karenlynn79

When you said tightened, what were you able to eat if anything? i am still able to eat some stuff just having a hard time eating certain foods. thanks

It varied. One day I couldn't eat anything solid, then the next I could kind of eat tiny bits after noon. But it kept up being tighter than it was. So, I made it worse by trying to eat and then I would PB. At the end of it I couldn't get liquids down, that was Friday night, I called and I was in there Saturday morning. I wouldn't wait if I were you. Especially since you want to stop losing!!

After my band tightened I waited 5 weeks. I could have slipped it. Dr. So said if it's been a week and you are still tight like that, you have to have it unfilled. I understand about the $. I had to fly down as an emergency (and pay over twice as much for a plane ticket) and then went back 3 weeks later for a re-fill. Just have an unfill so you can eat and stop losing!!!! Good luck.

Karen

Wow! You are right to be proud of yourself!!!!!!

It just feels like a pinch. It's really not bad at all.

I had to share this and wonder if anyone else has experienced this...

I got a very tight fill a month ago, 3.4 cc's in a 4cc band. I'm just now able to eat a tiny bit of solids. I have found that if I eat 5 saltine crackers (only 5 or I PB them up) I do not throw up the whole day and am able to eat more solids the rest of the day. They seem to prevent queasiness. I thought of it because I had to eat them every morning when i was pregnant because of morning sickness. Anyway, they are working and only 60 calories for 5 of them.

Lisa-

I have been there. Don't prolong a situation like this!! I had 2.0 ccs for 8 months. Most days I was OK, but still had trouble getting in 1000 calories and most were late afternoon/evening. Yes I did lose a lot of weight. But then it tightened up and I went 5 weeks like you are now it sounds like. I could have really damaged myself.

Now that I have only 1 cc, I do have restriction. I am eating 1100-1200 calories a day (and I exercise daily). It feels GREAT to be able to eat healthy food (veggie burger, wheat bread, small piece, raw veggies, etc...) instead of eating teeny tiny pieces of stuff that probably wasn't nutritional.

Please consider getting an unfill. I have bought all those "Eat This Not That" books and they have really been helpful. Good luck!

Karen

I just have to add a note:

I have been emailing Cosmed with questions, and Dr. Quiroz called me this morning himself. It was so nice! I just can't see a US doc doing that. I was really impressed with him before, but now I really am!

Awesome Bill!!!! Congrats! That is the best feeling when you get there.

Thanks all!! Linda that is what I am scared of! Having too big of boobs.

I have started calling around Sac and it looks like doing all the work I want would be 5 or 6 k more here!! But I am going to keep calling around and do a consult with a couple people to see what they say..................

Hi Karen, I had a regular tt I guess, hip to hip, Is the extended to lift your back side? I would get a second opinion, I also had a lift and implants done at the same time, I was hunched over for about 4 days with the tt tuck, the breasts did not hurt at all but mine were placed above the muscle.

As far as the scars go mine stayed dark but I think that was because no one told me to stay out of the sun and I was using tanning beds all the time back then. (8 years ago)

So I did the tattoo over it which I love.. but it took me 7 years to find someone that would tattoo over a scar.

I am glad I stayed close to home when I had it done, I really couldn't imagine flying home, even after a week.

Hey Linda, thanks for the info!

For all of you - do you have saline or silicone????????????? Any opinions on either?????

Hi Karen,, I think Cosmed is going to have their own recovery when they open the new building in May. Which will be great! But,, I want to suggest you think about having all the plastic surgery done in one visit. My suggestion would be to get some patient advise from other plastic surgery patients that had multible procedures done in one visit. When I was at Recovery By The Sea, there were several girls there that had LBL's, one also had a boob job and the other had a face lift, noting both were R & Y gastic by-pass patients,, Gastric by-pass patients have a hard time healing because of the mal nurishment they experinence from the by-pass, but they both had a hell of a time recovering from their wounds when they got home. I don't mean to scare you or anything like that,, but,, plastic surgery is not like lap band surgery. But,, I've also seen Dr. Quiroz tell patients that he wasn't going to do multible procedures on them because he felt they couldn't handle it. My advise,, be wize,, be careful, be safe. Remember when you did your homework before you were lapbanded,, the same applies.

Thanks Dolittle. I am going to consult a couple of Sacramento surgeons who are close to me to see what they say. I may just do the TT and the lipo and hold out on the breast aug til next year. It does seem like a lot to do at once, so far from home too..............

Thanks all three of you for sharing! I am still pretty undecided. Lisa, he does want to do the extended TT on me. I don't know about that though, it seems like the scar would be on me forever, as my scars stay dark and lifted all over me. I am hoping to do either all of it or some when my husband is off for 2 weeks in April, so that will help. We'll see............ I am not going to decide for a week or so so that I can really think about it.

Thanks again!

Karen

Hi Lisa and/or Pammie,

Did you do your TT and breast aug surgeries at the same time? What was your recovery like? I may have to go to Cosmed alone so I am scared. How many nights would you say I won't be ready to travel home?????????

Thanks!

Karen

Hey Nicole, thanks for asking! My fill went ok. At 1.8 the barium pretty much didn't go through. Dr. Acosta took it down to 1.0 and the barium was still slow. So......... I got 1. That's ok though. He said that because I was too tight for like 5 weeks I might have created scar tissue on my stomach so that's why the same amount won't work currently. We'll see! I'd rather be able to eat a reasonable amount than not at all, I know you know what I mean! I just need to get back into healthy eating and no more crap!

Cosmed was great. They sent an employee to get me at OCC and she also took me back, which was super nice (I was nervous about taking a taxi alone). Dr Quiroz was awesome. He said lipo on my stomach is useless, I have to have an extended TT (I was expecting that). So we talked about that, lipo on thighs and hips and arms, and breast lift and implants. He spent a lot of time with me. He also drew marker all over me! I look freaky now. Pricing was really good. I just have to decide if I want to go for it all at once (which he said he would do). I want to, but I might have to convince my husband.

Nicole weren't you going to do a consult there at one point?? If I do go for it, it'll be around the second week of April. But, I may have to go alone!!! My husband would have to stay home with the kids. You should have your work done then to keep me company! I am going to talk to that recovery by the sea place and see what their deal is........... The office manager Joyce said that most people stay 5 days total.

Anyway, hang in there!!! March 14th will come soon.

Karen

Worst: PBing in public or in a moving car (while driving!).

I have been doing thing Colonix only since Jan 10th. It's very gentle. No bathroom issues or weirdness. The stuff is gross, you just have to chug it. The night tea is not bad. I have had regular not freaky BMs the whole time, maybe just more quantity than normal. Some gas too once in a while. But I never had to run to the bathroom from day one....................... I might do the second month too when my first is up.

Hey Nicole,

I was just thinking about you. When are you getting your fill back??

I am actually at 162, so I did gain a couple. I am good for like a couple days, and then I pig out. Today I ate a bunch of cookie dough and got Sonic for lunch. And I feel gross. Why do we do this to ourselves?!! But just til Saturday and I am back to normal hopefully. I can't wait to see how much fill Dr. Acosta will give me..............

Hang in there! It's crazy to know that even so close to goal I still overeat when I can. I have realized that I'll probably always need somewhat of a fill. I have no self control!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen

I am so excited! I have a consult at Cosmed this Saturday after my fill at OCC. I really only want lipo on various body parts.... Hopefully he doesn't recommend a TT. It seems so much scarier! I am also going to ask about some new boobs maybe!!

Karen,

You can make it--one more week! I'm glad that you're getting filled again soon.

It's amazing, though, that you are trying hard to eat right even with no fill--something that not everyone would be able to do.

Good luck,

--TRS

Thanks TRS. I actually had at least 3 days where I ate tons!!! But I felt awful and sick afterwards, so I was able to get back on track.... It's just not worth it to screw up after all this time!!!

Hi all,

Some of you might remember that I had to have an emergency unfill almost 2 weeks ago. Anyway, now that I have no fill, I have been keeping it at 1200ish calories a day, but I am totally hungry all day too! I am just so surprised I guess. Having a good fill means you really aren't even half as hungry throughout the day. And I had to make sure I got at least 1,000 calories a day back then........ So I am looking forward to getting another fill on the 24th, 1 week from now. Just so that I am not hungry all day anymore! That was always my problem, I hate to feel hungry....

Karen

I feel tired often too. But I have kids and I don't sleep well........ Make sure you get your vitamins that are recommended for you. I take "Drinkables" veggie and fruit every morning. I got it at Costco. I always feel good after taking it. Are you getting enough protein? Can you have bloodwork taken to make sure you aren't anemic? Might be worth it to get checked out.............

Karen

P.S. Good work!! You should post pics!!!

Hi Nicole, oh my gosh! I am so glad you are ok and you did not slip it!!!! How crazy. I totally know what you mean about gaining. I have been SOO bad for the past 2 days. I was cool for like 6 days and then I freaked out and realized I can eat anything again!!!! I'm having a fill on the 24th. I hope I don't do too much damage til then. I am sure you'll do better than me!!!!

Karen

Hey Michelle,

Glad to hear that your mom is following in your footsteps! She has the best role model in you to follow! You look SOOOOOOOOO fabulous!!!!! We've missed you on here!!

Karen

Hey Amy, congrats!! That's exciting. I talked to my OBGYN about the restriction. She pretty much said to have it taken out immediately and she wanted me to gain the regular 30 lbs (even though I was like 215 at the time I got pregnant). But all docs are diff. I think I completely unfilled at about 2.5 months. As I got more pregnant I did have a little more natural restriction but never had any band issues at all. And I did gain 31 lbs. It was hard because I had to start over after Evee was born, but then, I did get a cute baby out of it!! Good luck!!

Karen

Hi Meg,

First of all, congrats! You are doing awesome!!! I know what you mean about figuring stuff out! I'm in over 2 years now and I still learn stuff all the time about the band and my body.

My first thought is to call the docs and see what they say. Are you perhaps eating too much? I haven't experienced this. The only sliming I've done is if I am stuck with food, and I swallow a lot of saliva. Good luck! I am sure everything is fine, just have them check maybe to be safe??

Karen

Hey Heidi,

Wow you look GREAT!!!! Your husband is so awesome!! I know my hubby would do the same if we had the $ now. Good luck with the surgeries! Are you doing it at the TJ place??

Karen