the best me

Oh Penni, it's so good to see you posting. Thank God for pain meds...I'm glad you got on!!! Can't wait to hear all the gory details later, and you know we want to hear them, but we are also concerned with how you are doing emotionally with all of this. We are waiting for wise advice and to hear your perspective, so valued here! Take it easy. When you are ready, we are listening! Lots of LBT LOVE and (((HUGS)))!!!!!

Welcome home and welcome to Bandland! Rest up, heal, walk and sip and walk and sip. Congratulations!!

This confuses me, too. Here's a copy-paste of something I wrote on another thread... see if it helps? ______ This is what I have learned about my band along the way. My stomach is divided into 2 parts now. The top part is still stomach, and it churns and squeezes just like the bottom part. It's got food there and it knows darn well what to do with it. Get it down!!! SO, when you swallow goo (which is what every bite should be when you swallow) it goes into the pouch and your upper stomach starts wriggling around trying to get it down through the band. When you have no fill and no restriction, it's pretty easy to make it go through...like shoving a dishrag into a glass. Get a fill or two later on, and it's like shoving the dishrag into a Water bottle...lots harder, get it? So, envision your goo food going into your pouch and hitting that funnel of your band. You will know very quickly if you didn't chew well or you took in too much. If you fill up that funnel with goo food and it sits up there comfortably churning along, you feel full so much faster. It's a funny little dance you learn to do. Different foods do different things. The band is fickle and one day it's fine, another it bites back. ______ I just know that if something is going to get stuck, it happens pretty quick. I used to think of food just hanging around up top for 2-3 hours but that never seemed right. I couldn't tell you why the band makes you feel satisfied for hours after you have eaten, especially since the food very obviously heads down through the band relatively quickly. I works somehow though. When I eat right I can eat more than just a little, but I don't go grazing after and I don't eat again for hours.

Sherry, I'd be frustrated, too. Sounds a bit like they are avoiding something. Why wouldn't they want to schedule someone who has been approved? I agree, it's odd. I'd find out the scoop, for sure. It may not be a reflection on your docs skills, but what if it is? Maybe call and say "I'd like to be able to schedule my Band surgery. If Dr "X" isn't able to, does he have another Band doctor he normally recommends or refers patients to?" Find out what they say. I don't know...you could shoot yourself in the foot doing that. You could end up off all their lists and then what? Nope, maybe not. I don't KNOW!! I just know it sounds odd and you aren't nuts.

Good to know, thanks!!!

You betcha. Having peace in your heart is the best healer. Ugly words, feelings, plans, pay backs, meanness always leads to more of the same. It's hard to be mad at someone you are praying for. Being mad isn't good for anyone, and certainly not the kids. Kudos to you Christina. You survived quite a December and quite a year since then, I'm suspecting. Hang in there. Thanks for your words of wisdom for our Porclndoll, here. Well, it seems as though I missed the scoop on Big Paul. Shucks. What about "The Five Love Languages" by Smalley? I think. BP, if you could figure out her "Love Language" you could speak to her better. How does she like to be loved? What speaks love to her? What speaks love to YOU? Just an idea out of the blue since I missed what you deleted

Good point about the Prilosec. I have the OTC kind and it's a tablet. In the past I have crushed it in a pill crusher, even though it says not to. If I had caps, I'd dump them into a few ounces of Crystal Light...that's me. Pepcid also makes a chewable with both an antacid and acid reducer. That's handy. I have purchased Aloe Vera juice at both Wal Mart and Walgreens. It's with the tummy meds, usually on the bottom shelf since it's in a large bottle. It's about 8-10 buckaroos for a gallon, I guess. It's just the insides of Aloe Vera leaves. Not the best tasting stuff in the world but drinkable. I wouldn't mix it with anything to cover the taste because I want the healing effects of the pure juice. So I buck up and drink it. Donali, how can you say things I want to say so succinctly?!!! I go on and on and on...so, Lauren, what she said!!!

click here... http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959

My suggestions till you see your doc next week: Don't eat anything after dinner...it makes you tighter in the mornings if you go to bed with food in your pouch (just in case you are a late-night snacker). Drink 4-6 ounces of Water before bed, then follow it with 2-3 ounces of Aloe Vera juice. It heals anything from top to bottom. Good stuff. Take a Prilosec or other acid-reducer at least daily, if not twice daily. Stay on liquids until you go at least a day without PBing, then keep your diet soft mushies at the most until you are seen. It's possible you are too tight if the reflux causes swelling and the swelling causes PBs, round and round you go. If you do the above things and get any swelling down that WILL go down, you may be able to start fresh. My concern for you is that if it takes 1 PB to get you on this downward spiral, unable to recover, you are too tight. With the erosions and slippages going on here lately, I'd be very concerned about being too tight. You have 50 pounds to your next goal...keep that band healthy so it will be there for you. Learn not to rely on tight restriction to limit your food. Use your head to eat properly and use your band to help you follow through on a well-balanced diet, because you know it's easier to do it banded, and virtually impossible unbanded. Re-think? Maybe? You tell me if this is an area of needed improvement for you. If not, get unfilled and go back at it!

Okay, I'm not an old fart bandster yet, but I suppose I'm no longer a newbie bandster either, so listen up people. Road Queen is right...use the healing time for good bandster eating practice. Slow down, chew to goo, watch your portions, journal your food intake for future reference. This is what I have learned about my band along the way. My stomach is divided into 2 parts now. The top part is still stomach, and it churns and squeezes just like the bottom part. It's got food there and it knows darn well what to do with it. Get it down!!! SO, when you swallow goo (which is what every bite should be when you swallow) it goes into the pouch and your upper stomach starts wriggling around trying to get it down through the band. When you have no fill and no restriction, it's pretty easy to make it go through...like shoving a dishrag into a glass. Get a fill or two later on, and it's like shoving the dishrag into a Water bottle...lots harder, get it? So, envision your goo food going into your pouch and hitting that funnel of your band. You will know very quickly if you didn't chew well or you took in too much. If you fill up that funnel with goo food and it sits up there comfortably churning along, you feel full so much faster. It's a funny little dance you learn to do. Different foods do different things. The band is fickle and one day it's fine, another it bites back. And so, newVAbandster, you do, indeed, have restriction if you are burping and get stuck (hot potato feeling) occasionally. The reason you can eat more than 2 ounces at a time is because your upper stomach is busy doing it's job and pushing the food through an unfilled band. If you are burping, slow down. For lots of folks, me included, burping is a "soft-stop". Listen carefully to this band talk your body is giving you. And, be sure that you are following your surgeon's post-op diet, since, as stated above, you are healing and it's not about feeling full. It's about making sure your stomach doesn't need to churn while you are healing up. Take this opportunity to learn the difference between head hunger and real hunger. Eat what your good sense tells you is appropriate, don't let your tummy tell you, or your emotions. It's a whole new world. Slow down and experience it. Be patient. Go with the flow, no need to rush, if you are journaling your food you will be able to keep your intake in check enough that many pounds will fall off during this time. Don't panic yet...you are doing great!!!!

It matters less about the number, and more about the level of restriction you experience. Sounds like all went well. My doc does something similar...fill till closed, back off till open, done! You may not need another fill for a good long while now. Make it work for you, ease back into regular foods...kind of like the post-banding stages. Don't go straight to hard protiens until you get a feel for how this fill does you. Welcome to restriction!

Oh Happy Birthday, Dianne!!!! Thanks for the reminder, Chick, you are always so faithful about checking for birthdays! Dianne, I hope your day is wonderful!!!!!

Wow Bungle, 50 pounds! Thanks for catching us up. It's very good info for the future, you never know who may benefit!! So glad you are on the mend and feeling better. The weight loss has got to help...you'll be below 200 in no time! Okay, so this next 50 may not go as fast but you sure got a good head start! Well done!

I am addicted to Medium. I watch every one, but I do it right. I set the DVR to record, then watch it after everyone goes to bed, sometimes weeks later. Cool! The only bad part about recording it is...the channel automatically switches to Meduim when it comes on. So if DH is watching the news, it freaks him out when the channel changes. He doesn't seem to notice the timer icon flashing in the lower left corner of the screen. I enjoy sunday nights Extreme Home Makover. Other than that, it's any TLC or Discover Health surgery/plastic surgery/medical show. Mostly it's Fox News Channel or kids shows at our house.

Yep...this helped me go through the Stages... Clear Liquids Clear Liquids + Protein shakes Full Liquids Soft Mushies Full Mushies Soft Sollids Full Solids There is also a really good food Stages List in the Food Forum..it's a Stickie...and it give examples of each stage...might be helpful. Follow your body's signals. If pureed soup satisfies, no need to push forward. Go slow as you heal!!

Well done! You are a good bandster. Love to see that Blood sugars improve so much. Now, pureed veggie soup is full liquids. At one week post-op, I'm not sure mushies are a good idea? Mushies may be too thick...refrieds, guacamole, cottage cheese, etc. Stay of Full Liquids for a bit...ANYTHING in the Magic Bullet you could otherwise drink through a straw. Start experimenting! And remember, just because it looks gross doesn't mean it won't taste like PURE Heaven!!!

Oh yeah! Yep, same here. All sounds strangely familiar, but you said it so funny!!!!

hey Cissy, I'll trade ya! I'm White and have been accused of having an "ethnic" figure (as told by my Black friend, Jackie) so I'm losing like Jachut. Top down and bottom up. I have lost in my face, neck, shoulders, ribcage and waistline AND in my feet and calves. Butt and thighs are the last to go so if I could give some away, you can have it!!! I want your skinny legs and butt! Ahh, the grass is always greener, huh? I'm working on the "Butt Shelf" in the back, below my waist and above my backside. And the ongoing thighs, geez Louise!!! The pregnancy belly is a whole 'nuther ball game. Yep, the biggest parts are the last to go. Hang in there, chicken legs! (you know I'm jealous when I resort to name-calling ) You'll start seeing some good progress as your get good and under 200. Which won't be long! You are doing great!!

Thank the Lord for a successful surgery! Hang in there, Kim, and get some much deserved rest...no, sleep!!! You little man will be well cared for in the hospital and is on the healing side, now! Thanks for the updates, ladies. I'll keep praying.

No, no , no!!! You misunderstand! You are MORE than welcome to discuss these issues above board if you want to...but YOU said you didn't want to so I'm encouraging you to ask with PMs. Just get your questions answered, they are important! However, I agree with the other Kathy that girls can handle the conversation...you'd have a hard time keeping us out of it, in fact. We might have a good thing or two to say, ya know? Spill it!!! As long as it isn't said in a crude manner, I can take it! Bring it on! Come on Magic...ask your male only questions! LOL

Now girls, there's enough banded manhood around here to go around. Didn't you hear about how weight loss improves blood pressure? My hubby, for one, likes to brag about how great his blood pressure is. So, no chick-fights on this thread! LOL

See, the guys are coming out of the woodwork! Good to see you all here! I'm thinking it's a good idea to use the PM function on this board to discuss more personal "male only" matters. You see how us girls come running when there's boys gathering. And no WAY! I could keep myself from peeking in. This thread is funny.

Too tight, too tight!!!! *flashing red Lights with arrows pointing to Tod* *warning sirens going off in the back ground* *the PA system sounds, "Tod Campbell, you are too tight!"* Get thee a small unfill and feel better. Take good care of that band.