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ACKKK! Just got a call from my PCP with the results of my HIDA scan. My gallbladder is not functioning. :thumbdown: It has to come out. I am relieved to have finally have an answer for the source of my pain. Bummed that I have to have another operation.

Thanks again ladies... :thumbdown: The more I look the more I see the difference. The last photo was obviously taken at a flattering angle, but I do have my chin back... just the one! Yeah. Bella... so glad you have made such good friends. I hope the flight works out for you. I am sure the chest pain is related to the irritation from your throat??? My throat was sore sore sore for the first few days. If it feels like pain pain, put a call into Dr K to discuss it while you are still in town. ((hugs)) and welcome to the other side girlie!

lol... ok ladies... the blue tongue is back.:eek: for now. :thumbdown: Thanks Munchkin... looking at the pictures I finally can see a little bit of difference. Still a work in progress!

Still a work in progress. :thumbdown: 6 month bandiversary was yesterday.

Well since it has been six months... thought I would share a progress photo. I still have a hard time seeing the difference, but I know it by my clothes!! :thumbdown:

Thanks! Actually I did realize that when I updated my ticker. I was like, wow. If I could be at goal this time next year I would be ESTATIC!! :thumbup: I am realistic though and realize it will slow down the closer I get to goal. I am sorry your new potential furry friend didn't work out :w00t: Hopefully you will find a good playmate for Keeley. Awww thanks Dee. :wub: Love your red dress.... although the teal hat may have been a bad decision. Bwahahahaa. Thanks for the update on Bella. It is so wonderful how you are there for all of Dr K's patients. He should hire you on as a patient liasion! :w00t:

Bella~ Hope your surgery went well!!! Welcome to the other side girlie!!! Today is my 6 month bandiversary y'all. I can't believe it has been 6 months since I started this journey. Wow. :thumbup: I am still so glad I took the leap. I have never regretted my decision, not once!! Today I weighed in at 312!! I am down FOUR pounds from last week!!! :drool: :w00t: :Banane08: This fill got me moving again and I am ecstatic. No more bouncing around aimlessly.

Looking good Gillie! =) Man I should post some of mine but I don't feel like there is a big difference. Will have to have hubby take a photo.

Just wanted to update. My 3rd fill was last week and put me at 5cc's in an AP small (10cc) band. I finally have restriction!! I am very excited. Some things are no problem, and others like lean hamburger meat or salmon don't go down very well. Not sure about the "sweet spot" since I am still figuring things out, but it is nice to have my tool helping me! =)

GBEAR~ Yeah. Welcome to the other side. Glad everything went smoothly!

HIDA scan is a test that checks the function of the gallbladder. Basically they injected a radioactive material into my IV and then had me lay under a nuclear scanner for 1.5 hours while it worked it's way through my liver, gallbladder etc. It was a ball of fun. So glad I borught a book with me to read while I laid there. So glad your surgery went well! Yeah! Glad you are feeling better. :cool2:

Oh Bella. That sounded like such a rough flights over. So sorry you got airsick. Hopefully the anti nausea the prescribe will nix that. I also hope you can get back on standby with a direct flight. Maybe they will be nice and do it if you explain. ((hugs)) Lap~ Girl, how special for your grand baby to have art from grandma on her nursery walls. So neat. They are very special. Thanks for sharing. Loved the belly portrait!

Mini~ Yeah it sucked. I have had tightness before with some things and always wondered if that meant I was stuck. Well there is no wondering what stuck feels like... you will know. I made it 6 months though without any episodes... and I hope I never have another one again. I knew after the first bite it wasn't working but I had three more. Listen to your body and you should be fine!!! I was stupid tonight and didn't listen.

Lifesaver~ Adding my hugs to the rest. So sorry, wish I could do more than send you cyber hugs. (((HUGS))) Dee~ Girl I am glad you are so happy. Enjoy it! You deserve it. Please be careful though!! I know firsthand how wonderful a relationship can be starting online. That is how I met my terrific husband. I also went through all the same anxiety, and wondered how he could love me, fat as I was. The wonderful thing about us meeting online is we fell in love with each other and were not influenced by physical appearances. Once you love the person, they become the most beautiful person you ever met. What I am trying to say is, my husband probably wouldn't have turned my head if I passed him on the street, but he is simply the most adorable and handsome man I know! :embaressed_smile: :huh2: ***** Well ladies I had my first stuck/puke episode tonight. I am so mad at myself. I had an egg salad sandwich on toast and that was fine. About 2 hours later my hubby cooked up some burgers so I decided to have a meat patty. Well they were super lean burgers so they were pretty dry. I had maybe 4 bites and I just knew it wasn't going to work. So I stopped eating and gave the rest to hubby. About 10 minutes later I was sliming like crazy and my chest hurt. I was so mad. I wasn't hungry, why oh why did I eat the stupid meat patty? After a good 15 minutes of sliming it finally came up. I don't care what anyone calls it, it is puking. I felt instantly better though! No more meat patties for me for awhile!! :w00t: At least I know for sure I have some restriction now. I had been so careful all week too!! Ugh. Oh and I had my HIDA scan today. It was painless and BORING. Should get the results within the week hopefully.

Tina~ If you have any questions about anit-depressants, feel free to ask away. I have been on Zoloft for quite awhile now. I resisted meds for an eternity... years and years, but finally caved and have been regular on it for awhile now. Unlike you, I DO have to be on meds probably for the rest of my life. I have no side effects... except maybe a little heartburn occasionally if I take it before bed. I try not to take it before bed anyway since it tends to wire me up a bit. :biggrin: I do not feel "FLAT". I still have ups and downs, and I still enjoy those dips. They are just not as severe for me. Oh, the only side effect that sucks is diminished sex drive and it is near impossible sometimes to reach that brass ring *wink*. But considering the alternative, my husband and I would much rather work with that then have my depressed self moping around being destructive to myself and those around me. Considering you need meds short term... I think you should ask about Zoloft to your Dr. I have gone off it a zillion times (in the beginning) without having ANY withdrawl issues. Also it is rather fast acting as it does not take weeks to build up in your system to be effective. Good luck! :mad:

Thanks for explaining this. Mostly I notice it when I am eating. When I feel it, I stop. It usually goes away after a half hour or so. Still a new sensation so I am trying to figure it out. I do notice when I drink after a half hour or hour that it doesn't go all the way through. you know how when you drink something cold you can feel it drop all the way down, I can't feel it do that after I eat. So I am thinking I might FINALLY have some restriction! Yipppeee. We will see! Oooo thanks for the info! Off to check that out now. I still haven't filled my script so maybe I can use the one I have now. Sweeeet! Thanks so much! :thumbup: Woofay and Brandy.... happy birthday ladies!

Hmmmm.... I am not sure about the fill being too tight... but anything is possible. I will keep that in mind. :cool: Dr B is very cautious with my fills so I think I am good on that. If it persists I will mention it to my PCP when I have the follow up to my HIDA scan. Since he is banded, perhaps he can give me a perspective.

FATWIDOW ~ Ha... thanks for the info. I had my Endo done in May and they found severe reflux so now I am on Nexium. I keep telling them I do not FEEL any reflux, or have any symptoms. Well maybe now I do! Hmmm. This all just started after the last fill. Maybe I need to eat less or chew more??? I think my insurance covers it, although it is expensive, I pay $30 a month for it. I think that is a lot for a co-pay??

Ok ladies... restriction question. since my fill on Monday I have obviously been careful on what i eat. I HAVE noticed my portions have been cut down and I have been very mindful about chewing, not drinking, etc. After this last fill I have noticed I sigh, or take a deep breath so I am taking that as a soft stop signal. Head hunger is fighting me on that, but I am trying! I have noticed a NEW sensation, it almost feels like something is stuck in the back of my throat. Not painful stuck like in the chest tightness... this is at the back of the throat and just feels like I need to swallow it down. I keep dry swallowing but it still feels like something is back there. Eventually the feeling goes away. Sometimes my throat feels tired, like the muscles have been overworked. (maybe it is all that dry swallowing.. haha) So does this mean I am too full and filled all the way up my esophagus? I read somewhere that there are no nerves in the throat so there is no way to feel were in the throat it is. Is this true? I don't want to overeat!! But I feel fine, still no stuck episodes or PB's. *knock on wood* Has anyone else experienced this???

Brandy... I did low-carb before my surgery and I lost 20lbs in one month. So I say YES.... it REALLY will speed your loss. I still try to be mindful of crabs, but no where as strict as I was pre-op. I think cutting out the whites is a good place to start, but I would not be so strict as to cut out fruits etc. I was freaking out about not having the surgery covered by my health insurance, but I am so glad I did it anyway. Not a day goes by that I wish I didn't haven't surgery... I am VERY very VERY happy with it! Now I have had some problems, but I am not sure if they are band related yet or not. Will find out on Tuesday when I have my HIDA scan. I am a bit different because I DO have insurance... so my Endoscopy, CAT scans, Ultrasounds, HIDA scan & ER visits have all been covered. I know Mona doesn't have health insurance, so she might be someone to talk to. If I didn't have insurance, and all these issues came up, I am not sure if I would be as happy right now... lol... cuz I would be swimming in medical bills, but I still wouldn't regret having the surgery done. It has made a big difference in my attitude and outlook on life. I participate in my own life. You can't put a price on that! As for how much to eat pre-op... I don't think it matters. I ate whatever portions I wanted but cut out the whites. I would still eat a 8oz steak and veggies and then have something again a few hours later. Just stay COMPLETELY away from the whites and carbs. No yogurt either!! :cool:

MARCY~~ You look WONDERFUL! I can totally see the difference. Slow and steady wins the race. I know it must be hard to see others drop quicker, but everyone is different. Way to go, keep up the good work!!! =) =)

Oh yeah, and today was my weigh in... I am down ONE pound. So I am back where I was 2 weeks ago. *sigh* Ah well. I am not making my goal for the challenge, but I am still heading in the right direction. Only 17 pounds to go till I hit twoterville. :confused:

MUNCHKIN~ I feel you on wanting to feel NORMAL. I work midnights also and it can be a real killer sometimes. From reading what you wrote, it seems like you want to stay where you are. The pay is better, you like your supervisors etc. $400 a month is a good chunk of change, so I would really sit down with your budget and make sure it is an option. I have worked midnights for about 6 years. I had about 8 months last year that I was on days and I LOVED it. I felt sooo normal. But I HATED waking up early. Now that I am back on mids I am happy enough. I still sometimes wish for more normal hours, specially when others are planning stuff and I can't make it because of my hours. Hard call girly. good luck with your decision! BRANDY~ I am so sorry I missed the post about your FIL. How SCAREY! So glad he is doing better. Wheew. I hope he continues to heal quickly and is back to his healthy self. Well ladies, I saw my new PCP today and I love love love him! He rocks. He went over so much of my medical history my head is spinning. I will make this short. I DO have PCOS. (I do, I don't, I do... haha long story) I DO NOT have a cyst on my kidney. I got a referral for the HIDA scan. If the gallbladder is still negative he wants to do an upper GI to rule out issues with my esophagus. Oh and get this, HE and his wife have a Lap Band! So he totally UNDERSTANDS! When he found out I was going to Flagstaff for follow-up because no one would see me in Tucson, he picked up the phone right there and called up HIS surgeon. He gave them my info and gave me numbers to call so I can do follow up care HERE in Tucson. So I don't have to drive 4 hours up and 4 hours back for fills! Plus if I DO have a problem with my gallbladder, he said he would want a LapBand guy to take it out. Awesome. I feel 100% better with the response I got today. I can tell he actually CARES and IS going to follow up with me. Only took me 31 years, but I found a Dr who seems to have his shit together. I will let y'all know how the HIDA scan goes. I am scheduling it tomorrow.

I am at 5cc's in a 10cc band. I just had my last 1cc put in on Monday so I am still adjusting to the last fill. I can eat anything, and only feel a little discomfort when eating scrambled eggs or chicken. I so hope this last fill will give me some restriction!

Thanks for the hugs and encouragement y'all. Means so much to me. Man, I go away for a few days and the thread explodes. lol. I skimmed through so I hope I didn't miss anything too crazy!! LAP~ Congrats on getting so close to 200's. I am so excited for you. I am still about 16 away myself, and hope to see the 200's in the next month or two. I cannot even FATHOM getting back into the 200's!! So glad you, Dee and I will be heading there together. Yippeee!!! Keep up the awesome work1! Shesha~ Congrats on your new addition. I absolutely ADORE the name Owen. Great choice. =) =) So I had my fill on Monday. Dr B only gave my 1cc. He said I am still refluxing heavily so he does not want to give me any more. I am glad I have my fills done under fluro. I could see the contrast just sitting in my esophagus. He is concerned I will stretch it out if he fills it any more. So I am now at 5cc in my 10cc band. Hopefully this gives me some restriction! I discussed my gallbladder concerns with Dr B and he agrees that I should have the HIDA scan done. He also thinks I should have a follow-up endoscopy done to see if I need to stay on my nexium. I decided to get a new PCP Dr and I have an appointment with him tomorrow. I am tired of fighting to get tests to figure out what is up. So hopefully my appointment tomorrow goes well. My MIL sees this Dr and he seems very thorough and I liked him when I went in with her. I pulled my back or something and have been in a lot of pain the last few days. I have been popping pain meds and using Icy Hot patches to no avail. I hope this is just a strain and is not related to my abdominal pain. I will mention it to my PCP as well. I feel like I am falling apart! lol. My lunch with my band buddy went really well. I feel a lot better about where I am in right now. I just needed a mental break from the "dieting" I felt I had to do since I am still restriction less. I really need my band to help me out a bit; I am hoping this last fill will do the trick. Sorry so long. :redface: