Alexandra

Wow, this is what happens when you don't have Protein for Breakfast. You nibble nuts all morning, and since you're eating you don't drink. At lunchtime you are ravenous and eat too fast. Ouch. Then you come home to a snowbound afternoon and eat, hmmm, what, hmmm, cheese crackers, salmon Soup, cheese crackers, chocolate turtles, etc. You're still not drinking Water. Then daddy comes home and it's dinner time, and he puts corned beef and cabbage on the table. You eat a decent portion of that. Now you're thirsty and finally want water, but are so full it's not going to work. So you eat a brownie. Of course, the presence of a band means that even a day like this isn't what it used to be, but even so the loss of control is very disheartening. I can't wait until tomorrow. :eek:

Well I don't know about you but alcohol was one of my all-time munchie-inducers. I don't drink at all anymore, but if I did I'd probably try to give it up post-banding for two reasons. First, of course it's just empty calories. Both the alcohol and the mixers are loaded with poison, things that do your body no good at all. Outside of really fine wine I can't see putting much of that stuff in me anymore. Just like I can't imagine smoking. (Of course, I'm still pickled from my college days--I drank enough for a lifetime.) Second, the loss of impulse control would do me in. Munching whatever is at hand was always a hallmark of a few drinks for me, and I know I'd be forgetful about chewing carefully. Maybe I was the wrong person to respond, and I really don't mean to sound preachy, but my recommendation is stick to wine and make it an infrequent indulgence.

Kathy, thanks for your lovely message. That uplifting demeanor you see on me is not constant, of course; I get depressed and blue all the time like everyone else. Just not about my weight, I guess--or at least, that's not my worst issue. (That would be my job. Yuck.) I think I've taught myself to detach from my weight through years of assuming there was nothing I could really do about it. I stopped torturing myself in my 30s after Optifast and a host of other things failed to keep weight off. I decided that I'd better just accept it and try to stay healthy, the hell with pretty. Now I have to do a bit of an about-face, and step actively in to trying once again to do something about my weight. And that is really really hard to do! But I'm trying, and the band is keeping me from failing too miserably. Which is all I ask of it, actually.

It is weird trying to figure out the whys of changing restriction so I pretty much don't bother. One theory I've heard that makes some sense to me is that indeed, the less Water we drink the more restricted we tend to be. Lack of water makes the body hold on to fluids and this, I guess, can swell the tissues in the stomach. The more we drink the less reluctant our bodies are to let fluids go, and the restriction lessens somewhat. It's counterintuitive, but jibes with what I've always known to be true--to get rid of excess Fluid, DRINK!

Hi Amanda, I also had my surgery outpatient; as Michele says I don't think they would do it that way if there were much risk. The biggest risk seems to be with the anaesthesia, which I too was very nervous about. I don't think there's any getting around that, though; this isn't like a c-section and somehow I don't think an epidural or spinal would work. But once you've faced the fear of having ANY kind of surgery, this is pretty tame stuff. I thought about all the people I know who have had this or that surgery for broken bones, plastic surgery, gall bladders, etc., etc. So many people have surgery every single day that the risk for any one person is pretty infinitesimal. That said, of course you want to find a doctor and hospital setting that inspires confidence. As for being "in the clear" with regard to post-surgical complications, I think three days on or so you will know what's up. You've recovered from surgery before, so you know that each day you feel better than the day before. If you're paying close attention to how your body feels any potential complication can be caught in plenty of time to correct it. And in any event, complications are rare!!

WHAT SHE SAID!!! Yup, I agree with everything Megan said 100%. Welcome to the wonderful world of restriction! :eek:

Congratulations!!! How wonderful that major-milestone feeling is. Remember you may fluctuate around this point for a few days or weeks, but in a few weeks you'll be completely out of any danger of re-crossing that 200 line. I remember doing it at 300 and now I'm 25+ lbs lower than that!! It seems impossible but it's not, it really is happening for us. GOOD JOB!!!! :eek:

This is the quote of the month! Thank you for reminding us of the RIGHT way to think. I'm cutting this out and sticking it in my wallet!! :eek:

Karen, oh my god!! Thank heavens that was discovered while you were in a place where it could be handled before something really awful happened. Take care of yourself now, and heal!! Please keep us posted on your progress, OK? Rest!!!

Hey, Patty, thanks for letting us know how you're doing. Congratulations on your banding; it sounds like you're getting through the healing phase just fine. Now you're going to get hungrier, and as you've heard us say time and time again, DON'T PANIC!! :eek: Try not to get too hungry and don't worry about weight loss at this time. 23 lbs gives you a HUGE jumpstart on the process, so between now and your first fill just concentrate on nutrition. Nice to hear from a bandster who is doing so well!!

Wow, Linda, what an ordeal!! I'm so glad you're OK and back to share your experience. What you had sounds like way more than diarrhea, though--yikes!! Don't worry about those five pounds, lady. You were short vital amounts of Fluid and that's what landed you in the hospital, and now that fluid is back. You want to lose fat, not the fluid that's keeping you alive!! Take care of yourself and let us know how you're doing. Welcome back!!

Tellie, hows about a little tough love? BE CAREFUL!!! Too much PBing and spasming is a big risk factor for a slipped band. You don't want that to happen!!! Think of your band as something that has to be babied after something like that happens. It is possible to eat solid food like fish and chicken, and you WILL learn how to do it. But you can't just force your band to accommodate bites that are too big or too much for your pouch. That's what your esophagus is objecting to. Eat slowly, CHEW WELL, and when you feel that first indication that you are heading for a painful experience, STOP! Please don't take chances, and be good to yourself. I wouldn't suggest an unfill at this point if you know you're testing the band yourself. Try to work with it, not against it, ane enjoy your trip!! :eek:

Hey Chris, I'm glad you came to a decision and it was the right one!! Sorry I didn't respond earlier--I didn't have anything pithy to say about it. As you know everyone's sense of what's comfortable is different. Congratulations on the 3 pounds! I hope it's a jump start to more weight loss. How is your restriction now? Does it feel different than it did?

I have nothing to add except to say I love this thread, this board, and all of you. I relate to EVERYTHING everyone has said here, especially this: Also make sure that deep down somewhere there isn't the thought that "One day I will never be able to eat this candy again." Please don't ever say that to yourself - IT'S NOT TRUE!! How many times in the past have I given in to an urge only because I swore that TOMORROW I'd give up whatever it was? A million? A billion? And then doing it again the next day? Well no more. Tonight I had some macaroni and cheese for dinner -- it's always been my favorite food and high on the list of forbidden pleasures. But I don't feel guilty about it!! If I want some tomorrow I may have it again. But I probably won't, because tonight's portion was totally satisfying. It is a hard habit to break, the guilt and self-hate, but I'm certain that once I break that habit the eating habits will be easier to tackle. So I'm working on it!

Colleen, wow, what a rough road you've been traveling! You have my sympathy and applause for continuing to stick with it. You know that what you've been getting is substandard care and it sounds like you're trying to change that. I'm glad you've come here to share your experience. I wanted to point this out: WOW!! If you've lost roughly 70 lbs with the band working properly for only 7 months, that's a fabulous loss!! And all the more impressive because you've managed to do it in the face of incredible frustration. Pat yourself on the back, girl! :eek: Here's hoping you can find the RIGHT doctor and get the care you deserve. Good luck, and please keep us posted!

Shelly, that is so cool!! See, that's the kind of minor complication and solution that makes the band so amazing. I know it must have been immensely frustrating for you during this whole time, and I'm really impressed at your resourcefulness in going to Inamed for input. But you managed to keep your head and keep at it and you found the answer!! Now you have to be careful; you don't want to have your restriction come as a bad painful surprise... I'm so happy for you!

Hi David, Congratulations and welcome to bandland! If I were you, I'd call my doctor even if only to set my mind at ease. By this time you should be well on your way to healing, and eating full liquids / mushy foods. If you're having a problem taking in even thin fluids there may be something wrong. Getting dehydrated is no joke so please be careful. Can you call your doctor tomorrow and have him take a look before the weekend? Good luck, and please let us know how you're doing!!

Hi Renata, I'm so sorry to hear about your port problem. And it's even worse because you're a self-pay. What a drag! I don't really have a comment on your question except to say that port problems are not frequent. It would stand to reason that they're probably more common with US doctors, since the surgery is newer in the US than elsewhere. I can't even guess what the percentages are...but of course even if they're very small it doesn't really matter because every specific case is a huge hassle for the patient. The good news is that however inconvenient such a problem is, it's easily fixable and you'll be right back in the game. My doctor said this sort of thing can be repaired under local anaesthetic in the office; it's not at all like going through surgery again. Good luck, and keep us posted!

It's hard to be patient, we all know exactly how you feel!! I don't think anyone can say whether it's good news or bad news, unfortunately. All I know is that proforma denials (the kind that don't look at your specific information and just go by whatever the policy is) usually get issued immediately. Good luck...we're all rooting for you!! :P

Congratulations!! Now what's my perfect food? I can't eat shrimp for some reason; they almost always get stuck. Good for you!! :P

Hi Marsha, and congratulations!! During recovery I had all sorts of little aches and pains. I constantly felt like it was hard to take a deep breath, and sharp but short gas pains popped up all over. I imagine your pain while drinking is some perfectly normal post-op pain, but we all feel it slightly differently. I think you need only be concerned if it doesn't improve along with all your other post-op symptoms, or if it gets suddenly worse for no apparent reason. Take it easy during these days! Your body is recovering from a trauma and you have to be good to it. Let us know how you're doing. Welcome to Bandlandia! :P

All the best of luck to you on your big day!! It certainly is easier when they do it first thing in the morning--I'd have gone nuts if I had to wait all day before surgery. Have a great day, and come back and let us know how it went!!

Hi C, Sorry to hear about your pain!! There are loads of things that can cause abrupt pain such as you describe, so it could be something completely unrelated to your band. My boss just had something like what you describe turn out to be a gallstone attack. Good luck, and let us know what the doctor says!!

As your swelling subsides you lose whatever post-op restriction you had. Now you're entering the hardest part of the banding journey--the pre-fill stage. You may be able to eat the same amount as you could before banding! Liquids go right through and it's not at all surprising that you can eat more than 10 ozs at one sitting. Try to keep your eyes on the end goal, it helps to get through this difficult time. Don't worry if (when?) you gain some of the weight back--banding is not about instant gratification and sudden drastic drops in weight. And 25 lbs in two weeks is indeed sudden!! :P What you're going through is perfectly normal, and your band is fine.

Hi Ashanti, welcome back! Sorry to hear about your port problems. Can you tell us how that was discovered? Was it something you knew about before the doctors or did they find it when trying to give you a fill? Did you have any pain or anything else obvious? And was fixing it done under local anaesthetic? I'm glad it's now fixed and you've been able to get an adjustment. But 40 lbs in three months!! Wow!!! Ashanti, why on earth would you beat yourself up about that? That's amazing progress!! In fact, it may not (and probably won't) continue at that pace, so please realize what incredible progress you've made so far. You're losing weight literally twice as fast as I am, so PLEASE don't get down on yourself or I'll start to feel like a failure (ha ha, just kidding, I think). Anyway, thanks for coming back and I hope we'll see more of you as there is less of you to see.