HeatherO

I agree, what's the point of the band indeed??? If you are going to disregard the rules to allow it to settle properly during the healing phase, potentially have a slip and lose the band . . . you probably would have been better off eating salads and liquids to lose the weight. Even if you only have 5 pounds to lose, you still have a medical device in your body and healing has to occur for it to work properly. Banding doesn't always work for everyone, eventhough it does work for most. There are some people who gain on the band, or never lose any weight. You are much more likely to fall into this category if you don't follow the rules or post-op instructions and make excuses for everything. What is 2 weeks of liquids if it can help you take off the 40 pounds quickly and keep them off forever??? I am sure you can do 2 weeks for your own health - nobody else really matters. You are doing this for yourself. Good luck.

I never realized that this is a byproduct. That explains why I was so gassy in early banding and not so much now, lol.

This might sound gross, but if banding has taught me anything . . . it is to keep a big plastic cup with a lid in my car in the back cupholder for emergencies. Eventhough I haven't needed it for sooo long, there is piece of mind in being prepared for a sudden sliming or worse, lol. I was doing some reading on morning sickness and I think I read that 20% of people who have normal, successful pregnancies don't have morning sickness. I think it is almost a matter of luck and heredity that allow you to skip this unpleasant side affect.

Well, you will never know unless you go in and get checked out. You probably would want them to do a fill under fluoro to at least check things out. Sometimes pregnancy does affect the restriction in the band and most people are tighter, some are looser and many fluctuate in between. Did you lose any weight during your pregnancy? Sometimes weight lost leads to some fat lost around the stomach and a looser band.

I am a little farther along in the journey so have already traveled from morbid obesity, through obesity, with a lengthy layover at overweight and finally a touch down into the land of "normal" even if I am just barely there, lol. So I guess what I am saying is that instead of the things I wish . . . I will say the things that are :0). * Shopping in normal shops, pulling something off a rack and have it actually fit - as intended in a way that is flattering to my figure. * Biking for hours and feeling like I could go on forever. * Finding that I have more energy than most of my friends that are a normal size. * Finding that I don't hate exercise. * Being noticed in a different way by different people. I don't just mean opposite sex . . . I just mean that people are warmer and more interested in me as a person at this size than they were before whether they are strangers, colleagues, male or female. * My husband can't seem to get enough of me, lol. * Getting pregnant after I thought it was impossible (I have a 16 year old and was just never gifted with a second child until very recently). * food has become secondary, usually an afterthought when it used to be my primary reason for existence and my every waking thought. The only thing I thought I might want when I was no longer obese before . . . . but never really occurred is wearing shorts. My legs look decent but they are white as death and I still keep them covered partially, lol.

Good luck as well, CB. My one year bandiversary is on Sunday and I am currently about 5 months pregnant. It is going very well. Some doctors will allow you to keep a fill but mine was very restrictive about removal and no additional fills. However, I am finding restriction even with a very small fill so it is working fine. I have lost a few pounds since becoming pregnant and am still less than 5 pounds from my goal weight. I think you will do great and congratulations, brubear!!!

LJM I am so excited for you. I can't wait to hear that Joshua is finally here . . . although I know it could be right around the corner or further down the road. Now that you are full term, it would be great if the contractions will just carry you away to a simple vaginal delivery.

mdrai, A 50K walks sounds so motivational. I would love to train for one. I did a 5k walk last year but it wasn't anything. It was interesting reading about the truth regarding quacamole dip - less than 2% . . . no wonder it doesn't taste real. I never buy it anymore because the real thing is so easy and so cheap to make, not to mention that it tastes 100x better. I just peel an avocado and squash it with a fork, add in a couple of cloves a garlic, chop some onions and tomatoes finely and add a little lemon/lime juice and salt. We have it at least once a week - usually with fish. Terry, I am in the same boat with the job worries. The economy has tanked along with our sales prospects. It is no fun to stay stressed over work. Pamela, I hope you feel better soon. Tracyk, I am sorry that Macy hurt your feelings. I have the opposite problem - pregnant but no one can really see it. I am definitely a pear and not an apple. However, I am sure that before banding if we could carry babies in our a**, people would definitely have been asking me when my twins were due, lol. Even now that I have lost most of the weight, I still have a bubble but. My pants are always loose in the waist in order for them to fit my rear. I did start nesting - and have been decorating in a butterfly theme with pinks, violets, blues and greens. :0)

I would never agree with the statement that Allah blessed the terrorists for the deaths of 9/11. Don't forget that suicide bombers or terrorists are fanatics. Fanatics can be very harmful and from any faith such as Islam, Christianity, etc. 9/11 was horrendous, but so are abortion clinics that get bombed. Every religion has an unfortunate, but luckily small number of people who feel they are faithful believers and therefore are empowered to harm others in pursuit of faith over the centuries. While there may be a few people that feel it was their version of God's blessing that people died . . . that is certainly not the norm. These people were definitely very lucky to be able to say, I crash landed in a body of water while in an airplane without significant injury. :thumbup: Whether that "luck" was God's blessing, blind luck, skill of the pilot, a small child sacrificing an ant with a magnifying glass so that other people may live, someone on board the plane wearing their "special" underwear, or gifts left for the blessed, invisible airline elves that dance in their panties under the full moon on the wings of the plane once a year . . . I am still happy they survived.

I will say a prayer for you as well. Best of luck with your upper GI tomorrow. I had a problem like this and I found out it was stomach swelling after a pb that kept leading to more swelling - it wasn't a slip but I was scared to death that it was. They gave me a slight unfill for about a month to allow my stomach to heal and I was able to eat immediately after the unfill. The relief was immense at not only knowing it wasn't a slip but that I would be good as knew in a couple of weeks. If it is a slip, many minor slips can be treated by staying unfilled for some time. I know it is hard not to think that this is the end of banding and go into a panic . . . but there is a good chance it may not be as serious as that. Stress also affects band tightness, and if you are scared about what is happening to the band it might be contributing to the situation. My fill doctor also said that over all the years the only true slips she had dealt with were people that had to bring a cup with them in the office to spit their saliva into. The fact that warm liquids are going down is promising as well. One thing my fill doctor suggested is to use children's liquid motrin and it will reduce the swelling and to stay on liquids for a few days if it ever happens again. She said that one of the mistakes I made was to keep trying regular food again too quickly, causing me to pb which caused additional swelling in my stomach. I absolutely must go on liquids for a couple of days if this situation ever occurs again. Liquid children's motrin is usually not approved for bandsters but she said that it reduces the swelling and it is OK on a very occasionally basis for a specific situation such as this. She also said to drink something immediately afterwards to help flush it through . . . I used hot tea. You might want to call and ask if it is OK to do this to help get a little relief in the mean time. Good luck.

I think two weeks is the most common. The pre-op and post-op diets are important for success. There are people who cheat themselves by not following the diet . . . but I am not sure if they find eventual success by being non-compliant in the early days. You will probably be hungry during this time but usually it is not too bad or too long. You can definitely succeed if you are committed. However, if you are putting off banding due to fear of being hungry, are you sure you are really ready for banding? This might just be a sign that you are not ready and need a little more time to get in the right frame of mind.

Mine is the same way, extremely fickle. Some days I can eat a horse, some days I can drink Water, lol.

I am in the same boat. I started somewhere around 154-156 and am holding steady at 144 now at 20 weeks pregnant. My OB "yelled" at me for not gaining. My last monthly check up showed I was down 1 pound from the previous month. I really am not trying to lose and am eating tons - but it is just not affecting me. I also had my band half unfilled and I am hungry and eating when I am hungry. I have recently added in a daily shake to boost my diet per my OB's recommendation. I still haven't gained but I feel like I am eating healthy with a great diet. The baby size is fine according to the ultrasound, so I am not going to worry too much about it. As long as we are eating well . . . perhaps we are just on the lucky side :thumbup:

I didn't feel any restriction after my first fill, but the second fill hit me like a ton of bricks . . . immediate sweet spot.

1.) Did everyone get a fill every 6 weeks? I only needed two fills to get to my original sweet spot - but they were really big feels. If I was only getting fractions of a cc each time - it would have taken a very large number to get there. 2.) Did anyone reach their maximum limit in their band at the end of the first year or before? I was as high as 8.3 cc's in a 9 cc band. 3.) Is there anyone else out there who doesn't throw up when they eat too much? I definitely will pb if I eat too much. There is a "soft" limit where I am uncomfortable and a "hard" limit where it just has to come back up again. 4.) Does anyone else's port spot feel kind of bruised all the time? I still have occasional soreness, nothing major. It really just doesn't sound like you have reached you sweet spot. You probably need another fill. When you get close to your sweet spot, very small fills are all that are needed. Once you reach your sweet spot, you will absolutely know it because you will immediately be able to feel it.

Congratulations . . . it's just around the corner. We started at a similar BMI and I am almost out 1 year now. Time passes so quickly after banding once the weight is lost and life has begun again. Happy banding to you :thumbup:

I am sorry it has been such a rough road so far. Hopefully the infection will resolve itself and it will be smooth sailing in the future. Congratulations on the kg's lost . . . if it weren't for the infection and the pain it would have been smooth sailing by now. I hope you are feeling much better very soon.

Taking some Fluid out of the band should help. I found that after I was banded for some time, I could no longer tolerate as high a fill level as I could in the beginning. Another thing to keep in mind is that vomiting/pb'ing does cause swelling. If you have a problem and don't go on liquids for a day or two . . . it could be that you stomach just doesn't have enough time to recover from the first episode and you are tighter than normal.

Also keep in mind that the powder mixes are always cheaper than pre-mixed shakes (although the pre-mixed shakes generally taste better).

I agree with Susan1961. If you have already jumped through the hoops and have a tentative approval with the insurance company, switching doctors should not be as difficult as much as nerve-wracking. You could always wait two more months - but there is no guarantee that it will be resolved in two months, perhaps it may take even longer. I would keep the ball rolling in multiple directions. Seek another referral, get a consult with a different surgeon who has a good record and see who can schedule your first that you feel comfortable with.

Ejmdiva, Congrats on reaching the second trimester!!! It seems so weird that it goes by quickly, but now comes the fun part. I am finding the second trimester is soooo much better than the first. I feel pretty good, my ravenous - omg if I don't eat NOW I am going to dieee - hunger has subsided, and the best part is that my bump is growing nicely and I can feel the baby a'swimmin. Today is a milestone in that I have reached the official, halfway point of the pregnancy, 20 weeks :0)

Did somebody pee in someones wheaties this morning??? The first few posts seemed fairly mundane. At least I didn't see any serious attempts at religious attacks or bible-thumping involved. Some people believe in luck, some people believe in God . . . that seems fine to me. I am not a christian but it doesn't bother me that others are, or are not, for that matter. Tragedy was avoided for whatever reason . . . I am still happy for those people involved, especially since I am a frequent flyer. I know this is the rants and raves section . . . but I didn't realize it was "let's stone pattygreen day" for being a christian. Perhaps there is more history here than just this post that is making people feel so strongly . . . or maybe I am just missing something altogether?

That chocolate mousse recipe sounds sooo delish. I will have to make some for my family . . . I guess I have to watch that statement, lol. Sometimes that means I am making something for me and perhaps my family might have a little taste. Sometimes things like lemon bars, which are my all time absolute favorite, get made for the "family" and my son and husband don't really like them all that much. Is anyone else guilty of this??? The United States of Tara looks awesome on the commercial and I really want to see it. I really like Toni Collette in almost every role I have ever seen her in . . . even better is that she plays such diverse roles. I don't watch TV but this program has certainly sparked my interest. Actually Violet is kind of cute, lol. If she ends up with dark hair and eyes, I could see her as a violet with little curly pigtails. We are undecided but currently the name Ayla is on the top of our list. It means "circle of cristalic light around the sun or moon or simply [halo]." My family is Turkish so we wanted a Turkish name that blends well into American and Turkish society. It was also a name of the lead character from a book that I read many times as a girl, Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. That book was one of my favorites between the ages of 10-12, it just stirred my imagination at that phase of my life. I was a voracious reader as a child and there were many books that got read and reread . . . and seemed to really affect me in some vital way. I guess I am weird like that, lol. My son has definitely not developed the same affinity for reading . . . but it would be nice if this new baby would develop a similar interest. You never know, children are so different. What do you think . . . does Ayla sound very foreign to you or just a little different? It is hard for me to tell because Turkish names are common, everyday words for me.

Hello Violets, I hope everyone had a great weekend. I stayed away from the computer so I could catch up on my graduate school class reading responsibilities. I can lose hours on the internet, lol. By the way, I recently found out that I am having a baby girl. I am so happy and excited to finally know the answer to the "big question." I would be embarrassed to share a piehole report for this last weekend. Lets just say I was very hungry, lol. Terry, Hero's mug is absolutely adorable. Kat, I agree that your SIL sounds abusive. I am sure your daughter must be stressed out by being pulled in several directions at once on top of having a new baby. I am just happy that you and your DH can be there for her. Mdrai, Did you see the recent commercials on Barack Obama's coins??? I had to laugh - knowing that someone would try to cash in as quickly as possible with the inauguration coming up. It even sounds like Barack talking, lol. I had an opportunity to go with some others at my university, but decided I would pass on that insanity (crowds and inability to travel anywhere). Jenn, I agree with everyone else. I have been in a similar situation in the past, and ending communication is the only thing that finally stopped the insanity. Not to mention that Wayne sounds like he might be a keeper. Haydee, I bought a Schwinn Comfort bike last year that was a hybrid for both on-road and off-road. It was on sale and I got it for $200. It is really and truly the most comfortable bike I have ever rode and I am still pleased with my purchase. It turned me into a biker through all of last year for the first time in my life. Laura, The nursery looks great. I can't wait to get started on ours as well. I am happy your pipe issue resolved itself.

I just had my mid-point ultrasound last week. The tech said she had 3 lines and no danglies, so she is pretty sure it is a girl. I then asked her at the end if she could check again and print off a picture, she did and it was the same results. They had no problem seeing it because she was in a head down position with her legs stretched out in front of her. Right now we are trying to come up with name possibilities. The name Ayla is on the top of our list. It is a Turkish name that means the halo of light around the moon. We were trying to find a Turkish name that doesn't sound too "foreign" for the USA. I also wanted it to be a different name, something you don't hear to often. It is funny, a week ago I had next to no baby stuff. Since that ultrasound I now have a basinette and tons of girly clothes (JC Penny's and Kohls were having unbelievable sales of the cutest stuff at 70% plus off). The words "it's a girl" seems to have awoken the shopaholic in me, lol. So, we are having a girl. :scared2: My husband has been sure it would be a girl from day one . . . he said he had a dream, lol. The weird thing is, I am the only person I know having a girl. I know 4 people that are pregnant personally who are having boys, and even on this forum I think everyone that I know of is having a boy so far.