Ambrosia

I can feel mine quite easily from the outside. My sister says she can see right where it is. I think it is very close to my skin because I feel it when I'm bending over to put on shoes or socks and lying on my side. It's not a bad pain but it is a little uncomfortable.

It's Malleysurgical.com. Is Tallgrass the Topeka facility? If so, I've read alot of good comments on these boards. Do a search for your facility or surgeon and you will probably find lots of information. Hope this helps.

Another Kansas Citian here, well Independence. I go to Dr. Malley and just had my 3rd fill last Monday. I can really feel restriction now. As everyone else has said, let your body heal and get used to your new tool. But don't go crazy and eat everything in sight even though you may be able to. It will happen for you, just let things take the proper course. Good luck.

Welcome from a fellow Bostonian! I only told my parents, sister and a few people I work with. Everyone has been very supportive. On two occasions my sister has commented that she busts her a** at the gym several nights a week and has little to show for it and I've lost 22 pounds in two months. I remind her that I struggle with my food demons everyday and this has not been easy for me either. I tell her that I still am addicted to food and I don't expect that to ever go away. I must still make the right choices every day and it is difficult. I have just stared exercising so maybe that will help her feel that I "deserve" this weight loss. And if she doesn't, too bad. Good luck to you.

I just got my 3rd fill last Monday and I feel it now! The first two fills felt a little tight but I was able to eat more than I thought I should be able to. This last fill might be my sweet spot. Hang in there, you're doing fine. It takes a little bit of experimenting to figure it out.

Jodi, Some insurance carriers determine eligibility by your BMI? I think most carriers won't cover you if you are under 40 BMI but I don't have personal experience with this. My starting BMI was 38, which is considered lower, but I was self-pay so I didn't have to jump through all the hoops that others had to. Where in Kansas are you? I went to Dr. Malley in Mission, KS and he is wonderful. Read these boards and you will discover a wealth of information. Good luck.

I, too, had horrible periods. Cramps so bad it was like having the wind knocked out of me. Absolutely horrendous. And I couldn't be away from a bathroom for more than an hour because the blood flow was so heavy. But, since being banded in February, my last 3 periods were a piece of cake (no pun intended). Minimal cramping, minimal pain and very normal blood flow. I was overjoyed!

Marissa, I was banded 2/15 and have lost 22 pounds. While I'm very pleased with that, I feel like you do when I see other posters banded in February that have lost twice as much as I have. Especially considering how I have drastically changed my eating habits. I eat so healthy now it's downright scary! I have not touched junk food or fast food since 2/13 and eat relatively sugar-free. When I get discouraged I think about how much looser my clothes are and how much better I feel. I sleep better, I have more energy and my self esteem is better. I now need to start exercising and I'm sure that will help the weight come off. I just had my 3rd fill last Monday and I have good restriction. Hang in there and just think about how much weight you haven't gained since February.

Tracy, I'm sending you good wishes for your upcoming surgery. I know everything will go well. You will be in good hands with Dr. Malley. Did you attend his last support group? I thought I read on one of your posts that you attended a support group? How was it? I wanted to go but couldn't get away from work. How many people attended? Was the exchange of information useful to you? I hope you get some sleep between now and Thursday. I know it will be hard as the excitement builds. Good luck and let me know how everything turned out.

I like the shakes, puddings, oatmeal and the chicken noodle soup. I have to doctor the soup up a bit but I do like it. The real secret to Medifast is using very cold Water to mix the products with. Even if you microwave it (hot chocolate, chai latte) use very cold water to mix it first. Also, it helps alot if you let things sit awhile. The shakes and puddings set up much better if you put them in the frig for an hour or so. The soup tastes better if you let it soak for awhile before heating it. They have a message board on their website that offers lots of good tips on how to make the "meals" more palatable. If nothing else, it's a good source of Protein if I don't have time to get in a regular meal.

My gas pains were so painful I thought I was having a heart attack. No kidding. I nearly called my sister in the middle of the night to take me to the hospital but I just kept walking, for hours, and it finally went away. This happened almost every night for several weeks. I took Gas-X, phazeme, used the heating pad and everything else I read about on these boards so I thought I was prepared. But I wasn't. It was awful. I would walk all through my house every night to help with the gas. I nearly wore a path in my hardwood floors! But now, hardly any gas at all. Life is much easier now. Hang in there, I promise it will go away.

Karen, It's going very well. I see him tomorrow for a fill appointment. It will be my third one. I'm undecided if I need one or not but I will probably get one. I don't feel a great deal of restriction right now and I seem to be able to eat alot but I still eat very healthy. I am still learning the foods that agree with me and the ones that I must stay away from. Beef is not agreeing with me at all. The two times I had it, I experienced the sliming episode which is really horrible. So, no more beef for me which sucks since I love a good Kansas City steak. chicken and turkey, salads, yoguart, cottage cheese, Protein drinks all go down fine. I can eat crackers with no problems but I haven't dared tried bread or soda, and I won't. Too many horror stories about those. Even my medical doctor told me to stay away from those two things. All in all, things haven't been bad. It's definately a learning process. I am amazed that I don't graze anymore. food no longer controls my life, in fact, I rarely think about it anymore. Good luck with your band and listen to what Dr. Malley says. I really like him and glad I made the decision to go with him.

I've used them in the past and they were effective. I was banded 2/15 and not only did I have extremely bad gas pains post-op, but lots and lots and lots of gas for about 6 weeks. It was awful. If I tried to hold it in (at work, etc) the pain would kill me but if I let it out, I would die of embarrassment. I took alot of phazeme (sp?). Sorry to be so graphic but I thought I would go crazy. Everything gave me gas, no matter what I ate. Then, all of a sudden, it just stopped about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I get it occassionally but it isn't ruining my life! Try the charcoal. It certainly can't hurt.

I had the exact same concerns. I am a food addict as well, or was a food addict. I was also self pay so my concerns were even more stressful. If I only ate when I was hungry, I would never have gotten overweight to begin with. But I ate, non-stop, 16 hours a day. When I was happy, sad, stressed, bored . . . you name the emotion and I was feeding it. I was banded 2/15 and have lost 20 pounds. I can honestly say that I do not get hungry. I usually only eat once a day and even then, I'm not ravenous. The band really helps with the head hunger, the hunger that comes from emotions and not actually because you need to nourish your body. I'm not saying it's easy but it's alot easier. Each day it gets easier. I haven't had fast food or any kind of junk food since 2/13. A side benefit is all the money I've saved not going to fast food restaurants! For the most part, I live a sugar-free lifestyle which is pretty amazing considering how much candy and crap I ate. Good luck to both of you. The band may not be the answer for everyone but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I wrote this in another thread so in case you missed it - Good luck tomorrow. Follow the instructions you are given and take very good care of yourself post-op. Watch out for those gas pains. They can be real hard at times. Let us know how everything turned out.

Tomorrow's the big day, Rocko. Best wishes for a successful surgery and take really good care of yourself post-op. Follow your surgeons instructions and beware of gas pains. For me, that was the worst. Everything else was tolerable. Good luck and let us know how it turned out.

It was normal for me. Felt rather lethargic for a week or two. Once the weight started coming off I felt more energetic. Don't worry, it will pass.

I'm not in your area but just wanted to wish you luck.

Congratulation, Annette- Sounds like you and your husband are off to a healthy start. Best wishes for your continued success.

Jason, Good for you! Sounds like you really researched this and decided it was the best option for you. Keep us posted on your progress.

Welcome, Carol, I was banded 2/15 by Dr. Malley in Mission. Had my first fill today. Everything is going according to plan. Best decision I ever made.

I had my first fill today and am I glad! I was starting to eat like a horse but now I have some good restriction. I hope it lasts awhile. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

berry, I had horrendous gas pains that were in my shoulder and under my left breast. I thought I was having a heart attack! Gas-X and a heating pad did not help. Walking was the only thing that relieved the pain. I would literally walk through my house for hours in the middle of the night to relieve the gas pains. I ended up taking two additional days off work because of this. But it only lasted a few days and then just went away. I hope you're feeling better soon.

I've always taken Motrin but the nurse told me to stop taking it because it contains a blood thinner agent. I have switched to Tylenol liquid. Fortunately I've only had to take it once.

LOL!!! :biggrin1: