AngieB

(BIG HUGS) Shelby! Sorry about your grandpa passing....

I got my lapband on 7/16/07 and everything went well for a year i was getting fills and down 75 lbs. Then my mother was diagnosed with Pancreactic Cancer and i stopped getting fills and watching my diet. I took responsiblity for my elderly grandmother, handicapped brother and 16 year old sister and got married. Now two years later I'm kicking myself because i lost control and now the weight is back. What should i do now? Just go in and get a fill or is there something else i need to do first?

Welcome back! Start with the rules again. Hard protein first, no drinking with meals, limiting your portions, and getting moving! Go in and get a fill or check on your band! Let us know how you are doing! Stay plugged in here.....come here and talk ask questions and get plugged in.

Sounds like you had a ton of stress.

Call and talk to the OCC. They will be able to help you trouble shoot better than anyone. You deserve to talk to a medial professional. Let us know what they say.

This is a hard time for many. Hang in there, restriction is built more often than not. Those who follow the rules do well. Stick to it! It will happen, just not overnight.

Since my last fill I have been getting food stuck daily although I am not getting the ffullness feeling. Am I just not chewing my food enough?

I would suggest you do a day or 2 of soft proteins or liquids. Since you have been getting stuck frequenty, you could have some swelling that is adding insult to injury. Also you would do well to chew the heck out of your food. This is a learning curve and it is time to fine tune your listening to your body/stoma.

My restriction level keeps me chewing things to bits. Every so often I have a day where I am wide open and can eat nearly like a normal person as far as chewing my food to bits.

Also Malox is a good addition if you have swelling. It helps sooth the tummy and lining.

Hope this helps!

Starting day 7 of pre op diet and i am down 12 pounds. wow. Leave for occ on Sunday and getting banded on Monday

Excelllent! So glad to hear you are off and running! Keep us posted on your progess!

Ok, the most frustrating part of this whole experience has got to be that I went in for my 3rd fill last Wednesday w/ my original fill Dr. and guess what?! There was no extra saline in the band - only the 4cc's she put in originally. (I should have had 5cc total.) So either I have a slow leak from the last fill or he didn't do anything. I think it's the latter since it would be very unlikely that I would leak 1cc exactly - right? I'm writing the head Dr. at that practice a letter and letting him know that I want a refund and he will be responsible for any costs if I have to have a leak fixed (I was not made to sign a waiver.) ARG

Angie, I took your advice and did not over hydrate and I now have 6ccs w/ no problem. I am definitely on a learning curve w/ chewing. I'm glad it's a gradual process.

I hear ya loud and clear on the learning curve! I really feel like the first year for me was a getting to know and understand the in's and outs of my band. After over hydrating for a fill, I soon understood that lesson loud and clear.

I am gonna go in for a tweek on my fill level next month. I put it out a ways to see if eating more per meal would help my metabolism or not. If it does, then I will cancel the fill. I am a work in progress and still learning as I go.

Your 2nd fill news is such a let down and expensive. It will be interesting to see if they will accept the accountability of a botched fill or not. I hope they do.

really have been watching my food ... and i'm down to 158 this week!!!

wtg! very very cool!

Thank you to everyone who took time to read this and to reply. It is appreciated. Even the comments that if you can't control your eating without the band you need therapy for your food issues. That was a little off topic but really? If that worked we would have all been to counselors, which I believe many have already for food issues and would not have needed surgery to insert our bands. Maybe Lindsay you should try the therapy route and get rid of your band since you have the ultimate self control. Sorry I know that was catty but couldn't resist.

Regarding everything else said you are all right about many of the things. Watching a loved one suffer with the vomitting is painful. Yesterday I was having something to eat with a friend of mine that has the band and he got stuck and started sliming. I just wanted to reach over and hug him. I know how awful it is. Just the thought of heading out to a restaurant and knowing you may have to go running to the restroom is STRESSFUL! I am trying to address my restriction issues but they have been present sent the band was put in and even when it seems like the band is right something will happen and throw it all off and the thing seems to seize up and nothing, including water will go down. I have tried to cope with these episodes in many ways waiting it out etc.. but I have had to have 3 unfills in the last year and now I am completely empty.

I have had several days to think about this now and really it comes down to this for me. It is my body. It is my band. I need/expect the person I am with to be SUPPORTIVE of whatever I decide. PERIOD. They can express they don't like it. They can express their concern, but ultimately they need to support whatever decision you make. Now if I was saying no way I am going to get tighter and tighter and just keep throwing up that would be another story but if I am actively dealing with the band and the restriction issues and trying to find the optimal fill level for me. There should be support. PERIOD.

Finally, in later texts he said a few other things. He called the band a "cheat tool". This tells me he doesn't understand it and has not taken the time to learn about it and just looks at it as an easy way out. His doing this disrespects all the work and sweat I have put into losing these 90 lbs. The work it took to go from a size 16/18 to a size 2. I walked and still walk about 6 miles a day, at least 5 days a week. I do ab work daily and I do 150 pushups a day (against a bench) and was doing up to 400 a day early on trying to keep my body toned as it lost weight so I hopefully wouldn't need surgery at the end. there are other things but no need to go into it all.

thanks again everyone. your opinions were apprecited!

Hey Kim - I am still sending you ((BIG HUGS)) This guy clearly does not appreciate what the band helps us to accomplish....which is sad. Especially since he has been with you for a while. One would think he would at least understand that. My sweet hubby is not an overweight person. Never has been and so he totally doesn't understand me at times. From you comments, you sound like having the band has been an ongoing struggle on and off. That really stinks!!!! The fact of not being able to find a reasonable level is hard enough, so my heart goes out to you. I think it is awesome you are working to find the best spot for you, as I am sure it has been a real bitch!

The band is not an easy way out. Not at all. It does make my life easier, that is for sure. I hope you are able to brush his hurtful comments off and not let them cut you. That is a hard task with someone you love. Those words cut. At anyrate, I really like what Kim said about the leg....right on Kim. Thank heavens for the band!!!

Hang on and hang in there! I of all the people on this board have no room to judge, so sorry if I over stepped with my comments on the previous post. I hope I didn't offend you. If I did, please know I am sorry and I meant the best out of those words. I was talked to critically when I was young about my weight and food, so I think that is a soft spot for me. I struggle BIG time with my food addiction and binge behavior. We are all hear for support, and knowledge.

I wish you health and wellness! Hangin in here banded sista!

Thanks for your post. I am coming up on my first fill and am very curious about fill levels and restriction. Right now it feels like I could eat a house with no trouble and I've been fighting head-hunger. When I stick to my healthy eating plan, I'm satisfied, but when I haven't its worried me that I haven't had problems with any kind of food, or even amount, really. Looking forward to this fill with anticipation, excitement, and a little worry about restriction.

Keep up your awesome work!

Hey Becca2! I had lots of mixed feelings about restriction and fill levels. I chased my fills aggressively. I had one fill a month for 4 months straight. I kept going untill I felt restriction that did not dissapear. There were good and bad aspect to being so aggressive. It did get me to a good level of restriction quickly, but for me I see now looking back that I was putting to much responsibility on the band. But that is my story. I really believe the first year for me was a learning curve. Like the getting to know you period and knowing what to expect.

My success with WL has stalled and I believe if I would calorie count and food log, I would get on my way again. I have just been resistant to doing it. I know kinda nuts, but I for some reason have a hang up. I really never did food logging or tracking when I was in Weight Watchers either. That was more like I couldn't be honest with myself to write down what I was truely eating. Now I can be honest about my food and portions, I don't want to look at my calories...or food bingeing......I am still a work in progress.....don't judge me! Ha! I joke, but really I am honest too. For me I have a unhealthy relationship with food. It has improved but it is still pretty raggity. So, I make sure to note my improvements and keep pushing on. Eventually I will become willing and change my self punishment into self love.

Good fortune on your fill and let us know how it goes!

Awh! He is super cute! Congrats Pete on your first race!!!!

Hey guys! So my last fill was in December. That was the fill that put me over the top. I felt restricition that was really to much for me to mentally wrap my head around. At that point I stopped loosing weight too. I have lost inches, which has been nice!

So since Dec 2009 I have not lost much. The scale has been staying right around 227-230.

I have been walking 2 or more miles a day during the week. Steady pace and working up a sweat. I decided to move my rear to see if I could loose some weight and to get my band to let up. The scale is staying the same, but my band has opened up. So that is cool.

It is amazing how the band works. For months I feel good restriction, then bam the band opens up. Like open opens. It is amazing how the band can change. I suppose I lost internal fat around my band or something. It is so strange. I notice that I am chewing less. I am sure the upcoming fill will be a shock to the system. I don't even have to chew well when I eat bread.

Anyway, thought I would ramble, it has been a while since I talked about me and my band Hope. Oh, yeah....I gave my band a name. I figure I may as well.....

Hope you all are doing good. I am going to enjoy my lack of restriciton for a while. I am going in for a tweak so I don't get back to the super restriction I had for months.

Hope you are all well.

Angie

Kevin - make sure you are taking your vitamins. Check into some Vit B-12 sublingual tabs. That will help with the energy. Plus make sure you are hydrating yourself.....drink drink drink!

Find you juju and get back to the exercise you were doing. Walking or something. Do it! Get back to moving, if you don't it WILL have an impact on your WL. I did not get off my arse for the first stretch and I will tell you from first hand experience it will make a huge difference! So your stamina is down, it will come back.

Here are some are a few you tube sights that have a good amount of recipes. Check them out. Rocky's page will have them in with her other videos...

Let me know if you want more resources and I will dig up some more.....I did these quick for ya while I was eating my lunch. Some are not crockpot, but good to package and freeze for meals.

Glad to have you back and sounds like the gathering was a good time!

http://www.youtube.com/user/PouchFriendly

http://www.youtube.com/user/rockybarragan

Tamale Cups

White Bean Chicken Chili - 50# Contest Entry

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Fish soup

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Very Veggie Mini Frittatas

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Tomato Pie</SPAN>

Enchilada Pie</SPAN>

Honesty is the antidote to my diseased thinking. Anonymous

Just curious. Has anyone else had a problem in their relationship because of their band?

I just broke up with my boyfriend today because of the band or should I say because I PB/vomit frequently when I eat. Please don't get on me about the vommitting. I know it is an issue and am working with my fill doc to get the right restriction. I have had the band for 2 years now and have lost all my weight so it was very successful that way. At this point my band is completely empty due to other health issues and possible upcoming hysterectomy surgery.

So back to the band/relationship problems. I am empty not vommitting etc...but I am mourning the loss I feel right now by not having any restriction. It is as if my arm has been cut off or something. I feel hungry and my appetite is out of control. In my mind I can't wait to get these health issues resolved and get a fill again. So I can feel like I have some control back in my eating habits.

On Sunday my boyfriend was extoling the virtues of my band being unfilled. How nice it is to go out to restaurants now etc... So I told him in no uncertain terms I plan to get filled again and that at some point I will probably throw up again. Well his entire mood changed. Today we broke up over it. It is like it is a deal breaker. There was not even discussion about finding the right fill level. He just wants it emptied and out of my body! I can't do that!! I won't do that. This is my body. My decision. He told me I am mentally weak that I can't control my own eating. That I am a hypocrite because I bug my son about his eating habits and I can't control my own habits without the band. etc...

Part of me is sad. Part of me is glad. Part of me is mad. and part of me wonders will I ever have a normal relationship or will I be an old skinny woman with a band and cats living alone!! The last thing he said to me before leaving is "good luck finding a man that will put up with you throwing up"

Tough break up. ((HUGS)) for sure. You will find the right guy. It is hard for our loved ones to watch us have a hard time with the band. Sounds like he has been through a lot of episodes with you. When I have productive burped, my husband has always made sure I was okay. He worries for me. If I were doing it as regular as what your post sounded.....he would not stand for it. I have shared so much with him about my fat girl behavior and band that he would know right away I was in a "danger zone." I don't ever want to get to a place where a PB is normal or a regular occurance....nope! I hope that others who support me would say things to me as well. It is not normal or part of WL and I would be warped to convence myself otherwise. Believe me my fat girl behavior is warped enough! I strive for balance....because I tend to be OCD I have a hard time finding it. At anyrate. He does have some valid points. Getting on your son about his eating behavior will not change him. Show him and let him learn from you. Being naked with out the band makes us vulnerable. I am a bit over a year out and have not had the experience of an unfill. I know it would be tough for me. I love my band, it helps me and supports me. I do lean on it for support and balance. So my heart goes out to you.

Anyway, I know what people have wrote to you will be unpleasant and hard to hear. Even though you asked us not to go there, seems some of us could not let it pass.....becuase we understand how dangerous it is. So please don't be offended when we chime in and send messages of concern.

If you relationship is truely over....then take the pain from this relationship and learn from it. Think about it from his point of view. Setting alone at the table during dinner because you are tossing your cookies....Sorry for the pain and range of emotions. Maybe you can do your part and see how it changes your life....

((HUGS))

Angie

First day back to work and the looks I am getting is priceless!!! Haaa love it

Kim

That is awesome! Work it! Work it! Ha!

I love summer! I just got back from the grocery store where I stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables. I know my eyes were bigger than my stomach, but I don't care, I'll just have to carefully plan my meals, snacks, and drinking. I can't wait to go home in a couple of weeks when there are more things ready in my parents garden. Worked up 19 quarts of strawberries from their garden a few weeks ago. The plan for the tomatoes this summer is to make salsa - yummy!

The other thing I love about summer is that I actually want to drink liquids, can't say the same for the winter.

I have 1 red tomato! Yahoo!!! This year I planted tomato x3. Celantro, strawberries, zuccini, peas, and onions! I am going to can some tomatoes and make salsa! Plus I am sure give some away. I love this time of year! It is great for fruits and veggies!

I got to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE.

I have a 4 cc band and it has 2.4 cc's in it. I love my restriction level and feel like I am at my sweet spot....whaaa hoo!

I've had my calcuim pill stay in my pouch a few times. Very suprising when it happens. Each time I had to relieve myself of the liquid I drank that wasn't passing. Over all I rarely have an issue....

Know this....there have been people who have gotten a pill stuck and had to have an unfil. So it can happen. I tend to cut my calcuim pills now....cept when I forget. I try to help myself as much as possible so I don't have a horror story to report!

Do you think some of these feelings of non-restriction are due to the types of food you are eating? I am wondering if the types of foods that one eats plays into how they feel afterward? I know that I am being incredibly sensitive to what I eat. High protein, low fat, low carb and I haven't felt hunger outside of my normal meal times. I am eating probably 1/4 to 1/5 of what I used to eat and feel great. Maybe I already have some restriction? I suppose I am wondering how much will power plays into the "feeling" of restriction.

I believe will power has a good role to play in the new band lifestyle. Staying away from sugars in very smart and the dense proteins will keep you fuller for longer. I personal eat a lot of turkey, fish, chicken, and beans. For grains I eat whole wheat bread, oats and flax seed. My veggies are corn, carrots, green beans, broccoli, califlower, brussel sprouts, aspargus, soy beans, ect...As for fruits I stick to berries and bananas.

My diet is great until I make my sweet choices....then I completely bomb. I am a work in progress and I have come along way on the mental journey. I've been a HUGE emotional eater. That does not change when you get the band. For me that is my area for change.

Personally, I have not had my band so tight I couldn't eat without vomiting or PBing. I also don't keep my band so tight I struggle to drink my liquids either. I have had a few times when my band was tight first thing in the morning due to hormones, even that has been rare.

You sound like you are doing really good! Stay focused and keep on keeping on. Band tightness is a personal choice. Only you will know when you need a fill.

So I keep reading the threads about restriction, etc. and I suppose I am confused about what exactly restriction is. I am a month into this process and my first fill isn't scheduled until the end of the month. When I see you guys having 4, 5, 6 or more fills, I have to admit, it makes me curious what exactly you are searching for. What feelings are you experiencing that drives you to go and get these fills so readily? Are you feeling incredible hunger or what?

Okay here is my personal definition of restriction........

Early satiety - feeling full sooner than normal or after eating less than usual. Currently I am eating 1 cup of food for each meal. B-L-D

Having a satisfied feeling for 4 plus hours at a time. I tipically have breakfast around 7 ish, lunch at 12:30 ish and dinner 6 ish.....

Feeling full in the pouch/stoma not the lower stomach. (although I have binged on sliders and felt full in my lower stomach - this freaked me out as I have not feel belly full in FOREVER!!) Pouch full to me still doesn't feel comfortable....it's weird.

When you realize what "one bite to many" actually means. To me that means learning your new full notification. (Which equal restriction.)

My 4th fill removed the hunger from me. I would be a supper skinny biotch if I would only eat my 3 meals a day and not snack/over eat after dinner. Even when I feel hunger it is muted and a softer hunger, not like a Omgoodness, I need to EAT!!!

Hope this helps you get a idea of what restriction is.....

Hello. I have had 2 fills, and find if I don't chew enough, food will stick. I would like to go for my 3rd fill. Will it make the sticking worse, or is it simply me learning to chew better??

Any advice would be so helpful!! THANK YOU!

I would come to the point where you are comfortable with your currant fill level before getting zip tied any more. Each time you have an issue you are aggravating the band and it's healing process. My best advice is adjust first, then fill.

Cutting your food up into smaller pieces may help.

Taking time between each bite, putting your fork down.

Chewing thirty or more times before you swallow each bite.

Those are some of the things I have done for myself.

Well have been wondering why i haven't been loosing weight, so I went for a fill today and found out why. My band has a major leak!!! waiting for one of the Doctors to call me back but since it is 6pm here and 3pm there on a friday guess they aren't going to call me today, has anyone had this problem and if you have what did they do and how much was it? thanks

Hi Vicki - Sorry to learn about your leak. It all depends on where the leak is. Hopefully it will be in the tubing or the port. That would be a easy fix. Band leaks are the least common in the actual band itself. Which is good. Let us know what the good docs at the OCC say....

Sorry to hear about your leak...

HUGS

Angie

Did my next race today...not too bad considering I have been sick for almost 2 weeks and am still not 100%. I ran it for Alzheimer's Association which was really cool as I lost my grandad to that and my step-grandma is now fighting it. Raised almost $1,200 for our team and even though it was hilly finished the 5k in less than 40 minutes.

My next run is in July i'm excited gives me something to work towards. I'll try to post a couple pics.

Shelby you are awesome! Way to raise a good amount of cash for the Alzheimer's Association!!! Great time too!

I personally loved the bed at the Marriott and found the stay relaxing and nice.