Coco

Hey Nikki Great that you're feeling so good and keeping the weight steady. I Love the baby ticker, cool. Hope the rest of the pregnacy goes well for you.

Hi Dini Great that you're losing regularly but not good that your hair is falling out!!! Maybe getting a slight defill would help, you would be amazed at the difference that a quarter of a ml out would make. The protein drinks are ok to boost your protein but are not great for getting all your protein. You should be able to eat most foods just a lot less of them. Try putting a sauce with your fish, that might help with getting it down. Its hard to find the happy medium but its worth the effort. By the way, the reason the crap goes down so easily is because it turns to liquid before it ever hits the pouch. Our bodies have no work to do digesting over processed crap we call biscuts, crisps and choccies. Look after yourself and best wishes.

Hi mtndew The pain associated with gas from the op will go on day three. FACT. After my op I suffered with the gas pains but they were different from the left shoulder pain. Gas Pain is everywhere in your upper back across both shoulders and the best way to relieve it is to walk around. On day three it goes away. The left shoulder pain is a pain like someone is poking their finger in the middle of the front of your left shoulder. That pain is associated with the band, either you have eaten too much and swelled the pouch temporiarily or you may be over filled either way its important to take note of how you're feeling what you ate before the pain and how long it lasted. Its also a good idea to write these things down so you can compare notes from day to day. Its amazing the things we tend to forget about particularly if like me you've always put every ache and pain down to being overweight. Also, sometimes we don't notice the pain going away, we just notice it arriving and hanging around a bit. Tune in to your bodies, its worth it.

Hi Everyone, Are you all in shock over the newspaper article on Sunday???? It makes you think eh! Anyway the good news for me is I've lost 3 of the four lbs I put on last week during my bread fest.:hungry: It wasn't too difficult to stick to liquids and I was fine until yesterday afternoon when I was just sooooooooooo hungry that the drinks weren't doing it for me at all. Had some really healthy brown bread, half a slice and a boiled egg. Felt really good and when I stepped on the scales this morning I was thrilled. So although I don't have brilliant restriction, I think I can manage and take my fills slowly so that I don't suffer with any more of the acid issues. Well I'm dying to know how all of you are doing so I hope we get some new posts on here. I feel like I've taken over this thread :embarassed: I do get carried away sometimes. As always, wishing you all well.:)

Hi, Hope you're recovering well from your op. I was banded 10 months ago and I was told to eat custard, yogurts and protein drinks only for the first few days and then soft foods for another few days and then on to regular food. But as we know doctors differ and we should only do as our own care provider instructs. The idea of the protein is to aid healing in the early days but you can get your protein from custard and yogurts also. Good luck on your journey. I wish you well.

Hi All, I've been banded since 3rd Jan 07, and 10 days after the op I went back to find out why I had this left shoulder pain and also pain in my left side. I had 2mls in my 8ml band from the surgery and the nurse took out 1ml and the pain disappeared. I still have the left shoulder pain from time to time usually for a short time after a fill or after a meal. The reason we get left shoulder pain is the pouch swells and leans on a nerve which is connected to our shoulder and thats why we feel the pain there. Before using pain killers I would reccommend going on liquids for 48 hours that kinda washes out the pouch and gives it time for the swelling to reduce. Any pain in your body is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Don't put up with pain, have it checked out. If you have been suffering a long time with this pain you may need a slight defill. Sometimes all it takes is -.5ml or less.

Read this I tried to just post the link but I couldn't get it to stay. Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M. All site content copyright Malcolm Bywaters and WorldWyldWeb.com 2003 Web Site Design WorldWyldWeb.

Hey Everybody, Hope you're all doing really well. Had my appointment with Dr Yan this afternoon and the good news is that the band is in the right place and working normally. He says that I have to have small fills and that basically for me having 3mls in my band was too much and that I should just take it slow and work my way up the fill ladder gently. As you know I had (at the repositioning op) 3mls in, then 6 weeks later I had a 1ml defill, then I had a .5ml fill two weeks after that and then I saw Yan last week and he took out another 2mls. That left me with just 0.5mls in and today he put back 1ml. Now I have 1.5mls in and am on liquids for a few days. I bumped into Lu at Fitzwilliam Place yesterday by chance, and I told her what was going on with the heartburn, excess acid etc. and we had a good chat and a tip she gave me was to have a glass of milk in the morning before anything else. That should turn the stomach more alkaline and prevent heartburn and acid attacks. It was good to speak to her and she put my mind at rest. Unfortunately she is only working part time at the moment as she has other commitments. I'm hoping this fill keeps me away from the bread as I put on 4lbs in the week. I won't of course be trying any bread for a few days as I'm on liquids but I'm sure the bread devil will sit on my shoulder before the week is out.

Hey All, Hope this post finds you all well and losing shed loads of weight.:) As for poor moi, nare a drop of fluid to stop the bread going down, :help::help::help: I am going for my xray on Thursday morning but don't get to see the surgeon until Saturday. I just want a resolution to this band issue and until then I am struggling with the fight between bread v anything else.:eek: On the one hand I'm beating myself up over my lack of willpower and on the other I'm thinking well if I had willpower I wouldn't have had the op in the first place, I feel I'm in a lose lose situation. If I don't get a resolution on Sat. with the fine Dr. Yan I will not be pleased. And you don't want to get into a situation with Coco when she's not pleased. Oh god, I'm already talking in the third person.:paranoid:paranoid:paranoid:paranoid. Deb I'm so pleased you're feeling so well, believe me you could be feeling like you've been trampled by lots of horses.:biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1: Enjoy the feeling of fullness while it lasts, and I have heard of peeps who have had that feeling for up to six weeks, mind you they are in the minority, but we live in hope. I was thinking of you while I was being defilled. But enough said about that for the mo! Anyway you will get better with each passing day and the day you feel like a pizza is the day that you'll be back to normal.:biggrin1::biggrin1: Best wishes and keep an eye on that scales, it will make you smile.

Hey TT, see you have an appointment with a nurse called Lou, could that be the same nurse who worked for ACS before and left. Has she returned, if so, I found her to be a terrific nurse who was very helpful and understanding. I do hope its the same nurse.

Hi Ger, I don't know about surgery abroad as I had my band done in Dublin through Advanced Cosmetic Surgery. The surgeon who did mine is now retired and they have a new Polish (I think) surgeon doing the ops now. As for the HSE, I was on the weight management waiting list in Loughlinstown in Dublin for 3 years and I recently got a letter to say an appointment was available. (Too late as I had already had the surgery). So you can apply through your gp to go on the list but as far as I know they are the only weight management clinic in the country and thats why the appointments take so long. It might be worth the wait though. Keep up the research though, at the end of the day its your health, and thats what matters.

Hey Ger, Welcome to the site, you've come to the right place there is loads of information on here good bad and indifferent. The main thing to do is research, the band is one of a few types of weight loss surgery available. Check out shawsomers.com he is a doctor in England that is quite well known and very experienced in all types of WLS. If you do opt to have the band done abroad make sure you can get your fills and aftercare in Ireland and check out what they cost. Good luck and keep us posted. :eek:

Hey Kermit, Thanks for the sympathy, I need it. I really feel like my band and I have split up and that an early reconciliation is in the offing. I can't think beyond the xray right now because if I think of all the things it might be I will be a basket case by the end of the week. I really, really, really don't want to gain any weight in the meantime. I have given away all my fat clothes I can't afford to go up a size and its the head hunger I'm battling with, because I know I can eat it. It doesn't matter that I'm not hungry.

Hey Allure, Great to see you posting again. Keep it up it really helps. You know how I feel about your band, I'm convinced its not positioned correctly, as you said, you have lost over 3 stone and thats through healthy choices and exercise. The band has never worked for you and I could cry when I hear you beat yourself up about your eating habits when you have shown great restraint and managed to lose over 3 stone without the help of restriction. Put your right hand over your left shoulder and give yourself a big pat on the back. You've earned it. :biggrin1: Speak soon. :eek:

Hi Dini, Hope you're feeling better by now. New Doctor seems quite nice and is a bit of eye candy, well if you compare him to Jerome. :biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1::biggrin1: Lucky you, off to New York, you'll be doing some amount of shopping there I bet. :rockon: Congrats on the weight loss also, you'll be at goal in no time, you'll see.

Thanks for that Kermit, as you can see from my post above I'll be getting the xray. I'm just really worried how long I'll be left without any restriction.:help: Well I will have to just be really careful untill I know whats what with my band and what needs to be done to fix it.

Hey Debb, By the time you read this your op will be over and done with, so welcome to the losing side.:clap2::clap2::clap2: I hope you're feeling well and don't have any of the wind pains that are sometimes associated with the op. I hope my woes didn't upset you and you must remember that not everyone has problems with the band. You will lose weight quite quickly in the first two weeks and then it will slow down till you have a fill or two it will be interesting to see how this new Dr does the aftercare and fills. Don't be over anxious about the weight and give yourself three months to start seeing regular weekly weight losses. Sounds like a long time but its not, it'll fly in. Enjoy what you can eat while you can.:) Take care and keep us updated on your progress.

:update::update::update::update: Hi All, Well had my appointment with the surgeon today AND HE'S EMPTIED MY BAND:faint::faint::faint::faint::faint::faint::faint: I don't know how I'm going to cope. I'll have to seriously watch what I'm eating and not be naughty at all. I have to ring Fitzwilliam Place on Monday to arrange an appointment for an xray and then when we know what the problem is hopefully it can be fixed and I can get back on this journey. I intend to write down everything that passes my lips to try and keep some control. This afternoon I was out shopping with the kids and we stopped off in Debnahams Cafe. I ordered a veggie quiche and it came with salad and crisps I could only manage half the quiche and the salad was gross so I didn't eat that and I did of course polish off the crisps, I would have done that with the band anyway. For dinner I made tomato and marscapone pasta with quorn pieces for all of us and I ate a small portion and was full. So I'm hopeful that maybe with the band empty I will still have some restriction. I don't know what to be more scared of, having an empty band or finding out I need to have it repositioned again. :drama: Well hope all of you are having a more productive week. Wishing you all comfortable restriction and loads of weight loss.

Hi Kermit, Just checked out the forum you mentioned and :omg: your right, it looks like a slight unfill is the way forward, I just worry about my restriction levels, when I was at 2mls I put on a few lbs so I can only hope that at 2.25mls I will be ok. I currently have 2.5mls in.:drama:

Hi Kermit, I have finally made an appointment to see the surgeon, this Sat at 12.30 although the time is subject to change as he is operating that day. I think a 1/4ml defill will do the trick but my concern is why with so little in my band am I suffering like this?? I will ask if I can have an xray which will clarify things for me and hopefully put my mind at rest. :drama:

Thanks Kermit, I haven't been able to have a fizzy drink since about April last,:biggrin1::biggrin1: even my gin and tonic has been changed to gin and cranberry but after two of those I'm done. :rolleyes:rolleyes:rolleyes I'm struggling here with some basmati rice and fish curry without chilli, I'm suffering enough without putting chilli in my food. I am sipping some cold milk with it which is helping with the heartburn. I know thats going against the rules a bit but I need to eat and I can't without something to ease the heartburn. Of course you're right I must go back to the dr's. soon and have it sorted once and for all. Maybe a very small defill will do the trick.

Hi Girls, Hope you are all getting on well, with good restriction and regular weight loss. :woot: I haven't posted about my progress in a while so here goes......... After my defill of almost 1ml when I came back from hols, I had to go back and get a .5ml fill because I had gained back 4 of the 10lbs I'd lost within 10 days of the defill. I now have good restriction but still suffering with heartburn, reflux and occasional acid attacks. I'm using zantac to keep these at bay but don't want to continue long term with antacids. My weight has been fluctuating between 12.6 (174lbs) and 12.2 (today's weight) (170lbs) so I'm not losing the 1-2lbs a week that I enjoyed before the band slippage. I just have to get a handle on this restriction and I know I have been making easy choices with food and eating the sloppy rather than the hard foods so I need to make the necessary adjustments to my diet to get back on track with the weight loss. Its very strange how my band is behaving this time round. Here I am with just 2.5mls in my band with the same restriction I had prior to the band slippage with 5.5mls in. I don't understand how this can be. As all of you know it usually takes between 4mls and 5mls to feel good restriction and hit the sweet spot. Before as I lost weight usually 8-10lbs I would lose restriction and have another fill. But I have lost 12lbs since the re op and no difference with the restriction, maybe I should be loving this but with the acid reflux ect. I'm a bit worried. I'll hang in for another few lbs loss and see how I feel maybe I'm at my sweet spot already but its still a little uncomfortable to be happy with. If the acid problems subside or goes away then I'll be happy. Anyway, thats me for the moment. Will keep you all posted on my progress. As always.................

Hi Debb, I'm sorry to hear that you didn't find the new dr friendly and in a rush. Thats a bit of a bummer, I haven't met him yet but I had heard he was very nice. Good luck for Sat 13th, will be thinking of you :woot: Take it easy after the op and don't try too much too soon. Make sure to have some yogurts, custart and rice puddings for when you come home. Its very important to get plenty of protein to help the healing process and you won't feel much like eating for the first few days. There are very healthy protein drinks available in health shops which are useful to have in the house to keep up protein particularly after fills but also as a general daily healthy drink. Let us know how you get on.:woot:

Hi Kermit, You are quite right about Jerome having a great understanding of obesity. We could do with more medical people understanding it as a disease. Obesity should be treated in a similar vein to anorexia, bulimia and alcoholism you don't hear of these people being told to just eat healthy, or to stay out of pubs. They get support and help and understanding when they finally ask for help. I have heard that there are two doctors who are dealing with WLS in ACS so lets hope that more drs means shorter waiting times for appointments. I would hope that these doctors will be in Dublin all of the time or at least one or other should be. Jerome split his time between Paris and Dublin so we only had him here every other week. Hope you all are doing well and I wish you all comfortable restriction and lots of weight loss. As ever........

Hi All, Just heard some sad news today that the wonderful Dr. Jerome Manacue won't be back to work in ACS anymore.:phanvan:phanvan I had heard that he was out sick and would be back mid October but thats changed now and ACS have a new surgeon. He will have to be very good to fill the shoes of Jerome. Mind you at 72yrs old we shouldn't be surprised that Jerome has retired. He certainly deserves the rest. I'm sure he doesn't read this site but I will post an email wishing him well on his own web site. Anyway, hope you are all having a wonderful week, wishing you all comfortable restriction and plenty of weight loss.