chica

Harley, Bratz, and Kerri, you all look great! Isn't it amazing how fast you've changed? And Kerri, I hope you don't mind my saying so, but it looks like you've got a new, great-fitting bra!! :biggrin2:

Hi, Shamrocks! I'm checking back in again after lurking a little. It seems we're all making progress (some faster than others), and that's great. Don't get discouraged if you feel like you're backsliding -- we can do this together! :thumbup: Okay, enough cheerleading for a second. (Boy, if you knew me, you'd never think cheerleader!) Here's my NSV: I survived a weeklong trip to Canada for a training course where I'd be with people all day and part of each evening. It was me plus 5 guys, and they made me eat and drink like a man (and yes, Fenton, I enjoyed it). Steaks, Bloody Caesars (like a Bloody Mary but with Clamato juice :frown:), scotch, and even cheesecake one night. I truly don't think I've eaten so much meat in one week ever! Beef every single day. I did my drinking before dinner (or much later), focused on my Protein, small bites, and chewing. I ate much slower than everyone, but they attributed that to my gender. (They don't know about the band.) Only one minor PB incident when I tried to eat an early morning bite of quiche -- I must not have been awake enough to realize I hadn't chewed it fully, but at least I wasn't with people at the time. My SV: I went in for a fill today and found out that I'm now merely 'Obese'. YAY! :biggrin2:

Congratulations, Fenton! That's an awesome SV!!! I'm thrilled for you, and that you're doing it with an empty band is amazing to me!

Hi! And can I just say, HOLY MOLY! Some of us (you, OTBT) are doing very, very well!!! :wink2: Congratulations on all the weight loss! After my 2nd fill, I had a rough couple of weeks -- I was taking bites that were too large sometimes, having a PB, and not giving my body sufficient time to recover from it. My doc wants me to follow his post-fill diet (2 days liquids, 2 days mushies) after a PB, and I kinda forgot that. So, I had one very bad experience really throwing up (sorry, TMI), and that's what brought me back to the doc's office to figure out what was going wrong. Bottom line: I'm being way more careful now with my bites. Other than that, all is good. I really need another fill, but with all that nonsense above, plus having to travel on business all next week and be around people 24/7, we decided to skip the fill and just wait till I get back. I'm hoping my weight loss will roll along after that fill... So, bandmates, has anyone reached that magical sweet spot? :smile:

Please, Fenton! You know the conversation about George Clooney is way more important than bras!

Self-pay at Reston (VA) Surgery Center about $14,500. This includes all fees and fills for the first year.

I was in my doc's office today and we talked about band slippage and the consequences. I had a really violent episode of vomiting following a series of minor PBs, so he did a barium swallow to see how I was. (Fortunately, all is well other than a painful esophagus and a lot of swelling.) He told me that it's important to check the band out very soon after such a forceful incident. If the lower stomach slips up past the band (which can happen with vomiting), they can remove all the saline and allow the stomach to slip back down, and after a little healing period, they can return the fill. However, if the slippage goes unnoted for a couple of months, the stomach will actually scar into place above the band, and unfilling won't do the trick. That's when surgery is required to fix the problem. I suspect this is what's happened in your case. I'm sorry to hear you might be facing more surgery, but it sure sounds like the corrective surgery could be the thing to help you back on your journey. :biggrin:

Well, today I clearly needed a refresher course in Lap-Band basics, and I got it courtesy of my doc's PA (who handles our fills). Here's what happened... N.B. I'm writing this mostly for my own benefit so I can refer back to it, but if it helps anyone else along the way, great! :eek: Ever since returning to real food after my last fill over 2 weeks ago, I've been having not quite daily (and mostly minor) PB issues. At first, I thought I was eating too fast or forgetting to chew enough, but then I really paid attention to those things. Then I thought stress? Overfill? NAH, it can't be an overfill -- I'm way too hungry and when I don't PB, I can eat way too much. Finally, last night, I had some really violent retching and a complete return of my delicious soft-shell crab dinner. This was no mere PB -- my esophagus still hurts today! So, I went in -- I was originally scheduled for a fill today, but by now I was thinking UNfill! They did a barium swallow to determine if I was either overfilled or had my lower stomach slip up through the band from the incident. Fortunately, neither was a problem. Phew. We then reviewed how I've been eating, and found that I had forgotten two really basic things: 1) The size of the bite that I put in my mouth should be no bigger than the clear part of the nail on my pinky finger! Using a tiny fork wasn't doing the trick. I completely forgot myself on this one. :biggrin: I should look at my fingernail often while focusing on eating. No matter how much chewing you do, if it's too much at once, it may cause problems. 2) If you do have a PB, there is always going to be some associated swelling, and the maximum swelling doesn't occur until 24-48 hours after the incident. THIS IS WHY I NEED TO DO liquids FOR 48 HRS AFTERWARD!!! :frown: (Yes, I'm yelling at myself now!) Instead, I was having a shake or two for the next 12 hours, but the next day I just merrily went back to food, forgetting the repercussions of the day before. This is why every day or two, I further exacerbated the problem with another PB. The swelling became cumulative till yesterday's disaster. In addition to 48 hours of liquids, this should be followed by 48 hours of soft foods, working your way back to solid, hard Proteins slowly. Had I not been experiencing these problems, he would've given me a fill today. So, I'm hoping I've learned my lessons well and do not ever want to repeat this cycle. I hope no one else is going through this either. On the plus side, I lost 4 more pounds since my last visit! :eek:

I wanted to post this reply from Jack (I heart Jack!) to the question: What does restriction feel like? I keep thinking I don't have restriction. Obviously, I have some degree of it or I wouldn't be having the occasional PB problems when I eat too fast, forget to chew thoroughly, or just keep eating when I first realize something isn't going straight down because I'm still hungry. I think we really want to know is when will we have restriction to the point where hunger stops being such an issue! I can (and sadly, do) eat way too much, and hunger comes back too soon. The problem is when I try to hold out and get so hungry that by the time food is available, I forget all the band rules (small bites, chew, chew, and chew some more). I have a fill scheduled for next Thursday, and I'm hoping for better results. In the meantime, we've just got to keep practicing the rules, exercising, supporting each other, and remembering that it will work... eventually. :thumbup:

I'm no pro at this, and I can only tell you what I've been advised by my doc and by reading posts here, but something in your post called out to me. By now, even without a fill, we should be off Protein drinks and mushies for most of our meals and should instead be trying to eat real food with real 'hard' protein (meat, chicken, fish, etc.) and some Fiber. liquids and mushies go through our bands faster, hard protein and real food take longer and will keep us satisfied longer. It's very difficult to keep up liquid supplements long term. The healing period has surely passed. Don't be so afraid of real food. It just might help you more than you think... :thumbup:

Hey, Carrie. Not to quibble, but I believe it's "Veruca Salt". Don't ask me how many times I've seen that movie... And I have to say, I'm in the same boat. Where the (@ is my restriction???:biggrin:

SpecialK, I don't know if it's helpful to tell you about this or not.... PB2 is powdered Peanut Butter available online (with stores in some states -- not mine). You mix it with a little Water till smooth (or throw it directly into a Protein shake) and use it just like regular peanut butter. It has 54 calories and 2.8 grams of fat for 2T verses 190 calories and 16 grams of fat for 2T of regular peanut butter. It's really quite good! :frown: You can order it at Bell Plantation - PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter - Home. Also, while they don't have samples, they do have a money-back guarantee.

Happy Birthday, Freetofly! Just curious... How was the Lobster Bisque? Worth the splurge? I enjoy eating there too, but it's so hard to resist those biscuits! :cursing:

Ooh, Amanda, your hubby's cute! And if your shop was anything like ours, his arm must've gotten quite a workout. We had firemen show up for their scoops, but there were only young teenagers working behind the counter. Congrats on being able to stick to just a little treat and good luck with your fill! :thumbup:

So, yesterday was Baskin Robbins 31 cent scoop day -- a big event around here with the kids. We were meeting my kids' BFFs there, and I was well prepared to withstand temptation. I had a cold, tasty bottle of Fruit2O to keep my hands and mouth busy. I only went inside the joint when the kids were about to order. I had to talk them down from the 4 scoops plus toppings and chocolate cones they wanted to 3 scoops of whatever flavors they wanted in a cup. These were supposed to be 2.5 oz scoops, mind you, but the newbies serving were dishing out WAY bigger scoops. I went back outside after the 2 youngest had been served to keep an eye on them, while the others finished ordering. The other mom ended up getting me a scoop of Heath Bar Crunch (my fave, which my kids had told her) even though I told her I didn't want anything. I had to graciously accept, and tried to enjoy the delicious creaminess while feeling somewhat guilty. But when she followed the younger ones to where they'd run off, I threw the half scoop I had left into the trash. :smile: I was feeling very good about that. P.S. When we got home, my daughter asked for a plate of raw, crunchy veggies (carrots, cauliflower, and celery). I was even more proud of her than I was of myself! :biggrin2:

Hi, Shrinking Shamrocks. I had my second fill today, an additional 1cc for a grand total (so far) of 5cc. I felt absolutely no restriction from the initial fill, but this feels different already. We'll have to see how it goes... 2 days liquids, 2 days mushies, then when I get to real food, I'll know if there's any restriction. BTW, my doctor recommends 2 days liquids after a PB to allow any irritation and swelling to go down. Otherwise, you can end up in a cycle of PB'ing because you initially PB'd from one thing, but now PB from the PB...

Wow, Fenton, I had no idea that I had such a strong influence on you! :sleep: I was merely pointing out that my doctor (and lots and lots of research) advises that a bit of breakfast kickstarts your metabolism and energy levels for the day. If your doctor recommends something else, then by all means, follow his advice. I don't want to be the reason you get in trouble with your doctor. I can just hear it now... "But Chica said I had to eat breakfast!" :tongue2: The question I have for you is... do you feel any different eating breakfast rather than skipping it? Those are great breakfast choices, by the way! :w00t:

ROTFLOL!! Remember in "Friends" when Joey found his hand-twin? Well, Diva, I think we're arm-twins! :cursing: But seriously, did you say you ate 5.5 (bunless) hotdogs? Or was that a typo? I finally have my first NSV to share: I went back to the gym for the first time since surgery, and after my workout, I was able to stretch much farther than before because I have less belly in the way!! :thumbs_down:

I'm so confused. Why would it kick in after 2 weeks when the fill had been there the whole time? :confused2:

This is my question too. My doctor's office says you need to have 60+ grams of Protein daily over 3 meals (no Protein shakes, etc.). I'm not experiencing restriction yet, so I don't expect it to be 1/2cup right now. But even if I could, I don't get how this can work.... :glare:

If anyone needs a good thriller, "Precious Blood" by Jonathan Hayes rocks! I just finished it last week.

Huh? Did I miss something there? :confused2:

David, I had my first fill Thursday, and I was told that if I throw up at all to revert to liquids for a couple of days to reduce the swelling and irritation around the band that results from a PB. Also, be sure to let the doctor's office know what happened when you next go in. Those were the instructions from my doctor... you should follow whatever your doctor has told you.

Sueangel, Please let us know what the Wii fit stuff turns out to be like. My DH got us a Wii over spring break (claimed it was for the kids :tongue:), and I'd be interested to find out more about the Wii fit package. Thanks! :biggrin:

I'm not 100% sure I want to join this post -- mostly because there seems to be a lot of negativity, as others have said. Usually, when I come across a negative post, I walk away quietly. I need the positivity. On the other hand, some of what some people have perceived as hostile or negative probably wasn't meant that way. Relax, people! We're all in this together, and we should try to remember that we need to support each other in our efforts. :eek: Lise, back to your postings... glad to hear you're finally getting some restriction after this 4th fill. :tt1: I love your blog and check it at least once a week. You and your DH are so cute in the video interview! I'm one week behind you and have similar results so far. I've just had my first fill, and since I'm on liquids (2 days) and then mushies (2 days), I don't think I'll know if I have any restriction until I get back to soft foods. That's why I wonder how some people here feel like their band isn't working for them right after a fill. :sad: Liquids slip right through the band (unless you're overfilled), and mushies kinda do too. I'm not into calorie counting, carb counting, etc., I'm simply trying to focus on what I was told: Protein first, then veggies, and if you have room, fruit and maybe a little GOOD carbs. So far, that's all I've done (besides some walking), and that's how I hope to continue. And if I eat some pizza along the way, that's ok too (but I haven't done it yet). Fanny, I don't mean to attack your Pasta test for restriction, but I do want to repeat what my doctor told me about pasta (because I happen to love the stuff myself!). Try to avoid meals of pasta (maybe just a little on the side) because even if you chew, chew, chew it, it becomes quite gummy in your stomach, and therefore, you run the risk of getting a big, gloopy mess stuck and you may very well PB. On my mushy stage, I made this great pasta dish and had it blenderized. I had to add LOTS of liquid to make it the right consistency, but it sure opened my eyes about exactly what they said about the gumminess of pasta! :cursing: So, I guess what I'm saying is, maybe using a "hard" protein (chicken, meat, fish) and eating until you're sure you're content would be a safer choice. One last thing... many of you on this post are March '08 bandsters. If you haven't already, come join us on the Master Thread under Support Groups. It's a great way to see how everyone who's within the (relatively) same timeframe is doing. Commiserating, supporting, finding humor in our journeys...