mia31771

I don't remember knots on my tummy..I do remember some knoty areas around where he put the port in on my chest area though..Everybody heals differently...Shoot Terri and Dr. B's office an email and I'm sure she will let you know if anything is abnormal. I'm doing pretty good, trying to stay motivated with not as much restriction as I did have before this unfill.. I just keep telling myself I can get the cc back in another week....

Hey Everyone- I met with Elizabeth and the new girl Leslie. They seem to think that I got a piece of meat hung (I had a slice of boston butt on saturday) and it was not allowing things to pass and had irritated the lining of my stomach. They removed one cc and said to see if that would let it go through and if so, I could get my cc back at the next fill. I immediately felt relief once they took the 1cc out and was actually able to eat the first decent meal in the last few days! Elizabeth said for me to coat my stomach will mylanta at night for a few days to make sure things settle down. She said what was happening was that the piece of meat did not block the entire stoma so I could get thin mushy things down but when I would eat something solid or thicker than liquid it would back up and cause me to PB. She did say that if this continued I would have to have all of the fluid taken out of the band. So I hope this does the job. I won't have the restriction that I had and will have to work harder to lose but right now I need to pamper my band a little as well as my tummy! Thanks for everyone who offered advice and support!

I don't know I've never had an ulcer. I don't think it is that because when I have thrown up it is clearly that golfball in the throat feeling of having food stuck. It is really weird because sometimes I can eat normal. Like at lunch I can eat a lean cuisine but then at supper time when I try to eat I can only get one or two bites in and then I get that stuck feeling and if I continue to eat, I PB, if I stop eating I'm have the pain in the chest until it passes. Its like my restriction yo yo's from fine to SUPER tight and its never in a regular pattern. Ok- Malik must called me back and said I need to come in and get an unfil- I'm on my way so I will post more when I get back.

I AM SO CONFUSED... Malik told me to test with lunch so I got a lean cuisine Asian beef with rice and veggies (broccoli etc) I was able to eat it fine with no problems. So what do I do? I can't be too tight if I can eat that right? I mean surely if I was too tight I could not have eaten an entire lean cuisine correct? Why does my restriction vary so much from day to day??

ally, I think maybe my figures are misleading- I have lost a total of 48 pounds since I began this journey- NOT since being banded- I lost 15 pounds prior to being banded on the sugar busters diet- I have gotten four fills and each time had not lost over the 2pounds per week. Trust me, Elizabeth will fight to not fill you if you've lost the typical amount. Like you after each fill I would lose the first week, then my restriction would lesson and I would fight with gaining and losing the same two-four pounds...go back and read my entries...you will find they are very similar to yours and several others are too. I talked to malik, she says I'm too tight- so I'm going to test solids and lunch and if I PB she says I have to come in for an unfill. I can get liquids down fine and she did say I could wait till thursday if I wanted to remain on liquids but I'm thinking If I'm too tight, I should get an unfil to avoid slippage. So depending on how I do at lunch, I just might well be headed to albany this afternoon.

Im worried. All saturday night I had horrible acid in my throat when I would lay down to sleep. Most of Sunday I could not keep much of anything down. My restriction was definately different than it has ever been. I took some mylanta last night and it seemed to help with the burning acid feeling. It has been over 4 weeks since my last fill so I have no real answer as to why I couldn't handle much yesterday. I go for a recheck on thursday and if I can make it till then I'm going to have some fluid removed if this continues. If today is as bad as yesterday come lunch time I'm going to the OTC. I just cannot pin point anything that I couldve eaten to make my stomach irritated or anything. And I have no clue why the sudden 'too tight' restriction occured. I"m putting myself on liquids for today and probably tomorrow and see if that will help my tummy some. I'm gonna give Elizabeth a call this morning and see what she thinks. It just came so sudden and I cannot glue down a reason as to why and that bothers me.

Holly, I had to REALLY fight my dr. on this one as he would not give me a RX for health star to reduce my pressure levels and they had to have a dr's order before doing so. It is my understanding, that they password protect the settings so that ppl cannot change them without a dr's consent for health reasons of course. What my dr. did do was give me an order for a self adjusting bipap machine to try for 6 months. However, I will still have to pay for the rental what insurance doesn't cover but it is STILL significantly less than what my copay for the sleep studies would have been. You would have thought me losing weight was just as bad as gaining weight to the ppl at the dr's office. I had to really get stern with them to even consider another option besides doing the sleep studies. I was so mad that I considered changing dr's but that would have surely ensured another sleep study and more tests and co pays so I really felt trapped. They had to order the self adjusting machine (it adjusts pressure levels depending on how you breathe). My machine should be here next week and I will let you know how it goes. Pamela, last night I had another episode of the acid fluid feeling when I laid down (this hasn't happened since the first few days after my fill) and my band has felt SUPER tight since then. I am taking it easy on my tummy and hoping this goes away. If not I'm considering a slight unfill on thursday. I don't know whats going on but I've been miserable all day. It actually feels like reflux to me and I haven't had that since being banded. I'm hoping it goes away and things go back to normal.

Completely normal- they say the first 6 weeks up until your fill is for healing time, not weightloss. So just focus on following the phase plan Dr. B gave you and wait out your first fill =) I know WAY easier said than done....WAY WAY WAY easier said...Hang in there!

So will we still have only one nurse or will there be two? You said taking elizabeth's place so that kinda confused me. LOL Not hard these days...I'm having a rough week of it guys..I think my weight loss has affected the way my bipap (sleep apnea) machine is effective and I'm not sleeping well. I'm struggling with my dr. to decrease my bipap pressure levels without doing a sleep study as they are expensive and I don't want to keep doing this every 50 lbs or so. He insists on a sleep study and that is just stupid to me. No sleep is horrible on the body and right now I'm functioning on zero sleep. I feel just like I did before I got my sleep apnea machine. I don't know why they can't just decrease the pressure and see if that helps without sending me for thousands of dollars worth of tests.

Pamela The first few nights after my substantial fill I had that acid thing in the back of my throat too. It did go away after a few nights though. I am not really sure what is going on with me. I am working out everyday and eating fairly good and the scale isn't moving. I am scared to get another fill because I have pb'd within the past few days and I just don't think I need more. I do notice that I am hungier sooner but I am really unsure as to weather I can handle more Fluid in the band right now. Sometimes I am SO tight and then other times I can eat pretty good amounts. My band is weird, some days I can eat bread, some days not. I haven't weighed yet this morning so maybe I will see the scale change. I don't have another fill appt until 05-08 so I'm just going to play it by ear. Any suggestions? *Edit* Ok- I weighed and I *had* lost a pound. yay!

Sounds like your coworker needs a fill. How long ago did he have his surgery? We ALL struggle with overeating and bad habits or none of us would have this surgery so don't be so quick to judge. I paid 17 grand to be banded and probably could've eaten what your friend ate before i got my first fill. They put a band around your stomach NOT your head. And NO, not everyone has to go through a psych eval- I didn't because I was self pay. It is up to us to struggle with our head issues but it really ticks me off to see other fat people judge one another. Surgery is no quick fix. Sometimes just having the surgery alone forces people to change their habits, sometimes not. If you are one of those who has never broken a bandster rule, congrats- however, don't be so quick to judge others in any aspect of their lives. Its snarky to do so and just plain shitty. None of us are perfect, if we were, we wouldn't be on a WLS support forum. Encourage your co worker to get a fill. I promise you, a fill is probably all he needs.

Wow, WHAT a difference girl!! CONGRATS!!

Congrats Nip! You will be at goal in NO TIME!!!

Just wanted to update a little, things are still going well with my last fill. The scales don't seem to be moving, but its that time of the month and I know I'm retaining water. I've been working out for 30 minutes every morning and hopefully once aunt flo is gone the scales will move again, lol. One question that has been annoying me- whats the difference in eating a meal with liquid such as soup, or cereal, as opposed to drinking with meals......? I avoid soup and cereal except for after a fill when I'm on liquids- but was still wondering if having those items was just as detrimental as drinking while eating...I remember elizabeth telling me that having cereal and milk was just like drinking with a meal. What's everyone's thoughts?

Congrats Jeannie! Can't wait to be where you are girl! I'm not a daddy's girl, I was always a mama's girl and my mom is gone now too. But, Like Holly, I know they are cheering us on from a place where size isn't an issue anymore. Way to go girl!

You are looking great ally!! I can already see the difference! KEEP AT IT GIRL!!! Way to go!!!!!!!!!!

I just called back and scheduled me another one for June 9th- I think that's how I'm going to start doing it is scheduling two at one time to be sure I get in before they all fill up.

I am cancelling my apt for a fill for 04-22 at 11:00Am if anyone wants it. I am on the phone now and the EARLIEST I can schedule another appt for is MID JUNE- I asked them why aren't they hiring another person and was told that they are in the process but so many ppl are having lapband that they cannot keep up- I told her well you guys are certainly getting enough money coming in to hire one, if not TWO ppl to keep up with the numbers. There is no reason to have to wait two months for a fill. I worry for new ppl who have to wait that long. I can't imagine how frustrating it's going to be for them. So if its been at least two weeks since a fill and you aren't losing please grab my fill. Yess!! I called Malik and she put me in as an ad on for 05-08- so be persistant ladies!!

Friday at lunch won't work for me- I work and live an hour away so evenings or weekends are better for me. If the majority can meet though- go ahead!

Jeannie- I read on this forum from a girl who had swallowed a piece of gum and had it stuck for FOUR days!!!! I have been REALLY cautious with gum ever since reading that. Good thing yours passed quickly!! Leslie- Definately let Dr. B know what's going on- luckily he listens to his patients and often lets them progress. There are MANY dr's who are very strict about the phases. Pamela- Keep taking care of yourself and let us know how it goes. I usually am pretty strict about handwashing as is, but TODAY I bet I have washed my hands every hour on the hour, lol!

Leslie- Tell Dr. B that you are hungry and would like to see about starting mushies- He moved me up to mushies one week post op and I had no problem getting them down.. Have you tried testing out really thinned out soups yet? I usually to blend up a soup with a little skim milk to test after fills to see I'm ok to move on to the next level. It might help you feel a little fuller, shoot terri an email and ask her if that is OK- Tell her you are hungry. Also try some gatorade to see if it helps you 'feel' like you have more energy...Liquids tend to zap me really bad.

Hang in there Pamela! I hope and pray that you will be past all of this very soon.

The port site was the most tender to me as well, but in two weeks time I had no pain at all so hang in there and take your drugs if you feel like you need to. The first time around I was religious about taking my pain meds the first four days and I honestly did not hurt nearly as bad as when I had my port revision surgery and decided to 'go it alone'. They give you the meds for a reason so use them if you feel you need to. Soon you will be in a lot less pain just hang in there!

I was self pay. Total was $17,400 and that covers fills for the life of my band. I lost my mother in Nov. 2007 to a heart attack and I used the money I got from her life insurance policy to pay for my surgery. I was nearing 400 pounds and knew I wouldn't live to seem my 7 yr old grow up if I continued down the same path. I was banded 01-17 and am down 41 lbs as of today. I won't say its all been easy but I WILL say it's all been worth it. I miss my mom dearly, but I know she is looking down from heaven watching my success!