Wendyz3

I discovered that one of the few games, air hockey, that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE to participate with my children and anybody who wants to take me on, in an arcade causes some serious brusing for me. I am black and blue around my port area and it has been over 2 weeks since I last played. I am wondering if one of those "back support" braces, turned around to cover my front might work - what do you think?

I was told by my doctor that there are little "feelers" at the tops of our stomachs and that as an overweight person, it clearly took a lot more food to reach that point than a slim person would. Thus, with the band around a small pouch at the tops of our stomachs, any food there reaches our "feelers" sooner and then proceeds to send the messages to our brain that we are full. Sounds good to me :cheeky

HELP! What is going on? I am wretching and dry-heaving and NOTHING is coming up, but I can't stop it! My head is spinning.... Today, I had: 1 Protein shake for Breakfast (I had to drive 2 hours) 1 "energy" drink 1 liter of Water 1 Cup of Potatoe & Bacon Soup (lunch) More water... and then..... vomit, vomit, vomit and NOTHING - then like hour after dry heaving - actually started to vomit "stuff" up! HELP!

Does anyone else have hiccups on a regular basis after you have eaten? No matter what I eat, whether it is yogurt, or broth with instant mashed potatoes in it - I get these really bothersome hiccups.

I don't think that is petty at all - I would love to be able to hike and rock climb WITHOUT my knees whining and crying and aching with every step! Excellent goal!

I have not dry-heaved since I took the Pepto Bismol. When I vomited, something actually came up... yucky, I know and I am sorry, but...thank goodness! Although did sleep a bit and just got up to see if I could hold my head up and get some of the truckloads of work done that needs to be done. I also called someone from my church to come and give me a blessing so that I can feel better and.... get some work done... ucky.. is all I can say p.s. Also waiting for a return call from doctor.

Thank God that you are okay! I can only imagine what else might have gone wrong had you waited. So thankful that you are okay.

Oh my word! Uggg... I am in a dorm room on a college campus 2 hours from home and almost 3 hours from my doc's office :nervous I asked a colleague to get me some Pepto Bismol - she did and I took the prescribed amount - now I am just praying OMGosh I feel really awful and have like 3 math manipulative lessons that can be used in a second grade classroom and 4 language arts lessons based on some book that i can't decide on and most definitely cannot focus on due tomorrow.... and 4 reflection papers (2-3 pages each) that are due on Thursday. All of this is making me even more ill, if that is possible! OMGosh I feel really sick - my head is spinning and this room is making me sick (walls are covered in dizzying red bricks and am posted at the rear of the north campus pizzeria - so you can only imagine how it reeks) OMGosh.. here I go again....

I have had no fill since I was banded 6/21/05 and cannot get a fill until August. I have tried to drink some Water and it is making me nauseated too... uhgggg....... A stomach thing... maybe.... who knows because nobody else in my family is sick

I know the feeling....

OMGosh! I know - nothing like eating something that looks like it has ALREADY been vomited up for freakin'-ever! Me too girl - got old fast! But hang in there! You are doing fabulous - besides, I was told if you lose too much too fast - there is little if any chance that your skin will not hang! I was banded one day after you and I think that I have only lost 15 pounds or so. I have not weighed myself at my doctor's office and do not have an appt until at least early August :guess not sure of that is good or not because I have restriction now. Anyway... congratulations and just keep plugging away - you are doing fan-tab-u-lous!:banana meanwhile... I will try and do the same:cheeky

Thank you everybody who responded. I will work on eating slower and finishing up at the first sign of a hiccup.

Then... perhaps some congratulations is in order for me... lmbo.... j/k :speechles

LOL - that is hilarious! Maybe you can share with them my reason for this... I figure that God gave us these "people" as family because He knew that we would not choose them as friends! LOL So.... we get to love them and their faults and hope that they keep a lovin' us back

Mine is in this same location and sometimes, when I am full, or swollen, not sure which, or why... it feels like a baby head stuck up in my ribs, just like my children did when I was pregnant with them. I knew it was because I am "vertically-challenged" and they had nowhere else to go but out and up. Anyway, to make a short answer long - it has not bothered me, just feels like I am pregnant sometimes.

Thank you so much Jack for that saying at the bottom of your post. "NOTHING tastes as good as being thin FEELS......" I have to keep reminding myself of this - don't know why I should. I mean I felt desperate enough to have myself cut open and foreign objects stuck inside for this very reason and yet my brain has not quite been able to bend around it yet.

Jody, Vinesqueen is right you know. We are all like vanilla yogurt in the beginning and through each experience or trial that we have endured and learned from, we become more flavorful. I choose to think of life experiences like that. So the more we have, well you know, the more colorful and flavorful we are - we are not just plain ol' boring vanilla yogurt:banana

Jody, You are blessed to be ahead of the game if you can learn one thing right now. That thing is that bitterness, anger, and jealousy does more damage to the vessel in which it is stored (you), than that which it is poured upon. It took me way too much time to figure this out. Now that I have truly forgiven others and have gone to work on being the best me that I can, I feel so much happier. I too, did not have the opportunity to participate in "high school things" because I became a mother at age 16, all alone, no bf, no dh, no family and no friends. But I did continue so that I could graduate high school and prove people wrong that all teenage mothers are on welfare, etc. I chose to work and try to get my family a little ahead as I married and had two other children. I am now pursuing my dream of a college education and I am a senior at Central Washington University. I will graduate in spring with my Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Reading. I have always wanted to be a teacher and be the kind that students want to come to. My four year degree has taken 10 years because I have had to work to take care of my family. But no matter what happened in the past, or what happens in the future - I did it! I really did it! You can too! You can do it! Stick to your guns! Find your resolve! Decide that you will get things done! Call your insurance company every single day! Do some research as far as getting your education online. It seems as though you are quite computer-literate! What a great talent! Use it girl! I know that you can do it!

Pam, I have had no problem with either saltine or Ritz crackers. Try them the evening before you are set to go so that you know what you will need to be energized enough to get through the day in a happy, energetic way (at least as much as possible)

At my post-op appointment last Tuesday, I was down 6 pounds from surgery date. I was disappointed at the loss but he told me that they don't look for any weight loss until a person has their first fill which, for me, will be in August. I do notice the NSV (non-scale victories) such as being able to put my shirts on without stretching them first or ironing and stretching them at the same time so that they will fit. I am happy about that. I am pretty hungry now - 3 wks post-op - and really, really tired of mushies - mostly because of the inconvenience of it all. I have tried scrambles eggs and pb'd them back up. I have tried fish by peeling the cover off and chewing for a lifetime - but it still got stuck I need to remember not to push the limits and be kind to my new/best friend "the band!"

I took some meds to get "things moving." I felt so much better later. I don't mind the protein drinks at room temp so much - I mean, I will do anything (as I already have) to get to where I need to, however, I was wondering if there were anything else out there in big blue world for the mushy stage that is mobile in a backpack. I just can't wait 'til i am able to pack a lunch in my backpack - but, heck, that will be in August, which is when I will not need to be on campus anymore - whoo hoo!! :banana

I have tried to follow the post-op diet to the letter but I have gotten soooo.. hungry that I have tried to eat "real" food and ended up vomiting :nervous I do not want anything to happen to my little tool and have since vowed to do nothing to endanger it. Now... here is where I need help! I have to be on a college campus in a little dorm room with a little refri and a microwave for the next five weeks. I have classes most of the day - usually from 9am-6pm. I am swimming most evenings - but I am RAVENOUS!!! I try to eat some watered-down oatmeal and a Boost w/ protien in the mornings. It is during the days that I have problems - everyone around me can take a sandwich in their backpacks and be okay - or they go out to eat at Taco Bell. Me.... I am just flat hungry until I get to my room and heat up some broth and thicken it with some instant mashed potatoes.... Ideas are soooooooo... welcome!!!!

I added some instant mashed potatoes to my chicken broth and thickened it just a wee bit and it helped sooooooo.. much! I was banded 6.21.05, so just a week before you - I was also sick and tired of the clear liquids - but those potatoes helped a bunch! Good luck to you!

I had a 7 pound loss since my banding of 6-21-05! I was weighed today at my post-op appointment! Whoo hoo!

My thoughts and prayers are with you today that you will have a speedy recovery and that it is everything that you hope it will be! :Bunny No matter what, "Bella" means beautiful! Good luck chica!