JanB23

"Barrett's esophagus is a disorder in which the lining of the esophagus is damaged. This damage occurs when parts of the esophageal lining are repeatedly exposed to stomach acid." This can lead to cancer - but is not cancer. "Aspiration pneumonia is a respiratory infection that is caused when food or fluids are inhaled into the lungs. The food or fluid causes infection to develop in the lungs."

Me too. (nearly 3 years banded)

I was diagnosed with begnin ectopic heart beats which i was assured has nothing to do with my band - but i wonder....

Why?? Do people not realise they are being hurtful or do they just not care?

And the people around us, our loved ones, seem to be oblivious to what we have endured and wonder why the wrong word can upset us so easily.

Old people seem to be the worst with comments, and having been a nurse i came across a lot - "my you are a fat one" - "arent you a big healthy girl" - "you're fit for some one your size" - "dont sit in that chair, it is not very strong", "you shouldnt be playing sport at your size". All this contributed to me getting as big as i did because when i look back on photos i really wasnt that fat, but I thought i was, so I used to think what the heck whats another piece of chocolate going to change. But you know what I have survived , not unscathed, but I have survived non the less and I am taking back control of my weight and my life, and so to all those people who have ever been rude to me, you can kis my @#*. We are all worthy, intelligent people.

Growing up and as a nurse i endured insult after insult about my weight. The most hurtful though, came from my father when he asked me "are you trying to see how far you can stretch your skin". And they wonder why we are damaged.

"FAT PEOPLE LIVE TO EAT .... THIN PEOPLE EAT TO LIVE...It is a choice and you make it everytime you eat" - This is so not true. If it was no more than choice, there would be a lot less fat people suffering in this world. Eating is a compulsion/addiction for me and many other people. The desire to eat is all consuming and does your head in when every bit of your intelligence is telling you eating too much is not good for you, but still you are compelled to eat . I feel so much better when i eat well and in moderation but that does not stop me. i get really upset that i can not eat what i want sometimes, but then i am grateful that my band stops me from over indulging. I am with you Sasha.

I threw up and could not eat very much at all for three weeks following my last fill, i was having reflux over night and was fairly miserable. I went very gently , Doc said i ate too soon after the fill and probably had something stuck. I was all set to insist he took out a bit and almost overnight it all settled down. I have pretty good restricting and am not throwing up any more. I lost nearly 3 kilo in three weeks - that has now slowed as i am back to eating regular foods again. My doctor says as you lose the band loosens. Not to much more i hope as i have 10 ml in my 10lm band.

My info pack listed diet soda as a "can have". I am sitting here sipping on a diet pepsi now. It makes me gurgle now i have good restriction and i have to be really careful or i might throw it back up, but on occasion i crave it so i have it. i can only manage 1/2 cup of any liquid and need to make sure my pouch is fairly empty first.

All the best. Sending positive thoughts for a happy and healthy pregnancy and baby.

Oh my! I had a 24 hour stomach bug when on holiday in Hawaii. Threw up all night - well , went through the motions of throwing up, but very little ever came up. Stuck to fluids for 24 hours and was very careful for another 24 hours but then i was back to normal. Didn't think about getting checked out. I had 8.5ml in my 10ml band but wasn't at restriction. Might be a different story now I am at restriction/ a little tight, with 10ml in my band. Fingers crossed we will all stay well and non succumb to any nasty bugs.

I have had minimal restriction till my last fill and i am 2 years post op. But having said that - i have not been hungry. So i have been able to eat more than i should, but i didn't and i still felt satisfied, it still requires some self control and careful monitoring. Now i am a little over full and can only manage 1/2 cup of food which my head is struggling with, but my weight is finally dropping again. My friend got to her goal weight and never had to have one fill. Everyone is different. The post op diet is to allow your stomach to heal and adjust to the band. Good luck.

I am not cold all the time - but i used to be hot and clammy all the time. Now, some nights i just cant get warm so i have a hot, hot shower every night just before i jump into bed and take a hot pack with me when it is really cold. Thank goodness the weather is warming up. But i have to agree with Mrspopeye,

This is happening to me. Fluid comes up from my stomach and i wakes me up choking as i inhale it, then cough and cough. I am sleeping propped up to try and minimise it and i am not eating anything after 7pm then i am unable to eat or drink anything till lunch time the next day. I am hanging out for my next appointment in 2 weeks to have an unfill. I did go see the doctor but he said to try and hang in there - as long as i can get 1L of fluid in a day. I am loosing weight but i also think i am a bit dehydrated.

A girl i work with used to be a weight loss consultant, she told me to curb the cravings for sweet things to have a little of something very salty. What she suggested was a small dab of Vegimite on the end of your tongue. It works for a short time. And for those who don't like vegimite, it might just put you off food for the rest of the day .lol

Morning, I eat Heinz Baked beans in Ham sauce. 90 calorie and 6 g of protein per small tin and very yummy.

I often have a hard boiled egg mushed up with cottage cheese and spring onions on a bed of shredded lettuce. Another favourite is a veggie burger with some beans on top. But having said that, the beans in the US are not nice like we get here in Australia. I am a little tight at the moment and am eating a 1/4 cup of muesli with low fat yogurt a fair bit.

I am 2 years post op and have lost 60% of my excess body weight but still have a way to go. Two of my goals were to be able to put down the tray when flying and ride a bike. Well i have managed these two things and it feels so good! Last week however, was extraordinary, i went shopping with my 18 year old daughter and she zeroed in on a pair of floral jeans - whoops, "sorry" i said," i have a pair of those on lay-by". She gave me a dirty look and moved on while i did a little happy dance. Mind you she is still a few sizes smaller than me but i can shop where she shops now. Hooray!

Still plodding along. I am a little over tight with10ml in my band but am loosing again slowly. Suffering a bit of reflux. AmberK - would love to know how you are going with your sleeve. Hope everyone else are still doing well. We have made it past 2 years. We should all be proud, no matter how successful our weight loss has or has not been, as long as we are feeling better about ourselves. Cheers

I certainly don't count calories to make sure i am getting enough - that is never an issue. But even with my band at good restriction, to loose weight i have to keep below 1000 calorie so i do count when my weight loss has stalled. I was adding extra calories for exercise but if i go over the magic 1000, exercise or no exercise my weight stalls and if i am not careful i will start to gain. I don't track all the time, just when the scales tell me i need to.

I too am loving to shop and have been considering a little tattoo on my ankle but just cant see myself in a tattoo parlour. One day i will get up the courage and do it.

My surgeon told me it was from eating too much. It has settled now i am being more careful.

Awesome.

Throw out those clothes. DO IT. It is very liberating! It also prevents you accidentally throwing on the wrong thing when in a hurry and having to spend the entire day hanging on to your pants! LOL.