Humming Bird

I am so happy for you! It sounds like things are going great! :clap:

I have not started yet bad bandster, very bad

You will find that the band works for all people in different ways. For me, it is both of the ways you mentioned plus some. I am not as hungry as I was before being banded and I am satisfied with very tiny amounts of food. Many food items I avoid because it causes discomfort to eat them. After I have had discomfort with one type of food, it just no longer even sounds good to me and I don't crave it. I'll give you one example of how this has worked. I was already healed but not at my sweet spot and had not eaten much that day. It was time for me to go pick up my grandson from school and I decided to go through the drive-up at McDonalds to get a small coffee. I also ordered a small french fry and figured I could eat maybe half of them with no problem. I pulled in the "flow lane" where many other parents were parked waiting for the school bell to ring. I ate about 4 french fries and made sure I chewed them very well and very slow. All of a sudden I needed to throw up! The feeling was instant and I had very little time to react. The only thing I could do was hunch down in the car a little and throw up in the McDonalds bag. It was an experience right there in public! After that day, french fries don't even sound good and I don't miss them. (along with other fried foods)

Ditto ....it's frustrating

Yes, It's been pretty screwed up. Sometimes I can't get on the site. There are several posts I made that no longer show up. I even went back to edit spelling on a couple and now the posts don't show up at all in those threads.

That's very sweet and I agree with you. The people here at LBT and a specific group (this thread) have really helped me along the way. I really wouldn't feel right calling my surgeon's office all the time when I have questions and I can't attend their support groups because they are all the way in Denver and I would never even make it all that way after work until the group was already done meeting. Even though we all do it different as far as exercise, tracking, counting protein/carbs. lifestyle........... Just checking in or reading really helps me keep my head in the game and has helped me in general to drop all this weight. A L L O N E H U N D R E D A N D N I N E P O U N D S! E A C H P O U N D, O N E A T A T I M E!

strawberry banana Smoothie (Starbucks) Serving Size: 16 oz, Calories: 280, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 56g, Protein: 15g I have them add extra Protein for $.50 to bring the protein up to 30g Skinny vanilla Latte - Tall (Starbucks) Serving Size: 12 oz, Calories: 90, Fat: 0g, Carbs: 0g, Protein: 9g

I have fibromyalgia, but your symptoms do not sound like that is it. I'm not a doc, but have had symptoms for many years before someone would listen and finally figured out that I had fibro. They tested me many times for lupus. In all these tests they have done have they ever tested you for lupus? I've known several people over the years who have lupus and the symptoms can be very widespread and strange. I always get yelled at for trying to self diagnose and use of the web, so please take the thoughts of us here at LBT as not being that of real docs.

Great support from all who have posted. Sometimes life just sucks and you have to live through it and continue to do your best. It's time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get that determination going again. You can and will do it. It's what mothers do and you already know that. All these things are just bumps in your road.

I did it to look better and to feel better about myself emotionally. I wanted to stop being discusted by what I saw in the mirror. I wanted to wear normal size clothing. I wanted to stop avoiding social situations because I was so overweight and felt so bad about the way I looked. I know it may sound strange or shallow, but I'm just being honest. I did not do it to get healthy like many others do. If my health improves with all the weightloss it is just frosting or gravy.

I think for some the reality sets in that there was a deep emotional attachment to food that they didn't know they had. Sometimes there is a deep emotional attachment to their fat as well. Being fat puts a wall between a person and the rest of the world. (deep, I know, even for me ) I think sometimes a person will fight the band all the way ...... like self sabotage. When I read some posts about wanting the band out right after someone gets it placed, it sounds like this to me.

This is where the band is a very crude tool. You just have to learn your lesson and do your best to not let it happen again. I sure hope you are feeling better today.

I hear ya Melody. Sometimes it wears on me too. Don't stay away too long

I don't even think the pre-op psychologist can tell how a person will feel after being banded. I was not required to meet with one and personally think it would have been a waste of time and money. Unless the psyc gets to know the person for a very long time they really would have no clue, and even then may not be able to predict or help with regrets. I do get what the Elfie was saying in the OP and continue to value her experience in life and as a banded person. I too don't understand sometimes when a person goes through whatever they need to pre-op and then all the way through major surgery only to say they regret it before they even give it a chance. I guess I don't have to understand them. It is just human nature to read a post like that and then have thoughts go through my mind. I personally did very little research and had zero hoops to jump through pre-op. I had the "I want it, and I want it right now." mentality. I'm lucky it has worked out great for me, but it's not all luck. I knew I didn't need help from a psyc., and if at any time in my life I need one I will seek the help.

It doesn't sound normal to me. If there were no infection there would be nothing draining and it wouldn't even be open to drain. If it were me I would go have the surgeon look at it. Do they have you taking antibiotics?

Meat ( like steak ) and bread are on the list of foods that give many bandsters trouble. It is a very fine line between your sweet spot and being too tight. Some of it is also a personal choice. In my book you are at what I consider my sweet spot. If I can eat chili I'm good. Steak and bread have been trouble for me even before I started getting fills. I'm at 5.3cc and have been for a very long time. If you don't feel good about how limited your food choices are, go get a tiny bit of fluid removed. The only bad thing about that would be you may do the yo-yo fill thing by needing another fill because you get too hungry between meals.

I also have trouble with meat. I eat quite a bit of chili. I can eat crab, scallops, fish...... with salmon I have to use caution because it has a pretty solid texture. Cooking spray and lemon pepper are pretty good on just about any kind of fish (bake). I'll have to check out some of those recipies too.

The way I was doing it no longer works...... the way it was explained in this old post http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/17414-how-to-attach-a-picture-to-a-post/ The paperclip is gone. I don't have an image URL. I have a pic on my computer. Someone please explain in terms like "posting a picture in a post for dummies."

enough with the dental hate.... I'm starting to get a complex! just kidding, I understand. I don't really like being the patient in the big chair either.

A protein shake would be better than tiny bites of solids. Hang in there and get as much of the clear liquids in as you can along with lots of sleep. Drinking a bit of liquid jello helped me at that stage.

Oh my gosh! Thanks for sharing. You have done so well and you will be around longer for the wife, kids and yourself! I am so glad the band has worked for you.

Did they give you written guidelines you can look at as you go? Something that gives you an idea of what they want you to have at each stage? Do you have a NUT you can talk with? Of course we all have different "rules" with each doc, but 1/4 cup is not enough. When you don't have restriction yet it will be a rough road trying to stick to 1/4c. The most common thing I have heard is 1/2 cup. As long as you "diet" until you have restriction you should be fine. Pasta would not be a good choice. Congrats on getting banded! It's a process, but well worth it !

My sweet spot has been 5.3cc in a 10cc band for a very long time. We will all be very different though. It depends on how thick your stomach tissue is and how think the fat is they include between the stomach wall and the band.

I was told only ice cold clear liquids the first 5-7 days and keep an ice pack high and left as much as you can. Ice helps swelling go down, not heat. I call in to the surgeon wouldn't be a bad idea, just so you can have a conversation with him/her and the situation can be evaluated by them.

Oh geez, I think they need to fix a few things when I can go and post other people's pics ! How to: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/123814-how-to-add-pictures/page__p__1568179__fromsearch__1#entry1568179