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INTRODUCING: Blaze SparkleBomb! WhooHoo! Look at her go!

OMG, I thought I was the only one who hung on every last "ARRRR" or any other word for that matter. I love Jack's posts. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I have a mind crush or anything, but.......well, you never know. SuperDaddy, like your posts too........ And thanks to whoever posted that pic of Vin Diesel.....(fanning myself here), but didn't I hear rumors he was "battin' for the other side?"

P'nut, I must have missed the posts where there were comments implying you were a "know-it-all" :omg: I think we all have our own knowledge and experience to add and if people are coming to the boards for information and advice, if we can, we should give our humble opinion, experience and any knowledge that we've picked up along the way. As for the "honeymoon phase", I agree to a certain extent that after we have been banded a while the enthusiasm does wear off a bit. Yes, the term "honeymoon phase" can be rather derogatory and can imply that after a while we may become more non-chalant. That doesn't necessarily mean we struggle or lose our focus. I know for me, I was really "gung-ho" in the beginning.....especially the first maybe 4 or 5 months. That kind of wore off a bit and my focus changed for the next 6 months. For the last 3 months, I've had trouble finding my focus but now that I've gotten back on track I seem to have a new level and am more able to make better choices. I never forgot about the band. It was something I thought about every day, but as we develop our new and healthier eating habits it becomes a part of who we are and isn't a thing that we really have to think about so much.

O.K., then if it's in the left side the location makes sense with your band. Even though I still contend that it's unusual to have back pain related to the band. If you're getting something stuck for 4.5-5 hours, and PAINFULLY stuck. That is irritating your stomach, the part we all call the stoma where the band has made your stomach smaller. Along with that irritation comes swelling. It's no wonder liquids pass slowly after such an episode. When you irritate your stoma, you need to go back to the beginning, go to liquids and slowly progress back to solid foods. Even if it takes a couple of days on each stage. Be kind to your band and your stomach. Don't push it. Once you get back to solid foods, make sure you're chewing well and eating slowly. I know these things are easier said than done, but if your band is that sensitive you absolutely MUST or you're going to find yourself going through this cycle again and again. Pay attention when you eat. If you get one of these "stuck" episodes, ask yourself "did you take small enough bites?" "did you chew it well enough before you swallowed?" "were you eating slow enough?" and finally, if you've done all these things.....maybe it was the food itself that you're sensitive to. Some people just can't tolerate beef or chicken or eggs or bread or......whatever.

Mercedes, I don't know much about you, your band, your history, etc. But, what concerns me about what you've written is that you have such intense back pain that lasts so very long. You didn't specify how the meat was cooked. I know beef can have a higher fat content than chicken, so I'm going to go out on a limb here. Because the location of your pain is unusual, the first thought I had was gall bladder because gall bladder pain often presents itself in the back kind of on the right side under your shoulder blade. If you have the pain AFTER you eat. Whether it's 15 minutes or an hour and a half, your body is trying to digest food with some fat content, but your gall bladder is having trouble. Whether you have stones or a blocked duct or a malfunctioning gall bladder......it's painful.......VERY painful. From the statements you made that sometimes it's O.K., sometimes you can eat a lot, sometimes you're afraid of food and get the pain.......I just feel that it's something like gall bladder......Because that's the EXACT same way I felt when I was having gall bladder attacks. I didn't know what was causing this terrible pain that made me beg my husband for death. Then, the ache would finally go away and I'd manage to work myself back up to "regular" food again. I'd be going good for a week or so, then WHAM! That pain would build up, and take me down. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to what it was I was eating. Heck, I got one of these attacks on cheese, an egg, a salad (thanks to the dressing, I guess), a Protein bar. My advice, don't be so quick to blame the band. It might not be the band. It might be something else. Typcally the band does not cause back pain.

As someone else said, if it is your gall bladder, the only relationship it would have to the band would be that it your band caused you to lose weight. Besides, gall bladder is a different animal and your insurance would cover it.........related to the band or not (which I don't think any doctor would directly relate it to the band, especially only 2 weeks out). Personally, at 2 weeks out I'd think you're probably having gas. BUT, I would NEVER dismiss someone who thought maybe gall bladder because I suffered with gall bladder attacks from July to February and was misdiagnosed as "esophageal spasms". That was the most intense and miserable pain I have ever experienced in my life and I would never wish it on anyone. Nor would I dismiss it when I myself was dismissed and told to "seek counseling". Now that I think about it, if it is your gall bladder......and you're only 2 weeks out.......it was probably a problem BEFORE you were banded. SO, if it makes you feel better about the insurance it couldn't be related to the band........

Michelle, Unless we are ill, bandsters don't "puke" per se. We bring our food back up in what we politely call a "PB" or productive burp. The food has not mixed with the digestive juices and basically comes from our pouch because it's having trouble getting past the band. Although (cross my fingers) I have never experienced this, even at 1 year out and with several fills in my band, I've heard they are painful and something to be avoided if possible. It doesn't matter whether you are filled or not. Some individuals get them even shortly after surgery, depending on what they've eaten, their post-op swelling, eating practices, etc. However, if you are too tight I'd say you at a higher risk to PB more frequently. Hope this helps,

I think restriction is ever evolving and can be as individual as we are. When I was first banded, I felt kind of "full all the time". Once I got a couple of months out, I got hungry sometimes but after I ate a reasonable meal the band just made me feel satisfied. I wouldn't say it reigned me in or anything, just full and satisfied. With my most recent fill, I am getting more restriction. Sometimes, I can feel the first couple bites go down. It's not painful, nor do I bring it up. I can just feel it going down. Once in a while during my meal, I feel it going down, too. I see it as a sign that I'm eating too fast or not chewing well enough. I haven't PB'd or anything, it's just there reminding me to play by it's rules. It sounds to me like you have restriction. If it was letting you know that it was there, it was restricting your food in some way, shape or form.

If he just pokes and guesses, how does he know that he's hitting the port or how much he's still got in there and how much is in there TOTAL? IMHO............get a 2nd opinion. He sounds like he doesn't have a good understanding of the whole thing. AND, to be your doc and not have an idea what size band you have? Come on?!

Kabeerah, My doc or dietician did not specify certain portions that I should limit myself to. Their recomendations were 3-4 oz of solid Protein FIRST, then about a half cup of veggies, then carbs if there's room. What they look for when one of their patient's needs a fill is that they are following the above recommendations, exercising, getting Water in and following other bandster rules such as not drinking with meals. IF they are doing that and are feeling satisfied (not hungry) for at least 3 hours, then they are eating enough and have adequate restriction. They like to see the 1-2 lb weight loss per week and if that has stalled, these are the first things they look at before resorting to fills. They want to make sure their patients are not relying 100% on the band to do the work, that the patient is participating and making an effort. The reason I got into all of that is because if you're eating the 1-1/2 cup per meal for 3 meals a day, that sounds about right. If you're feeling satisfied on that for at least 3 hours, that would be a good thing. As long as you're not feeling "overstuffed" with what you're eating, it sounds like you're eating correct portions. As you get fills, those portions may decrease because it takes longer for the food to pass and therefore you get fuller faster on a smaller amount. It also sounds to me as though you're getting a little down on yourself for your weight loss "slowing down". 1-2 lb weight loss per week is great. It's what's recommended and expected for bandsters who are "on track" so to speak. I think you're obsessing a little over the portions. As long as you feel good, are losing weight and following the rules you should do fine.

I like SF CIB with a scoop of unjury. I make it in all different flavors, even add fruit or Peanut Butter. I eat it more like a milkshake or smoothie and enjoy every drop. Basic Recipe: 1 cup ice 1/2-2/3 cup skim milk (depending on how thick you like it) 1pkt of SF Carnation instant breakfast 1 scoop of unjury (sometimes flavored or unflavored) Variations: Choc CIB 1 Tbsp peanutbutter (makes it taste like a Reece's cup) choc CIB 1/2 banana French vanilla CIB choc flavored Unjury (reminds me of a marshmello sundae) French vanilla CIB 1/2 banana about 2 tbsp of canned pineapple or 1 tbsp of peanut butter (The peanut butter one is really yummy) strawberry or French Vanilla CIB 4 or 5 frozen strawberries about 2 tbsp of canned pineapple or you could do the 1/2 banana here You're only limited by your imagination. I always keep a bag of frozen strawberries in my freezer and banana's are a staple in my house.

I'm with Kat. Maybe you need a 2nd opinion. The Vangard band is larger and often takes more saline to get some restriction. BUT, it seems kind of fishy for so many to be having the same problems. Find out HOW MUCH is in the band, not just how many fills you've had. Just because he's adjusting doesn't mean he's adjusting much. He may be a conservative doc that only puts a certain amount in with each adjustment. I've seen some who have their fills on a schedule, some who only put X amount of cc's in per fill, some who do both. If that's the case you probably don't have any restriction. If you don't want to, or feel you cannot seek a 2nd opinion.....ASK your doctor what his policies are on fills. Does he only put something like 0.5 cc per fill? How much is in your band? Would he be willing to fill you until you can feel restriction?

I had some problems with constipation about a month or 2 out from surgery. Once I got over that hurdle, I seem to "go" pretty regularly. I do my best to get at least 64 oz of Water in and if I feel the need, I chew a SF Fiberchoice tablet, every day for a few days. They taste kind of like sweet tarts. I agree with Sugar1's doc. I think that once the body gets used to a little less bulk in the system, it figures out what to do and goes with it. I don't go out of my way to eat foods with a lot of fiber. If I have broccoli, I have broccoli. If I have high fiber cereal or bread, I do. But I don't think about it and it all seems to work out.

O.K. Fee, Fess up, what are these complications your friend had? Since we're wanting to know about lap band related deaths I think it's important to know exactly what contributed to your friend's death. Was it the surgery itself, was it some surgical complication, blood clots, infection, what?

Jachut, You give me hope. Thanks. I never expected to have a "tight body" or washboard stomach, but as I've been watching my breasts get looser and saggier I thought maybe I'd have to have a lift once I get to goal. Yes, they look O.K. when in a bra and I'll have to get a good swimsuit with support to hold them high and dry. But, you said it pretty well. I'm 35 and who the heck am I going to be parading around naked in front of? My husband is the only one and he's already seen the goods. In answer to vluckey's original question.......NO, I don't think that plastic surgery is the next logical step for everyone. I think it's very individual on how much weight you lost, where you were carrying it and what your personal expectations are of your own body. There may be other considerations as well, are your loose skin folds giving you grief such as rashes or infections because of moisture, etc?

Jean, I know it's been mentioned already but I think it depends on you, how you hold your weight, how much weight you have to lose, etc. I started off having to lose about 130 lbs. I didn't really notice the way I looked so much as the way I felt. I saw myself in the mirror every day so it was hard to say I SAW the change. I saw myself in the mirror everyday as I was GAINING and didn't seem to notice, why would I notice a loss? My clothes were starting to get looser with about 20lb loss. My co-workers were really getting vocal about my loss at about 30 lbs. I could physically FEEL around my neck and shoulders that I was losing because I could start to feel my collar bones and my neck pudge was going away by about 30 lbs. Everybody is a little different in how and where they lose. Be patient. You'll be singing and dancing about how you feel in the blink of an eye.

At 3 days post op, you're gonna have a lot of swelling. How big are the pills you're taking and how big of drinks are you taking to get them down? Because even the smallest pills in a newly post-op can cause you pain depending on your swelling (and it sounds like you got a bit). If you can, crush them and put them in something like apple juice to get them down. If, God forbid, they're capsules.....I'd probably open them up and put them in apple juice. But YUCK! be prepared. A third option for the medication would be to call your doc and ask for a liquid form. Most meds come in a liquid form. Also, remember to sip, sip, sip. As long as you're getting enough or even more than enough Water.........the constipation should resolve. Remember, liquids in=liquids out and you could very easily go from constipation to diarrhea. If the constipation is REALLY bad, meaning painful and it's been more than 3 days.......I'd take something like Milk of Magnesia. It's liquid, gentle and should get things going. Good Luck to you.

Alexandra said it so well, I'm not going to add to it. I do it most nights, but I don't drink a whole lot of Water.....maybe 4 ounces or so. I had GERD before I had the lap band and I have bouts of acid occasionally. Not full blown reflux where I'm bringing up anything in my sleep, but I can tell it's getting irritated. So I try to not eat anything at least 3 hours before going to bed. I'm not always faithful to that, but I try. Then, right before bed I drink a little. Sometimes I've even had aloe vera juice that another LBT member recommended. It doesn't taste the greatest, but if it has "healing" qualities, I'll try it. The way I "visualize" and try to understand it is that if the food is slow to move out of the pouch or if there are even little particles in there, they could cause irritation. I don't need any more irritation that I already have. So I have a little drink of water before bed and, at the very least, it eases my mind.

:faint:I saw Dr. Oweis today. He's Dr. Duckett's partner. I'm so glad I saw him. He thought maybe I could get some more weight off......NO DUH! And when he asked me how much I thought was in my band (because Dr. Duckett did my last fill), he said that was probably not enough. I asked him if I could talk him into doing a fill today.....he said YES! :clap2: Well, when he accessed the port he couldn't find anything in there...... THAT MEANS I HAVE HAD NO RESTRICTION, NOTHING IN MY BAND FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG! And here all this time, I thought it was just me being hungry and wanting to eat because I felt sorry for myself about this gall bladder and hip crap. He is concerned that I may have a leak, but won't know until he rechecks it in 6 weeks. But I'm so glad I went today and so glad he filled me. We'll see about the possible leak, but right now I'm glad, glad, glad. Maybe now I can get back on track. I can tell you one thing, on the way home (more than an hour long drive + I did some shopping in Toledo) I got some ice cream because I couldn't find any smooth soups to eat and he wants me to do liquids for 2 days. I only ate about 1/4 cup of the ice cream and was totally full, not uncomfortable but so satisfied that I left more than half of the dish to melt in my car. I won't even be upset about the $3 it cost me. Happy day!

:faint:I saw Dr. Oweis today. He's Dr. Duckett's partner. I'm so glad I saw him. He thought maybe I could get some more weight off......NO DUH! And when he asked me how much I thought was in my band (because Dr. Duckett did my last fill), he said that was probably not enough. I asked him if I could talk him into doing a fill today.....he said YES! :clap2: Well, when he accessed the port he couldn't find anything in there......:confused: THAT MEANS I HAVE HAD NO RESTRICTION, NOTHING IN MY BAND FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG! And here all this time, I thought it was just me being hungry and wanting to eat because I felt sorry for myself about this gall bladder and hip crap. He is concerned that I may have a leak, but won't know until he rechecks it in 6 weeks. But I'm so glad I went today and so glad he filled me. We'll see about the possible leak, but right now I'm glad, glad, glad. Maybe now I can get back on track. I can tell you one thing, on the way home (more than an hour long drive + I did some shopping in Toledo) I got some ice cream because I couldn't find any smooth soups to eat and he wants me to do liquids for 2 days. I only ate about 1/4 cup of the ice cream and was totally full, not uncomfortable but so satisfied that I left more than half of the dish to melt in my car. I won't even be upset about the $3 it cost me. Happy day!

No words of wisdom for ya, I completely understand your pain. I'm addicted to the damn things, too. For the moment, I just don't buy 'em and ya know.......I don't really miss them. Those Reece's Easter eggs were a killer for me. I had to have my husband hide them. I'd say do your best to be satisfied on the little miniature ones, but I myself don't like the mini ones (maybe there's not enought Peanut Butter LOL). I gotta have the whole enchilada, I guess. Just know that there are other Reece's addict's out there who sympathize and have had to go cold turkey, too.

Mel, I'm just a little worried about ya. What did you expect? Did you expect the band to do it all? Surely you knew it was "just a tool" and that you'd have to put some effort into it. Basically, the band only restricts the amount you put in and encourages you to make healthy decisions. Still, the stuff you put in there, is TOTALLY up to you. I don't think this has anything to do with restriction or not at this point. It sounds to me like you're really hungry. From previous posts, it doesn't sound like you're getting enough calories in. If you don't, your body goes into starvation mode and holds onto everything you put into it for dear life. It's even possible to gain a little in the process. So, your dietician telling you to eat more isn't way off. You may need to eat more, but more food that is also healthy. No one's asking you to live on tuna and chicken. Lean beef is O.K., too. Pork is the "other" white meat. Come on, be reasonable. You're entitled to your regrets here, but are you being honest with yourself about doing what's right? Yes, low carb, low fat, low cal, etc is recommended and it sounds like you're well-hydrated but use some sense about making sure you get enough nutritionally. That could be the reason you're constipated, gaining weight, even irritable. I would highly recommend logging your intake. It doesn't have to be public, as someone else recommended. Do a private log, but one that keeps track of how much protein, carbs, Vitamins and minerals you are getting, including calories. I was told to have a goal of 1200. Sometimes I go over, sometimes I'm under. I figure it balances out. Another thought here and I hope I don't offend..........but, maybe you should consider counseling. Weight loss and weight loss surgery can be a stressful event in a person's life. If you don't have someone to help and support you through the tough times, to help you see reality for what it is.......then we seem to go into panic modes, depressed modes, anxiety modes. Well, you get the picture. I wish you well and hope that you find what it is you're looking for.

:juggle::juggle::juggle: Is all I have to say.

Philli, Unless for some reason, I'm working alone I eat out in restraunts every day at lunch. I have since I returned to work after being banded. I do the best I can with each restraunt even if I have to only order a side item or 2. I DO NOT recommend getting appetizers because quite often they are very high in fat. They're usually deep fried and breaded nightmares of caloric vices. Often, I will get Soup (eat that first) and get a side salad or a half a sandwich (I'm lucky I can still eat bread). Many restraunts offer a children's menu, but again these are often hamburgers, hot dogs, mac n cheese, french fries, etc. I LOOK at the children's menu and SOMETIMES, I find something healthy like grilled chicken tenders and a side like rice or mashed potatoes. Once you get the hang of what you can tolerate and what you can't, you'll feel more comfortable in restraunts. Tuna/ salad sandwich, then pick out the tuna/chicken is usually O.K., or even ask them to just send the salad. Just remember, they often add LOTS of mayo. My rules are to do my best to stay away from deep fried foods and focus on making sure I get some good Protein. If I can find grilled, baked, broiled, etc I get that. There's no shame in getting a full sized meal and not being able to eat it all, taking left overs home, etc. I've given up the "clean your plate" syndrome. Remember, this is a learning process. I would never encourage you to make unhealthy dietary decisions, but as long as you make good decisions MOST of the time.........what's one french fry?

Cheri, If Taylor's version of "In the Ghetto" gave you goosebumps, you should hear Elvis' soulful version. My dad's a HUGE Elvis fan and I was literally nursed on the stuff. It's one of my fave's and I'm glad someone did it. I think Taylor did a great job. And, only HE could pull of moves like he did on Jailhouse Rock and get such great applause. Great, just great! I agree that Katherine really dropped the ball this week. She chose her songs poorly. The Houndog/All Shook Up thing just wasn't her thing AND to forget the lyrics.......SHAME. l think she could have done much better on a more soulful song, even one of Elvis' gospel songs. Her Can't help Falling In Love was better, but not by much. I haven't been a big fan of Elliot's, but I really think he shined last night. He seemed to find a groove with this type of jazzy/soul song. I was really impressed with him. I hope it's Katherine, not him tonight. And Chris (sigh and fan myself), I don't think he did such a great job last night. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't his best either. BTW, I was still getting a busy signal on his # after nearly 2 hours of calling. So, I see that as a good sign for Chris.