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Wow Bossstar! :crying: That is really great! A big congratulations to you. You should be very proud. How are you doing it? Can you give us any tips or advice? I have been stuck at 60 lbs. Anything you can share would be greatly appreciated. Again, WAY TO GO Bossstar!!! :smile2:

Hi fellow March bandsters. My signature below states my # of fills (and my one unfill). I too, like NewYearNewMe do not really know the amount my band holds or how much is in each fill. My Dr. sort of mumbles something whenever I ask. But I do know that I got 3 cc's last time which was too much at the time so I went back a week later and they took 2 cc's out. But Special K is right....what if I do have an emergency situation? I am going to ask the girls in the office to read my past info in my chart and copy it down the very next time I go. And to Dewl....I know you have heard it before about exercise. It really does help so much. And you end up feeling so much better too. If you can just try something that doesn't seem so hard. I started walking with a neighbor 3 years ago. Now I'm running a mile 6 days a week. Believe me, if I can do it, anybody can!

Glad to hear you are better, Bossstar. You are right...our weight loss is very similar as is our surgery dates. And then it turns out we were both overfilled by 2ccs! I'm just glad we're both through it now. I did have a PB the next day at lunch but dinner went fine. I have to say that I am concerned that I tend to PB/slime about every 2 days or so and I'm worried about the harmful effects it's doing on my band. I have improved on taking slow, small bites and it almost never happens when I do that but sometimes it still does. I think I've figured out a pattern. My lunch hour at work starts at Noon. I find I'm really not that hungry now at that time so when I go eat, it tends to come up. On the weekends, I eat only when I am hungry and I don't have such a hard time. I'm going to try eating at 1:00 to see if that helps. Anyway, Bosstar -- keep up the good work. Did you find out if you lost anymore weight when you went to get unfilled?

Bossstar!...I was overfilled. Tuesday night I was so miserable I was in tears. Although I wasn't very hungry, I literally could not eat but a few morsels of vegetables at lunch earlier that day. I knew I had to call the Dr. but the next day I had to attend a prepaid seminar for work and I absolutely could not miss it. At lunch on Wednesday, I tried to eat a little Soup and half of a small baked potatoe. You guessed it...I could not do it. The little bit I did eat came back up later. I called the Dr.'s office and they were able to fit me in right before they were about to close on my way home. I saw the nurse practioner who was able to take out 2 ccs. (I had been given 3 ccs on the Friday before) so she left in 1 cc. I was relaying all I had been through to the NP and she said it was no big cause for alarm. She said they have to unfill about 2-3 people per day and so it is common. Well I tell you, it was no fun for me! I asked her if I could eat later that day or if I should just be careful and stick to liquids. She said that I should be able to eat normally which sounded good to me cause I was feeling hungry. I had not had any substantial food in 5 days! We went out to eat later that night and thank goodness I was back to normal. I actually ate my food and enjoyed it. I didn't eat a full plate but I did eat a good bit. So maybe you are overfilled too! What I have learned from all of this is to listen to your body. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Call your Dr. and see....it can't hurt. The only "good" thing that came from all of this is that when I got on the scale at the Dr.'s, I found out I had lost FIVE more pounds! That's 5 pounds in 5 days. I'll probable put some of that back since I am eating again. But I feel so much better. Let me know what happens with you.

Bossstar - sounds like your third fill & my fourth yielded the same results. I was also able to eat anthing and had lost 40 or so lbs.! Guess those days are over. I am sitting here burping as I type. Haven't tried a chicken breast yet but struggled through my 10:30 banana at Noon! Attempted lunch but no can do. I'm thinking of asking for a saline release soon. I'm not hungry though. When I see the food, it looks good and appeals to me but it is too much work to try to eat it. I still drink a protein drink every morning...but I can't drink it as quickly. I have to take baby sips and that takes such a long time. Do you all think this behavior is normal?

Hey Chica & rest of the gang.... I've had 4 fills now and really have a hard time with dumping/PB :eek:. I know to eat slow and in small bites but it is happening almost all the time now. Any other suggestions? On the up side, I've started running a mile and walking a mile 6 days a week in the morning. I've also joined a local health club though I haven't gone much. Exercise has been easy...but not eating. Not how I thought it would be.

Good to hear from you both. Thanks for the kind words. You two are not doing too shabby either! What do your families say? Mine doesn't say much because they see me every day but one time, my 10 year old son gave me a big hug and then told me that he noticed he could now wrap his arms around my entire body. I realized he was right. It just kinda happens one day. So don't get discouraged. I do have to say the first 14 lbs. (probably mostly water) I lost pre-op on my own. I did it by just making better food choices and walking every day. So officially 35 lost due to the lap band (most of it early on due to Optifast diet pre-op and no food first week post-op). But hey, those 14 were on this bod so I'm counting it as gone, baby gone! (Ha ha!) :rolleyes2: Got a question for ya....what is a PB? I think I know but I want to be sure. If it is what I think it is, I've had a few too. Happened when I was so hungry, I started eating my food too fast and didn't chew it enough (just like you Chica!). Didn't throw up but sort of coughed it up. It was mostly like it was stuck in my chest. Now I'm trying hard to remember to chew, chew, chew. And O2BT, I also HATE, HATE, HATE not being allowed to drink while I eat. My Dr.'s office calls fills "adjustments". My instructions are to go on full liquids for the remainder of the day of the adjustment. Cream Soups, Protein drinks, smoothies, yogurt, etc. On the day after, I can proceed with soft foods. --bananas, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, etc. On the next day, progress to regular diet! I had my first one on April 18 and I have to say, it didn't do a thing for me. By then, I was eating as much as I wanted and whatever I wanted. No feeling of restriction at all. The next 4 weeks went by very slow. Not much weight loss either. I couldn't wait for my next adjustment on May 16. I asked my Dr. for a larger "dosage" and he said no, you really have to take it slow. He did tell me that when my band was first put in, it didn't have much in it to begin with. Their practice feels that even though the manufacturer recommends that it have a certain amount in it on the surgery date, that amount is too much in their opinion based on number of past recipients who have had restriction problems early on. So they put in much less. By the first adjustment, you are at the manufacturer's starting point. So last month, before my second adjustment, I only lost 3 pounds. But I know I am going to lose more before my third fill coming up on June 6. I definately feel some restriction now -- but not at my sweet spot yet. Too soon for that I hear....probably get there after 4 -5 adjustments. I had a 24 hr. stomach virus last Wednesday and didn't eat in 48 hrs. Only thing good that came out of that (no pun intended...ew!) was a 4 lb. weight loss! Still managed to walk my 2.25 miles even when I was sick. I'm addicted to my walking. O2BT...you gotta get moving. It feels so good afterwards. When you play golf, do you walk or ride in the cart? Maybe, try walking every other hole. And keep "shopping" in your closet. That makes you feel so good. :biggrin: Problems/weaknesses have been missing fried foods and breads...though I have been experimenting now and then and am able to get them down (don't know if that is good or not). I love to eat!! But that's what got me in this mess to begin with. Chica, hope you are feeling better. Let me know how you handle eating while travelling. We have our summer vacation coming up in June and I'm worried I'm going to get weak and want to eat too much. As long as I can eat salad, I keep telling myself I'll be alright.

How is everyone doing? It's been a while since anyone has posted. Would love to catch up with the original March bandsters...OTBTA, 2BMe, CHICA, BOSSTAR, etc. Where are you guys? Hope you are all doing great.

Thanks 2BME...that spinach souffle recipe sounds really good. I have had quiche before and liked it. I even liked raw spinach in salads...just couldn't eat the cooked stuff. But I will definately try the souffle. And the Mexican dish is up my alley too. Thanks. Today for lunch I had some black bean soup with a little brown rice in it. Still looking forward to having the refried Beans. OTBT....You won't believe this. Another thing my Dr.'s office said asbolutely no to....Grits! They were very adamant about it. I just don't get it. Say, what does the baby food in general taste like? I never tried it when I fed it to my son 10 yrs. ago. (I'm picky, remember?) It never appealed to me. Just curious. On the positive side, got on the scale and noticed I lost 3 more pounds. I'm not going to be shouting it from the rooftops though...I consider my "true" weight to be the one taken at my Dr.'s office. My next appt. is in April when I get my first fill. Can't wait.

Well just got back....Didn't see your last message before I left. Ha, ha....if I had, I probably wouldn't have ordered the salad! :smile: I made sure I ate very slowly and I chewed each bite until it disintegrated! I feel ok...I have to admit...it was good. You sound like you are in good hands with your Dr.'s office. You're so lucky! I'll be able to eat a lot more in 10 days or so. At least now I have some alternatives. I'm going to check out your recommended website tonight. I could use some recipes. Anyone else have any suggestions? Please write back. For tomorrow...it's refried Beans. I heard about the Magic Bullet thing...my dietician highly recommended it. I will check out the Bella Kitchen but problem is we don't have Kohl stores in this area. I'll see what I can find on the internet. Thanks OTBT.

Thanks for writing back so soon OTBT. Problem is I'm a picky eater. Let's go through your list: I guess my Dr. is stricter than others. I just want to order a salad maybe with some grilled shrimp or chicken on it and a small amt. of light dressing on the side. Would that be bad? I plan on eating a small portion and taking the rest back home. If not, I will go for the grilled fish. What do you think?

Guys, I'm struggling with food choices. I'm 18 days post-op and I'm starting to get frustrated with "drinking" most of my food. I feel hungrier more and more. I actually miss that full feeling. I guess I won't get that back until I get my first fill next month. In the meantime, what do you recommend to eat? I'm still getting in my protein via my Unjury and Gladiator smoothies, but tonight I'm going out to eat and I dread ordering soup again...help!

I wondered if you might have had some complications. Sorry for all the added problems. Sounds like you are coming out of the woods. I hope it gets easier for you from here on out. Welcome back and please, take it easy. Sounds like you're going to need some extra rest and TLC. Glad your family is supporting you. Write back when you are up to it. :thumbup:

Bossstar...Back to work already! You're a trooper. I have so much leave time accumulated that I figure now is a good time to use it. Besides, what do I bring to eat for lunch?? Ha, ha, ... I know...bad joke. Chica....I was in the same predicament. I was so bloated I could barely get my Water down much less my Protein drinks. I figured my first priority was not to dehydrate so for the first 2-3 days, so I stuck to my water. Then I was going to try my chocolate unjury drink but I decided to call my dietician and make sure it was ok to have skim milk. Glad I did because she said no...wait one more day for milk. She suggested I have the unflavored Unjury with Crystal Light just like hopeinapril but I've got to say....it wasn't too good. Don't know if I have problems with the consistency or the taste (which it isn't supposed to have) or my continued bloatedness but it just took forever to go down. Today was my first day of real progress. I started my morning with my chocolate Unjury with skim milk...mmmm really good. Lunch was my chicken flavored Unjury...good enough. I ate a small vanilla yogurt for dinner and tonight I drank another Protein Drink called Muscle Milk-Light in Mocha Latte flavor...:blushing: yummy! Of course, I sip on water all day long. I found out about the Muscle Milk today at my 1 wk. appt./class. They gave us tons of new information with new products to try. They also said to blend the Protein Powder with your liquids..not just stir. Using a blender I'm told makes a big difference in the taste and texture. So I actually had over 60 grams of protein today. Bottom line....stay hydrated first...keep drinking your water and crystal light and then keep trying to drink as much protein as you can get in. It does get better every day. P.S. -- Lost 14 more pounds since 2 days before surgery! :thumbup:

Congrats Chica. You made it through. Try sucking on fruity popsicles to help soothe your sore throat. That helped me a lot. I've been struggling with that "bloated" feeling which is preventing me from drinking as much as I should. Took some GasX last night and it really helped. Got to keep drinking. I wonder when our soreness will go away? I'm curious about SoBrien too. And OTBT...where are ya'll? Again, way to go Chica!:smile:

Congrats, Bossstar! I told you! Good luck sleeping tonight. You will probably need your pain medicine. And get ready to go to the bathroom a lot...all the Fluid in you. Glad I could ease your mind a bit. Today is also the day for: O2BThinAgain, Chica and preKteacher. Hope you are all doing ok. You must all remember to sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk. Also, you should have received an air spirometer to help you breathe. It really will help you get your strength back and get air into your lungs to prevent pneumonia. Keep it with you all the time and do it as much as you can. I'm still sore but I know it will go away so I'm not discouraged. Keep it up everybody...we're on our way!

Hey guys. Today was THE day. Everything went fine and I'm doing good. We had to be at the hospital for 7:00 a.m. and I when I got there, I was quickly whisked away to Pre-Op. Stayed there until about 9:20 a.m. During this time, I was asked numerous questions about my medical history, medications, etc. Then they put in an I.V....twice. The nurse lost my "connection" on the first try. (You should see the big bruise that's forming.) They also wrapped my feet in these warm devices that squeezed my feet on a set timer in order to promote good circulation and prevent blood clots. The rest of the time, I was allowed to sleep until my surgeon arrived. After I saw him, it was time. They wheeled me into the operating room and really, after that...I don't remember a thing! I woke up in Recovery from a good, deep sleep. It felt like a dream. I could hear my name being repeated over and over again. It was the nurse waking me up. I finally came to and became alert very quickly. Here's what I was feeling as far as pain: I had a lot of pain in my left shoulder. The nurse said that was due to excess gas in my body...it was very common. My throat was burning from the tube they had to stick down during surgery. I also had soreness in my belly from the incisions and the port. All in all, it was not too bad. They immediately gave me a shot of Demerol and that completely got rid of the shoulder pain. :biggrin2: It also subsided the pain in my belly. They gave me ice chips for my sore throat which really helped. Pretty soon, I was brought to the room called "Recovery, Phase 2" which is the one you go home from. I walked to go to the bathroom...they were very pleased. I was just happy to get to pee! After a little more rest and another walk up and down the halls, they were ready to let me go. They gave me another dose of oral pain medicine to get me through the ride home and the trip to the pharmacy. We ended up leaving about 1:30 p.m. The whole experience was a good one. I really recommend that hospital --Southern Surgical Hospital in Slidell, LA. So now I am home and trying to focus on taking in my fluids. They said I needed to average 4 - 6 ozs. per every waking hour. I am doing well. Tonight I had some Ramen Soup for dinner....(without the noodles). It went down ok. Just have to sip everything and not rush it. Of course, I'm sipping on Water and I also had a small popsicle (no sugar) that was basically flavored, frozen water. That really soothed my throat. My belly is getting more sore as the night comes on. I plan to take some pain medication before bed. My dressings are ok, but I've had to change some gauze out because I was bleeding through. Incisions are really small. All in all...I think I came out really good. I can't believe how smooth everything progressed. My unjury came today and I will start that on Day 3-Thursday. They actually count today as Day 0. To SoBrien...Hope you are doing ok. I'm thinking about you! And here's a big shout out to my friend Kourtney who also got banded right after me today! Hang in there girl! For those tomorrow and Wednesday: I am keeping you all in my prayers and thoughts. I know you will all be fine. I am so glad for all of you. It has not been bad at all so I hope I was able to ease some of your nervousness and concern. If I can get through it, anyone can! Take care and God Bless!

SoBrien...You are doing so good! Exercising 2 hrs. a night....wow. You are really motivated. I walk 2 miles every morning before work and I really enjoy it. It's been cold but how cold is really cold when you live in Louisiana...right? I actually have a treadmill but I prefer to walk outside. Ah well, Spring will be here before you know it. A new season and a new me! OTBT: Thanks for all the good tips, especially the one about Protein supplement receipts for tax purposes! I never would have thought of that but it's true. It is medically necessary. I ordered the unjury yesterday but I think I'm going to get some ISOPURE just to change it up. 12 lbs. lost...hooray! I think we are all going to do well. I can't really judge my weight loss like everyone else because my first appt. was in early November of last year. I weighed in at 221. After discussing it with my husband, I decided to put off the surgery for a few reasons. First Thanksgiving and Christmas were right around the corner and their schedule was pretty booked thru the holidays. Think about it. Everybody tries to schedule a surgery while they are on vacation so they don't miss much work time. Plus I wanted to have my turkey too! :thumbdown: Also, I already had a trip planned to NY with a friend of mine in mid-February. That was fun. So now I'm back and when I weighed in again last Friday, I was down to 212. I figure I gained a good many pounds over the holidays so I probably went up before I came back down....especially now that I'm on the Optifast. So officially, I'm down 9 but I know I'm on my way!

Sobrien, forgive my lack of blog jargon but what is BIDMC? I noticed you have lost 30 lbs. Way to go! How are you doing it? OTB & Chica...I have close family that live in Roanoke, VA. Is that near either of you? OTB..I'm about to purchase my Protein drink mix. I'm looking at the unjury line. What did you get? We're almost there....good luck to everyone! :biggrin:

I found your post from a year ago. I'm about to have my surgery on March 10 with Dr. Thomas at Southern Surgical Hospital. How did it all go for you? Are you glad you did it? Any words of advice you'd care to share as I am really starting to get nervous.

I am also to be banded on March 10. I had my pre-op and class on 2/28. I'm on the Optifast 2 week diet right now. Most days are not so bad. I love the chocolate drinks. It's just at night that I start to feel hungry. My husband is showing his support by keeping a liquid Slim Fast diet too. What a guy! Anyway, maybe we can keep in touch since we will be going thru it all at the same time. My surgery will be at Southern Surgical Hospital in Slidell, LA and performed by Dr. Michael Thomas.

This is my very first post. I am from Louisiana and today I signed all my consents and final paperwork. I am set to be banded on Monday, March 10. Struggling with the 2 week Optifast diet (only at night) which really worries me about how I'm going to make it in the first few weeks after banding. Nervous but ready.....I think!