smilin_apple

I have been having an unusual pain in my back and my chest for the last few days since my band was too tight and I had to have an unfill. On Tuesday last week I had a fill of .5 cc and it was so tight (I told the doc and he didn't believe me) that starting the next day and for the following 48 hours I was not able to take ANY fluid in. And I started throwing up foam on my way back to the surgeon. I tasted like Bile but came out as White foam, I had a severe migrane from Dehydration as well. Has this happened to anyone? Well anyways the second part is that I went in to the ER and the Surgeon who put too much fluid in on Tuesday happened to be the surgeon on call and he came in and removed ALL the fluid in the band. Then starting about two days after all the fluid was removed I started getting a "burning like" sensation across the middle of my back; somewhere near where I think the band is placed. Sometimes it kinda feels like a dull pressure on the center of my chest in the front as well. I know it is not from food being stuck or anything because it happens no where near the times I am eating. Usually when I haven't eaten or 2-3 hours afterwards. If anyone can relate or knows if I should stop worrying please let me know a.s.a.p. because I am sort of freaking out over here thinking it might be something serious like erosion at the band site or something. ANY thoughts???

I have been having an unusual pain in my back and my chest for the last few days since my band was too tight and I had to have an unfill. On Tuesday last week I had a fill of .5 cc and it was so tight (I told the doc and he didn't believe me) that starting the next day and for the following 48 hours I was not able to take ANY fluid in. And I started throwing up foam on my way back to the surgeon. I tasted like Bile but came out as White foam, I had a severe migrane from Dehydration as well. Has this happened to anyone? Well anyways the second part is that I went in to the ER and the Surgeon who put too much fluid in on Tuesday happened to be the surgeon on call and he came in and removed ALL the fluid in the band. Then starting about two days after all the fluid was removed I started getting a "burning like" sensation across the middle of my back; somewhere near where I think the band is placed. Sometimes it kinda feels like a dull pressure on the center of my chest in the front as well. I know it is not from food being stuck or anything because it happens no where near the times I am eating. Usually when I haven't eaten or 2-3 hours afterwards. If anyone can relate or knows if I should stop worrying please let me know a.s.a.p. because I am sort of freaking out over here thinking it might be something serious like erosion at the band site or something. ANY thoughts???

I don't yet either...but I usually only log on here during the end of the week ( Wed - Sat) when I am at work. But I really haven't been actively looking either. I have been so preoccupied with my daughter's softball the last 2 months (she has games and practices 4-5 days a week) and church that I have given up on looking for a while. I still have my personal ads posted on yahoo and on EHarmony but I am not a paid member on EHarmony so all the responses and matches I have received and wanted to respond to I haven't been able to. I am hoping to be able to soon though. Enough of my boring story.... how is everyone else doing? How have you been lately Denise and Manatee? April

Hi Ladies!!! For me I will probably consider it but the pain is definately something I will not look forward to. But it will be quite a while until I can tell what if any parts I want done for PS. I was so overweight that I feel like it will be almost inevitable that I will have to do it! My divorce was recently finalized and I am almost 31 years old(My birthday is next month!!!). I would like to get married again some day and that would require dating, and I think that would be so much easier for my self image to not have to deal with excess skin...especially after I would have lost around 240lbs (at least that is what I am shooting for) All in all I will just have to see! Take care to all you November bandsters and always keep in touch! April

All you are so INSPIRATIONAL! I finally feel like I know I am not alone in this whole process. I can totally feel what you are going through. I have had to do the un-fill like I said previously. But what really rings a bell is losing the weight slower. But what I always have to remember is that one of the many reasons I chose this surgery over the Gastric bypass is that I would lose it slower. And now that I am 5 months out and about 40lbs lost since November I sometimes start to feel like I am losing too slow. Then I just remember what I said to myself in the beginning, that I want to lose slow and steady. Every month I am averaging around 6-7 lbs lost but that is sooooo much better than the 5-10 lb gain I was averaging this same time 1.5 years ago. Well I am off to take my daughter to her softball practice and I will catch up with you all later! Have a BLESSED day!!! April

Well I am back! It has been almost 7 months since the last time I posted on here. I knew that would happen as a matter of fact if you look at my first post I even put on there that I wasn't very good at doing something continuously. Oh well all that matters is that I have come back to post again. Well like I said it has been about 7 months since I have been on this blog, and about 5 months since my surgery. I am down about 36 lbs since surgery and a total of 68 lbs since the beginning. I have had my ups and downs with my friend (the band) throughout these last 5 months but definitely more ups than downs. I am just now really getting back into my excercise on a more regular basis but I am still have really bad days when it comes to the pain in my back. Which at times really hinders me from working out as much as I would like to. I am really hoping that one day I will be able to relieve at least half of the pain I feel on a daily basis. I pray about it and just have been trying to leave that one in God's hands. I have also been very involved with my church more lately. My daughter and both are and we are enjoying it very much so. I need to get back to work now so I will come back later to write more.

Well I am back! It has been almost 7 months since the last time I posted on here. I knew that would happen as a matter of fact if you look at my first post I even put on there that I wasn't very good at doing something continuously. Oh well all that matters is that I have come back to post again. Well like I said it has been about 7 months since I have been on this blog, and about 5 months since my surgery. I am down about 36 lbs since surgery and a total of 68 lbs since the beginning. I have had my ups and downs with my friend (the band) throughout these last 5 months but definitely more ups than downs. I am just now really getting back into my excercise on a more regular basis but I am still have really bad days when it comes to the pain in my back. Which at times really hinders me from working out as much as I would like to. I am really hoping that one day I will be able to relieve at least half of the pain I feel on a daily basis. I pray about it and just have been trying to leave that one in God's hands. I have also been very involved with my church more lately. My daughter and both are and we are enjoying it very much so. I need to get back to work now so I will come back later to write more.

I wish I could help you...I had mine done through Kaiser. I do know of a site I belong to on yahoo groups called Sacramento Valley Bandsters. It is a group that consists of other Bandters here in Sacramento that have had their surgeries as long as 5 years ago and as soon as last week... here is the link... Sacramento_Valley_Bandsters : Sacramento Valley Bandsters They're all wonderful; some of them used Sutter, and some used another doctor or two here in Sacramento. Log on to this site when you get a chance; they are ALWAYS willing to answer questions. Hopefully they will be able to point you in the right direction. Goodluck getting the information you need!

This is why I love being on this site...not only do I get to vent when I really need and I don't feel like anyone is putting me down to build themselves up; but I ALWAYS feel uplifted! Even when I don't post anything and just read along it really helps me to see that so many others out there feel like I do, and I have no reason to feel isolated. I wanted to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone on here for helping me to feel better today!!!

Oh ok...well I probably will see you then. I come a little early since I am driving from so far; depending on traffic sometimes I get there 30 minutes early and sometimes right on time. How has the drive been for you? How often do you go? I have gone every month since November, and I am finding it to be extremely tiring! I hope I don't need too much of fill next time especially if he is conservative; because I don't want to have to argue with him over it.

Welcome Sanks!!! That's right Candy!!! I just realized that recently and it still manages to slip my mind sometimes. The Lord is in control of all and it will happen in his time not ours!

Sorry to hear that Dianne...but I do know what you are going through I have had one unfill myself. But he only took out .6 cc's which helped. From what I hear it might have been the fact that you were stressed as to why the 1 cc he took out wasn't enough to let the water go down. I know that sounds weird; it did to me the first time I heard it but the band is on a muscle and when you are stressed or tired; I know for me it has made it extremely tighter than normal. I hope you are doing much better soon! I will say a prayer for you! Hang in there!

Thank you and that is the right attitude to have Rose! Keep it up!

As for me I have lost about 35lbs since surgery. I have had 4 fills and 1 un-fill. I started with about 2.8 cc's in my 10 cc band @ surgery time. In January I had my first fill and was brought up to about 4.5 cc's. In February I had about 1.7 cc's put in which brought me to about 6.2 cc's. I thought at this point I was pretty good..for the first 1-2 weeks I could barely eat anything! Then it relaxed enough that I was getting hungry only 2 hours after eating. So my surgeon decided to put just a little bit in and he put .3 cc's; the grand total at this point (March) was 6.5 cc's. Well after one week of barley being able to even drink water I went in for my an un-fill. Becuase of any possible swelling he removed .6 cc's of fluid which brought me back down to 5.9. Well after only 1 day I was able to eat almost anything and I felt like I was ravagin looking for food!!! I was felt like I was starving all the time. So this time he brought me back up to around 6.4 or 6.5 cc's again and it feels PERFECT for now! I say for now because I think after a week or so I might be hungry again; but I certainly hope not. I really do hope this is my last one for a while. Sorry to ramble on but it has been a while since my last post on this thread. I noticed all the other November bandsters haven't posted in a while either. I hope everyone is doing well!

Hey I have May 6th @ 10:30...this time with Dr.Le...Typically I see my surgeon Dr.Alami, but things have been crazy busy with him and he doesn't have anything left in May open for fills. So for the first time I have to see a different surgeon. I am kind of nervous about it. WHo does your fills???

Just a quick correction....actually it is always on the 4th Saturday of the month at Point West Kaiser. This month it will be the last Saturday but I wanted to clear that up for future months. Some months have 5 Saturday's and in that case it will be the 4th Saturday. As a matter of fact I am going to this one! I haven't been to the support group meeting since January and I really need to go. By the way; how are you doing Vicki? Congrats!!! It looks like you are getting extremely close to your goal, I am so happy for you!

I had mine done in San Francisco but it was through Kaiser in South San Francisco. They covered it 100%. I only had to pay my normal co-pay's ($15; that I pay anytime I see a doctor) when I saw my surgeon, psychiatrist, nutritionist, and head of bariatrics, but all the classes were co-pay free and so was the surgery.

I'm hanging in there... Dr. Alami is great but my band has been a little testy sometimes. I have had 3 fills so far. I started with about 2.5 cc's in my band at surgery. In Jan he gave a me a good sized fill which brought me to 5.0 cc's or so. Then Feb he put about 1.2 cc's which brought me to a total of 6.2 cc's. I was doing good after the first 2 weeks. I was losing about 2 lbs a week, but I was still getting hungry sooner than I would have liked. So in March he put in .3 cc's to bring me to 6.5 cc's. Well I was PB'ing, slimming and throwing up all week long. So I called him on Saturday after my fill and he had me drive down there and do an unfill. Well he took out .6 cc's which brings me back to 5.9 cc's ( he sid it ws to account for any swelling I have from the last fill. Well now I am wayyy too loose. I get hungry 1 hour after eating and I eat about 2.5 cups of food at each meal. I go back in one week from Monday on Apr 7th and I hope I didn't gain any weight!?!? I am confused on how much I should fill this time though. I was thinking only .4 which will take me to 6.3 tighter than 2 months ago but less than the highest fill. I hope it will be enough though.... I feel like I am starving ALL THE TIME! My stomach literally growls at me every 1.5 - 2 hours after eating. :confused2::tongue_smilie:

VickiJ, How are you doing? Haven't talked to you in a while on here...hope all is well with you.

I am so excited today!!! I finally recieved the official paperwork in the mail from the courthouse today about my divorce. Even though we seperated over 6 years ago we have been dealing with the legal stuff for over 4 years now, but I finally got it DONE..... The Judgement says it was signed by the Judge with a Dissolution date of March 25, 2008!!!!

CONGRATS Neveragain!!! I wish you both the best! Denise, Do you have a lot of restrictions on your Eharmony? When I first did my free profile I had only listed 3 preferences... State they lived in, Race, Height.... and I was only received 3 matches in 1 year. Then I re-adjusted the prefernces and I now get about 3-4 a month. I haven't become a paid member yet. Only use it when they have those free communication weekends. But that will be my next goal. Also a little side note...LISTEN TO YOUR GUT!!! I have been in and out of the internet dating sceen for over 6 years and I have realized that in the long run our gut feelings are always right! Goodluck!

Hi all!!! I am sad to say I was wayyy too tight that week after my last fill. I actually had to go in on Saturday (the 9th of March) after the fill and had an unfill done of .6 cc's. He only put in .3 cc's on monday the 3rd of March; but he said that he had to take out more to compensate for any swelling. I was having a hard time eating ANYTHING for that week. I was barely even getting down 16 ounces of water too. I am too loose now. I still can get things stuck if I don't chew good enough but I am getting hungry about 1.5-2 hours after eating. I go in again on Apr. 7th so I think I am going to ask for .4 cc's. Because before my last fill I was at 6.2 cc's and he filled me to 6.5 cc's and that is when I was too tight. I am now at 5.9 cc's ao I think 6.3 will be good for me. We will see what he does. On another note I just got back from Hawaii yesterday and it was a blast!!! I think I even lost weight on vacation which is very exciting for me... I will find out for sure when I go see my doctor on the 7th.

I actually went in on Saturday after the fill and had an unfill done of .6 cc's. He only put in .3 cc's but he said that he had to take out more to compensate for the swelling. I was wayyy too tight for that week. I was having a hard time eating ANYTHING for that week. I was barely even getting down 16 ounces of water too. I am too loose now. I still can get things stuck if I don't chew good enough but I am getting hungry about 1.5-2 hours after eating. I go in again on Apr. 7th so I think I am going to ask for .4 cc's. Because before my last fill I was at 6.2 cc's and he filled me to 6.5 cc's and that is when I was too tight. I am now at 5.9 cc's ao I think 6.3 will be good for me. We will see what he does. On another note I just got back from Hawaii yesterday and it was a blast!!! I think I even lost weight on vacation which is very exciting for me... I will find out for sure when I go see my doctor on the 7th.

Do any of the ones that just started posting on this thread use Kaiser in Northern CA?

I did get a small fill on Monday of .3 cc's.... I am at a total of 6.5 cc's now. I have been taking everyone's advice on this website and am really slowing it down. Even when I drink Water I have to "SIP" I leave next week for Hawaii....so I hope all is better by then.