Oregondaisy

Dr. Tersigni has submitted all the paperwork to be a center of excellence. I just found out at support group that his office found out that he has the lowest rate of complications in the state of OR. I am extremely happy with him and his office staff. Feel free to send me a private message if you have any questions about him.

You will have to step up the exercise. I have also had my resting metabolic rate taken at the doctor's office. I had to sit hooked up to a computer with a clothes pin type thing on my nose, then breathe in and out of my mouth for 20 min. I wasn't allowed to exercise for 48 hours before the test, and the test had to be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. My point is that I don't think anything online can give you an accurate reading of what you burn without doing this test I did at the doctor's office. If you aren't losing, you need to exercise more and burn more calories. I am in the same boat. I don't think I can exercise anymore than I already am doing. I exercise 6 days a week.

Most people don't get restriction with their first fill either. Good job putting your hands up in the air. That will sometimes help but not always. I am glad it helped you. pancakes aren't all that band friendly. They are kind of like bread, which most people can't eat. If they are pretty soaked up with syrup, that does help.

I just really hope that I don't have to run to the restroom while eating out with my father. He always likes to stop for pizza on the way home from the airport. Last time I was there, I was pretty loose and could eat a piece of pizza. I am pretty sure now I don't want to test that. I will have to tell him I have given up pizza and would like to eat somewhere else.

It's really hard not to say something when someone is complaining about their post op diet. There was a post where the person said her doctor was just plain mean to make her stay on liquids. At support group, I was told that the band manufacturers are going to stop selling bands to certain doctors. I think there is a difference between those of us who had to come up with the money and people who had their insurance pay. Personally, I think the band is such a gift to the world that I would not do anything intentional to mess it up. I can't even believe that I am at a weight that I haven't been for 25 years. I worry all the time that something is going to go wrong and the band will be taken from me. This is a very good subject/thread WasA! If newbies come in here and think we are just being judgemental because they don't want to follow a post op diet, there really is nothing we can do. If they read carefully, they will know that it's only because we don't want people to lose their bands.

I have hardly told anyone. The last person in the world I would tell would be my dad. He is so judgemental and I was a self pay. He would have constantly reminded me that I had to pay 10,000.00 because I didn't eat right in his opinion. The only thing that is bad about this is eating around him. He lives in another state so I only see him about every 6 months. However, he likes to eat out every night. It's hard to order food off the menu not knowing how the band is going to like it. He always says I can't believe you ordered that. I know by now what I can eat and what I have trouble with. I am still glad I didn't tell him. Now he's happy that I have lost weight.

Mine was wiry like a fishing line too. They dissolved in 3 months. My daughter is a nurse and she wanted to cut them off. I asked the dr. and he said to just leave it alone and let it dissolve.

Mine is at the top of the shoulder and goes down my arm. I haven't had it for awhile except for a little bit the other day. Like I said, mine comes and goes.

I hope it lasts for you! I don't feel as tight as I did a month ago when I got this fill but I know not to get more because food still gets stuck. When food doesn't get stuck at all, I know it's time for a fill.

Diane, you sound just like me. I was exercising for 3 years 6 days a week and not losing anything. I would gain over the weekend and lose that during the week. I was so afraid the band wouldn't work for me. You do have to exercise. The band makes it so you aren't as hungry and you are able to eat tiny portions. It's really important to get the fills though. Every time you lose, the fat around the stomach goes away, and the band gets loose. Then you feel like you don't have a band and can eat more, and also eat more junk. When you have the right restriction, you won't be able to eat bread or pizza. You can only eat a small amount so you have to eat Protein and veggies. I hope that helps. I had months where I didn't lose then all of a sudden, I would drop 5 lbs. The band will work if you follow all the rules.

Thank you Dr. Watkins. You are so helpful and all of us here really appreciate it!

I was afraid Dr. Watkins wouldn't be back! Dr. Watkins, How is it possible when you get a fill, and it's supposed to be a certain amount, then when you get your next fill, part of it is missing. I was supposed to be at 2.75, but then at my next fill, he was only able to pull out 2.0. Yet he says I don't have a leak. I have heard different theories, like air bubbles taking up space. Is it possible when giving a fill that part of it doesn't get into the band? This whole thing confuses me!:cry Thank you in advance!;)

I have had a lot of trouble with fills. Every time I get one, he takes it out to see what I have left. There is never the amount in there,that he says is supposed to be in there. Yet he says I don't have a leak. I think I have had 6 or 7 fills, and this is the first time that I feel like I am not losing my restriction. He tells me as soon as a little fat is gone around the stomach, the band gets looser. I am having doubts that I will be able to get to my goal, but I just tell myself I can do it, and that this is better than gaining.

I had that. My doctor told me to leave it alone and it would dissolve in 3 months and it did.

You're right about that. I refuse to gain and I was happy I didn't gain over the holidays but I really want to lose this last 10 lbs. I don't see how it would be possible for me to exercise anymore than I am already. I exercise 6 days a week.

Forreste, You can post anywhere that interests you. I usually click on new posts every day, just to see what's going on. I post a lot here, and the lower BMI thread, but I am definitely all over the place. Sunshine, You have been tight for quite awhile now. I have heard that we are supposed to eat pieces the size of a pencil eraser. A lot of people are so tight all day long that they can't eat until evening. Personally, I wouldn't want to be that tight. I am wondering how long it's going to take me to take off this last 10 lbs. I don't think I can fit anymore exercise into my life than I am already doing. I have heard that the last little bit is the hardest to take off. :cry

This has happened to me several times. We were just discussing this tonight at support group. My dr. was convinced I had a leak so he filled me up. Bad idea. I felt like I had an elephant on my chest.I waited for some to leak out and it never did. I had to have an unfill. We have decided that it evaporates, or part of the fill doesn't make it into the band. I have had a lot of trouble getting restriction this past year. It's only since this last fill that it feels like it's not going anywhere. It's probably my 7th fill? I stopped counting. I made a post awhile ago. You could do a thread search if you wanted. I think that one was called got a fill and lost restriction.

Good Grief! I had no clue gum could be such a problem. I chew gum all the time. It keeps me from eating. I have never swallowed a piece and probably have been chewing gum for 50 years. I sure hope I never accidentally swallow gum! I usually spit it out as soon as it loses it's flavor. I could never go to the gym either without chewing gum. For some reason, I have to chew gum while doing cardio.

I know so many people who had gastric bypass and have gained most of their weight back. They lose weight really fast in the beginning but they don't have to learn new habits the way bandsters do. After the first year, they are all gaining weight back. I know a lady that was 400 lbs and got down to 140. She had a tummy tuck, her arms done and is now close to 300 lbs again.

Good. I hope they figure out what is wrong.

There is a chat program up at the top. I have chatted with people before. It would be nice to have an organized chat with people who sign up to chat on a certain day and time.

Yes, everyone says that they are much tighter while it's that time of the month. That is good advice. Try to stay on liquids and Soups if you're having trouble. Don't even try solids. Everything is aggravated in there and it will just compound the problem. Some people are very sensitive to fills and can't handle much of a fill.

Yep, that's slime alright. It's the body's way of trying to get the food to slide through the band. I hate it and try to take itty bitty bites and chew very well to avoid this at all costs.

There should be a netiquitte post for just plain posting at lap band talk. I don't know where it should go. Some people don't even know they aren't supposed to type in all caps. Others have never heard of paragraph breaks, etc.

I would never want to be unfilled. When I have any less in there than I have now, I want to eat pizza, and other stuff the band won't let me eat now. I like having the forced willpower. I don't think I will ever learn to eat rationally. I have too many years of yo yo dieting behind me. I am having trouble getting this last 10 lbs off. It's so easy now to think that I have lost enough, even though I would actually like to lose more than 10.