HeatherO

Her technique might have been off but I do think it is reasonable for them to ask questions about your lifestyle post banding and offer suggestions as well. There have been plenty of people whe just get more and more restricted without really changing their lifestyle and later have band problems. I would rather have interactive fills where there is some discussion on how things are going and ways to enhance the process rather than just getting a fill. They say a lot of the success with the band is due to the kind of aftercare you receive. If she could have been a little nicer about it, it would have been better.

In the depths of misery with my colic riddled son, the only thing that really stopped the crying after it was going on steadily for more than a half hour and he was pretty much inconsolable was to walk or drive. He needed the steady, uninterrupted movement. After he would fall asleep and stay that way for awhile, I just brought him back in the house in the stroller and let him sleep in the seat rather than waking him up in an attempt to move him. If you are willing to let him cry for another 5-10 minutes outside of the house, perhaps it might work. Also there are benefits to walking for you as well in that it helps relieve some of the stress that builds from having a child that feels really bad and you can't make the pain go away.

LOL . . . that is just spooky and the first one I have heard that actually fits the situation. I am so used to reading silliness: you will meet the love of your life or job opportunities are open or time is good to make a change :0).

I had cramps along the way too and some spotting somewhere between 12-14 weeks (I can't remember exactly when). I went to the doctor and everything has fine. The doctor said she suspected the spotting might have been due to some recent intimate activities. Once that episode passed, I haven't had any issues except for the normal run-of-the-mill pregnancy symptoms. Spotting definitely doesn't necessarily mean you will have problems as long as you get it checked out.

I am having a very hungry day today. I feel like I am just starving and cant get enough of anything. Blahhh.

1:00 is perfect for me as long as it is good for a_thinner_me/Karen then we are all set.

I can't meet until 12:00 or any time thereafter, can we move out the time a little?

I am good this Saturday any time after lunch. Any Starbucks will do. I will PM my email address to you now.

I think the three of us are all within a 20 minute drive from each other more or less and I am willing to drive. Perhaps a Saturday afternoon for coffee or something similar might be fun if you are free. If we can work something out, we can send contact information as a private message. I am a little further along in banding but will definitely need to take off a few pounds post pregnancy. It is wonderful to be able to support each other through our journeys no matter how far along we are post banding. :0)

scanlon & a_thinner_me, I am in the Mayfield area so not too far away. I would be up for a little get together at a Starbucks or something similar if you are interested. I don't really know any local bandsters and it would be fun and interesting to get together with a couple of other local people.

I am so sorry you had to go through this and even more sorry that your doctor did not pay closer attention to your issues. I wish you a speedy recovery and much success with weight loss down the road.

It is normal to have a stall in weight loss when you go onto mushies. Most people do run into this, I did as well. Once you start getting fills it will get easier. As far as cheating is concerned, I think you may be jeopardizing your future success by cheating this early on. Even if it is in small amounts and you feel as though you are turning the food into a mushy by chewing it a lot, it is still cheating. For me, I always had a reason to justify overeating or poor eating prior to banding . . . however this never did me any good or prevented me from becoming obese. Sometimes you just have to draw a line in the sand, and accept no more excuses. The early specialized diet phase is hard on all of us but we really need it to a) allow the band to heal in place properly & :thumbup: to truly commit to a new lifestyle by following the appropriate steps and changing our mindsets to set us up for success. Not following the diet in the first weeks post banding can lead to slippage down the road. Chances are great that you will have no problems with slippage if you follow the bandster rules and post-op diet given to you by your doctor. Again, I know it is hard, but the time will pass quickly and it only gets easier from here. You can do this :0) Good luck.

I guess I would have to wonder if you feel like you are at your sweet spot. No matter what size band you have, being at the right fill level for you should make a difference. Does it feel like you have good restriction? If not, you need another fill. If so, the next step might be to look at what you are eating and to start charting your calorie/protein intake daily so that you can analyze it.

Try looking up Fill Centers USA to see if they have something nearby. You can also check with your Mexican surgeons office to see if they have a list of "friendly" fill agencies in your area. Another option is to go back to Mexico.

I would suggest sticking to whatever diet you were given . . . if you are already approved for mushies then you are fine, it not I would avoid it. Many of us have different diets in the beginning based on our doctors recommendations and what may be OK for one person may not be OK for another. If you are not approved to move on yet but feel that it would help, give your doctor a ring and see if they will approve progressing a little quicker. I was also nauseous with Water. I know for certain it was the water doing it and it did go away once I was out a few weeks post surgery. I found an over-the-counter anti nausea medicine called Nauzene that was sold at Wal-mart and also my local grocery store. It is chewable, cherry flavored and kind of like a big Tums and is band friendly. It worked great to get me through the tail end of my liquid diet. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

The strep test is usually performed around 37 weeks and it is just a swab of the nether regions. It is definitely performed late in pregnancy.

Hello Everyone, I hope you are all having a good morning. It has been a little cold the last few days as well after a really warm and comfortable week last week. Laura, everyone has mentioned soy . . . that just reminded me that I had to switch my son to soy as well for his problems but I can't remember when I switched to soy based formula. I could sure go for a nice salad for lunch :0). The only question is where to get it, lol.

I just got tested and got the results last week as well. I tested negative which made me happy because the OB said she would have to send it away for special testing if it was positive to see what kind of drugs to give me because I am really allergic to penicillin variants which are the most common form of treatment. I was worried as well about it and talked with my OB in detail. She assured me that it was common and no big deal at all. A significant percentage of women have it, they are treated and the baby does not have an issue. Try not to worry too much about it . . . all you can really do is take the meds and hope for the best, statistics are on your side that it is no big deal. Getting extra stressed isn't going to make the last little bit of pregnancy any easier. Of course, I also know that not worrying is easier said than done . . . it is hard not to worry about your little baby until they are lying safe and healthy in your arms (and even then you still worry a little). :0) Hang in there!!!

Your right, Marley and Me does not make you have any warm and fuzzy feelings about bearing children. It was kind of depressing through the entire film and I thought it was supposed to be a feel good but later sad kind of film.

Congratulations CrystalClear and Colleen for joining our happy little group!!! As far as some cramping & pain at 5-6 weeks out, I got that for sure. I thought I was starting my TOM but I guess it was not to be, lol. I didn't get a positive test until late. Now that I am in my final days of pregnancy with a big belly . . . I can say that all was well even with the bit of cramping. Cherea, how are you feeling? I hope everything is going well for you post band removal and that you are eating OK.

I think it is great that someone can go through to edit and verify your references and everything for you. I know when i am editing my own papers, I have to take time away or I can't catch my own mistakes sometimes. It is almost as if familiarity breeds a level of blindness, at least for me. I am due in 2 weeks on June 9th. I think it will happen before that . . . but I am pretty sure that every pregnant women I have ever met thinks (or hopes) they are going to go just a little early, lol. My maternity leave can start at any time but I don't want to start too early because I get full pay for 5 weeks and half pay thereafter. I feel like I should drag my but to work while I still feel good enough to do so, lol.

I just wanted to pop in and say that my really horrible night was only a one night thing. I did much better over the weekend. Uncomfortable but only in the typical ways that a person is uncomfortable late in pregnancy along with being tired. I honestly thought that I was on the verge of going into labor that night . . . but I am still thoroughly pregnant as of today, lol.

Laura, my mother also insisted when my son was small that he start a little cereal early. It was a mistake in his case. The gas and other issues just got worse. I tried it and he told me (through being miserable and uncomfortable) that he wasnt ready. I don't think he was ready until a little before five months in age. If you do decide to try it, just go really slow. It is interesting what you said about early cereal feeding messing up our feeling full receptors. If my full receptors were working correctly, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have needed a band. It would be really interesting to know if early feeding habits have affected me and all my siblings in this fashion. As far as my son is concerned, I tried the rice for a day or two, saw it was making everything worse, and backed off immediately and then waited until about 5 months before trying again. His feeling full receptors seem to work fine and he is tall and lanky.

Hello everyone!!! Mae, congrats on the 100 pounds :0). That is quite an accomplishment. Laura, thanks for the advice. My son had a bad case of colic so I don't know if it is likely that this baby will too. I will have to give it a try if I run into the same issue. Pamela, you are officially gradumacated and you still have to respond to editors comments on your dissertation? I thought you were finally free and clear and able to relax. Jane, it is ridiculous what dealers offer for a persons car, any car. It almost seems like a bit of an insult. You can always sell it on eBay or in the paper as long as you figure out a good asking price and then your willing to sell price and negotiate somewhere in between. Terry, I hope things are going to get much better with Evan and it is only a matter of time to get there. Kat, When I am tight I can't eat watermelon either (maybe a very small cube or two nestled in between bites of something else will work). However, this makes no sense to me at all. It seems like the consistency of watermelon should make it one of the easiest things to get through the pouch. Hello to everyone else and I hope you have had a lovely labor day weekend. I have had company at my house since Friday and they just left about 2 hours before. It was so nice to have family visiting . . . but I now need a holiday from my holiday. It is just hard work with breakfast, lunch, dinner, excursions, huge get together at my house for memorial day and all with the deep tiredness of late pregnancy. I am getting a little tired of being pregnant, lol. This weekend just about did me in. I feel like hibernating for at least a week now. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is maternity leave . . . I should be able to get a little rest and relaxation then, right???

Happy day after Memorial Day to you!!!