ToniaPatt

Thanks so much for this post. I have had a somewhat similar experience with my band. I have always had difficulty with fills, usually getting overfilled and having to go back a day or two later to have some removed. I lost weight but was always throwing up. When I got pregnant I got almost completely unfilled because I couldn't take my prenatal Vitamins. Since having my child I have been avoiding getting a fill because I have hated the whole process of fill/unfill/throwing up. But, of course, I have now gained back all my weight back. I have finally scheduled to have my first fill in years, and I am excited to lose weight again, but an so worried about the issues I've had with the fills. Good luck to you. Please do keep us posted on your progress!

what websites are you using to track your menus/calories/fitness goals/etc. I know about SparkPeople, but are there other good ones out there? Thanks!

Hi Diane, congratulations, you look great! I just wanted to ask how long the recovery time is. How long before you can go back to work full time?

I got my band about 7 weeks ago. After the end of the healing period, I could eat whatever I wanted. Except for the scars on my tummy, it was like the surgery never happened. I was longing for my first fill. Now I finally got it -- 4ccs in a 10cc band. And I still have NO restriction! Is this normal? I am sort of worried that maybe something is wrong with the band or port or tubing or something. I know that many people are not at the 'sweet spot' after just one fill, but I don't have any restriction at all! :faint: What is your experience after the first fill? Is this normal with the 10cc band? Thanks.

My understanding is that, once you have achieved proper restriction, you will feel full on the limited food amounts you quoted. But generally, not before. The people who are full on 3/4 cup of food have good restriction. That usually takes a while to acquire - maybe 3 or 4 fills in some cases.

I completely agree with waiting. I had a BR four years ago (looonnngg before the LB was even a thought), and I LOVE the size of my breasts now. But with all this weight to lose, I know I will have to probably have implants when I reach goal. If you get a reduction now, you could end up having to turn right around and get them 'pumped back up' when you reach goal. :confused:

I only told my mom. Before the surgery, I was thinking that I would tell more people later on, maybe when I am close to my goal. Now I am thinking "why bother?!":heh:

Jammy, I am so sorry to here about your struggles. Some doctors seem to be so reluctant to be aggressive with fills, while other doctors and centers are more open to it. Have you thought about trying to go elsewhere for your fills? It would suck to have gone through everything you did to have the surgery, and still have to wait nearly a year to get the full effect of it. From what I've read on this site, some docs will give up to 4 ccs at the very first fill, and then let you come in for adjustments as soon as a week afterwards if you don't feel restrictive enough. The fill center I was planning to go to also will only put .5cc in at a time. I am in the process of looking for someone else! With a 10cc band, .5cc a month just isn't gonna cut it!

I am scheduled to be banded by Dr. Arturo Rodriguez in Mexico next month, and I am trying to find doctors that will conduct the aftercare and fills in New Jersey when I return. To all you Jerseyans out there, who are you going to to handle your fills and aftercare? I would like to have the doctors or fill centers lined up before I do the surgery. I understand it can be difficult to find US doctors to do fills on patients who had their band done in Mexico.

Brandottie, did you feel weird at all in your port area, or have any pain? Did your doc say why the port flipped?

You're lucky! I can't have mine until Oct 17. I have NO restriction, and will need a fill ASAP. My hunger has been back for a while now!

That's amazing! You are doing great. Chinokitty, we were banded the same day. I hope to have a victory, scale or otherwise, pretty soon. Haha. Keep up the amazing work. When do you plan to have your first fill?

I had a breast reduction in 2003, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I lost absolutely no sensation in my nipples. In a sense, my nipples are even MORE sensitive. Before they were so heavy and long, and the nipples were pointing straight down. Now they are were they should be, and readily accessible. LOL! I was worried about the nipple sensitivity issue too, but my doc did a great job. Of course, now that I will be losing all this weight, I'll probably have to eimplants at some point! Ironic.

Purple! You've lose 120 pounds! :clap2: Thats amazing. And without a fill? Do you feel restricted even without it? As for your port, I would def call the doc, that's what they're there for. Not sure what a flipped port would feel like, but being so swollen that it pokes out, that requires a doc's opinion, I think.

I would say wait. I was banded recently, am in the 'soft food' phase, and am struggling with it. And that's with none of the intense temptations that come with the holidays! :faint: I say give yourself until right after the new year, when the temptation is less, to get started. I do agree with one of the earlier posts: I ate like crazy right before my surgery and put on 5 extra pounds unnecessarily. Definitely don't do that! Just allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy the holiday goodies in moderation. Liquids and mushies will be difficult at that time.

Yippee! Name............Chall. Start Wt........Current......Chall. Goal......To Go losingjusme...........273.....................269. ............238................31 faithmd................303.....................303 ............ 283...............16.7 mpalen.................229.....................229 .............200................29 want2beme...........225.....................225.. ............195................30 mcgreen...............236.................... 236...............210................26 wombat712...........179.................... 179...............155................24 Suzzzie. ...............346....................346....... ........315................31 Chris_NJ................284....................284 ................250................34 Cherrybomb...........311....................308. ..............291................17 legster..................261....................26 1................235................26 Desertbunnee.........232....................207. .............180.................27 areellady...............232....................228 ...............212.................16 sweethot143..........197....................197. .............175.................22 gweniper................253...................250. ...............223................30 Jeni 85..................237....................237.. .............207................30 dacer123...............243....................243. ..............223................20 momlambert............207....................207. ..............185................22 Rainer....................298................... 292................258................34 glindab.............. ...277....................277...... ........250....... .......27 Soniacan...............198.5..................198. 5.............175.... ........23.5 ladydi............. .....233.....................228................20 8...............20 argon............... ....162.................... 162................142...............20 jazzystouch...........246......................246 ...............220...............26 BabygotBack..........164.....................164. ...............145...............19 Denise...................170....................17 0 ...............155................15 marcar35...............277.....................276 .6 . ...........250...............26.4 Ariel ....................207......................207. ..............182...............25 lisa_in_toronto.......180......................180 ...... ........160...............20 josiebies...............188......................1 88...............165...............23 DonnaD................185......................185 .. ..............170..............15 hf2havefun...........240......................240. . ..............210..............30 Amelia40...............270.................... 270 ................240..............30 METALBAND...........187.....................186 ........ .......167..............19 luvinke..................225.................. ..225.... ............195..............30 JulieNYC................155.....................14 9.................136..............13 wen.....................288......................2 88................255..............33 LeslieLee...............216.....................21 6................186...............30 robgoblin87............279......................27 9...............250...............29 Babygrl1234...........215......................212 ................190...............22 Stacy73................259.....................24 9 ...............230...............29 aussie_jode...........212......................212 .................190...............22 chickatee..............203.....................203 .................175..............28 katalin.e................230.....................1 79.................150.............29 Whosyadaddy.........388.....................388... ..............335.............53 Becky42................253.....................257 .................220..............33 sdakotaRN.............254.....................254. ................225..............29 jadrad7.................224.....................22 4.................200..............24 eclipse..................215.....................2 12... ..............199.............16 alwayscurious........245......................245. . .............212..............33 chocolate_snaps....344......................344.. ...............299.............45 Kaelin's G-Ma.........272......................272........... ......220.............52 Peache8887...........330.....................306.. ...............275..............31 tanderson..............231.....................231 ... .............199.............32 ihadenuf................216....................216 ...................190.............26 Denise..................244.....................24 4 ..................220............24 gonnabfree............231..................231. .................205................26 maddog.................230.....................230 ..................205.............25 Guinessgirl77..........241.....................241 ...................210.............31 Short C................. 166....................166...................146.. ............20 ToniaPatt………...286……….....……283…………….....243.….... ……40

Ash, that's great! What led to the change in the guy department?

Hey Julie, I came across your eating plan on another post. I decided to follow something similar since you've had such amazing success with it. Question: is it due to the fills that the half cup of cottage cheese with half cup of Fiber one is so filling? I tried the cottage cheese with berries today (no fiber one since I'm still on 'soft foods'), and I was starving! I know I have no restriction, but I thought that Protein would keep me full. Or is it the fiber one?

What a great motivator. I'm in too! Name............Chall. Start Wt........Current......Chall. Goal......To Go losingjusme...........273.....................270. ............238................32 faithmd................303.....................303 ............ 283...............16.7 mpalen.................229.....................229 .............200................29 want2beme...........225.....................225.. ............195................30 mcgreen...............236.................... 236...............210................26 wombat712...........179.................... 179...............155................24 Suzzzie. ...............346....................346....... ........315................31 Chris_NJ................284....................284 ................250................34 Cherrybomb...........311....................309. ..............291................18 legster..................261....................26 1................235................26 Desertbunnee.........232....................207. .............180.................27 areellady...............232....................228 ...............212.................16 sweethot143..........197....................197. .............175.................22 gweniper................253...................250. ...............223................30 Jeni 85..................237....................237.. .............207................30 dacer123...............243....................243. ..............223................20 momlambert............207....................207. ..............185................22 Rainer....................298................... 292................258................34 glindab.............. ...277....................277...... ........250....... .......27 Soniacan...............198.5..................198. 5.............175.... ........23.5 ladydi............. .....233.....................228................20 8...............20 argon............... ....162.................... 162................142...............20 jazzystouch...........246......................246 ...............220...............26 BabygotBack..........164.....................164. ...............145...............19 Denise...................170....................17 0 ...............155................15 marcar35...............277.....................277 . .............257...............20 Ariel ....................207......................207. ..............182...............25 lisa_in_toronto.......180......................180 ...... ........160...............20 josiebies...............188......................1 88...............165...............23 DonnaD................185......................185 .. ..............170..............15 hf2havefun...........240......................240. . ..............210..............30 Amelia40...............270.................... 270 ................240..............30 METALBAND...........187.....................186 ........ .......167..............19 luvinke..................225.................. ..225.... ............195..............30 JulieNYC................155.....................14 9.................136..............13 wen.....................288......................2 88................255..............33 LeslieLee...............216.....................21 6................186...............30 robgoblin87............279......................27 9...............250...............29 Babygrl1234...........215......................212 ................190...............22 Stacy73................259.....................24 9 ...............230...............29 aussie_jode...........212......................212 .................190...............22 chickatee..............203.....................203 .................175..............28 katalin.e................230.....................1 79.................150.............29 Whosyadaddy.........388.....................388... ..............335.............53 Becky42................253.....................257 .................220..............33 sdakotaRN.............254.....................254. ................225..............29 jadrad7.................224.....................22 4.................200..............24 eclipse..................215.....................2 12... ..............199.............16 alwayscurious........245......................245. . .............212..............33 chocolate_snaps....344......................344.. ...............299.............45 Kaelin's G-Ma.........272......................272........... ......220.............52 Peache8887...........330.....................306.. ...............275..............31 tanderson..............231.....................231 ... .............199.............32 ihadenuf................216....................216 ...................190.............26 Denise..................244.....................24 4 ..................220............24 gonnabfree............231..................231. .................205................26 maddog.................230.....................230 ..................205.............25 Guinessgirl77..........241.....................241 ...................210.............31 Short C................. 166....................166...................146.. ............20 ToniaPatt………...286……………286……………243.………43

I was banded a week ago (wow, time flies). My doc told me to stay away from any drinks with citric acid since the acid irritates the stomach. At the time, I said no problem. But I didn't realize just how many drinks have citric acid in them - most notably, my absolute favorite, Crystal Light. Has anyone else had their doc tell them to steer clear of citric acid? If so, what do you drink? I do drink water, but sometimes I need something with some flavor! Also, if your doc has told you to avoid citric acid, did he mean just during the healing phase, or forever? No Crystal Light forever??!! I don't even want to think about that!

I'm definitely on board with setting goals! :whoo: Weight-wise, I want to lose an average of 15 pounds per month through April. That would put me in one-derland by my birthday. It will be tough, I know, but now that I am putting it out there, I know that you all will hold me accountable. I also want to begin aerobic exercising (using The Firm tapes) and pilates as soon as I'm healed - but no later than September 29. Before then, I will increase my walking each morning and evening. Finally, once I lose thirty pounds, I want to start doing the Couch to 5K running program. I love the idea of using running as a stress reliever and mood elevator, rather than a large fry and two apple pies, like I am used to doing. Those are my goals. Hold me to it!

Thamks, Tricia! I see you were banded by Dr. Rod also? Do you participate in his forum?

Thanks Kelly! I've seen Dr. Fielding's name throughout the posts, but didn't know he would care for Mexico patients. I will give him a call!

Hi Jiggley, I don't have a spouse yet, so I may not be the best person....But, here's a question: does your spouse have a weight problem? For me, I've noticed that the people in my life who have not had to deal with this struggle all of their lives - losing and gaining, the hopelessness of yet another attempt failed, the knowing how to lose the weight yet not being able to do so for any sustained period of time - simply cannot understand. My friends and family who have maybe 20-40 pounds to lose could never understand what I go through. Maybe your husband never will. But, if you do have the surgery, and he sees the changes in you, mentally and emotionally, as well as physically, he certainly will benefit from those changes. And maybe then he will understand why you needed to do this.

Hi jkeirn. I am back and banded! You were right, Dr. Rod is great; so is Marisol; so is everybody. I had my surgery at San Pedro which was nice, so I can only imagine how wonderful Christus was. You are about a week and a half out; how do you feel? I feel beter than I did yesterday and the day before, but still not 'normal' ya know. Kind of 'gassy' and like I need to burp or something. Has that feeling gone away for you yet? How did you manage during the liquids week? I need to run out and get some creamed Soups. The broths I bought just leave me starving!