HeatherO

That is exactly the place where it was taken. You have tremendous powers of observation, lol. Did you like the revolving hallway there??? My husband and son got a kick out of it. I must have tried it about 5-7 times and still couldn't walk straight.

That really sucks that you have to retake it. I also wonder if the answers will be more skewed if you have to consciously think about not making it seem like you are answering incorrectly. I am sure that will have some impact on your responses. Also, with that many questions I am sure you are thinking a little differently in the first half as opposed to the second half. Good luck!!!

I looked pregnant the first week (only a little bigger on the port side), second week I was still pretty swollen, third week almost the same as pre-banding and by a month out I looked like I did before banding.

Getting up and getting moving will make all the difference in the world. The pain meds could also be putting you in a bit of a funk. The sooner you discontinue them, the better for your health and sense of well-being. It is not common to still feel under the weather one week out, but if it persists another week or two you should talk to your doctor. Just get up and walk for 10-15 minutes and then take it easy and baby yourself for an hour or two. If you do this repeatedly it can help you to start feeling better quicker.

First thing in the morning, cold beverages cause greater restriction and more discomfort for me. Somehow warm/hot beverages open me up more. I have tight restriction and start my day with hot tea. However, I know I don't have an issue with swelling, just tight restriction. Hot seems best for tight restriction. If you do have swelling from surgery and don't have a lot of restriction yet after being newly banded, I bet the cold feels really good on your stomach and might be more helpful. Cold seems best for swelling.

It is reflux and it can be a sign that you are too tight. you have already taken the usual first steps to combat it, but if it hasnt worked you need to talk to your doctor. I had an occasional problem with reflux. However, I kept my fill at that level for a long time because it was perfect, great restriction but could still eat and I was losing well. All of a sudden got worse out of nowhere and had to get an emergency unfill because I could no longer ingest fluids. It was an immediate relief. My reflux went overnight from a several times a month kind of issue to an all night, coughing with an inability to sleep for more than an hour without issues. I never knew it would progress that way, but I just wanted to let you know that it is possible.

It wasn't so bad. Kind of like recovering from the flu. You don't want to eat much, it is hard to get enough liquids in and you feel a little sore and easily fatigued. If you are going back to work quickly, it will help if you can take an extended lunch. If you could get even 30 minutes of a small nap, you will feel a lot better the first day or two.

Don't wait, just call so that they can put you on the schedule. They may say they won't see you for two weeks or a month, but at least you can get your fill appointment on the books.

Mom to the rescue . . . that is all you needed, an extra body and you should be good to go. Husbands are great, but if they don't cook then it takes a lot of "directing," lol. I think it will go great and I absolutely think it was a good decision to keep the surgery to yourself. Everyone is correct in that people "don't notice" what you are eating. I have been banded for almost 8 months and only twice has anyone ever noticed or said anything after an untold number of meals with other people. No one knows that I am banded other than my husband, even after losing most of my weight. It has really not been difficult to keep it under wraps at all. Once people notice your new and improved physique . . . you can always say it is from chasing after your new hubby, LOL.

Actually when I went through it, I found there were two issues at play. Inability to use food for coping forced me to work through feelings in other ways. Hormones are stored in fat and are released through periods of rapid weight loss, so it is kind of like ultra PMS . . . you may also notice your TOM changing for the worse as well. Don't worry, it passes and your family may one day find you tolerable once again, LOL.

Congratulations to both of you . . . and now the real journey begins!!! Just imagine how great you are both going to look by next Summer.

To get this far without a fill is an exception rather than the rule. Also, after losing 80-85 pounds, any fatty deposits around your stomach have probably dissappeared so your band will be a little looser . . . that is why those of us who reach our sweet spot still have to have an occasionally tweak to keep us in the zone. What is the harm in a small fill? It is really not any different than being banded, you already have the mechanism in place. Why stress about it instead of letting it work for you. Weight loss is hard for all of us once we get close to goal . . . I am going through that right now. I keep tottering between 150-152 for a couple of weeks now . . . . when I really just want to get into the 140's. A small fill should just make it that much easier on you with no reason for guilt. Good luck.

It happens to me when I have tight restriction as well. It goes down really slow so it can come up pretty easy.

Congratulations on getting back on track!!! I love that the band allows us to do that, put it to use when we are ready :0) Shaking up your routine and exercise usually help to move you out of a plateau. If you are eating 800-1000 calories, kick it up to 1000-1200 for a day or vice versa. Eat different foods than you usually do, new veggies, etc. Do something different for exercise and change the amount of time. Some times our bodies can get in a rut and we just have to shake things up. These things work really well for me.

You may get very very very sleepy if you are anything like me. The most important thing, bar none, was a sports bra. I tried to wear a normal bra and one of my incisions was centrally located between my breasts where the bra band would be. It was exceedingly uncomfortable and I had to change during lunch to something more accomodating. You will also have some swelling, so definitely wear pants or a skirt with plenty of "give" around the waist. You will be uncomfortable anyway, so you should dress to accomodate your situation. I also went back 4 days later and did fine, just really easily fatigued. I felt as if I could just lay my head down on my desk and sleep. I also couldn't concentrate well so I had to perform tasks that didn't require much thought. Good luck.

Well . . . yesterday was my husbands birthday, TOM hadn't started and it was due so we took a test . . . and nothing. I guess last month wasn't "the" month. Oh well, that just means we get another month of baby-making bliss to enjoy, LOL. It's all in the journey, right???

Congratulations!!! How exciting to become a mother-to-be. You will have to let us all know how it is going. Any morning sickness or other symptoms yet?

You really shouldn't let one comment a couple of years ago wear you down. Especially if he has not repeated the sentiment over all of this time. If it is still bothering you so much, you should have a discussion with him about it and how it made you feel. There could be a different meaning to that comment if you put it into context. What was the dynamic at the time? Were you suffering from health problems, etc.

It was the best decision I ever made . . . if only I would have done it sooner. The band is 100 times better than any appetite suppresant I have ever tried. We all have these questions and feel really bad about making a decision to surgically fix something associated with a lot guilt because of feeling like it was a failure in self control.

I had a similar problem last Saturday, but I am back on the bus today . . . and eating as I should. One day doesn't hurt, it is only when it becomes frequent or habitual that you begin to suffer.

I had a repair as well. I never had any symptoms of the hernia and never suffered from reflux or heartburn until after banding. My recovery was fine except for he left shoulder/neck pain that went on for about 5 weeks and was pretty bad. I am in great shape now.

I would definitely give your doctor a call to make sure that she knows it needs to be documented. I am sure you should have something in your charts, and at least a weight history will be there especially if you have been with this doctor for a while. As far as how it is going, it is positive that they ball is in the air and action is being taken . . . but hard to tell how things will go at this early stage without knowing more about your insurances specific requirements and how good your documentation is. I wish you the best of luck and will send some positive approval thoughts your way.

I agree, go out with friends and reaquaint yourself in a low key way. This will be easier for you to start . . . and definitely don't hide yourself behind a bunch of baggy clothing . . . show self confidence and dress well. If you can show that you take good care of yourself, people are more likely to notice.

I tried to give it a peek but got a page could not be displayed error. Is it temporarily down?

Orange juice definitely gives me heartburn, can I get heartburn easy since banding where I never really did before. Sour cream is definitely soothing as is plain yogurt for me. I haven't tried the cayenne on its own but I do eat in soups witout issue.