kgloverii

Hi all, I just wanted to share a bit of info I learned after I had an extreme bout of SUPER tightness. I had a fill at the beginning of August of .3 ccs in a VG band just to 'top me off' and keep me in my sweet spot. I was in my sweet spot after said fill, went on vacation, ate as a normal Banded person would do and experience no ill effects. After returning home, I started taking my Adderall for ADD again, and began to take it more regularly than I had been previously. I became super tight, unable to keep hardly any food down, and being cautious with EVERYTHING I ate, defaulting to Soups, etc while I tried to see if the tightness would resolve itself or if I needed an unfill. While talking to my friend Julie, who had the band put in on the same day as me, she told me how a nurse had told her that tightness can be due to dehydration. I always pump fluids while on Adderall, but apparently, not enough. I took a few days off the meds, pumped fluids like CRAZY, and I can eat again! Just wanted to share, for those of you that have an unexplained tightness that arises long after the fill... It may be dehydration, and try to pump the fluids... it might help!

You should NOT be scared. This is very typical. I am POSITIVE that Miralax is the way to go. Non-habit forming, gentle, and everyone that has taken it has had good results. Take it from the constipation queen. Haha, what a title! :smile2:

Most Bandsters deal with constipation at one time or another post-band. I dealt with it for like 5 months straight. Miralax was my friend. My PCP said to take it as often as I needed, once a day till I was regular... I still get stopped up occasionally and a few days of Miralax and I am good to go again... I tried the fiber, the juice, the yogurt, nothing was working... HTH!

CONGRATS on getting off the plateau!

YES. YOU CAN DAMAGE YOUR BAND BY EATING SOLIDS. You put yourself at enormous risk for a slipped band. You need to regroup, and get back to your pureed diet now. I cannot stress this enough. I'd take Tylenol for the kidney pain and follow up with your doc in a few days if you don't feel better. As for your first fill, your doc will probably follow the guidlines set forth by the manufacturer for the first fill. There probably is no leeway on the amount... GL!

At the one year mark, and still slowly losing, I do the eat less thing... I chose the band for the ability to eat what I want, but in MUCH smaller portions. If I want it, I have it, although it might not be much... except pizza... LOL. Pizza is the devil. :smile: I, like Jacqui eat less carbs and more Protein just because bread and my band don't mix well... and I truly DO feel empowered now, making healthy choices... You might have things that don't 'agree' with your band as much as pre-band. But you can eat anything you want... just keep it balanced. :frown:

It WILL. I promise. You've just gotta get to your sweet spot. My sweet spot made me WANT to choose wisely... but before then, not so much... Hugs!

Just keep on truckin'. I chose my Band because I wanted to be able to eat anything. Therefore for me, I choose to eat anything I want, just in tiny portions. I wanted to be realistic, and choose a weight loss option that allowed me to live my life... without restrictions. And for the most part, with the Band I do. I try to make wise choices, but no food is off limits. So far, it has worked for me. I don't deal with cravings or head hunger. Cause I know I can have whatever I want... just in smaller portions. Think like this... the next meal you have, you'll choose less, or you'll make a wiser choice. But if you choose something that is less than perfect, it is not 'bad.' It is less than the best. You just make a conscious decision to make the wisest choices possible when going forward. Today, I went to Tim Horton's and got a pumpkin Spice Donut. I ate 1/4 and gave half to my husband. Then, I ate another 1/8 and gave an 1/8 to my dog. I don't feel like I cheated. And I don't feel like "I wish I could've eaten the whole thing." I think. "I got my taste." And 90% of the time I eat a super healthy Breakfast. I will keep making my wise choices. And I'll keep losing....

Just an FYI- I tried this again the 'opposite' way, taking my meds and not pumping fluids. I can barely eat again. LOL. I will spend the weekend off the meds and I guarantee, I'll be back to the 'perfect spot' on Monday.

Just so we are clear, they pay for the fact you HAD surgery, if it is considered covered by them, but they do NOT pay for the surgery. They pay you a set amount for the time you are out of work (if short term disability) and an amount if you are admitted to the hospital, as well as for each full day you are in the hospital. Lapband is considered an outpatient procedure, so I don't think they'd pay you for time spent in the hospital. HTH. The actual cost of the surgery will have to be paid for by you. Most providers require payment upfront.

Mixed feelings. I'd wait till my kid was old enough, say 18, to make their own decision...

I am not aware of AFLAC having any policies that are medical insurance. You do not get approval for anything via AFLAC, you are always paid after the fact based on what circumstances you have. You may get paid some money for time off work, or something, but I am not aware of AFLAC covering surgeries like medical surgeries.

Congrats!!

I have an easy time losing weight, but can never keep it off long term. So, that is what made my mind up. Do your research, and take your time making your decision so that you know you make the right one.

A sweet spot WILL help you in your journey. You are doing VERY well. I hit a plateau for for a whole month, when I was six months post-band. Finally, the scale started moving. I hit my sweet spot at fill #3, and have been at my sweet spot ever since (with a little tweaking, a .3 ccs here and there) and my head doesn't care about food.... Hang in there... keep making the right choices and you'll continue to get there...

Choking on saliva at night is not a good sign. I'd drink a ton of water to make sure you are not dehydrated, and then if you aren't feeling better by late day, call your doc.

Congrats! You look fabulous!!

I love coffee too... and I try to be 'good' cause with the Adderall and caffeine, I can really get dried out... I'll bet if you really concentrate on your Fluid intake over the next few days, you'll notice a difference in your restriction. Let me know... I'm interested to hear if others have the same experience. I'd never heard of that before, and really thought dehydration would do the opposite... I haven't seen much about it on the boards and hope it helps...

Also, try pumping fluids big time for a few days. Dehydration can lead to a tighter band.

Glad you are feeling better! Here's to a quick recovery!!

Wow! Congrats! What an inspiration! You look GREAT!

I dealt with it for MONTHS after surgery... even while consuming prunes, apple juice, and TONS of fiber. My doc suggested Miralax 1x/day and that 'got me going.' I now only take it about 3x per week and I am regular all of the time. I tried EVERYTHING and did not want to get addicted to a laxative, so my doc said long-term usage of Miralax, if needed, was perfectly safe...

At 173 and 5'3" I am comfortably wearing size 12's. My body type is interesting because I am pear shaped, and my fat distribution is even throughout my body, if that makes any sense. When I loose, I loose EVERYWHERE so it takes awhile to notice. My arms, my legs, my feet, my ankles all carry fat. My husband says that he's never seen someone carry fat so 'evenly' before. In fact, I've gone from 235 to 173 so far, AND for a size 9.5 shoe to a 7.5 shoe. And I think my toes STILL look fat. LOL.

Amen to that!!! I ate a White Castle Jalapeño Double Cheeseburger (with only the top bun-- middle and bottom bun removed!) for dinner tonight. I have not one HINT of guilt. I eat healthy 95% of the time, and this dinner is nothing that make me a failure or 'bad.' There are no 'bad foods' just 'not as good' foods.

I have had continuing bouts constipation issues since my band in October 2007. Per my doc, I now use Miralax daily. It is too early to tell if you'll need it like I do, but it is the safest long term option if nothing else works. And trust me, I did the super fiber loading thing, lots of fluids, apple juice, and prunes, and nothing... till my miracle of miralax!