TerriDoodle

Sure, you should call if you're that uncomfortable but I can tell you that I've been banded since Apr 4th and mine has finally diminshed. It took quite awhile....probably 4 weeks or so. Every day will get a bit better. Just hang in there.

I like cheese.

TracyTx- you know to take it easy the next day or two, right? only mushies or fluids after a PB! Pamela - I'm so jealous! I wish I were doing something fun this weekend! Well, I kinda did already....DH and I went to the spa this evening and I got a mani/pedi, while he got a foot massage (reflexology), facial and a chair massage! We decided we should make this a regular Friday night date once or twice a month -- it was fun! Especially 'cause HE PAID!! TracyKS- I cannot believe how thin your face has gotten!!! You already look like a totally different person! ....and you are so beautiful! Your DBF is one lucky guy. Hope he knows it! What are ya'll doing this weekend? I was a bad girl tonight. Went to the spa instead of the gym and missed a scheduled workout for the 1st time in 5 weeks. I am very naughty and I feel so guilty!!!! Yuck. Well, I have an appt with the trainer tomorrow morning so I'll tell him to crack the whip extra hard (NOT!). I'll have to make it up sometime. Where's Laura? She hit the road too?

TracyTx - You absolutely just jump in here whenever you want!! We're so glad to have you! Just keep us up to date on what's going on with you...we're here for you, too! I"m so jealous that you've lost 24#!!! I've only lost 14 since surgery but I keep plugging away! I'm trying to do this without "dieting" per se....eating the foods I think are reasonable that I also enjoy. I don't eat a lot of junk food, never have, so that's not an issue....but I'm talking about things like peanut butter or full fat cottage cheese. I eat carbs but only complex ones and usually under 100/day. I hope you're feeling better tomorrow. I recently had to take a round of liquid antibiotics and that was the most horrible s*** I EVER tasted!!!!!!

Michelle - I feel for ya. I just don't understand why people can't respect others' privacy. That's just so rude. If you find that she has indeed shared it with others, you should confront her. Grrrrrrrrrr!!! Jane - you are lucky that you were numbed first, because I have not been and those sticks hurt....A BUNCH! I would have cried "UNCLE" after about the 4th one, for sure. My first fill the NP got it right off the bat...it was over in 10 seconds. My second fill she had to poke me twice and kinda had to fish around. I dunno....maybe my port moved during those 3 weeks. Shawna - Sorry, Honey What a terrible experience for your 1st fill! I'll pray you do better next time and that it was just a fluke. Did he say your port might be flipped or is that just your guess?

Hi all- I'm doing okay after my second fill. Moved from mushies to solid food for dinner tonight and did alright with meatloaf and a 1/2 c. of chicken veggie soup. I was really nervous about making the move to solids because I was having a hard time getting cottage cheese down this morning, but I've concluded that I'm just 'tighter' in the morning, which I've read about often on this board. (How does anyone get through this process without support like this???) Anyway, I've had a total of about 7-800 calories today and it felt like plenty of food! Ok, so onward with more solids tomorrow. Wish me luck! Nothing special going on this weekend...I am definitely going to clean out my closet though!! Tracy -- Bless you, you are such an angel!...and I am so excited for your new friend, too!

For a fast snack I usually choose Peanut Butter...with banana, wasa crackers, apples, or just by the spoonfull! I also like to have 1/2 of an avocado, sprinkled w/ salt....just spoon it out! So good and cheap this time of year! Very good for you, too. 2 slices of canadian bacon with a slice of low fat cheddar in between (I love Cabot light cheddar)...and eaten like a little sandwich! Hope that helps.

I'm certainly no expert, but from what I've gathered from the many hours I've spent on this message board, being too tight can create a whole host of other problems besides just 'not being able to eat'! ....Can't it? Reflux and a dilated esophagus are the first that come to mind. I wouldn't risk it...but that's just me.

What I like most about exercising is silencing that nagging voice in my head that was ALWAYS there saying, "You need to exercise. You are in horrible shape. How do you expect to lose any weight? You're gonna have osteoporosis like your mother. You need to firm up that butt. Your muscles are wasting away. All you do is sit around....." :blabla: on and on ad infinitum!! FINALLY, it is quiet. No amount of sweat or pain is too great a price for that. Silence is good.

Hi Haydee! I've always wanted to go to Chicago. I have a dear friend that lives in a beautiful house there....don't know why I haven't made the trip yet! I keep saying "someday"! I know that whatever happens with your boyfriend it will be the best for you. You seem like a strong and beautiful woman and you deserve the best life has to offer. Don't ever sell yourself short!! Tracy - Ditto what Kat said. I think she was meant to be in Kansas just so you could be her angel. You are the sweetest thing to help her the way you have. Does she need clothes?? What size? We've got all sizes around here!!

That's a gastric bypass procedure, not associated with the lap band at all. Sweets are not a problem for lap banders....although they aren't recommended either!

Day 2 of Fill 2 is going pretty well, I guess. Seems kinda like those 1st post-surgical days....feels like there's some swelling. I'm hoping some of this restriction will back off a bit. This a.m. I had cottage cheese and canned pears (about a cup), eaten in 30 mins. For lunch I had about 3/4 c broccoli cheese soup then a soft ice cream from McD's. I'll probably have a couple of scrambled eggs tonight before I go to the gym. It's chest, abs and biceps tonight -- Yippee! Quads are very sore today -- can't hardly walk down the stairs!! But that's OK! :grouphug: TracyinKS - Really happy to hear that you've started walking. That JUST DO IT mantra really does come in handy! I use it all the time! The other one I use is: FEET ON FLOOR. If I can just get my feet on the floor and move one in front of the other, eventually I will get to the gym! It helps to have a set time, too....like I have to be there by 6:30p. Especially if I have an appt. with the trainer!! I wasn't too sure about this trainer thing to start with, but I'm all over it now.

I had the same thing. Dr. Spivak says it happens frequently. He explained by comparing the band to a balloon. A balloon deflates over time because the air escapes thru the semi-permeable membrane. Same with the band & the saline. I also had Omnipaque put in rather than re-injecting w/ saline.

Yeah, it's kinda like fix-a-flat in the sense that if there is any porosity to the band, this liquid is too thick to get thru it. It is not a fluid that's main function is to prevent leakage in lap bands. It's primary function is as a contrast medium for various internal exams using x-ray technology. (Like your barium swallow fluid is used in the fluoroscope.) My doc says the risk is not so much to the person but to the band. There aren't any long-terms studies on it's affect on the band itself. He has used it for several years (as other docs have) with no ill affects to date. I tried to google it with regard to lap band but didn't really find anything. As a contrast medium there's a bajillion hits so lots to read if you're interested in the fluid itself.

I'm hungry. I'm going to bed!!!

I have had no problems giving up diet cokes at all. I just kept trying different crystal lite (and similar) flavors til I found one I like a LOT. Now I'm hooked on Propel berry flavor, adding lots of fresh lemon. I drink 60 oz of this per day and never get tired of it!! So refereshing! Bread got me stuck and chicken fingers (for some reason!). Neither of which are good for me, so I"M GLAD I can't eat them!!!

Pamela - This time I really felt it! The first fill I had I didn't feel a thing. This time I had a little esophageal spasm immediately after the fill (before I even got to the fluro) and then later a little soreness...reminiscent of those first post surgery days. But it didn't last long and now I'm fine. The test will be when I start eating solids again.

I've been curious about this too, as there is a dry sauna at my club but it doesn't seem very inviting. I've always enjoyed steam saunas though. I did a very quick search on the web and found this: Dr Weil on sauna and your health Question I've heard totally varied opinions on the benefits/hazards of saunas and steam baths. What's your opinion? Answer January 28, 1997 To me, the benefits far outweigh any hazards. If you're in reasonable health, the benefits of a sauna or steam bath are great. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, saunas may be good for you, but you'll want to be cautious; check with your physician first, and go easy. And with either of these conditions, it's not a good idea to jump right into cold Water afterward, as Finns always do. When you take a sauna, the heat pumps up blood circulation near the skin and stimulates sweating. The Finns say a proper sauna elicits about a quart of sweat per hour. I generally encourage sweating. It helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. In medieval times, healers relied on saunas to cure illnesses, and priests used their heat to chase away evil spirits. In the United States there's a lot of concern about pregnant women taking steam baths or saunas. A study published four years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association found some association between neural-tube defects and heat exposure from saunas, hot tubs, and fever during the first three months of pregnancy. (Neural-tube defects include anencephaly and spina bifida, both disastrous abnormalities.) The biggest problem was hot tubs, which pregnant women should approach cautiously. Interestingly, though, in Finland it's not uncommon for doctors to give the OK on saunas from conception all the way up to the day of delivery - and there, neural-tube defects are very low. In fact, in Finland saunas were once a traditional place for childbirth. It's worth noting that Finnish women tend to stay in the sauna for six to twelve minutes, and they shorten that time during pregnancy. Also, saunas raise the body's core temperature insignificantly compared to hot tubs. Finnish saunas also tend to be different from most US versions - unless these are run by Scandinavians. In Finland, saunas are usually heated by a wood stove. First there's a dry phase that can get hotter than 200° F. Then the participants splash water on the stove and spend some time in the steam. Many US saunas employ an electric stove, which you can't put water on. So you're just exposed to dry heat, which I find irritating to my respiratory passages. Some saunas in health clubs are set to a lukewarm temperature. Turn up the heat. Even if you're in a very hot steam bath or sauna, it's mostly the temperature of the surface of your body that goes up. As it increases, blood vessels dilate, and circulation in the skin climbs. As resistance to blood flow through your veins and capillaries drops, your blood pressure goes down. Then your heartbeat increases to keep blood pressure normal. Finns always follow a sauna with a plunge into cold water. I find this incredibly refreshing and enjoyable, and healthy as well. Then you relax afterwards. The main risk of a sauna is staying in too long and fainting from overheating. People who are most susceptible to this are those with heart disease or who have been using drugs or alcohol. It really isn't a good idea to combine drinking or other drugs with a sauna or hot tub. Children should not use saunas without supervision. Also, be sure you drink plenty of water, to replace the water you're losing. By the way, the correct pronunciation is sow-na, not saw-na. Dr. Weil And this is from Wikipedia: Information in this section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. Please check for inaccuracies and modify as needed, citing the sources against which it was checked. During a 10-20 minute sauna session, the heart rate increases by 50-75%. The increased cardiac load is the equivalent to a brisk walk. There is a nominal effect on blood pressure because the heat also causes blood vessels in skin to expand to accommodate increased blood flow. Blood vessels become more flexible <SUP class=reference id=_ref-0>[1]</SUP> and there is increased circulation to the extremities. During a sauna, blood flow to the skin increases to as high as 50-70% of cardiac output (compared to the standard 5-10%). This is due to the blood vessels in the skin's surface expanding to accommodate the increased blood flow, a process known as vasodilation. This increased blood flow brings important nutrients to subcutaneous and surface tissue, promoting cellular activity and growth.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> It is especially beneficial to areas of the skin which normally suffer from poor circulation. Along with nourishing the skin, the high temperatures also cause the skin's 2 million eccrine glands to excrete sweat to cool down the skin and blood capillaries. Research has shown that sweat is much more effective than water at emulsifying fat located in the skin's sebaceous glands, and thus at removing the sebum and bacteria lodged in the fat.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> The vasodilation caused by the high temperatures also allows essential fluids to be transported to the skin's surface. This enhances the development of collagen, giving the skin a continued elasticity and wrinkle-free complexion. Steambaths and saunas induce perspiring to provide a comprehensive cleansing of the skin and sweat glands. Skin is the largest organ in the body. 30% of body wastes are passed through the skin.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> Profuse sweating enhances the detoxifying capacity of the skin by opening pores and flushing impurities from the body.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> When taking a sauna, skin temperature rises to 40°C (104°F) and internal body temperature rises to about 38°C (100.4°F). Exposure to the high heat creates an artificial fever state, a process known as hyperthermia. Fever is part of the body’s natural healing process. Fever stimulates the immune system, resulting in increased production of disease fighting white blood cells, antibodies and interferon (an anti viral Protein with cancer fighting capability).<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> Steam inhalation is an excellent treatment for many respiratory problems. For example, the moist air in saunas can relieve throat irritation. Steam also loosens secretions and can stimulate discharge of mucous from the lungs and throat, giving relief to sufferers of bronchitis. Finally, steam can also aid sinusitis by relieving congestion and inflammation of the upper respiratory mucous membranes. An occasional secondary occurrence caused by breathing in the steam-- In some cases and with some people, if they have a weak respiratory system, example; the infection of a common cold or sore throat, may be carried into the lungs causing it to spread. This is uncommon but does occur. However, to counter this from happening a small opening for the head in the wall of the sauna at the level of the seat will allow the persons head to be outside the sauna (on a small shelf) and thus the benefit of the 38°C (100.4°F) still takes place without the fear of increasing the infection. The heat also kills all kinds of bacteria and insects, e.g. lice. This knowledge was used widely during the Winter War and Continuation War when Finnish troops were forced to sauna (although the unclean conditions in the field made it unnecessary to force them). While the men were in their sauna, their equipment was in another. This cleansed both very effectively while Russians had problems with many diseases.<SUP class=reference id=_ref-1>[2]</SUP> However, it should be noted, people with heart problems may be at risk due to blood pressure unpredictably rising or lowering after using a sauna. People with stable coronary artery disease are generally safe in a sauna, but people with uncontrollable heart problems may be advised to stay away from a Sauna by a doctor in order to avoid possible complications. People with autoimmune disorders may also be at risk.

Laura -- you crack me up! You're such a picky eater...no telling WHAT kind of cake you'll end up with!! Fruit fillings are good!! Pineapple, raspberry and lemon are yummy! It's usually not a whole lot of filling...just a small taste mixed with buttercream usually...so don't rule it out until you've tasted it! And it makes the cake so elegant... wait....stop! I can't talk about this anymore. I'm on fluids today and I would LOVE to sink my teeth into some cake right now. ANY kind of cake!

I started with a trainer last week and I can barely lift a pencil I'm so sore. Somebody please tell me it's not always going to feel like this!! I can't live this way! Aaaaaaaaccckkkk! .... especially since we're not allowed to take Advil, my wonder drug! :eek: :mad: :help: Oh, BTW, I've tried hot tubs, heating pads, stretching, glutamine, Aspercreme....nothing seems to help much.

Tracy....I'm afraid I can't offer a definitive explanation about why fluid escapes the band. I can tell you that the release I had to sign acknowledges that even the doctors don't understand why it happens. What they DO know is that this leakage is usually prevented when you replace it with Omnipaque, which is a more viscous fluid. Inamed hasn't tested the band with anything other than saline, so won't allow it to be implanted with anything but saline. I had to sign a release saying that I understood all of this before allowing the injection of Omnipaque. My alternatives were 1) replacement of the band, with no guarantee that it won't happen again; and 2) continue to use saline with the understanding that it will require a higher level of maintenance. There has been no record of any adverse affects of using the omnipaque, but it has not been studied long-term either. I trust my doctor completely. If he says it's OK, then it's OK with me, too.

Just got back from Fill #2 and WOWSER can I feel a difference!! Got filled by a NP and she told me I had lost 1/2 of the 1.5cc fill I had on May 4. We opted to re-fill with Optipaque this time and she added another 0.5cc....bringing my total to 2.0cc. Gotta stay on fluids today. Had a smoothie for lunch and it took me 45 mins. to get it down. I'll keep you posted!

Apparently losing fluid from the band is not unusual. My doctor even addressed that issue in our orientation seminar! I just returned from my second fill and the nurse told me that I had lost 1/2 of the 1.5cc fill I had 3 weeks ago! They took all of that out and re-filled it with Omnipaque, a thicker fluid.

I really want to run someday. I think this is my real goal...one I can define and work toward. First goal should be something like "I want to be able to run 1/2 mile (?) without stopping." I have never in my life been able to do that. On the treadmill now I jog for very short spurts ...maybe a minute? It just feels like such a burden on my feet and bones ....like I'm doing more damage than good.

Because it is a GI irritant that can cause ulcers and perforations, etc. Especially bad for us because we have food (and drugs) sitting in our pouch for long periods. I plan on asking my doctor today if it is possible to take liquid (children's) advil every once in a while. There are times I just NEED it!! I have a weak/sore back and with all this exercise and lifting, etc. I sometimes really need it....it's the only thing that helps.