peanut

if you have little to no restriction, you need another fill regardless if it has been three weeks. The doc I am seeing does adjustments every month, if necessary. BUT... you go over your food journal and really make sure you are following the rules before doing an adjustment. If you aren't following the rules, an adjustment isn't going to make a difference. As for the drinking when going out, water with lemon would be much better!! Alcohol is empty calories. You don't have to have the alcohol to enjoy the time out with friends. Bread --- some people can never do it. I can't. I can do tortillas, but i have to chew them really good. Meat --- i struggle with some meats and do fine with others. A dry meat like turkey or chicken doesn't go down for me.... Ketchup is my friend. Eat your proteins first - 60 grams a day. Then eat your veggies. Make sure you don't drink with meals - wait 30 minutes after you eat to drink. SLOW DOWN when you eat. It takes a minute for your brain to register that you ate or even that you are full. NON-CALORIC beverages are your friend! Have as much as you want and make sure you stay hydrate. I have hated my band before. (A few weeks ago to be exact.) I don't have the decision to be banded, I hate that it is fussy about getting to the sweet spot. I've had about 10 adjustments. I think I might be at the sweet spot now. There are still days that I feel like I can eat more than others. BUT... finishing the insides of a shredded chicken kids taco with cheese, lettuce and tomato is really not a lot and that is what I can do on a good day. My guess would be you had better restriction after surgery because you were swollen and your body was adjusting to the band. In addition, you had post op instructions to follow. Just remember, you still have to follow the rules, even though your are completely healed from the surgery. Also, if you are not excercising, add that in. You'll be surprised what a difference that will make. Hang in there.... you'll find the sweet spot. Just be patient and do your part, too. >

My port hurts on and off and always has from about 2 weeks post op. I was banded march 05. Nothing wrong with it at all.. It gets very sore if I try to get in too much fluid in too short of a time, which makes no sense at all. hoping yours in nothing, too!

sounds like you've recently been banded if you are talking about 'post-op packet'. PLEASE call your doctor and see what he/she says. Post-op instructions are there for a reason. They are the only ones who are going to be able to tell you if any damage has been done. good luck

I know that feeling.... Sounds like you need a fill.

you look great!!

Well, found a fill doctor locally. they charge $200 for adjustments. They are squeezing me in at 430p today. Probably cheaper than an ER trip.... I've never hated the band like I do right this moment. I just want my sweet spot and the weight to start coming off. I can see if I was a couch potato --- did nothing and ate everything, then I deserve to be this way. In all honesty, I HATE FOOD! If I could figure out how to get by without it, I'd be so much happier. A friend and colleage of mine had gastric bypass surgery. We were talking a few weeks about about the "relationship with food." She totally had a relationship with food and his morning that loss. She turned to food for everything. It was always there. Reliable and trust worthy. Never let her down. You know, i don't feel that same way. She asked me if there was any food that I turned to. Not really... when I'm emotional, I don't eat. People say they turn to food when they are bored - not me. When they are tired -- not me (sleep works better). Probably the only food relationship I had in the past was when I would drive, I'd need something to munch on to stay awake. i don't do that any more. I'm not a big meat eater (really hard when you need protein) and don't like other protein sources except for cheese & peanut butter. I love fruit! Sometimes I get a craving for something sweet, but not as often as one would think. with all this rambling, I guess what i'm saying is that I probably have poor eating habits, too. Because I just don't like food! Good luck with your journey and I hope you find your "sweet spot" soon. I guess, we all have to be patient. Just would love for the world to see the person I am inside - certainly feels like there is a healthy sized person in there. >

Fluids have stopped going down at all.... I am going to the ER for IV fluids until I can get in with the doc on Friday to have fluid removed. I'm miserable!

Thanks.... I know it will get better. I just really hope that I will get through the fluids and get on to mush soon... Felt better Sunday getting the carnation breakfast down. Well 1/2 of it.... But, was protein that helped a lot! Off to GNC to see what else I can find.

I just had another fill on 11/9 w/ Dr. V. He is great!! I've had to cancel on him last minute a few times. Work, kids, broke my ankle, etc. He's always very understanding. There is no "get it right the first time" when it comes to a fill. It can be tight one day and not the next. Or, you can have tightness and no restriction, all in the same day. So... keep that in mind. He's really good at working with you. I ALWAYS have Fluro because I want to know what it is doing. I have him numb the site first (because I'm a whimp) and all is good to go... I have a LOT of restriction after Friday's fill. In reality, I may have too much. He and I have been emailing back and forth to manage it. Hoping we can go with where we are at. On a side note, i had my 2nd fill done by a doctor in Grand Rapids, MI. I paid $2K for the fill! It was crazy!!! I'd rather drive 2 1/2 hrs to get the fill done right and at a good price. $150 to fill and $100 to unfill - plus Fluro

I've been banded over 2 years and have had my struggles. If anyone was looking for a quick fix, this was not it. My obstacles were not the typical, though... I was banded in March 2005. Had my first fill in Mexico and then planned to have the remainder of fills locally. Well, locally cost me $2,000 for one fill!! Needless to say my "BAND MONEY" was quickly gone by June 2005. I had to wait until February 2006 for my next fill. When I had money to work with... Well, that fill was great! Or so I thought... My August 2006, my band was too tight and I was loosing 9 lbs a week! (Okay, yes... i like seeing the numbers drop, but I wasn't getting enough nurishment in to survive. Not only was I loosing the pounds, I began loosing my hair and was really to "drained" nutritionally to make it through the day.) So... Fluid was removed. Banding doc (now in Chicago), decided that we needed to go back to no restriction so my body to recover. Well, that sounded like a plan. November 2006, I planned to go back for a fill. Well... um, they don't advise doing those when you are pregnant. So, that delayed this weight loss journet, once again. I ended up having a miscarriage so went back in for a fill in January 2007. That fill was not enough to cause restriction. It did for a little bit, but then it wasn't working. With excercise, I'd loose a pound or two a month, but not results I was looking for. The end of February 2007, I had a severe ankle fracture. I was out of commission for the next 3 months. No excercise. I did manage to hobble my way into to get another fill in March, but not enough to do much good. Without excercise, and regardless of how little or what I ate, I was stuck! Well, I'm back to walking and trying to find time to get to the gym. I was still stuck, so... I went and had another fill last week Friday (11/9). I told him I was tired of playing this game and wanted to start winning!! He was very cautious with putting the fluid in and we checked on fluro to make sure we weren't too tight. At one point, I couldn't get anything to move, so we backed some fluid back out and I thought we were good to go... here is where I need your help, I can't get much down. Fluids are really a struggle even. He has advised me to continue sipping small amounts of cold liquids until they pass with no problem, then move to pureed foods. Okay... I know that some of the liquids are getting down as I don't spit up as much as I take in. Feels like a constant bubble between my mouth and my band all the time... (HATE THAT FEELING). Can someone remind me what the "fluids" diet looks like?? I am doing carnation instant breakfast right now because without the protein I get "pass out" feeling... What else can I have?? It's been so long since I did all liquids! Thanks!