HeatherO

:0) That is wonderful. Looks like you must have had an awesome time.

Keep your chin up. Bandster hell for most of us goes until the second fill since the majority don't feel much restriction after the first. I have had really wonderful loss collectively over the past six months, but I can tell you I was losing next to nothing from about 5 weeks out until about 3 months out when my second fill kicked everything into gear. I was also exercising heavily during the time I wasn't really losing. However, I feel really certain that at least 1/3 of my ongoing loss has been from exercising, building muscle and raising my fitness level in general. If you keep doing the right things, the weight comes off without a doubt. The only way it doesn't work is if you give up on it a little too easy. If I had any advice to give it would be to keep up with the exercise and make your next fill appointment as soon as possible.

I have a couple of times over 6 months or so. It was always a one-off event and I did not have any permanent damage that I can tell. It was never really violent and I noticed it only happened on days where I was feeling sick throughout the day. I stayed on liquids for 1-2 days after and I was fine. I had another day last week where I was just feeling kind of sick all day just recently and I stayed on liquids. I never vomitted at all but I think I would have if I had ingested anything much. I think I have finally figured out how to avoid it by going on liquids before it ever occurs. Liquids are always good if you are feeling a little under the weather to give your band a rest. I used to have a stomach of Iron but now it seems like a minor cold can affect my stomach. I am definitely ultra-sensitive now.

Name_________Start Weight _____Goal_____lbs lost *************** :wub:**********:thumbup:*********** aJoneen............230.........220.......5....... Bea1128............220.........199.......5....... Babs0101...........185.........170.......0....... blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4....... BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6....... Bunkey1965.........203.........195.......9....... Chocolate_Snaps....254.........240.......6....... Darr5380...........167.........155.......3....... Epm316.............209.........199.......3....... erikadawn..........199.........175.......0....... FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0....... HeatherO...........172(161)....155.......11...... Heft_Bandit........261.........245.......3.3..... JennyPoo...........169.........159.......5....... KarenG.............160.........158.......6....... KathyStrick........305.........290.......0....... Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2....... Leslie2Lose........219.........209.......5....... LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0....... LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......5.6..... Lunabeane..........212.........200.......9....... Luu2008............219.........189.......14...... Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0....... luvinke............206.........190.......0....... mamato3............199.........184.......6....... mcgreen............189.........175.......0....... mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0....... melboyd............266.........256.......0....... MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2....... mominlv13..........305.8.......300.......10.2.... MSnika3............228.........204.......4....... NANAbanded.........225.........199.......7....... Ninja..............204.........189.......5....... NukeChik...........221.........199.......6....... Ollie..............242.........210.......0....... Redtulips..........188.........180.......6....... Renewedhope........174.........155.......5....... ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0....... slgandera..........185.........173.......7....... StartingOver.......220.........205.......15...... Sunshine2..........187.........170.......2.3..... want_so_bad........170.........155.......0....... Sades.......(7/16).192.5.......180.......8.6..... Sadie..............216.........199.......5....... tp78...............212.........195.......7.......

OK, I am confused and I may have been posting incorrectly. We need to input the following items: Name_________Start Weight _____Goal_____lbs lost Well, my goal has not changed but as I add up pounds lost, I have been reducing my start weight. Was that incorrect? If so, should I be: HeatherO...172...155...11 instead of HeatherO...161...155...11? Also I noticed that my previous posting at -11 instead of -9 was not in the last few updates so I think people are posting changes to old lists again.

I agree about calling the fill office. This is not normal and should be looked at immediately. If an infection reaches your port and extends to your band, you are in risk.

I have a general question. I was originally in a 40D to a 38D and now am wearing a 36DD. I know I am not filling out the cups on my original bras in that there is empty space in the tops and my straps are always sliding down my shoulders no matter how they are adjusted. However, my cup is now a DD which seems like maybe they are bigger but that doesnt make any sense. Does the number also affect the actual cup size or am I just confused?

I am so sorry to hear that this happened. You must be devastated. Just remember, the band only helped, you lost those 50 pounds by being strong, following rules and trying to live healthier. I wish you the best of luck.

Well you had a great time and that is wonderful. However, back to home and back to basics. Best bet is to get back to a more normal eating schedule as soon as possible and getting back in for a fill should help out as well. I am sure you will do fine once you get to eating better and exercising.

Down 2 more pounds and made it to the double digits in loss . . . woohhoooo!!!! Name_________Start Weight _____Goal_____lbs lost *****:party:********** :Banane34:****************:huh2:***** aJoneen............230.........220.......5....... Bea1128............220.........199.......5....... Babs0101...........185.........170.......0....... blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4....... BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6....... Bunkey1965.........205.........195.......7....... Chocolate_Snaps....254.........240.......6....... Darr5380...........167.........155.......3....... Epm316.............209.........199.......3....... erikadawn..........199.........175.......0....... FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0....... HeatherO...........161.........155.......11...... Heft_Bandit........261.........245.......0....... JennyPoo...........169.........159.......5....... KarenG.............162.........158.......4....... KathyStrick........305.........290.......0....... Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2....... Leslie2Lose........219.........209.......5....... LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0....... LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......5.6..... Lunabeane..........212.........200.......9....... Luu2008............219.........189.......14...... Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0....... luvinke............206.........190.......0....... mamato3............199.........184.......6....... mcgreen............189.........175.......0....... mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0....... melboyd............266.........256.......0....... MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2....... mominlv13..........305.8.......300.......10.2.... MSnika3............228.........204.......4....... NANAbanded.........225.........199.......4....... Ninja..............204.........189.......5....... NukeChik...........221.........199.......6....... Ollie..............242.........210.......0....... Redtulips..........188.........180.......6....... Renewedhope........174.........155.......5....... ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0....... slgandera..........185.........173.......7....... StartingOver.......220.........205.......5....... Sunshine2..........187.........170.......2.3..... want_so_bad........170.........155.......0....... Sades.......(7/16).192.5.......180.......8.6..... Sadie..............216.........199.......5....... tp78...............212.........195.......7.......

I just started having some occasional problems about a month ago but my last fill was 3 months ago. I have also noticed a little heartburn during the day if I don't eat lunch (hectic schedule). I am going to check with the doctor. Is it just me or is supposed to take pepcid or tums a long time to work? Sometimes I have to drink a little milk with it and I can not lay down or it will not go away.

I had the same problem and just had to pick one and stick with it. Scales definitely have significant variance. If you are always relying on one scale for basic measurement, then you know if you have really lost.

I have gotten stuck a few times too but was able to break out of it. Sometimes when you are stuck, you just have to change things up a little. sometimes exercise really does help to kick it into gear. Are you eating a lot of lean Proteins and vegetables? What is your carb intake like? Are you getting enough Protein? Are you tracking what you are eating to get a better idea of your daily intake?

It is still so early after surgery, I would stick to softer foods or different foods that you can tolerate for now. You may not be ready for chicken or eggs prepared in that manner. It could be that you will be OK in another week or two but it is best not to put too much of a strain on your stomach this early on.

Vomiting is serious in that it can cause slippage. I would go on all liquids and see if you can get some anti-nausea/vomiting medication. Definitely call your doctor in the morning. Did you mention to your doctor that you have been sick over the last few days when you were in for your adjustment? If so, what did the doctor say?

I would make sure the doctor is fully aware of what the staff is up to.

I would suggest that you go on liquids to mushies for a couple of days so that your stomach can have a little rest. It is obviously irritated for whatever reason and may stay irritated unless you give it a rest. I found for me that if I have a bad PB, I will continue to have them unless I spend a day on liquids. After a day on liquids I feel a whole lot better. I don't know enough about slips since I haven't experienced one, but I have read that some people who have them immediately can't get anything down, or they are uncomfortable until they get progressively worse over a short period and then they also can not get anything down. If there is a small slip, they may unfill your band to let your stomach relax and allow the band to reposition naturally. I think going on liquids can only help your situation.

If you know what plan you will be on with Aetna, you can take a look ahead of time to see what their requirements are. It could be better or worse than your current insurance.

My first fill did not do much of anything for me, I was still very hungry. However, my second fill was dead on. It happened April 29th and I have not sought another fill since and I am really not sure when I will need another. My doctor said that once you are in maintenance mode, you will probably just come in for a yearly fill tweak or just review to make sure you feel good where you are fill wise.

I would have to say it really depends but you can check into it further before adding the expense of a lawyer. You should save a little money and do a little footwork on your own first. Can you read the section in your insurance policy explaining their bariatric surgery requirements? Perhaps the insurance company can lead you to it on their website or send you the information directly. Look to see how it is worded, if it clearly states that you must have documented weight over a certain BMI for a specific time frame, it may not be worth the fight. You should also see if it is must be a consecutive term over the BMI range or just in general. Depending on the language in your policy and how far back your weight records go, perhaps it can be argued that the year with a bmi below 35 shows you can follow a program successfully but you can not successfully maintain the loss. Also, what kind of doctor told you this? If it is a general primary care physician who deals with multiple insurances all the time, there is always a very good chance that they do not know your specific policy well enough to make that statement because insurance requirements vary amongst insurers and even within providers depending on coverage levels. It is impossible for a general care physician to know every variation in policy. However, if you were already referred to a surgeon and their office staff followed up on your specific policy requirements, this holds a lot more Water and may truly indicate that coverage is not available. Please keep us posted on what you find out. Good luck.

2 more down and only 8 to go . . . I am almost in the land of the 150's where I haven't been for at least 10 years. :0) Name_____________Weight Now____Goal_____lbs lost aJoneen............230.........220.......3....... Bea1128............220.........199.......5..... Babs0101...........185.........170.......0....... blesdbyonmzur......159.........148.......4....... BTTRFLI1432........221.........210.......6....... Bunkey1965.........205.........195.......7....... Chocolate_Snaps....260.........240.......0....... Darr5380...........168.........155.......2....... Epm316.............209.........199.......0....... erikadawn..........199.........175.......0....... FloridaGirl........235.........215.......0....... HeatherO...........163.........155.......9....... JennyPoo...........169.........159.......3....... KarenG.............162.........158.......4....... KathyStrick........305.........290.......0....... Lapbandfan.........258.........230.......2 pounds...... Leslie2Lose........219.........209.......5....... LessNLess..........144.5.......140.......0....... LilMissBand-Aid....234.4.......225.......5.6..... Lunabeane..........212.........200.......9....... Luu2008............219.........189.......14....... Luv2Laugh..........232.........212.......0....... luvinke............206.........190.......0....... mamato3............199.........184.......6...... mcgreen............189.........175.......0....... mdgarcia31665......225.........200.......0....... melboyd............266.........256.......0....... MollyMolly.........192.........182.......2....... mominlv13..........305.8.......300.......10.2.... MSnika3............228.........204.......4....... NANAbanded.........225.........199.......4....... Ninja..............204.........189.......5....... NukeChik...........221.........199.......6....... Ollie..............242.........210.......0....... Redtulips..........188.........180.......6....... Renewedhope........174.........155.......5....... ronni_NC...........243.........220.......0....... slgandera..........185.........173.......7....... StartingOver.......220.........205.......5....... Sunshine2..........187.........170.......2.3..... want_so_bad........170.........155.......0....... Sades..............186.........180.......6.5..... Sadie..............216.........199.......4.......

Congratulations . . . you look absolutely fabulous. Your before and after pictures are very motivating.

I have three scales at home. The first one I bought was a mid-range digital scale $18 or so, not too expensive and fairly simplistic. I found that if I step off and back on, I came in at different weights . . . . which made me crazy. . . . . so I bought a different digital scale for about $60, lithium battery which will last forever, weighs down to fractional pounds, supposed to be much better than all the rest . . . and darn it if I didn't step on and step off and come in at a different weight (the weight might be in fractions of a pound but you don't gain/lose 0-3 pounds immediately by stepping off a scale). . . . . I was annoyed by the whole scale issue and was wandering around target and saw a $7 scale with one of those little display wheels that spins around to your weight, a little old fashioned, white and not really attractive. Would you believe that the cheapest and most simplistic scale technologically was the best. I step off and on and I am always the same. I am absolutely sold on the el cheapo scale and the others are in my closet and will become garage sale fodder. Digital did not work well for me.

It was completely unnecessary. My husband went to a couple of different restaurants, even McDonalds and only used US money. I never even saw what a peso looked like. Where are you going in Mexico and when are you scheduled?

Actually "I'm on a diet" really does wash with family and friends. It works because they see the results in that I am much thinner and they see the exercise as well. Other than the occasional "don't waste away" comments it is really not that big of a deal. Eating a lot less + tons of exercise = a thinner me, no one questions that because it makes sense. The only time I think it wouldn't work would be if a friend saw me sick. Only my husband has seen me sick so far. However, I was with a friend one day and we ate out. About five minutes after we left I asked her to pull over at a gas station. It was obvious that I was sick and I just said I had a stomach bug the day before which must still have me. This episode passed ok as well.