argon

I'm glad you enjoy my misery :pout: LOL, just kidding!

So... I was getting a little worried. EVERYthing was on the verge of getting stuck, whether it was chewed the crap out of, or just sipped (like water!). But this mid-morning, I was soooo hungry, I decided to give a pepperoni stick a try (man, I don't know what would possess me to try THAT of all things...I should have tried something easy). Anyways, I ate it, and then had a couple more, with NO problems! I was sooooooo happy! I haven't tried eating a real meal yet, cause I'm still scared, but I'm sure it will be ok. I was very upset last night, and wishing I hadn't got a fill at all... that I should have just held out with what I had. All I ate yesterday was half a pudding... half a cup of tea.... some milk... and I think that's about it. I was pretty miserable. I was thinking about what I could possibly do. I told myself (and Dan, who was freaking out) that I wanted to wait and see what happened, that maybe it would loosen up on its own after a bit. So anyways, I am SO happy. It's so crazy that it went like that. I was kinda freaked when all of a sudden I could swallow with ease. (don't get me wrong, I never couldn't get anything down. I could drink, and I could eat, it just wasn't worth the 'stuck' feeling I got everytime I tried.) Yay for me. :clap2: No need to rob a bank and fly back to TO... or hold Dr. Beausoleil hostage until he takes a cc out ... or try to instruct the emergency room how to do it! Honestly, the thought of someone poking and pushing on my bruised belly was what made me now want to do it the most. UGG! I should take a picture.

Hi Pickle, I do know of a girl in Manitoba... I think in Dauphin, who's family doctor has been doing her fills for her for about 5 months. She was also banded at the TLBC, so maybe you could ask them about this. She has developed a leak somewhere, which may or may not have been caused by her family doctor doing her fills for her. I'm sure this can happen to anyone, even if you went to the TLBC for fills, there's always a chance of something like that happening. I'm just not sure what the liability is if something like that happens and say your port or tubing needs to be replaced. Can your surgeon say, "Well hey, I didn't do it!" She's yet to figure what she's going to do about it, but I'll let you guys know when I do. If you really want to know, I can find out the info from her. Mandi

Try following these instructions, guys: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=16218&highlight=ticker

Hi Wheezy! Welcome! Come back and browse away as soon as you're feeling better. Mandi

As of today, I'm up 0.6 lbs from last week. BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Oh my, so much action here!! New people all over the place!!! And Neenagh is here again! Welcome, you guys!!! (Yoda, yeah... I knew about the DVD thing, and it's definitely a possibility later on, if I find a good Dr here, and I can't get a fill... again! Dr. Cobourn used to do the DVD thing too, apparently, so... maybe he's got some leftovers kicking around that he'd give me if I was desperate enough!) I hope you all post lots, and keep us updated on how everything goes, and is going... and everything! Mandi

Hi Tagger! Welcome. There's ONE girl that I know of for sure on here, from Canada (from BC actually), who went to mexico a few months ago, and is doing really well. You can search for her posts if you go to the advanced search, then type in the 'author' area, ragergirl. That's her name on here! Good luck

yeah, I felt guilty about not getting anything when I was there, so I was all giddy when I found this cookie to give him! LOL Actually, the one I went to was in ... Burlington! Probably not the one by you, or is it, Kim?

Hey Loriely, I have the Inamed 4cc - 9.75cm band. I actually already had 1cc in, she just added 0.5 more. (well... I 'lost' 0.1cc, so she technically added 0.6) I actually didn't feel a thing when she added the saline. She asked if I felt anything, and I said "Did you do it already?"... so nope. Kim, sorry, didn't know where I was going or where I'd be! Every Dr. is different with what they tell you to do before and after a fill, also. My surgeon says to try something soft/mushy-ish a few hours after. Some places make people stay on liquids for a week afterwards! It just all depends on what your Dr. says. (like with everything, I'm sure you're noticing! LOL)

Haha, yes they ARE! You know what... I stopped at Tim Hortons after I left the airport at 11pm-ish, and got a coffee... I couldn't help myself, when I saw these Choc Chip Caramel Pecan cookies, so I got one. Anyways, it took me SO long to drink my coffee, by the time I was done, I'd forgotten about the cookie, and didn't realize I had it until I was grabbing my stuff from the car when I got home. So I came inside, handed it to Dan, and said "Look what I got you!!" LOL I told him it was from Toronto, so he thinks it was a souvenir!

Awww... thanks Maria, and Yoda and Kim and Cloe! It was good. Well, the fill itself wasn't exactly fun. I guess I lucked out with only needing TWO pokes with the needle, but... ugg... it was gross. Just a gross feeling. I swear it felt like half an hour, but probably wasn't that long. The first time, she was hitting the port, but couldn't find the middle.... so she had to take it out and move over a little. She got it pretty quick the 2nd time, put all the wiggling around with the needle in there is such a yucky feeling. She took out 0.9cc (just to check that it was there), and assured me that it was ok, and then put in 0.6, bringing me up to 1.5cc. I drank my Water afterwards with no problem. Marie and the 'assistant' or whatever that was watching, had a good old time, pushing the HELL out of my port.... That's what hurt the most. I'm actually bruised. My stomach hurt for about an hour... like the stomach muscles, I mean. Now it still hurts, but only if I bump it! A couple hours later, I had some creamy Soup and a couple bites of chicken with no probs. Then a few hour after than I had a kids meal from IKEA, and could only eat 4 meatballs and a few fries. I'm thinking it feels more like I'm stopping eating to avoid getting it stuck... rather than being full. But once the 'almost stuck' feeling is gone, I guess I'm feeling full for a while. I've been to scared to really try much 'hard' stuff to eat so far, and all I ate all day (up til now, supper) was some milk, coffee, pudding, and 2 hotrods. I just made some shake n' bake chicken breasts and potato chunks for dinner, and could only eat half of my chicken breast. Once again, it's a 'don't wanna eat anymore, or I'm sure it'll get stuck' feeling, not full.. but we'll see how I feel after that feeling's gone! I'm thinking that if I had some kind of button to just adjust the amount of saline immediately, with no needles, or plane rides, or 2 hour drived in the dark, on "Moose Danger" highways, that I'd get a TINY little bit taken out... maybe 0.1 or 0.2cc. I can drink, and I can eat, and this is probably how it's supposed to be (very little, very slow), but it's a shocker after being able to eat so well for soooo long since my 1st fill! I don't think I'm going to be able to chug my water anymore!!! It was a crazy fast 'whirlwind' trip, but it was cool, and I'm glad I did it. I'm sure it's gonna be ok, and it'll help my weightloss. (it better!) And if nothing else, I think I'm going to save alot of money on groceries!

Spies tell us that you posted on the canadianlapbanders site! You can't hide from us! (ok, I saw you, and was hoping you'd let everyone here know that you survived today!) How did it go? Tell us everything! Mandi

It was pretty good. I didn't do much, cause there just wasn't anything for me to do! I kinda just sat and did some practice character rigging (sorry, I know that means nothing to you! LOL) ALLLL day. The guy who was supposed to be helping me had been there all night, so he left after lunch, and I was on my own. It was ok though, I mostly figured everything out! Soooooo.... I am going to run to the store, and then take a couple sleeping pills to try to konk myself out so I can sleep until about 2am, then get up, get ready, drive to Moncton, hop a plane, go to TO, and get my FILL! WOO! I'm probably done online for the night, so I will fill you all in on everything on Wed. after work! Thanks for the well wishes! Mandi

Thank you, thank you! *takes a bow* Enjoy! It's really interesting.

I woke up ... or tried to wake up early this morning to go grocery shopping. We were in a hurry, so I thought we'd stop at Tim Hortons for a coffee before we went out. The line was so long, we just left. Went grocery shopping, and when we got home I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich. (you know when you're hungry at the groc. store, and you get all these 'idea's?) Hadn't had one in... probably 5 months at least. - later on... I had a couple Cookies. - Supper: I had some chicken wings in the freezer that I'm worried I won't be able to eat later on, so we made them tonight. Thought I could have 10, and Dan would have 10. I ended up eating 5. Mostly because they were tooo hot, and not wanting to drink at the same time as eating, I just couldn't have anymore! - couple more cookies I am hungry... but I'm drinking lots of Water. I have a couple cookies left... I feel like just eating them so they're gone. I know I *should* throw them away... and maybe, just maybe... I will.

It probably does shrink it a bit, also, I'd think... by reducing the fat in it. (?) Have you ever watched the video of the surgery (online), Kim? It's pretty neat. You can see how they 'hold up' the liver out of the way while they do the surgery. If you haven't... try this: http://www.or-live.com/BrighamandWomens/1372/ Hopefully that link works. Let me know if it doesn't... there's a different way to get to it. Mandi

Thanks guys! Awwww.... Luckily, from being here so long, I've met lots of people... with various work functions, and just going in there now and then. So not knowing people isn't my biggest worry, it's not knowing what I'm doing !! LOL I'll figure it out soon enough, though, I'm sure ! Thank you again!

Jude!? A smaller lie? LOL that's awesome!

Wooo!!! Cloe's goin' banana crazy!!! LOL Thank you!!!! and good stuff Jude, you deserve 'a day' !! I'll send you happy birthday vibes on tuesday, if you send me "don't get too tight of a fill" vibes!!

Same here Buffie, you've got some good advice/suggestions/thoughts already, so I can't add anything! Take care, Mandi

Hey loriely, Congrats on the first fill!! Let us know how it goes once you start on real foods again! Mandi

Aww.. Yoda, I'm sorry. Gains are never fun. Don't get too discouraged. I bet its nothing to worry about. You HAVE lost so far, so obviously it CAN happen, right? Just take it in stride, and hang on til next week and see what happens then. :hug: Mandi

Hey kim, congrats!!! You'll be feelin' 100 % better very soon, I'm sure! Is Maalox for gas relief? I thought it was a heartburn thing. If it's for gas relief, and it helps, and its chewable or liquid, it should be fine!! Mandi

Hi guys, Oh boy, I was absent ALL yesterday almost! So, guess what. I get an email from Dan at work yesterday morning, telling me that he'll be done for the day @ 1pm, so I should come pick him up... then he emails me again to tell me that his boss wants me to come in and talk to him about starting work, and will probably want me to start on MONDAY! (and I have to go to TO for my fill on Tues!) So I go in there, and yes, he asks what my availability is, and I tell him, it WOULD be fine, but I've made arrangements already to go out of town on Tues, and that's the only problem. He said its NOT a problem that I can start on Monday, take Tues off and come back on Wed. So, it looks like I'm starting my job at least a week early! WOO! Verrrry good timing, cause I'm gonna be looking forward to that 1st pay cheque, unfortunetly it'll be 3 weeks before I see it! Oh well, at least it'll be nice to know that it IS coming, and it'll be 3 weeks worth, instead of 2 ! Anyways, after the little chat, he asked me if I was coming on the boat, and I said "ummm... sure". He's rented 2 'touring boats', and everyone from work loaded on to them, cruised out to this little island, and ate chicken and lobster, and cake afterwards. (it was funny, cause ALL the chicken was gone 1st, and people were like "Awwww... there's no chicken left??" and either had to have nothing, or settle with lobster!) It was a pretty cool thing for him to do, I thought! I can't imagine how much lobster for that many people would have cost! I wish I would have had the lobster, but there was NO where to sit, and the mess that those things made was unreal. I got squirted a couple times with lobster juice! So yeah, startin' work on Monday! I'm a little scared, and don't quite feel ready.. but I'm sure I'll be fine. I really need to ensure that I don't get too much of a fill now. EEEK!