BarbaraWM

I think it depends on the flavor. No lemonade because of the acid but I like both the fruit punch and raspberry.

Tomorrow is my 4 month anniversary of being banded and I have lost 60 lbs since my consultation, 49 since the surgery. A lot depends on how much you need to lose -- the bigger you are, the faster they fall (the pounds that is). So much will depend on your fills as well -- I am not exercising much and I was lucky to get real restriction with my 2nd fill so I've probably lost faster than quite a few people. Good luck and remember it's not a race.

My doctor said nothing you put in your stomach is bad for the band because the band is on the OUTSIDE of your stomach. The real issue is the lining of your stomach. Anti-inflammation drugs and some antibiotics can cause stomach irritation, upset and in some cases, ulcers. You should talk to your surgeon once you have specific information about the course of treatment, including the name of the drug. I recently had a short course of antibiotics and very specifically asked my doctor about cutting them into small pieces or if they were available as a liquid. Turned out they were not time release, so breaking them into bits worked for me and, taking them with a bit of food prevented stomach upset. Definitely need to ask your surgeon though.

I weigh what I weighed when I met my husband 12 years ago! That would be 60 lbs less than my consultation weight in September '09. (HAPPY - :thumbup:) My jeans are sliding down and yesterday while I was rolling around on the floor giggling and playing with my daughter, my boob fell right out of my bra because the cup was too loose when I was upside down. She had such a good laugh over Mommy's booby suddenly appearing that I may hang onto that bra for parties! LOL (HAPPY - :tt2:) Seriously, I am feeling very slender (for me) but it has come with a price. I don't feel good. I mentioned in my last entry that I thought I wasn't getting enough food but the doctor thought I was doing ok on 2 oz. per meal. BUT....I don't have any energy. I'm tired. My muscles seem to be shrinking. I feel every morsel that goes into my stomach and not in a good way. I haven't had a meal in a month that was actually easy or even enjoyable. I have discomfort from liquids even.... (SAD - :thumbup:) So, since the doctor didn't want to unfill, even a little, I've added to my diet. I'm having a protein shake at least once a day. I'm also adding a bit more fat to my diet with half n half in my coffee and starting to think of high calorie foods that will go down easily. (SAD - :glare:) My next appointment is in 3.5 weeks on 3/31. If I lose more than 15 lbs by then, I am definitely getting an unfill so I can feel eat a little more and feel better. (HAPPY - ) Now that THAT's all worked out, if I could just sleep.....

I weigh what I weighed when I met my husband 12 years ago! That would be 60 lbs less than my consultation weight in September '09. (HAPPY - ) My jeans are sliding down and yesterday while I was rolling around on the floor giggling and playing with my daughter, my boob fell right out of my bra because the cup was too loose when I was upside down. She had such a good laugh over Mommy's booby suddenly appearing that I may hang onto that bra for parties! LOL (HAPPY - :tt2:) Seriously, I am feeling very slender (for me) but it has come with a price. I don't feel good. I mentioned in my last entry that I thought I wasn't getting enough food but the doctor thought I was doing ok on 2 oz. per meal. BUT....I don't have any energy. I'm tired. My muscles seem to be shrinking. I feel every morsel that goes into my stomach and not in a good way. I haven't had a meal in a month that was actually easy or even enjoyable. I have discomfort from liquids even.... (SAD - :thumbup:) So, since the doctor didn't want to unfill, even a little, I've added to my diet. I'm having a protein shake at least once a day. I'm also adding a bit more fat to my diet with half n half in my coffee and starting to think of high calorie foods that will go down easily. (SAD - :wub:) My next appointment is in 3.5 weeks on 3/31. If I lose more than 15 lbs by then, I am definitely getting an unfill so I can feel eat a little more and feel better. (HAPPY - :thumbup:) Now that THAT's all worked out, if I could just sleep.....

I totally get it. It doesn't help that my 6 year old is the biggest -- literally tallest and most developed kid -- in the entire first grade at her school. She's a solid kid but not fat but because of me, she's hyper aware of being perceived as big and fat. One of the siblings of a child in her class, who is 3, pointed at me and said "She's fat." Her mother shushed her and I really wasn't offended because she was 3. But what concerns me is that a 3-year old even knows that someone is "fat." It means the parents and/or siblings have talked about it enough in front of her, or explained it to her, so she's already developing prejudices based on her parents' perspective. I blew it off but I might eventually say something to the mother about it so she knows how hurtful the word is to my daughter and to others and perhaps she can correct her own kids so they don't stare at fat mommies on the playground in 30 years too!

I had my 3rd post surgical appointment yesterday, one week shy of 4 months banded. I was glad to finally be seeing the doctor because I've had some digestive issues since my last fill -- vomiting, sliming, discomfort...you name it. And then, about a week ago, I felt a lump in my abdomen, just inside my hip bone. It was tender to the touch and seemed to move when I changed position. I thought maybe it was a hernia I'd never noticed because of all the fat on my gut before but definitely wanted to have it checked out. So, I'm sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor and reading the informative poster about the digestive system which, as we know, ends in the colon and rectum. How delightful to read the symptoms of colo-rectal cancer while I've got a lump I'm worried about. Here's my thought process: "Let's see, hmmm, change in bowel habits - check, pain or tenderness in the abdomen - check, other TMI symptoms - check, check, check.... OMG, I HAVE COLON CANCER! Great! Isn't this just ironic that here I am, finally losing weight so I can live a healthier life and now I'm going to die from colon cancer anyway. I shouldn't have smoked. I shouldn't have drunk too much. I shouldn't have had a high fat diet. I shouldn't have.....oh, here comes the doctor." So, when the doctor asks me how I am, I blurt out, "I have a lump in my abdomen and at first I thought it might be a hernia but after reading THAT, I'm a little worried it's colon cancer." He sort of laughs and says, "If you had colon cancer and could feel a lump through your stomach, you'd be f'n dead already." Well, I do like him for being blunt. So, he feels around and says it's a hematoma and asks if I had an injection recently. I did not and, I can't think of any incident where I got poked or fell on something..... So, chalk it up to all the swimming I did in Mexico - probably a small tear in my muscle. Phew. Thank goodness these hypochondria moments don't last too long. So, now that I know I'm not going to die (from this particular ailment), I mention that I might need a slight unfill because I'm concerned I'm not getting enough food since the last fill on 1/27. I've been trying to do about 1/2 cup of food but find I get very full just at a little over 1/4 cup down and begin to feel uncomfortable, get slimy and..as I mentioned above, vomit. The doctor says I don't need an unfill and that 2 ounces of solid food at a sitting is just about right. So, no fill, no unfill. But, you know, I really miss eating even though I take longer to do it now and can eat almost anything - just not much of it. I miss everything about cleaning my plate, the feel of the food in my mouth, having more than one course.....dessert! Today I went to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I got a small soup (less than half filled) and put 1 hard boiled egg, one slice of cucumber and a few carrot shreds in the smallest salad container they had. When I took it to the cashier, it wouldn't weigh -- it was too light for the scale so she charged me for a cookie (!!!) -- all of $.50. I got a packet of mayo and made myself a little egg salad and had some on a saltine. It tasted good. I could have licked the container but I was too full. I couldn't even eat the 2nd saltine. I signed up for this knowing the band was a tool and that I had to do the heavy lifting. It's working, I'm working. I'm vomiting, it's working. I'm sliming, it's working. I've lost 58 lbs, it's working. It's working, it's working.

Gas. Try Gas X strips.

Sliming is indeed gross. When something gets stuck in the stoma, or goes down wrong, or you eat too much, your body produces a very viscous clear mucus to help move things along. If it doesn't push the food through though, the slime builds up and eventually comes out. I've been amazed at the volume of slime as well as how easily it comes out my nose too! Luckily, it slides right down the sink. LOL

I had my 3rd post surgical appointment yesterday, one week shy of 4 months banded. I was glad to finally be seeing the doctor because I've had some digestive issues since my last fill -- vomiting, sliming, discomfort...you name it. And then, about a week ago, I felt a lump in my abdomen, just inside my hip bone. It was tender to the touch and seemed to move when I changed position. I thought maybe it was a hernia I'd never noticed because of all the fat on my gut before but definitely wanted to have it checked out. So, I'm sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor and reading the informative poster about the digestive system which, as we know, ends in the colon and rectum. How delightful to read the symptoms of colo-rectal cancer while I've got a lump I'm worried about. Here's my thought process: "Let's see, hmmm, change in bowel habits - check, pain or tenderness in the abdomen - check, other TMI symptoms - check, check, check.... OMG, I HAVE COLON CANCER! Great! Isn't this just ironic that here I am, finally losing weight so I can live a healthier life and now I'm going to die from colon cancer anyway. I shouldn't have smoked. I shouldn't have drunk too much. I shouldn't have had a high fat diet. I shouldn't have.....oh, here comes the doctor." So, when the doctor asks me how I am, I blurt out, "I have a lump in my abdomen and at first I thought it might be a hernia but after reading THAT, I'm a little worried it's colon cancer." He sort of laughs and says, "If you had colon cancer and could feel a lump through your stomach, you'd be f'n dead already." Well, I do like him for being blunt. So, he feels around and says it's a hematoma and asks if I had an injection recently. I did not and, I can't think of any incident where I got poked or fell on something..... So, chalk it up to all the swimming I did in Mexico - probably a small tear in my muscle. Phew. Thank goodness these hypochondria moments don't last too long. So, now that I know I'm not going to die (from this particular ailment), I mention that I might need a slight unfill because I'm concerned I'm not getting enough food since the last fill on 1/27. I've been trying to do about 1/2 cup of food but find I get very full just at a little over 1/4 cup down and begin to feel uncomfortable, get slimy and..as I mentioned above, vomit. The doctor says I don't need an unfill and that 2 ounces of solid food at a sitting is just about right. So, no fill, no unfill. But, you know, I really miss eating even though I take longer to do it now and can eat almost anything - just not much of it. I miss everything about cleaning my plate, the feel of the food in my mouth, having more than one course.....dessert! Today I went to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I got a small soup (less than half filled) and put 1 hard boiled egg, one slice of cucumber and a few carrot shreds in the smallest salad container they had. When I took it to the cashier, it wouldn't weigh -- it was too light for the scale so she charged me for a cookie (!!!) -- all of $.50. I got a packet of mayo and made myself a little egg salad and had some on a saltine. It tasted good. I could have licked the container but I was too full. I couldn't even eat the 2nd saltine. I signed up for this knowing the band was a tool and that I had to do the heavy lifting. It's working, I'm working. I'm vomiting, it's working. I'm sliming, it's working. I've lost 58 lbs, it's working. It's working, it's working.

I was banded on the exact same day as you and have lost 55 lbs total. But, to be fair, so much depends on where you start too -- I have a lot of weight to lose. My experience is that it was very slow at first but now that I have good restriction (after 2 fills), the weight is falling off (21 lbs in the last 4.5 weeks) and, I don't really exercise (I do live in a city where I walk and take public transportation daily rather than driving). I agree with everyone above who said 2 hours is too long to eat. The PA at my doc's office specifically said 20-30 minutes per meal; any longer and you've already started digesting the food and you're defeating the purpose of filling the pouch. Also are you drinking with meals? If you are, you're washing through the food and definitely eating more than you think you are. I struggle to get more than 1/2 cup of food down per sitting. I can't imagine taking 2 hours to eat so little. Everyone who has responded has had good advice. You should pay attention to it.

If you have a medical problem in Italy, best to just go to the hospital and tell them you have a Lapband. I think you'd want to learn the phrase, "I have a Lapband" in Italian just in case. Allergan is the company that makes Lapband and is responsible for training surgeons. They, no doubt, have a database of physicians experience with the procedure and follow up.

It's totally normal. I had a similar experience and felt exactly like you do. Everyone on the site was very helpful and I hope you look around and find what others have posted the same sentiment. I had no real restriction and felt starving much of the time until my 2nd fill. Once I got it right, the pounds started peeling off. I'm 4 weeks past my 2nd fill and I have lost 21 lbs in that time alone!!! You can do it too.

I'm there with you sister. I've got a sinus infection, just returned from a vacation having drunk too much, had a stuck incident recently and now I have my period too. Nothing is comfortable. Phew....much better. Thanks.

That's excellent! I just took my first flight after surgery too and hope my next one won't require any armrests raised or seat belt extenders. Luckily I have a 6-year old who is very accommodating. I totally understand how you feel. I always thought it was awful the way people had to ask for them (when I didn't need one - though I was a tight fit anyway) and then one day I needed one. I was lucky that there was an off duty flight attendant sitting next to me and she gave me one to keep because she always felt embarrassed for the people who had to ask for extenders. I have the same one, American Airlines, and I'm hoping to give it to someone else soon.

Am I getting enough food? Do I need an unfill? Last night I weighed 3 ounces of lean ground turkey before I cooked it. I added about 1/8 oz of shredded cheese, 3 very thin pickle slices, two small baby carrots and a tablespoon of baked Beans to round out my meal. I could not finish the burger - ate just over 1/2 of it - no bread - and that was with some ketchup and a bit of mayo on it that should have made it "slide" a bit. I ate the carrots and beans (again, wet food) but felt uncomfortable for over an hour after dinner. I think what I ate would easily fit in 1/2 cup measure but it seemed to be too much. Then, for Breakfast I had 2 heaping teaspoons of Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of Kashi Go Lean crunch - about 1/4 cup. I brought apple sauce but couldn't even take a bite of it because I felt overly full again. A few other things to consider: 1) I had a very bad stuck incident last week that resulted in two days of vomiting/sliming on all solid food 2) I recently flew (landed Sunday evening) 3) I have a sinus infection and am taking anti-biotics 4) I have my period Is less than 1/2 cup of food per meal a suitable amount for someone who needs to lose 125 lbs?

I've lost 3 lbs this week with my period, which makes me think it's really 6.

Congratulations!

Current Mood: Slender :thumbup: Ok, so I don't really feel slender, just less fat than I used to feel. It's a good thing. I just came back from my second fill. After asking what I ate yesterday, my doctor said I really need a fill if I can eat 8 ounces of sirloin and 3 vegetable dumplings at a time! (Hey, at least it was protein, well..mostly) I got 1.5ccs added for a total of 7.5ccs in my 12cc band. I must say that I went into the appointment in a good mood but still feeling just a little bit disappointed that I hadn't lost more weight since my first fill on 12/3/09. Here's what I found out: It's your fault! Yes, you! You people who lose 40 lbs in one month. You're making the rest of us feel bad! LOL. Seriously, my doctor thought my 17 lbs was a great number and that I was ahead of the curve for lap band patients in general, especially considering my holiday season indulgences extended from 12/3 to 1/3!! He reiterated that lap band is slower loss than other WLS and I am right on track for me. I really like my doctor. Fill effect: The cup of water in the doctor's office went straight down, no problem. Since I'm on liquids until tomorrow, I picked up a small corn soup on the way back to the office and when I got here, I looked at it and realized it seemed to be pretty heavy on the cream. I decided to eat it anyway. Well, I got about halfway through and then it happened....the moment I've been waiting for....my eureka moment. I felt the restriction with a liquid for the first time! I thought about taking one more mouthful but already had a gurgly burp brewing so I put the lid on the soup and dropped it in the trash. I put my yogurt in the fridge for tomorrow and called it lunch! I am so pleased right now and looking forward to losing more weight and maybe....just a little bit quicker. Oh, and I was only kidding above. Everyone loses at a different pace and thought I might be a bit envious of those who drop it more quickly than I, I don't begrudge anyone his/her victories. You're doing spectacularly - keep up the good work. B

Sometimes life is just a trial. We are flying out tomorrow morning at 6am for vacation. Today I woke up with a bad head cold and proceeded to have a rather bad PB/vomit incident and now, it's snowing again! If anyone can learn from my problem and avoid doing what I've just done, then maybe it was worth it... NO WAY! I wish someone had told me.... This is the first cold I've had since I got restriction a couple of weeks ago. I'm congested, have a bit of a cough and feel just sort of blah. On the way to dinner this evening my husband popped into the corner store and bought a pack of Dayquil Liqui-Gel capsules. Even though I know the liquid would have been better I decided to take a chance and have one with dinner because I feel that sick. Big freakin' mistake. The damn thing got stuck straight away. I had to ask for green tea, hoping to melt it a little and let it pass. It seemed to work so I had a few bites of beautiful soft tuna but then I got the hiccups and the trouble really started. Ran to the bathroom once with a mouthful of slime that came out with a big cough which seemed to dislodge the pill. Went back to the table, sipped my green tea a bit longer and realized I was clear so I had one, ONE, one piece of California roll, chewed meticulously to a fine mush and that was all she wrote! Apparently the pill was still stuck because I had to run to the bathroom again, this time for a full on vomit in the sink :frown:! But, the pill didn't seem to come up so the vomiting must have pushed it through the other direction. Rinsed my mouth and went back to the table where I could sip my tea with no problem and was able to eat the avocado out of my sushi and even some boiled soy beans. Amazingly, I was still quite hungry having had only a couple of ounces of lentil soup for lunch. I think this does it -- I was really hoping my band wasn't too tight but it sure seems that it is given the trouble I've been having. Unfortunately, I can't make it to the doctor before my flight to get an unfill so I will be living on yogurt, soup, beans and fish while I'm in Mexico. Hmm, actually, that doesn't sound so bad. I do love fish and it seems to be really easy to digest for me. I'll chalk it up as yet another learning experience with the band. Here's what I learned: 1) Dayquil Liqui-Gels are gigantic and will jam in a stoma that might be a little tight 2) Avocado and soybeans are quite easily digested and even soothing 3) Don't wait if you think your band needs an adjustment or you could end up on vacation at an all inclusive resort being unable to eat properly 4) Snow is beautiful but really stinks when you've got to fly On that note, I'm off to bed so I can get up at 3:30 for the taxi. Hope everyone has a great week and can use some of my hard-earned lessons. B

When my sister lost a lot of weight in 2008 she started baking and cooking ridiculously high fat and sugary foods and feeding other people. She would bring two trays of brownies covered in fudge icing and chocolate chips to a family event, plus chicken parmesan, lasagna, corn dogs, etc. Even my husband's family commented on how thin she was for someone who cooked like she does. At the time we didn't know she'd had secret Lapband surgery in Mexico. She finally came clean at Thanksgiving 2008, after presenting a huge tray of mini pastries made with love and, as we discovered that day, true longing for what she could no longer have! I bring this up because lately, I've been cooking and baking a lot. I cooked regularly for my family before surgery and we have always enjoyed entertaining but now I find reasons to make gingerbread and other cookies, fresh bread, braised short ribs, jambalaya, soups, country pate, Indian curries, and... I even made my own cheese recently! I am making food that makes people happy and that I love but can't really eat except for a bite or two. Granted, the food that I have been making is definitely healthier than what my sister makes but I wonder if I am doing the same thing she did - transferring my love of eating to a love of feeding those I love with food I want myself. Suddenly, I've become very popular at work and among our friends -- could be all the baked goods I've been gifting and the food I've been blogging about. In fact, I am thinking that if I get laid off (which could happen) I will change careers and become a cooking teacher or small scale caterer or personal chef for hire. Wouldn't it be ironic if finally successfully losing weight leads me to a career in gourmet food?!? Or, maybe this phase will pass... I know my friends and family hope it doesn't!!! Off to Mexico tomorrow at 6am for a family vacation. All inclusive resort means buffet meals. New mantra - only one bite, only one bite, only one bite! Have to leave room for the margaritas after all! Adios!

When my sister lost a lot of weight in 2008 she started baking and cooking ridiculously high fat and sugary foods and feeding other people. She would bring two trays of brownies covered in fudge icing and chocolate chips to a family event, plus chicken parmesan, lasagna, corn dogs, etc. Even my husband's family commented on how thin she was for someone who cooked like she does. At the time we didn't know she'd had secret Lapband surgery in Mexico. She finally came clean at Thanksgiving 2008, after presenting a huge tray of mini pastries made with love and, as we discovered that day, true longing for what she could no longer have! I bring this up because lately, I've been cooking and baking a lot. I cooked regularly for my family before surgery and we have always enjoyed entertaining but now I find reasons to make gingerbread and other cookies, fresh bread, braised short ribs, jambalaya, soups, country pate, Indian curries, and... I even made my own cheese recently! I am making food that makes people happy and that I love but can't really eat except for a bite or two. Granted, the food that I have been making is definitely healthier than what my sister makes but I wonder if I am doing the same thing she did - transferring my love of eating to a love of feeding those I love with food I want myself. Suddenly, I've become very popular at work and among our friends -- could be all the baked goods I've been gifting and the food I've been blogging about. In fact, I am thinking that if I get laid off (which could happen) I will change careers and become a cooking teacher or small scale caterer or personal chef for hire. Wouldn't it be ironic if finally successfully losing weight leads me to a career in gourmet food?!? Or, maybe this phase will pass... I know my friends and family hope it doesn't!!! Off to Mexico tomorrow at 6am for a family vacation. All inclusive resort means buffet meals. New mantra - only one bite, only one bite, only one bite! Have to leave room for the margaritas after all! Adios!

I had 6ccs in a 12cc band and the last time the doctor put in only 1.5ccs and now I might even be a little tight. Smaller increments make a bigger difference when your band is fuller. I bet the next one will do the trick!