HeatherO

Almost everyone loses easily at first and then has an ugly plateau before they begin getting fills. Just know that this is a normal and expected part of the banding experience. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it and definitely shouldn't turn to food. Just keep following the bandster rules and it will start falling off again in no time. I agree with getting rid of the chocolate. Using it to relieve stress is one of the bad habits that most of us have to overcome. To be successful, you have to find other ways to relieve stress. Go for a walk, get some exercise, read a good book, take a bath, etc. . . . just find an activity that you don't normally associate with food and that will help.

I also agree with making sure you get in enough Water and Protein. If you are always staying under 1,000 calories and have been doing so for 3 1/2 months, it sounds like it might be too few calories for you and you may want to bump it up 100-200 calories a day for a week and see what happens. Your body may be in starvation mode and holding on to every calorie. Exercise also really helps. If you have not built it into your day yet, you may want to do so. Even if it is only a 30 minute walk around the block, every little bit helps. Last but not least, 15 pounds may not seem like much but it is still a little over 1 pound a week. This is a reasonable rate of loss and within range of the 1-2 pounds a week that is considered optimal for healthy weight loss.

Oh my . . . how did you do that???

LOL, just don't make it a habit and you will survive just fine. :thumbup:

Usually they say the left shoulder pain is gas which is true for most people with the early pain experienced after surgery. However, after 3 weeks the gas would have dissipated so it is no longer a gas issue. The longer lasting left shoulder pain is referred pain from the diaphragm. It can be pretty intense . . . for me it felt like a horse kicked me where my shoulder and neck joined. Sometimes it was like a sharp pinching sensation, sometimes a little like a burning sensation but it was definitely pretty painful. It would get worse after I ate. It lasted for about 5 weeks in my case. The only thing that helped (and it only helped some) was massage and soaking in a hot bath with my neck/shoulder submerged (with my belly incisions exposed to the air and not resting in the water). The only real cure is time, but it does indeed go away. It is rare that it lasts for several weeks but there are a small percentage of us that have this happen. One common thing I have noticed when discussing it with people is that those of us with this problem almost always had a hernia repair performed at the time of banding. Out of curiousity, diid you happen to have a hiatal hernia repaired during banding? I hope you feel better soon.

It sounds like diet may be a part of the problem. Right now you probably don't have much if any restriction. Fish and yogurt are fine. Chicken is good for protein but you want to stay away from fried food with breading. Yogurt is very good for you if it is not a sugar laden variety. Most of the items listed are heavy in carbs. Typically our diets involve proteins first (lean proteins without a lot of fat), vegetables second, and if there is any additional room left high quality carbs such as whole grains are eaten. This kind of diet leads to success for most bandsters and also is a healthy enough diet to provide necessary vitamins and nutrients. One problem with eating a diet heavy in carbs/fats/sugar is that it does cause you to continue craving it all the time. Your blood sugar levels have a fast high quickly followed by a severe drop causing intense cravings for more. The best way to move away from these cravings is to give yourself at least one solid week avoiding all carbs/sugar. After a week, cravings start to diminish and will continue to do so over time. The band will help diminish the amount of food that a person can eat once they hit their sweet spot. However, the quality of food makes all the difference in making significant progress towards goals. Dietary changes are a necessary part of the banding experience. Good luck to you.

I forgot to mention that they told me yesterday that they put in a large Allergen band which holds 14 cc's. They said they usually put in a large band if it is a replacement in case scar tissue causes a band to be too tight when it is empty. I had 6.5 cc's in the band from surgery and they added 3 more cc's. I am happy about a larger band. I think if I decide to have another baby in the future, this might help me to make it through pregnancy. I had 3 emergency unfills and finally a bad slip on an empty band through my pregnancy/delivery. I think my stomach/band is just wayyyy too sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and having a big enough band to accomodate that is a great thing.

Hello everyone . . . still busy and swamped with moving, working, went to the circus, had to drive 5 hours yesterday with the baby alone for a fill appointment. I am not going to have breathing time until November at this rate, lol. On a positive note, I have a little restriction again. It isn't much but I can detect it. I had one hard boiled egg for breakfast and it just sat in my pouch in an almost but not quite uncomfortable way. Yayyy. I have some work to do. I was down to 127 at my sickest but it was not a healthy way to lose weight. I seemed to stabilize at 136 for some time - but at my appointment yesterday I was 141. I think I am going to make my personal goal 135 which is the upper end of a normal BMI. This is a reasonable maintenance weight for me and I can live with it. :0)

They took the baby early because he wasn't growing well. They thought he would be about 1 pound 3 ounces but ended up being 1 pound 8 ounces . . . but that is abnormally small for a 33 week baby. They said it was something like intruterine growth restriction (if I am writing it correctly). He just wasn't flourishing in the womb and stopped growing properly. The doctors decided that his chances were much better outside the womb at that point in time. The baby is doing fine now. He is happy and healthy. He was due 4 days earlier than my baby but came almost 2 months early. He seems to be about a month behind my daughter as far as the things he is capable of doing at this age. However, it is normal for preemies to be a little behind at first and catch up later. He is such a sweetie and we are lucky to have him in the family.

I was present for my sisters c-section (went into the operation with her) and got to hold the baby at 33 weeks and only 1 pound 8 ounces. The pictures shows me with the baby right after delivery. The next day I was not alowed to visit since the baby was a preemie. It was strictly limited to the mother and father in the NICU. They are clamping down on visitation in order to minimize the risk. Good luck with your delivery.

ShinyhappyMommy, congratulations and best of luck to you :0) My final ultrasound said 5 pounds 7 ounces . . . and she was born weighing exactly 5 pounds and 7 ounces. The doctor was shocked saying that it never happens to be exactly what you expect it to be, lol.

Hello Everyone, Just a quick drive-by post. I have been offline since I have been moving and didn't have internet over the weekend. I really need to catch up on the last several pages, lol. I get a fill tomorrow. I am looking forward to it. :0)

Laura, do you get any kind of guarantee in writing that if they fix it and it is still leaking that they will revise it quickly at no additional cost? You have already had a port revision and with the leak as well . . . it just seems like too many problems with this particular band. What kind of band do you have?

I can feel it getting closer :0)

Hello Everyone, I agree with Laura . . . your own baby is the most beautiful and perfect without a doubt no matter what they are like. I loved kids before I had children, but you really do have a special bond from day one with your own. Pumpkin muffin and a french kruller donut for breakfast. I am batting a thousand today. So . . . I accept that I made a bad choice this morning but it doesn't give me the leeway to blow the rest of the day. I will have a healthy lunch and dinner.

Not all babies are that cone-headed. My son was verryyy coneheaded, but it was a rough delivery with forceps. However, my daughter's head was very round and perfect. It is because she was a small baby, not the first baby I have had and my labor was really fast (induced at 6:30 with no contractions and delivered around 10:30). The harder the labor, the longer you are waiting as the baby moves through the birth canal, the bigger the baby happens to be all contributes to head shape. Let's hope you have a fast and easy delivery with a very healthy but not too large baby :0)

Hello and welcome. A_thinner_me, scanlon21 and I have met before for coffee before in the Willoughby location. We were hoping to set something up again very soon. Perhaps you can join us next time. I travel to Columbus for fills/aftercare. My doctor does accept new patients but there is a new patient fee to join the group. I go through Cincinnati Weight Loss which you can find online. When I was first looking for a new doctor, I also found that Dr. Chlysta based out of Akron General will also do fills/aftercare. However appointments were $500 each so I didn't consider going to him. There are also other groups in the Cleveland area that do bariatric care (St. Vincents hospital has commercials from time to time). Perhaps a couple of quick phone calls might lead you in the right direction. Good luck in your search. :0)

It was the Glass Castle . . . I think I said House because I have to pick up a book from Barnes & Noble called A Painted House for my son's school reading today, lol. Since when is a Grisham novel on the high school reading list??? It makes me very curious. I may just have to read it myself, lol. OK, I have to admit something. I read every book my son has ever had to read for school or purchased in general. It is not as if I feel the need to read it to protect him from bad literature or help him by discussing concepts, etc., etc. It is almost entirely because I love to read and there is new material calling my name in the house while I am rooting amongst the book shelves. Re-reading some books such as Lord of the Flies are awesome as an adult. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Harry Potter & Charlie Bone series, and that is no joke. The Twilight series is a little on the boring side for me because it reminds me of the middle school angst experienced over puppy love. It is the kind of melodrama that would have kept me thoroughly enthralled at the ripe old age of 12-13, lol.

By the way, I finished the Glass House last night. It was interesting and funny. I can't remember who suggested it here . . . but thank you. I really enjoyed it. :0)

Hello everyone, Banding is not easy . . . even when you are at goal. I still battle the same demons all day every day just like before. It is insanity. I am sitting at my desk right now after eating a cherry laffy taffy . . . why did I eat this? Because it was there, lol. I can always tell when I fall off the wagon because I start making excuses (sometimes very weak ones). Thank heavens I get my first fill next Tuesday. There is one crazy thing though . . . I feel like I want to jump on the wagon really fast and really hard so that I can show the best possible weight at the band doctors office. Why is going to the band doctor more motivating than life in general, lol??? I must be nuts.

Happy belated birthday, Haydee. Drive by post . . . I am busy this morning and was packing all weekend. Hardly have time to breathe, lol.

Lol, perhaps your subconsious is doing your shopping for you with the potential of a honeymoon baby. I have to say that I have known several people who had a late TOM while they were gearing up for their wedding. I think it is stress related, lol. Well . . . last week I was 136 and today I am 140. It is TOM so I have a partial excuse . . . but I can't forget the cookies, brownies, cakes, rigatoni to die for, chicken, etc., etc., etc. that surrounds time of grief (not to mention my propensity to eat emotionally during times of stress). I also stopped drinking water and have replaced it with coffee . . . and a lot of espresso. I have the feeling I am not doing myself any favors here, I need to get back on the wagon. However, I also have to accept that my band has been empty since January so I have made it through most of a year along with a pregnancy and am still at a semi reasonable weight. I get my first fill next week. Thanks to everyone for their condolences. I really appreciate it.

There is indeed an awkward stage along the way and I was there myself for a time. If you eat too fast or if something is too dry (like chicken for me) it will be stuck but everything else passed entirely too quickly. This is really when you learn the bandster rules of "chew to goo." This is the point at which you begin facing consequences for choices that are difficult for your band to tolerate and is a mid-step in the process. To be honest, I think this stage is helpful because it helps you to learn to avoid painful or unpleasant mistakes before you reach your sweet spot. After this stage, another fill got me to the point where I was at my sweet spot. I had to chew more that I ever thought before and be really carefull with food choices. I also learned at this stage that chicken is better marinated or in a low-calorie sauce of some sort. However, my pouch would empty very slowly and I was satisfied for many hours. It was this stage where I lost most of my weight to get me to a normal BMI. Good luck and hang in there . . . it won't be long now :scared2:

Thanks for the laugh, Laura. I needed it today. Honestly I have been having the same problem but haven't spoken to a gyno yet. I was kind of hoping it would resolve itself over time and I could spare myself that discussion, lol. I am happy that you are getting your revision soon. I appreciate everyones condolences. It is nice just to be able to write it out and get responses . . . I am too sensitive on the subject to talk about it but writing works well. Speaking of alcohol, it may have been more than two years since I have drank anything but I still have a liquor cabinet (although I wasn't shy about yummy virgin margaritas during pregnancy). I wonder if that stuff is any good anymore, lol.

Hello everyone, My weekend has been insanity and I will probably be offline for a few days. My father passed this weekend unexpectedly from complications due to a long illness. I will be going out of town tomorrow. My friend told me last week that bad things come in threes. So this weekend I have also had a financial issue where my checking account was overdrawn because breakfast on Wednesday morning at Bob Evans involved the waitress running a $3,003 tip on my debit card. This morning my son leaves for school and calls me 10 minutes before school starts saying that I need to come and get him because he sprained his ankle. I am not superstitious by any means . . . but there have been three things right after she said that, what a fluke. My life is so crazy right now I can hardly think straight. I think it will be better once I am able to get together with my family.