June 2007 Bandsters

[TexasFire 84]

Stefanie: I know.....I go in for my first fill tomorrow!.....and initially I was extremely careful about chewing and then I've noticed the last couple of days that if I'm really hungry....I "forget" which doesn't cause any problems but I'm guessing after tomorrow....it may! Thanks for a reality check!!!!.......Do you like your fill? How's it working?

Oh, yeah...I could eat anything before my fill with no issues. And I was hungry when I grabbed that slice of turkey and just ate normally, which is a huge NO-NO. I guess I'm not invincable after all, huh? :biggrin1:

By the way...(and this may have been said or you all may already know, but I didn't and I haven't seen it here)...my NP said and my paperwork said that the most successful patients she has seen have been the ones who stick to protien then veggies, of course. (No carbs) The somewhat surprising part of what she said was that if you get hungry, it's too late. Do not ever let yourself get hungry. Have your three meals a day, stopping in plenty of time before you get full, and every two hours at least, have three bites of some lean Protein. This "excercises" your metabolism and keeps it burning at full pace. Makes sense to me! I love my doc and NP! :clap2:

And yes, I do like my fill. I don't notice as much of a difference as I would like, but it is apparently common to not notice any difference at all in the first one to three fills...so I'm happy to feel some difference. The opening is about the size of a pencil now. So my goodness! How small will that opening get with fill after fill?!?!?

We are in for quite a ride, ladies and gents! And I'm looking forward to every moment of it, good and bad. I already know the end result is going to be fantastic!

[TexasFire 84]

Stefanie: I know.....I go in for my first fill tomorrow!.....and initially I was extremely careful about chewing and then I've noticed the last couple of days that if I'm really hungry....I "forget" which doesn't cause any problems but I'm guessing after tomorrow....it may! Thanks for a reality check!!!!.......Do you like your fill? How's it working?

And good luck with your fill tomorrow! I just noticed you are out of the Hurst office, as well. So you have Amy for your NP, too? Let me know what you think of your first fill! And don't forget to ask how much they put in your band after the fact like I did! LOL

[TexasFire 84]

Another site for tracking what you eat is MyCalorieCounter.com, which I use faithfully...and it has a completely free version you can use forever, or you can pay for the premium service which isn't much at all. I use the premium version and LOVE IT. It also has great forums, you can create your own blog site, and it tracks and charts everything you can imagine.

Okay...sorry for asking again, but I missed the answer last time I asked last week. What is PB-ing and Sliming?

[mjsafari 0]

thanks everyone for the well wishes!

How did everyone fair today? I did pretty well. 1 rib, a spoonful of Beans, a spoonful of cheesy corn and 1 deviled egg, then 1/2 a plain hamburger patty later in the evening. I could have also had - chips, dip, hot dogs, brats, potato salad, brownies, cheesecake, and white cake. I am the proudest of not having one potato chip. Potatoes are the reason I needed the band! LOL

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

[mjsafari 0]

PB - productive burp - meaning you bring something back up when you burp.

Sliming - I saw it described somewhere else - when something gets stuck, your body produces saliva to try and get it back up. The saliva is evidently really thick - thus slime. I am sure there is a thread with a better description on here somewhere.

[TexasFire 84]

PB - productive burp - meaning you bring something back up when you burp.

Sliming - I saw it described somewhere else - when something gets stuck, your body produces saliva to try and get it back up. The saliva is evidently really thick - thus slime. I am sure there is a thread with a better description on here somewhere.

THANK YOU!

[faithmd 14]

THANK YOU!

For an inclisuve list with lots of the abbreviatons that get tossed around on here:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/abbreviations-what-they-mean-7959/

[insubordination 0]

Had my first fill today. It was an easy, painless process and I got to talk to some cool people in the waiting room. I have a 9.5ml Swedish band (didn't know that) band and 5 mls of saline was put in. This amount was the same for the 5 or 6 first time fillees in the room and they all drank their two cups of Water easily but not me. The water seemed to slide down very slowly and it was a little painful. I could not finish two glasses with any comfort. There was a lot of gurgling and burping.

I asked the others what they were feeling and they weren't having the same sensations as I was. At first I had the thought that I wouldn't say anything as I want good restriction but then I realised that it really was too uncomfortable and I didn't want to be self-destructive. I told the doc and he took some fill out. After that, the water felt much better. He said that I will adjust to this level soon and to come back in two weeks.

I can finally eat solid food tomorrow. I can't decide what to have.

Also met some longer term bandsters there who had lost most or all of their weight. It was good to talk to them.

By the way, I have now lost 14kg or 30.8 pounds. Woo Hoo!

[insubordination 0]

PS Angel123, I forgot to answer your post.

can any one help? I was banded on the 29th june and I am at day 6 todayI feel worse than just after I was banded? My stomach is bloated and every time i breathe in I think I can feel my band? Is this normal???

Do you think it's gas pain? It can get pretty bad. My pain lessened each day and wasn't too bad at all on day 6. However, I also thought I could feel my band (still sort of can in a way). I found breathing a little harder in the first few days and was also bloated but then it got better. I think you should be feeling better by now. Did you stop taking pain meds? Can you see any signs of infection? I think if the pain is not better, then you should call your doctor.

[ja9va 0]

Well, we made it through our first holiday banded! Sounds like we did great. Missy great food choices! I agree about the chips. I will have to confess that I did have a few tortilla chips and fresh salsa. I had a 1/2 burger, grilled vegies and some tortilini salad( light dressing).

Insub Great Weight Loss for you :clap2: That is interesting about your fill. When I went to the doctor this week, I asked the nurse about how many fills, that some people seem to get many. She taked about then taking Fluid out because some will want more and realize it is to much. So it is good you went with how YOU felt.

Toni Great Weight loss to you too:D I know you have been struggling. Why don't you update your ticker!! and CELEBRATE! How was the game?

Pippz I agree about the vomit feeling. I really hope I can prevent that. I realized that I can't eat chicken( previous post) and I can really feel food go down when it gets stuck. It is like a BIG swallow in my stomach, it is hard to describe. I really need to chew more!!!

Angel I agree with others, but to feel comfortable call your doc

Stef Sounds like you are doing great with your fill, I am anxious to get there. According to my doctor, the number of fills is really individual.

[ja9va 0]

FarmerE

I am sorry to hear about your boyfriend. I agree with others that it is so hard for the "thin" person or one who never dieted to understand our position and choice. I have a thin husband, who has terrible eating habits and can eat anything! He does have cholesteral issues, but he does not seem to think he should change. He was very resistant to my surgery, just could not understand "why" I needed it. I realized that he would never get it. I told him that I really did not want comments anymore because I made the choice and needed his support. One of his beefs was me having problems and what if I died? But now that it is over, he has accepted it and calls me " Queen of Lap Band!"

I made choices not to tell certain friends and family, ones I love dearly, becuase I really did not want to hear the same comments your boyfriend said. " why don't you just eat less, you lost it before, get out and exercise...and on and on!" People don't realize we made a very hard decision, a COMMITMENT, for life.

I know this is hard, because it is my husband and it is a boyfriend telling you this stuff, but try to take care of YOU, and what happens, happens. He will see how devoted you are and hopefully if he loves you, will turn that fear into positive support!!! It sounds like he is afraid of change and worried how he fits into your new goals. My husband is happy we don't go out, he says we are saving money!!!

Hang in there... Your BAND buddies are here.

[Suzzzie. 3]

By the way...(and this may have been said or you all may already know, but I didn't and I haven't seen it here)...my NP said and my paperwork said that the most successful patients she has seen have been the ones who stick to protien then veggies, of course. (No carbs) The somewhat surprising part of what she said was that if you get hungry, it's too late. Do not ever let yourself get hungry. Have your three meals a day, stopping in plenty of time before you get full, and every two hours at least, have three bites of some lean Protein. This "excercises" your metabolism and keeps it burning at full pace. Makes sense to me! I love my doc and NP! :clap2:

Can you list some lean protein that you eat? I can't imagine cooking chicken or anything every so many hours! So like, lean deli meats? cheese? I SHOULD know this - OK, I do. But..but...but... I LIKE Pasta and potatoes. Haha.

2 more weeks until I can get a fill. I sooooo need it! I was able to eat too much at Carrabbas last night!! (including the bread and salad! But I only managed about 1/4 of my pasta, so that is amazing for me!)

[faithmd 14]

Suzzzie, 20 days out and you can eat bread, Pasta and salad? Wow! I want your nutritionist!

I also LOVE pasta and bread, but I had made some changes before banding and was eating Barilla Pasta Plus (in the yellow box) for a higher Protein, higher Fiber pasta and it tastes really good. I also had changed to whole grain breads, and occasionally I'd have some Texas Toast 6 Carb Garlic bread (in the freezer section). It isn't too bad. Good garlic flavor.

My nut says that I can't have rice or pasta for three months after banding. (Like that's going to happen, I'm a sushi FANATIC)

Some great suggestions for lean protein she gave me for when I can eat solid foods are:

tuna (I can't stand it)

Salmon

Other broiled fish (can buy the frozen microwaveable fillets)

eggs

Flaked Crab

Shrimp (some complain that after a fill or a few they have trouble getting shrimp down)

chicken (you can buy chicken breast in packets already flaked in the canned meat section of your supermarket, it is VERY good and MOIST!) If you have a Trader Joes near you, they sell several varieties of pre cooked chicken breasts, or you can get the roasted chickens in the deli case of most bigger supermarkets. I don't have time to cook much either, so I rely on the packets of chicken or the pre-cooked.

Deli meats such as turkey, chicken breast, roast beef (she specified deli cuts because they are more likely to be fresher and you can buy smaller quantities, or have them cut to the thickness you prefer)

[LadyHR 0]

Suzzzie,

Carraba's is one of my favorite places. Next time try their grilled trout with grilled veggies. It is soooooo good!

[SimplyMe 0]

And good luck with your fill tomorrow! I just noticed you are out of the Hurst office, as well. So you have Amy for your NP, too? Let me know what you think of your first fill! And don't forget to ask how much they put in your band after the fact like I did! LOL

Yes I had Amy! It hurt!!!! Not because of the needle but last night I ate something that bloated me terribly and when she grabbed that port!!! OOWWWWWCCCCHH! Fortunately she got it first grab and first stick and she and the flouroscopy guy were very nice! She said my band was the smallest one! (I guess I'll ask Dr. Snow...exactly which one next time) and she put in 1cc....and it is the opening size of a pencil! Which was pretty easy to see by the screen! Are you doing without solids for 5 days...then soft foods? So tell me how is it going?!?