Zannie

Ya know...I knew I was not alone in having an unfaithful husband. But I really appreciate all of you sharing your stories with me because now I feel less alone, if that makes any sense. You've all been so wonderfully supportive...and I'm so lucky that there are people such as yourselves here on LBT! The counseling thing isn't going very well, but not for lack of trying. Apparent;y it's the end of summer & things are backed up everywhere as counselors try to cover for each other's vacations. We saw someone for an emergency session a few days after I got him to confess. That appointment left me feeling hopeful, if not optimistic. We have not been able to get in for another joint session yet -- no availability on the part of the counselors, not lack of cooperation from my husband. We do have appointments next week, however. So I'm hoping that some good will start to come of that. Right now we're wading through this shit on our own. But we're talking -- or at least i think we're talking! (Ha! :heh:) I'm not in as much shock as HE is to learn that the full story includes a pregnancy. I knew in my gut that she was pregnant from the moment I found out about the adultery. He believed she was not already knocked up, but knew that they'd had unprotected sex the week prior so it was too early to know for sure. He says that (as they were calling things off) after he asked her about the chances, she told him she was not pregnant. She now denies saying anything one way or the other because she already had a feeling she WAS. I heard the shouting on her end, and his part of the conversation -- I know he believes she told him she was not already pregnant at the very least; whether he just heard what he wanted to hear will never be known. It really doesn't matter now -- what's done is done. And she's not sure what she wants to do about the pregnancy... We've really been talking & he says that he wants to stay and work on us, regardless of her choice about the pregnancy. I know he's in complete shock -- his Fantasy-land life is crumbling down all around him, so I don't know how much stock I can put in anything he says while still reeling from the news of the baby. Right now the grass is not looking greener there & he wants a lawn service here at home -- I really liked that metaphor, Kat. Even though he's said over & over he wants to stay with me & work things out, I feared (and continue to fear) that once the pregnancy (that I knew was a reality) was confirmed he would choose her. I'm still waiting for that shoe to drop next, but that is borrowing trouble & we have enough of our own already! Speaking of borrowing trouble, there's an STD appointment set for tomorrow... I'm praying that there is not an additional layer of crap still to come with those results! I don't know a damn thing about STDs at all -- beyond "wear a condom, you idiots" that is!! I have all sorts of questions... How long do the non-HIV diseases have to be in your system before they show up on the test results? Is it like HIV where it takes 6-months?!? Is it really possible to pass STDs without sex, like via the toilet seat as one of you believed? :Banane20: (Our 2-year-old daughter is potty training...) Or is that an urban legend as I've always assumed it was? Are most STDs curable, or only treatable like the genital herpes commercials say?!? In any case, we have not had sex in the time that they've been together, so it's not my immediate health I'm worried about. It's the future of our sex life!! (I'm totally craving it, even while the thought makes my skin crawl -- which I have read is very common & called "hysterical bonding" after adultery.) Argh -- I hate how all-consumed I am with this! Thanks for listening... My 6-month Bandiversary was yesterday! :whoo:I have a dietician appointment & official weigh-in this afternoon!!!! Last week, I was down 71# since my high weight on the date of surgery! WAHOOOO!!! (Loving the infidelity diet - can't eat a thing. :heh: ) I'm trying to be excited about today's numbers, but am having trouble getting there... Off to the appointment now! Zannie

Yeah, um ................... she's pregnant. Numb, numb, numb...........

Yeah, our local LapBand group meets monthly, and I try not to miss it. But last month I did because we had family visiting. Then next one is this Thursday and I will for sure be there! I'm so relieved to hear they don't think the lump is malignant! How scary for you... I had a breast cancer scare last August that proved to be nothing in the end, but the wait for those results was excruciating. My DH is in our bed talking to his parents right now, so I guess I'm stuck up a bit longer tonight. :tired I think he might be moving out this weekend, into my brother's condo, for a bit of space...I don't know. And my therapy session was canceled by the counselor, so I feel completely adrift right now... I can't tell y'all how tired I am -- and I so need to just go to bed right now. Oh, bother...as Pooh Bear would say. Hope y'all have a wonderful Hump Day!!!

Way to kill a thread, Zan! Y'all are making me feel guilty for the silence here!!! Tell me it's not my fault everyone's gone silent. :heh: Really y'all have totally stopped exercising and have gone back to eating bags of Fritos corn chips (with HellofaGood Ranch dip) while sitting on the couch in front of old reruns, right? :biggrin1: Where is everyone?!?!?!?!?!?!? I haven't done any exercise since Sunday when I hit the pool... I plan to get in a short walk tonight though. I just have lost all motivation. Blaaaahhh! How's everybody else doing? The month is almost 1/2 over ladies! And my Band Anniversary is TOMORROW!!!!!! :girl_hug: Suzanne Feb'07 August Challenge: Level 2 ~ Moderate (down a step) 4 of 18 days (4 days a week) exercising for 30 min

Okay, my fall-backs for a plateau are: # 1) Start measuring everything. I serve up "perfect Bandster portions" & then wait 10 mins after eating it before deciding if I am still hungry. If I am, I measure a bit more at a time & wait before having even more -- never totaling more than 1/2 a cup of protein/starches (veggies I don't care about because they A) aren't as tasty so I'm not going to binge on them & grind right down to nearly nothing). I find that when I tune back in to what I'm eating at a plateau, it's always been time for a fill! And I've been a perfect restriction now for quite a bit of time after my 4th fill in a 10cc VG band. My doc wants me back to x-ray once more in mid Sept before moving all my check-ups to the office. # 2) One day of protein shakes to push past the hump. Not an extended liquid diet -- I avoid anything that isn't protein 1st and real food, soup included -- just a boost when it seems I can't climb the wall! You can do this!!! Good luck!

Thanks...y'all are great! I'm so lucky to have LBT, through this surgery, and now... My husband is living at home, but just last night (when I asked) said he still "misses" the other woman. We're seeing a therapist -- both of us individually and as a couple & he's started anti-depressants. I don't know what's going to happen, but I feel like I couldn't respect myself if I didn't do everything I can to save my marriage. And I don't know how my kids could respect me (in the future) or how I handled our lives if I just kicked their father out without trying. (Oh, and I would NEVER leave my house without a court order. No frickin' way!!! This is the house of our marriage; if he wants out of our marriage then he can leave the house. I will not have my children uprooted because their father can't keep it in his pants. Plus, he who leaves looses the house -- and I'm staying put. Um, but I don't have any strong opinions on that subject. :heh:) Remember, he is generally speaking one of the "good guys" with the exception of all this... I am not trapped in an abusive marriage where either myself or my kids are in physical danger. He doesn't drink or do drugs, and he's never hit me or them. We've been "best friends" starting in high school, and always had that friendship as the basis of our romantic relationship. It feels so very...unreal to have lost both my husband and my best friend in the same fell swoop! I feel a lot like I'm watching a movie...a bad movie. I'm numb so much of the time, and then oscillate from extreme anger (Gallagher-esque in need of a watermelon or something else to smash!) to extreme despair (never would have guessed I'd be a hyperventilater!). I settle at numb for most of the day, I know that is for the best with the kids around. But these other extremes need venting, too! And, even if it isn't my fault, I can't help but blame myself, too....like I've somehow driven him into her arms with the humdrum rhythm of life with 2 kids and a wife who's let herself become no one's definition of sexy, not even her own. Maybe it would be better if he moved out -- at least for the short term. Things are so much so "still the same" here at home. We've always gotten along just fine. We've always fought about the normal things, but full-blown battles are rare... The sex is kaput (but has been since I was banded anyhow, so even that isn't new new), but we're still sharing a bed. I almost feel like (protected) make-up sex would put us back on the right track!!! (But then, see, for some reason I just can't shake the whole "that penis in another vagina" bit...!!!! Damn it, we were virgins together & had never been with anyone else!!! How will I ever compare to her sexually?!? See? Yeah, um, I have all sorts of major issues with the whole sex with someone else thing. How do you get over that????? I'm hoping therapy will help with THAT on my end.) But otherwise things seem kinda almost normal at home. Maybe if he moved in with my brother -- got some space from all parties or something like that. The need for change in one way or another would become more apparent if everything wasn't so comfortable at home. I mean, it's not like there's much cause for MISSING ME right now either, because I'M STILL HERE! Ya know...? Oh, but that is a calculated risk that he would miss me/us more than her -- and that he wouldn't pull a Ross (we were ON A BREAK) while we weren't under the same roof. I don't know what to do... But I will be talking to the counselor on Wednesday, so hopefully clarity will come. And sooner rather than later... Again, thanks to all of you for your continued support. It means so much to know that y'all - virtual strangers to me - are here! And I value your advice & role as a sounding board more than I can say!! Zannie

I think your friend is exactly right. That food stuck in your throat feeling is EXACTLY THAT!! I mean, if you're worried or uncomfortable or having reflux, go see your doc right away. You can stretch/dilate your pouch by repeatedly over eating. But if it is a mild feeling without any real pain, just discomfort that goes away within a 1/2 hour of eating... THAT'S FOOD!! You're full. Head Hunger is a bitch. My suggestion is to serve yourself Bandster portions with measuring spoons!!! Be aware of what you are eating, and of how much!! Measure how much food it takes to feel content in addition to the appropriate Bandster portions. That info can absolutely help your dietician & doc!! And it keeps you in touch with what you're doing. I tried to "tune in" once a week to make sure I wasn't overeating, and when I was needing more than 1/3 cup of Protein at a meal, I'd call for a fill. That was then....now with perfect restriction I have no need for food, no hunger at all, and a few bites is all it takes to satisfy me. For example, I now eat (& feel very satisfied with the portion size) 1/6 of a can of tuna mixed with mayo as a meal. With nothing else. Just 3 small fork fulls of tuna fill me up to contentment. Freakish, eh?!?!? But I'm lovin' it!!! :biggrin1: It took time to get here - don't torture yourself because it isn't overnight. We did not have bypass. They are "here" right off the operating table. We start out with no restriction at all & slowly find that sweet spot over time. This is the better way, I just know it. And you'll be here soon enough!!

I'll be at Support Group Thursday night 8/16, but am fill-free for a while having reached the point of perfect restriction. :whoo:That's right, I said PERFECT RESTRICTION!:whoo: My next "fill" visit is set for the night of September's support group. At it, Dr. T doesn't expect to do an adjustment, but just wants to make sure everything looks good before we change check-ups to the office location. WAHOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I soooo love my Band! I'm down 71 of 190 lbs since surgery nearly 6 months ago. My energy level has sored, as has my stamina -- I feel great! (Well, aside from my life falling apart, which you can choose to read about or not at this thread. I don't know how into each other's sh...tuff we all want to be, especially if we're gonna meet! :heh: So I leave that up to y'all.) I'd love to get together if we can all swing a time & will PM you now with my number. Let me know what the plans are -- I'm not familiar with VaBeach at all, but I'm up for a face-to-face! Zannie

Thanks, ladies, for your support. I don't know what's going to happen from here, but I know I wouldn't be able to respect myself if I kicked him out without trying first. I really don't want to bog this thread down with my personal shit, and frankly, the people here at LBT will have more insight into what I'm feeling now than those who don't have weight-related insecurities, so I've just started a new thread here if you still want to lend a shoulder... I phrased it as earlier because the rational side of me can't believe that after 16 years (and I was never thin in that time!) of friendship, love & fidelity he would start to fall out of love with me just because I've gained weight. That side is holding out hope that his individual therapy for depression & our marriage counseling will get to the root issues for which my fatness is just a convenient excuse not to address! The other, louder, & far more insecure side is screaming, "But you have gained 100 pounds since you got married, and loosing it isn't making you look BETTER -- it's turning you into the saggy, baggy elephant! Who could blame him?!? After all, you can't stand your own reflection, how can you expect it to turn him on?!?" I don't know which side is right... And, just so y'all know because it is a despicable & shallow thing to hear & my husband could never be described as such outside of this very situation, he was NOT quick to throw out "you're not physically attractive to me anymore" as his reason for cheating. Oh, no. I beat that slowly & painfully out of him over several days because I had to actually hear it if he was thinking it. I mean, it is my worst fear after all & how can we go forward if it was true & he still couldn't tell me the whole story. I'm in need of full disclosure, apparently. Or self-flagellation, as my best friend would tell me (love you -- I know you're stalking me here at LBT)! See, I said I wasn't going to take over the exercise challenge thread with my shit...and what am I doing?!? Argh!! Anyhow, I would love to have y'all in my corner as this unfolds & thank you for being here now! Y'all are the best & I need you to keep me in line now more than ever! To get this back to exercise...perhaps gut-wrenching sobs & endless, anger-filled pacing are good exercise? Combined with a band that's tight as a drum due to stress? Because I have no other explanations for loosing 7.5 pounds in as many days! But I'll take 'em!!!! :heh:

Yeah, well...apparently catching your husband committing adultery is good for weight loss, at least with the LapBand. I have found myself in front of the fridge at the oddest times, and & so grateful for my Band because I am a huge (no pun intended) stress eater. Sorry I haven't been around...I'm so slacking off with the exercise, too... Which is funny in that oh-so-very-sad kind of way, because his not being physically attracted to me anymore is the current justification for his infidelity. We started marriage counseling on Tuesday (my 33rd birthday), and he's was told there that he's clinically depressed (instead of just hearing me nag that he should talk to someone). I'm beyond devastated & so furious, but do I love my husband & want him to get the help I've thought he needed for over 2 years. And I'll stick by him while he does so. If after some therapy, there are no changes here at home...well, I guess it's over then. But how am I going to become MORE physically attractive when I'm looking more like the saggy, baggy elephant each day?!?!?!?

:whoo::high5: :dance: (((((BABYGRL!!!!!))))) :dance: :high5::whoo: I'd so be doing the happy dance with you if we were in person! (Good thing for you we're not...) You're doing so great!! :clap:I'm more than 1/3 of the way myself, and I started with about 200 to loose! I was down by 71 pounds since sugery as of my birthday, August 7th. And I passed my "250 by 6-months" goal, too! 249!!!!!!! And my Bandiversary isn't for another week! :bandit Suzanne Feb'07 August Challenge: Level 2 ~ Moderate (down a step) 3 of 18 days (4 days a week) exercising for 30 min

I had my last fill July 5th – and my next (if needed) is supposed to be on the 16th of August. But I’m going in on Thursday (Aug 2nd) for a fluro look-see because something just isn’t right... :help: Have any of you gotten tighter as time went on…without a fill? I’m now not able to eat even 1.5 oz of straight-up soft tuna salad without getting that “oops, shouldn’t have had that last bite” feeling in the center of my chest. Two weeks ago (July 15th, in fact) I was able to eat a full 3oz of tuna salad served on soy-puff chip thingies. It’s not just tuna salad (a mushy for Pete’s sake) that’s filling me much faster in the last week-to-week-&-a-half, either. Nothing comes back up at all, but the pressure is just at that border of discomfort... Not that I MIND having restriction, but why is my band getting tighter without the aid of a fill? I’m sitting here, having just tried a spoonful of smooth Peanut Butter for dinner (has never caused me a problem before) and I have that pressure in the center of my chest – it’s peanut butter!!!!! I had a Wendy’s Jr. Frosty (treat, not normally part of my diet) last night & it, too, gave me this same chest pressure feeling. Are we or are we not supposed to be able to actually cheat the band with junk like milkshakes?!? Not that I want to cheat it, but what the frig is up if I can’t even have a milkshake without pressure!?!? I have never PBed (yet – knock on wood), and have only slimed 3 or 4 times since my banding 5-1/2 months ago. So I keep trying to rationalize the chest pressure away...can’t be a slip because I haven’t had actual issues with food!! I’m not even having PROBLEMS now – no slime, no PB, & I can drink Water just fine... And I’ve got great restriction even! But things are tighter now than they were just after the last fill………and so I’m starting to fret a bit. Opinions? :help: (Pardon the cross-post, BTW!)

Slime -- it's the body's natural reaction when you've eaten something you shouldn't (bread, for me) or didn't chew something well enough & it gets "stuck" above your band. Your body tries to help you "pass" the stuff food by producing "sinus drainage-like" saliva at a rapid rate! It doesn't actually help Bandsters though, since the pouch is already full with the stuck item, so you have to spit it out! Sliming is often a precursor to a PB - a productive burp, which is not a vomit as if you had the flu, but more like "gaging up" or "throwing up" the stuck food. Or so I've heard. I've slimed on a few occasions but have yet to PB myself.

:update: The fluoroscopy went well… Talk about fretting over nothing! Whew – I really was thinking slip or something bad! My band is just fine! In fact, it’s looking great and I’m (apparently) doing great! It appears I’ve attained great restriction! (A lot of exclamation points…can you tell I’m excited?!?) I’ve lost 12 pounds since my last fill on July 5th! And I’ve hit that 33% mark – I’ve lost 1/3 of my excess weight!! My surgeon said that with bypass, patients loose 1/3 of their excess weight in the first 3-4 months, but that with LapBand the target is to loose 1/3 of the excess weight by 7-8 months. I’m 5-1/2 months out, and my doc is very pleased with the progress I’ve made. It seems to me that, compared with many of y’all here at LBT, I’m keeping a fine pace but could certainly be loosing faster. He said I needed to stop doubting my ability to do this and be proud because I’m “ahead of the game” – and I quote! Um, I’ve never been ahead of the game with anything diet-wise before this, so it’s hard to believe I am now!!!! Especially in light of the progress some of y’all are making! There are the tortoises & the hares among us, and I’m somewhere in the middle, ya know? But that’s not pro-Zannie thinking & I guess I need to start doing some of that. For the record, my surgeon did have a few reasons that I might feel tighter now than just after the fill. His vote was for stress combined with my head & stomach catching up with one another. He said that a lot of people eat from “head hunger” (um, hello!) and that when you’re at the right fill level it takes a while to change your perception that eating so little is okay. My doc also said gastritis can make the band seem tighter, and that some women feel their tightness changes with their cycles. But that the stomach is sensitive to stress in general (gave ulcers as an example), and given my sudden increased stress level over the last 3 days plus my growing anxiety about the tightness of my Band…well, he thought that was enough to explain the “very tight” state I’ve got going on. He asked if I wanted a bit removed (though he thought it looked perfect especially if I wasn’t also having any symptoms of an over-fill), but I said no. I’m glad for the restriction, more so now with my life falling to pieces, as it appears to be doing. I’d be heading for the pantry for sure if I thought I could get away with it!! Maybe I’ll actually make it out of this without gaining anything thanks to the stress-induced tightness!!! I really want to thank all of you for your support as my fretting increased! (And, again, sorry for the cross-post & that this is so long!) Suzanne

:update: The fluoroscopy went well… Talk about fretting over nothing! Whew – I really was thinking slip or something bad! My band is just fine! In fact, it’s looking great and I’m (apparently) doing great! It appears I’ve attained great restriction! (A lot of exclamation points…can you tell I’m excited?!?) I’ve lost 12 pounds since my last fill on July 5th! And I’ve hit that 33% mark – I’ve lost 1/3 of my excess weight!! My surgeon said that with bypass, patients loose 1/3 of their excess weight in the first 3-4 months, but that with LapBand the target is to loose 1/3 of the excess weight by 7-8 months. I’m 5-1/2 months out, and my doc is very pleased with the progress I’ve made. It seems to me that, compared with many of y’all, I’m keeping a fine pace but could certainly be loosing faster. He said I needed to stop doubting my ability to do this and be proud because I’m “ahead of the game” – and I quote! Um, I’ve never been ahead of the game with anything diet-wise before this, so it’s hard to believe I am now!!!! Especially in light of the progress some of y’all are making! There are the tortoises & the hares among us, and I’m somewhere in the middle, ya know? But that’s not pro-Zannie thinking & I guess I need to start doing some of that. For the record, my surgeon did have a few reasons that I might feel tighter now than just after the fill. His vote was for stress combined with my head & stomach catching up with one another. He said that a lot of people eat from “head hunger” (um, hello!) and that when you’re at the right fill level it takes a while to change your perception that eating so little is okay. My doc also said gastritis can make the band seem tighter, and that some women feel their tightness changes with their cycles. But that the stomach is sensitive to stress in general (gave ulcers as an example), and given my sudden increased stress level over the last 3 days plus my growing anxiety about the tightness of my Band…well, he thought that was enough to explain the “very tight” state I’ve got going on. He asked if I wanted a bit removed (though he thought it looked perfect especially if I wasn’t also having any symptoms of an over-fill), but I said no. I’m glad for the restriction, more so now with my life falling to pieces, as it appears to be doing. I’d be heading for the pantry for sure if i thought i could get away with it!! Maybe I’ll actually make it out of this without gaining anything thanks to the stress-induced tightness!!! I really want to thank all of you for your support as my fretting increased! (And, again, sorry for the cross-post & that this is so long!) Suzanne

:update: The fluoroscopy went well… Talk about fretting over nothing! Whew – I really was thinking slip or something bad! My band is just fine! In fact, it’s looking great and I’m (apparently) doing great! It appears I’ve attained great restriction! (A lot of exclamation points…can you tell I’m excited?!?) I’ve lost 12 pounds since my last fill on July 5<SUP>th</SUP>! And I’ve hit that 33% mark – I’ve lost 1/3 of my excess weight!! My surgeon said that with bypass, patients loose 1/3 of their excess weight in the first 3-4 months, but that with LapBand the target is to loose 1/3 of the excess weight by 7-8 months. I’m 5-1/2 months out, and my doc is very pleased with the progress I’ve made. It seems to me that, compared with many of y’all, I’m keeping a fine pace but could certainly be loosing faster. He said I needed to stop doubting my ability to do this and be proud because I’m “ahead of the game” – and I quote! Um, I’ve never been ahead of the game with anything diet-wise before this, so it’s hard to believe I am now!!!! Especially in light of the progress some of y’all are making! There are the tortoises & the hares among us, and I’m somewhere in the middle, ya know? But that’s not pro-Zannie thinking & I guess I need to start doing some of that. For the record, my surgeon did have a few reasons that I might feel tighter now than just after the fill. His vote was for stress combined with my head & stomach catching up with one another. He said that a lot of people eat from “head hunger” (um, hello!) and that when you’re at the right fill level it takes a while to change your perception that eating so little is okay. My doc also said gastritis can make the band seem tighter, and that some women feel their tightness changes with their cycles. But that the stomach is sensitive to stress in general (gave ulcers as an example), and given my sudden increased stress level over the last 3 days plus my growing anxiety about the tightness of my Band…well, he thought that was enough to explain the “very tight” state I’ve got going on. He asked if I wanted a bit removed (though he thought it looked perfect especially if I wasn’t also having any symptoms of an over-fill), but I said no. I’m glad for the restriction, more so now with my life falling to pieces, as it appears to be doing. I’d be heading for the pantry for sure if i thought i could get away with it!! Maybe I’ll actually make it out of this without gaining anything thanks to the stress-induced tightness!!! I really want to thank all of you for your support as my fretting increased! (And, again, sorry for the cross-post & that this is so long!) Suzanne

Welcome back, BabyGrl! And boy, Tracy, you're lookin' good! I love the spreadsheet -- what a fantastic idea. Okay -- I stated before that I had a secret goal of hitting 250 for my 6-month Bandiversary. As of today's weigh-in at the fluoroscopy to check my band (all's well structurally, btw), I'm at 256.5 (down 63 lbs since surgery, 12 since my fill on July 5th!). :dance: Who here thinks I can shed 6.5 lbs in 13 days? Sounds nice, but not possible this far into the process, right? Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too.... But I'm gonna give it a real try!!! :nervous My next official (at the clinic) weigh-in is on August 16th, so I have until then! Any suggestions? I'm sorely tempted to try sticking to Protein drinks as much as possible from now until then... But that sounds a bit crazy at the same time!!! I know I'm gonna try to exercise every day at the very least. But I'm open to any other tips/hints y'all might have:help: My life appears to have turned to crap in the last 3 days... :think It would be a real boost to hit 250 at the next weigh-in.............. Suzanne Feb'07 August Challenge: Level 2 ~ Intermediate 1 of 18 days (4 days a week) exercising for 45 min

I suppose heat could have something to do with it -- if fingers swell (as mine do in the summer), then perhaps everything else could, too. But we've had July days since my last fill that were hitting 100 & I had no adverse reaction with my band then. So I'm guessing that's not it for me. And it's getting worse. Yesterday, even liquid was making me full after a sip or 2!! I had about 10 sips of protein drink, 2 sips of water & 5 sips of Crystal Light Slurpee -- that's it, all day. And not once did I feel hungry or experience stomach growling! I'm NOT puking or PBing or sliming -- just feeling very full right away. Now while I've been excited about the great restriction, clearly this level of tightness is not something that should continue! A few people have expressed that stress makes them tighter -- and I'd say I've had some sudden & extreme stress over the last 3 days. If this is stress-induced, I'm gonna need an un-fill because I fear things are only going to get worse. I hate to think I'm having a physical response to emotional duress, but an unfill is a lot better than a re-op!! My fluro check is at noon, so at least I'll have an answer soon... Off to try some hot tea as someone suggested, since I can't seem to get the cold stuff to pass easily! Wish me luck! Suzanne

I like best the notion that this is not actually a problem but rather some delayed feeling of restriction. :biggrin1: The “why” theory behind it still escapes me, but I’ll take that one! :thumb: I've never had a fill (this one was my 4th) with delayed effects, but maybe that's what's going on. :noidea: I'm going to try sticking to just liquid protein today to see if that helps thing relax a bit -- especially since stress has suddenly become a huge issue in the last 2 days. And then tomorrow will be the fluro to make sure everything still looks as it should inside... I like the restriction, but I'm perplexed by the delayed reaction!! BTW, Missy…you wouldn’t happen to know any great 20-something lady Chief fans :cheer2:who’d be interested in relocating to Virginia, would you? I’ve got this wonderful brother (29) with a penchant for all things KC & season tickets back at Arrowhead… (We lived in Omaha as kids, thanks to the Air Force, and KCs as close to an NFL home team as you get in NE!) Suzanne

Thanks, Nita -- it's reassuring to hear somebody else has non-problematic tightening! I don't mind the restriction (I mean, that's what I signed up for, right?) but I'm perplexed by the delayed reaction to the fill!! I'm going to try your suggestion of sticking to just liquids today to see if that helps things relax a bit -- especially since stress has become a huge issue in the last 2 days. And then tomorrow will be the fluro to make sure everything still looks as it should inside... Suzanne

I had my last fill July 5th – and my next (if needed) is supposed to be on the 16th of August. But I’m going in on Thursday (Aug 2nd) for a fluro look-see because something just isn’t right... :help: Have any of you gotten tighter as time went on…without a fill? I’m now not able to eat even 1.5 oz of straight-up soft tuna salad without getting that “oops, shouldn’t have had that last bite” feeling in the center of my chest. Two weeks ago (July 15th, in fact) I was able to eat a full 3oz of tuna salad served on soy-puff chip thingies. It’s not just tuna salad (a mushy for Pete’s sake) that’s filling me much faster in the last week-to-week-&-a-half, either. Nothing comes back up at all, but the pressure is just at that border of discomfort... Not that I MIND having restriction, but why is my band getting tighter without the aid of a fill? I’m sitting here, having just tried a spoonful of smooth peanut butter for dinner (has never caused me a problem before) and I have that pressure in the center of my chest – it’s peanut butter!!!!! I had a Wendy’s Jr. Frosty (treat, not normally part of my diet) last night & it, too, gave me this same chest pressure feeling. Are we or are we not supposed to be able to actually cheat the band with junk like milkshakes?!? Not that I want to cheat it, but what the frig is up if I can’t even have a milkshake without pressure!?!? I have never PBed (yet – knock on wood), and have only slimed 3 or 4 times since my banding 5-1/2 months ago. So I keep trying to rationalize the chest pressure away...can’t be a slip because I haven’t had actual issues with food!! I’m not even having PROBLEMS now – no slime, no PB, & I can drink water just fine... And I’ve got great restriction even! But things are tighter now than they were just after the last fill………and so I’m starting to fret a bit. Opinions? :help: (Pardon the cross-post, BTW!)

I had my last fill July 5th – and my next (if needed) is supposed to be on the 16th of August. But I’m going in on Thursday (Aug 2nd) for a fluro look-see because something just isn’t right... :help: Have any of you gotten tighter as time went on…without a fill? I’m now not able to eat even 1.5 oz of straight-up soft tuna salad without getting that “oops, shouldn’t have had that last bite” feeling in the center of my chest. Two weeks ago (July 15th, in fact) I was able to eat a full 3oz of tuna salad served on soy-puff chip thingies. It’s not just tuna salad (a mushy for Pete’s sake) that’s filling me much faster in the last week-to-week-&-a-half, either. Nothing comes back up at all, but the pressure is just at that border of discomfort... Not that I MIND having restriction, but why is my band getting tighter without the aid of a fill? I’m sitting here, having just tried a spoonful of smooth peanut butter for dinner (has never caused me a problem before) and I have that pressure in the center of my chest – it’s peanut butter!!!!! I had a Wendy’s Jr. Frosty (treat, not normally part of my diet) last night & it, too, gave me this same chest pressure feeling. Are we or are we not supposed to be able to actually cheat the band with junk like milkshakes?!? Not that I want to cheat it, but what the frig is up if I can’t even have a milkshake without pressure!?!? I have never PBed (yet – knock on wood), and have only slimed 3 or 4 times since my banding 5-1/2 months ago. So I keep trying to rationalize the chest pressure away...can’t be a slip because I haven’t had actual issues with food!! I’m not even having PROBLEMS now – no slime, no PB, & I can drink water just fine... And I’ve got great restriction even! But things are tighter now than they were just after the last fill………and so I’m starting to fret a bit. Opinions? :help: (Pardon the cross-post, BTW!)

I had my last fill July 5th – and my next (if needed) is supposed to be on the 16th of August. But I’m going in on Thursday (Aug 2nd) for a fluro look-see because something just isn’t right... Have any of you gotten tighter as time went on…without a fill? I’m now not able to eat even 1.5 oz of straight-up soft tuna salad without getting that “oops, shouldn’t have had that last bite” feeling in the center of my chest. Two weeks ago (July 15th, in fact) I was able to eat a full 3oz of tuna salad served on soy-puff chip thingies. It’s not just tuna salad (a mushy for Pete’s sake) that’s filling me much faster in the last week-to-week-&-a-half, either. Nothing comes back up at all, but the pressure is just at that border of discomfort... Not that I MIND having restriction, but why is my band getting tighter without the aid of a fill? I’m sitting here, having just tried a spoonful of smooth peanut butter for dinner (has never caused me a problem before) and I have that pressure in the center of my chest – it’s peanut butter!!!!! I had a Wendy’s Jr. Frosty (treat, not normally part of my diet) last night & it, too, gave me this same chest pressure feeling. Are we or are we not supposed to be able to actually cheat the band with junk like milkshakes?!? Not that I want to cheat it, but what the frig is up if I can’t even have a milkshake without pressure!?!? I have never PBed (yet – knock on wood), and have only slimed 3 or 4 times since my banding 5-1/2 months ago. So I keep trying to rationalize the chest pressure away...can’t be a slip because I haven’t had actual issues with food!! I’m not even having PROBLEMS now – no slime, no PB, & I can drink water just fine... And I’ve got great restriction even! But things are tighter now than they were just after the last fill………and so I’m starting to fret a bit. Opinions? (Pardon the cross-post, BTW!)

I took your comment the way you intended it... And I know where your fears are coming from, too. I hurt my knee & on a separate occasion fractured my foot. In both cases, I hobbled around without crutches from the car to the grocery store on DH's arm, sat in the scooter cart & shopped from that vantage point. Without the crutches with me in the store, it was unclear I had an actual ailment -- apart from my weight. At my peak, I weighed 320...and while it often hurt, I was still completely mobile. But I did get the exact looks you've described while using the scooter shopping cart. Disgust -- I guess maybe people are more polite here because I never got actual comments about my weight, just sneers & heads turning away. And while using the crutches to get around, the looks were of empathy / sympathy for my situation -- total strangers would stop to ask me what happened. So I, too, feared my weight would leave me chair-bound and the subject of ridicule if I didn't take some action. I know you didn't mean to offend anyone, and it's common to project your fears onto others...

I'm gonna come up a day short of my target this month... poop! Argh - mad at myself now! But I did get Sunday's workout in at least! And i have an affirmation, too!! :eek: I went to Lane Bryant (the store, not the catalog) this afternoon. I have not been able to shop there for YEARS since they only very recently started carrying size 30/32. I was a tight 32/loose 34 on my surgery date. I now solidly wear a 24 at Lane Bryant!!! Whaoooooo!!! And my bra size has gone from a 58DD to a 44 D, too. The 42D & 22s are still tight, but that'll change, I know! :woot: I'm so jazzed!! Suzanne Feb'07 July Challenge: Level 3-Moderate 17 of 20 days exercising for 30 minutes