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Fills don't hurt at all. Dr. Baggs had a hard time finding my port this time too. I got my first fill nat 6 weeks. 2cc's. I had instant restriction!! I had my first PB a few days later on broccoli!! Fills are nothing to stress over.... Jes: I bet you got a killer bruise? I have one this time. Even the bruises don't hurt. I did wear white and Dr. Baggs was telling me I thought you learned your lesson about white?? I had a shirt get stained my first time when I sat up before I had a bandaid!! Well I think I am gonna brave work tomorrow. I need to get back and on routine. So darn cold here tonight. Did I mention I woke up to a snowy backyard??

I am not doing so great in the weight loss department either.........I gotta get on it. Being sick I don't feel like working out but for me I have to up the exercise to lose I think I have lost as much as I am going to just with diet. My body is to used to this weight and I have to do something different to shake things up.......... Good luck to us all!!

All this sneezing and coughing has my port achy!!! Ah no more sneezing or coughing.............makes me cringe!!

Reggie I miss you!! So glad your posting. I was just thinking about you this weekend. How are you doing??

I am home sick today too Pam!! I have a killer sore throat and let it go all week. Crashed yesterday..........I got up for a couple hours to go to my daughters school program but was out by 7pm. Not to bad though cause I woke up to a yard full of snow and I am glad I didn't have to drive the roads. My daughter ran the California international marathon yesterday with a relay team and she is home with a sore throat today. I am so proud of her 7 miles ....but she can hardly move today. Donna my legs are so sore from all the up and down at Arco Arena!! LOL. I should have done it a few more times. Next year I am going to volunteer with you. All my lab results came back in the normal range for all the Vitamins, Iron and protien.Even B12 which is hard for vegetarians is NORMAL. I am so glad. I take two vitamins and calcuim a day and I do try to eat lots of protien. I am happy I guess that means I can still be vegetarian. Working hard on losing this week. As soon as my throat heals up I am going back to the gym. Gotta hit this early this time....... Jes and Candra hoping you get fills too!! I bet you guys will this time and I bet you get big ones cause the other doctors do big fills but less often!!

Jes I hope you get a fill too. It helps with attitude for me now that I have one. I don't have much restriction but I can tell a bit of a difference :-) Just a motivation boast Maria I gained on mushies too. I think it just happens!!

Yea Tamra I say don't give up. Even after your banded it is still a struggle sometimes. Just ask me. The good thing is that when you fall off the wagon that you don't gain much back cause the band stops you. I have had a month without a good fill and I didn't gain I just stayed at the same weight. Donna and I were just talking and that is the magic of the band. Maybe you can't lose without the effort but even when you have a few bad days you don't gain like before the band. Email Dr. Baggs and Liz. I KNOW some people took a year to get banded. WHat you are learning now you will need for after so nothing is a waste of time. I agree with Heather. I had a couple of weeks of just eating what I wanted before orientation and I did. I started all this last Christmas and I ate what I wanted and than started everything on January 1, 2009. I tried to start after orientation but it with Christmas and family I really had a hard time until after the new year...... Secriet is I didn't follow the rules on Thanksgiving. I let myself have what I wanted than started again the next day but the band didn't let it go to far. So I think hanging in there has its benefits. If someone is going over the RIchmond area I could try to get some things to you for your daughter. Let me aske around.....some of the stuff I have is for little kids not for teenagers.

Jes diet cranberry........they also have sugar free but the diet has only 5 calories per cup and it you water that down even better!! The sugar free might not be low calorie. Try the pomegranite one if they have it !!! Best of the three. I am drinking some now. It also takes a long time to go through the bottle which is nice. Pam I have a few lego things or if I can't meet up with Tamra I could give your daughter the American Girl doll. This is all left over stuff in my office from my clients last Christmas that has been sitting around. I really would love it to go a some kids since I won't be passing out gift this year due to my new job......I planned to give them out this year but ......well ya all know I got transferred to a new job so I won't be doing the regular holiday routine this year!! I will get all the gifts stacked up and ready to go. I know I have some transformer legos though.....let me know!!

Had fun seing Donna tonight!!! We gotta see Mandisa from America Idol!! That girl can sing................ Donna: I could see you from where I sat and your were getting your groove on tonight. Didn't you love what Manidisa was saying about losing weight. I can tell she has lost alot cause she has the extra skin on her arm...again she can really, really sing!! Candra: That really sucks!! MOnica: For me I have to lose at least 5 pounds to get a fill. That is just me cause I get to tight to fast......I lucked out this time. Next time I am gonna have to work it. I started today. NO CARBS/NO BREAD. Lots of cranberry and water. Jes: Not sure about the cranberry but it is a Riley thing. She does it before a fill. I think it cleans out the kidney which is always good once in awhile. I was drinking to much vitamin water 10 and wondered if that was stalling my weight loss.....so I wanted to try to cranberry and now I am hooked on that. I am starting to lose again. I was doing 50/50 cranberry and water and no I am doing 75/25 with cranberry and water. I am slowly trying to change to just water and see how that works. But I am not sure I would like the cranberry straight now...I like it watered down. Riley: I agree the cranberry pomegranite is the best!! Tamra: You have been through it girl. I have an American Girl doll never taken out of the box that I would love to give you for your daughter. I have had it for a year and was wondering who to give it to.......if we can arrange it I would love to give it you for your daughter. I also have big block legos still in the box never opened......I would love to give it to you for your baby!! Not sure how to get it to you. Message me or if anyone is going over the Richmond area in the next month???

So on liquids today and starting to work on the five pounds RIGHT NOW...........no more last minute stressing out cause I am not down enough. 20 more pounds and I am at a healthy BMI!! I can't wait!!

Afternoon all.......... I want to Vacaville this morning and got a fill!!! Yea!! Turns out Dr. Baggs was counting 209 as my last weigh in since that was my last fill. My weight in the ER doesn't count. So I was down 10 pounds and got a fill. I have to be down another 5 to get another fill in January . I only got 1cc but I don't want to go any faster than that cause I get to tight if we go to fast....... Dr. Baggs did say NO BREAD. I told him I could eat bread and he "but why are doing that your not suppose to eat any bread." I thought it was ok if it was wheat and went down. He said NO. I showed him the protien shots and he said they won't likely pass Robins approval. He said 60 grams of protien was not needed. He said that was to much that I am probably ok at 40-50grams. So I got all my labs done today. He said he wants to see what my protien, iron, B12 and a bunch other stuff is to see how I am doing without eating meat. So anyway it went well and I am back home and headed out to Arco Arena now to hang out with my good friend Donna............Can't wait!! So glad I didn't cancel. Has anyone notice the people as Kaiser Vacaville are not to friendly?? Or was it just me??

My port gets sore too......especially at Disneyland the seatbelts all hit right on the port!! LOL. I was a bit sore. My port rubs on my jeans and when I use my laptop it always sits right on my port......... Ok well we will see how it goes tomorrow. THe first time I am not excited to head over there. I have the food logs for Dr. Baggs but I won't be getting a fill. I still think I need to keep the appointment just to tell him how I feel and what was said.......I want to know what he wants to get a fill. THat is the only information I am concerned with at this point. I also want to let him know I might lose my insurance and to see what I can do i I do. I wonder if he knows where I can get fills in Sacramento......... Ah Candra I think instead of going to Mexico we should invest in some needs and we could practice on each other!!! LOL :-P Ah the doors that would open........probably not good doors!!

Hey all I agree no drama.......LOL. Things always work out in the end. But it doesn't surprize me this kind of stress brings out issues and messes with relationships. I am keeping my appointment tomorrow with Dr. Baggs. I tried to change it or the end of December but they are totally booked. IF I don't go now it will be 4-6 weeks. So I don't know what will happen but I am going. From that I was told there is an assumption that I have been to tight the last few months and I have been eating sliders and that is why my band is to tight and I have not lose fast enough for Kaiser. NOT TRUE!! But I was told not asked. I only ate sliders for a few days and than I called for an unfill!! I don't wait around when I need an unfill I go get one. That is what hurts me. Cause when I was to tight I was losing and fast. I wasn't eating sliders cause they didn't stay down. So anyway I am gonna talk to Dr. Baggs and let him him know I prefer to deal with him and check in with him at this point. Candra keep your appointment. It will take to long to reschedule. And let me know how it goes with you skipping the dieitition appointment. I plan to do the same thing although with Vacaville it is not such an issue. You might get a fill you never know. I am also going up and down the same three pounds. LOL. Typical for me. A big loss than it holds steady for awhile. Never consistent losses.....

Drinking the diet cranberry/water the pomegranite one......very good!! Riley if I see Dr. Baggs this week I will clarify the fills with him again. I have a WOF weekend with Donna and I sorta want to forget Kaiser this time around. I can't want to hang out with ya Donna!! My appointment with Dr. Baggs is the same time the program starts...............:-) I would rather just sleep in and have a fun weekend!! Ok so I need to lose 19 pounds to get under 29 BMI. Why is the last 19 so darn hard?? LOL. If I could just get to 180 than I would be in the safe zone and could decide if I want to lose more or if I am fine. I told Dr. Baggs I might just be fine where I am at and he said they like to see people get to 29BMI or below before they stop giving fills or stop the weight lose efforts..............so I need to get at least another 19 down!! I think I would be a 12 easy at that point. If I think in terms of five at a time.............LOL!! B: granola 1/2 230cal L: veggie hot dogs (2) 260X2=520 D: Granola 1/2 230cal Rasberries (2 cups) ???? 100-200??

I think there have been alot of unfills at Kaiser lately......maybe that is why. The ER told me I was not the only one to come in for an unfill................ Yep they are withholding fills for sure. I am not gonna ask permission or send a food log. I will bring one with me to see Dr. Baggs and when I lose a bit I will call him back. That is what I am willing to do nothing else at this point. I am sorta burned out on everything with Kaiser right now. Dr. Baggs said he will give me fills later just to give him a call when I have lost some weight and to complete the food logs. So I don't think I am going back in for awhile. I figure I will go back after the holiday. They are pretty booked up right now. I told him I would probably try to set something up in January sometime I am debating NOT going on friday. I don't see the point. I really don't wanna drive over there for five minutes. THe only thing would be to check in and get weighed which would not hurt. I also want to get some labs run and ask Dr. Baggs about another barium swallow just to be sure.....I tried to call Kelly today to cancel or at least see if she thinks I need to keep the appointment but haven't gotten a call back yet. I guess I should schedule a January appointment or else Dr. Baggs will get booked up again.......might be my last appointment with them so I have to make sure I get booked. Riley Dr. Baggs said that he could not see me anymore of give me fills if I lose my insurance. Also the older nurse in the office......cant remember her name said the same thing. That is so confusing. Robin didn't know either last time I asked her but she didn't think you could get fills. I wish I just knew 100%. I called patient services and they didn't know but said theythought I could not keep appointment with no card to bill it too!! SO I really don't know......

I hope Obama passes a new law cause I have two people in my house if I had to deal with COBRA and if I can only afford one of us it is gonna be my daughter first........... I wonder if medi-cal is an option if I am laid off?? I would technically be poor right?? Any luck on jobs Tamra??

Jes is it TOM so you might tighten up. I always do......... I can eat bread now are you jealous!! LOL. It is curse not a blessing believe me!! LOL. I don't eat much but I do have sandwiches now (egg salad) which I couldn't touch awhile back. Garlic bread sounds good right now though.........really good .......glad I don't have any in the house!! It has been ages. Ah that is the problem I can eat anything and have to resist cause I know I can..........now if I didn't know.....LOL!! Tamra: Oh it might be a blessing to be in the first round of layoffs than. HOw much is COBRA without the discount??

Jes I don't know about being converted at Kaiser. Other places do it here in Sacramento. But I think your band has to slip or you have to have esophagul dialation or your body has to reject the band. Or you have problems with not being able to tolerate fills and don't lose weight. I don't think Kaiser does it and I won't have insurance through them probably long term. Just been on the band to sleeve forum and it scares me cause some of the stuff sounds familiar to me. They also said the doctors and nutritionist blamed it on them not trying. But you know they are biased over there and are pro sleeve so you have to consider the source. If I get another fill later and tighten up again I am serious done with the band. Not that I can take it out but I will be permenently done with fills by my choice. I am not ready to give up yet though. I want to give it another try first.

Ah Tamra I hear you, I hear you..........I could be dealing with COBRA soon. I hope that nine months thing applies after December though. I could be in trouble if my layoff doesn't go into effect until January. I hear you on giving up on Kaiser I am tempted to forget it too. But get the surgery first that is the most expensive part. There has to be a way to work out fills later. But the surgery I saw hold out for that and than figure out the rest!! I Might need to call Kaiser about COBRA too. Good to know they helped you out!!

I don't know Candra but this it the first time I have had to deal with this having to "earn" a fill..........I think it is crazy cause there is an assumption that I am not following the rules but I don't feel that the middle man took the time to find out what was going on there was just an assumption...............if I assume things at my job it changes the overall picture. No noe asked me questions they just told me their assessment........so that is my irratation. Ask questions, get the facts and don't assume.........cause assumptions are wrong. At this point I am not faxing any food logs until I feel like I have put things on the table first. I will bring logs with me to see Dr. Baggs but I am gonna tell him why I don't want a middle man........... Dr. Baggs has emailed me a couple of time. He didn't say no but I think his hands are tied.........

OH Heather I wonder about the fills if you lose Kaiser too!! I hear more layoffs before Christmas and more in February so I would like the answer to that.............I hear so many different stories I would like the straight out facts..............everyone says something different even at Kaiser.......

I Was told BANDED people should be eating less than 1200 a day.............signficantly less!! But Dr. Baggs said if you go lower than 1200 it messes with the metabolism.............I tend to listen to Dr. Baggs more than anyone else since he has my medical records.....

Heather that is SO SO SO great!! I think he is gonna let you have an earlier surgery!! How you lost in your stomach?? I didn't know about the adominal presurre but that makes sense...... Ok you said they said you fail your band not your band fails you. Ah that is interesting cause that is how I feel when I get this attitude about not losing fast enough. Not true but well put......... Candra if your not worthy neither am I but darn it I am gonna argue it a bit before I give in..........all in all I still want to lose and I still need to exercise and eat well fill or not. Just I want to be full with the 1/4 cup and not have to think and worry about what I eat all the time. The good foods are a habit.......but the amount. If your hungry darn it 1/4 won't cut it unless your band is working for ya. I was told we should all be eating significantly less than 1200 a day. Even less than 1000 a day......but Dr. Baggs told me 1200...........so not everyone agrees on the amount. But under 1200 doesn't work for me. Over doesn't either though!! LOL. I get upset when eating 1200 is not following the rules.....cause those are rules I don't think work for me. Sigh.......................tired, tired, tired. Riley does cranberry juice give you stomach cramps?? Ahh I drank to much.............

I hear ya Candra and Jes.........here,here to those of use in bandster hell!! I agree to I want to be honest but sometimes it feels like if you are there are consequences I might not agree with. I don't disagree with the message I just disagree with the delivery and that is what I have always said it takes time to develop people skills and to learn how to present the truth in a way people can hear and so they want to work with you. THat is is my issue the presentation not he message. Makes people resiste opening up ..........I still believe that a team approach should be used NOT a dictatorship approach. Message is right on.......... Just for me makes me NOT want to say when I need an unfill cause one they take to much and to it feels like it becomes just another problem and obstacle for me to deal with. I am to the point where if I needed an unfill I would NOT ask for it .........I don't like feeling like it is my problem I need an unfill and that is how it came across. Like if I lost more weight I would not have had problems. But here is the thing..............ask me what is going on, ask questions, go beyond the obvious..........instead of telling me what I am doing wrong.............that is where I get kinda pissy is in the approach!! That is when I do my research to consider the source and to check for background and creditionals. Jess tell me how it goes. I would love to know how it goes and if you get a fill. ALso how much and if Dr. FIshcher and Robin are on the same page ect. UPdates.

Dr. Baggs got my message but no response yet. I am guessing that means he is gonna check with Robin but we will see how it goes............I bet I have to reschedule but who knows. I at least fought for a fill even if I am overruled. I just don't understand how we had to lose weight without a fill to get a fill.........and so on. If that is the case are we using the band as a tool for weight loss or as a reward for willpower?? Just saying........ I bet I get a phone call tomorrow!! :-) I agree with the head hunger stuff and exercise. Totally agree Riley. I think it is good thing just scary too to realize there is still a chance of messing up if a person doesn't stay on top on things......that is what scares me now!! THe long term committment which I am not great at. Gaining three pounds in a month is scary too for me. I don't like it a bit. I am losing and gaining the same three pounds. I really think the exercise is gonna catch up with me here soon. Right Riley!!! LOL Pam-Sorry about the hamster that has happened her a few times. THey don't seem to last long.