lucymae

I had my 3rd fill in August and it was perfect, in fact, I really thought I was at my "sweet spot". In November I could no longer fill restriction so I went to doctor who gave me a fill. Still felt no restriction so he send me to hospital to get a fill done by x-ray and they told me that I might be too tight, to let them know. Well, I still could fill NO restriction. Went back to my doctor in January and he told me that I am so close to my goal weight (need to lose 15 more pounds) that it is hard to fill me at the right spot. He filled me again and while there are times I can feel the restriction about 80% of the time I can't. I am so frustrated. The doctor told me not to come back for 10 weeks. I know that I am not at my sweet spot, and being a fast eater for 50+ years I need that reminder to s-l-o-w down when I eat. What do you think??

Just went in for my third fill and doctor had a hard time adding more. He said I am at a point where I can easily get too tight, yet he wants to restrict me more. Finding that "sweet spot" is sometimes hard. After drinking 3 cups of water he told me that if I did not fill restriction to call him on Monday and he will do a fill with a fluoroscopy. So far I feel no restriction. What will a fluoroscopy do to help with my third fill? Is this worth the extra trip to the doctor? I still need to lose 15 pounds.

Hi everyone!! I am 54 and live in California. It is so nice to chat with people my age. I had the surgery in Feb 08 and I am satisfied with my progress. It is slowly going down, but I will take that over slowly going UP!!! I have had two fills and am trying to decide if I need another one. Sometimes I think I do, and then sometimes I think I am fine. Fills are $350 for me and if I go and he says he will not give me a fill (which he did once) that is $185- ouch!! I just can't remember what I weighed last time I went in. Any thoughts on how you knew it was time for another fill?

I lost 140 pounds when I was 28 and weighed 165. A couple of years ago I lost weight and my lowest was 184. I am tall so at 184 I am not fat, well not obese anyway, LOL. I wear a 10 pants and a 14 blouse at that weight. So...this time I want to get down to 170, which is not as low as when I was 28, but low enough that I could gain a few, lose a few and still be OK. I am not sure if I will ever look at myself and not see fat. I am always hard on myself when it comes to looking in the mirror.

I too have been stuck and was on 195 for ALL of the summer. I was mad at myself but did not know what I was doing wrong. One day I opened my pantry and saw all of my protein drinks in there, I had stopped drinking them because I wanted to eat protein not drink it. Anyway, I thought I might as well use what I have up, since I paid a lot for them. In the two weeks I have been drinking one protein drink a day I have gone from the 195 that I thought my ass was stuck to, to 189!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy. That is the ONLY change I have made in my eating. Now I don't miss a day and only wish I would have been drinking them all summer. Are you still having your protein drinks??

I was afraid that maybe my port had flipped and that is why it started hurting. I am laying off wearing the underwire for a week or so to see if that is it. Since I have lost weight you can find the port VERY easy so I am hoping the underwire bruised my skin. The problem is...I don't know, that is why I am asking all of you. The more postings, the more I learn. Thanks:thumbup:

OK, I had LB surgery in Feb this year. My port area was sore for awhile (the normal time) and then all was fine. One day last week my port area became so sore. Like a bruise. I thought about it and that day I had worn and underwire bra ALL day long. My port is high, right at the bra line area. I was wondering if that is the reason I am so sore. It has been a few days and I am still sore. Would there be ANY other reason for my port area to all of a sudden be sore??

Now I am really excited. I have not found a powder drink I like yet. This is great. I won't have to pay shipping on the ones I have been drinking. Paying shipping on two cases of liquid Protein drinks in the cans was expensive. I think the shipping cost more than the drinks. I can't wait to go to Trader Joe's and find them.

Thanks so much for the info!! Are the drinks in powder form? The ones I drink come in a can like soda and I don't have to do anything but put in the fridge. It is so easy but also expensive.

I am EXTREMELY picky when it comes to protein drinks. Most make me want to throw up. I found a RTD that is called Extreme Smoothie (chocolate dream) and is 35 grams of protein. I stopped drinking them and just started back a week or so ago and the weight is coming off faster now and that is the ONLY thing I am doing different. I would like to know what the name of the drink is at Trader Joe's. It seems that my body loses weight faster with a protein drink.

When I was banded I remember thinking that something must be wrong because it hurt so bad. The pain did slowly go away but it took longer than I thought it would. Hang in there. You are not alone in having port pain. In fact sometimes I can still move just right and it feels sore where the port is.

You know I always wondered what "sweet spot" would be like. I just had my second fill, the first was 4cc's and the second was 2. I really think this is the perfect place for me. I had not lost any weight in the four weeks before my second fill. I can eat with no problem as long as I chew it really well and eat slowly. I get full and stay that way for hours. Since I just found out my fills are $350 each (ouch) I am so happy that I will be fine for awhile. So, if you are not at the point where you HAVE to eat slowly and chew well I would think you need a fill. Especially if you have not lost any weight.

Had an appointment on June 10th for a fill and my doctor would not give me one. My first and only fill was April 5th. Waited until July 10th and called the doctor's office and made another appointment for a fill. He had told me to wait 12 weeks from June 10th. When I went in he asked why I was there. I said that I had not lost any weight in the four weeks since he had seen me and I wanted a fill. First he gave me the speech on exercising, which I do and then he said he would give me a fill but I could tell he was mad at me. I told him I don't want to waste a month with no weight loss. After, he told me that he did not want to see me for three months! I was disappointed in his attitude. If excercise was all I needed to lose weight I would not have spent all this money for the LB. Am I wrong to feel this way? Aren't the fills a key to continued weight loss?:thumbup:

Congratulations!!! I know how you felt when you saw a one for the first time on the scale. I think my body knew when I was at 200-201 and it just stayed there forever. When I got on the scale and saw 199 I was so excited. I hope I never see the 200's again!!:thumbup:

Wow - I just had my first fill and I did NOT know it was $350!!! I will have to pay for that and I cannot afford it. I am so sorry I had Bakersfield Bariatric do my surgery. I should have found SOMEONE that takes my insurance. If you find someone please let me know. I had my surgery in Februrary so we are real close in time frame. Feel free to PM me and we can talk more. It sounds like we have a lot in common. :confused_smile:

Had my LB surgery in Feb and have never thrown up. I have taken too big of a bite before and did the slime thing but that was my fault because I did not chew well before I tried to swallow. I am so glad I had the surgery and I would not have said that the first 3-4 weeks after the surgery because I was sore. Don't look at the problems you may or may not have or the soreness after the surgery. Look at four months after your surgery when you are well and feeling great. And you will feel that way each month after that. It only gets better for me. Good Luck!

I was sore in my port area for a long time and sometimes I can still feel the pull when I am doing yard work. It really worried me but after this board explained to me that it was attached to my muscle I could see why I was sore for so long. Also my port is pretty high up, right under my bra. I wish it was down farther, I think that would have been more comfortable.

You have done great with your weight loss! I know it seems to go much slower down the scales than it did going up, but it does go down. I always say to myself you have lost more than 50 pounds because in the time you had your LB surgery you would have GAINED. I was gaining about 5-7 pounds a year!! Anyway, keep your thinking and willpower strong and look for the day when you will be at your goal! I know it will be worth it for us!!

I had the same problem after LB surgery and I am never constipated. It was awful. Went to the doctor and he gave me a RX for some tastless fiber to put in a drink in the morning. It really is tastless too. That has helped a lot. I am now back to normal for the most part. I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one who has had this problem.

I did not feel any restriction after my surgery. I was careful to eat my protien every day and just tried to adjust to the new eating. I was never really starving just had the habit of eating too much. Anyway, I am now pretty set on what I eat and how much and it is working. I am very happy with my new eating routine. I can do this for the rest of my life if I don't get lazy and go back to the old ways. I was not happy then and I am now so keeping that in mind really helps me stay on track. I don't want to be fat!!

I did it!!! I finally broke the 200 mark this morning! I can't believe it. My body has been fighting moving down on the scales for two weeks. It is like it knows I want to weigh under 200 so bad so it is going to make me really work for it. There is just something about not weighing over 200 that is such a wonderful feeling and I know all of you understand what I am talking about. Even though it is only 1 1/2 pounds below 200 I am so excited. I have no one to celebrate with but all of you. I don't tell anyone my weight. What a great day!!

I agree with Carrie D. I too thought what the hell have I done. I was miserable for the first two weeks and still not normal the third and fourth week, but it did get better. I am SO happy that I did this. Hang in there, the healing process take awhile and then you will be so glad you had the LB surgery.

I am in onederland now! I had not thought of that! Thanks so much!

I had LB on 2-18-08 and I have not thrown up yet. Is that PB'ing? When and why do people PB? I hope you don't think that these are stupid questions.

OK, so the stuck food does not have to come up. Well, I have certainly been really hurting from too big of a bite. It has just never tried to move back up only down. So then I have PB'd.