MerryHearted

Monty, did you find a doc? You need to be careful with a port infection. I'd push hard to find a band doc to treat you, even if you have to travel out of town to do it -- do you have any other cities within a day's drive that might have a band surgeon available?

It shouldn't, but discuss it with your band doctor anyway.

"only" 45 lbs?! That's fantastic loss. The average is 1-2 lbs per week the first year. If you hit -52 lbs by the end of June you'll be right on target. I know it seems slow, but you're making great progress, really! Congratulations!

I have used WW, both Flex and Core plans after being banded, when I went through periods of struggle and wanted to track my intake. I'm using WW Online right now for tracking my food & exercise. I found WW to be a good plan prior to banding, except for the whole feeling hungry all the time thing. One recommendation I hear a lot is for FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journalas far as tracking food, exercise and the rest. Haven't tried it myself, but I might, since it's free and the WW site isn't.

Bumping for you in case someone has an idea. I go up to Everett for fills although I'm also on the Eastside. I think there's a fill center in Burien or Fed Way, which isn't too far for something like this. Or maybe you found someone already?

:banghead: Yes, pooting, as you put it, seems to be more common after banding -- guess the air doesn't come up as easily through the band. I find that a good probiotic like PB8 definitely helps! Gas-X doesn't, at least not anymore. It's a good thing I can't drink carbonation anymore. Hate to think of root beer burps going the other way.

If you stop and mindfully eat, you should be able to eat solid food OK. For example, a slice of deli turkey breast and some steamed broccoli florets. [tough, dry meat and fibrous foods like pineapple or fruit skins are often difficult even if you are not too tight] If you are too tight, you will end up eating soft food because it will go down, where solid foods that you should be eating will make you pb or hurt. It's also common to have reflux or night aspiration if you are too tight.

Let's talk fills: when was your last fill? What's your restriction like - does bread go down? french fries? Which of the following are you having the most trouble with, do you think? 1) Making good food choices (lean Protein & produce, avoiding junk food) 2) Drinking enough fluids 3) Exercising 30 min / day 4) Not drinking with meals or for at least an hour afterwards 5) Eating between meals / snacking 6) Avoiding soft foods that slide through and liquid calories 7) Eating small quantities I know at my last fill it was "all of the above!" and my doc gave me the fill and then recommended that I start on The Beck Diet Solution while recommitting to the bandster eating guidelines. So far so good -- my weight is dropping nicely over the last two weeks! Yes, you can. Let us help you get restarted. The band is there, waiting. And if I can get going again, so can you! :banghead:

Definitely go to your doctor and see if the band has slipped. I see from some people's siggies that even if you do have slippage you might be able to get rebanded and back on track a few months after removal. I hope it turns out to not be a slip! (and congratulations on the baby!!)

Totall worth it. And almost everyone gets nervous before surgery. Hang in there! Like others said: it's unlikely you're "forced" to give up on food. Chances are, after healing & before you get filled properly, you'll be able to eat pretty much anything you could before. You control how much fill you have. If you keep it too loose, you'll likely struggle more with losing the weight but be less likely to have issues like PBing or slippage. I've taken my fills too slowly I think, out of caution, which has made my journey toward goal a slow one. I'm not the slightest bit regretful of getting banded. Best "health" decision I've ever made. I'm sure you can see I've got a long way to my goal yet. But the band is making it possible. And it will for you too. :smile: Was one of the activities you had to do for your doc or your insurance to fill out a list of the diets you've tried so far? It's a great exercise.

Nah, you didn't do any damage. Everyone strays off plan from time to time! I have yet to meet a bandster who is measuring their time since banding in years (i.e. a veteran) who hasn't made poor food choices along the way. What you need is another fill. So get thee to your doctor. :smile: And if you are still feeling down, I highly recommend reading The Beck Diet Solution and trying out the suggestions within. It's not a diet; it's about coping strategies for those of us trying to eat right to lose & maintain our weight. My doctor pointed me to it and I'm working through it right now. It's really helping me stay on track.

I'm so glad you finally are getting to feel some restriction. Keep going back for fills as you need them. I'm sure there are newbies who might look at my stats too and :laugh: that I'm not at goal 2.5 years after surgery. But you know what? We all face challenges. Some people get right to goal and I'm thrilled for them! Others of us find that our head hunger challenges were more than what we expected, and so we slog away and work our butts off for each pound, backslide, and then get going again. :smile: I will reach my goal, and so will you. So what if it's not within the first year of banding? So what if it's not within the second year of banding? It's not a race. We're each doing this for ourselves, not for anyone else. I'll tell you this -- I feel GREAT at my current weight compared to my starting weight. :wink: And if people who are considering the Band are reading this: YES it was worth it, big time. By summer I'll be under 200 lbs. Eventually, maybe in couple years, I'll hit my goal or at least be within my normal BMI range. Without the band, I'd be well over 300 lbs by now and feeling hopeless about ever losing it. And K@t, she'll reach her goals now too. Woohoo! :hurray:

Go Alicia!!

Hey all you WA bandsters and those in nearby states / BC: I didn't see a post on this here and I'm sure there are probably some people on this board who are not on one of the Bandster Yahoo groups. So here's the buzz: the annual Bandster Bash will be in Tacoma on Presidents Day Weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday February 17, 18, and 19, 2006 Follow the link to get info and register. Register before Jan 15th and it'll be cheaper. http://barbooch2.homestead.com/SeattleBandsterSplash.html I hear that Dr. Rumbaut will be there, and that some fun events are planned. Hope to see you there! If you need more info that's not on the site, join the SeattleSplash Yahoo group.

ShellMar -- they will probably just use the 307 as your starting weight. That's what they did with me, even though I lost 11 lbs between my first appt and pre-op/day of surgery. I had my surgery done at Evergreen Hospital and was weighed there right before surgery, so I know my official at-surgery weight. But NWWLS uses the weight from my first appt, not my weight on the day of surgery, when they calculate weight lost. Don't know if that varies from nurse to nurse, or if it's changed. (I was banded Aug 31 2005, so it's been awhile)

I have PCOS and with it, the requisite beard and mustache. Ugh! I'm sick of shaving. So... I went in for my first laser hair removal treatment a couple weeks ago. OMG it hurt like h*ll. And stank (burnt hair, yum) My chin was swollen and red for a couple days -- I iced it like crazy. What was weird was that the hair was still there, and I was still shaving every morning, and then it wasn't anymore -- took a week or so after treatment before it was gone. I've got at least 4 treatments left, and then maintenance after that. Anyone done this and have tried-n-true suggestions besides icing that will help with the pain during the treatment? The girl who does it says that the numbing cream doesn't really help because it's put on the surface of the skin but the real pain is down in the follicle. Will ibuprofen prior to lasering help? My leftover Vicodin from surgery? :knockedou Is the technician wrong and I should try rubbing in some cream with lidocaine? All of the above?:paranoid

Welcome Tammy! Do also join the "SmartBandsters" Yahoo group; that's a great source of info with a lot of knowledgeable people. Hope you find the info you are after! Everyone's financial situation is different. I would have gone with self-pay had my insurance not covered it; luckily they did. But I am making good progress toward my goal and feel so much better, it would have been worth the money! Not sure that some of the bandsters who have had to have their bands removed due to erosion feel that way though. Be sure to ask on the complications forum. Best wishes! Renee p.s. I used NWWLS (thelapband.com)

The misconception about banding that drives me the craziest is that we're unable to eat solid foods like normal people after banding. I even found this posted as a fact on a DS surgeon's site in his comparison between the DS and the band! It's not only ridiculous, it's ironic too -- we are supposed to eat only solids and avoid liquid calories. All I can think of is that people who think this have only been exposed to bandsters who were TOO TIGHT and stuck living on Protein shakes and yogurt rather than adjusting their fill properly. (and I'm not referring to folks who are tight in the morning but loosen up later.)

Hi Josy, I'd really recommend chatting with a counselor to talk about your fears in gaining weight. You might also want to meet with a good dietician or nutritionist and have them help you put together a healthy eating plan that will keep you at goal. If you are exercising regularly to keep your metabolism humming along, you should be able to eat a 1200 cal/day balanced diet and not be gaining weight.

Wow Irish Girl -- you are doing *awesome*. 72 lbs lost since the end of April! You're going to reach goal in under a year at this rate -- way to go!

Welcome Elizabeth! I'm a NWWLS patient too; you're in good hands. Best wishes on your banding; maybe we'll run into each other at support group sometime.

Ouch! Thanks Dawg!

Slinking in to wave hello, even though I've lost nothing the last couple weeks and am still at 222. My problem is the usual: the lure of ice cream and the lack of exercise. Although otherwise I'm doing pretty good - eating decently at actual meals, getting in my liquids. Still, someone needs to give me a kick in the butt!

My center says it's up to you -- some people swallow more air when drinking from a straw, and some folks are just fine. If you are not having trouble with gassiness or gas pains, then the straws are probably fine for you. If you are having trouble with gassiness, which seems to be common, the straws still might not have anything to do with it. But it doesn't hurt to try giving it up. As well as buying a case of Gas-X from costco, not drinking anything even remotely carbonated, using Lactaid if you have dairy issues, etc.

Yes, absolutely being overweight can affect you having your period. The heavier I am, the less often I have it. Maybe twice a year at my heaviest. I once got down to almost being in a size 14 and my period was almost completely regular again. When I gained my weight back, I went back to being terribly irregular. Being overweight affects our hormones (which is another reason for the hair growth). I'd talk to your doc about this or go see a gyn. Mine wanted me on BC pills to keep my . regular. That didn't work so well for me, so I switched to medroxyprogesterone, which I would take only if I went for 3 months with no period. Still, if you are almost 19 with no ., you will want to have an exam. Starting at 18, you should have a yearly pap smear anyway, so if you haven't started, now's the time. :huggie: