MarcyLoo

I know it's pretty common fhe port to be the sorest spot.

Totally normal. I went up about 10 pounds. They probably gave you at least 6-8 pounds in IV fluids alone, and when the body experiences traums (like major surgery) it rects by holding onto anything it can. It can be really frustrating and I didn;t start to lose for 2-3 weeks....I know it's hard, but try to stay off the scale until 3-4 weeks out. (yeah I know...right) it will come off, and once it does you'll feel on top of the world!!!

My BMI dropped below 50!!!! *happy dance*

It might be hormone related. Hormones are fat-stored, so your body tends to make excess hormones to accomodate for beign overweight..but the excess hormones hid ein faat tissue. As you lose fat tissue, your body is still making extra that now circulate in your blood until it figures out your levels are too high and starts making less. My therapist warned me of this an I've alreay noticed some fierce mood swings. Sorry for typos, my cats have messed up my keyboards. On my brand new laptop.

And I'm right there with you Melody! I am not interested in the vigorous exercise but I'd love to be able to go on hikes with the family, so normal activities, fit in normal seats etc.

I expect to lose almost all of my excess weight: I'm, 5'2" and want to get to 170, longer term goal 150 which is still bove average but I'd be very happy there. It doens't mean I'll stop there, but would be thrilled. But I expect this from myself, not just "from the band." I do realize thaat anythign the band helps me lose is a health improvement but I'm in this for life now...so can;t imagine not continuing with WL. In the past 5 weeks I'm a sixth of the way to my goal of 150!

I'm 5'2" My personal goal is first 170 then 150....if I get below 200 though I'll be thrilled and if I go lower than 150 and am still healthy so be it. The only person at the clinic who asked me about my own goal was the nurse practitioner psychologist, who said in her opinion 150 was very reasonable. She also explained that people who have been obese for years will almost always fall above average weight because over time our bones actually become denser to accomodate carrying the extra weight...so it's not realistic to expect to get to the "average" healthy weight for average people. I hope that made sense? My surgeon never suggested a goal weight.

I was just in for my 1st fill last week and they said heartburn is a big sign of being too tight... hope you get it figured out. * hugs *

I've only been banded for less thn a month. I've started getting really irritated with my mom & my mother-in-law (my MIL in particular). Every single time I talk to her she asks how my "diet" is going or how my weight loss is going. I always explain that I am well healed from surgery, that I have lost 20 pounds and have STILL lost 20 pounds and that my band is STILL empty so I'm not expecting to lose much more until my fill (tomorrow). I'm already kinda down that things are moving this slow and that I'm almost always hungry, so to have her/them asking so often is driving me nuts. I know it will get better, but I don't want the focus of every stinking conversation to be my band or my weight loss or my diet progress. anyone else have similar issues?

Gika I hope they get it figured out!! They told me to schedule my 2nd fill for only 2 weeks later...an I can already tell I need more (but maybe not much more). The 1 cc they added has for sure helped but I could use a smidge more to keep me feeling full longer. I'm fairly pleased with the amount I'm eating at a sitting (about a cup to cup and a half depending on what it is) Well, with my fill I had a pretty good day. My eggs with onion and ham (about 20g protein and under 200 cal) kept me full for 4 hours. For lunch I had greek yogurt and granola, which lasted about 2 1/2. I just ate the topping off a piece of pizza and half a side salad and am way too full. I plan to not eat anything else today except maybe some hot tea. Is anyone having a lot of belching going on? It amazes me sometimes that I can belch this much...like a neverending burp pit.

Oh my Jackie that cracked me up as well!!! (and man can i relate!) I'm also married so don't date, but I did have someone hit on me the other day. I know my husband is going to have issues if men pay attention to me as I thin out (he's a suspicious duck, for no reason as I am 200% comitted to him & our marriage and always have been). In social situations, though, if people ask about my "odd" eating I plan to just explain I'm ona special diet and cannot eat certain things. I'm also very open and most people already know, and I'm not hesitant to expalin if people ask em to elaborate. That's just a very personal decision, though. Kuddos to you for being on the dating scene! Have the time of your life, girl!!!

I don't donate anymore, but I would totally suggest you ask your surgeon about this. My guess is donating is ok if you have a balanced diet, take a dialy multi vitamin, but you'll want to wait so many weeks post op to donate since your body is recovering and you need to restore blood lost form surgery.

It sounds more like phrenic nerve pain form the band itself vs acid reflux. you have a lot of swellign the first 1-2 weeks so hopefully it will settle down. You can always call your surgeon, though...

Name, real or screen~ Marcy Age~ 35 (36 next month) Weight on April1st~ about 280 Goal Weight for April 29th~ 265 Exercise Goal for April~ Begin my Kinect exercise program Dietary Goal for April~ Make sure i'm getting in t least 60 grams of protein a day Personal Goal for April~ finish with my training at work Date Banded~ March 15, 2011 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ I' going by my total loss since starting preop diet, 21.5 pounds (12 of which were fromt he week prior to surgery)

Lost another half a pound overnight, woot! I did well last night at our bible study group (we potluck every Thursday)...the hostess made chicken enchiladas and this yummmmy corn cake stuff, but ll very fattening. I kept my portions well in check. :-) Now I must go deal with a kitten who I suspect is hallucinating. She's a spaz and always jumping at the walls and stuff when nothing is there.

Dumping syndrome is with gastric bypss, not the lab band. It has to do with the missing intestines they remove with bypass. Maybe your brochure was for WL surgery overall and not lap band specific? Whoever had loose bowels the other day, that wa sno tlikely dumping syndrome, just a fluke. Dumping syndrome usually has some other things that go with (nausea, shaking, sweating, cramps, even confusion)

Great news! I was up from 277 to 280 at my appt yesterday and sinc emy fill 24 hrs ago I'm down to 276! Yay!!! I only ate 2 meals last night at work (12 hour shift) and was very clearly not hungry for 4-5 hours at a time. I'm thrilled!!! I for sure have to chew more thoroughly after my fill, and am eating about 1 cup at a time.

Awesome! :-) I also work at a busy hospital in the Seattle area. :-) (I see you were banded here anyway)

I was told the lifespan of the band is 8 years of CONTINUOUS eating/digestion in tests (and we do not continually eat so in reality the band can be lifetime device unless it fails). There's no rule about having it replaced every 10 or even 20 years. My guess though is that in another 10 or 20 years insurance will only have beter coverage as health benefits are seen more and more. We can surely hope so! I can drink Water pretty quickly between meals, but it's common to have issues with very cold fluids. As someone said the urge to take huge bites will go away after you get stuck once or twice.

So I had my fill today! It was easy-peasie. I had thought my band was empty this whole time but it turns out it's been at 4cc's (in a 10cc band)...so I'm at a total of 5cc's now. The nurse had the doctor come in to look at my port because last night in the shower when I bent forward I felt a sharp pain that is still there...just like I thought the doc says it's a popped port stitch, but he says it'll be ok since there's 3 other stitches and scar tissue by this point all holding it down. It hurts though.

I would guess altitude could make it tight for the trip, but like a bag of unopened hcips it should go back to what it ws once you land? I'm just guessing though... Have a great trip!!

Sisterwood, I've had my gallbladder removed years ago so nothing prescribed for me...sorry I'm no help. Well, in the shower last night I bent forward and to the left and pulled something around my port. My only guess is I ripped a stitch? It's the most pain I've been in since surgery other than getting stuck. I'll bring it up when I go in for my fill today.

Oh and the other day I was at my moms house....having a cup of coffee after being awake for 2 days straight...at home I use fat free half and half and splenda. well all she had was nonfat milk or regular half and half, so I opted to treat myself to one cup of coffee with half and half. Totally my choice and IMO not sabbotaging my band/diet. We're all entitled to the occasional treat if we chose. anyhow she had the wrong screw-on lid & as I took it out of the fridge some spilled. She said to me rather rudely "why are you having half and half???" I gave her a pretty dirty look and said "because I'm having a cup of coffee." Oy.