TerriDoodle

A couple of thoughts come to mind: 1) This has been a very rough cold and flu season in my neck of the woods ever since school started...but particularly January and February! Just seems worse than normal!...so maybe that's all it is. 2) ARE you taking vitamins, calcium and essential oils regularly? Maybe look at supplements that boost the immune system and take those as well.

Yes, as you lose weight the fat deposits around the stoma disappear...and the band becomes looser. So you need another fill. Also, with some people, the band develops very slow 'leaks' (really more like an osmosis thing) and Fluid just mysterioulsy disappears. This is another reason the technicians pull out the fluid in your band before they refill it...they're checking to see if all the fluid that was in there previously is all still there!

Ditto what Crystal said! I'm just glad you have not given up, Kat -- that's what many would have done in your shoes. I hope that you have a great band experience from here on out and love your band as much as I do (most of the time!:smile:)

Well, for gawd's sake don't go near Jack-In-The-Box!!!!!

I hate to freak you out, but I think you're feeling the port.

I'm posting this just cause I know 3 in a row just isn't enough to satisfy....

Oh, Pamela - sorry - I am glad you're getting that 'mess' taken care of. You'll feel so much better when its all said and done! BTW, are you taking iron???

I didn't have snacks or sugar all day today either (I did have sugar free ice cream...but that's legal, right? In my book it is! :w00t:) The amazing thing is how I have actually survived without having snacks!!! With my hypoglycemia I've always, always had to have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. If I didn't I'd feel hungry and weak by 10:30 and 3:30. But this band helps to slowly allow food into the stomach...which in turn slowly releases insulin...which in turn keeps my hypoglycemia (and related weakness and hunger) under control. Cool, eh? I might be onto something here! Man, if I can do without snacks, that's a 300-400 calorie deficit/day! LOL TracyK ... too funny... a month early. Gotta love that Chantix!! :wink: Although, I have to admit I've never heard that 'stupid' was a side effect! :smile: You're making medical history. TracyinKS - Ya'll just look soooo happy!! Gives me goose-bumps. :hurray::tt1::laugh: OK HAYDEE -- one more day and we send out the monkeys!!!!!!!

Jennifer??? DOes this happen to have anything to do with your BF???

EXCELLENT post!!! Thank you!

Melissa, My doctor regularly solves this issue by injecting a contrast medium called Omnipaque into the band. It's thicker and so less likely to leak. He has done this for many years without complication and it works like a charm. It worked for me. The way he explained these small leaks is like air leaking from a balloon...there's not any one spot that can be 'fixed'...you just need thicker 'air'. You might want to ask your doctor about this possibility...or even put him in contact with Dr. Hadar Spivak in Houston. He is one of the most experienced LB doctors in the country, being involved from the beginning with the FDA trials, then proctoring doctors after that. In addition, you may want to do a search for 'omnipaque' here on this board...there are more than a few that are filled with it.

YES!! The port is the last place that heals...it just takes longer there because of the muscle sutures, etc. I think i had port pain for 3-4 weeks and then suddenly one day it was gone! Sounds like you are perfectly fine. Remember to take it easy!

Well, it is kind of unusual not to feel any restriction, but not unheard of by any means. Sometimes it takes months to get filled up to the level where you really feel it...and you WILL! It's not time to fret just yet! Have a bit of patience! You might want to talk to your doctor about when he is willing to schedule your next fill.

BTW -- I'm CTSS (cut the sugar and snacks) today and doing good so far. Anyone else?

Wow, Tracy... the pics are beautiful!! I feel so happy inside just looking at them...well, especially the last one. LOL The others just confirm that you're crazy. (That's a good thing!) ***IDEA*** We need a Violets b&A thread just for us. Start posting somebody!

Oh YES I most certainly do remember being anxious and scared and full of doubt about a whole spectrum of issues! LOL What helped me the most is hanging out right here on LBT and reading 'til the wee hours many nights in a row! I'd venture to say that 90% of the 'veterans' here went thru all those same emotions, too. It was a huge leap for ALL of us but here we are....most of us have lost a very good deal of weight and are happy with our bands. I just figured all these people can't all be wrong! That's what helped me cross over the line and just do it! I'm so glad i did. Just take it slow. There's no hurry, is there?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENISE!! :tongue:

Make your appt. for a Thursday and Dr. Spivak will do your fill...and ask to have it done under fluro! That's what I did last time (and was so excited to see the doc that i forgot to ask him about some weird symptoms i was having!).

So Andrea, why don't you go get a fill?

Gina - You are sooooo pretty!!! And, again, I love, love, love the new glasses! You know what, Laura?? I don't put up with bad food in restaurants anymore. If it's bad I send it back! I can only enjoy small amounts of food now, so what I get better be GOOD dammit. I sent back a Pasta dish the other night that was watery...and they credited my bill for the entree PLUS $3.00! Ok, so this is what I've had today: oatmeal (260) 1/2 c minestrone (75) 1/2 c cottage cheese w/ raspberries (125) dinner now is cauliflower w/ cheese sauce (200) Sheesh .. that's only 660 calories today! Yipeeee!!! I know, I know....where's the Protein?! I'm doing horrible on protein lately :sneaky: TracyK - How restricted are you... Do you need a FILL?? When was the last time you had one, anyway? Kat - How's the torture device treating you today? Getting any better?

Laura, WHY does this remind me of you??

By the way, Violets... I have NOT had any snacks today and that is MAJOR for me. I might be onto something here. Of course, I'm about to gnaw my arm off, but I ain't snackin'!! Laura, I'm doing this for YOU, girlfriend.:biggrin2:

Oh gosh! I didn't catch that she was only 2 months post op! Are you sure you have 3cc's in ?? That IS a lot of fill in a very short time! No wonder you're swollen! My fills went something like this: Surgery - April 4, 2007 initial fill 1.5 cc (end of May) 2nd fill 0.5cc (June) 3rd fill 0.5cc (July) 4th fill 0.2cc (Aug) 5th UNfill 0.1cc (Sept) 6th fill 0.2 cc (Feb) Total, 11 months post op = 2.8cc

How about a "shoe box show" instead?

See if this link works... Picasa Web Albums - Terry - Jewelry This is the bracelet that Judy commissioned for her cruise in June. The last pic has charms added to see if she liked that best...and she did. Judy also has the distinguished honor of being my very first paying customer...so that when i'm famous, this bracelet will be worth $1,000,000!! .... or Lira or pesos.... something like that.