HeatherO

I would just get right back on your postop diet as soon as possible. You need your band to heal properly and not risk the health of the band over the long term. So you made a couple of mistakes . . . just get back on track. Harm can be minimal if you start following your post op diet again . . . but you can cause a lot of damage if you just keep eating whatever before you are ready. It is your band and your health, you deserve to do the right thing for yourself.

No reason not to enjoy it. I would definitely go . . . only use a little moderation on your intake. You can still have a great time.

That is a very interesting phenomenon and I am looking forward to hearing more responses on the topic.

That was very cool, thanks for sharing.

Just show her how this can work for you.

Hollie, that is awesome news, and you are so close to goal now. I feel like I know you after so many posts, 100 pounds down and single and free. What are your tips for newbies just starting the journey???

I wouldn't rush to get it off. It is not harming you by being there and if you try too hard to remove it you can irritate your skin. However, I have read a lot of threads on this topic and have found that people report that baby oil seems to be the most effective for removal.

She is absolutely gorgeous, congratulations!!!

Well . . . still no visit from Aunt Flo since I went off birth control in mid-August . . . took several tests from 9/15 on and nothing . . . until last night. I took another one on a whim (equate brand) and I got a + but the pregnancy line was hardly discernable. The test lines were this color and the pregnancy line was a little lighter than this color. So it was my last test and I bought a different one this morning (Answer brand) and made sure that I caught my first urine of the morning. It was the same result except this one shows just two lines. However, the second line was a little clearer in this test. So I suspect I might just be pregnant. I will take a final test in a few days to see if the color changes or I get a more positive result. Perhaps I ovulated late being my first cycle off of birth control and I did not actually conceive until around the time my TOM was due. With these pale colored lines . . . do you think it is possibly a false positive? I am afraid to get too excited just yet.

I think it would be great to have the support of your twin sister. I am happy to hear she is doing so well . . . and it will be great if you are in the same position next year. Good luck!!!

Change is good and banded life is great!!! You are one test closer to joing us on the band wagon. I would think asthma would improve with less weight and better physical fitness as well. Good luck with everything.

Congratulations . . . I had to poke a couple of new holes myself, lol.

I had an emergency unfill on September 11 and had gained weight!!!??!!! I was a little frustrated, but not yet ready to solidify the gain in the charts. I worked extra hard to get back to ground zero - 150 pounds. I had decided if it lasted much longer I will have to bite the bullet and update the charts. I eventually gained 4 pounds between the unfill on 9/11 to the refill on 9/23. I was horrified by how hard it was without a fill. I went from not being hungry (and sometimes ask myself "omg I missed lunch 2 hours ago and didn't notice") to the moment my eyes opened in bed I was thinking about BREAKFASSSTTTT. I felt like I could eat a horse. I actually was able to eat bread and rice again during this time. It was a continuous struggle with constant hunger and the food obsession that was missing since banding returned the very day I got the unfill. I really did my best to curb overeating. I had a few indulgences, of course, but tried not to overdo it and stay healthy in choices. I got a fill on Tuesday and, thank goodness for such sweet relief, I am back in the game again without too much damage being done. I am officially at my previously stated weight of 150. I didn't have the heart to change my stats in the wrong direction, but now that they are true again I feel like I am back on the losing band wagon. Look out goal, here I come!!!!!!

I had occasional reflux and ignored it because I was fine during the day and happy with my restriction level. It got worse one day and by 3-4 days later I couldn't even get Water down and had to get an emergency unfill which required 8 hours of driving. Thank goodness my husband drove because I was so miserable there was noooo way I could have done it. You need an unfill because you cant stay as is without risking your health. But if your fills are going to cost you $400 a pop, not to mention time and inconvenience, I would suggest looking for a fill center to do it locally or trying to see if you can get in as a transfer patient to a local facility. One thing I learned is that it can flare up miserably when unexpected . . . and if you need an emergency unfill it will definitely not be pleasant navigating airports or waiting for very long. Even if a local option is a little more expensive, it is best to have one available for an emergency situation just in case.

Hello Tiff, I am from NE Ohio as well. There are so many variations on what individual doctors require. Have you met with a surgeon or went to a support group yet? That is usually the best place to start.

I can't see anyway it could get in there unless it collected in the syringe on its way to the port. The band is a closed system unless you are accessing the port with a needle. Please let us know what the doctor says.

I am 5'3, and you?

Yesterday was the first day of fasting for me and I found that it was more difficult than in previous years when I wasn't banded. During fasting, I usually eat two meals, one before 5:00 AM and one after 8:00 PM (the time continually changes every day). Between these times during the day, I can not ingest anything orally, even Water. I try to preface every meal with two cups of water so that I stay hydrated and also drink water during the night, but it is slow going with tight restriction. I am having a rough go of it. I am not hungry during the day so that part is soo much easier than before. However, I am feeling really easily light headed and weak. I have also found that eating at night disturbs my sleep unless I wait a long time before going to bed. Are there any other bandsters out there who have fasted, and if so, any suggestions on getting through this stage a little easier?

After my emergency unfill, I eventually gained 4 pounds between the unfill to the refill on 9/23. I have not fasted at all I was horrified by how hard it was without a fill. I went from not being hungry (and sometimes ask myself "omg I missed lunch 2 hours ago and didn't notice") to the moment my eyes opened in bed I was thinking about BREAKFASSSTTTT. I felt like I could eat a horse. I actually was able to eat bread and rice again during this time. It was a continuous struggle with constant hunger and the food obsession that was missing since banding returned the very day I got the unfill. I really did my best to curb overeating. I had a few indulgences, of course, but tried not to overdo it and stay healthy in choices. I got a fill on Tuesday and, thank goodness for such sweet relief, I am back in the game again without too much damage being done. I am officially at my previously stated weight of 150. I didn't have the heart to change my stats in the wrong direction, but now that they are true again I feel like I am back on the losing band wagon. I will get an unfill for certain before Ramadan next year . . . but perhaps just a small one.

I eventually gained 4 pounds between the unfill on 8/29 to the refill on 9/23. I was horrified by how hard it was without a fill. I went from not being hungry (and sometimes asking myself "omg I missed lunch 2 hours ago and didn't notice") to the moment my eyes opened in bed I was thinking about BREAKFASSSTTTT :wub::drool:. I felt like I could eat a horse. I actually was able to eat bread and rice again during this time. It was a continuous struggle with constant hunger and the food obsession that was missing since banding returned the very day I got the unfill. I really did my best to curb overeating. I had a few indulgences, of course, but tried not to overdo it and stay healthy in choices. I got a fill on Tuesday and, thank goodness for such sweet relief, I am back in the game again without too much damage being done. I am officially at my previously stated weight of 150. I didn't have the heart to change my stats in the wrong direction, but now that they are true again I feel like I am back on the losing band wagon. Look out Halloween, here I come!!!!!! :tongue2::thumbup::wink2:

You just need another fill or maybe more to get to a decent restriction level. Schedule another appointment to get in as soon as you can. Having decent restriction makes all of the difference in the world. Good luck.

Congratulations . . . onederland sure feels great . . . and 6 pounds is nothing, you will be at 100 down before you know it. You are doing awesome!!!

Everyone is so different. If you read the statistics, most people experience significant weight loss with any form of surgery. Most people who don't tend to be more vocal . . . because when you are having issues you tend to do more research and seek answers. You may notice common themes in people who don't find success. * Eating slider foods, ice cream, sweets, chips that don't stay in your pouch. * Failure to eat healthy, balanced Proteins, fruits and veggies as the primary nutrition sources. * Grazing throughout the day instead of focusing on primary meals. * Lack of incorporating moderate exercise 3 times plus a week. * Failure to take personal responsibility for your health and well-being. Not being really ready to commit to a lifestyle change. * Failure to address the issues of emotional eating/food addiction that may have driven people to obesity in the first place. * Lack of adequate support systems through doctors offices, support groups, friends & family or online support. Are you really ready to do this . . . if so, you should be able to start looking at common reasons why people have success or failure and develop a strategy for how you will set your life up in such a way to encourage success or combat issues. The first step is to look inside yourself to help determine the reasons why you have a weight issue. Doing a lot of research also helps. Try to analyze people who are succeeding or failing on your own to develop traits that will gear you more for success than failure.

You are not far out from surgery and this is common. I was exactly the same over the first two weeks, definitely the same with the fast runs to the bathroom. It does pass quickly and you should be back to normal once you are off your Clear Liquids or onto the mushies phase. For stomach cramping/hurting. I found that it is better if I stayed away from cold and stuck with warm or hot beverages first thing in the morning or before having something cold. That really helps. It seems to relax everything.

I also went to TJ with Dr Corvala in Hospital Angeles. It was a good experience and I found a local doctor who does fills and aftercare for me. However, I did travel back there for my first fill which was great because they did it under flouro. I am not sure if you are going to Hospital Angeles or elsewhere . . . but if it is the same place, you can PM me and I will tell you all about my experiences.