HeatherO

This was also my first mushy meal. I added a little chicken broth to it to make it a little less thick. I think it was the best thing I have ever eaten in my life . . . because I was sooo ready for food that wasn't broth or sugar free liquids, lol. I don't eat refried beans now, but those first few bites were truly like heaven, lol. I agree completely.

I was lucky, I never need numbed and never feel anything more than the initial pinch and I am good to go. I did have one fill where the nurse missed the port 2 or 3 times and was "digging" to find it. She then went on to say that she was surprised that my port is an inch below my big incision scar (isn't that why you feel for it first??). I was sore for a couple of days after that but that was the only occasion. I was always told that the signs that you need a fill are 1) You are not losing 1-2 pounds a week on average; 2) You are getting hungry between meals; 3) You can eat more than a cup at a sitting.

One more thing I want to mention. There will always be people out there that say you will be fine, it is no big deal to fall off your post-op diet plan or that they did the same and they are doing ok. Everyone has different opinions and that is normal. If you look over time you will see that there are countless threads on this same subject. Most of the people who say it is no problem are not very far out from banding. Those of us who have achieved long term success all tend to be of the same opinion regarding early compliance leading to eventual success. I wish you the best of luck . . . and just remember it is only a brief time period. It will only be a short time until you can eat anything and know you are safe doing so.

jodi620, bandfun4me and jachut said it all . . . you need to get back on plan and as soon as possible if you want to make this a success. Damage done during this early stage may not show up for months down the road. Why risk your band now? If you care for your health, your band and want to achieve eventual success . . . follow the plan. What is a couple weeks of difficulty compared to a lifetime of success??? How would you feel if you lose your band to severe slippage sometime next year and you know that you did not give it your best to make it work? Give it your all now over the next couple of weeks and you can feel confident that you did your best and are ensuring your success.

I went with my husband, but I think I could have done it alone if I had too. It was nicer to have someone with me to break the monotony . . . although I did sleep alot. There were others there that same day that were alone. I paid $7,500 and they picked me up at the airport. I stayed in the hospital for 3 nights, but you could stay for 2 and have a free night at the hotel. It was just easy and convenient to stay at the hospital so we stayed, the room was decent and food and meds were provided. Fills are $100 each and includes fluoro. Altogether it was a good economic choice. I could find cheaper rates but I was happy with this doctor's experience and the hospital information so that is why I chose this route.

Thanks. My band is partially filled to 4cc's which is fairly open. My usualy sweet spot is 7.3 cc's but I am much too tight at that level pregnant. I am finding post pregnancy that I have some restriction at 4 cc's but I had no restriction before at 6.5 cc's. I was surprised by mhom much pregnancy would affect band tightness, I wasn't really expecting a difference until I was much further along.

I won't know the gender until about 20 days later on January 12th. I hope the baby is cooperative, lol. My husband doesn't want to know early, but there is just no way on earth I am willing to wait if I can have the answer, lol. I know many people expecting babies next year also, everyone is having a boy. What is up with that???? Does it run in cycles, lol. I am kind of hoping for a girl, but a boy is just fine. My husband is absolutely convinced it is a girl . . . he said he had a dream, lol.

Sometimes I think people don't really understand that there is a point at which you are just done. Too late is too late. I know for me there was nothing that could change my feelings once I reached a certain point. No amount of gifts or coddling or I love you's when they were not there before can make a person change their mind once that cross a certain line. I never realized that it would take the act of my leaving to solicit a change . . . maybe I should have threatened it before I was completely finished in my head. The funny thing is, I was in a relationship in my early 20's with a man that I was totally and completely in love with. We dated for almost a year and I could see myself spending the rest of my life with him. We were together most days of the week in the evenings. One day, he started getting busy . . . he couldn't go out or come over for whatever reason. Distance grew and later he told me that he just wasn't ready to get so involved with someone. I was devastated and I tried everything I could to get him to hold on . . . and although we continue to see each other occasionally for quite some time afterwards, he was just done. So I have been on both sides of the fence and they are both painful. Although I have found that being left is a lot more devastating then leaving when you are still in love with someone. It was such a learning experience for me.

Lol, I have an elliptical that I never thought about selling but had gained a second life as a clothes hanger in my laundry room. I just started using it again since the weather is too awful to leave the house for exercise. I really found that if I had a tv near, I would use it, lol.

There is nothing more aggravating than having pain and no answers to explain why there is a problem. The worse part is that there is no way to know how serious of an issue it is unless you know what it is in the first place. Can you move up the surgeons visit if at all possible? I know they will see you if you have something that can be considered an emergency. Good luck with everything and I hope you feel better soon. Please let us know once you find out what the issue is.

As long as you are getting the minimum required, there is no reason to substitute. It is much better to get it from food sources as opposed to supplements anyway.

I have lost over 80 pounds and am also constantly cold. Even though my weight has been maintained for several months I am still always freezing. My family all appears to be happy with the temperature where I am dressed like an eskimo and they are wearing t-shirts, lol. I hope my internal thermometer will reset soon. I wonder if this does go away with time as we get used to living in our normally insulated bodies.

melknight, I am sorry he went through such a difficult time and I hope he is feeling better soon.

This thread kind of reminds me of the beginning of banding. My skinny jeans were a size 16 and I loved them and felt great in them when they fit. I wore size 18-20 jeans when I got banded. I was ecstatic when I was able to zip and button those 16's. Fast forward to now, 11 months later. I am wearing a size 8 at four months pregnant and already showing. My skinny jeans are double the size of what I am in now. Really, I was sooo happy to get into my skinny jeans before . . . but I never truly could have even imagined that they would be double the size of what I would be wearing at years end. I love my band!!!!

I voted for a light covering. It doesn't necessarily have to be a blanket, a shirt and the babies head are fine, but I really am not comfortable with fully exposed breasts in public. I am all for moderate modesty. It is not so much for fear of offending others, i think it is just tasteful and respectful. For me this extends beyond just breastfeeding. I also don't really want to see peoples thongs as they are walking, or braless girls with a see-through shirt, or butt-cracks above sweatpants that say "juicy" like I saw at the mall the other day. There is just something about juicy butt-cracks that give me the shivers, yuccckkkk lol. I guess I feel the same about people who seriously make-out in public (I don't mean just a kiss or holding hands). I also remember my son once asking me why is Bob so happy on the Extenz commercial - that wasn't a comfortable conversation, lol. Does this have to be for public consumption??? I feel that people should be able to breastfeed anywhere but a little modesty never hurts. Especially when we live in such a diverse world.

I just recently felt like I was a victim as well. I am pregnant with my second child, but my first was 16 years ago (where I lived breastfeeding just wasn't that popular at the time). I talked to my OB doctor about how I was saddened that I had to give up breastfeeding early because I had mastitis and was told that my milk was not good for the baby. I had really wanted a full year of breast-feeding and was concerned about how things might go with this child. She then proceeded to tell me that Mastitis was no reason to stop breastfeeding the baby. I could have fed the baby, or at the very least pumped and discarded until I got over the infection. It is a common issue with an easy resolution. What???? I was told I had to give up breastfeeding by my doctor all those years ago for a minor, insignificant thing??? I now feel like I was misinformed but was too young and naieve to know it at the time (it is not like now where information is so easily accessible on the internet).

I had to smile when I read that. It is just one of those things you have to experience to understand. I like it too and am very happy that I will be enjoying this part of motherhood again this summer, lol.

I get them not from banding, but just from Winter in general. Lotion helps. I usually put it on before bed.

I have been a wimp on the exercise lately as well. It is just sooo darn cold I don't want to go outside to even go to the gym. I feel your pain.

Low carb works better for me, but definitely not Atkins. That is such an extreme choice. If you can't eat healthy Proteins, than I agree you need a small unfill. Getting all your calories from heavily processed carbs may not be the healthiest choice and makes it harder to lose. However, calorie counting can work if you are going to eat the carbs.

Congratulations!!! It is always good to know that your band is waiting for you to make use of it whenever you are ready. Restriction makes all the difference in the world.

It sounds like you are off to a wonderful start. Congratulations and happy banding!!!

It does sound like the doctor might have been referring more to erosions and they are indeed extremely rare. It is certainly not a common place thing that we have to stress about (although if you end up being one of those in the less than 1% who ends up with it, it is a tough break). A very small minority of people have problems. However, most of us do not and find great success with the band. The risk of lapband complications is so incredibly miniscule compared to the risks that I would develop co-morbidities or a shortened lifespan as a result of obesity that I don't doubt that I made the most rational choice in being banded. Any surgical procedure will leave you with some scarring or adhesions . . . it is usually minimal and normal and nothing to be extra paranoid about. Even something as simple as a doctor removing a mole is going to leave a little scarring. We can even see it on our own bodies - we don't look the same as we would have had we never became obese, or had babies, or fell off our bikes and scraped our knee, etc.

I think the Proteins should come from lean food sources, I see no reason to substitute Protein drinks. Bandsters only need them for when they are incapable of getting enough protein in, but your group should have no problem with intake. I agree with the balanced diet with lower carbs. Carbs should come from fruits and vegetables more than highly processed white bread or rice. Whole grains are really good to include in your diet.

I eat pickles all the time, they taste good, allow me to crunch and have almost no calories at all. Pickles are definitely a later in the day kind of thing when your band is more open. I also like pickles that are more crunchy then rubbery, they chew down better.