bexter

Centrum Silver. Regular Centrum is too orange-y. :rolleyes2:

Eastern Washington, banded 3/3/08. Pd $16,800. Free fills for a year. Don't know how much after.

You really need to see your primary care physician first. But I'm just wondering if you still have your gall-bladder? The pain you're describing sounds an awful lot like gall-stones. Please get it checked out as soon as possible. Best of luck!!

So far 7 cc's seems to be working really well. I too had stalled out for a couple of months and was about to give up hope when they gave me another cc. Apparently at this particular doctor's office they had never gone beyond 6 cc's in anyone's band. I'm like a walking, talking freak of nature now. :tongue:

Thanks! It has been an eye opener keeping a journal these past two weeks. Paying lots more attention to the information on the side of the box. Joined a gym about 2 months ago so I definitely get enough excercise - walk 30 minutes 4 days a week and weight-lift 4 days a week too. Haven't pb'd yet, but some food gets stuck. I definitely need a fill (or two or three). The way it works with my doctor is I pre-paid for the plan so all fills are covered within the first year, don't know what it is after the year is up. Going back in about 2 weeks to meet with the fill-doctor and the dietician. Hopefully all goes well.

I feel like such a failure. I'm at 6 cc's in a 10 cc band and have gained approx 10 lbs in the past 2-3 months. Was supposed to get a fill 2 weeks ago, but after learning of the weight gain my doctor has made me keep a food journal for the next month to track of exactly what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm supposed to be eating 1200 to 1250 calories per day. I'm eating healthy, but too much still. Has anyone else gone through this aggravation? I'm mad at myself more because I'm self-pay so it feels like money going down the drain - hard earned money! I just want to get back on track and lose this stupid weight.

Well, I was supposed to have another fill last week but after gaining 5 more pounds I have to keep a food diary for the next month instead! Feels kind of like I'm being scolded for eating too much. I'm supposed to only be eating 1200 - 1250 calories per day (I think I'm at about 1500). Compared to what I was eating before the surgery, and all the excercise, you'd think the weight would just be falling off. But I'm hungry!! Now I have to wait a whole month before they'll do anything. :thumbup:

Banded 3/3/08 & just had 4th fill yesterday. Now up to 6 cc's in 10 cc band. Still a little sore so taking it easy, but can really feel a difference. Maybe this is the beginning of the end!

Thanks you guys. I swear I get better info and encouragement here than all the doctor visits combined. And I must add, the person doing the fills is the Physician Assistant, not the actual Doctor who did the surgery. He's a little annoying, skinny man!!

It can take a while to get that sweet spot, sorry to say, and the experience varies with each person. I've had 3 fills so far and going back for the 4th. I envy the people who are just fine with 1 fill. I've come to accept that people are just built differently, and what's good for some just doesn't cut it with others. I just can't wait for the day where I'm not hungry most of the day and trying to ignore that hunger, only to have it come back with a vengeance - that's why I ended up needing the surgery in the first place. Good luck to all!!:wink2:

Chica, thanks for the pep talk. Sometimes I feel so lost, so out of hope and then I come to this site. I go back up Thusday for another fill. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive for a 5 minute visit. I'm thinking (and hoping) my sweet spot will be in 7 range. The kicker is the doctor doing the fill swears that there's no swelling associated with any fill, that it's all in my head. But I know for a fact that there is and that it takes a good day or two for the swelling to go down before you can get a true feel for the adjustment. Thanks to all who comment and for keeping it real! Love you guys!!:wink2:

Banded 3/3/08. At 5 cc in 10 cc band with minimal restrictions. Haven't lost weight in over 2 months and getting frantic. We're bumping up fill dates to every 2 weeks now to kick start weight loss.

Thought I'd update also. I've had 3 fills with 5 cc's total out of 10. Still sitting on the plateau, but for the past week I've been going to the gym for weight-lifting. Going back up for another fill next week. I'm still hungry and want to get to that place where I'm full after a few bites and not ravenous first thing in the morning. Come on band, work!!

No worries, amsderb. I've had things get stuck and it hurts lika *#!%$@!! No fun at all. Can't imagine what gum would feel like, and I don't want to find out! :blushing:

Well, I suck too. I was banded 3/3/08 and had my 2nd fill a couple a weeks ago. I pretty much stopped losing weight about a month ago. My Mom was in the hospital, job sucked, yada, yada, yada. Wasn't eating right and wasn't excercising. I'm trying, really trying, but it just sucks some times. I think after being banded you're expecting sooo much from yourself and no excuse is good enough. Keep a food diary if that helps, chew gum (sugar-free), but absolutely keep coming back here because we're all in the same boat. :blushing:

Had 2nd fill about 3 weeks ago, 4 cc's total. Felt really good for about 3 days after the last fill, but apparently the swelling went down and now I'm hungry. Here's hoping 3rd time's the charm!

I am soooo jealous of you guys. My goal right now is to get down to 'Twodorland' and the weight seems to be going back up when it's not staying stagnant. I've gained about 5 lbs in the last 2 weeks so I'm back on Optifast to get past this hurdle. But I will be dancing in the streets if I can get past 300 lbs. Save a spot for me in 'Onederland', I'll get there someday.

Just curious if anyone else was banded there. What did you think of Doctors and facility. I was banded 3/3/08 by Dr. Pennings.

I kinda miss having a Pepsi on a hot afternoon, but what I'm really missing is having an ice cold beer! I've tried a sip, and yes it hurts like there's no tomorrow. So I'll stick to water and maybe an iced tea. I'm skeered of pop.:sad:

Today, in fact just about an hour ago I really noticed it. Had my 2nd fill yesterday (up to 4 cc's right now). I was really beginning to wonder if I was going to be one of those 'freak' stories where they discover they didn't actually have a band installed but just got taken for a ride. Seriously, I've lost more weight when I was on the pre-diet Optifast plan than I have since the surgery 3/3/08. But today, I had to throw away the last half of my soup because I was full. I think the clouds parted and a ray of light shone down. Hallelujah, I'm full. Sorry to be so melodramatic, but I've been waiting for this my whole life.:smile:

Yesterday.....all my troubles seemed so far away Breakfast: bowl of cereal (Cracklin Oat Bran) & piece of wheat toast Lunch: Soup (Healthy Choice - Pot Roast) Snack: Apple w/peanut butter, banana & handful of pretzels Dinner: Pot roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, cauliflower Desert: 2 pieces sugar-free Werthers candy *I'm trying to cut back on peanut butter, but I love it so. Going to try Almond butter cause I heard it's better for you, not so much fat & sugar. BTW, going in for 2nd fill next week - yeay!! I'm sooo hungry.

Last week I had my 6-week check up and thought I would get my first fill, but the doc said I should be on solids first before they do the fill. Since I was on mushy, semi-liquids still I was excited to try solids. I don't know what the problem is, everything solid I eat keeps getting stuck or comes back up. I am becoming afraid to eat because I don't want to experience that excruciating pain again. I tried chicken and boiled carrots and I chewed and chewed and chewed. I'm trying, honestly, to get this stuff down but it just doesn't want to go. Oh well, I have until mid-May to get back to solid food. It's just kind of ironic, I'm trying to eat....:blushing:

It's been a bad week here. We had to take my Mom to the hospital on Sunday, had a 104.5 temp and bad stomach pains. Turned out it was diverticulitis. She was only supposed to be there a day or two but there's been complications with bleeding and heart irregularities. So I'm at the hospital 2 - 3 times a day, and also trying to fit work in. On top of all this I'm trying like hell to stay on the semi-soft diet, but I can never remember to bring my shakes with me. Ahhhhhh, it just seems like I can't catch my breath, you know? And to make matters worse, I've only lost 1 pound in the last 2 weeks. I know I'm not getting enough excercise, unless you count walking the halls of the hospital excercise. I know this will all resolve soon, but this is just sheer hell right now. Thanks for letting me vent, hope I didn't babble too much!:redface:

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give it a try. Have had the Soup in the hospital cafeteria the last 2 nights - neither of them low-fat. Good luck to you and your hubby. You'll be in my prayers!!

Just wondering if it hurts to get the band filled. Getting my first filler 4/15 and looking forward to/dreading it. I hope he numbs up the site first, but does it hurt inside - can you feel it when your stomach gets cinched up? Banded 3/3/08 and still getting used to it. Thanks