BigRob777

I realize that this question is probably answered many times over elsewhere in the forum, but I have a really bad back and can't sit here to read very much. What is it like to have a perfect fill? This morning, I could drink a pint straight down and now I have to drink it in sips. I'm assuming this is good. Also, how long does it take for the food to "drop"? Thanks, Rob in Newark

Hi Pattman, Since I was the main reason we went to buffets, we just don't go. I do exactly what everyone else does, but my wife's preference is usually good enough for me. I usually only get a bite of hers and an appetizer. BTW, I know it's not much Protein, but the shrooms (that's cream cheese stuffed mushrooms, with a panko bread crumb coating, not magic mushrooms) at Houlihan's is an amazing stray. Since my band works wierd, I don't seem to be stretching my pouch much. I splurge with a very inexpensive creme brulet for dessert and that's about all I can eat, except for a bite of what my wife's ordered. Those are about my two favorite foods now. I have to hit the Protein Drink at some point to make that work though. BTW, I make the shrooms last three "meals". My wife eats one and I eat two at a sitting. Now for my update: I had my check-up with Irgau and didn't get a fill. It turns out that I didn't have a leak, but that I was eating the wrong kind of stuff. I can't eat meat, unless it's ground, but if I eat crackers, chips with brie (stay away from that stuff folks), Soup, or Cereal, it goes straight through. Well duh!!!, Irgau said that's normal, but I never knew that. I may even be too tight, as I should probably be able to eat chicken thighs without feeling scratchy pain. Is that right? Anyway, I'm finally losing weight again and didn't get a fill this time. I don't see the doc for two months this time and it feels great. Does anyone else feel this scratchy painful feeling when they eat something too coarse for them? Or is it because I can't live without regular leaded coffee for Breakfast? I sleep all day without it. Blessings, Rob High = 415 lbs. in November 2007 Banded on 4-2-08 by Dr. Irgau, at 402.5 lbs. 362 today, oorah! PS. How do I get rid of all of that crud at the bottom of this message? :thumbup: I'll try to change my preferences.

Pattman, I'd love to hear from you about local support. I am having a bear of a time losing weight, as my fills always seem to open up after a few days. I'm pretty close, but not "there". My fills are 1 ml or so and they work for a bit, so I must be close. If there's a leak, it is very slight. Rob

Hi all, Well, I gained 10 pounds in Hawai'i and ten more after I got back, but I have lost the 2nd 10 and am still trying to get my fill right. I get good restriction for a few days, then most things that are moist go right through. I do have trouble eating solid meat, so I have to use ground. I'm getting tired of it though. Pattman, I'm in Newark. Who's your Dr.? Mine's Irgau. Rob

Yolanda, I know that you must have lost weight before, so my suggestion is that you think about how important it is to you and bite the bullet :seeya: for two weeks. If you don't like the shakes, try something from BJ's, which is either vanilla, or chocolate whey shake powder. You'll probably want to sweeten it some, but two weeks of non-nutrative sweeteners isn't going to kill you. Also use 1% milk for the shakes. There are Soup mixes too, that don't taste too bad. My Dr.'s office sells them. If it's important enough to you, you can do it. Only you can decide. You can also eat salads, with 1 part oil and 5 parts balsamic vinegar, with some sweetener in it and some italian type seasonings. I love it and I don't miss the oil. Stay away from cheese, nuts and anything else high in carbs and fat. Think about everything that you put on your food and hit those veggies hard.:ihih: I can diet for two weeks and lose 15 pounds, but to keep it up is tough, without help, ergo the surgery. If you set your mind to it, you can do it. It's only two weeks. Rob

Thanks! I need all the encouragement I can get. Rob

Way to go. I've been stuck for 2-1/2 months. The band seems just a bit too big still. It's a shame. I lost that motivation. Rob

Well, I'm getting closer. Soft moist food still goes right through, but I'm still having PBs, when I forget to chew the first bite well enough, so that's a good sign. I still think that I need another fill, but it'll be a month until I get one. I have to pay a $25.00 deductible for each visit now, so the bills are starting to cut into our budget. I'm also seeing a foot doctor and have to pay for orthotics in a couple of weeks. (As an aside:) On top of all of that, I'm trying to get my woodworking business (expansion) started, so funds are tight, even if my band isn't. I'm going from supplying penturners with small wood blanks for pens, and making pens and wine bottle stoppers, to building living room furniture (in addition to the old business of blanks and pen turning). I have been investing a lot in veneer and veneering tools. Thanks for your interest, Rob

Well, the dr. gave me another ml of fluid. I think I still need more, as my dinner went straight down, until I got to the chicken. It was tender, but it still stayed up top. Rob

Clever, Thanks for the encouragement. I haven't lost any weight in the last 2 months during which time I've had all of my fills. I don't really understand it all anyway, so I'll wait to see what the doc says on Monday. I know that I'm not losing all of my fill, as I'm still PBing, so you just might be right. Thanks again. I'll keep y'all posted. In the mean time, I'm just going to focus on my obsession (wood).:thumbup: Rob

Nan, if you're referring to me, I go in on Monday, the 7th, to get a check-up. I'll discuss the possible leakage then. I'm able to eat way too much right now. It's really frustrating. I'm still down almost 40 pounds, but I keep bouncing around with my weight. Rob

I'm going back in for my 4th fill and am really concerned that I have a leak too. I am able to eat an almost-regular sized meal again. If I eat plain meat, it stays in my pouch for a while, but if I eat it with anything soft, it goes right through. I still have PBs, if I don't chew well enough, especially with chicken that's too dry, but nothing else seems to stay up there. I can drink right away with most foods. I think that drinking is usually what causes the PBs, but dry meat is tough to take without liquid for me. I ate an entire large hamburger with bacon and sausage (my last meal in Hawai'i), without drinking. I have no idea if my insurance will cover any fixes, so I can't help you there. I gained 11 pounds in as many days of vacation. I ate a lot less than my last time in Hawaii, but I wasn't as active this time either. Bummer. I'm back up over 360 again. Rob

Thanks Patty, that helps. Mine is fluctuating too. One more day and I"m off... Rob

Thanks Hope. It's hard to get used to, but I'm glad that I'm finally losing again. One chicken thigh for lunch seems like nothing, but it fills me up. Rob

Thanks. I can't wait to start snorkelling. Rob

Well, the fill worked and I lost 10 pounds in the last 7 days. I'm going to California, then to Hawaii and won't be weighing myself, until I return. I'm anxious to see how much I lose there. I was hoping to be down to 350, before I went to Hawaii and it looks like it might happen. Rob

Ahhh, great info, thank you. That makes sense. Thank you, Rob

Harley, Thanks. I'll keep you posted. Rob

I was banded over two months ago and have had two fills and will have my third tomorrow, if all goes well. Over the last day, I've started having pain in my band area. It hurts to breath deeply and to hickup. I know I'll see my Dr. tomorrow, but I was wondering if this is common. I have been mostly pain free since the first week, except for when I sneezed. I'm concerned that the jagged pill pieces are damaging my "drop zone", where the food goes from pouch to stomach. Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Rob in Delaware

After each fill, I feel more restricted, but that goes away each time. I am going in for my third fill tomorrow, and to have my pain checked out. I feel like the stitches on the band are pulling, or something like that. It hurts to breathe deeply, cough, eat, etc. Rob

Thanks, I have a lot of time on my hands, I just can't stand for very long at one time. That's something I'm really hoping this surgery will heal. Rob

Well, here's a few pics for you. The table I made, was sold to a customer in Canada and I don't have any pics of it. This was my first attempt at furniture: Bathroom vanity 5’ long: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/BigRob777/DSCN1222-1.jpg Second attempt was a Make up table for my wife: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/BigRob777/DSCN1223.jpg Third was a hot tub room, built on top of the deck I had built: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/BigRob777/DSCN1226.jpg Fourth was the table that sold and fifth and most difficult was this wood and glass shelved entertainment center, that's 8' tall, 10' wide and 1" at the top and 2' at the base: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/BigRob777/DSCN1225.jpg I also built exotic wood veneer trays for Christmas two years ago and many other miscelleneous items around the house. I built two shops too. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm at the point at which I can do something to sell. The high end will come in a year or two. Rob

Well, that's me. That's my passion. The lower links are veneers I've been collecting, so I can build high-end furniture, especially coffee tables, end tables and dressers and the like. That's part of the reason I got the lap band. The other (and main) reason is that my wife will be retiring within the next 8 or so years and I really want to be able to travel with her. She had to push me around in a wheel chair on our cruise just prior to my surgery and she deserves better than that. I deserve better than that. I was still able to go snorkelling, but I was almost unable to get back on the boat, on their skimpy boat ladder. If I hadn't been working out for a month prior, I'd have had to be lifted in, or something. Anyway, I want to be able to make things. I love designing furniture and turning on my lathe, so I can do both with furniture, as I'll turn the legs. Sorry for going on so much about myself, but I figured it's to be expected in an awesome forum like this one. You people are tops. Rob