jayres14

What is going on?!?! So I have had my band over a year now and it seems like every time my pouch is empty from not eating for a while, my chest starts to hurt. It hurts up on the left side and it even hurts where the band is placed (and yes, I can feel the pain in that place). When I eat something, it doesn't hurt so much, but I always seem to have a hint of discomfort . Burping also seems to help some. It is weird but I always feel like I have something stuck in the bottom of my throat, like a golf ball, even when I haven't had anything to eat. I had an US done on my thyroid and it is normal size. I have never experienced this before, I haven't had any problems with my band whatsoever until the past month or so. Now it is constent to feel the discomfort, even bending down kinda hurts me and I thought I was going to pass out last night at zumba class from being dizzy. I don't think I have a slip bc 1) I can still eat solids and stuff without any problems and 2) my doctor said i would know if it slipped b/c it would be extremely painful and I would be calling him immediately. What kinda worries me about a slip is that when he put the band in, he sews a part of the stomach in the closure of the band to help prevent it from slipping. So maybe it has moved but not totally slipped?? I guess I already know what I need to do, see my doctor, even though it will be out of pocket. Just wondering if anyone else has or had experienced this and have some insight. Thanks.

Happy Bandiversary!! My one year was this month also and I have lost about 40 pounds too. I still have about 25 more to go but like you said, I am closer than I was. Cheers to us!!

The only issue (for me) with having the port right below your sternum is sometimes my bra irritates it and I have to "adjust" You also have to be real careful ALWAYS when laying on your stomach on firm surfaces.

NO! NO! NO! Do not eat or drink ANYTHING atleast four hours before the fill!! Your pouch needs to be empty to keep anything from going wrong and to get know you are not too tight. Your stomach will swell and get irritated with the fill, which is why you have to liquids for 24 hours afterwards. The lanocane that numbs everything hurts... kinda bad. But it only lasts about 5 seconds. So count to five when he starts and you will get through. The big needle? You never feel it, I just don't look at it. Don't fear the fill, you need it to succeed!

Mine is right below my sternum sewed to my abdominal wall. It is actually a good spot because it doesn't move around a lot and lower risk of flip!

I am so sorry this is happening to you. I would not worry at all about how much you say you are eating. Once your body is healed, you will have all the time in the world to work the weight off. Right now you need to focus on staying as comfortable as possible, given your situation. Compression garments may help with the tugging and pulling on the port site when you move. What really bothers me about your post is your doctor! Why is he not having any blood work done?? That seems very neglegent to me on his part. He should be doing a culture to learn the specific strain of staph since it is all not the same and you may need the antibiotics since your body is obviously not fighting it off. They whole "let's see if it heals on its own" sends a red flag immediatly. What if it doesn't?? It's not worth the risk to "see" what happens. Doctors are also humans, and although they are very eduacted, they are not perfect. I think you need to get to that office and be very assertive with them, not aggressive but fully assertive. You should demand labs on your blood at the least. This is your health and your life and nothing to be pushed aside and taken lightly. There is no reason why you should be getting the run around. If this office does not take your well being seriously, find one that will.

hmm, that's interesting. BTW, what is picilation?

Lizann, i too have been eating too many stretchy carbs. The good thing is that we stop the sabatoge and start over. I had coffee for breakfast and am now eating egg drop soup from the local chinese place. I will have a weightloss shake at 2 and another at 4:30 before I go to my zumba class. Tonight for dinner, i will do a tomato soup. I should still stay below my calorie limit and will do the same tomorrow. I will do egg salad and chicken salad on my third day and hopefull be back where i need to be. It is kinda like the 5 day pouch test, just modifyied. Maybe, just maybe, it will also get this plateau moving again!! Good luck, my dear, and we will prevail!!

What support group do you go to? I didn't know there was one. I track my calories on my fitness pal but I don't count anything else. I guess as I try to lose this last 25 pounds, that is something I need to do, count my carbs and fat too. I am in Pleasant View, north west of nashville. McDowell never gave me a strict number to follow, just to eat three meals a day with protein, then veggies, then carbs if still hungry and no snacking. Needless to say, I don't follow the rules like that. Shame on me, I know.

So here lately I have been eating much more than I should be eating. I always seem to get this way right before Aunt Flo's visit! I totally take the blame for it, and am now going to have to pay the piper. I am going to put myself back on liquids for two day to give everything a rest and allow my pouch and band to shrink back up a little. This is going to totally suck, but not as much as seeing the scales go up for my ingnorance. I don't need another fill, I already have 7 in a 10cc band. I have good restriction when I play by the rules, I just need to give the band a chance to work for me. Everyone stumbles once in a while and I am not going to beat myself up for being naughty, especially since I will be extrememly ill the next two days anyways. I hope I don't pass out during zumba tonight!! Does anyone else do this "reset"? This will be my second time doing it and it really worked this first time.

Good: Compliments, being told how great I look, and buying smaller clothes Bad: Being 45 pounds lighter and still feeling like the "big girl" around other women. Never feeling like the pounds lost is enough.

Oh Littlefoot! You paint with words!! That is great stuff and I can relate! I remember looking at my high school pictures and thinking, I looked good, I can't believe I thought I was so fat! Saying to myself, oh, if I could only be there again, I would be happy and not complain. But the bitter truth is, we always find something to complain about. As soon as I lose this last bit of weight, I am pretty sure I will need a tummy tuck, I will have wrinkles by my eyes and need a face lift, my boobs will be too saggy and need more surgery. We always seem to find things about ourselves that need "fixin." Oh to have the luxury of full acceptance with ones self. Is that even possible?? And I agree that the less you have to lose, the harder it is.

Brush your teeth right after dinner, use a strong mouth wash too. I don't know why but when I do this, I don't want to eat anymore, i guess because the food won't taste good with a minty flavor!

Thank you for the compliment. I would not want to change anything that got me to where I am today, because I am healthy and happy now. I am just trying to find a little peace with my past, to not mentally beat myself up so much. I am not quite sure what non-starter means though. To me, my starting weight is a big deal. I am not going to feel better about myself because others on this site may have a goal at my starting weight, or a rougher road to travel. That doesn't help my personal situation. But I do understand the concept. I used to get really mad when people would complain about having trouble getting the last 20 pounds off when I was wishing I could get remotely close to that point. Now I totally understand and am in the same boat. What I am asking those that are at or close to goal is will I ever lose the shame? Do you get to the point where your attitude is, "yea, that was me, no big deal." I want that attitude but right now, it is not happening.