notateechanow

The Faulkner is usually the week before, but on Mondays....only holidays might change this...

Good luck, Jean!! Keep us posted on how things go. Hope to see you at the next meeting! :cursing:

Wow....watched your eating AND went to the gym? Tiny, good job!! I'm thinking of going now, but I may just wait and see if tonight is date night or staying home. If I'm staying home anyway, I may as well go workout. If I'm going out, I don't want to have to shower and wash my hair again. (Complete laziness, I know....) Have a super weekend! :scared2:

Wow....look at all I've missed by being busy for a day! Great to meet everyone at the meeting. Hope that surgery goes well for all of you, and that those of you who have already been banded find a way to stay on the path of trying to follow the rules. Let's face it, changing all those years of bad habits won't happen overnight. I'm hoping to go workout tonight. (Notice I'm back to hoping, not planning.....) I haven't felt much like working out, and since it's rare for me, I figure I should listen and obey my body. :laugh: So tell me more about this ibuprofen thing---if I stop taking it immediately, will I undo any possible damage I've done?? Can I take one at a time? Is it always dangerous to take it??? Have a good week! :thumbup:

Jay, I strongly suggest a drive thru window---keeps the idea of ordering bad foods at bay. :wink2:

Jay, Sit tight and I'll bring some with me!! :Dancing_wub: I have an appointment in the South end with a teacher at 4:00 and will most likely be hanging out in the foyer by 5:30 or so myself. (I, too, live on the South shore and won't be driving home in between....) Just an FYI: McDonalds has 1% milk, as does Dunkin Donuts. But don't agonize over the diet and everything being perfect. If you get the right milk, great....if not, it's not going to kill you!! Don't allow yourself to ruin your life over a few carnation instant breakfast shakes. Heck, change things up a little and eat the dinner for lunch. :wink2: I will be there tonight. I totally forgot until a few minutes ago and am glad Jay posted. (I actually made a date and had to cancel....oh, the single life!!) Anyone else coming???

That's EXACTLY how I ended up with Dr. Robinson. It all depends on how flexible your schedule is, but I started the process and had surgery in less than 6 weeks.....had all of my testing done, etc. I was able to make my work schedule around any appointments they could give me. (It helps that I work nearby and have flexibility) If you're looking to do this sooner, I strongly recommend Dr. Robinson. He's not at all personable and kind of reminds me of that autistic doctor on Grey's Anatomy, BUT he is a great surgeon--Harvard educated and very good at what he does. :thumbup:

Hey there, darlin! I know it's initially daunting, but it really isn't any worse than giving blood. You will LIE down on the table so that your port is more easily accessed. Keep in mind, all of us started with a somewhat hidden port---until you lose some serious weight, it's pretty well hidden. You can look the other way as your doctor inserts the needle. I have had a few times when my doctor had to insert and push around a little bit, but even that didn't hurt. (You know I just have to be honest with you....) But with all of that, I dread going on liquids far more than the pain of a fill. You'll be ok. Good luck! I'm around in Dot all week if you need me....drop me a note!! :sneaky:

Yes, Yes, Yes!!! WE have our meeting at the Brigham on Tuesday, January 20th from 6-8 PM in Carrie Hall. It's all the way down the end of the building. Meetings at the Brigham for Lap-Band patients are on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. There's a core group of us who usually go, but many of us missed the December meeting because of other commitments. We WILL be there this Tuesday, though!! Hope you can join us!! :sneaky: Here's a link to directions. BE CAREFUL to get the date for the Lap-Band, not the GB group. We've had a lot of GB people show up to our meetings by mistake! :thumbup: http://www.brighamandwomens.org/weightmanagement/support.aspx

Welcome Jay and Jean! It will be so nice to have new faces--NOT that we don't love the old ones, but new blood always changes things a little. Who else is coming next week??

Berry, I'm not in your position, but I've certainly had a few rough months of ignoring my band. I know how hard this must be for you, but I strongly suggest you make two appointments---one for the nutritionist associated with your program, and the second with your surgeon. Be honest and tell them you need to start over. Ask their advice. They're there to help you. You can't work the band until you find out how to do so. You're not alone in this, and the more you isolate, the worse it will be. Reach out for help. If your program offers a support group (mine has been amazing and truly THE reason for my success during difficult times...) start there. Don't beat yourself up, but figure out how to fix the situation. Start when you're ready. It's there for you to use....but you have to be ready to use it. Good luck! :laugh:

My surgeon recommends visits every 4 weeks, give or take a week or so. (I assume that depends on how aggressive the fill and the size of your band, though..) He will fill only if 1) you're hungry between meals and the prescribed 1/2 cup of food doesn't satisfy and if 2) you aren't losing at least 1-2 pounds per week. Otherwise, he'll suggest you meet with the dietician and figure out how you're working around the band. While I've lost relatively slowly, I am down about 80-85 pounds since starting in October of 2008. I've lost 20 pounds in the past month and had nearly 5 months of not losing. I'd strongly recommend you check in with any dietician/nutritionist to be sure your diet is on track, too. Also, movement is so important. It is undoubtedly the reason I started to lose again.....I'm doing about 16-20 miles a week on the treadmill. It's the amount my body needs to lose weight. If I do more, I get hungrier. If I do less, I don't lose.....keep track of everything you're doing to find your body's balance. Keep an open dialogue with your doctor, too....

Come to the support group with us on the 20th. Know that it's never too late to cancel should you have major doubt. When you talk with all of us, you'll have a more accurate depiction of what this is all about....the good, the bad, the frustrating, and the glorious new life. We're all honest and direct, but more importantly, we're here to support you....

OH, Gina... So sorry to hear you've been through all of that. I'm not sure if you can try to schedule a trip up to the actual support group meeting, but I've found it to be invaluable to talk with other BANDED people...Yes, the doctors have experience and have done hundreds of these, but which one ever actually HAD a band and knows what I'm feeling, first hand?? I know some of us try to schedule any fill appointments for the same day as the support group meetings, just to save the trip into Boston. We'd love to have you join us. Many of us go to the Brigham's group because it's bigger, but also on Tuesday. The Monday group at the Faulkner is far smaller, but also harder for most of us to get to. The next Brigham meeting is on the 20th, the day after the MLK holiday. Hope you can make time to join us! :thumbup: Good luck. Get back on track and get rid of the extra 14! Did you schedule your next meeting 4 weeks out? You can always cancel or reschedule in a few weeks if you don't need it....

Hey there, littlefroggy. A few things to consider. My band is really affected by my mood. If I'm stressed, it tightens, even when I don't realize I'm in a stressful situation. I'm tighter in the morning and when I haven't eaten anything for a few hours. I get up and eat a little something before going out for breakfast or brunch, just to test the waters and to loosen up before heading out and to avoid issues. You can have some tea/coffee before a meal to try to loosen things up. Also, be sure you go to your fill appointment even if you don't need it. Your doctor may take a little out if it doesn't improve or suggest you not get a fill this time around. Regardless, if you have insurance, you should still go! I also have issues with eggs. I know a lot of people eat them with no problem, but for some reason, I'm better with crispy pizza than scrambled eggs! No idea as to why.....The last thing you might want to consider is your menstrual cycle. When I'm PMS'ing or have my period, I'm far tighter. Hope that helps. Good luck. Be sure to find ways to get in enough calories or you'll slow down your losing..... :wink_smile:

The other things to consider, too, is when was the last time you ate before that? What time of the day was it? Were you under a lot of stress? I have difficulty if I haven't eaten in more than 4 or 5 hours. I sometimes can eat a few bites then wait a bit....and I'm able to eat more again. Take it slowly. I find that I can eat if I am very consciously eating. In the meantime, wait until you're feeling better before trying food again! If you have a particularly difficult time, go back to liquids again for a few meals. I'm so tight in the morning that I can rarely eat solids--other than a bowl of cereal. I also struggle when I'm stressed or PMS'ing. Just some things to consider. Keep track of when you have issues so you can figure out your body and how you are affected by different events. Good luck. Feel better.

Good girl!! See you on the 20th???

Heidi, HOW ARE YOU NOW??? YLJ: Even if you're scheduled for a fill, your doctor will ask you a few questions to determine if it's really appropriate to give you a fill. 1) Are you hungry between meals? 2) How much are you eating at each meal? 3) Do you feel restricted or can you consume at least the directed amount at each meal? If you're feeling restricted and don't want a fill, you should still go in for your regularly scheduled appointments, at least for the first 6 months or so. It's good to let them document your progress and check to be sure that things are ok. Congrats on your weight loss! It's great to hear you've had such success!!!

Hey there, Heidi. Hope you're ok. I went to see Dr. Robinson today. Mr. Personality was very awkward when I ended up crying in front of him.....OH, my....not a comfortable situation, but that will definitely teach HIM to ask, "Is everything ok?" Yeah, it was BAD.....but I didn't get an unfill after all. I'm down 15 pounds in the past month so I'm told I shouldn't workout as much and to go out and enjoy the holiday week and EAT. Ha, ha, ha......So.....I'm all ready for our next meeting. Hope you all had a great holiday. May 2009 be an even healthier and happy New Year for all of us. Hope you'll all be there on the 20th.

Hey there, Amy. It's been an hour since you posted and I hope you're ok. I think the best thing to do is just wait it out, provided it's something that will dissolve eventually. If you can get/keep tea down, you should be ok in a little while..... Sorry to hear you're struggling. Keep us posted. They're back in the offices tomorrow so you can see your own doctor, rather than someone in the ER who isn't familiar with the Lap Band.....

I would strongly recommend going to one of the support group meetings, either at the Faulkner or the Brigham. The Brigham's group is more well attended. (we all go!) If you can make it, you should go! You'll get lots of answers for any questions and apprehensions you may have. Please join us! :hurray:

Wait it out. No telling if it will or if you'll have pain. Just try not to panic. It will move along, but do not drink anything to wash it down. That will just make it worse. Do the best you can to go about your day without thinking about it. Despite getting something "stuck", food will eventually dissolve. Gum will, too. The more you panic, the worse things feel. You'll be ok. We're here for you!!! Good luck. :hurray: