lisacaron

I agree with Missy. Take the time to do the research. Attend some seminars at your local hospital or where they perform bariatric surgery. Speak to you doctors and get their medical opinion and advice. You should not be vomiting at all. I am like you and I never like to have to vomit even when I was a child with a tummy virus. It always did make me feel better, Mom was right..but I hated it and cried the whole time. The band is not synonymous with vomiting and if people tell you it is, they are using it wrong and doing grave harm to themselves and their band. Good luck on your journey!

Spark people has loads of fitness video's for at home work outs even for those who are chair bound, and they are free. sparkpeople.com I think is the site. Good luck!!

Hockeymom, Your doing great! Keep up the good work! I am also losing slowly but steadily. I haven't reached that elusive "green zone" just yet. I've had 3 fills and I'm at 5.5 in a 10cc band I think a tiny fill next time might get me there. Either way though I'm happy that I am eating less, and moving more, and I know that the weight I have lost is NEVER coming back!!! I'm not gonna let it!

The Nioxin really has helped my hair start growing back in. It's not as thick as it was by any means and that stuff is expensive but it's working!

Hey us dumb asses gotta stick together!!

Love that when it comes out I'd be right on it!

I just got the flex. I have had the Ultra and the fitbit one. I really love the functionality of the the ONE but the flex is easier to remember to put on and it gets all the steps I miss when I forget or put the one on too late in the day. The flex you can leave on all the time, and it tracks your sleep as well. The ONE tracks your elevation levels for step climbing and I think that is the only thing the flex does not do. Well here we are Fitbit pals! Getting our steps in!

Happy Birthday my friend! You are Rocking that band! A true inspiration!!!

Please let us know how you are doing. What helped relax my tummy and get the fluids in was decaf. tea. It was warm and soothing. Also the Sugar Free Popsicles helped a lot give them a try!

My hubby and I incorporated the mechanics of band eating early on before our pre-op and our surgery. We started slow in the time that it took for us to reach the actual pre-op stage. We found that starting those things slowly pre-band, like giving up fizzy drinks and soda, cutting the caffeine, slowing down our eating to savor texture and taste. Eating with knife and fork and cutting things into smaller bits, all helped us as we reached our surgery date and have been invaluable lessons post surgery. Pre-op we started replacing meals about 2 months out with shakes so that when we were on the full liquid diet for 2 weeks our system wouldn't be "shocked" and it wouldn't be as hard to stick to pre-band. This is what worked for us, it was a little (I hesitate to say...)easier since we were doing it together and had the support of the other. I think anything that you can put into practice before the band will be an invaluable asset to you post surgery. All my best for a successful surgery and speedy recovery!

OMG Sunny! You made me bust out laughing! The chicken dance, I love it! I can just picture it in my head! Sorry for the stuck...but thanks Sunny for the chuckle!

Oh boy me too! Crazy the amount of hair that I see fall! It's normal to shed up to 100 strands a day..but I can pull fist fulls of hair out when I shower or brush. It's finally starting to grow back. I have some fine baby hairs under the longer strands that have stayed. I also take the Biotin and Vitamins..and use Nixoin shampoo/conditioner. The Protein seems to be the big key though. Really try to up that and get it in through out the day. That will slow the fall, and help the regrowth. Best of luck to you!

Hi guys, I read your post this morning and it made me sad I have a real issue keeping my protien intake high enough while still staying under my calories for the day. When I use the Protein shots, or protein bars/drinks...to help get those extra grams in they are great, and low in calorie..but OMG the gas!!! (TMI alert!!) Not so much the PU of it..but the pains in the belly. Grumble rumble tumble..and I can't exactly rip it here at my desk! By the time I get to the ladies room..I can sit there a good 10 minutes just blasting away..sounds like world war three! EMBARRASSING! Then of course when the protein is not high enough I am not losing any weight..and I'm feeling tired all the time and consequently got myself sick with a bad upper respiratory infection! So this morning...I was on a tirade! I am an overweight, gas blasting, bald cranky b***h! Get out of my way!!!!! Good thing it's Halloween...I got everyone running scared! BOO! Hoo...what should we do??? Yeah yeah I know protein..get your gas mask on, the bombs are about to blow!

That's great! I did the same things pretty much. Kept in control of what was needed for approval and helped the surgeon's office to push everything through to my insurance company.

For me the scariest point came when I knew that I no longer had control over my body. My heart rate and my blood pressure were out of control. I kept popping all these pills in my mouth praying that they would make me “feel better”. I’d have heart palpitations, and severe migraines from the high blood pressure. I would rush to the doctor’s office feeling sick and like I was about to die! There were days I would pray that I could walk from my office to my car at the end of the day without my heart exploding in my chest. The pain in my head would be screaming by the time I reached the car and there were days I wasn’t sure I could drive the 30 miles home. There was no magic potion in those doctor prescribed pills, they didn’t have the answers for me. I was in pain all the time, my hormones were so screwed up my ovaries were creating tumors so large they were grapefruit sized. I was in so much pain I had to be rushed to the hospital several times for several different surgeries. One day the nightmare ended and I woke up, and realized that it was time for me to take control of my life! Stop covering it up with fancy clothes that cost way too much to buy in my ever increasing size, enough to masking the symptoms with doctor visits and medication! It was time to get a tool and finally take back the control of my life! Last year after 6 years I finally said I do to my husband and put a band around my finger as a symbol of my commitment to him, and this year I said I do to myself and put a band around my belly as a symbol of my commitment to a life of health and happiness!

Thank you! I appreciate the advice This vacation will have lots and lots of exercise as part of it, lots of walking and hiking planned. I'm getting prepared and making sure we have plenty of protein bars on hand and in my bag just in case we find ourselves out of band friendly territory we have an alternative. For some reason, when I have fever I don't want to eat a thing and have to force myself, and then when it breaks I'm hungry all the time! If Mom forced soup down my throat I would have an aversion for it, till today can't eat any of the things I was force fed. I think I wanted the soup because my throat was hurting. It wasn't a good food choice though..it didn't really hold me from meal to meal.

My doctors office is conservative when it comes to administering fills..in my humble opinion this is not a bad thing, I would like to avoid ever having complications from being too tight if I can help it. They take the time to interview the patient and find out what's been going on for them through out the month. Checking on their eating mechanics and food choices. Now this last month...I have been sick. Fighting an upper respiratory infection for what's going on week 3 as of Monday! I have COPD so any bad infection tends to lodge in my chest and try to make itself at home there! Which can be a big set back for exercise it's not something one wants to do much of when you have a hard enough time just breathing without coughing your brains out trust me on this! It also impacts eating choices! Medications tend to have that affect on me, and feeling icky makes me want to have soup more then the solid protein that helps keep me fuller Today I am feeling better and towards the tail end of it I think, just in time as the hubby and I are off on vacation for our 1 year Wedding Anniversary! Time sure fly's when your having fun! Anyway.... Shortly after we return from Vacation we have an appointment with our Dr. I have about 5.5cc in a 10cc band. I do feel some restriction at this point, but I also know that I am eating more then one cup of food at sitting, and I am often hungry through out the day. I track my calories MFP, and there are days when I am just over that 1000 calories and really hungry. My question is...am I just "off" for being sick and not keeping up with my exercise routines? Should I take a step back and wait another month before asking the Doc to put more fluid in? Or is this what it is...and maybe i need a bit more of a fill to be in that "green" zone where I am eating portion controlled meals and satisfied with them; not feeling hungry for larger portion sizes or in between meals? I welcome and appreciate all your advice and/or opinions on these questions, which I will take into consideration before meeting with my Dr. -Lisa

I agree with Shazam! That's an awesome reality check!

EeeeOUCH! That does not sound like it was so much fun! Do you always have the same person do the fills for you? I would not want to have someone poke me all those times and hurt me. I'm glad it all worked out in the end. I hope this fill takes you to green!! I haven't reached that point yet...

My fitness pal works great for calories and beverages as well. Give it a try it's a free app.

I suspect that the reason they are now denying removal is because your doctor is trying to put it through as a revision type of surgery! Call your insurance company yourself! Tell them what is going on, that the band is eroding and perhaps causing infection as well. If you need to get another doctor to corroborate this information, Speak to the ER doctor or your PCP, and maybe even find another bariatric doctor that will do what YOU want and not what he wants to make more money! You can speak with your insurance company and find out what their side of the story is directly and then decide where to go from there. Best of luck to you!

Hi Ashley, I also have been coughing my brains out recently with a band upper resp. infection. You should definitely go see the Dr. b/c I was told it's possible to cough so hard you can actually break ribs! That didn't happen for me..but I was/am sore a bit from the constant coughing, the band and port is all good..just using those cough muscles too much I hope your feeling better soon!

You can and you will lose weight...and she will always be a mean spirited ugly lady. Feel bad for her, and great about yourself cause you ROCK!