cleo6666

I wish I knew how much gas I was going to have so I could have bought stock in BEANO! ~M (This is a good post topic)

I'd take the taxi. It was only $5 each way. :-)

Nice one Nita! As far as your working out....you are changing fat into muscle. I did that from October-Jan. I lost no wieght, but my trainer told me that I turned 29 pounds of fat into muscle. I believe it because my clothes fit great or are too big. If you can, have your trainer measure you. Mine used a "fat caliper" (?) and did some sort of equation with my weight that came up with what my fat percentage was and what my lean muscle mass is. Don't get me wrong...a pound is a pound. But if you are noticing a difference in your clothes, you are going in the right direction. Less than a week now right? (2/22) That's a great date to remember your banding. Welcome....soon...to lap band life. Michele

I burp 24/7 I'm drinking water.....burp I'm walking to my car...buurp I'm laying in bed to fall asleep...buuuuuuuuuuurp Weirdness. Empty or full, I burp.

Ok....someone please tell me why I cannot stop burping!!!!! It started around Thanksgiving which was about 4 months after my surgery, 2 1/2 months since my first fill. It was occassional, and not bad until my second fill in TJ. Most of you know I got an emergency unfill after that. I still burped after the unfill, but less. My next fill was FEB 6th and the burps are back and bigger than ever! I don't drink soda/carbonated beverages. I take liquid vitamins every morning. (2 TBS) I drink Superfood from Odwalla every morning. (8 oz) I drink a grande nonfat latte every morning. I drink tons of water. UGH! Any suggestions on how to stop this now "embarrassing" noise?????

Wow..that's a lot! (3cc) Are you keeping food and liquids down well? ~M

I just found this: When used internally, it has antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and potent stimulative laxative properties. Aloe vera is believed to act as a restorative to the liver, as well as a blood purifier. It is also believed to shrink certain cancerous tumours. Other studies, indicate that aloe may lower blood sugar levels, combat yeast infections and treat peptic ulcers. Aloe contains calcium, sodium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, lecithin and zinc. Remember....."laxative"

Yes, you can drink aloe vera but let me warn you....you might get the "trots"! Aloe Vera can be a digestive aid. I'd read up more about it on the internet. ~M

Your wrists with your braclet is what I've heard called (by my lapband buddies) an NSV. "NON-SCALE VICTORY" Yeah! =D> I'm having a similar one today, but it's with my pants ( bought when they were too tight last august). I have to keep pulling them up. LOL. ~M

Ditto on the nutrition. I was eating hardly anything when I had too much fill and I know my body was starving. This is what I learned from my new fill doctor in WA: Women need 45-60 grams of protein a day, Men need 60-100 Both need 64-100 oz of water a day I am using fitday.com to track every single thing I eat. Sounds neurotic, but since "my emergency" and my new and improved fill, I'm really determined. I have not lost much weight as per the scale, but my clothes are getting better so I must be shrinking. If you're like me, you'll stay off the scale and "listen to the denim". When your tight pants fit...you have a good fill. Hang in there. The band is a mysterious thing. Wonderful, but ever changing. ~M

I just want to say that you 2 gentlemen look great! Greg, did you mean 75? not 7.5 right. I have the smaller band and as you read in my emergency I don't get this band thing sometime either. I am very, very happy that I found someplace local. As happy as I am with the staff in TJ, I don't have to leave my family for 2 days and I really think that being on a plane, for me, right after my fill had some effect on me. Keep shrinking Hotties!!!! Michele

YES! Please check out the Washington Bander link. A group of us just met the Sunday before last in Tukwila at Bahama Breeze. Our first meeting in October we had 4 people and this time we had 6. It's so fun to meet and dicuss our journies, frustrations, discoveries, food challenges, etc. Oh and how can I forget? Our NSV That means a "non scale victory" I learned. I love the acronym (sp?) and it really motivated me. Don't get me wrong, a scale going down is always a victory for someone with weight issues, but it's nice to share stories, usually funny ones, and we are all supportive of eachother. Two of the first four of us have lost a great deal of weight and they look amazing. Two of us have lower BMI's and we haven't dropped as much but we look "good". :-) Keep in touch. In fact one of the new gals lives in Gig Harbor! Your lapband buddy, Michele

I would like to add, that before you open any link on the topics posted since your last visit and check the: 1. Time is was written. Most of these jerks post at odd hours. 2. How many times it has been read. If the number of times is zero, don't give them the satisfaction of opening it. I actually open them sometimes and send them "nasty-grams". It's just a way to release my frustration. 3. Pammie's idea is great. It would be nice to have a "Welcome Wagon" of sorts to make the new bandsters/bandsters to be feel comfortable and not think our site is spam central. Keep up the good work spaminators! Not only are you shrinking (mentally), your clever ideas (mentally) to keep the bad people off our site is growning! 154 Michele

Greetings from WA! I went and got my fill today in Arlington at Fill Center Northwest. It was right in the back of this darling pharmacy that I could have stayed and shopped at for an hour except my husband was waiting. Only $125 with the nicest ladies ever! And the gal that reffered me, gets $25 off her next fill. First fill is $150, fill after that are $125. I had a $25 coupon from my WA Bandster buddy Pammie. And they gave me 2 coupons I can give away. Not even 20 miles from my house! WOW! No floro because...I don't even need it I guess. I'm small (LOL... that what the ladies said) They know of Dr. Ortiz and fill several of his patients. They have articles with success stories of Doctor Ortiz's patients on the wall. AND they give you this fantastic packet with: *A copy of your fill record *Info on fill and adjustments *List of high protein food, plus a recommended amount of protein each day for men and women on the band. *They have band food suggestions with suggestions of spliting your calories B,L,Dinner. *Tips on water and the importance of hydration *INAMED'S "10 important rules for success" *Emergent/urgent band problems packet *Water (another important sheet just on that) *Excersizes for all shapes and fitness levels (rather small 2 pages, but good tips, especially for those who haven't excersized much before. They had a lady in yesterday from Billings, Montana. And!!!!! Drum Roll Please......................... I was 158.6 when I was unfilled on Jan 25th and today I am 154! =D> Holy smokes! I've been eating a little here and there (hello....I have NO RESTRICTION) and yesterday I was boarder line naughty. I love chocolate. I really need to get it out of the house. I'm soooooooooooo excited to back on fitday too. Liquids today and tomorrow I can start on "squishy" food. Oh, on the way back from my fill we stopped at the casino. I started with $120 and left with $240. FILL PAID FOR! Yahoo! To all of you northwest bandsters or those of you thinking of going to TJ for surgery...I highly recommend this facility for your next fill :-) Your lapband buddy....Michele

I'm going for my first fill today at Arlington Pharmacy. No floro. But get this, every day since I went for my unfill at Dr. Neal's in Olympia I've been redrawing the circle on my belly so they don't miss my port! More to follow in my fill and unfill adventure................................ Michele

You wouldn't be normal if you didn't have second thoughts. Do you have a low BMI? I don't know if you read my post called "my emergency" but I had quite a few thoughts go through my head. I ate an average of 200 calories a day for 5 days and I gained 2 pounds. HUH? WHAT? :-? The lap band is everchanging and ever amazing. You might even refer to a day with the lap band as.... A BOX OF CHOCOLATES Because you never know what you're gonna get? I'm going to send you my number. Call me if you'd like. > Michele

Just an FYI that Michele is doing well. I've scheduled a fill appt. at Arlington for next week. They sound like great people and I'm really looking forward to meeting them. I have NO restriction....man is it HARD! I MISS MY FILL! Michele

Thank you for worrying and caring so much about me. I love ya Nita. >

If I forget a ballon, which I don't think I will, I'll bring my mouth. It's big and you can't miss it! LOL Happy Sunny day in WA!!!!! (finally) Michele >

Thanks for your support! I'm on day 3 of liquids and doing great. I feel fantastic and healthy as a horse. I am so proud of myself and my family for how we handled our emergency. It truly is my goal to continue to educate myself about the "wonders" and the challenges of having a lapband. We're in this for life. There are instruction manuals, so to speak, but even better than that...there is support from those who have been there, done that, and are just darn nice. The sun is shining in Seattle and it's a great day! Your lapband buddy.....Michele

I did not have slippage, I was too tight. I think it is very important that we know the difference! If anyone can shed more light on this topic, please share. I'm a lap band learning "sponge" for knowledge :-) EMPTY IN SEATTLE.......Michele (

I debated all day on whether or not to share my story. After much thought...I want to share because this could happen to someone else. My goal is this: If you have a lapband emergency, make sure you have a plan. No matter where you were banded-TJ or USA. This is not written to scare anyone. I am NOT a doctor. I want to make sure that each and everyone of you have a plan, a phone list and a support group if this happens to you. If I had not been a member of this FORUM with OCC, I would have never had the information to make this story end they way it did. I was banded on July 26th,2006-Dr. Ortiz+FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE Had my first fill on September 8th, 2006-TJ (1.2cc) Had my second fill last Friday, January 19-TJ (+.7=1.9cc total) My fill on Friday worked, because I could feel I was restricted. I was very happy with that. By Monday I noticed that it was harder and harder to get even liquids down and by Wednesday, I couldn't even hold down water. I was constantly going into the bathroom at work and a home and spitting up at the toilet. Often I would spit up into papertowels while I was driving. I called Dr. Romero and discussed this with him on Wednesday and we both agreed that my fill was too tight and I needed an unfill. I told him that I wanted to wait a couple of days and then I would schedule to come back down to TJ. That was Wednesday. I woke up yesterday (Thursday) morning at 12:30 am I vomited BLACK. I was so scarred I actually thought I was going to die when I saw it. I haden't ate in almost a week. On Wednesday I consumed somewhere around 100 calories and I didn't keep anything down. After I vomited black (and it tasted like death), I went into my husbands office to find the phone number for the clinic. My son asked me to come in his room (he was still awake the bugger!) and I told him to please wait something was very wrong with me. My body started to get really warm and I believe I was having a panic attack. I got the number and headed downstairs for a phone. Just when I reached the bottom of the stair, I got really faint and I collapsed in the kitchen. I hit the chair and the steel garbage can and made a huge boom! I told Tony I need you to go wake up Bob right now. I could here him running as hard as he could and trying to wake Bob out of a dead sleep. It took a moment and then Bob made it down. I managed to stand up and I called the clinic and pressed the extension for Dr. Ortiz. He answered at 12:45am like he was wide awake and I told him about the black vomit and he told me "You need to get on a plane right now and come down. I will page Rene and he will make arrangements for you. You need to hang up and call Rene right now." TELL ME THAT DIDN"T SCARE THE B-JEEZUS OUT OF ME!!!!! I hung up with him, called Rene and...no answer! I left a message. I'm still having a panic attack and the heat of my body is causing me to hypervenalate and I'm sure I am going to die. I very calmly say to my husband...I need you to call 9-1-1 and I need help. He said he'd take me to the hospital and I was worried that it wouldn't be soon enough. I called 9-1-1 and asked them where the nearest hospital and they gave me 2 choices. I wanted Tony to come, but bob said no and I cried with Tony as I told him how much I loved him and not to worry, that what ever happens, Bob will take care of him. My heart was breaking and Tony was so upset. He's such a good boy. As luck would have it, we picked the right one. I had one person in front of me and I got in right away. Processing/intake takes soooooooo long! My vitals were all ok and I had actually stopped burping for the first time in a week. I think it was because I was so scarred. They put me in a room, retook my vitals, took blood and started me on an IV. I'm sure it was dehydration, but I wasn't sure. The black, nasty vomit was all I could think of. To make matters worse, my husband hates hospitals and he was not fun. But that aside, my male nurse was wonderful John. That helped. He was kind. I don't know how long we were there before the blood tests came back, but the ER doctor was wonderful and told me "everything" was ok and all my tests (they did a bunch) were good. I had spit up "bile" (sp?) from the very bottom of my stomach. It was not life threatening and I was going to be ok. He also told me that I was NOT dehydrated which was a surpise. All you have to do is look at my fitday food log and see what I'm eating and drinking. I was discharged and Bob and I got home at 5:20am. Ouch. I feel asleep right after I called my Sgt. and left him a message that I wouldn't be in. I got up about 10:30 and just then Rene called. He just got my voice mail. HUH? Oh well that's ok. I had a good talk with him and he told me to call him back when I decided what to do. This is what I did (smiling...because my big girl pants were on :-) I called the lapband center down the street from me...."We're SORRY we don't see TJ patients." So I called Olympia because I'd read about them on the forum and a few people in WA have gone there. They were so kind and understanding and FULL all day, totally booked. The nice lady on the phone handed me to the fill doctor and she said she would get me in on an emergency. They were off from 12-1 for lunch, so I could come there anytime after 1. I was there at 12:56pm. As luck would have it, there was no traffic south on the I-5. It was a 1.5-2 hr drive and Bob is no slow poke. I slept most of the way. Got in, they had most of my paperwork complete. I signed a few forms and they sent me into the waiting room. Oh forgot one thing...my $375 payment. Which, is actually what they charge for a fill but I wasn't one of their patients and you know what? I didn't care. :-) In less than 10 minutes from when I walked in the front door, I was in the fill room with not one, but 2 ladies. One gives the fills, one assists with the totally modern xray and floro equipment. What a TRIP! I was nervous, but felt totally at ease. They looked at my band, drew a circle around my port, took out my fill (yes, the whole thing) and had a cup of barium ready for me to drink. The fill lady and I watched it do down and then I drank water and then the fill lady promptly said... "Nothing but fluids for 2 weeks and then you need to come back for a fill. No carbonated beverages, nothing to eat. Period." She was almost frightning, but not in a bad way. No bullsh-t here. I was so frigging happy to be alive I agreed immediately. (Remember, I had a panic attack) The drive home, no traffic. Amazing and almost a miracle. The entire adventure took up 4 hours. So I have NO FILL! I am at zero. Holy CRAP! And I am on day 2 of my liquids and I'm so firgging happy I can drink, not "sip" water. I might go for a record 100 ounces today! How funny is that....to be excited about drinking water. MORAL...if you are still reading...thank you for taking the time. This will probably not happen to you. But if you don't feel right, which my body told me....make sure to HAVE A PLAN! *HAVE THE DOCTORS NUMBER AVAILABLE FOR YOU AND ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD *DON'T HESITATE TO CALL THE DOCTOR. (Every doctor at OCC was wonderful and very concerned about me...thank you) *KNOW WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN TJ (most of us don't) -Airlines -Rides to airport -Financial ability for plane ride/fill/taxi/etc *LISTEN TO YOUR BODY *TRUST YOUR GUT *RESPECT THE BAND

I can bring a balloon like last time. That made it easy!

Well I am on day (counting on fingers...1,2,3,4,5) 5 and I am still gagging on my spit and can't keep a thing down. I'm hoping that my tummy will feel better by tomorrow. I haven't lost a pound. Does my body think I'm starving it? I hate scales but now I'm getting on it three times a day. My calorie intake is low and I am getting headaches everyday. I hope this stops soon. The saga continues. Sliming in Seattle..... Michele

The never ending saga of my "band" life continues..... I was banded on Friday. They took out the 1.2 that was put in Sept 8th, so I was relieved. I was also relieved that my band was in place and had not slipped. I am very concerned about my burping, which has gotten progressively worse over the last month and a half. The fill DR recommended I take Maloxx or Mylanta 3 times a day. I am and it isn't helping. My band too is very very tight! I am burping twice as much as before and I haven't been able to keep anything down. I haven't really tried anything but water, a smoothie and a few crackers. This morning seemed to be especially tight! I am so glad to have read what was posted earlier. It helps me put my mind (and my band) at ease. The bad news is....my weight has gone up. I was mortified when I got on the scale in the fill office. I almost started to cry. Maybe I was retaining water from the flight? My period? Who knows? I was devistated to say the least. Maybe it was his scale but NO...I got on my scale at home and it said the same. :-(. Only good news is that today a pound and a half less. Considering I haven't ate nearly a thing since Thursday, I thought it would be more. Must be my fat turning into muscle...LOL...not! Feeling tight in WA, Michele