HelenC

Am I ever going to have a normal bowel movement again? If I'm really lucky, I'll have a marble or two pass, but I haven't had any regularity at all. It's getting pretty uncomfortable! I'm on mushies...seems like something should be giving somewhere!!

Almost every fill has been done under fluro...no slippage. Doc says he can't figure out a reason...I have no symptoms of corrosion. I do need to schedule an endoscopy, which they do yearly anyway.

OK, I keep getting these nag notices that I haven't been here in awhile, so I thought I'd update a bit. I was banded 2/14/07. It's been a very difficult year for me, but I've lost 60-62 lbs, depending on what day it is. I went from October to January without a fill, but finally broke down and got one after the first of the year when I realized I had gained 6 lbs. Since January, I've lost 10 lbs. I only have 1cc in my band. I've had as many unfills as I have fills. I'm just one of those people who gets a lot of restriction off very little fill. However, food has become my enemy. There's very little that I can eat without pain, or getting sick. I eat a lot of soup, and I do eat a lot of junk food, because I can actually get it down. Low-fat ice cream has saved me more than once. People who have seen me go through this ask me all the time, "would you do it again?" and I admit...it's a tough question. Yes, the weight loss is good, but what I've gone through in the past year is enough to make me say no...but when they ask if I'll have the band removed, the answer is also "NO" because I couldn't face getting fat again. If I have to live on soup the rest of my life...so be it. For the most part, my food cravings are gone, but honestly, I'd kill for a cheeseburger! Hamburger is one of those foods that I simply can't tolerate. *sigh* I really wish I could be one of the cheerleaders for lapband, but I tell people now to really think about this before they do it, because it's not good for everyone...and there's no way of knowing if you're going to be one of those who tolerate it until you get there.

I'm still having some issues with PBing. It's certainly not as bad as it was, and mostly, I think, to behavior issues. We went to Red Lobster the other night, and I almost lost it from eating too much...it's my favorite restaurant and it was a whole new learning experience. I did keep it down though *beam* On the other hand, I ate some chips last night, and as if that weren't bad enough, I ate them much too fast and...oops. I know better!! So why do I still do it?

I was banded on 2/14/07, and rapidly lost 30 lbs, but the last 24.5 have been incredibly hard to get off. I've been discouraged and unhappy, as I PB several times a week, even now. On Monday, a food will go down fine, but on Tuesday, it makes me sick. I quit coming in here because I felt like a failure, but it's time for me to get accountable for my actions and yes, I've seen the February Accountability Thread and will be posting there. I just can't figure out why the foods that are so bad for you go down so easily...and stay down....while the good foods come back on me. My hair has been falling out by the handfuls...I'm just grateful that I had a ton of hair to start with! I started getting religious with my multi-Vitamins and have added a liquid B-Complex and B-12. The B-Complex has 200% of the RDA of Folic Acid, and this morning, finally, the loss appears to have slowed down. I'll be checking in frequently again, as I think this forum does help me stay on track. Who of the February babies are still around??

I'm one of those that has real food issues...getting it down (and keeping it down), that is. I couldn't eat a hamburger if my life depended on it...hamburger doesn't agree with me at all. Your posts mention a lot of foods that you're wanting or trying to eat, that are NOT part of a healthy diet...rice, for example, or tacos. Rice is a lot of empty carbs, and tacos?? Fried hamburger, cheese, and whatever you put on it...are probably high in fat. There are a lot of foods out there that are healthy for you. Perhaps you need to broaden your culinary horizons Good luck to you

Lizbet, I'm glad to see you. I've been out of here since May, because I just haven't been losing and I'm so discouraged at times. Other times, I'm thrilled that I've lost 54 lbs. I still have 20-30 lbs to go, depending on how I look. *sigh*

I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed in my doctor right now. I've seen commercials from him for the past week, making lapband look like it was the ideal solution for weight loss, and showing women who have "lost 100, 75, even 45 lbs!" I've lost 42.9 lbs since 2/14 (47.9 since 2/1). It has been difficult at best. I PB several times a week. For each fill I've had, I've had an unfill, except the last two when we finally learned that I can't tolerate more than .2cc at a time. Would I recommend lapband surgery for someone who only needed to lose 45 lbs? Not a chance in hell!!

I should have been more clear - the girls they showed losing 45 lbs looked like they were about my height - 5'6". I have less than 40 to go and I know I still feel heavy, but for someone my height or taller, I just don't think I'd recommend it.

I'm utterly delighted with my loss...it's the PBing and fills situation. When I say several times a week...I mean, oh, just about every day, at least once. Plus, the fill/unfill thing has caused a lot of missed time...thank goodness my boss has been tolerant!

nevermind :drum:

I got a tiny fill on Tuesday, and I'm finally losing weight again. I feel like I've found my sweet spot...on a total fill of .9cc!!

I'm also starting to lose more hair, but like others, have more than enough to spare, and it could use some thinning out. I believe we need some folic acid for our hair loss...there's a nutritionist at my office and I'll verify that tomorrow. I'm a bit discouraged because I've only lost 8 lbs in the past 30 days.

Congrats The weight may come off quick, or it may take awhile. Either way, you're losing it, so don't worry about it. Follow your doctor's orders exactly, even if it gets tough. This board is great support!

I'm just trying to figure out where they got 4cc of fluid from. Was that the fluid in your band after surgery? What size band do you have?

Have you called your doctor lately and told him what's going on?

Boy, you HAVE been going through a lot! I'm guessing you have the VG band. As someone who has difficulties with fills, I recommend moving slow, such as half of what they would normally give you, until you see how it is going to work for you. You can always get another fill, but it's miserable getting unfills.

Sorry to hear about your band - but what is Nutcracker's Esophagus?

Thought I'd jump in here with an update. I'm down 44 lbs since 2/1/07, 39 of that is since my surgery date of 2/14. I'm wearing size 14 jeans!! Everyone around now is starting to comment on how much weight of lost, and my husband has taken to calling me "Skinny". My original goal weight was 145 lbs, but I think that's going to end up being too thin on me, so I adjusted my ticker up to 150, so I'm now more than 50% to goal! I'm actually completely without a fill at the moment and have been since last Saturday when I was PBing every 5-10 minutes. I go tomorrow for a fluroscope fill to see if my band has slipped. Keep your fingers crossed!

Three fills, two unfills! Don't feel bad, it's in no way your fault. The test is "can you drink a glass of water?" The answer may be yes at that moment, but you, like me, could swell, and two days later be in trouble!

I see a lot of polls and posts around here, wanting to know how much fill you got the first time, how much weight you lost the first month, when did you start eating solid food, how much this, how much that....and I really want to take the opportunity to remind everyone that your body may vary from "everyone else". I am in what appears to be a minority, but I know I'm not the only one. I can't get 1cc (or, heaven forbid, MORE) fills...they would kill me, but some people can. Don't go out and get a big fill just because of the cost, or your anxiousness to lose weight - you may get more than you expected and have to have an unfill. :cry (Keeping in mind that while you may be able to sit in the doctor's office and drink Water, but 2 days later the swelling sets in and incapacitates you - and if you have to fly or drive for hours to see your doctor, you may end up in serious trouble...it happens!!) I'm losing weight at a very good rate (42 lbs since 2/1), but others who have had more fills, and operated on the same day, are either ahead of or behind me. Your doctor may have a different schedule for moving from liquids to mushies to real food, than someone else's doctor. Do what your doctor says! If you feel ready to move to the next stage, ask your doctor. He'll consider your individual needs and make the decision whether to move you up or not. Don't do it just because my doctor may have said "2 days of liquids, 4 hours of mushies, and then eat anything you want" (exaggeration added). You just might end up being one of those in the minority...everyone is different! All of these things have been mentioned before, and undoubtedly will be again, but it's just something I had to get off my chest.

My first fill was 1.2cc, and I ended up having .7 removed, leaving me with .5. I then had .5 put in 2 weeks later. Last Thursday, they added another .5, and I spent yesterday getting sick every 5-10 minutes. It's all been removed now. Some people have tons of swelling after a fill....from now on, my fills will be in increments of .3, after I have .8 put back in a week from Monday. Don't be in a huge hurry to have a big fill...you just don't know how you're going to react.

I have a bunch of leftover Nutrisystem food that I've been thinking about using. The portion size would be just right.

I'm just whining here...I got a fill on Thursday and now have 1.1cc in a 9.75 band. I had Soup for lunch, soup for dinner, and by Thursday night, I had head hunger so badly that I had ONE Flat Earth chip - and got sick. So, Protein shake for Breakfast Friday, soup for lunch, soup for dinner. Get up this morning, take one sip of my coffee, and then inadvertently took a gulp of my coffee, and have now been sick FOUR times, and I'm not sure it's over. It's pretty apparent that I'm going to be on liquids until at least Monday. I don't know whether to go ask for a slight unfill, or just tough this out for a week or so to see if it settles down. With the bad luck I've had with fills, it's getting pretty discouraging and makes me not want to have them at all!

OK...I met the doctor at the gas station *snicker*....he and his wife pull up in their BMW on the way to their "ranch". He whips out his needle and BAM! Instant relief! They sat there while I drank some Water, to make sure all was good. Told me I could eat anything I could get/keep down, and to call Monday and make an appointment for the following Monday, and said I'm never to have more than a .3 fill again. Fine by me!! Eating my dinner as we speak...food never tasted so good!