Longhorn

I think it would be easier to carry something that is about the same size as the amount of food you're allowed to eat. I've read about comparisons to a deck of cards, for example. Perhaps you could measure out the proper amount at home and then find something that takes up about the same amount of space. Do you have something in your purse that is about that size? How does it compare to your wallet or cellphone or a cosmetic case? Or compare it to something the restaurant is likely to have, such as a coffee cup. I wouldn't want to mess with measuring my food in a restaurant, either, though I've done it at home until I got a good idea. Good luck!

My doctor told me that the reason we don't go from 0 to, say, 7.5ccs all at once is because our stomachs need time to adjust. It is very likely that your stomach is swollen nearly shut due to the aggressive fill. The swelling may go down but every time you get stuck, it is likely that it is getting irritated, which may cause new swelling. (I'm not speaking from experience but from months of reading what others have written -- but it makes sense.) Your first concern is getting enough fluid so that you don't get dehydrated. Your next concern is getting enough nutrition, at least through protein shakes. (My surgeon said two days of fluids after my second fill.) It's possible that the swelling will go down in a few days and allow you to start mushies again. However, I'd be calling my doctor and getting his opinion. Some people have ended up in the hospital because they got dehydrated. Also, a band that is too tight for too long can lead to erosion or slippage. I hope you get it worked out soon!

I got a $10 electric food chopper at the grocery store. It's just the right size for a single serving of just about anything and there are only three parts -- the blade, the bowl, and the lid. I love it! I have a great Cuisinart food processor but it's more than I need to turn solid food into mushies.

I'm dealing with periods that last weeks, sometimes with heavy flow and severe cramps, and then periods that last an hour and I just happened to catch it. I'll be seeing my gyn next month and plan to talk to her about hormones to help me regulate things. With the way things are going, I have to wear protection every day! Fortunately, no other symptoms yet.

I've had a couple of clothing-related NSVs this week. I bought a skirt online last summer that was too snug when I got it. After reading about people waiting too long to try on their smaller sizes, I decided I better give it a try. The waistband was three inches too big! I had to pin it! Also, today I put on some true size 16 jeans -- not 16W -- and they fit great! When I started this, I was wearing 18W or size 20 -- and they were snug. So I believe I've lost at least two sizes. My SV for this week is that I lost four pounds! That's my biggest loss since the first week after surgery. Do you think my last fill made a difference?

Yes, while my appetite has certainly been smaller since surgery, I didn't get true restriction until my last fill that took me to 6ccs. At 4ccs, it still didn't feel like I had a band.

Some doctors do fills with "fluoroscopy," which uses X-ray, and some do not. Some believe it helps the doctor locate the port and/or see exactly how much the band is inflated so as not to overfill the band. Even so, people who get fills with fluoroscopy still sometimes need an unfill. My doctor doesn't use it because he said he doesn't need it to find the port and he doesn't think the barium swallow during fluoroscopy is that reliable for determining how much saline to put in. You may have a choice in the matter or you may have to follow the protocol that your doctor uses. I've never been told not to eat or drink before a fill. You could always discuss it with your doctor or his office. Doctors do have different ways of doing things. My opinion is that I chose my doctor knowing how he does things and I should follow his advice. However, I have also asked my doctor about certain issues and he has made modifications based on my situation. By the way, you haven't been a failure. The band hasn't been working for you yet. I don't know why you waited so long to get fills but once you start getting restriction, you should start seeing the weight coming off. Good luck!

It seems like there are two kinds of restriction: the physical restriction of how the food passes without getting stuck and the restriction that causes you to feel full on less food and for longer periods of time. If you are taking very small bites, chewing it to practically nothing, and taking time between bites and still having trouble with food going down, you may be too tight, though that doesn't necessarily mean you need an unfill. My doctor told me to do liquids for two days after my fill. If I eat too quickly, I do feel it going down, though it isn't painful. I believe I have restriction because I also get full on less food and go longer without hunger. Remember that you can get either tighter or looser as time goes by so just take it easy and see how you feel in a week or two. Good luck!

That is horrible on so many levels! I have had two excellent experiences with fills so far, neither with fluoroscopy. You clearly had an inexperienced doctor and those definitely sound like shady business practices. I hope you find someone who is competent and affordable! Good luck!

I love the level of restriction I have right now -- not so much that I have problems getting the food down (and I haven't found anything that I can't eat) but not so little that I'm hungry or eating too much. I'd be perfectly happy if it stayed this way since I'm also losing weight. Guess I'll just have to see how it goes. I'm glad you're doing so well! :cool2:

I've hardly felt a thing with my two fills. My doctor has me lie down on the table and raise my legs so that he can feel the port. He lets me relax while he injects the lidocaine in a couple of places (feels like tiny pricks, barely noticeable.) Then he injects the needle, which I can't feel at all except for some slight pressure. He pulls out the saline in the band, then injects it back with the additional saline. There's no way he can miss the port without knowing it because he can feel the pressure through the syringe. He puts a small round Bandaid over the incision and that's it. I've never been left with a mark, let alone a bruise, after it was over.

I disagree that paying more than $7000 is "wasting money." I think it depends on what you're paying for. I got the best price I could find in my area at $12,500, which did not include pre-op testing and consultations (probably added up to another $1000) but did include 12 monthly visits, including fills. I have a fairly tight work schedule and I don't get paid when I'm not working. By the time I add in the transportation costs for 12 after-care trips, the difference in price isn't so great. I also wanted to be near my doctor in case of complications or the sudden need for an unfill. My husband and I discussed my various options and we decided that the convenience of staying local was worth it to us. I'm envious of those who can work it out to get it done for less.

There's really no reason you have to know the size until you start getting fills. The size doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your initial weight. It has more to do with your anatomy and how much fat surrounds the stomach. When you get your first fill, you'll probably find out the size of your band and how much saline is in it after the fill. For example, mine had 1cc in it at surgery and my doctor added 3ccs. At the second fill, he added 2ccs, giving me 6ccs total in my 10cc-band. I'm feeling a comfortable level of restriction and I'm losing a little each week so I'm very happy with this level so far, but it's only been a week since my last fill. We'll see how it's going on February 15 when I see the doctor again.

I think there are really two different questions: when did you lose the MOST weight and when did you start losing consistently? Most of us probably did lose the MOST weight right after surgery, though I've certainly read about some exceptions. I lost 7.5 pounds in the week after surgery -- I can't imagine I'll ever have a week like that again. It also seems like most of us don't reach CONSISTENT weight loss, if we do, until we start getting restriction. Again, there are many exceptions to this, as you've read in the previous posts. I found myself expecting "an average of 1 to 2 pounds per week" to begin AFTER the initial loss. Instead, I've lost and average of almost 2 pounds per week INCLUDING the initial loss, so that means I've had several weeks with little or no loss. Now that I've had my second fill, I am seeing the weight come off more quickly than it did in the second and third months after surgery. But I'm happy!

Okay, Cindy, what are you nipping? If y'all don't mind, I revised the table to include the mini-goal, as in the original challenge. And I guess we all know it's for 1/24, then 2/24. :frown: Name.......................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go 1. TxArcher.................360..............353...............345 ........8 2. Momto1plus1............241..............237...............229 ........8 3. Hungryforchange.......227.5...........219.5............215.5......4.5 4. Steph.....................203.5............192.5............188.5 .....4 5. shortgal..................198...............194..............192 ........2 6. Hollyberries..............298...............291..............285. .......6 7. Trixie......................264...............253..............244 ........9 8. Longhorn.................211...............205..............199.........6

Without the port, the band is no longer adjustable. Even when you reach goal, you may need a fill now and then to keep the proper level of restriction in order to maintain your desired weight. The saline can seep out over time the way a tire can lose air. And it's possible you could need the band completely unfilled. For example, you may find yourself needing to gain weight for a health reason. So unless there's a reason to remove the port, it stays with the band.

This is the November 2007 forum so we were all banded sometime in November.

But the point is, you were starving because you limited how much you ate and I commend you for that! However, if you ate more (within the rules, of course) or drank Protein shakes all day, you wouldn't be starving but you also might not lose as much. You chose to forgo food because you wanted to lose more quickly -- nothing wrong with that! I chose not to forgo food, with my doctor's blessing, so I didn't starve but I also didn't lose much -- nothing wrong with that, either! :wink2: (I've always wanted to use that "cool" smilie!) Some people get restriction with no fills; others need several. As you pointed out, that's another difference. And some folks are learning the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. There are so many variables that it's amazing that any of us have anything in common! :Dancing_biggrin:

Oh, my, I'm blushing here. :wink2: Thanks, y'all! I really just wanted to reassure shortgal that there are nice off-the-rack MOB or MOG dresses out there, even at the last minute -- not that I'm some kind of fashion expert. :Dancing_biggrin: But I do watch Project Runway. :biggrin::biggrin: Y'all sure do know how to make a gal feel good! :biggrin:

Thanks, Teresajo and shortgal! Y'all are so sweet! I felt good in both dresses but I also felt "full-figured," at the very least! I have an unmarried daughter and an unmarried son, in addition to the twins, so I still have a chance to be the svelte mother of the bride and mother of the groom. :biggrin: I suspect grandchildren will come in the next year or two, based on what our daughters are saying. The right dress is out there, shortgal, and you'll look stunning in it!

I was thinking about you, Sades, and hoping your fill went well. I'm still feeling restricted in the best way -- that is, no bad side effects but very little hunger on very little food. I hope that's what you have, too! Take care!

shortgal: Both of my twin daughters got married last spring, one in late February and one in mid-April. I didn't get my dress for the first wedding until January. I got it on sale from Nordstroms, ordered online. In fact, I ordered four dresses, two colors, two sizes, and took the other three back to the store, no charge. I ordered the second dress from Penneys, also online. I only got one and it fit fine. The first wedding was formal, the second one much more casual. My point is that there is plenty of time to get a dress and it doesn't even have to be expensive. Both of my dresses were about $80 and they were each perfect for the occasion. How do I know? Because my daughters loved them and that's all that mattered to me. The mother of the first groom is a lovely, petite, quiet Chinese lady. The mother of the second groom is a buxom, affectionate, talkative Israeli lady. I'm a large, blonde, vivacious Texan lady. If comparisons were made, it wasn't because of what we were wearing! If you order a dress now, I guarantee you'll have to pay for alterations later. I know you don't think so now but when you get restriction, the weight is going to come off! If you wait until later, it could really affect the style of dress you choose. You may still need alterations but they can be done. My daughter had her sister's unworn wedding dress remade and she didn't even take it into the bridal shop until January for her February wedding. And there are plenty of other places that do alterations. This is the first wedding, me with the bride: This is the second wedding with the above bride's husband: I love both of those dresses and will probably get them altered so that I can still wear them after I lose weight!

I had that same concern when I first started learning about the band. But it hasn't been that way at all for me. My first piece of advice is to not PLAN on losing until you get to restriction, which can take several fills. I'm not saying you won't lose -- you probably will. But the ones who are hungry are the ones who are depriving themselves of food before restriction. My doctor told me that I did not have to be hungry, that I could eat when I needed to as long as I followed the rules: Protein first, small bites, chew a lot, and wait between bites. Following those rules, I never had to eat that much before I felt satisfied. Some of the folks experiencing "Bandster Hell" are the ones who weigh themselves the day after surgery and are shocked that they don't see a loss (believe me, I've read it on this board.) My doctor told me not to expect to lose weight in the first several weeks and to focus on healing and that's what I did. And I didn't lose that much, though I have lost an AVERAGE of two pounds a week since I started. Second, it's hard to believe that you can eat so little food (less than 1,000 calories per day) and not be hungry but when you reach restriction, you can feel like you've eaten three or four times that much! I've only had about 700 calories today and I have to remind myself that I followed all the rules because I feel like I overate. I had some freshly juiced spinach/cucumber/celery juice (my way of getting in my veggies because I don't like them) and oatmeal for Breakfast, 2 oz. of salmon mixed with Miracle Whip Lite and three crackers for lunch (believe me, I planned to have more than that but I couldn't!) and a Weight Watchers Smart Ones entree for dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy.) I drank a liter of Water mixed with 2 packets of Special K Protein Water and I had a sugar-free Jell-O pudding cup as an evening snack. Until my second fill, I typically ate more, including Snacks, but I didn't even think about food today and the pudding was more for my "head hunger" than true hunger. I don't feel like I'm on a "diet." Yes, I have changed what, how, and how much I eat but the first two weren't that difficult for me and the last one -- how much -- is easy with restriction. Yet, that last one is what was always my downfall in past diets so I am very pleased not to be hungry. By the way, I've been banded almost 12 weeks and I have never vomited or been stuck, though a couple of times the last few days, I felt a little uncomfortable and realized that I was either eating too fast or taking too big a bite, so I'm adjusting.

I got it from liquid Diet Discussion Board. I don't know if you have to be a paid member to get it. I was active on that board when I did Medifast four years ago and I always liked the graph so I'm tracking my weight over there.

Today, I've had: Breakfast: a glass of spinach/cucumber/celery juice oatmeal Lunch: 2 oz salmon mixed with 1 T Miracle Whip Light 3 whole grain crackers Dinner: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Roasted Turkey with mashed potatoes 1 liter Special K Protein Water I might have a SF pudding cup later but right now, I'm really pretty full. I'm definitely feeling restriction right now! I had to really adjust the size of my bites -- the first few bites of salmon and crackers were a little iffy. I had intended to eat the whole can of salmon but couldn't finish! Amazing!