Jnlebean

This will go away, just hang in there. I was one of the lucky ones I was able to lay on my left side after a night or two. Although I tried not to so that I did twist or move the port. It varies for everyone but I am sure in another week or so you will be able to tolerate or even lay on that side. I know some people on here it was months before they could! All the best to you, Jenelle

Way to go girl!! :lb10: It sounds like you are on cloud 9 right now. Congrats, Jenelle

I love that too, gave me a good chuckle!! I love your display name, kowboyboots, so cute Im a cowgirl at heart. Welcome to the forum. Jenelle

She looks great!!

I havent posted in a while, I was laid off work in April and have been trying to focus on finding a new job, lose wieght and figure out if Calgary is the place for me, I have no family here and move back north to Edmonton. I feel that my weight loss has been slow, there are some obivous reasons as to why I have not been losing but come on already. I am very very proud of myself to have lost 50 pounds in one year and 25 of that I have lost since being banded in January at the OCC. I planned and wanted to get all my fills that the OCC and was there for my first fill, which all was great. Then I lost my job and could not afford to go back down, which is ok because I have found a great Dr. here for my fills. Although I am planning on someday getting back to the OCC for a check up and fill. Here is the run down.... My first fill at the OCC in March was 1.6cc, I was having major tightness so I went to see Dr. Mitchell here in Calgary about 2 weeks later to get .2cc taken out, which seemed to help, I was able to eat without throwing up. I really focused on eating my food properly, chewing and eating slow. I focused on eating the right foods, no breads or tuff meats for me. I went back to Dr. Mitchell the end of April for another fill because I had no restriction. If I eat right and do everthing to the letter of the band law, I dont have restriction. I told him this, I also mentioned that I thought that before maybe I wasnt to tight I think it was that I was eating the worng foods for my body and when I eat the right foods I have no restriction. He said ok and gave me .05cc of a fill to bring me up to 1.45cc in my band. I have not been losing weight and since the end of april I have only lost 4 pounds. THAT SUCKS!! I WANT A PROPER FILL. I know everone is different and that I should not compare myself to others but people that were banded the same time as me have twice that much and seem to be losing weight. I dont have any restriction at the moment and I understand that the situation that I am in in my life right now does not help but I need to get this going. What should I tell him so that I get a good fill? Do you see Dr. Mitchell and do you feel that he is very conservative in giving fills or have you got good fills from him? Dont get me wrong I like this doctor, but I also want a good fill. I am planning on getting back down to the OCC sometime in August or September. What do you think I should do??

Great question Christy, I was wondering the same thing myself!!!

Sabrina, I am going through the same thing right now. Today I started the 5 day pouch test and I hope by the end of the week I will be on track again, If not I am going to wait a few days and do the test again. Just to show myself that I can do this and hey its been 12-14 days of strict diet and I didnt die, Im ok and yes I can still have that....whatever....if I wanted it but I dont right at this moment. I ahve been grazing for about a good week or so now and I need to stop so I hope this helps me. I will post once I am done in 5 days to let you know how it goes. Keep your chin up, Jenelle

Carrie, you brought a tear to my eye. Thank you for this post of encouragement. Congrats on your great success. Jenelle

MMMMMM........BEER! :drinks: I would do anything for a beer. I miss it a lot but maybe one HOT summer day I might have a slip of one or maybe two. For me I am trying my best to stay away from anything carbonated, I was never a big pop drinker but I do LOVE beer. Jenelle

So....how did it go??

I would absolutly join, but maybe let your instructor know that you cannot do sit ups and its not an excuess , you can let them know why you cant or not. Hey they might even have an exersice that you can do to help your abs but is more gentle than a sit up! Jenelle

Look forward to hearing from you after your meeting today! Yahoo less than a month to go! Jenelle

WillT, your so funny!! Love it when a guy chimes in!

ClaudiaJohnson, I think that is a great idea, but for me the cost of doing something like that would be a bit much knowning what I know now. It is fool proof, so safe and well organized down there meaning the OCC, that not much can go wrong. Thanks for the information though, I never would have thought of something like that! Great suggestion

For me it was, I was unable to take my meds for 10 days after surgery. I kept trying but I would just throw them up, not cause of pain but because my body wouldn't not accept them. You know the feeling when you have had to much to drink one night and that last slip you just cant keep down and you instantly get sick, well thats what it felt like to me. Im on anti depressants so my family doctor told me that I would be ok if I went off for a few days/week but to keep trying and once I could handle the pills to keep taking them like normal. I even tried taking them at a different time of day. I am usually tighter in the morning than I am at night. I was not able to crush the three pills that I take becasue they are time release tablets. Maybe ask your family doctor if there is a similar persricption that you could take that could be crushed, even if it was just for a few days/week. Hope this helps, Jenelle

Thanks for the post, I am hoping that this fill tonight will get me out of my 2 month rut! Jenelle

I know what you mean, im not making bad choices in the sense of eating chocolate, chips, and fast food but I am eating a lot of carbs, and easy to acces foods, like lean cusine and soups. I should be eating more veggies and meat. Not so much canned things. Its hard to cook such a small meal for one person so I tend to over eat. Im with you focus on the diet, and exercise not so much the band! I almost have to forget that I even have a band, in a sense. J

Hi All, On msn.ca they have a great link to how to boost your workouts. It might be worth a peak, remember it is msn.CA. The link is on the left hand side of the page titled "why your not loosing weight" A great read, Jenelle :lb25:

I say thats a good amount. I didnt really have to much restriction the first time around, but i am going for my second fill tonight at 5. I did have some problems with being to tight at 1.6cc and I was dropped down to 1.4cc's, i ahve later found out that I wasnt to tight I was eating the wrong foods. So I feel that I have wasted the past few weeks with no restriction, I hope to finally have some good restriction after tonight, I hear though that it takes until your third or so fill until you have good restriciton I suggest starting slow, and work your way up. Learn what foods work for you and which ones dont, it is NO fun getting food stuck, it is very painful. Jenelle

Thats so cool!! :lb10:

Lots of people have gone down there solo! Its very save and so easy, I went solo when I got my first fill there. This is how my trip went in a nut shell for my surgery, Mind you my mom was with me but as you can see it was so easy that I could have done it on my own: Got on Plane at home Flew in the AM OCC was at airport when I got off the plane to take me to the clinic, was there by noon, there isn't a boarder cross so to say, we just drove into the country Had my suregery that day, a day early because they had room and i was there before noon I could have spent the night at the clinic after surgery but I choose to go to the hotel with my mom The OCC took us to the hotel Stayed at Hotel for 2 days, Did some shopping at the mall, hotel called the cabs for us. OCC took us across the boarder so easy, we got out of the van took all our luggage and walked to the line up to talk to customs, got back in the van on the other side of the boarder, and then off to the airport. The only part that might be a bit intimadating was the when you cross the boarder back into the states you have to walk for about a block or so to a parking lot area where the OCC van will be, you most likely wont have to wait long for the van but it could be up to ten minutes, depends on how busy the boarder is that day. BUT IT IS SAVE. There will be a lot of people around and some might try to sell you or ask you if you need a ride but just say no and they are good about backing off. no big deal really. When I went down for my fill, I was alone. The only difference is was only there for a day and one night and when I went to go home there was a gentleman getting his first fill and they took us to the airport together, which was nice cause we crossed the boarder together and we walked to the van together. So there could be someone with you when you cross. I do suggest to pack very lightly, you dont need much. There are lots of list on this forum of great things to take with you. You will be there in the heat of the summer so take a swim suit the Hotel has a pool, that you can sun tan by, but not swim cause of the surgery. As far as being in the hotel after surgery the night of or the day after, you will be fine, the staff at a lot of these hotels know about the surgerys and will wait on you hand and foot. Take pain meds. You will be fine. I suggest if you are alone to stay the night at the clinic, so they can pump you full of great drugs. On the plane home I wore loose clothes so that nothing was rubbing and tugging against my tummy. The incisions are all high above the belly button so the seat belts shouldnt bother you. Well thats my two bits for you, All the best, book it sooner than later, why put it off, Jenelle :lb9:

Yahoo! Way to go! Thats so amazing, I needed to get my butt into high gear! 9 more months to lose 88 more pounds, if you can do it so can I! :lb10: :lb13: :cheerleader: Keep up the great work Jenelle

I dont drink protein drinks unless i have no time to take a lunch or breakfast to work, i dont drink them as part of my 'diet'. I love rice, try cooking it with coconut milk instead of water, just use as much coconut milk as you would water, OMG so good.