jillrenee15

I am the biggest baby ever when it comes to blood, needles, and IVs. I've passed out when they try to take my blood, passed out when my kids or husband is bleeding, and had a seizure thing when they try to give me an IV and it just sucks. BUT this was NOTHING!!! Just a little pick!! You lay on the table and cant really even see what they are doing. The needle stick itself really doesn't hurt. If you get fills like me (no numbing) where they don't do fluoro, the part that will be most uncomfortable on your first fill is them pushing around your port site with their fingers, trying to feel where it is. You are still healing inside there, even if the incision is closed on the outside. Hope you have an easy to find, uncomplicated port!!! Close your eyes, remember to breathe and it'll be a piece of cake.

Thanks all for your kind thoughts. I am much better today. I took it slow all the way until now. Cold things are still bothersome for some reason. I don't know how to describe it. I'm not getting the spasms anymore from it, but I can still feel something is sore in there. I drank a lot of decaf coffee and hot tea just to get my liquids in me this past week. I've just today started drinking water again. I feel plenty of restriction right now, but I have a feeling that will fade pretty quickly this next week. Can only eat a small amount at a time, and start hiccuping like crazy!!! I'm still looking forward to a small fill the end of February to get back up to where I was. I'll have to wait and see how it goes, I'm not thrilled about making an appointment just to have the weather turn to crap and have to drive through all that again, plus, they are changing my shift at work, so I'll have to take a day off now to go down there, instead of scheduling on a day off during the week. Maybe I can hold off until SPRING. If I start gaining though, I'll head down.

I had a scary case of getting a fill and ending up too tight because I thought I needed a fill also. I ended up with a slight unfill after not being able to keep down my own spit. It appears after reading this post, maybe I was slightly stretched also. I was eating plenty, albeit less than before the band, but thought it was still too much and a little fill would help. I was forced onto nothing for two days and then just liquids for the past 2 days, and when trying to eat something today, it took all of 8 bites to be full. I was dumbfounded!! I was looking at all of this food on my plate, thinking holy hell, I didn't eat anything yet!! My husband was kind of bent because we went out to lunch and I didn't really eat anything. (Paid for a meal that didn't get eaten) Then on top of it I got hiccups as usual while eating, my personal sign to STOP EATING (he was so embarrased, they were really loud. I'm laughing like crazy and he's thinking I'm nuts!! Hopefully this feeling of restriction will last forever!!!

Your weight loss is extraordinary and I am envying you!!!:thumbup: However, maybe you should wait a bit for another fill??? Safe, sustaining weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. Seems you are way over that and perhaps should let your loss even out for the next few weeks and see what happens? Just something to think about. Personally, on my second fill, I felt the most restriction, but it eased after 3 weeks, my third fill felt no different, and my fourth was too tight, resulting in two slight unfills. Everyone's insides are different. If you can eat enough food to stay healthy in body and your brain is satisfied too, and are still losing weight, maybe you are good for a little bit? Why get a fill when you really don't need it and are doing great? Many good wishes for successful weight loss and a healthy life!!!

Who was your surgeon and what hospital? If they treat patients like this, maybe others should be warned!!! This sounds close to malpractice to me, especially if you have any long lasting ill effects. Make sure your doctors are listening to you from here on out, DEMAND attention. If you don't get it, go elsewhere and report your treatment to the hospital board/board of medicine in your state. I hope you are healing well, and recover quickly.

Just remember, slow and steady wins!! Pasta is a hard food to eat when you have restriction I have found. Have you ever noticed that you really don't chew pasta well? Like spaghetti? Have you ever chewed it until it turns into paste? It just doesn't. You might just have to give up the pasta. The food should be the consistency of peanut butter or baby food before you swallow, I have found that remembering this helps me tremendously, and I don't have nearly as many stuck episodes as I used to. I can eat anything if the bites are small and I chew well enough, just not noodles!

I have kids too, so we go to mcdonalds on the weekends that I don't have to work. Now that it's winter, that is one of our big outings, my 2yo loves the playplace. We've stayed 2hours sometimes so they can play with the other kids and run around crazy. I usually get a 10 piece nugget and split it with the 2yo, and get him a chocolate milk. Neither of us like fries much to we just skip them. Sometimes I'll get a double cheeseburger. I always ask for a knife and fork anyway, because he likes his food in bite size pieces, so I'll throw the bun away and eat the meat with a fork. I haven't done taco bell yet, there isn't much that you can eat with a fork there. I find if I can use utensils, I can eat smaller bites, than with things you have to pick up and eat with your hands, I always get stuck. Burger King is the same thing, but we like onion rings, so we spilt one of them with our chicken nuggets. It's a treat that doesn't happen often, twice a month or less.

This just happened to me too!! It was the scariest thing ever. I still haven't eaten any solid food since Tuesday. Just some thick soups, cottage cheese and liquids. I'm still too sore. Had a 1cc unfill to losen up and heal, so hopefully in a month or so I'll get that back. In the mean time, I'm hoping to lose a bunch of weight in the next couple of weeks while I'm healing up. Lost 8 pounds in three days because of being too tight.

I have the same band and was over filled this past week at 7.0cc. I am now at 5.75cc I think and will need to get back up to 6.5-6.75cc in the next month or so, very slowly. They will probably only give me .25cc at a time now.

Have you noticed when doing the elliptical that you are clenching your toes or curling them under a bit trying to "stay on" I tried the elliptical one time and my feet muscles hurt so bad because of this that I bought a treadmill instead.

I only buy bras at Lane Bryant. I am a 42D or 42DD depending. Yes, they are expensive but they hold up really well and seem to last forever. I've bought them at Fashion Bug before, because they have a plus department, but they feel flimsy and cheap after buying them at LB. I have a hard time finding a 42D/DD in most retail stores. It's worth the money to have them last for a year or two or more. If you can come by their coupons, you can get a really good deal. I never even go to that store unless I have one. They offer $25 off $75 purchase, $50 off $100 purchase, etc. So if you buy three bras at 35.00 and get $50 off, that's pretty good. Sign up for their mailings, it is well worth it.

Your insurance should cover this fee, if they cover bariatrics at all. They are forcing you to change providers for a service they cover. If you can't get your insurance to pay for it, would you consider staying where you are? Self pay is not so bad sometimes. You pay for what you want, and when it's your cash you expect to have more say in your care than if insurance is covering the bill. Just a thought....

Popcorn always goes down good, and even the micro kind can be ok in calories, even when you eat the whole bag. Some only have 80 cal per serving. a two serving bag is 160 cal. a big bag i think is 4 servings. 320 calories, a meal. high in fiber, satisfies the snack craving.

anyone know of a good high fiber EM, something you can get at a regular grocery store like meijer? We don't have any whole food or trader joe or specialty stores like that. Would probably be better than a white one. I think I would like to add these to my diet. Could toast half of one like crazy and use to have chicken/tuna salad on. Even an egg and turkey sausage patty for breakfast, pizza, hmmm, I'm hungry!!!

I too had to have my diet coke. My doctor has said no pop also. I haven't bought or drank a diet coke since my band was placed. I will however have a sip once in awhile of my husbands. The only time I've had an actual glass of pop is when I'm having a 7&7, which is maybe once every 2-3 months. It's poured over ice and stirred to mix in the whiskey, so practically flat by the time I drink it anyway, and I make sure to order diet 7up. I'm sure gonna miss cold beer this summer when we're camping :tt2:

I too am struggling with my head telling me to eat eat eat when I'm not hungry. It's mostly when I'm bored at night in front of the TV. During the day I do pretty well, I'm trying to stay busy. I can't wait for summer so I can be outside doing something instead of stuck in the house. We've been subzero lately with nasty windchills. I have a 2yo that I can't take out to play in that. I work a swingshift also, so I'm hungry all the time. This week I'm on midnights, so I'm eating lunch at 3am!! I'm eating dinner at 8am and go to bed for the day. I've started exercising, but I'm so flipping tired this week I skipped tonight. I have lost and gained the same 5 pounds 3 months straight and it's about to drive me crazy. I need another fill, but I'm afraid if I go down there they'll say no you don't need one and I'll have driven 3 hours for nothing. The last time I went they only wanted to give me .5cc, I talked them into 1cc. I would like 2cc this time, or do it under fluoro, but I don't know how much that costs. I'm disappointed in myself. I keep walking to the cupboard when I shouldn't. I try telling myself we are new at this, it's only been a few months, but it's not getting much easier. When does it not become such a struggle??

I also started to notice looser clothing at 30 pounds down, which I am right now. Not loose enough to buy anything new, but getting baggy. I went shopping at the salvation army store this week and got a few new warm winter tops. Didn't even look at jeans, I'll live with those till summer. I spent $19 on 6 sweater in almost new condition!! That was a yea me moment. I don't want to spend alot on clothes yet, I'm not even half way there. Just a thought though, if you're ready for a few new things, try second hand and save some money!!

I also had my band at the same place you did in Detroit, and would kill for a personable close by doc to treat me. I live almost three hours north of there. If you don't mind me asking, where did you find your new doc? Not that the Drs in Detroit aren't well respected and good at what they do, but there scheduling service stinks!!! Two times I've had cancelled appointments for no reason, and a hard time rescheduling. Also my last appointment in December was "lost" somehow and the doctor was in Florida, of course I find this out after I drive three hours to get there, no one could call me and let me know they were cancelling my appointment. Luckily there happened to be another Dr there from the practice to see me and give me a fill. I would have went with the one you chose also, by the way. Good luck.

This sounds very similar to me. I went from 272 at surgery to 255 two months post op. I've gained and lost the same 5 pounds several times in the past few months. I think I'm on track now, I've seen some baggyness in my clothes, but not much movement on the scale, only the same 5 pounds again. The only difference is I'm now walking 6 days a week for at least 20 minutes, and counting my protein. Make sure the calories you are taking in are quality protein, then veggies. Too few calories and your body says I'm starved and holds onto every little bit it can, and 600 is way to low, (all due respect to your MD). Try a new approach in the interim and see what happens. Good luck

I feel your pain!! I am also a late night eater. I'm hungery at 10am and about 4pm, then again around 9pm. I like cereal too, but I pick high protein!!! Kashi GoLean and GoLean Crunch have mega protein even in a 1/2 cup serving (get that measuring cup out!!) , use an atkins vanilla RTD shake as milk and you've got a third of your protein for the day!! You don't have to give up salads and cereal, but you do have to eat your protein!!! Make your cereal heavy on the grilled chicken breast, light on the dressing. The veggies are good!! Fiber is a weightloss friend. If you need a fill, get one pronto and hang in there.:wink2: You've lost 40lbs, celebrate it!

I'm a slow loser too!! My doctor says I'm doing great and wishes all his patients had lost what I have. I just don't feel that successful yet. I can still wear all of my old clothes, even though they are baggy. I think I am at a good fill for now. I'm not often hungry. Usually 10am and 4pm is when my stomach actually growls. The hard part is not eating just to eat, out of boredom. I've yet to get my head around the don't eat, you're not hungry part. Also, I still fill my plate way too full out of habit, then I'm disappointed when I can't eat it. I've started using my treadmill daily, and do some hand weights which is starting to pay off I think. Anyway, good luck to all, slow losing is better than gaining!!

I was a diet coke addict also, and I can proudly say that I have not bought nor drank a diet coke since my banding. I will admit though, that occasionally I will take a sip of my husbands. The only soda I've had is my 7&7's occaisonally when we go out and have a few drinks. Usually from a bar they are flat anyway, especially when the soda is poured over ice, and if you stir it you can get most of the bubbles out. I know I couldn't sit there and have a beer, so I'll drink whiskey instead!! My husband hates it because now I'm an expensive date. :wink2:

I buy Atkins RTD shakes at walmart. The walmart where I live will have 6packs occasionally for the same price of a 4pack ($4.96), and I usually have a coupon for another dollar off. So it's a good deal. I don't buy then often, but if I see the 6pack I will. I use the vanilla as milk for my Kashi Golean cereal. I also think we should be chewing our calories/protein and not drinking them!!

Has anyone else noticed that the Kashi Go Lean cereal has like 9 grams of protein and plenty of fiber per serving? This was a real find for me, as I miss a bowl of cereal in the morning. I use a vanilla RTD Atkins shake as milk, and I've got 26grams of protein for the day already, a 1/3 of what I need!!!

Have you thought of renting excersize videos at the library or movie place? Even if you rent them for just a couple of days, you'll remember mostly what you can be doing. Have your husband work out with you, it wouldn't hurt him either!! I advertised on craigslist for a used treadmill for less than $200, and was bombarded with emails in my area. Save your $10 a week or whatever and get one this spring!!