nycm00

I would love to have a consult with a plasitc surgeon, just to know how much things would cost. I still have a good 40 pounds to drop before I would consider it worthwhile to do. The tummy tuck is a must, but the boob lift would really be nice too. I have an incisional hernia at my c-section scar, so I know some of it would be covered. I would even consider the panniectomy if that's all I could afford. I seem to scar nicely, so it would not be so bad. Christine

No gain, no loss this week. Christine

Lynn....sorry you are so frustrated. I too am at a stand-still on the weight loss front. I am embarking on 3 days of liquids starting today. Protein shakes and Water. To try to jump start things. I was doing really well with the South Beach induction, but I have a really hard time digesting hard Proteins, so it was really difficult for me to stick to. Once I learned about why I am having such a hard time with meat, I stopped, because I was really hurting myself. So now I will try the Protein Shakes.....I guess what I'm trying to say is change things up a bit. Keep track of everything. You will get past this. I totally understand your frustration. Amanda....I have been getting in at least 20 minutes of walking/running/jogging a day AND a 20 minute session of "Crunchless Abs"....(which is a very good program BTW) I am really proud of myself for this! I do my cardio either on my treadmill....in bad weather...or with my 8 yr old son at the school yard while the little one's play on the playground. Hope....Congrats on the NSV. Amazing isn't it. I had a patient hit on me last month. It was so funny to be flirted with. I really enjoyed it....I can't believe I feel cute again at almost 39 yrs old! Diva... sounds to me like you don't need a fill. Maybe a tiny un-fill...but that's up to you. I too had a very fickle band. Some days I could eat anything and others I could eat very little. I found it very, very important to remember that after a PB episode you are supposed to do 2 days of liquids to let your stomach settle down. Have you had your 1 yr post OP esophogram? That will tell about any slippage and can check for other problems. Christine

Hope....When I had good restriction I could not do eggs in the morning. Sorry to hear about the nasty PB. Hope you are feeling better soon. I go for my nuclear medicine, gastric emptying study on Friday. I will eat a radioactive egg sandwich and they will watch to see how long it takes for the sandwich to go from my stomach to my intestines. I keep wondering if there is a gastric emptying problem will they ever agree to fill my band....but too afraid to ask at this point. We will see what happens on Friday. I had an appt for a fill scheduled for tomorrow, but had to re-schedule after finding out that I needed more tests. Now my appt is not until May 26th! That is a long way off. So I will be doing Isagenix 30 day cleanse program starting Monday May 3rd. I really want to get below 200 by my birthday June 17 and feel I need a boost right now. Hoping for positive things with the program. Christine

Congrats Amanda on your loss! Sometimes you just need to jump start things! SpecialK...sounds like a great time. You will make it to your goal. You too are an inspiration. I can't wait to make it to 100lbs lost. I may have to do it with an empty band, but I will do it. Christine

OMG....Up 6 pounds! Can I blame it on all that barium from Tuesday?....I think not. It's all the dang carbs! OK, back on track today. aJoneen..........................0 75 pounds LOST! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. .0 55 pounds lost! Kpodski..........................0 Lynnt1215.....................0 NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................ +6 OUCH Potatie............................0 120 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend..........0 160 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK........................0 100 lost forever! Sugarbean....................0 114 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 Thin2bme......................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4...........................0 75 pounds gone!! Christine

Thanks for posting the article. It touched on many points that I am dealing with right now. Thank you! Christine

I have one more test to quantify the delay. I will go and eat a meal (eggs) laced with some radioactive isotope and then they will watch to see how long it sits in my stomach. Once the delay is quantified I will see what the MD has to say about medication for it. From what I have been reading on-line, I really would not want to go on meds until the delay is unbearable....meaning I have lost too much weight, am vomitting regularly, having unbearable pain when eating all the suggested foods and staying away from the foods I should avoid. The meds have side effects that I feel I would not do well with....depression, fatigue, irritability, mood swings. I have been on meds for depression in the past and very prone to going down that path. So, I will do the dietary and lifestyle stuff first. My problem is that I was trying to do Protein and no carbs and I really have to limit the tough Proteins. I will be doing more fish. I am not sure what the surgeon will have to say about the band with this issue, I figure I will wait until all the results are in before going there. Christine

Delayed Gastric Emptying! So, I had my Upper GI with small bowel follow-through yesterday. The likely diagnosis is Delayed Gastric emptying. It took 45 minutes for the barium to start moving from my stomach (my band is empty) to the small intestine. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes (according to the rediologist) At the 45 minute mark, I had the same pain I would normally get after eating and then the barium started moving. The GI doctor had mentioned this as a possible diagnosis....though he did not feel it was likely. There is another nuclear medicine test that we will probably do next to see the extent of the delay. I am supposed to meet with the GI guy next Friday, but I may call to get the ball rolling faster...since I may need another test. The treatment sucks! The medications have bad side effects and I will most likely just grin and bear it for a while and make dietary changes. I find it really ironic that I had a band placed around my stomach to keep food in my stomach longer, help control my appetite and now my stomach is doing it on it's own. If I have a salad with chicken for lunch....larger portion than when my band was filled...I am good for the day. That 2 oz of steak and small amount of broccoli I had last Tuesday was probably still sitting there on Wednesday when I was unable to eat and having so much pain. It's good to know there is something going on besides to occcasional flair up of gastritis. I don't have the official diagnosis yet, but feel like this may be it. Christine

Hey Harley...good to see you back. Sorry to hear things are tough right now emotionally. DH and I are having a rough time, but he refuses to go with me to get help. So I enjoy the times he is away on trips and find lots of work to do when he is home. Sad but true. Amanda....sorry to hear about the bike accident. Glad you are sort of OK. Not sure what to say about the gain. Let me know if you want to get together. Hugs! Carrie...Thank you for your support and Happy Birthday! Hope....I've used that method many times to break a plateau. Not sure if it's the best way to do it, but it has worked for me. Christine

Hungry...sorry to hear you need a port revision. Go to the complictions board, there are a few threads over there about the procedure. Good luck! Christine

Amanda how did the Duathlon go? What a beautiful day you had for it. Thank you all for the words of comfort and support. I will stick around. I don't want to drag the board down with my band struggles, but I am still trying, and maybe somone out there will find some help inthe path I travel. And of course I am still trying to lose weight, so I can use all the motivation and support I can gleen from you guys. You guys are so wonderful. Thank you! Christine

Black on x-ray does mean air, so maybe it is gas. Please post an update,. I hope you are feeling better soon. Christine

I am having a very similar problem. I had my surgery in March 2008. I was doing well until a bad bout of gastritis in September. Unfill in Oct with a slow re-fill never to the restriction I had before. On Omeprozol twice a day since then. I now have been unfilled again as the pain just will not let up. I will be fine for a couple of days and then wammo, it hits again. For me the worst is when I eat solid Proteins....even with an empty band. I am going for an Upper GI and an abdominal sonogram next week. I have already had the Esophogram and the Endoscopy. If I stick to liquids I am fine...not very satisfied, but fine. It's those solid foods that get me. The pain for me hits aobut 45 minutes to an hour after eating. It can then last for an hour or for a day. This is filled or unfilled. I know my band was not too tight as I had not had any "stuck food" episodes for months and months. Now it's empty....I even called the surgeon to be sure they really removed all the Fluid. I am at my wits end. I don't think an insurance company would pay to switch me to a different procedure...say a sleeve or bypass at this point. I am so very, discouraged. Christine

Friday April 10th aJoneen..........................0 75 pounds LOST! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................-2 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. .0 55 pounds lost! Kpodski..........................0 Lynnt1215.....................0 NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................ -3 Potatie............................0 120 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend..........0 160 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK.........................0 97 lbs and closing in on 100! Sugarbean....................-1 114 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................-1.6 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 Thin2bme......................+ .4 100 POUNDS LOST !! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4...........................-2 75 pounds gone!! Los thte two I gained last week and it took another with it, so down 3. Christine

I am just so done. I will now be going for a abdominal sonogram to check my gallbladder and a Upper GI with a Small Bowel Follow-through. We will check everything out before deeming me un-fixable. The GI guy said that he has had a few patients with the lap band go through something similar. The only thing they came up with in the end was that the physical presence of the band on the outside of the stomach was causing them pain. Then some patients decided to have the band removed and some decided to live with the pain as "backround noise in their lives." I am leaning toward the latter at this point, but will see what all the tests show. I will probably just start lurking again, as I really don't have much that is positive or constructive to add at this point in my journey. Best of luck to all! Christine

Diva, welcome back! You can updat your signature by clicking on the UserCP section top left on this screen. From there look for the update signature section on the left onf the next screen that pops up. Christine

When My band was filled....5cc in a 10cc band. My day looked like this.... 8:00 coffee with skin milk....somtimes sugar free vanilla syrup 11:00 Some type of yogurt parfait I would make at home. Usually Greek yogurt with a touch of honey and Kashi go lean crunch Cereal (the one with 9 grams of protein) Often it took about an hour to get this down. 4:00 a cheese stick or some fruit 6:00 dinner....a very small postion of whatever I made for the family. I could not eat breads or cakes at all. Cookies crackers and ice cream went down way too easy. I am over that for now, one day at a time. Since having my unfill, I have been able to eat way more and went totally crazy Sunday and Monday...way too many sweet temptations left over from Easter. I got back on track on Tues with South Beach induction....no carbs. By Tuesday night I was having severe pain. Yesterday I went as far as calling the surgeon to find out if they really removed all my fill or were just checking if I was having mental issues. They assured me my band is empty. I had so much pain all day yesterday after eating a low fat cheese stick at around 10 am. I thought I was going to have to go to the ER. I even called my DH who is away at work in Texas. I got an appt with my GI guy today at 1:45. I hope they can figure out what is going on. Yesterday I had only that dang cheese stick and Water. So far today I have had a Protein shake with skim milk. I guess this is one way to be sure I don't gain during my unfill. It's so weird that while I was piggin out on carbs Sunday and Monday the pain was minimal. Switch to full Proteins and very low carb Tues and Weds the pain was horrible. Anyone have any ideas? Any idea where I can cross post this so any bandsters out there witha similar issue may chime in? Christine

My band is totally empty. I have no Fluid in it right now. I had a total unfill last week Tues to prove that the pain I have been having since October is not band related. No more food getting stuck just the pain about an hour after eating. It sucks! Christine

I don't understand this pain....the solid Proteins really get it going about 45 minutes after eating. I have a lot of pain right now. I ate steak for dinner with a little broccoli. I did not overeat. I just dont' get it. Christine

Well, I tossed the Easter stuff yesterday by mid afternoon....that's how badly it was going. Next Holiday it's all going with people. I'm not keeping any of it. Today it's South Beach induction. Load up on the Protein. I cannot believe how incredibly hard yesterday was. It was totally like pre-band...No concious eating, just eating through the food because it was there. Ok, so today's a new day. Congrats Scrappy on almost being at goal! Special K you are doing really well! Congrats! Carrie, Congrats on the NSV! Christine

I too will do a tummy tuck, but I need to lose another 40 pounds before I will meet with a surgeon. I have an incisional hernia (c-sections) that causes me pain, so the insurance will cover part of the surgery. I would love to get a boob lift with a reduction too, but I don't think I could afford to do it all. My tummy really hangs, so that needs to be done. Christine

Eating badly. I will own up to it. It only took about 3 days with my empty band to slip back in to old habits. I will regain control and increase the excersize time. My goal is to show no gain when I go back to the doctor in 3 weeks. I hosted Easter yesterday and made the mistake of keeping a lot of the leftovers....for the kids??? DH is out of town. After dinner tonight I will get rid of all the deserts and this scrumptious ham,egg and cheese cassarole that has more fat in a single serving than a whole day allows (thank you SIL). I will only keep the left over ham and the cut up fruit and veggies. Hope everyone had a nice Holiday. Christine

Friday April 10th aJoneen..........................0 75 pounds LOST! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. .0 55 pounds lost! Kpodski..........................0 Lynnt1215.....................0 NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................+2 Yuck! Potatie............................0 120 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend..........0 160 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK.........................0 97 lbs and closing in on 100! Sugarbean....................-1 114 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 Thin2bme.......................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4...........................0 73 pounds gone!! Total unfill on Monday. Getting hungry. Trying my best to keep on track. Of course it's the worst week of the month to have this done, but I will not gain anymore! Next week I will be down these 2 at least! Christine

Well, I am totally unfilled and still having the pain after eating. I am actually HAPPY about this!! Now I can confidently say it's not a band related problem. So, I just have to get the right meds and make this work. Thankfully with the pain I have little appetite, so I ate very well today. Christine