mbanja

Oh, by the way, preband my migraines were tension related and sometimes I would get them around my TOM. Post band I only tend to get them PMSing and during the TOM.

Yeah, the liquid stage really kicked my butt with the migraines. I had to fly from Georgia to San Diego then ride in a car to TJ and do all my preops with a Migraine, man that was the worst. The physcologist asked me what was wrong cause during the interview I kept rubbing my head and I said "I have had a migraine all day" she said "why didn't you say something and yelled out to one of the nurses to get me some meds....man was that a relief!! After I got my second fill I could not get anything down and as a result got another migraine so I tried cutting up my Imitrex, well the package is really serious when it says "take whole do not cut up" the moment the tiny pieces hit my mouth they started foaming up....it was horrible. What I would have given for a shot at that moment!!! There are now several different triptan based meds on the market, most varieties come in melt in your mouth pills, nasal sprays, injections, and pills. If you have not tried then I'd suggest asking your doc for samples. One that works well for some may not work well for others!! As of right now I think there are seven different ones...maxalt, emerge, imitrex, zomig...I can't think of the rest but google migraine meds and you will find them.

I might get some bad replies to this but when I get something stuck and need to get it out but the PB just won't come I bend all the way over the toilet, like I am trying to touch my toes. Works everytime!! I guess it helps the offensive item to move back up a little bit and then the pressure on my stomach helps me PB. While I bend over I try to cough, like coughing up phlem and it usually kicks in my gag reflex.

Mona first off, let me say Congrats on the 11lb lose so far. Not to mention you are one beautiful lady. You pic is beautiful!!! I am so sorry about your experience. I just want to prepare you for the post surgery blues. After you get your band and before your first fill you might gain some weight back! DON'T be discouraged!! After your first fill the weight will start comming off! I know for me when I started gaining weight back I started regretting the band, plus my weight is comming off very SLOWLY, but hey, IT IS COMMING OFF!!! It is perfectly normal to get depressed after the surgery but you will make it and the weight will start comming off. Take advantage of Wassa she is a wonderful motivator and I am sure she will help you thru your band blues. Plus you might go thru a phase where you don't want to come to this site, come anyways it will keep you on track and help thru the adjustment period. Anyways, you won't really know what I am talking about until after you are banded but keep this in mind so you know what to expect!! Now, I am off to hear your famous voice! I am sure I will want to have a cd as well, I have read nothing but raves on it so I am super curious!! Good luck!!

Wow Tulip, that really sucks, I am sorry to hear about your experience!!! Sounds like you should complain, and then find another fill center. I hope there is one close by!!

I agree with Steph. Try saying positive things about your body and hers. I grew up around negative comments about weight and I learned to hate my body and had no self esteem. Maybe if we all started saying positive things to our kids about different body types and not focusing how fat we look it will do some good. Now here is the hard part, what should we actually say? It could back fire and teach our kids to put all their focus on their bodies. Dang this is a tough one!! But, I agree with everyone else - you are not a bad mother. If she keeps saying it try directing her attention to something else like how pretty her eyes are, and how pretty her smile is and don't pay any attention to the comment. Maybe if she sees that she gets no reaction from it she will abandon (hopefully!!)

Are you getting in your water? Not getting enough water will make you fill tighter. I was recently too tight and had to have all of my second fill taken out because I was dehydrated. Drinking all your water will hydrate you and help get things working properly again, and if it doesn't you are probably a little too tight. It is funny but some times even as little as .1cc can make the difference between being at the sweet spot and being toooooo tight!

I have a hard time getting water in as well, but let me tell you the importance of water and staying hydrated; after being overfilled and not being able to get anything even water down, I became dehydrated and had to get all of my second fill out to bring me back to my first fill volume. Well, my fist fill volume I guess was my sweet spot, but I got greedy and wanted to be tighter. So after I got my second fill taken all out, I still had trouble getting anything down, it was weird cause I didn't have any problems getting anything down before. Well, come to find out not getting enough water makes your band feel tighter. The most important thing is to stay hydrated and I think it is more important for us now more than ever cause we can dehydrate faster post band. So my advice is try to get your water in, even if you have to put a schedule down on paper of when to drink and eat to remind you-do it.

I am sorry to hear that your center has quit using fluro. I have never had a blind fill, but I have had a blind unfill. My NP is wonderful and hits the port on the first poke every time weather she uses fluro or not. If this center is the only place you can go for fills I hope that you have as good a doc or NP as I do that can hit it the first time.

I would deffinately file a complaint!!! Also, are you sure it was the band that set it off? I know this is gonna sound scary but maybe something metal was left in your body from the surgery. It doesn't happen alot and doctors and nurse have a counting system to account for all supplies used during surgery but it has happened. That could be a possibility, but I really doubt it. Plus if you have had a fill under fluro you would be able to see if anything was left in there. I had a fluro right after the surgery so my doc could see the placement and make sure everything was good so I could leave, he showed me my band and port and gave me the xray pics to take home, so if anything was left in they would probably be able to tell right away if they did the fluro on you.

Yeah me, I did well. Couldn't get the turkey down but I got the ham down ok, had a bite or two of sweet potatoes, and 3 small cookies and that was it!!! I am so proud of myself! I guess I should have gotten some more veggies in but I think I did pretty good. I even treated myself to the cookies and still didn't consume the normal overload of holiday calories. Plus to top it all off, I finally hit my prepregnancy weight. I am now on my way to getting fine! Banded 9/9/07 down 26lbs!!!!:whoo::clap2:

Tape measures speak volumes even when the scales are not in your favor!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to everyone!! Bandpal, good luck holding out on wedding food!! But, hey, if you find something that will go down ok, don't deprive yourself, unless you are still in the liquid/mushie phase. Weddings are a time for celebration and being banded doesn't mean you can't enjoy special things from time to time. You never know one bite may satisfy but abstaining could lead to a full on bing. I have learned not to deprive myself cause the results are far worse than a small indulgence here and there.

Wow, Jfran, you look GREAT in you little pics. Good job.

I was in the same postition and not drinking hardly any water. Well come to find out dehydration made me TIGHTER, who knew. Make sure you are well hydrated before a meal. Drink water according to your docs advice and see if it helps the meal go down better. You may have been swollen and not getting enough water and things might be settling down. WATER is key!!! I know it is hard getting it in, and trying to get enough water before a meal and also waiting an hour after drinking to eat, then 45mins after you eat to drink,etc...especially since your focus is on keeping up with your childrens schedule and not your own.

Oh I forgot to add, stevia is a good all natural alternative. Be careful though cause it is mega sweet and you have to experiment with the amounts to find what is right for your own personal taste. It is really good for you too.

Well, my addiction was sweet tea. All of my sugar calories were comming from sweet tea. I posted a sweet tea post about 2months ago and a fellow banster (Dave) gave me a good tip so I will share. I absolutely hated splenda to sweeten tea and he told me to do 3 parts splenda to 1/2 part equal and 1/2 part sweetnlow. Well it worked and now I can just put splenda in my tea and enjoy it like old fashion sweet tea. Many thanks to Dave for his tip. It has saved me mega calories and I am now starting to loose weight faster. As far a sweet desserts, this is going to sound horrible but here it goes: when I crave dessert I go and get a Publix sugar free Birthday cake. It comes in like an 8" cake. It is way better than the regular cake (found this out cause my Dad is diabetic and had it for his birthday) It is not low in calories (so don't think it is a fix), it is sweetened with malitol and/or sorbitol which are laxitives. One piece of this cake, and you are on the toilet holding on for dear life, and regretting every delicious bite you took of it. This is what I do and it usually works-for me! For some they may find that it just triggers their sweet tooth even more, what works for some doesn't work for others.

Well, I just did some research and found that Babs is right, muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. That really sucks. But anyways muscle burns more calories than fat. Get off the scale and get the tape measure out for a week or two. Believe me it will show a difference, don't go on pants size either, I have lost 25lbs and have not really gone down a pants size, but my upper torso is slimming up.

If you are having problems with any kind of food getting stuck and you are PBing alot I would suggest a slight unfill. Some people don't feel their maximum restriction until about 3 weeks after their fill. Stress and not getting enough water can leave you tighter still. If you think you'd be more comfortable a little less tight go back to the doc and have a small amount removed. You never know even as little as .1cc can make all the difference in the world.

That is soooo wonderful, snif snif, where are the tissues! Congrats!!!!!

Oh yeah, Imitrex makes me feel loopy too. Kinda like being high, I hate to say it but I kinda enjoy it. After feeling like shit I figure feeling high is a good payback. LOL, thats just my opinion.

I have tried the disolvable ones and almost all of the other triptan based migraine meds, and find that only imitrex works best for me. Coltonwade, I am glad you are doing so well with the topamax. I couldn't handle that stuff. My balance was off, I was running into walls, I would be driving and forget where I was and not recognize my surroundings in an area I have lived all my life, my blood pressure went very low and I would pass out all the time, I forgot simple words and couldn't really carry on conversations very long cause I'd get confused, my hand,feet,arms, and legs would tingle, my back hurt all the time, and I started exhibiting symptoms of Lupus. Not to mention If you quit the drug cold turkey you could have damaging effects and even start having seizures. I quit my trial and error about 3 years ago trying to do the preventative method, so I don't know if there are any new methods now, but when I was experimenting (under docs supervision) the only routes to prevention were anti seizures or anti depressants. Both which cause heavy weight gain with the exception of topamax. During that time I read a book about migraines from the makers of maxalt which was very informative and I tried most of the preventions and triptan based treatments and found no relief. I did how ever find 60 extra pounds from the anti depressants they had me on. Now that I have the band I don't get them as frequently, but I am more comfortable treating my migraines when they come and not trying to prevent them. I am a firm believer that there is help out there for everyone suffering, It just takes forever for an individual to find the right combination that works for them. It takes persistance on the sufferer's part though. I hope those in need find our information helpful in leading them in the right direction to finding their own personal "cure."

Bandster 1007, you sound like me! The topamax was HORRIBLE!!!! Sounds like you treat your migraines the same way I do except with different versions of the same meds. I have not heard of this "skelaxin" is it like flexiril (a muscle rexlaxor?) I might ask my doc for it next time I am in cause my body has gotten used to the flexiril and its effectiveness is not what it used to be. Anniemac, I have been curious about the imitrex nasal but to chicken to try it. Could you tell me about how many treatments you get out of a bottle. I hate nasal sprays of any kind, but if it is more cost effective as opposed to the pills or shots I might try that also.

Remind your dad that men loose faster than women, and patients that are say 150lbs over weight loose faster than patients that are only 80-100lbs over weight.

I use fillcentersusa and pay for my fills. There is a 72hour window for an over fill. If you are too tight and notify them within the 72hour period the unfill is no extra cost. As far as not being filled enough, no such luck, I pay everytime I go for a fill. If you don't notify them within the 72 hour window you will be charge for an unfill. Keep in mind also that it takes some people several weeks to feel a fill. My first fill took 3 weeks to kick in and I still thought I needed more restriction so I went in for another fill and got way to tight. So I ended up having to get all of my 2nd fill taken out which brought me back to my first fill and now I am still feeling too tight. If I had it to do all over again I would wait AT LEAST a month between fills cause you never know when that restriction will kick in and being over filled SUCKS!!!