HeatherO

I get occasionally light headed. If I stand up quickly sometimes I notice it. I really think it has something to do with my restricted calories. It never occurred before banding. Hollie, your new picture is really cute :0)

As long as you don't have a break in coverage, you don't have a problem. Also, I have never heard of obesity being considered a pre-existing condition regardless.

I think we all go through this the first bit of time after being banded until we get a sufficient fill. I was able to keep losing during this stage only after I really started exercising. I also went onto a diet of lean Proteins, tons of veggies, limited fruit, no potatoes or processed carbs and this helped as well. Just remember, this is only temporary. Once you have good restriction it will get so much easier.

It sounds normal. Plus, that heavy feeling can be used to your advantage. Those foods that sit for a while will keep you from getting hungry since they take some time to go through. Eating Proteins that don't go through fast as my base is really one of the biggest reasons I have lost so well so far. So where will you be traveling . . . some place exciting??? How long will you be away as well? You might be able to schedule your fill now for as soon as you get back.

I have had a similar problem before with one pb episode. I had to go on liquids for two days before I was able to progress to mushies and was eventually normal again. I also found that hot/warm liquids were more soothing for me. Just keep in mind that no matter how irritated you are, liquids wont cause any additional harm. However, if you can not get liquids down, call your surgeons office right away. Someone mentioned stimulating your gag reflex, I would not suggest that. Your stomach is already very irritated, this will just make it worse. If you think you still have something inside that might be blocking your stoma, some people have mentioned drinking some pineapple juice. There are other things mentioned but I am not sure of them all, they will be in other threads on clearing blockages. However, most likely I think you might have some swelling and irritation.

I am 7 + months out and I can not drink a lot of water quickly or it will come back up again. I have to take small drinks spaced. If you drink too much, you wont feel good. I eat nuts and they go down just fine. I did not have any restrictions on them. I am only careful because a little can carry quite a few calories, but I regularly use them to bolster my protein intake. There are sooo many shake choices that have plant based proteins, you should not have any problem finding an acceptable shake.

I did not take Cobra, but was offered it once when I switched jobs . . . and it was well over $1,000 a month. I was really shocked it was so high.

I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Time passes so quickly afterwards, you will be looking back over the last year of being banded before you know it :0)

Eggs are great in the early stages after banding. I ate soo many eggs the first couple of months of banding because they were easy, fast, went down well, tasted good . . . until now :0). I think I have lost my desire for eggs because I had them daily for so long. Never high quantity but everyday I had some form of eggs for lunch.

Saltines easily become a mushy and I never have any problem with them although I eat them very rarely. When I do eat them, I usually have two cracker sandwiches with a little low fat cream cheese or peanut butter.

It has never given me a problem and I was never advised against it. I also chew gu as well, but I am really careful with it.

I would wait at least a few months before considering it . . . specially if it gives you the munchies and loosens your inhibitions to control yourself.

I am not familiar with Minster. If the area is ethnically diverse or is a little larger town/city area, it may not be too difficult to blend in. The school systems here are accomodating for children with special needs. My nephew goes to a special school and it has been a good experience for him. Your aunt will have a much easier time than your uncle if he doesn't speak English. If there are many speakers of their native language nearby it will be easier. However, there are many, many free ESL (English as a Second Language) classes that are available throughout the state and he can learn. Some people are very accomodating and friendly with people from other countries, and some are not. I think you will find that anywhere within the country. It seems like it is easier here than places like Texas or California to find friendly people if you are from another country. Most people in Ohio are friendly, at least that I have met or in my area. Discrimination can happen to anyone, at least on a small scale just about anywhere. I experienced an issue myself when I was with some friends that were speaking Turkish. I am an American and have been for many generations, have red hair and blue eyes . . . yet I had some man come up to me and ask, don't you people even speak English in a not so nice way. He then asked if we were Muslims, I ignored him and someone else told him it was none of his business. He walked away, but you could tell by the way he looked at us and asked the question he was looking for trouble. That happened in New York. It was nothing big but I will always remember it as the first experience I had with someone being upset because I was not speaking English. Some people are very strange. Really, I think they will be OK. They have lived here before so they have an idea of what life is like here. New Jersey has a slightly more diverse culture than Ohio, but they are relatively close and things are not so different. The schools are decent and there are many good people here.

Hey Everyone, I hope everything is going well for all of you. How is everyone doing six months into the adventure??? Things have been going pretty well for me. I am averaging about 10 pounds a month, but I know that won't continue during the next six months. Banded life is getting easier now that I don't have to think about it so much. It has finally, thankfully become second nature. I have lost a little exercise motivation. Is anyone else having that problem? I was working out like crazy until graduate school got too busy on top of working too much. I feel like some nights I am so beat it is hard to enough to muster energy for the shower, let alone aerobics. So is banding what you thought it would be going in to surgery? Now that most of us have passed the six month mark, we are becoming the next crop of veterans. How is reality different than your initial expectations??? I hope to hear from all of you fabulous January knockouts :0).

I am from the Cleveland area. I like it here (except for the winters . . . blahhh). Just let me know if you have any questions about Ohio. :0)

I had pain meds while in the hospital and a script for two pills after I left. I took one and saved the other for if it got really bad . . . it is still sitting in my nightstand at home. Pain meds are so easily addicting, it is best to avoid taking them for any length of time. Specially if you can take tylenol in their place. You will still feel a little pain for a while after surgery but it should be tolerable. This is most true near your port incision. If you are still having a lot of sharp pain very far past the surgery date you should call your doctor. This is specially true if you start noticing extra swelling and redness around the incisions that seems to be increasing over time.

I use Spectravite orange flavored chewables from CVS Pharmacy and they taste great. The first days/weeks after surgery are very tough. We all go through moments of doubt at this time. However, once you get a fill or two you will probably feel much better about your choice. Banding is the best thing I ever did for myself, and at 7 months out, I am only 15 small pounds from goal :0). Hang in there, it gets so much easier as time goes on.

I believe it is because going sugar free is supposed to be good for weight loss. However, like anything else, used in moderation it might be OK. I think all the sugar subsititutes are also not healthy for you if you ingest too much of them. Sugar can definitely up your calorie intake substantially, even if you are only ingesting small quantities. Sugar also easily affects your blood sugar levels causing you to have highs and lows that may make you feel bad or initiate cravings. Eat sugar and you will probably not lose as well as if you had avoided it. You don't have to use sugar substitutes at all if you can get used to not ingesting sweet things. I never have sugar in my coffee and I like it that way.

I don't have pain often, but discomfort can be fairly regular. However, since pain tolerances differ . . . what may be discomfort to one might be pain to another. I feel everything going down, even Water but it is not soo bad. I feel better mid-day and lunch is my biggest meal of the day because I can eat most comfortably then. I also have a cup of hot coffee or tea before eating because it eases the transition, but I will not drink after I start eating. The warmth seems to make everything more comfortable. It is not comfortable for me to eat Breakfast unless it is a liquid or a mushie. I also can not eat late in the day because I can not sleep comfortably and it seems like food needs the gravity of being upright to move through the band. This is not so bad, I consider it tolerable for what the band has helped me to achieve. However, I am not far from goal and as soon as I reach goal, I think I am going to go for a very slight unfill. I will try to maintain more by healthy choices than tight restriction but will definitely get more of a fill put in if my weight goes up by more than 5 pounds.

I am so happy everyone is losing . . . whether it is fast or slow, we are all moving in the right direction. As long as we keep on moving on down the scale, we are all successful. WOWOX07, the dıfference ıs absolutely amazıng!!!! You look fabulous.

I never had that particular problem, but I did have hair loss during pregnancy. It was coming out regularly in my shower. However, I have never had this problem since banding. It is strange how hormones can affect your hair during this time.

What wonderful news that everything is fine. It will be great to get to see and hear the baby, and September isn't far away at all.

My heart goes out to you . . . I am so very sorry this happened. How were you feeling before it happened? Could you feel that there was a problem with the band?

Pickles and veggies in general work fine for me and I have tight restriction.

I dont know what makes the difference in who it affects and who it doesnt affect. Those that are suffering from hair loss seem to do the Protein, take the supplements and Vitamins, etc. I lose an occasional strand . . . almost nothing and it isnt noticeable. I have been taking Biotin and a daily Multivitamin for months, but I dont know if that helped me to avoid it or if I wouldnt have had the problem anyway. I am a little over 7 months out . . . so I might get lucky and bypass this part. However, when I was pregnant I was shedding a lot.