losing it in ne

PB is a productive burp, basicly a little upchuck. I have been banded since 4/11 and I have not had a fill due to infection in the port area(port removed temporarily). I have lost 49#'s to date and I eat any food including bread if I want it. I do watch my fats,carbs & calories closely. It has been very easy however because I am not hungry at all and it is still quite amazing to me that I can only eat 1/2 -1 cup of food & be totally happy. Even on the days I have indulged I rarely go over 1500cals. Understand I left the emotional eating and the head hunger behind a number of years ago but I still had a raging hunger in the evening. Like you this is a tool to help me lose the weight but it is not a quick fix or a cure all. It took me many years to pack on the pounds and realisticly it could take more then a few months to take it off. I never want to be so filled that I can't eat food I like or need. I have a friend who can't eat any meat but fish. Her weight loss has not improved with such tight fill. I plan to have a normal life in moderation. We had a family reunion (3days) and I was very pleased that I could eat but definitely never ate like I would have before and had no desire to do so. Even when I snacked with the others 3 or 4 chip & salsa was a great plenty. WOW before I could have eaten 1/2 the bag and never give it a thouhgt. As to soda I gave it up for water probably 10 years ago. I really have no desire for it very often. If you use the band as a tool & not as a quick fix cureall you will be fine. Have goals but don't expect to lose in a few weeks what took years to amass. Good Luck to you ps. ignore my ticker can't get the thing to update

lots of help here. Just post you questions and you'll get lots of responses. I've been banded since april. Fire away!

emily, you really need to get up and get moving. Take tylenol or something during the day instead of the narcotics if they wioe you out. My incisions were glued as well. It may be nothing or it could be a seroma or infection. Usually with thoase you have swelling, drainage, increased pain, redness, and fever (infection). I had mine in April and i could shower and all that, just don't rub with a cloth and maybe keep your back to the water. You really need to get up and walk lots to get rid of the gas as well as keep your circulation going. Call your doc on Monday if you still have concerns or increased symptoms. Good luck & welcome to bandland.

I have had to do them for 2 surgeries a few day before and after. No big deal really. Try to avoid the surgery site by several inches if you can because you do bruise and that helps things. Also don't rub or wipe after the injection as that makes it burn and bruise more. Good luck on you up comming surgery. I have lost 44 lbs since april 11 inspite of the fact that I have no port right now and no fills. I was an unlucky one who got an infection. But I still couldn't be happier with my choice to do this I'm the lowest weight I've been in over 4years.

I do understand but luckily I had learned to listen to my body and seperate head hunger from real hunger. I also learned to eat better and differnt by watch other people (normal size) eat and mimic them. I really believe journaling helps you take an honest look at what you are eating and why. It's im,portant to write down how you feel when you overindulge or feel you really need to eat. Tracking the food helps you realize what you really are doing. You must be brutally honest with yourself if you really want to overcome this. A good support group or therapist would be helpful as well or a buddy you can call anytime. Make sure it is someone who will be honest and not tell you what you want to hear. I know it can be done and I know every one is different but I was banded 4/11 & have no fill due to complications with the port. there are times I feel I could eat a whole meal but I don't. I pick out what I can eat and if I want more I walk away from the table and wait 10 minutes, If I'm still hungry I can eat a little more but I haven't needed to because my brain caught up with my stomach. If I want something I have it don't deny and no food is bad just the an=mount you eat of it. choc my great stress reliever!!! So now I have 1 dark choc kiss and slowly let it melt and savor every swallow. Chips measure out 1 oz and put the rest out of site or better yet buy the tiny bags. I know you can do this but it will not be easy. You have to want to make the changes in your lifestyle. This is not another diet or a miracle cure it is just a tool for you to use. The band won't control what you choose to put in your mouth. Good luck to all of you.

Has anyone else had a problem with body odor..... I can smell my self and it burns my eyes and nose it is so sharp. I was banded 4/11 and have lose 40 #'s since surgery. I have a wound from infection and having my port removed but I use a wound vac and the odor does not seem to be worse when we change the dressing. Even within minutes of showering I notice the smell again. I have to see my doc monday but thought I would get some imput from all of you as well. This is really annoying. Help anyone. Thanks:wub:

I haven't had these problems but I wonder why you would have a 6" sub. That's a theray issue but I wondered of you for about a week only ate meals in the proper portion (about 1/2c) if you might not find more success. I would think that when you over eat the pouch swells and then you need liquids to let it heal and you are just repeating this cycle over and over again. BElieve me I know how hard it is when you eat for emotional reasons. Did it for years. Just don't present yourself with things and amounts you shouldn't have. Particularly quanity. If you need to indulge and we all do, then just choose something like a kiss or whatever and be sure to by the smallest and not store it if you can't walk away from it and forget about it. I hope you find a good doc and keep going to theray but try to find a wls support group as well. Sometimes only people who've walked in your shoes can really understand.Good Luck to you. I hope things go better from here.

Go to a site called thedailyplate.com I has a place wher eyoucan make meals. I use it to do recipes and then figure my portion of them. I have found it very helpful that way. I agree with the sodium thing but you will see that if use this site. You rally shouldn't be on the scale everyday anyway. My wight will vary that much as well. Once a week is plenty if not to much. Good luck I hope this helps you.

Not to be rude but you are being paraniod. Just tellhim how you feel. You say you don't have any major problems but high blood pressure and shortnes of breathe at 21 are very significant problems. I agree with the others that your ins is the biggest problem unless you are private pay. I would really encourage you to get involved with some groups right now and if posible some theray. I trully believe that our love affair with food has roots that have absolutely nothing to do with food. Mine did and it has taken me many years to figure out why I ate like I did.. I'm 54 and have been banded for 2 months. luckily my insurance paid for the procedure. It is just a last step in my journey to actually lose the weight. I have conquered the emotional eating and the head hunger several years ago therefore this has been easy to date inspite of some infection issues. I have currently had my port removed so no fills for me for a while but I am still happy with my choice and have lost 38#'s in 2 months. Please help yourself by getting the support you need to figure out the why otherwise I trully believe it is a very long hard journey. The band is only a tool and it will not control when, why or what you put in your mouth. Do everything you can to understand that and help yourself in your journey. Unfortunately there are no quick fixes. Relax, be yourself, be honest & good luck. Keep us posted on your visit and decision.

I'm glad I found this thread. I also had a little leakage with sneezing etc but I had a perfed bowel in July of 06 was very infected and since that time it has been horrible. I have complained since surgery, tried the meds, done exercises but it was always "if you lose weight" for an answer. Shortly after surgery things improved a lot but I also had infection and was on antibiotic and having my port removed, on I V antibiotics. Not one problem and then my antibiotics stopped and I and right back where I was even though I've lost almost 40#'s. This is not stress stuff it is like feel the urge better be there cause you won't make it, even just around the corner. I think I'm going to insist on seeing a urologist cause something just an't right and now they can't say lose weight. I just go to the bathroom on a schedule and even that doesn't always work. Unfortunately this isn't leakage just flat out incontinence now. I have told them all along I thought the perotinitis affected my bladder but it was always my weight, or take a pill that cost a fortune and didn't work. Thanks for your help ladies I was beginning to think I was a nut case.

A number of years ago alittle boy referred to me as being fluffy like is nana. I guess for small children it is okay, but to call myself fluffy or be called that by an adult would really tic me off. How silly. I am fat no other word for it. Not even overweight fits. I have to be honest with me if I'm going to be successful on this journey. :thumbup:

Oh I so hope you don't cancel. Yes bad things can and do happen. That possible withany surgery. I have had some problems with my port but I still would di it again. I'm 2 months out, don't have a fill yet since my port was removed for a period of time. As for the pbing and sliming I never intend to get a fill that is that tight. If I do I will have some taken out. I perfer to make better choices in my lifestyle. This thing can't do all the work or really any of it. It's my job. I intend to lose the weight but I will only use the band as a tool and not a cure all because it isn't. Good Luck to you in whatever decision you make but remember you weight will only negatively impact your life. At 53, always overweight. I know.

I use a children gummy and doble the dose. Taking my vitamins is like a special treat each day. Those hard chewables are pretty hard to take after a while. I read where you can get an adult gummy but I don't live in the city to get into places like The Vitamin Shoppe but have thought about trying them.

I was on 160mg at 339 before and after surgery. Sounds to me like you need to have your blood checked. Are you doing your own injections? Be sure to not rub afterward as they bleed and bruise more.

Yep I think the sane excuses apply. Alot of people are not honest with themselves about what they really eat. Believe me I use to be one of them. A bite here a bite there like that didn't count. The only person I was hurting was me with all the lies I told myself. I sabatoged myself for years. When I finally stopped doing that I began to maintain my weight albe it heavy rather then continueing to gain. Then I was able to look at why I ate(big time emotional support). It is true that I had a raging hunger in the evening and I changed lots of things about the way & times I ate to help that but wasn't succesfull enough to lose at the rate I needed to. Wiith what I was doing. It would have taken me about 10 years take off what I had packed on my body. Most want a no work on my part solution and I know for a fact that the band is just a tool. It trully has helped me manage my evening hunger but I still have to choose the better things to eat and how much and to be strictly honest with myself with that. Now that I've rambled on forever I think the band is great and I plan to use mine to the best of my ability. I certainly did't go through all this so I could continue to lie to myself about why I couldn't do it.

Too bad you have had such a hard time but that doesn't meant it not right for others. Sounds like your doc wasn't a very good choice. Encouraging people to go out of country to save is also not very sound advice either. Anyone who has complications find it difficult to find a doc stateside who will take them on and then the savings goes right out the door. I'm astounded that you have lost so little and I am very sorry that you have done this for basicly nothing at this point. Maybe you need to find a different surgery group that will better meet your needs. Do you go to any support group or anything like that to get help. They are very important and any doc who doesn't tell you that is in my opinion negligent. If you trully feel you need your band removed I hope you find someone to do it and are then happy with your decision. Good luck to you. As for me even with the complications I have had I wouldn't trade mine in. I'm 1 # from my first gaol of 300#'s, 38 #'s in just 2 months. I could never do that before without the band. So lots of us are very happy with our choices. Everything has 2 sides to the coin and no one thing is right for everyone.

I have the same problem. Mine opened within 2 weeks of surgery and I got infection a couple weeks later. about 3weeks ago they removed my port and I now have an open wound that needs to heal. I am using a wound vac. I have infection again and the surgeon wants to try more surgery but I want to try more and different antibiotics since they had to stop mine prmaturely due to a raction to them. If I were you I would find someone right away if you are tracking. Tracks are the fhardest to heal and if the top wound closes before the track you will have lots more problems. I have atrack as well. He says they can put the port back in when things heal up. I had surgery Apr 11. You really should have to have a bariatric surgeon but surely a hospital in your area can give you the name(s) of surgeons in your area. Please don't wait. It will only get worse left alone. Are you seeing a PCP now? He should be able to connect you but lots of docs don't want to take on patients who went to mexico so keep looking til you find someone. wishing you the best.

Sounds as if you were quite a while post surgery. Mine never really healed and it was removed right at 6 weks after surgery. I have a wound vac on but I have tunnels and infection still. I went home on IV antibiotics but had a problem with those so they stopped all the antibiotics and now my surgeon wants to do more surgery but I would really like to try more antibiotics. The idea of surgery again in about 4 weeks is not appealing to me. I have had bigger wounds and infection and gotten them healed without more surgery. If i do this one then I have another one again to put the port back in. Too much surgery for me. I see the doc in about 10 days so we'll see. I am definitely going to try and convince him otherwise.

I will have to have my port replaced also but first i have to heal the wounds and the infection. Did you have to do that also? How long before you got a new port? What do you mean by low profile report? I'm sorry I'm just rambling but I am really concerned that I may have gone through all of this for nothing if I can't have my port replaced. I never got the chance to have a fill and right now I'm doing ok I can eat about 1 cup of food now as opposed to the 1/2 cup and still be full. I have started eating on 3 times a day and as long as I have good protien it holds me. I have lost approx. 35#'s so far but lots of inches. I really just don't want to have done this for nothing. Thanks for listening to me.

It could be any number of things. If drops or a cough syrup don't help I'd call my doc. I started coughing right out of surgery this time ( which I have never done in spite of 9 major sugeries in the last 6 years). The tube caused an ashtma attack which I had been diagnosed in the last year but had never had an attack with wheezing and coughing. It could be something as simple as a little allergy to something in the tube or what you are drinking but it could also be something serious like a bloos clot or pneumonia. Call you doc if the otc things don't work. Good luck and hope you are feeling better really soon.

The heating pad is a great help. Are you taking your pain meds rountinely through the day? Sometimes it works better if you just take them before the pain gets out of control. I'm a pretty tuff old bird and have had some really major surgeries but I had quite a lot of pain in my port area. It sounds like you have talked to your doc already but I'd say if you don't feel considerably better by Monday you need to insist he do some test or go to someone else. Surgeons tend to be very egotistical about their work. Any tests you had before surgery and the fact that things went well doesn't mean there isn't a problem now. If you really feel you are having heart pain or really having trouble breathing you may need to just go to an ER. You need to be your own health advocate. Insist that they listen to you and make sure you are ok. Lots of things can happen after surgery. I hope you get to feeling better but do what you need to do for you.

This is a great idea. I was banded on 4/11 but have had to have my port removed due to infection. So no fill for me yet but so far I have been happy with my 1/2 cup of food and have been staying on plan easily. I started at 339 (day before surgery) and now I am at 309 so it is really close for me. I have not been under 300 in 4 years and then only breifly. I had been a really long time before that. I am so excited. I can wear things I haven't worn for a long time and get this I had on a pair of short that actually fell off when I stood up. How cool is that. I can't get my ticker to update but I am just about there. Let's celebrate together. Yeah!!!

I just had surgery to remove my port due to infectionion. I am home with 3 weeks of IV antibiotics and a wound vac for the open incision. I was banded 4/11. Even now I would do it again. I have lost 30 #'s already and I am not having any trouble sticking to the eating program even though I have not had a fill yet and obviously won't for some time now with the removal of the port. I feel better then I have in years and have much more energy. Believe me being 330#'s and having major surgery is not picnic and at least I know that at some point I will be healthier inspite of all the problems. Good luck to all of you and I hope you find that even with the difficulties it was worth it.

If you are on a full liquid diet you should be able to have cream of wheat. Having been on many after surgery I know that most hospitals serve it but you could call your local hospital & ask. Custard is also on full liquid and has a chewy texture then pudding. I'm just thankful that my doc didn't require this kind of diet. Hang in there you will be done soon and it just a minor bump in the road.:rolleyes2:

shots are a quick fix but you have to go to the Dr for a script. I take an over the counter b-12 every day. I split mine but you can get chewables and sublingual most everywhere.