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I was thinking about both of them just yesterday. They both always have such great insight into band life and I really enjoy their posts as well. I have noticed Evette on here more than before, so that's a plus! She's got great advice and insight as well. And Lisa never really left.....she always says something I want to read. Denise

I get the hiccups too, more especially if I eat too fast, but sometimes I still get them when taking my time. I always stop eating once they start. They only last about a minute or so, so hopefully they are harmless. Denise

Way to go, Trina! I hope you are starting to feel the restriction you long awaited. I'm right there w/ you. I had my 3rd fill today and now have a total of 3.6 cc's in my band. I hope it will help kickstart my weight loss again, and yours too! Good luck to you. I'll be following your progress to see how you are doing. Denise

I have 2 hard things. Getting my water in and NOT while eating and portion control. I find it difficult to stop eating at the correct portion because I still feel hungry. I'm working on slowing down and may start setting the timer so I can be more focused on that. The waiting an hour after a meal to drink is still painful, although I'm doing much better. It's still hard, but I do it and then after an hour goes by, I drink, drink, drink. Denise

Heidi, You seem very at peace with your decision, and I wish for you continued strength to regain your confidence and peace of mind. I'm sure this was a difficult decision, especially when children are involved, and my heart goes out to you and your family. Stay strong, and you'll probably find a person you never knew existed when you start going to the gym and start focusing on yourself for a change. God Bless! Denise

Mindy and Trudy, I was glad to see Mindy's post and that she really started losing weight after her 3rd fill. I've only lost 27 lbs since my surgery on 6/12/08, so you two aren't the only ones losing slowly. I am scheduled for my 3rd fill Wednesday of this week, so we'll see how it goes. After reading Julie's nightmare, I'm not going to be so demanding to get a large fill. I'll be happy with something conservative and go with it. I admire you Trudy, for confessing your troubles of late and realizing you can change it at anytime. We are all learning how to eat again, and it's not easy breaking old habits. I wish you all the best in your renewed start to weight loss again. I feel like I get a new start everytime I get a new fill! Denise

Cathy, Try getting some liquid Tylenol specifically made for sore throats. They make it for daytime and nighttime. It has a cooling effect when you swallow it and really helps me when I have one. Good luck, and feel better soon. Denise

Sounds like you have the neck/shoulder, left side, gas pain to me. They only thing that helped mine was to exercise by walking and drinking lots of liquid. Also, you can try the heating pad on it. I know it seems strange that you would just now be feeling the pain after a few weeks, but the same thing happened to me after 2-weeks post op. Good luck....I know it hurts! Denise

I'm not sure why they say broccoli is bad, but my doctor told me that people sometimes have trouble with asparagus and pineapple because they are stringy type foods that tend to get caught up in the band. They are too hard to chew well enough not to be stringy. He never told me not to eat them, only to try with caution and cut them up small. I've tried both, and found more trouble with asparagus than pineapple. Everyone is different, and I've never heard not to eat broccoli or cauliflower. Denise

We're glad to have you on the forum, Jo! Any friend of Cathy's is a friend of ours! :-) Denise

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience for your first fill, and your friend too! I'm not sure what the doctor thought he was gaining by putting you down and being unfriendly. Clearly he's not hurting for any business if he just wants to run people off. I had my surgery done in Houston by Dr. St. Laurent and he is great! The office staff is very friendly and the doctor is wonderful too. I do have to say though, he is the one who did my surgery so I'm not coming in from having my surgery elsewhere and getting fills, so I can't comment on that. I would hope that he would treat any patient with the same respect though. Good luck finding someone who will treat you kindly and with respect. Denise

Julie, I've been thinking about you all night last night and today and just got caught up on your situation. I'm SOOO glad you found someone to perform your unfill. It sounds like you found a perfect place to go from now on. Just wanted you to know you've been in my thoughts and prayers and I'm glad you are better. Congrats on the 8 lb loss! Although, I'm sure you wouldn't recommend losing it the way you did! Denise

Julie, I wish you luck in getting some help somewhere. I think if you are still this miserable, surely there is a local fill doctor that will see you. It's not like you live in the boonies...you live in a major city, right? I'm really concerned for you and will pray that you find the help you need, soon! Fingers crossed, Denise

Great job, Heidi! You will never be on the other side of 250 again! It's downhill from here...and that's a GOOD thing! HA! Denise

Ellen, I think you are doing great on your weightloss! 41 lbs is nothing to sneeze at. Everyone who has replied to you has given great advice and I having nothing new to add that they haven't already said. Heck, my weightloss is slower than yours, so I'm tuning in for tips too! :-) Try not to let it get you down though...I look at it as a slow process and anything that takes time to accomplish usually lasts longer and you are more proud of the accomplishment! Hang in there! Denise

Julie, I just read this thread and I'm so glad you are feeling somewhat better. I was getting more and more worried as I read from the beginning until now, but whew...it sounds like you are doing a little better. My doctor is local, in the Houston area, and his rule is to call him immediately if you have trouble keeping anything down after a fill. He wants us to follow the liquid diet for 48 hours after a fill, then move to creamy liquids for 1 day, then soft foods one day and then finally regular food. If at any time during this we experience trouble, we are to call. I realize that since he is local, that doesn't make it a very hard decision to make, unlike you....having to call Mexico! So, I totally understand your predicament. I only wanted to share our protocol after a fill. I really hope you are able to eat something more substantial soon, and that you don't have to make a trip back to TJ. Thanks for sharing your experience with us all. I'm going for my 3rd fill next week. Feel better! Denise

I've had 2 fills now and I'm struggling with what the "full" feeling should feel like. Sometimes I feel like food is stuck in my gut and I've read where some people consider that their "full" feeling. The problem is that sometimes I get that feeling after only 2-3 bites of food. So does it mean that I simply have too big of a bite and it needs to go down, or am I supposed to stop eating at that point and not proceed? I don't feel full like the old way before I was banded. Should I actually get a stuffed full feeling? Cathy, you've described it before like being stuffed after Thanksgiving dinner...I don't get that way. What do you all think?

Karen, I'm going to mail you a check out today. Thanks again for the clothes. Denise

Misty, You look GREAT! Even though you think your weight loss is slowing down, your NSV's must be huge! I can see real progress with each picture, even if you only lost a few pounds! Thanks for sharing your progress w/ us....it really is motivating to see. Denise

Karen Lynn, I received the package today! Thank you SO much! They are all very cute and a little snug on me right now, but about 10 lbs from now, they'll be perfect! I will send you the shipping fee asap. Is a check ok, or would you prefer cash? I could also send it via paypal if you have an account. Just let me know. Thanks, Denise

Great job, Cathy! You have worked so hard for that 50 lb loss, and you so deserve a huge CONGRATS! Way to go!! Denise

You are so darn cute! You have changed so much since January, I think you look great! I think you looked good in January too, but now you are the new, improved version. A Kimmie Upgrade! Denise

This sounds yummy and very refreshing. Thanks for sharing! I'm adding the ingredients to my grocery list now! Denise

Wow! You look amazing, girl! I like your new hairstyle too. Very becoming on you. Denise

I get the hiccups alot, but I thought it was from eating too fast. I guess I'm normal afterall! Denise