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OH God, just what we need......another celebrity gaining weight after a WLS then grasping for other answers. No offense, but if she does consider and go with a lap band I sincerely hope she does not advertise it like she did the other. I think they made kind of a mockery of it, being webcast and everything. I know that it really helped the RNY boost it's numbers and all, but at what cost? Were the individuals doing it because they really knew what they were getting into or were they doing it because Carnie Wilson did it and was successful (at least temporarily)?

The closest thing to trouble I've had with bread is that when I eat very soft white bread, it goes down VERY slowly. It goes down, but very slow. Generally, I try to stick with whole grains and I do eat subway, but I get the honey oat bread. I can't really eat the whole 6" sub, but I eat what satisfies me and am happy with that.

From this Moment-Shania Twain Can't Help Falling in Love-Elvis Endless Love-Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie I Will Always Love You-Whitney Houston I Finally Found Someone-Barbara Streisand & Bryan Adams Because You Loved Me-Celine Dion Unchained Melody-The Righteous Brothers The Dance-Garth Brooks Party Songs: Gosh, too many to choose from. I always liked to put a little disco like Saturday Night Fever. After a couple drinks people really start to let loose and the disco keeps them moving. Some of the 80's dance numbers will be popular, too. And what about those great line dances like the Cha Cha slide or the Macarena. They're always a lot of fun. The party goers will sing, they'll dance. It'll be a night to remember.

:laugh:laugh:laugh:lol::laugh:laugh:laugh You had me hook, line and sinker until the end.........very funny.

I use a smaller plate than the rest of my family, sometimes it's a salad plate and sometimes it's more of a saucer. I serve myself what I believe to be adequate bandster portions. I used to measure it, but I found that lately I've been doing pretty good and even short change myself sometimes. I eat slowly until I'm satisfied beginning with the Protein portion of my meal. Sometimes there's still food on my plate. I'm a reformed "clean your plate" syndrome sufferer. If, for some reason I'm still hungry I'll have a few more bites but that's rare. Eating slowly not only helps you tolerate your food, it helps you recognize the feeling of being satisfied.

I was told, anything smaller than a pencil eraser should be fine. BUT, I take no chances. The only pill I take whole is about the size of a birth control pill. The multi Vitamin I take is chewable. Any time I need something for pain, if it comes in pill form I break it up because I just can't stand it pulverized into powder and I HATE the liquid forms. I have some liquid tylenol with codeine and plain tylenol, but unless I'm desperate I don't take it. YUCK! :yuck: As for liquid advil (ibuprofen), I'd talk to my doctor about that. Any NSAID (non-steroidal anti inflammatory) like ibuprofen or naproxyn (aleve) is not highly recommended for bandsters. Because they affect the lining of the stomach and the stomach acids, putting patients at risk for stomach ulcers that effect is amplified in bandsters due to our pouch/band anatomy. I was told it didn't necessarily have anything to do with the medication sitting in the pouch, but it was the chemistry of the drug and how it affected the stomach lining. My doc made me stop taking mine before surgery and I haven't taken any since. When I took vicoden after a minor surgery, I just broke it into three smaller pieces and swallowed it. Sometimes, I put it in pudding or yogurt to help it go down better. Most medications either come in liquid form or can be crushed. The only ones that cannot be crushed are the ones that are enteric coated or sustained release. These should be clearly marked "do not crush" on the labels. When in doubt, ask the pharmacist at your local pharmacy. Capsules work the same, they can be opened and the powder taken unless the insides are sustained release. Some bandsters take capsules whole after the gel-like shell has been softened in Water.

Phyllis, this sounds aweful. I agree with Alex. Maybe you should try the complete unfill first. A symptom of being a little too tight is the exact reflux that you're describing. Proximal is a term to describe positioning. It means close to the center. Your doctor should have used it in conjunction with your body part such as your proximal stomach, your proximal duodenum, proximal colon, proximal tibia, you get the picture. If it's your proximal stomach, that means that food is staying in the top portion (the portion nearest the central you) of the stomach, which is more than likely your pouch. That would also mean that there's also a good possibility that you're a little too tight if food is staying there so long. It could also be a symptom of the Barrett's. My vague understanding of it is that the esophagus doesn't move things down the path the way it should. Either way, I'd definately try the unfill first and see if your suffering doesn't improve. Although I'm sure you're probably already doing this: make sure you're not eating for at least 3 hours prior to going to bed. Drink a glass of water before going to bed (to flush anything that may be in the pouch, out). Try raising the head of your bed by putting blocks under the feet, not just by sleeping on pillows (this causes you to bend at the waist and may even create more reflux). Although this is not proven, try drinking 4 oz of aloe vera juice at night (it's been known to have healing properties and some bandsters swear by it). Best wishes for feeling better

I had a hip replacement at the age of 30 and have been having trouble with impact exercises ever since. I've always found the recumbant bicycle helpful. You're gonna laugh, but I used to do Richard Simmons exercise tapes. They're very low impact and can even be done while sitting. He's very enthusiastic and he certainly made me feel better on my darkest days. Right now, I'm doing an eliptical. It's low impact for knees and hips. It's a bitch to get started because first, your thighs feel like they're on fire then they turn to some heavy jelly-like substance. After a few sessions, you can eventually work up to more minutes but those first few are killers. I also do an exercise ball where I sit on it and do pelvic/trunk exercises as well as modified crunches. Theraband is also great. Any pilates or yoga instructional dvd or book should be quite helpful for low impact and strengthening routines. And it doesn't matter that you can't twist yourself into the pretzel that the instructor can. Do what you CAN do and eventually you'll be doing more and more.

I have my favorites at just about every place, but I stick to a rule: NO BREADED, DEEP FRIED anything. Basically, that's just a big greasy sponge of fat and calories. Taco Bell: tacos (1 or 2), pintos and cheese, nachos, a burrito- stay away from things with sour cream and lots of cheese or greasy stuff Wendy's: chili, baked potato, their salads (even though I can't eat the whole thing), a kids or Jr. hamburger with half the bun removed McDonald's: Breakfast burrito, fruit n yogurt parfait, hamburger with half the bun removed, the occasional small french fry, LOVE that new asian salad, They have a grilled chicken sandwich but I don't get it-there's other choices I like better (like that salad) Burger King: I generally don't like BK, but if I HAVE to because that's the only choice for some reason, I've gotten the Jr. whopper and taken half the bun off. Arby's: Jr. roast beef with half the bun removed, baked potato Subway: I can eat about 1/2 of a 6" sub and I prefer it to the wraps KFC: tender roast wrap, but I ask for little or no mayo then I usually pick the stuff out of the wrap because I start to get full (it's big). This is the ONLY place I break my breaded, deep fried rule and I do it rarely because I LOVE those popcorn chicken things. YUMMY Panera Bread: usually a Soup or a salad, sometimes half a sandwich with either half a salad or a cup of soup (they have a "you pick 2 combo") I don't have a Sonic that's too close to me, but when I have gone I get a diet slush. Yummy Whenever I've had to eat fast food, for whatever reason, I try to stick to my rules and make the best choices I can. I'm lucky, or unlucky depending on how you look at it, I don't have any foods that I absolutely cannot eat. So, I have had to learn to make healthier choices if I want to succeed. I try to stay away from too much bread, not because I can't eat it but because it fills me up and I can't eat the Protein that I need. It's these things that drive my choices and help me in my weight loss journey.

After you've lost some weight, your body needs to take some time to re-adjust itself. It kind of re-distributes the fluids where they belong. If you're working out, muscles replace fat (hopefully). You tone, you shape. I noticed that after I lost a bit of weight, oh say 20-30 lbs or more then slowed down significantly or stopped I noticed that at first I had some loose skin. After a few weeks, that loose skin wasn't so loose any more. I guess that's the best example I can give.

Unjury is a whey based protein supplement in powder form. From my personal experience and in comparison to other whey based protein powders, Unjury has little or no flavor (when you use the unflavored) and has no odor. Others have a sweet, almost offensive smell and flavor to me. The others remind me of powdered milk, but worse. Which, to my understanding, powdered milk is actually made with some of these whey based powders. You can get Unjury at http://www.unjury.com/ It comes in Unflavored, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry sorbet. You can get sample packets, individual packets and multi-use containers. IMHO, Unjury is the best although I haven't tried the iso proteins and have heard they're good too.

BORED? What the heck is that? Working full time, 2 children, 2 dogs who act and require attention just like children, a husband, a house, a camper.......who can get bored? I have to take time out to do LBT to "wind down" and relax. It's my "me time". I also like to read. I get up each morning at 5 am and I try to exercise at least 3 times a week before I get ready for work. I don't get home from work until at least 6 pm, then it's dinner and the clean up. Do the bills, fold the laundry. On the weekends it's marathon cleaning, or camping and that's even more work. Man, what I'd give to say I was bored.

Wow, I never really thought about that. But, you know? This darn plateau that I've been stuck on for what seems like forever is exactly where I was about 15 years ago. I stayed there until I had my first child. Connection? Maybe. Definately worth asking others about.

I'm so sorry you didn't get the job, but on the bright side..........I have to agree with the others. Maybe this happened for a reason. Keep your chin up and keep pluggin' away at it. From my own personal experience, it took me nearly 5 years to get the job of my dreams. Three of those were spent trudging away in an environment I swore I would never return to, just so that I could have the opportunity to open that golden door again. Good Luck, I know you'll find that perfect position.

First, WOW I'm impressed with the at the 15 min. I got my eliptical and it took me 2 months to work up to 7 minutes. :faint: I don't have the tingling in my toes, yet when I use the eliptical. But, it sounds like maybe a mild circulatory problem. It's kind of the same thing that happens if you'd sit on your leg for a while or sit indian-style for too long. I've had tingling in my toes if I tie my shoes a little too tight and walk on the treadmill too long or ride my bike a little too long. It's all in the positioning and how the blood gets to where it's supposed to go. If the circulation is poor, you may get some tingling. That's not to say this won't get better. Just make sure your shoes are fitting well and not tied too tight. The other thing this could be is a neurological thing. If it's related to the nerves, it's harder to treat. But try the shoes, first.

Drifter, I eat red meat. I eat it any way I like other than breaded and deep fried-just a personal preference. I eat slow, roasted-roast beef. I just had grilled sirloin steak this weekend-although I don't like and am a little afraid if there is the slightest bit of grissle, so I avoided that like the plague. I suppose the more tender the steak, the better. I eat hamburger. I haven't had any trouble with ANY meat I've tried. That includes chicken or turkey which some bandsters also have trouble with. Sometimes meat goes down a little slowly, but I haven't PB'd or gotten stuck with it. I just chew it really well, and those meats that seem to be a little dry I make sure I have gravy or sauce to help lube it up. This banding journey is VERY individualized. You'll have to just try it and, I guess, pray that it goes all right for you. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to eat red meat but there's no definate answer that it will be off limits either. Right now, I have 2.8cc in a 4cc band. In case you're wondering.

what a shitty experience. I certainly hope you're on a smoother road now and on the path to recovery. GEEZ. And what's the frickin' deal with your employer? There's no excuse to bounce a paycheck. As if you didn't have enough crap to deal with. Best wishes

Here, here Donna. I was wondering if someone would pick up on that as I was reading through the responses. I mean really, who was gonna admit that they're the one who doesn't carry their fair share? Of course we're all star pupils, prize employees and hard workers with work ethics to be enviable by all employers. lol

Theoretically, the true definition of a "full liquid" diet means liquids that you cannot see through that you can get through a straw. However, pudding and yogurt are considered a full liquid in the same kind of manner that a popcicle is considered a clear liquid. If left at room temperature long enough, these things will be thin enough to get through a straw. But, because both have dairy products in them you probably don't want to do that for safety reasons. If your body is really needing and craving something to eat, you're probably not getting enough. I would recommend a food log/diary so you can say with all confidance how many grams of Protein you're getting as well as how many calories you're consuming. It's a good habit to get into and very helpful to get you on a good path to make those healthy food choices later on. Good things to eat on a full liquid diet: Any creamed soup-you can also add protein supplements yogurt that does not have fruit chunks (lemon, key lime, boston cream pie, vanilla)-again, you can add Protein powder pudding custard (my favorite choice between that and pudding, and has more protein) smoothies Protein shakes or milk shakes fudgecicles ice cream milk anything that was allowed on the clear liquid diet (broth, popcicles, tea, crystal light, jello) Remember, the first several weeks are about healing so focus on that not weight loss. That will come on it's own.

Hey, even though I understand the physiology of this response I could use one of those blinking lights, too. The closest thing I have to it would be a runny nose.

Jennie, I can't comment about how long to wait, but I CAN tell you what happened to me. After I'd lost about 60 or 70 lbs, I noticed kind of loose skin (especially between my legs-sorry if TMI) It was really kind of scary and hideous looking. I knew I still had about 50 or so pounds to go, at least so I didn't even consider PS. What happened was that I kind of plateaued and you know what? The skin and my overall body shape kind of evened out during that plateau (that I'm still on, by the way). I lost 2 pant sizes during the plateau and the loose, hideous skin is so much better. Give it time, make sure it's what you want and REALLY need. I agree with the person who recommended waiting a year. That would give your body time to adjust to it's losses.

O.K., here goes......... The basic concept of no drinking with meals is because we flush the food we have eaten out of our little pouch. Basically, we make it into a slurry and it passes easily as through a funnel and doesn't move as slowly as we want it to move. It sounds like you've got that concept down. Some doctors vary on their recommendation regarding time pre and post meal drinking. According to Inamed, the makers of the US, FDA approved band recommend no drinking 30 min before and for 1-2 hours after. Now, for satiety (the feeling of fullness). When we eat, our stomach expands and near the top of our stomach (fortunately where our pouch is), there is a neuroreceptor (a sensor, if you will) that triggers when our stomach is stimulated and is getting full. Unfortunately, it takes approximately 20 minutes for that sensor to tell our brains that we are actually full. That's one of the reasons we are supposed to eat slowly and take about 30 minutes to eat. Not only because our band just doesn't like us to wolf our food down, it helps us to recognize satiety. Unbanded individuals should be eating slowly, too. By KEEPING THAT FOOD in the pouch for as long as we can, that little neuroreceptor is still stimulated. So we still feel full. After our food has passed through the band/pouch area, whether it be by natural causes or by us washing it down with Water it should take a period of time again before we actually feel the need to feed. Remember, it took us 20 minutes to recognize that we were full. I was unable to find any scientific data telling me how long this takes, but in my personal experience as well as listening/reading about others I feel this varies from person to person. I don't get really hungry for at least another hour or 2-and this is that 1 or 2 hours after I've eaten. Others can be hungry immediately. It's at this stage where your water intake also comes into play. By drinking water, you can stimulate that neuroreceptor somewhat and you won't be feeling as though you're really REALLY hungry. Hope I was able to help, in common sense terms.

Welcome Dr. C! :welcome::welcomeB: So glad to see you on LBT, I always appreciated your help and comments on OH. We could use more docs who spend the time and effort to contribute. Thank you, thank you for your consideration. :cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

Dr. C is right about the patch, but I'm worried for you. If you only take a bite or so of food and then feel so nauseated, how much nutrition are you getting? That could be contributing to your symptoms like a vicious circle. Lack of adequate Fluid and nutrition could actually make you MORE nauseated, dizzy and weak. Call your doctor and let him/her know how you're feeling, what (and how much) foods you're able to eat and how many fluids you are able to get in.

Starting weight: 283 Height: 5'8" Starting BMI: 43 Goal: 150ish. I'd be happy with higher if I thought I looked and felt good. I guess it depends on where my body feels comfortable. I have been overweight all of my adult life and really, as long as I can remember. I feel like I've been on some sort of diet forever. The first diet I can remember is at the age of 16, my mother sent me to Weight Watchers. I've been on Jenny Craig, Richard Simmons. I've taken Redux and just about any over the counter "dietary supplement" known to man. I've been able to lose weight with these things but I've never been able to keep the weight off and the pounds usually bring a few friends back with them. It's really amazing when I look in the mirror. I don't think I look that bad, but when I see photos of myself I am shocked at how big I look. I'm ashamed of what I look like. I am looking foreward to the day when I have the lap band as a tool to help me keep on track. I was born with a condition known as congenital hip dysplasia (my hips weren't formed right and were dislocated). I'm told that I'm lucky to be able to walk, but I had a good doctor as a child and with many surgeries, I'm whole again. It's hard for me to participate in high impact exercise, but I walk, ride bicyle, swim and try to keep active. I enjoy reading and music. My favorite author is Stephen King. My husband and I own a travel trailer and do a lot of camping in the summer time. That keeps me active with walking and bicycling. I had my surgical consult on 1/14/05 and am currently waiting for insurance approval for adjustable gastric banding. 2/3/05 I got word that my insurance approved me for the lap band. Hooray!. 2/9/05 I've scheduled all my pre-op testing and dietician appointments. They tell me my surgery is scheduled for 4/4/05!. WOW. This is happening faster than I thought. The nurse from the office had told me yesterday that 4/4/05 was a possible date but didn't tell me they were going to schedule it. 02/11/05 I got a letter from my doctor's office and from the hospital advising me that my surgery has been scheduled for 4/4/05. What a way to notify someone. Well, at least it's official. Now the waiting game begins. I'm trying to follow the post banding diet so it won't come as such a shock for me post operatively. I'm "in training" so to speak. I think I find the no drinking with my meals and trying to time my fluid intake around my meals the hardest. 2/23/05 I had my first appointment with the office nurse who does most of the follow ups. She was doing my lap band teaching. All the pre-op, actual operative and post op advice I understood and was prepared for except for one thing. She told me to start eating with a baby spoon and a pickle fork so that I could get accustomed to small bites. I don't even know what a pickle fork is!. Is this something I'll have to do forever? I can't find anywhere on the forums where anyone has been advised this except for other patients of Dr. Duckett. I guess this will just become part of my "in training" whether I feel good about it or not. How am I gonna explain those utensils to my co-workers since I've tried to keep the whole surgery from them to begin with? 2/26/05 Had my consultation with the dietician today. It took 2 hours! Who knew it would take 2 hours to go over food? She made me feel very comfortable and she gave me a lot of hand-outs on the different types of diets should I ever stray. There's even examples of menu's. Although, that's exactly what I've been researching ever since I decided the lap band was for me. I felt very informed going in and very confidant going out. OH, and one more thing. I weighed myself today. I'm down to 272.5!. That's 9lbs gone since I've started trying to follow the lap band diet after my consultation with Dr. Duckett. WooHoo! 3/2/05 I found this on a post tonight and thought that it spoke volumes for my situation. I wanted to save it in case I forgot all the reasons I chose lap band. Once in awhile, someone will come around asking for the reasons why I chose the Band, so I'll compile my reasons here: More natural rate of weight loss: * Minimal sagging skin * No "window of opportunity" * Plenty of time to develop better eating/living habits, including exercise Least invasive surgery: * Lower rate of complications or death * Complications are easier to manage * Quicker recovery time; less painful * No cutting/rearranging of body parts * No changing the natural digestive process * No necessity of taking vitamins or supplements; I can get all I need from food Most innovative technique: * Adjustable for permanent weight-loss aid * Removable, should something more effective become available * "Cool" factor Generous but effective learning curve: * Better eating habits must be adopted from day one - no coasting * Has been labeled as "thinking person's WLS" * No punitive "dumping syndrome"; may eat like a normal person * Ability to drink normally and get in enough water * Safety-net effect; may put weight loss on hold to concentrate on other matters without gaining I never seriously considered RNY. When I heard about the Band, it was like a light bulb going on for me. By the way, I weighed myself again. 270.5! Another 2lbs gone. I don't want to get in the habit of weighing myself more than once a week, but I couldn't help myself, and I stepped on. 3/18/05 I had the upper GI and venous doppler studies today. Man, I felt like I was playing twister on that x-ray table for the upper GI. It was like, "turn left, more left, turn right, more right, now on your stomach, bend your knee, roll over." Venous doppler was a piece of cake other than the goo they use for the ultrasound. It was kind of hard to get all of it off. I haven't lost any more weight, but on the bright side, I haven't gained either. Once I'm banded, my portions will be significantly less and with the liquid diet required, I'm sure I'll get moving again. 4/2/05 I've been on the full liquid diet since 3/30/05. Sometimes I feel like I'm being tortured. I dream about food. Is that sick or what? I feel really sorry for those individuals who have to do this for longer than the 5 days I'm required to follow it. 4/6/05 I'm home and banded. I read about this gas pain, but geez it really is the worst. I'm not nauseated or anything. But the pressure in my chest and upper abdomen feels like I'm having a heart attack sometimes. I try to walk it off, but last night it was even hard to breathe. I'm trying to sip my water and eat a little at a time, but really I'm not hungry. I'm only eating out of fear that I'll get run down and not feel well if I don't. 4/8/05 Feeling better today. I've been up and about the house. The only discomfort I've had is from moving too quickly. I do have an odd sensation of bloatedness. It seems like I have it all the time. I'm trying to learn the language of the band but it's hard when everything feels like different levels of full at this point, even when I'm only consuming liquids. 4/16/05 Feeling back to my old self for the most part. I'm up and around, even starting to feel hungry. I have 2 more days of full liquids then I can move onto pureed. I can honestly say I'm really looking foreward to that as I'm getting tired of soup! I plan on going back to work on 4/18/05 and although I am physically ready, I would like more time off. Who doesn't like being home and relaxing? 4/25/05 Gee, the last week has gone by so fast, I haven't had time to blink let alone update or post. My husband's grandmother passed away on 4/18/05 so, we had to leave for Texas on very short notice. I've been on mushies and let me tell you, traveling on mushies is a difficult task. Especially to Texas where there is GREAT Tex-Mex food available. My husband's family doesn't know I had surgery, so I had to make do. I had some cold cuts, chewed really well and some very well cooked roast beef (also very well chewed). I didn't have any problems with them, other than some extra gas, but I didn't push it and tried to stay with very soft, mushy or even foods that boardered on liquids for the duration of the trip. I got on the scale today, and I've lost 3 more pounds! WOW! I never thought I would because truthfully, I didn't think I was getting enough calories in and I definately wasn't drinking enough. I've also been fortunate enough to have some sort of cold or bronchitis and haven't been feeling up to eating or drinking. I guess, I must have done something right! This journey is so unique. 5/3/05 I had read other member's NSV's but I didn't really realize the significance of them until this morning. I had dressed for work in slacks that zipped on the side. They were loose, but I didn't realize how loose they were until...I had to tinkle and when I went into the bathroom I pulled my pants down. I had absentmindedly thought that I was wearing elastic waistband pants! They came down without any problem and as I sat there, I started laughing, my husband thought I was crazy laughing there on the toilet. This has been on my mind all day and I had to share it because I've read everyone's weight loss in the first few weeks and I felt that my own weight loss was a little slower than others. (I know, we're not supposed to compare ourselves, but it's hard not to) I had resigned myself to being a slow loser. I must be losing inches and because I hadn't measured myself, I'll never know exactly how many inches I've lost. Oh well, I can feel it in my clothes and the way I move. 5/23/05 Just a quick update. Feeling good. The weight is slowly going down. 250.5 today. I think it's been 2 years since I've weighed that. Over the weekend, I cheated a little and had some Doritos. Not a lot, just maybe an ounce or 2. Just the same, shouldn't have had them. Well it's just 1 day along the road. "one day at a time" 6/5/05 I've been 248 for about a week now, just didn't update. Hope to see some more loss soon. I haven't had a fill, so I don't really have much restriction. I follow the diet and I do feel satisfied for about 3 hours. I can't say that I'm hungry a lot or "starving" or anything. Still trying hard to get all my water in every day. 6/10/05 I weighed myself today. 244.5! I've been out of town for work and I've been eating all my meals out. I feel I've made mostly good choices, a lot of grilled chicken salads though. I do log everything I eat in a program I have for my PDA, it's called Balancelog. It's O.K., although I'm sure no program's perfect. I've been staying about 1200 cal or less. :-P once in a great while I'm over, but not by much. I've also been doing better with the water because it's been so hot here. 7/18/05 I haven't updated in a while because I've been stuck for about a month. In fact, after my last post, I gained 4 lbs and had to lose them again. I've been more active with exercising and I've been doing well with my eating habits, but still I was stuck. So...I scheduled a fill. I had to convince the doctor's office nurse first, but I did it. Today was my first fill. It wasn't so bad. The doctor did it under fluoro at the hospital where I had my surgery. BUT, I'm filled to 2.8 or "just under 2.8" according to the doctor. That seems like a lot. I watched the passage of barium through the band and it went through, albeit slowly. The doctor reminded me several times to take it slow and to call anytime, day or night if I have spitting or problems. I'm a little scared. I've been on clear liquids since the fill this morning and haven't had any problems getting those down. I guess I'm just nervous. I've never had a PB and I don't want to. 7/29/05 Oh my God! Yesterday I thought I was going to die. Or at least I wished I had for a time. I've still been on mushies. The doctor told me to take it slow after that fill and I've been ever faithful to those orders mostly out of fear. I had very finely shredded tuna salad and one of those breakstone's creamed cottage cheese with fruit for lunch. It went down fine and I took my time. I had eaten both of those items before and wasn't worried. About an hour and a half afterwards, the pain started. It felt like something was stuck. I started to walk around. I even took a couple sips of water, which I know doesn't usually help but I have found it's kind of instinct. When that didn't work, I kept walking. I walked for nearly a half hour straight, sometimes leaning over a sink hoping and wishing I'd vomit for the pain to go away. I finished my work and got in my car. By this time, an hour had passed and the pain was so bad I could hardly breathe. I called my DH who called the surgeon and told me to get to the ER to be checked. The ER is an hour from my home and I was more than a half hour from my home! That drive home was the most painful torture I have ever experienced. The pain only seemed to get worse and worse. Then, about 2 miles from my house, I felt a "pop" and suddenly the pain and pressure was gone. When I got home, DH and I decided to go to the ER anyway mostly because we were scared. I had never experienced anything this extreme (nor do I again, thank you). The doc checked my band under fluoro and to my amazement, the 2.8cc he said he put in is now down to 2cc and everything is moving just fine, band has not moved. What happened to the 0.8cc? And, what the hell was all that pain? 8/13/05 Gosh how time flies. I didn't really realize that I hadn't updated my profile since "BLACK THURSDAY". I've come to the conclusion that the pain on 7/28 was probably some solid food that I hadn't chewed well enough that had gotten stuck. My Dr. thought maybe I had eaten too fast or swallowed too much air in the process, both viable possibilities. No matter what the cause, I WILL be chewing better and eating slower. I did mushies for a day or 2 after that then continued on soft foods for another week before going back to regular food. I'm doing fine now. I was amazed to find that I can still eat bread, rice, red meat, etc. I really haven't found anything that doesn't go down...yet. I haven't lost any more weight. I'm still at 234.5, but that's o.k. I feel great. I've been kind of bad at getting my water in the last couple of weeks, my work schedule has been weird. I'll get back on track and I'm sure my weight will get moving again. 8/22/05 Been doing O.K. Weighed on Friday. I'm at 232 lbs. I'm doing about a pound a week. I'm very happy with that. I'm in a size 18 comfortably right now. Today, I had to try three pairs of pants to find one that fit well enough to wear to work. The others were so big I looked bad. What can I say, I'm too cheap to buy all new just yet. I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a couple of outfits. I've been telling myself that as I got fat, I also gathered plenty of clothes that got me there. Well, I think I skipped a size or two because I can't find many in size 18 in my closet. Darn, shopping will be such a pain I'm sure. I look back and remember that when I started this journey in January and in the pic below I was in a size 24. In January that size 24 was rather snug. 9/13/05 Feeling pretty good about my weight loss. Still doing the 1-1.5lb loss per week. Went to my monthly support group meeting last night. I realized how lucky I am to be losing steady and to be going along so well. I haven't PB'd, just that "stuck" episode. I tolerate any food I put into my mouth and I have followed my rules pretty well. I try to make good choices most of the time, but I do allow myself treats. I think that's what keeps me happy and on track. I am satisfied with smaller amounts of the things I love. This is exactly what I wanted. I can eat what I want, in moderation and still lose weight. I do track my nutritional and caloric intake nearly daily (I may take a day or 2 off on a weekend, but rarely). And, I don't cheat on that log...I track everything the best that I can. I admit I could be doing better with my exercise. 228lbs. 9/22/05 Although, I generally weigh myself on Friday or Saturday I thought I'd post today because I have plans for the weekend and thought maybe I'd be too busy to post later. The last time I weighed myself I was 225lbs. That's a total of 57lbs gone. I can't say it enough...I am so pleased with my surgery and my weight loss so far. I can't even remember the last time I weighed that. I think it was more than 10 years ago to be honest. I don't feel deprived. I have more energy. My self confidance has gone up. How could it not? So many people have noticed the loss and are making comments. Lap band was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I would do it again in an instant. 10/5/05 Well, I can no longer boast that I have never PB'd. I am not proud of that fact, but here goes...Today at work I started to have that now familiar epigastric pain. I had clam chowder for lunch with a small salad and a breadstick. None of those items were new to me, so I had no fears whatsoever. About an hour after I ate, the pain started. This time I even started to sweat. I figured that I wasn't going to put up with this so...(bulemics beware) I went to the bathroom and put my finger down my throat in hopes to feel better. I only brought up mucous. This only temporarily relieved my pain, so I did this same routine 3 more times. One of those, I did bring up some undigested food. This has not been a pleasant banded day. I'm still uncomfortable, but unless I can't stand the pain I'm not doing it again. I guess it's a jello night. 10/24/05 After the last update, I went to the ER and was kept overnight for dehydration because I couldn't keep anything down. Dr. Duckett took out 1cc from my band the next day. I've been really careful ever since mostly staying with soft foods. I did have a salad over the weekend and felt pretty confidant about it. Today I PB'd again. It was the best PB I've had if that's possible. The pain started, I walked, up it came. All in all it lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. If they were all like that, I would consider it a blessing. Not that I really want them. But that torture of 7/28/05 and 10/5/05 made me want to die. I'm gonna cut this update short because I'm a little sore. I'm down to 223 lbs which is good considering my band is looser than before. 11/24/05. Wow, I forgot to check my profile and hadn't realized how llong it had been. I can remember that time like it was yesterday. I feel like the whole month of October and most of November has been brutal torture for me. I had to keep going back to liquids for one thing or another and I sincerely developed a fear of food. On 11/14/05 when it felt like I was gonna get that pain again I called the doctor's office. I didn't go into a full blown attack, but it was distracting to say the least. I felt like I was eating papaya enzyme tabs like candy in hopes to help digest whatever was the problem (although really how could tomato soup and a bit of tuna salad do that?) Dr. Duckett insisted on seeing me. On 11/17/05 I saw him and he felt that what I was having was esophogeal spasms. I suppose they may have originally been started by something getting stuck, but he felt they were caused by increased stress in my life (which I've been having A LOT of). He gave me a prescription for Valium to help calm those muscles down which I'm only supposed to take when I feel the spasms coming. So far, no more really intense ones since 10/24/05 and 10/25/05 but I fear that and would avoid that with everything in me. I've been doing much better ever since. I do have a little bit of reflux, but I think that may be from eating too late at night. I'm down to 216.5 lbs and very happy with that. I cleaned out my closet and got rid of all of the clothes that were hanging on me. That's a good feeling. 12/28/05 Well, I didn't make it to my unofficial goal of "onederland" by the end of the year but that's O.K. I've lost 69 pounds and am very happy with that. Especially considering the last three months worth of trials I've had, I'm very very happy. October started with a hospitalization for pain and inability to keep liquids down that turned out to be esophageal spasms. November was more of the same then turned into reflux that went on and on which convinced me that my band was slipped. After a long struggle with that reflux, I finally called the doctor who (I think mostly to ease my mind) checked my band under fluoro. All was well. I think he thinks I'm a nervous freak-he told my husband that once my mind was eased I should be just fine. Now, my struggle is HOLIDAY TREATS. I haven't really gained any, but I'm truly shocked. Those darn cookies will be the death of me. 2006 will be good for me. My band is in place, once I'm away from the posessed cookies that call my name I'll be fine with my choices and "onederland" here I come. Only 14 lbs to go. 1/20/05 I've been hesitant to update. Not because I'm not losing weight or anything. I've just been down in the dumps about banding. There have even been times I wish I had the damn thing out of my body. I am SICK and TIRED of having these episodes where I have pain and pressure that goes on and on. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've had it for a whole day in varying degrees. I don't have a clue what causes it. I keep track of everything I eat and NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING that I eat is consistent enough to figure out what causes this. Because the pain comes about an hour to an hour and a half AFTER I've eaten I can't say whether it's because I've eaten too fast or not chewed well enough. All I can say is that I try to pay attention at each meal, mostly out of fear. I'm averaging one of these "spasms" about once every two weeks. The doctor says it's consistent with esophageal spasms. Well, FIX IT! I'm tired of having them. I'm losing weight, but not necessarily the right way. Basically I'm starving. I'll eat normally for a week or two, then WHAMO! smasm and then it's nothing to eat for a day (or 2) but maybe tea then slowly work back up to solid foods again. 211lbs 1/30/06 Here I am, still suffering to a certain extent. A couple days after that last entry, I got fed up with the poor answer from my band surgeon to "seek counseling". I started considering the possibility that maybe these attacks were not related to my band. I saw a doctor for a second opinion and found out that I have gall stones. All of these months, at least since October, I have been suffering with gall bladder attacks. I am scheduled to have my gall bladder removed on 2/2/06. These last few weeks I have not felt well, I constantly have a sick taste in my mouth. It's kind of what I thought was reflux before. Now, I'm wondering if I had reflux at all and not some weird bile overload or even infection from the gall bladder. Who knows? I sincerely hope this gall bladder surgery solves my problems. If not, I may just have the band removed. I am tired of being sick and I'm tired of being in pain. 207 lbs 2/5/06 Well, where do I begin? I had the gall bladder surgery. They say that part went fine. Somehow during the surgery they dislocated my artificial hip. Yes, they dislocated my hip. My abdomen is sore from the gall bladder surgery. Generally, I feel better than I did before although I really don't have much of an appetite. The problem is my hip. I am not to bear any weight on it. It's been 3 years since I've dislocated it. I was doing so well. I feel really low, as if I've started all over again with my hip. I hobble around with my walker and my a$$ is really sore from sitting all the time. Weight loss is really not a priority right now, but it's amazing that when you feel so bad or are in pain it really doesn't matter. 3/24/06 Well, I'm fully recovered from the gall bladder surgery. I'm still in physical therapy for my hip. They tell me that the muscles are really weak. I'm planning on going back to work on 3/27, so I hope they're strong enough for that. Other than a little bit of pain that comes and goes, I guess I'll have to go on. I've come to the realization that all of the problems I've had since October, probably even the "black Thursday" mentioned in July 2005 was a gall bladder attack. All of those experiences were variations of the same. Any vomiting I had was only mucous and came as a last resort to relieve the pressure associated with the pain. Although I couldn't testify, I believe I have NEVER had a true PB. Is that possible? At almost 1 year out, to never PB? I would have taken a PB or 2 over the torture of those months. OH Well. Now that I can eat, I do. I'm stuck at 211lbs. Yes, I gained a couple since the gall bladder surgery, but I'm not terribly sad about it. Not happy, but not really depressed or anything. I can eat, Happy. I gained, sad. I think it's also because I'm working out with weights to strengthen muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. It's only 4lbs. I'll eventually get it off. I hope. 4/9/06 I know this is a LONG first entry for a journal, but I wanted to put my entire OH profile on here. I'm told that there's a possibility I may lose it. So...I figured I'd have it on 2 sites. What's the chances of both of them losing it? Anyway, I'm still bouncing between 210 and 211 lbs. I'm thinking that I may be experiencing my first ever real plateau. Even when I've dieted whenever my weight even slowed down I'd give up and return to my prior eating. I've been exercising more, trying to strengthen those weak hip muscles. I have had a bit of Easter candy, but I don't think enough to stall me this long. I'm sure with patience I'll break it, eventually.