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Entries in this blog

 

It's Okay to Acknowledge change

This weight lost journey is very new to me. I have failed miserably for years trying to lose weight. Therefore, it's not easy for me to accept the positive comments people are saying to me about the weight I have lost. I still look into the mirror, and I see a little difference. I still think to myself "it's not all that much of a difference"! The scale is really not moving fast, but I think it's mostly inches that are coming off. I do admit my clothes are very loose and a couple of things I can't even wear any more. I do know that is a good thing, but it is still very hard to see that thinner me. I look into the mirror and I still see all those fat rolls, humps, and fat in areas I don't want it to be in. I don't want to get the "big head” as some people often say to me, but I am proud of the changes I have made. At times I want his weight to come off over night, but I know that isn't going to happen and it would be healthy if it did. When a person has spent so much of their life being over weight, you just want to experience a different side of life. This whole process is more mental than I ever anticipated it to be. I realize that food has different meaning to me for different reasons. It is a comforter, it gives me pleasure, it occupy me when I am bored, and most of all it can't tell me no. For all those reasons food has to be redefined with a different purpose and need in my life. I am a work in progress! This site is so wonderful to have in my life. Thanks to all those wonderful and inspiring people that let me know I can do this.
shonette

shonette

7
 

It's always Good to Know!

I was talking with my doctor about some of the problems I was experiencing with my acid reflux condition. He wanted to do an EDG to see if I actually had a high hernia. My test was friday morning at 6am and it was a lot worst than he actually thought. My condtions had gotten to the point that every single thing would cause an acid reflux reactioin. Sometimes drinking water could cause intense burning in my throat. My God sometimes I thought it was a condtion only in my head. Surely, I thought simple things I would eat could not cause that much discomfort but it did. My doctor is really cool and he stayed after my procedure to read the results that friday morning so I wouldn't have to wait over into next week to know the results. My doctor stated my hernia was not the worst he's ever seen, but it was worse than most. I really feel better knowing that I truly have a condtion that can be fixed at the time am banded. :bored:   My primary doctor was very supportive that I was working toward getting the band implanted. He was willing to assist me in any way needed to ensure my insurance would approve me being banded. He stated it was only a game the insurance company required, and we would both just have to stay on top of the insurance requirements so I would not be denied. However, my doctor did not advocate me taking any diet pills. He felt that would be unnecessary for me to take them, but he wanted me to continue to watch what I was eating and to work out as much as possible.   My last requirement per my insurance company is the psy visit on 2-10-10. My paper work will be submitted once all the documentation has been completed from my other appointments. I pray by some miracle from God the insurance company would go ahead and approved me without the six month monitored diet by my doctor. That would be really cool if they approved it right off w/out the diet. I really trying to lose some weight becasue my liver has to shrink down in order to be banded per my doctor. I feel really excited:biggrin:
shonette

shonette

2
 

It's almsot been a year since my surgery!

It's so hard for me to believe that it's almost been a year since my lap band surgery. I can remember like yesterday anticipating what it would be like and how much weight I would actually loss with the band. I have never been happier with the way my life has changed since I had my band. I am wearing a strapless dress today that's focus on my waist area and the amazing thing it's a size 14. If anyone would have told me almost a year ago I could get myself into a size 14, I would have laughed endless and tell them they must be out of their mind. The entire way that I dress now is so much different than I ever could have imagined it to be. I am dress in much attractive clothes that shows off my figure. OMG- I never imagined me having a figure again. I had given up on the way my body uses to be, and I accepted that big girl look. Everything I wore in the past was oversized to cover up my huge butt and all the fat rolls in my stomach area. I have always tired to look very nice but buying clothes was a limited option.   Now I look the way my body uses to look over 14 years ago in almost everything I put on. This summer I am able to wear the cuties’ summer dresses and sleeveless shorts. I would never have shown my bare arms off in the past for nothing in the world.   People are always making little remarks to my husband about my weight lost and asking do he like the new me1 He just smiles and says I look really nice. Over all, this has been a very good decision that's definitely changed my life for the better. I feel like I am living the good life in many areas of my life.   I do love my band!!!!      
shonette

shonette

6
 

It's Almost Been Two Years Since I Got My Band!

I know it's been a very long time since I have been on this site. In the past I would get on the site at least twice a day, but I slowly started to fade a little from visiting so often once my first year of being banded. I really do miss all of the wonderful post and comments people would write on this site. Actually, things have been very well with me. I have spent a lot of time helping my daughter out since she started her first year in college.   I am very proud to say that my weight continues to go down and I have not had any weight gain since the Christmas seasons passed. I do thank God for that. I have learned what do and do not work for my band. Certain foods had to be limited, and I have finally learned what my sweet spot is and what that actually means for me. I have not had a fill in over six months and nor do I need one. I finally have the tool I need to have long term weight success.   My weight lost has always been slow, but I continue to lose weight. I really don't and never have used the scale to measure my success, but inches and my clothes sizes are my biggest indicators. I started off wearing a size 24-26 and today I wear a 1x & 16-18. Most of the 18 sizes are too big in dresses so I normally get a 16w. That is a very- very big accomplishment for me. All and all I am very very happy with my band. This relationship has had its ups and downs, but the majority of my experiences have been very positive. The band is really what a person allows it to be for them. It really takes a lot of work and effort to get to where you really want to be.   My husband recently purchased a very expensive treadmill like the ones they have at the gym, and that has really aided my success. I try to walk a mile1/2 at least every other day. It takes only 25 minutes so I watch Netflix on my iphone which makes the time fly.   I really have to say that my family has been great and they really made this process so much easier to go through when times got hard. I will be banded 2 years on July 21st this year. I just encourage all new banders to be patient and give yourself time to learn your band and how it works best for your success!   I am going to make an honest effort to visit the site much more often than I have done in the past. This is truly a wonder site in which a person can gain a lot of knowledge, support, and motivation from others who have figured things out a little clearer than others.   My final words would be to stay encouraged, be patient, and never ever give up on your weight lost goals because you are worth it. Always remember that half the battle has been won if you have already gotten your band or started the process to have it done.
shonette

shonette

3
 

It is true- " My doctor knows best"!

Today I had my second fill of two more cc in my band. I now have a total of 4ccs in a 10cc standard band. I was given a four day diet to follow by my doctor to allow my stomach to adjust to my new fill. Keep in mind- I had not eaten due to following the rules not to eat anything 2 hours before my fill. Well, if you could imagine I was starving and my stomach had been talking all mooring long. When I returned to work, I decided for lunch to eat outside of his 4 day diet plan and have about 3oz of cream soup and two bites of boil lemon pepper fish. Ooooooh my God my stomach started hurting like never before. :eek:I felt for a brief moment I would need some medical attention. It was very difficult for me to walk back to my office. I was praying for God to please forgive me for my hard headedness. It was like I had swallowed a rock. :scared2:I had never ever experienced that kind of pain with food before since my band, and I really never want to experience it again. I will follow that diet like he prescribed for the next four days. I am starting to feel a little better, but now it's just like I've over eaten terribly. I guess from that experience I have pretty good restriction with my new fill. From this point forward I will listen to my doctor!!!!! (DIET) Fill day: n/a breakfast/ no lunch/ cream soup dinner Friday: protein shake/ cream soup lunch/ regular soup dinner Saturday: protein shake/ regular soup lunch / soft food dinner Sunday: protein shake/ soft food lunch/ regular food dinner
shonette

shonette

8
 

It feels like Christmas

I was banded on 7-21-2010, and I had so many doubts and dreams at the same time about getting my band! Since November of last year until June 2010, I could only imagine what my life would be like after getting my band. I read so many blogs of other's success and what worked and what was working for them. I would look at their weight ticker trackers and only pray that God would give me the same success. Weight has always been the monster lurking in my inter closet. I have always had to be very aware of my eating habits my entire life. Since 1997 I have never loved the image that stared back at me in the mirror. There were several times I would refuse to look at my body in it's entirety in the mirror. I hated the image that stared back at me. I felt like it was another person locked inside of this fat body. I wanted so desperately to set that imprisoned person free, but I was never successful at freeing the real me. God is so good to me in so many ways. He wants each and every single person to live life to its fullest. The road I was traveling was not the plan God had for my life. I had to take a very long, hard, and honest look at myself before the healing for me could begin. I thank God that he opened my eyes to a newer way to live my life. I want to be healthy inside and out. I had to first start with a lot of mental changes before my body would change. I had to first come to terms with my fat girl issues. I thank God every single day for this band. I heard so many people say it's only a tool, but the true work is up to the individual. I understand what that means to the fullest now. I have something in place to enable me to recognize my food limitations. I really understand that my food choices are so important, and I can't afford my choices to be empty calories. God is opening my eyes up in so many areas when it comes to my weight issues and the unhealthy foods I was eating. I do understand this is a daily walk, but it’s one walk I do not mind making. I offer the things I have learned and will learn to people around me who want a better way to live their life. I do know this is a long road I am traveling on, but I’m up for the challenge. All I can say over and over again, I thank God for giving me this chance to do a lot of wrong things over again. I want every single person who is considering being band or those who have their dates set; don't give up because the fight is worth fighting. I do thank GOD every single day for my band! I do know the best is yet to come for me in my life. I feel like this is an early Christmas gift. Be encouraged, stay focused, and know God has your back!
shonette

shonette

9
 

I met my pre-goal weight 50 pounds down!

Today I am sitting here at my desk at work thinking back over all the things I had to go through to get to this point in my weight lost. This has not been an easy road to travel, but I thank God every single day for the endurance to follow it through. My first initial visit with my surgeon seemed like yesterday! I was explained all the things I had to do in order for my insurance to approve my operation. I felt so doubtful once I left his office about having the surgery. I've learned to pray first to seek God's will for my life, and I knew something needed to change in my life. It was not the will of God for me to continue to be over weight and so very unhappy with the person I was. I asked God to give me the strength and the will power to do whatever it took for my insurance to approve my surgery. Once my appointments were made with the different offices, things started to roll by pretty quickly. The longest process for me was the six month weight lost requirement. I was really angry for some reason with the fact of being on another diet! I knew diets did not work for me on a long term basis, therefore I really thought it was a waste of my time.(LOL)   To be perfectly honest, I just wanted to be banded and start my new life. Looking back now, there were a lot of things I should have done differently and taken the advantage of but I didn't. One of the main steps in my pre-lap band process was my psych evaluation. I was told from the very beginning the hardest part in this process was going to be the mental aspect. Surely, I was mentally prepared to handle having the band and everything that came with it. Looking back now, I was not as prepared as I had convinced myself to be. I really learned a lot about my band the hard way. I had to learn a lot of different things by trail and error.   I would read so many blogs and hear others say to listen to your band. I really had no idea what they were talking about, but thank God today it has all made sense to me. Having this band for me is a day to day learning experience on what I should or should not do. I am finally to a point that food is not controlling my life, and I can say no to food and be okay with that. I have learned to eat only what I need and it's okay to save or trash the rest. I no longer feel obligated to eat every single thing that is placed on my plate nor do I feel like dessert is always eaten after a meal. My quality of life has changed so much in many ways. I do know that I have to finish this race at my own pace and continue to be focused on my food choices. This is really a life style change and there are no quick fixes to losing the weight. Today I am very proud of what I have accomplished. I have never lost 50 pounds in my entire life, but today I have done just that.   Hooray for ME!    
shonette

shonette

5
 

I feel like my weight lost is stagnate!

I want to start off by saying- I do thank God for all that he has allowed me to do, but I can't help but feel that things are at a stand still for me with losing weight. I work out faithfully at the gym. I have never been so committed to working out as I have within the last couple of months. People are constantly coming up to me saying how good I look and how very proud they are of me. I have learned to just smile and tell them how much I really appreciate their kind words of encouragement. Honestly, I do like to hear those encourageing comments from people, but I question who is this person they are talking about. I have even had people to come up to me that has not seen me in a very long time telling me how they didn't reconize me at first. I am thinking what in the world are your looking at because I am the same person.   I start to think to myself do I really look that different. I try really hard to see all the nice positive things being said to me, unfortunately I just don't see that person everyone else is talking about. Sometimes it's a mental struggle for me to be happy and proud of all these things I've accomplished but it's very hard for me to accept. One thing I am the most proud of is my mother deciding to join the YMCA through the silver sneaker program. Her medical insurance plan covers her membership and enrollment fees. She has beome so excited about her water aerboics because it takes the stress off of her joints which enables her to workout in the pool. It is so wonderful to see how much she is enjoying the workouts. I can really see how the inches are starting to come off. She is more moble and she is starting to regain her life back.   I just don't see myself being this new and improved person as others do. I can identify some changes from my clothing size but overall I do see myself as the same. I know inches come off before the actually weight dropps, but I need the scale to do it's thing.   Overall, my life is a lot better than it has been in a very long time.
shonette

shonette

4
 

I Feel Like A Transforming "butterfly"

! I have been banded a little over two years and so much has happened on this journey! I have learned so much about this band, and I still continue to learn things about having a band. One of my newest experiences was about three weeks ago when I could not get anything to go down and every thing I put into my mouth was getting stuck. I did not know what in the world was going on because I had not gotten a fill in over nine months or maybe longer. I was always told that the band could not readjust itself, but that is so far from the truth from my own personal experiences. I was told the band is a little tighter earlier in the mornings and after lunch I should be able to eat well as long as it was chewed "well"! (not always so true for me)   Right before I started experiencing my stuck episodes- I had a really bad sinus infection and I wasn't aware how much post nasal drainage I was having. The drainage caused my esophagus to swell around my upper stomach where the band is connected. The more I tried to eat different foods and vomiting the more irritated and swollen my esophagus around my band area became. I lost a quick 20 pounds in two weeks before I really realized it. I was so focused on the daily stuck episodes and trying to figure out what was going on wrong with my band. Now someone may ask, "Why in the world I didn't see my WLS". Well he had moved 4 1/ hours away and I did not want to make that trip feeling so awful unless I had no other choice. Therefore, I scheduled an appointment with a gastroenterologist and he ordered labs for barium swallow. A day after the barium swallow everything had gone back to normal. Unknown to me all of the post nasal swelling had gone down and my band was back to its appropriate restriction level. If that's the correct way of saying it. I have also learned that a week before my "M" cycle my band appears to be more restricted until my cycle has ended. I have also identified that my band is also more restricted when my body feels stress! These things were something I had to learn due to my life experiences with living with my band. Each person's experiences with their band is not always going to be text book or similar to someone else. Each day I learn a little more about life with a "BAND"! Please know that every single day is not going to be the same. Each person will achieve a different level of success- but it does not mean someone else is a failure compared to others. It only means each banded person is a little different and unique! LOL (learn to work “your band”)   Each day I work so hard mentally, emotionally, and physically never to become that same person I left behind two years ago and counting……… I had walked three miles while watching Netflix last night before I had realized how long I had walked. I could not believe it! Two years ago- the old me would have pasted out within the first 15 minutes of walking. That was a big victory for me last night and I now understand how much my weight has held me back from a lot of things.   I remember me "then" but I focus on me "now"! I am down a total of 90 pounds and counting.      
shonette

shonette

4
 

I don't want to look like the Chick-fil-A cow riding a motorcycle

My husband asked me yesterday if I would like to ride his bike with him on 12-15-10 to give out toys for Toys for tots. I felt really honored :blushing:that he wanted me to ride with him to give out the toys for the children. Every since he asked me I have started to become really paranoid about doing it. I really have not lost the weight I would have wanted to loose, but I have lost a good bite. I don't want to look like the Chick-fil-a cow on the back of a motorcycle:ohmy:. He asked was I okay with my weight lost if so he wanted me to ride with him. My husband has never been the type of man who was embarrassed of me being a larger size woman, but I know he always wanted me to be smaller. Now I have started to become very self-conscious about the way I will look riding with him. I have never had much of an appetite lately but today I've been extremely hungry. I know a lot of what am experiencing is my nerves, because I have never done anything like this before. For most people they would not understand what the big deal is to ride on a motorcycle with your husband. For an over weight wife it's a very big deal because I have never really ridden on the back of a motorcycle, and to ride in an event like toys for tots. I really don't want to agree to do this with my husband and back out at the last moment, and he may never ask me to ride with him again. I just need a little help and support with this one. :smile2:
shonette

shonette

6
 

Heavy Heart

I was looking at all the pictures on the web of the earthquake victims in Haiti. Oh my God, what devastation Haiti is experiencing right now. My weight problems just don't seem to be as significate today as it has been.:sad: The earthquake that hit Haiti was worse than any hurricane I've ever seen. I feel so thankful just to live my life today without all the sadness those people are going through. I can not imagine my world being turned upside down and inside out the way Haiti has!:cursing: My heart is so very heavy for their lost. Today, my desire for the band is just not that important to me. My prayers and focus is for the sadness and lost for the people in Haiti.:ohmy:
shonette

shonette

4
 

Good News is worth waiting for!!!!

I was so excited when Dr. McCown's nurse called me back this morning to let me know they would be able to start my initial appointment(s) and all the other stuff that needs to be done. I just want to do absolutely every single thing required of me so a band date can be scheduled. I feel just like my 4yrs old son in the toy center at Wal-Mart. Excitement, joy, and hopes fill my heart right about now.   I am very careful not to share my decision with too many people. For some unknown reason, a lot of people have a very negative opinion about weight lost procedures. Every single person make this choice for so many resons, and I know my health and personal well being is my main reasons.   I posted a picture of my two beautiful children in my photos today. Those two very special people are my main reasons I want to have good health and a very long life.   I started to experience some pains and difficulity my my right knee 2 weeks ago. I really don't know what happened with it, but I cracked this same knee over 2yrs ago from a fall at my old employment. I have had on going issues every since.   I feel losing as much weight as possible will only take excessive stress from my knee pains. That's my main goal/ good health and happiness!   I have so many things to feel blessed about, and this is one of the biggest blessings of all. (Lap-Band®)!   It's so hard to explain but I feel like am getting a new chance on living a more productive and healthy live for the rest of my life.
shonette

shonette

2
 

Going for my third fill!

Over three weeks ago I had my second fill. It ended up being an over fill. I later found out some of it could have been my fault due to not following the outlined diet as ordered. My normal fills are already covered for a year, but I received a bill a couple of days ago for the extra appointment to have some of the saline taken out due to the overfill. I pray my insurance will cover 90% which will leave me only owing $35.00. My God that one visit was expensive and it only took him less than 5 minutes to remove the 1cc that was causing me all that trouble. How be ever (it this is considered an appropriate phase) I really pray my doctor will do another fill today. He assured me my past experience would have no deciding factor on my future fills. Oh well I will see this afternoon when I get there. I really do need a little more restriction. I will follow my diet to the "T" this time, because I want to be successful with my band. I was told never to eat two hours before or after a fill. Today am soooooooo hungry which seems that way every single time I have gotten a fill. As I type this post, my stomach is making all kinds of noise so I really need to put some real food in my stomach before my fill. I need to have my morning protein shake which I am late drinking and an early lunch today. I have been walking 4-5 miles weekly. I know that is not a lot but it's an effort for me due to my very busy and demanding life. I have a five year old son, two month old grand baby:wub: (boy) and a seventeen year old daughter and a husband. I am trying to make sure she remains focused and move beyond her bad choices so her son can have the kind of life he deserves! Her senior year is very demanding and she has to work. Therefore, I have to keep the baby those days she is working. My son is now in constant competition with the baby which keeps my hands full! I really want to do some type of work out daily, but I don't always get the opportunity to do so. My scale is not moving a whole lot but my clothes fit so much looser and some are too big. I am trying to judge my success by the way my clothes are fitting me and not just based on the numbers by the scale. I do thank God I have not gained any weight. I will post how things went with my third fill. I pray I get a fill. I am so very thankful to be able to have my band. It really has been my saving grace!:smile:
shonette

shonette

4
 

Fat mass went from 129 and currently 106- I kicked butt last month!

I just left my doctor's office this afternoon, and I could not wait to see what that little printout had to say. I lost a total of 12.2 pounds overall. Therefore, I averaged around 3 pounds per week. These are my numbers compared to my last adjustment on 1-18-2011:   1-18-2011 / 2-24-2011   BMI: 37.3 BMI: 35.7 Fat mass: 129 Fat mass: 106.21 weight: 282.61 weight: 270.41     I don't want to lose water weight. I want to lose body fat and gain muscles throughout this entire process. Nothing makes me happier than to see these numbers. It lets me know all of my hard work is not in vain and the fat is being replaced with muscles. God is so good to me and this is a long time dream becoming a reality to get off this weight and to keep it off. It's slow but it's coming off!
shonette

shonette

2
 

Everything is Down hill

I've started all my appointments with the different things required by my insurance. I still have a problem with the six months supervised diet by my doctor. I really feel that is just a waste of my time. If I could lose the weight and maintain it on my own, I would not need the lap-band® done. I have researched the lap-band® since feb 09. I am very aware of a lot of different things that I have to do to lose the weight.   However, I feel like am giving myself the gift of life. It's like a second chance to make right of all the bad food choices I've made in my past. My BMI was 40 so that alone makes me an excellent candidate for the band. I reallydon't have any type of major health issues outside of my high herenia and joints (knee). Yes, it's all weight related. Thank God, I was told by the Doctor my herenia could be fixed when my procedure is done. That was music to my burning throat/chest! :sad: I know my life is only going to improve in so many healthy ways. I can not wait to start losing this weight and keeping it off for good. I do know the band is only a tool and (baby) I intend to work that tool to it's fullest!:drool: Am positive and I know God is going to work everything out in my favor. Everything from this point is down hill. As long as all of my appointmens are kept, I should not have any problems being approved my the insurance company! "It won't be long now"!:wink2:
shonette

shonette

3
 

Everything is Down hill

I've started all my appointments with the different things required by my insurance. I still have a problem with the six months supervised diet by my doctor. I really feel that is just a waste of my time. If I could lose the weight and maintain it on my own, I would not need the lap-band done. I have researched the lap-band since feb 09. I am very aware of a lot of different things that I have to do to lose the weight.   However, I feel like am giving myself the gift of life. It's like a second chance to make right of all the bad food choices I've made in my past. My BMI was 40 so that alone makes me an excellent candidate for the band. I reallydon't have any type of major health issues outside of my high herenia and joints (knee). Yes, it's all weight related. Thank God, I was told by the Doctor my herenia could be fixed when my procedure is done. That was music to my burning throat/chest! :confused: I know my life is only going to improve in so many healthy ways. I can not wait to start losing this weight and keeping it off for good. I do know the band is only a tool and (baby) I intend to work that tool to it's fullest! Am positive and I know God is going to work everything out in my favor. Everything from this point is down hill. As long as all of my appointmens are kept, I should not have any problems being approved my the insurance company! "It won't be long now"!:wink2:
shonette

shonette

1
 

Did I make the best choice "Band vs. Sleeve"

On July 21st it will make a whole year since I had my band put in. Lately, I have second guessed my choice to have this band. I have had some many episodes of feeling that stuck feeling and throwing up a slimly substance because things are not going down properly. I have spoke with my doctor about these issues and several different reasons have been given for my episodes. No- I don't eat large bites of food at any given time, and I always take my time while eating. No- this is not happening all of the time, but yes- it's happening more than I would like for it to be happening. I feel like "my" band has a mind of its own. There are certain days I feel super tight and other days things feel just right. My doctor has explained that my band should always feel the same unless it's swollen and irritated by something I have done wrong.   Honestly, this band has so many rules and does & don'ts! I do thank God for my weight lost, but it has truly come with a price. I could have never understood this before actually going through a lot of different trials. Having this band is not an easy fix with losing weight. It really takes a lot of discipline and complying with a lot of different rules. On the flip side, my niece has the sleeve and she has none of these issues to deal with. She can only eat a smaller portion of food, but there are not all of the other restrictions Iike band patience do. I can deal with the smaller portions, but sometimes I feel just miserable and wishing my choices was different.   I do understand that with any weight lost procedure anything can go wrong, but sometimes I just want to feel normal during meal times. I really don't eat out with my family any more due to the awful things I experience while attempting to eat. (having to leave the table to spite up food that will not go down or have this crazy look on my face because I fee this awful pain in my upper chest area) Then I have days that I have no problems at all. I want to emphasize once more that small portions are not a problem, but to always worry about my meals and if I am going to be able to swallow what I am eat is. It’s the most difficult with my 6 year old son when these things are going on, because he now tell me “Mommie you should have never got that band”!   I feel like I've come too far to have every single thing taken out of my band, and honestly I only have 4cc in a 10cc band. My doctor wants to take everything out and for me to start all over again with my fills. I am almost at my 12 month mark and my fills will be no longer covered per my contract. My band is not even half full and in less than 17 days I will be a year banded. There are some things that I have found that really help me not to experience that stuck feeling in my throat/upper chest area. If I drink warm drinks throughout my day things have an easier time going down vs. me not drinking warm drink. I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if I try to eat real food my day is shot from then on. Therefore, skipping breakfast or having a protein shake works a whole lot better for me.   I just want people to be aware that there maybe complications with this band and there is definitely no easy fix for losing weight. Each person has to figure out what works best for them and their band and continue to apply the principles of having a band. (Don’t mix food and drink- eat very, very slowly to prevent things from getting stuck- don't over eat to the point of throw food back up- don't over do the protein because it's bad on the kidneys "I learned that one the hard way"- exercise is your best friend if you want quick weight lost- learn to research things you have questions about or seek information from reliable sources) Following these steps have really helped me to get to the point where I am now with my weight lost.   I do realize this is a daily effort to keeping my weight off, but having these tools handy will really make things a lot easier to accomplish your goals.      
shonette

shonette

5
 

Another unfill (throwing up and the onset of heartburn)!

Last week I was experiencing a lot of difficulty getting things down, and I started throwing up "a lot"! That was my warning sign that something was wrong, and I needed to see my doctor. I prayed to struggle through the weekend and I gave the office a call first thing Monday morning. Thank God, Dan the PA was able to see me that afternoon. I explained to him some of the things I had been experiencing with throwing up and that awful stuck feeling with almost everything I placed into my mouth. I was advised due to the throwing up and pressure of things getting stuck my band was swollen and very irritated due to the forceful trauma I was putting it through. He took out .2ccs and immediately I was given relief!   Every single person is different when it comes to their fills and the amount they are able to tolerate in their bands. I happen to be the type of person who’s not able to tolerate a lot of fluid in my band. I am 8 months post band and I only have a little less than 5 ccs in my band. I had my hernia repaired and in eight months I was free of zero signs of heartburn, but this week that weird feeling of heartburn has begun to linger in my upper chest area. That is very disappointing for me, and I feel like it's due to all the throwing up I experienced last week. My PA explained the acid from the throwing up cause’s damage in your esophagus which results in the feeling of heartburn.   I honestly thought heartburn was apart of my life I would not have to experience never again. Thank God- I did not throw away all of my acid reflux medication. My symptoms are nothing like I had before, but it's just the fact I have any heartburn symptoms at all.   I do thank God for things being as well as they are, but I just feel a little down hearted about the thought of experiencing heartburn in any way. So far so good- I have not had any more major throwing up episodes.   So many people on the outside think having any type of weight lost surgery is the easy way out, but OMG they don’t have any idea of the many ups and down we all go through.        
shonette

shonette

3
 

A little Disappointed but patient

Today I was really hoping to hear back from Dr. McCowin's nurse, but so far nothing. I really wanted some good news to carry me through the weekend. Sometimes I have heard no news can be good news.:biggrin: Well, I had not completed my paperwork for the dr in Brunswick. I guess I need to go ahead and complete it before Wednesday for my appointment. Maybe Monday Ronda will give me a call back teling me something either way.:thumbup:
shonette

shonette

2
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