times the whole weekend! I've never danced so much in my life! It was glorious! I actually came home and had lost four pounds!

I did great on Friday, but somehow on Saturday...the shots of Patron kept calling my name....I did stifle it though and woke up Sunday without a hangover, just dog-ass tired!

Here are a few pictures, if you're interested.....

(oh, if you've never been to a Jimmy Buffett concert....it is an alternate universe)

Flickr: pbans' Photostream

Great pictures Harley. Looks like you had a good time. By the way you look fabulous. Keep up the good work.

Welcome back....AGAIN....Fenton!

You know you're always going to come back, so you might as well STAY!

It's so much easier to stay on course if you have other people pushing you in the right direction.....so stick around!

Good Lord! After all these years of mocking Parrotheads, I discover that a Buffet concert can compete with a Girls Gone Wild video! Sign me up for the next go-round!

So, yeah, inflated a bit (I have a date tonight, so I negotiated with Gaspar for a not-too-big next step up in inflation), on liquids, feeling OK. Although I don't know what that means - I've not tried anything solid, but it was only another 1.5 cc, for a total of 4cc in a 14 cc band. But we shall see! Since my office is literally right next door to my surgeon's (seriously: I take the elevator down, walk to the next door, take the elevator up), it's easy for me to pop by for adjustments.

So, yes: we shall see!

Yesterday was the first time I'd seen Gaspar's dictum "hunger is not an emergency" dictum, Christine. I think it's a good point to make to bandsters, where the initial expectation is that the band is like a light switch - you get one, BANG, you lose weight!