Humming Bird

LOL....I had to check your thread to see if you told the hubs yet. If he has a bad first reaction don't be upset. Let in sink in with him for a bit.

I have worked in the dental field for over 13 years and agree with this. In 99% of wisdom teeth extractions general anes. is not used. Unless you were at a hospital and had an actual anesthesiologist, you were IV sedated or "twilight sedation." Many patients ask to be "put under" or "knocked out" during wisdom teeth extractions, but are not put under the same way as they would be with abdominal surgery. The difference is, with IV sedation the Dr. can tell you to open your mouth and you will, you just won't remember anything. With general anes., if they told you to open your mouth you would not respond. (simple explaination, but you get the idea) In my own situation, I had my wisdom teeth removed at the oral surgeon's office under IV sedation and had no problems. I have had 4 surgeries under general anesthesia. In all 4 cases I had the feeling they gave me too much. I had the feeling like they gave me enough to knock out an elephant when it would have only taken a tiny bit and I would have been way under. All we can do is trust that the anesthesiologist does the job properly and I would bet the majority of them do to avoid loss of life and legal issues.

I hear you with the sick of looking at it part. My sewing room where I've been putting the big mama stuff is looking like a hoarder's room. I have started taking things to a plus size consignment shop, so I hope to make a few bucks. The problem is all the ironing I'm doing before I take them....ugh. If the stuff doesn't sell, I can choose leave it and the shop will donate it.

They include some fat between the band and your stomach to help avoid erosion. It could be that you have lost some of that fat. You may just need a small fill to get your restriction back.

Soup can be a great source for many things that our bodies need. I love soup and it is the one thing I may eat the most of. I eat quite a bit of Dairy as well. Sliders are not always a bad thing. The bad ones are icecream , candy bars and such. Soup is always a great choice when I'm eating away from home. I eat soup often at home too. A crock-pot full of good things does not hurt a healthy diet.

Now I have to get used to chewing and eating slower again. Hello restriction. I'm sitting here drinking a roadside lemonaid protein drink and find myself needing to take a little break between drinks. I'm sure by tomorrow I'll be back to the way I've spent most of my banded life. I'm going to stay far away from the stuff that gives me trouble when I'm tight. I have not thrown up in a very very long time and want to avoid that nasty situation.

It sounds to me like you need fill #2. There is a simple soultion to this stress. Get another fill and get your band working.

For me, it has taken a long time for my brain/mind to catch up. I've lost over 100 pounds, but some days it only feels like 50. I think it helps me to not obcess over it 24/7. I know that is easier said than done. I still find myself turning sideways to fit through small spaces when there is no need now. I hold up a shirt and think it will be too small, then when I put it on it hangs like a circus tent. I have since learned to try everything on and not just eyeball it. There have been times in my adult life when I've been thin and I think in time my brain will catch up to the way it feels to be that way again.

It doesn't matter who your doc thinks is on target on a public forum. What matters is he is there for you and willing to get you in sooner to help you. YOU are number one in YOUR journey.

I found it helpful to drink some jello. Just put some in a glass before you put the rest in the fridge to "jell.'

LOL....it was long, but a good read for me too It's nice you are helping Dave and maybe typing it all out is helping yourself as well.

I am so glad you called them and didn't wait the 3 frustrating weeks for your next appointment. I hope they can help you get your groove. Who knows if I am one who they think is on target. The most important thing is I am a success. I lost all my weight in a short time and have maintained a BMI of 24. (started at 41.3) This thing will not work exactly the same for you as it does for me. In fact, since you are male your weight will come off faster than mine did. I just saw my surgeon yesterday and we are both very happy with the way I do it and my success.

When I was at the doc's 11 months ago I had 5.3cc Today he wanted to remove my fluid to check the amount .... He took out 4.6cc He gave me a .6cc fill making it 5.2cc total which brings me back very close to my original sweet spot of 5.3cc I asked if he thought I sprung a leak. He said no .... it's been 11 months. I guess we'll see. I know I can feel that my restriction is back. Where did the fluid go? It's a closed system?

billhur, As you can see from just this one thread you will get very different advise from different people. Just in this one thread you got advise from a very young 18-20 yr. old woman who has lost a great deal of weight, exercises a great deal and wears a size2 (that is tiny). You also got advise from a grandmother who never exercises, never counts calories, but has also lost a great deal of weight. You got advise from a 50 something diabetic woman who no longer has a band but maintains the banded lifestyle she has learned. You got advise from people who have lost 4 pounds and people who have lost 80 pounds ............. Will the band work for you like it has for these people? No. The great thing about forums like this one is you can take tips we all give you and see if it works for you. Who do you listen to? That is up to you and what you think fits. If I were you I sure would check on the stuff Elfiepoo talked about because of the research she has done with controling diabetes. From the rest of us, read and learn. See if you can use some of our thoughts to figure out your own issues.

Well my fill day is here! I'll make the long drive to get .1 or .2 , but I really do think I need it. Of course I get on the scale this morning and am up another pound on the day I have to get on the dreaded Dr.'s scale.

No, I didn't say you are too loose. I just said if you can eat pork I don't think you are too tight. You may not be too loose or too tight. You may be at a good restriction level and just need to find your own personal groove. Sometimes restriction is more of a personal choice. You are the one who is living it day to day in your own life. Many bandsters insist on keeping their band loose enough so they can eat everything and they do quite a bit of "work" and "dieting" to keep the pounds dropping. In my own personal journey that way does not work. That is the way I got obese. I choose to keep my band a bit tight and I lost 100 pounds in 1 year with no "work." I can not eat pork, so I make other choices for protein. Sometimes it takes months for you and your digestive system to get in the groove. All I am saying is don't give up, find what works for you and your life.

IMHO you are not too tight if you are able to push food through with drinking. In my experience, when I'm in the green zone drinking soon after I have eaten would cause me to throw up, not make the food go through the stoma. Also if you can eat pork you are not too tight. You should start the day with things like protein shakes and slowly get to more solid foods as the day goes on. You may be trying to eat things you can no longer tolerate and this is causing the pain. I hear your frustration, but don't give up. Slow weightloss is better than no weightloss.

Too funny. I'm flying next week. Now I will have to think of funny things to say when they pat me down

LBT has been my fav. There is so much conflicting info out there. I have found that the best way to do it is learn as I go. By that I mean learn how my own body and my own lifestyle work with the band. It's trial and error. Some people worship the guy that says "it's not about restriction." I don't agree with that at all because for me it's all about restriction. Of course read and learn as much as you can, but at the end of the day, some things don't work the same for everyone.

I have an adult beverage now and then. I just can not drink beer or anything with bubbles/carbonation. On a special occasion I might have a glass of wine. I just make sure I drink it before any food goes in. I also use caution because if I have 2 glasses of wine I am very drunk after being banded.

Great advise from Dave_NW !!! Listen to the man I have tried every diet out there. I was even on Weight Watchers youth program when I was in the 5th grade (in the 70s). At the age of 40 I gave up and had accepted the fact that every time I lost weight on my own I would gain all the weight back plus some. I accepted the fact I was going to live my life as an obese person. There have been stages in my life where I was at a thin/normal weight and I really wanted to be that way again, but I just didn't know how I was ever going to do it. A family member of mine got the band and had great success. A friend of mine also got the band and had great success. I thought I wouldn't quailfy because I was going by the old guidelines of 100 pounds or more and I didn't have that much to lose. Then my mom died and I packed on even more weight with the extreme emotions from that. I started checking in to getting the band. At age 44 I had a BMI of 41.3 and that was enough. I was so desperate at that point I didn't care if I had to eat gruel for the rest of my life! I have been pleasantly surprised by how much nicer it is than that.

ok.... I'm not losing my mind .... hysterectomy it is........ thinking of you

Elcee, You are in my thoughts. I hope your recovery is a breeze. My hysterectomy took 3 different surgeries over a 10 year span because I was so young (25) they wanted to do it piece by piece. I just wish they would have taken it all out during the first surgery. That is what your are having done correct? Oh gezz..... I better read back a few. I can't keep track of myself, so it's tough to not get everyone else mixed up........

Yes, it has changed my life in some ways. I am happy to say my personal life, as far as relationships with friends and family, has been good for years and has not changed. The things that have changed are mostly mobility issues, self image and stuff like that. I feel and look so much better in clothes. I can cross my legs and paint my toenails. Getting in/out of my husband's truck is so much easier ....... stuff like that. I have no regrets Advise? Hmmmm..... You have to find your own way with this thing really. LBT is a great place to learn and get ideas, but I don't do things the way others insist they have to be done. I've found my own way to fit this in my life. You will need to find what works for you. I have not counted calories or tracked anything. I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just saying it does not fit in my lifestyle. I do stay mindful of protein and calories, I just don't obcess over them. I don't exercise. I'm not saying you shouldn't or won't see better results if you do. I just don't 'workout'. I am more active because I can get around better. Attitude plays a huge role. Sometimes the journey seems so long, but it sure is better than living life morbidly obese

You mean the weightloss tickers? Just click on someone else's ticker (it is a link). Then choose "create your own" and follow the directions.