nycm00

Chica, I know what you mean about that fine line between too full and full enough. My band fluctuates so much over time, I think it would be dangerous to get another fill. There are days I can eat anything...am hungry all day. Then other days just drinking Water is tough. To think until my unfill the beginning of Oct, I had 2 more cc's in my band. I hope you find some balance. Christine

Busy, it's hard. It is not easy. I did not expect it to be nearly this hard. I hope you find some peace in your life soon. Until then, maybe a fill small would help. My band is what keeps me from turning to carbs. My trouble with gastritis is what keeps me from chocolate and an oreo would put me in pain for 2-3 days. I would not recommend it to anyone. Maybe a fill would put you back in control. If that is not possible, I hope you can just hold steady at least until the stress clears. (Does that ever really happen?) Here's a (((hug)))...sorry things ae so stressful. Christine

So excited to be at 220! I have not been below the 220's in about 20 years! The scale had not moved in a long, long time, but now that it's finally on the move again it's easier to find the motivation to keep going. This board has gotten so quiet. Does it mean everyone is doing so well there is not much to post about or does it mean there are struggles going on? I hope everyone is doing well. Post an update if you can. Christine

Tess, Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. Carbs don't go down well for me, so there is no way I really could over do it on breads, cakes, pastas etc. Right now I have a nasty cold that is filling my stomach with mucous so I have been eating nothing, just drinking. On the April BB there are a couple of women who are goign low carb with the South Beach Diet. I also check out the low carb BB for recipies sometimes. Sorry you have been having a hard time. You are almost down 70 pounds!!! That's a lot of weight. You are doing AWESOME! Christine

Congratulations Terri! I can't wait to join you in Onederland! It's nice to get a shopping surprise. I just went and bought new scrubs for work and bought a size L pants....I can't believe I am in a size L! Before a 3XL was getting tight. Christine

Hi ! I was banded in March '08 at NYU, but live in Suffolk county on Long Island. If you guys are thinking about forming a support group or just getting together, I was wondering if I could join you. NYU has a great support group, but its too far for me to go. It's the third Weds of every month and it's free if anyone is interested in checking it out. Good luck to those of you being banded this week. Christine

I like the new look. I don't like all the advertising, but I'll take it if it means LBT remains free to me. I really would be lost without the support of you guys who have been through it all with me. I've been in a bit of a rut. I have not had a fill since my unfill and have very, very little restriction, but when my stomach is acting up I get very restricted. I spoke to my surgeon's office about the pain and burning and they have suggested eating very bland foods and staying away from all caffiene (since that's what really aggrivates it). I think I made things really bad. When I cut down on my eating I started drinking more coffee....maybe up to 4 cups a day. My tummy could not handle it. chocolate really hurts too, so I have not had Halloween troubles with candy. Mentally I am frustrated. I need to find a new outlet for the feelings I used to hide from with food. Wish i could afford some behavior modification therapy, but not right now. My new job is way, way, way too stressful. I'm thinking about going back to my old job. Thankfully my old boss will take me back in a heart-beat and is holding off on replacing me since she knows I am not happy with my transition. I need to decide by this Thursday. I've been battling a cold since last weekend. My 2 yr old has an ear infection and my 4 yr old has a sius infection....leading both to very bad temperments. My husband is working in Miami, but last week he was home and he finally went to the doctor about the mass he found in his breast in June. He's seeing a breast surgeon on Friday to have a biopsy. I really hope it's just a lipoma....they could not see it on the mamogram, but it's a well circuscribed mass on the sonogram. Due to it's size it has to be removed if it's cancer or not....hopefully it's not. His mother is still in a vegatative state in California. She's now in a nursing home there is nothing that can be done for her. Sad to see her just laying there. Anyway, thanks for reading this if you've made it this far. I'm in this funk you see and needed to post just to get some of this stuff out there. Thanks! Christine

Lynn...hope you are feeling better by now. I have had the same issue numerous times. My biggest suggestion to you is if you are feeling better...please do liquids for 2 days and then mushies for 2 days. Let your stoma calm down. After getting stuck, it's so important to let your stomach rest. Again...hope you are feeling better. If not, definately see your doctor and get an unfill to let the stuck food pass. Then do the liquids. Christine

I've lost 62 pounds and have gone from a tight 22/24 to a loose 18/20. This is the smallest size in my closet, so after these get realy big, I will need to shop. Christine

I was allergic to the adhesive they used to cover the incisions, I developed a horrible itchy rash that eventually covered my abdomen like a belt where my incisions were. The port incision being the worst area since it had the largest dressing. I was told it was an allergic reaction and to take Benedryl and use topical Benedryl. There was no improvement, so I was told to see a dermatologist. There I was prescribed a steroid ointment that worked very well. It was a reaction to the adhesive. Christine

I'm still having quite a bit of pain. So tired of this. Now I am refluxing some cottage cheese I had at around 7PM, and don't want to try to lay down to sleep again. I will call the surgeon's office tomorrow. I start a new job tomorrow AM, so I guess I will go sit in the recliner and try to sleep. This really bites! On a nappier note....Happy Birthday Jonathan!! (Amanda, thanks for slipping in the picture....great to put a face with the name.)

Is anyone else having the issues I am having with my poor stomach? I don't know what to do. On Thursday I felt fine, no problem eating anything, nothing got stuck, no PB< no slime....nada. Then out of no where yesterday morning I woke to a horrible burning stomach. Not heart-burn...in the lower chest, but a burning in my stomach. I had some oatmeal which helped once (I am assuming) it was past the pouch. I assume this because I felt no relief until about an hour after I ate. Withing another hour I had the burning again. I am not a wimp, but this has me hunched over and looking for comfort. I had this one time before being banded and they told me I had gastritis. Since being banded it happens often. Usually a day here or there, but there have been a couple of times where it has been weeks on end. My GP is not band friendly, have to find a new GP that is close to home and band friendly. If I go to a GI person do I ask upfront b4 scheduling if they have dealt with pt's with the band? So tired of this. Discouraged. Band is not too tight because I have no reflux issues at all since my unfill and the only PB's happen on days I have the pain...I'm assuming due to inflammation. Frusrated. Christine

Had to reschedule my fill because I am taking a new job and won't be in Manhattan very often. The next available was Nov 25! Yikes! I will be calling on my days off to see if they get a cancellation, but if not, I guess I really need to take control of the situation. I think I was in starvation mode for about 3 weeks before my unfill and now my body is just holdingonto everything it gets. I'm going to do an Atkins induction just to jump start things and see if that helps. Christine

Harley, looks like you had a great trip! The four pound loss is a wonderful bonus! Congrats on doing so well! Rhonda, so cool that you went for a bike ride. I feel so much more comfortable now that I have lost a bit of weight. I just go for leisure rides with the kids, but it just is so much easier less 60 pounds. Christine

Hey...welcome back Fenton. I hope your fill today helps you out. Since my recent slight unfill, I too have been allowing myself some tastes that turn into more. I have to reschedule my next fill due to a new work schedule. I hope they can give me something soon. I hate the whole hunger is not an emergency policy....but I do understand it. Christine

I'd love to post some progress pictures if I could figure out how to do it. I'm not very computer literate. Christine

Congratulations Mylah! 50lbs is a huge milestone. Tess, it sounds like your MD does every fill under fluro. My MD does not do it under fluro. They ask how you have been feeling and then gauage the fill based on how much you've been a ble to eat,how your weight loss has been and how hungry you've been. We start out completely empty, so it takes a few fill to feel any restriction since they won't do more than 2 cc at a time. I will be going for a fill soon since I had my 2cc unfill due to gastritis a few weeks ago. I am hungry and if I let myself I can pretty much eat anything. Fluroscopy gives you a pretty hefty dose of radiation, so I would not want to do a fill under fluro too often. It really does sound like the most scientific way of knowing how restricted you are. Christine

OK, so now that I have set my short term goal, I have stalled. I'm going to up the excersize and hope that helps. It's funny how when I am losing I dont' really notice it in my clothes, but when the scale stops moving, the clothes seem to fall off of me. I have taken a new job closer to home, so I might have to switch to a different center to get fills. I usually go to my MD in Manhattan right after work for a fill, but now it's not goign to be convienient at all. Amanda, which MD do you use? Any other Long Islanders out there? Christine

Harley...thanks for the recipies, I will try them out. Desdemona, sounds like you have hit the spot! Christine

Julie...Congratulations!!! You are also almost halfway to goal! Congratulations!! Christine

Andrea, Don't give up on your band. It took me 4 fills to feel restriction. Up until the third, I could eat anything. If you look at my ticker, I have been banded since March 24th. It's been six months for me. You are doing great! Until you have restiction, it is hard. I did not believe it would get easier...kept waiting to fail. Once you have the right restriction the food choices get easier and the weight starts coming off. You will stillhit plateu's and there is still the head hunger, but it's easier to deal with. Best of luck to you! Christine

Any other recipies for warm high Protein morning meals? I can't eat much at all in the AM. eggs really get stuck and runny oatmeal is not my thing. I would like to have something high in protein and warm. Thanks ! Christine

I went to Miami for the weekend with the kids. DH works there, so free place to stay and free car. DH works for an airline, so it's free tickets too. The kids had fun, swimming in between the rain drops and we went to a children's museaum. DH had this idea to go out to eat one night...it was one of those places with the guys coming around to your table for unlimited grilled meat. I did not overeat, but something got stuck and it was my first time being out in public with a stuck episode. It was bad. It was also the first time my DH saw me in this condition. He was really upset. He has been away a lot and he really has not been around me much since being banded. Once I got back to the hotel and really got it up, I felt much better. Flying seems to really have a big impact on my band. Before the trip to Miami, I was actually having a hard time because I have been able to eat too much. Very little restriction since my slight unfill. I was really getting very upset with myself for the bad choices I was making and the amounts I was eating. Now since flying to Miami, I am restricted again. Must be a bit of air in my band that expands with the air pressure. Christine

Harley..thanks for the delicious sounding fall drink recipe. I have been searching for a warm Protein rich drink to have in the AM. I think this might hit the spot. I will give it a try soon. Christine

I am so stressed out right now and just have time to say....It's more stressful stress eating now that my band is not full than it was to not be able to eat at all! The grass is always greener! Christine