ErikMesa

I've had three fills now and I'm up to 7.25cc in my 14cc band. I still feel like I'm able to eat to much although I'm not hungry for hours and hours. In fact I don't really seem hungry at all ever. One thing I'm struggling with is learning to NOT eat when I'm NOT hungry. At first I was concerned I'd stretched the pouch a bit although I talked to the doctor and they don't believe I did. Still I'm looking forward to one more fill. I am losing weight it just doesn't seem like it. ErikMesa

That was funny! I saw a bumper sticker on a car the other day that made me laugh... "If Bush is a good CHRISTIAN President Next time elect an ATHEIST!" So true... ErikMesa (Not an Atheist)

I'm sorry to see you go thru this Tina. I've never been married but I have a brother who cheated on his wife (and has gone thru 3 total now) so I understand. He's a piece of garbage who had it all and tossed it away. It sounds like your husband is sorry for what he did but WHY did he do it is my question. Has he said what motivated him to cheat on you? I just don't understand it although it sounds like the "skank" as you call her might've egged him on just by her actions since. As for the "skank" I suggest getting a restraining order against her prohibiting all contact by any medium with you or your husband. If she wants to play homewrecker and contacts you again she'll be breaking the law and will be arrested. She may be a piece of trash with no redeeming moral values at all but the threat of arrest may be enough to keep her out of your life. Prayers are with you be strong. ErikMesa

I think you probably lose faster with bypass surgery. More customers for him and his plastic surgery business I guess. I bet lapband cuts into his business because it's slower weightloss and the body has time to catch up. Fewer tummy tucks for Dr. BadBedsideManner = fewer rounds of golf! Don't let him bother you some people are just plain idiots. ErikMesa

Wow what a hot topic... The poll is pretty overwhelmingy pro-choice or limited choice which matches public opinion polls I've seen over the years. My personal opinion is abortion should never be used as birth control or to get rid of "a mistake". I do favor it as an option in cases of rape and incest and when the mothers life is in danger. I just can't imagine forcing a rape victim to carry a child to term. I mean they've already been raped (forced to have sex) now they'd be forced to have a baby and carry it for nine months? I can just imagine the suicides you'd see from something like that. But it shouldn't be used as birth control for consensual sex. That said though I am 100% pro-choice strictly because my beliefs are based on my religious views and we have freedom of religion in this country. Because my religious views and definition of "life" shouldn't be forced on others (which would be forcing my religion on others) I have to trust other people to make the decisions that are right for their own morality. Alot of it falls back to "when is it a life?". There are so many different interpretations of "life" and when it becomes a life, all based on many beliefs (many of them religious) that it has to be up to the individual. Is it conception? Fertilization? Birth? When it can live on it's own? A certain time? When is it a "life"? I've never understood why people get abortions for birth control when so many people want to adopt. Then again people are very picky about what they want to adopt. I just have to hope in this free country that people make the right choice for themselves and can live with the consequences of that choice the rest of their life. ErikMesa :biggrin: (Who was adopted 42 years ago)

I've two fills now and have my third next Wednesday. While I've been losing weight very slowly (3 lbs since my last fill a week ago Wednesday) I was hoping to lose more. I notice I still have really no restriction yet and have had the following fills. Surgery - 4cc First Fill - 1.5cc Second Fill - 1.0cc I have a total of 6.5cc in my XL band (14cc max). I am eating smaller portions but I notice I'm really not feeling full but I'm not hungry either. I still don't feel like I'm there yet though. I'm happy for my 24 lbs postop weight loss but I still don't feel any restriction like I did the first week after surgery when I had swelling. How long has it taken people to get good restriction? Is this normal? I know they say "it can take a couple of months to find the right spot" but how do you deal with the impatience factor? I really feel like I've hit a stall the last week. Added to that real life is a bit rough right now (elderly parents and stress about their health) and you know how it goes, you get depressed about one thing and everything else is a negative, including "only" losing 24 pounds. I've noticed while I'm not depression eating or anything I am a bit down in the dumps and that has led me to make some bad food choices. Not as bad as I used to make but not the best choices either. I know it'll get better with each fill and it's still real early. I'm just looking for some coping strategies to get me thru to the next fill. ErikMesa :blushing:

Great post this gives me some hope! I'm still eating just about anything (just smaller portions by willpower) and would love to have the restriction back I had immediately postop. ErikMesa :blushing:

The lady that has done both my fills so far has had me lay on the table with two small pillows under my lower back (uncomfortable) to get the low profile port enough to find it. She uses lidocaine and does a very good job although sometimes it takes several sticks to find it. I've tried to feel my post myself and can just barely feel it if press in the right spot. She actually drew a picture in my chart where it is compared to the surgery scar to help her find it next time. Whatever works! She does a good job and I'm almost afraid to let anyone else do a fill on me. ErikMesa :blushing:

I might've missed it so I'll ask (sorry if it was answered). Do you have any other health issues like sore joints or sleep apnea? I know for me the sleep apnea seemed to be a "big deal" and helped get approval eventually. Have you had a sleep study? Diabetes and heart disease are the obvious ones but sore joints, back pain and sleep apnea are all common problems in the obese. ErikMesa :blushing:

Congratulations on your approval! ErikMesa :blushing:

I think getting a sign up in your office or at your desk saying "THIN FEELS BETTER THAN FOOD TASTES" would be appropriate. She's probably just feeling self-conscious and jealous at your new found weight loss and confidence. ErikMesa :blushing:

The psychologist I saw before my appointment told me this can happen and that the key is moderation versus beating yourself up. I used to be able to sit and eat three bowels of frosted flakes for example or two candy bars. Now when I have a snack of "bad food" I have maybe two squares off a candy bar and thats it. In a way the lapband is teaching me moderation. While I have limited restriction now and can still eat alot I'm almost scared of screwing it up so I'm using that fear to motivate me. ErikMesa

I'm doing well today but I still feel like theres not alot of restriction. I ate about 1/2 a ham and cheese omlet for breakfast and a piece of bacon. To be honest I could've ate more but didn't feel hungry so stopped (but didn't feel full). It's kind of an odd sensation to not be hungry yet not be full. On thing I am having a challenge with is not drinking while eating. I have issues with very dry mouth all the time so I'm constantly drinking. It does feel like liquids run right past the band. I hope the next fill in a couple weeks is the "one" to put me in the good zone. I'm still battling with the feelings of "needing to eat" or "feeling like I'm supposed to eat" when I'm not really hungry. I feel empty yet not hungry and it's strange. ErikMesa

Well it's been almost a month since I had my band put in. Next week I have my first fill. I've actually gained back about 5 pounds this week because now that the swelling is down I'm eating more. I am making better choices for the most part and eating healthier foods (and smaller portions) but I'm finding it a bit frustrating to gain weight. I know realistically this is normal and until I have a fill it'll continue. I was so happy being not hungry the first couple of weeks after surgery (due to swelling) so suddenly basically being able to eat like normal isn't fun. The big reason I had the lapband does was so it would act as a "teaching aid" to tell me when I'm full. When I was immediately postop I did a good job of listening to it and not overdoing it (it hurt). Now with no real restriction and all the swelling down it's like a 10 lane freeway saying "hey food - come on down!". The last 3-4 days I've had some pain to the left and below the big incision I have. I emailed the clinic and they said thats the area the port is in. I remember reading somewhere that the area heals slowly and pain a couple weeks after is normal. It isn't so much pain as soreness like a bruise. It isn't bad maybe a 2 of 10 on the pain scale so I can live with it. Next Wednesday I have my first fill. I can't wait!!! I don't know what to expect and I'm worried they won't fill it enough. Any comments and tips by anyone would be appreciated. I'm really excited about getting back to that "full" feeling. ErikMesa

Your post resembles one I made a week ago almost identically in this forum ("One Month Post Op - Need a Fill"). Three weeks post-op and I had no restriction at all. I actually gained a few pounds back but the doctor said that was 'normal' and not to worry about it. Just eat in moderation and keep exercising. You may plateau but you'll be fine after a fill. ErikMesa :frown:

Check with your doctor and ask if you can take Benefiber. I read somewhere this stirred in with Water is totally clear and is OK during the band liquid period. But I'm not sure so ask your doctor. Might help though. ErikMesa :frown:

I was still kind of weak and dehydrated because I wasn't drinking enough at Day 5. Are you taking in enough fluids? Pepermint Tea is a good suggestion (mentioned above). You're probably just swollen a bit around the band. It'll pass eventually. Take your food slow, beef broth is good, Soup without noodles, stuff like that, it's a slow process. ErikMesa :frown:

Congratulations I'm really happy for you! I can't wait to cross the 300 barrier myself it's my first big "goal". Good work!!!! ErikMesa :frown:

OK I'm now three days post-first-fill so I'll make a report. The appointment went very well. The PA who did the fill asked if I wanted to "numb it up a bit" and of couse being a wimp I said YES. She gave me some lidocaine at the port site first and then proceeded with the fill. I had to lay on my back with two small pillows under my lower back to raise my abdomen up enough so she could find it. It took a few tries with the needle but eventually she got it in the port. There really wasn't any pain just occasional discomfort when the needle went a bit deeper then the lidocaine area. Overall it was very good though. Here is the information she gave me: AP-XL band with low profile port. Holds 14 cc's of Fluid. The doctor had put in 4 cc's already! I was surprised there was that much. Anyway she added 1.5 cc's of fluid for a total of 5.5 cc's and that was it. Stuck a bandaid on it and gave me a liquid diet for two days then mushy foods for two days. Now it's Saturday and I don't really feel hungry. It's kind of strange because I do feel like I need to eat.... but I'm not hungry. So I won't eat. I guess thats the "old Erik" way of doing things, eating because you're supposed to or it's time not because I'm hungry. Anyway the day of the fill I had a shake for Breakfast and one for lunch then stopped. I had some Water one hour before fill (I had been drinking alot that day). After the fill I had to sit in the waiting room for 30 minutes and sip water to make sure everything went down OK. It felt "different" but I was able to drink without any trouble. After that I went straight to starbucks and got a small skinny vanilla latte as a "treat" for myself (70 calories). I couldn't finish it by the time I got home then I had a shake around 8pm and that was it. The next day at work I had four shakes over the course of the day and some water. Friday I also had a shake for breakfast but had a "cup of soup" for lunch and another Soup for dinner. Today (Saturday) I'll have a shake for breakfast and see how it goes. I feel a bit hungry but not starved. As for how this feels I guess I don't know what restriction feels like or is supposed to? I know from my post-op period I was never hungry. I guess that's it then? That's how I feel now. I guess it's working although I notice I'm still able to drink fluids with really no issues and I don't have to sip. In two weeks I have my next fill appointment. I'm going to take it easy until then and stay on softer foods and shakes. I noticed this morning when I hopped on the scale I was down to 332. Counting the preop period of two weeks drinking shakes (I started at 367) I'm down a total of 35 pounds including the preop. Post-surgery I'm down 20 pounds from my surgery date weight of 352. I feel pretty good. ErikMesa :frown:

When I saw my doctor last week he did say "it's normal" when I commented about being hungry again. He said I'd go thru periods where I get hungry and maybe even gain a couple pounds but the overall journey of the lapband would be to weight loss. He said "what you're feeling know is what you'll feel when you need a fill". That simple I guess but I was sure unprepared for post-swelling/pre-fill time. Tomorrow at 3pm is my fill I CAN NOT WAIT!!! I hope it's successful. I've talked to people he's filled before and he doesn't skimp on the fill. I'm hoping for a decent restriction the first time. ErikMesa :smile2:

I felt weak the first week or so. I realized it was because I wasn't eating (drinking) enough and my doctor said to have a few extra Protein shakes. After surgery I couldn't even drink half a shake so it was tough. After about 10 days I started on mushy stuff like yougart and Soup with really small noodles and felt alot better. I also increased my Water intake. ErikMesa :huh2:

My shoulder pain lasted about three weeks. I started noticing it was only when eating certain foods or eating to quickly so I just tried to avoid those. It eventually went away. ErikMesa :huh2:

Go to the ER and have them do an Xray or better yet a CT scan of the abdomen. Infection is a serious issue if thats what it is you need to get on antibiotics asap. ErikMesa :huh2:

I've got a very heavy friend who has said some of the same things. Not that she'll lose it the hard way (because she's been trying for 20 years) but stuff like "I don't see how you can put something like that inside you". She's supportive yet not at the same time. I think it's a combination of two things. 1. Jealousy - You have the band, if you're insurance paid for it it's even better, you finally did something about your weight issues. 2. Anger - Anger that she's overweight yet she knows you'll soon not be. If she's researched the band (as I'm sure she did) she knows it's as successful as bypass without all the side effects. She's probably a bit angry at her own weight situations and thus angry at herself. She's defeated smoking already, good for her, if she can defeat her weight issues hey thats great. But she needs to be taught that there is no "easy" way to do anything like this. Surgery isn't easy at all and the lifestyle we maintain afterwards isn't easy either. I think the "easy" way is being able to eat whatever you want once in awhile like someone without the band. We don't have it easy at all because we can't have a "pig out" meal once in awhile. It just doesn't work that way. Perhaps the best thing you can do is be supportive of her. If she wants to lose weight exercise with her. Get a gym membership. Walk together a couple miles a day. Encourage her. She'll take that as an example of how she should be acting. The ball is in her court now and it's up to her to take it and run with it or not. I don't think she's being malicious at all. I think she's just angry about her own situation and a bit jealous that you'd done something about it. Misery loves company and while you were overweight I'm sure you two got along fine. Maybe she's just worried about losing you as a friend once you get "skinny and hot" (like I see alot of people post they plan to do) and distancing yourself from a "fat friend". Face it overweight people have self-esteem issues. We deny we do but we do. ErikMesa :huh2:

Yes I agree. If you look at my first few posts on this board you'll see I was under the impression the band was working already. It took me a week to realize it was just swelling and as that went down my hunger increased. I've really bounced around from 352 to 337 to 342 (today). I can't wait for my first fill!!!!! I also thought I had stretched the pouch or broke something or slipped or something. Why could I eat a regular meal almost with no problems. I have to say this is no explained to anyone well enough imo. If I'd known I'd have "regular hungar" after the surgery before the fill I'd have been more prepared. As it is at least I'm making good food choices (which is something) even though I'm eating larger portions. After the fill I know it'll be a new life" for me. I'm discovering the surgery wasn't "it" its the fill thats "it". ErikMesa :huh2: