Jenn1214

My port is a couple inches below my belly button. I tend to lean up against the counter when I'm cooking and it hurts! I think it's because there's less fat around the port site to protect it, and I'm definitely not complaining about that!

I have no regrets. I have lost about 65 pounds since being banded and I know I couldn't have done it alone. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Sweets are big time trigger foods for me. Once I have a bite it's really hard for me to stop, so I don't keep them in the house and avoid them as much as possible. That's just me, of course it's different for everyone.

I've been noticing this recently: after eating, I start feeling very fatigued, to the point where I want to go take a nap. I'm not stuffing myself or anything. Anyone else have this problem? What could it mean?

When in doubt, call the doctor. It sounds like it could be normal drainage, but you never know. Signs of infection usually include redness, swelling, tenderness, and purulent drainage (pus) that has an unmistakable odor.

My fiance is scheduled for lap band surgery on February 15th. Everything was all set (we thought) until his surgeon's office called to confirm his pre op doctor's visit. They basically said "Oh and by the way, you need to do A, B and C again because the results are over a year old." Naturally my fiance got annoyed with them and asked why he was able to be scheduled for surgery when the results of these tests were outdated. The receptionist cheerfully replied "Oh, it must have been an oversight." Now he's scrambling around to try and get all these tests redone before his visit. He has already taken the time off of work, which was tough to begin with because of his job, so he can't afford to have the surgery rescheduled. Moral of the story: Be up your surgeon's backside and make sure their office has everything completely in order. They probably won't tell you there's a problem until it's too late to fix it and then you're the one who's screwed.

It seems like the only time I lose a significant amount of weight is when I'm on liquids. My fiance is having the lap band surgery in February so I plan to follow his post op diet with him for support. If I happen to lose weight in the process, only the better for me!

Definitely normal. Every time I have a fill my PA always reminds me that it can take a week or even two to really notice a difference.

My mother in law always goes way overboard at Christmas, and amongst the myriad of other gifts I got, she gave me a few new tops. They were medium, so I figured I would be able to wear them in a few months. Just for kicks, I tried them on when I got home and to my utter shock, they fit! I am wearing one now as I type this. I love my lap band!

I have gotten stuck twice on italian pretzels and once on a piece of bacon. I tried to eat a biscuit yesterday at Christmas dinner and had a tough time with it, so I probably won't be trying it again in the future. I avoid rice as a rule, although I've never had any trouble with it. Same thing with steak...I've never really been a steak person anyway. Eggs make me nauseous now for some reason. Not a fan of hamburger anymore either.

We went out to brunch with a friend of ours on Sunday. Everything was going fine until I took too big of a bite of something...I was talking and not paying attention, and I didn't realize until it was too late. Seconds later I was in the bathroom and I'm sure I don't need to explain the rest. Uncomfortable, painful, and oh so embarrassing! Needless to say it was a big wake up call and a reminder to never, ever be complacent with this band. I never want to go through anything like that ever again!

Since I only eat about 1000 calories a day to begin with, I try to eat back the calories I burn when I exercise as much as possible. Otherwise, I feel like I'd be in starvation mode. It only amount to an extra 150 calories a day (I usually burn at least 200 but it's hard to eat all those extra calories!), but will this sabotage my weight loss? Thanks!

Now of course this morning I stepped on the scale and lost 2 pounds...I don't get it! It couldn't hurt to get my thyroid checked again though...I'll have them run a full panel and won't take no for an answer!

I've suspected this for years, but was never diagnosed. Not only has my weight loss has slowed to an absolute crawl, I'm always cold, I feel sluggish a lot, I have trouble focusing ("brain fog"), and have zero libido, among other symptoms. My father also takes medication for this condition, so it definitely runs in the family. I was diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago, but I seem to have more symptoms of hypothyroidism even though they can mimic each other. However, my levels are normal according to my doctor. Has anyone else ever gone through this? What did you do about it?

Some people can drink soda with no problem...unfortunately I am not one of those people. I was at a party and the host gave me a drink but failed to mention that it was carbonated, and I was in agony! It's just not worth it for me to try.

This happened to me after my first couple of fills. One time I convinced myself that my band had slipped and I called the surgeon's office freaking out! Obviously they get a lot of calls like that because they reassured me that it was nothing to worry about and to get a fill at my next appointment. If you had a real slip you would be absolutely miserable!

Have you tried Vitamin Water Zero? I have it as a treat every once in a while, but I like it because it doesn't have that funny aftertaste that some diet drinks have. I used to be a hardcore soda addict too, but now I don't miss it.

It's difficult at first, but if you drink the required amount eventually your body will crave it and you'll have an easier time. I drink mostly plain water but I'll mix it up every once in a while with Vitamin Water Zero so I don't get too bored. I try not to drink my calories except for coffee.

That happens to me too. I chalk it up to being on liquids, since it doesn't happen if I've had a decent meal before the fill.

My surgeon said he would be able to send me home the same day if I wanted, or I could stay overnight. I chose to stay in case anything happened (thankfully nothing did). I went home the next afternoon.

Thank God I have only been stuck twice, and each episode has only lasted for a few minutes *knocking on every piece of wood I can reach* Both times it was on a pepper biscuit (they're like Italian pretzels, I love them). Last night I swallowed a bite and I knew it was too big the second it went down...what a horrible feeling! Definitely a reminder to be more careful!

I don't like eating with other people because I feel like I'm paying less attention to my chewing and the size of my bites, plus I am apt to eat more than I should because of peer pressure. Plus it takes me twice as long to eat a quarter of the food and I feel rushed! I try to time it so that I finish at the same time as everyone else, but it doesn't always work. It's just another thing to get used to I guess.

I started exercising regularly about a month ago and it's time to color my hair again. The problem is I work out 6-7 times a week and the directions on my hair color say to apply to unwashed hair. I have to wash my hair after I work out! Anyone have any advice on this? Thanks!

I need to start working on my abdominals...they are so weak! My port is about an inch or so below my belly button, so I'm a little nervous about doing damage to it. Anyone have any exercises that are comfy on the port?

I've been noticing that about a week before my period, I get ravenously hungry. I can pretty much eat the way I did before I was banded. It's horrible. I know I shouldn't get a fill just to deal with this problem because it doesn't happen all the time and I don't want to be too tight, but I feel like I'm undoing all my hard work during PMS time. Anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it?