rdbiles@sbcglob

I can eat most everything I did before the band. Some foods I just can't get down now: rice, french fries, rigatoni, spaghetti, meatballs, tomatoes, peas, biscuits, breaded fish or chicken. If I have to have one of these foods, I take one bite and I'm done, because anything more would bring it back up. With hamburgers, homeade or eaten out, I eat the inside only or sometimes one of the buns. I love peanut butter and jelly, before two slices of bread, now one piece of toast with my pb/jelly and this is only occassional. I can no longer drink while I eat. At the beginning it was hard to not be able to drink my iced tea during a meal. Once I had good restriction, things changed...now if I were to try and drink, I couldn't eat.

I had to sit and think what else it could have meant, it's almost been a week now! Right after the show my husband said "Oh that might not be a good thing what Sayesha said about Ramiele." I asked him what he meant, and he felt that her comment meant that nobody else going off had made her cry like Ramiele. Then the next morning at work one of my coworkers said, "that Sayesha may be gone next, what she said just proves that nobody else gets along with her." But I felt like you did that Sayesha and Ramiele were very close and she was going to miss her. I didn't get a negative vibe about it at all.

I'm not quoting syesha but what I heard she said was, Nobody else got me like Rayme. You can take that comment several ways.

I'm not a David fan either, but I took his comment to mean that he had never played the Piano in front of this large of an audience. I was shocked by the votes, I really thought Syesha was gone after her comments last week with Ryan S.

Go out to ganeenroth.com website and check out what she has to say. You may be able to order some cd's to listen to what might help you get through some issues. She also has a e newsletter. Of course you can always call the medical society or call a surgeon office in ft.worth for referral to a fw psychologist. Read article below. Feeling Fat Today? You don't know it, but that's not all you're feeling They'd been tight since Passover, the holiday that celebrates the liberation of the Jews from slavery and their exodus from Egypt. During Passover, we acknowledge this freedom by telling the exodus story at ritual gatherings called seders. We also acknowledge it by consuming astonishing amounts of food that people who are trying to free themselves from strokes and heart attacks wouldn't consider eating. For the Passover holiday, I ate matzo balls made with chicken fat, fruit compote made with pineapples dipped in heavy syrup, and pudding made with butter, brown sugar, and sour cream. For dessert, I ate cheesecake and two kinds of flourless chocolate cake. I did this every night for 5 nights. During the days, I ate leftovers from the night before. Although I make it a practice not to weigh myself, my fat jeans always tell me when I've gained weight. I figured I'd put on 4, possibly 5, pounds, and, for the umpteenth time, I was convinced that my brain had truly snapped and I was 5 minutes away from being as big as a house. Or at least a small cottage. I thought about getting liposuction, flogging myself, or buying a bigger pair of jeans. They were all out of the question--especially the buying bigger jeans option. I'd rather have a root canal without Novocaine. Of course, I have another choice. I can always decide that I'm not going to go around feeling (and declaring that I feel) fat. I can disengage from that alluring drama with its attendant sweeps of emotion, even though it's like separating yourself from Krazy Glue. I know how to do it, but I'm also quite fond of drama. All Hail, Drama Queen I'm most familiar with myself as an insecure, anxious, bingey type of gal who could gain weight or fall apart at the slightest provocation. Replacing this woozy self-image with one of solidity and strength has been, and continues to be, a struggle. I've always had to be very careful about how I talk to myself, and whether my one-person dialogue is kind or mean. So I know that when I'm using "I feel fat" language, I am in trouble. In the 27 years I've been listening to myself and other women talking about weight, I've learned this much: Feeling fat has nothing to do with being fat. I've heard women who are a size 16 talk about how thin they feel, and I've heard women who are a size 4 talk about how fat they feel. I've also heard women talk about feeling fat one moment and thin the next. In one of my recent classes, someone said, "If I woke up tomorrow and this whole issue with food was gone, I wouldn't know how to judge myself. Right now, being thin is how I know I'm good. Feeling fat is how I know I'm bad. If I didn't have this system of fat and thin, I would feel terribly lost." We wouldn't resort to a constant state of feeling fat if it didn't serve us in basic, primal ways. No one keeps eating and overeating and feeling miserable unless it has a benefit. Maybe it makes you feel safe. Maybe it's because feeling fat--even if you're not--connects you to the millions of other women in the country on constant diets. It allows you to fit in, to feel the same as everyone else. The problem is that it also cuts you off at the knees. No matter how much you weigh, when you feel fat, you take scissors to your life and cut it down to the size you think it's supposed to be so you'll be loved and accepted. I've known women who greet every compliment--on their hair, their skin, their most recent accomplishment--with an "Oh, but I'm so fat." Like the woman in my class, "feeling fat" is the handy scapegoat for all the bad feelings they have. And that's why it's so dangerous. When you tell yourself you feel fat, you make it impossible to figure out what is actually going on in your head. Perhaps you really are uncomfortable with your size and are ready to lose weight. But perhaps you're actually lonely, excited, happy, or threatened. You'll never know what you're feeling, or what you need to do, as long as you translate uncomfortable or unfamiliar feelings, positive or negative, into the familiar refrain "I feel fat." And you will never be happy until you stop thinking happy is a synonym for thin. Don't Fight Your Feelings Do you really think that what you want from being "thin and gorgeous and happy" will ever be achieved by telling yourself that you are fat and ugly? When the women I work with contact the power, strength, and joy inside of them--even if they're 70 pounds overweight--they have an "Aha!" moment.. "This is it! This is what I wanted all along, what I thought I could only get by being thin." After arriving at this understanding, they are no longer fighting the voices in their heads that tell them they are fat and ugly and simultaneously want to deprive them of the only sweetness left: food. Losing weight is no longer a struggle because all parts of them--their mind and body--are now on the same side. They realize that you can't love yourself by hating yourself. Now is the time to stop and ask yourself what the goal really is. Is it to be thin at all costs? Or is being thin the means to self-love? Because if it's the latter, then you can start today, right now, this minute. Begin by changing the language you use when you talk to yourself. Disengage from the drama of feeling fat. Treat yourself with kindness, curiosity, and humor so that everything in your life becomes Fluid, unfettered, and easy. Including, of course, your jeans.

I have lost 35 lbs, and I've gone down from sz 24 to a 20, which I'm thankful for at this stage in my weight loss. I have the smaller band and havent' had a fill since June, due to esophagus issues, but I still have some restriction. Like you I felt the same way, but believe it or not it is slowly melting away.

Wisegirl, Ask the Doc for an EGD and a total unfill. You may need to give it a rest until the other problems are resolved , then start again with the fills. You're doing wonderful with the wl, but now you need to take care of you.

Hi again Blue Guy, Your doctor is absolutely correct about the soft food and Protein drink. I recommended it because I thought you might have inflammation of the espophagus or stomach irritation. Definitely not a long term solution, just 1-2 days. It sounds like you're getting good advise from your medical professionals.

Hi Blueguy, Having this band is a lot of work isn't it? You and I both thought we had found the miracle to lose weight, but in actuality, they didn't band our brains, they only banded our stomas. My understanding is that when you hit the sweet spot with your fills, you will not want to eat as much and you will continue to lose weight. Neither you or I are at that point, so we have to wrap our brains around the fact that until then we have to make better food choices and listen to our body. First we shouldn't eat until we get that full feeling. I like the full feeling, so I have to make myself stop before I get to that point. Remember the bandster portions are 3 to 4 oz meat, 4 T vegtables, 4 T starch or leave out the starch and eat more veggies. Basically it's 3-2-2 or 4-2-2 oz. Or 1 cup to cup and half. Celery is very fibrous, it's harder to eat raw veggies, much better cooked in soups. Sometimes if I'm still hungry I'll eat salad, it's not high in nutritional value but it does help fill me up. So normally I leave the salad for last, because I want to eat my bandster portion first. I love pizza too, and I know it's not the best choice of foods, but I don't deny myself foods I love, I just try to be smarter in how I prepare them or order the pizza. If I order I get the thin crust and eat two slices and not eat the end crust. When I prepare pizza at home I use low fat cheese, eat the toppings and limit myself to two slice. When I go out, I don't eat the crust and only the toppings. As for the reflux, you need to stay on soup/mushies for a few days and work up to solids. The PB episodes are from eating to fast, to big of bites and overeating. I began PB'ing last night on to many almonds. Tuna makes me PB so I have to make sure it's got enough mayo and I eat it slow. One more recommendation, then I'm off to work. Change your bread to WASA during the day for sandwiches or as a snack with low fat cream cheese. You'll find them with the specialty crackers in your grocer. I like the cripy light and whole wheat. Eat smarter, go in for regular fills if you get hungry within 4 hrs of meals and are not losing 1-2 lbs a month. The band is your tool and you have to tweek it to get to that sweet spot. If you mess up one day, don't look back, step forward and make better choices the next day. Good luck in your journey.

Thank you for sharing your story. I haven't had a fill in a few months since I was diagnosed with Barrett's and esophagitis. I go for my next EGD Oct. 26. I'm hoping to get a fill soon afterwards. I'm glad you're doing much better!

Dawn, If it were me, and money wasn't an issue, I would go with the larger band. I hope you are doing better and begin to heal.

Genia, Dr. Maese, in Dallas will do fills for you. He is a cardiologist, but performs lapband fills.

Hi, good luck with your new banding in a couple of weeks. I was banded Feb. 07 in Dallas by Wade Barker.

Zelda, What you paid for a fill, sounds right. I don't pay anything for a de fill. You may only need .2 or .5 removed. I would wait 30 min, before I left the dr. office to make sure. good luck

I would take it out, talk to your doctor about other options.

Hi, If your band has slipped you couldn't keep fluid or food down. I've basically been going through the same thing, my surgeon says the band will do this and we need to use Prevacid daily. I hope this unfill works, stay on mushies a few days.

Congratulations Kelsey you should be very proud, this journey is not easy. You're one of the few that have lost weight on vacation. Great SV!

I went to my surgeon yesterday and his concern is the stomach acid effecting my esophagus lining and having the band doesn't help matters. His side comment was that the gastric bypass might have been the better choice, considering the problems, but of course my EGD didn't reveal anything significant prior to surgery. With that said, I'm on a 14 day treatment pack of 8 pills a day Prevacid and Antibiotics. In 6 wks another EGD and 2 weeks later the results. The bottom line is the combination of Barretts and H pylori bacteria is treatable with meds if found early. Prevacid will be a lifetime med. The jury is out on future fills, I'll have been waiting 5 months for a fill before we know for sure. It's predicted my appetite is going to increase over the course of treatment but I believe I can manage with healthy choices on a good day. Off to get a pear! Crunch! Rebecca Biles 2.23.07 265-230-140

The last time I posted, I was having trouble with my fills and the flouro showed liquid was staying in my esphogaus and not pushing down to the stomach like it should. My EGD lab work came back and I have Barrett's in my esphogaus and H Pylori in my stomach. Tuesday I go in to speak with Dr. Barker about the results, treatment and future fills. Has anyone gone through this? Any feedback is appreciated. Symptoms: nausea and slight burning in my stomach when I drink and eat; no heartburn; pb with every meal; takes a long time to eat Rebecca

You are doing fantastic with your weight loss! You're within 1-2 lbs a week and that is great.

Long story short, 3rd fill caused problem, went for UGI afterwhich my surgeon loosened my band due to problem with my esphogeus, he called it dysfunctional...oh well I'm back to 2.5 cc and still feel restriction. Scheduled for EGD this week, could be hernia repair has come undone. Hopefully not. Doc said he's going to keep my band loose, said I can't get another fill until I lose 25-30 more pounds, said with my dysfunctional problem I am going to lose a lot slower than most, but I will lose...so with that said, I have to stay positive and know that it may be slow, but I'm not gaining it back!

You may have the bigger band and it takes a few fills to get that restriction. I agree you need to start practicing your 1-1/2 cups food, smaller bites and eating slower. Take in some protein when you get hungry between meals. You're eventually going to feel the restriction. Don't lose hope, it's coming!

You are doing fantastic! Weight lost of 4 lbs is right in line with what a bandster should lose, 1-2 lb a week. You should only go back for a fill if you are getting hungry. Sometimes you will plateau and not lose weight, but if you're not getting ravenously hungry you still don't need a fill. Eventually, you will begin losing weight again. Continue eating 1 to 1 1/2 cups a meal, if you can stop after 1 cup that's even better. You are doing great, this is not a race!

I would try eating soup for a day, then soft food the next 1-2 days and try again. Make sure your solid foods have enough moisture. If you still hurt make an appt.

I don't know if this will work but have you tried increasing your protein to help with the hungry feeling?