Cota129

It's normal to be scared. Everyone has some fear when going into surgery. All the personnel in the surgical suite are there to take care of you and to always do their best with each patient. You'll be fine.

I'm not a big needle fan either, especially going in to my stomach! Honestly, though, it was no big deal. Stung a little going in, but it was not painful by any means. You'll be fine :rofl:

We took a lot of pictures Christmas. What I see in the mirror and what I saw in the pictures was so disappointing. In the mirror, I see a smaller face and a smaller body. In the pics, it was just fat me. Everyone tells me that I look smaller, but I honestly could not see it. I didn't get any good before pics, so the Christmas ones will be it even though I'm 32 lb. down. I'm hanging one up on the fridge and adding new ones as I go down. Some day, I'll see a difference.

I didn't go to school in IL. I moved here from Michigan 26 years ago.

I often add Crystal Light or Wyler's to my water with no problems. Since being banded, though, I have bad gas pains and, at times, terrible cramping. This is the only time I use artificial sweetner. Has anyone else had trouble with Splenda since being banded? It's the only thing I can think of that could be causing problems.

Wow!! I hit all kinds of milestones that are new for me. I have lost 25% of my weight, I am now in the 240's and I have to lose less than 100 lb. now!! This is just so cool. I love my band!!! :bounce:

Welcome!! Where in Illinois? I live in Aurora.

I have a 10cc band that was filled to 3 the day of surgery. I was filled to 5 on 12/22. I think I'm one of the lucky few that had fair restriction after surgery and really good restriction after my first fill. I definitely have things that don't go down, so for now, they are on my "do not have" list. After the fill, the scale didn't move for a bit, but has now started down again. The whole thing is a learning process, that's for sure.

I drink 1.5-2 cups of coffee in the morning. My doctor said caffeine was ok in small amounts, like my intake, but not all day.

What else works is cleaning it with hydrogen perioxide and then follow with a 10% bleach solution. Works everytime

Congratulations!! What great news!

Synchrony is in Oak Brook. I'm pleased with them

I felt fine. A bit groggy, kinda sore, but alert quickly and ready to get up and walk around. The Mack truck feeling comes the next day or so .

Does my body hate me?! Anytime I have lost weight in the past few years, I get to around 250 and then, BAM, there it stops. That is the point I get frustrated. Here I am, almost at 250, and I've stalled again. It seems that 250 is my setpoint, if there is such a thing. Any thoughts or words of encouragement to help me get past this hump? I just want to see a middle 4 on my scale. I am determined to see that one little number. Thank you all for the great support this forum gives me. I love coming here!

I love reading dirty literature SORRY

I love Wendy's chili. A small is very filling and healthy.

I just happened to run across this thread. What a hoot!! We had a garbage can stolen a few years ago. It was full of 50 lb. of dirty cat litter from my cat boxes. Go figure....

Congratulations!!!!

Yep. You probably were loaded up with IV fluids to keep you hydrated. They are coming out.

BCBS IL pisses me off. I ended up being self pay because, even though I am morbidly obese, I am too healthy! In order to be covered I had to be diabetic, arthritic, hypertensive, have high cholesterol, or any number of things. You'd think they'd pay so now so they wouldn't have to pay even higher bills if I had stayed fat and developed co-morbidities.

"Fibrous" foods such as broccoli, asparagus, celery, pineapple, and rhubarb. "Doughy" or "Sticky" foods such as white bread, buns, doughnuts, cake, etc. Toasted whole grain bread may be tolerated but do not eat within 1 week of a band adjustment. "Hard to chew" foods such as steak, coconut, chips, popcorn, dried fruits, or chewy Protein bars. These could obstruct the band. I can have broccoli and asparagus as long as I eat tips only, not the stems. I can also have popcorn if tender and chewed really well, and I eat Kashi TLC bars with no problem if chewed well. It depends on the person and how tempermental their band is. I can eat some things on some days, and on another day, the same thing will not go down. You figure it out as you go along.

Thanks for all the responses. I know in my head that I've lost weight. It's hard to not be impatient, though. The weight didn't happen overnight, so the thinner won't either. I'll just keep takng those damn pics. One day, I'll see the difference

I paid 18,600. That included all the pre-op stuff, psych testing, surgery, fills for a year, all the post-op for a year, body imaging through out the year (cool stuff), and unlimited supposrt groups and classes.

I had horrible acid reflux for years. Took Protonix daily and, if I forgot for a day, would spend the night vomiting acid. Since surgery and a huge hiatal hernia repair, no meds and no reflux!! :clap2:

I had my first fill 6 days ago. I'm discovering that what I could eat prior to fill is way different than after. I had one lousy piece of thin sliced turkey lunchmeat last night, got stuck, and slimed for 2 hours. I'm so sore today. It's going to take a while to get used to how this band works and it's temperment.