lunalady

Red,

I *love* that! "Roadside assistance"...how perfectly apt!

Way to go...I'm telling you, between Carrie's 'Don't look in the rearview mirror...press the gas and haul a$$' and your 'roadside assistance' comments, today has been a banner day for me, gathering little quips that help along the way.

Thanks, you guys!!

Big hugs to all,

I *completely* agree with everyone, Carrie! You look absolutely fan-friggin-tastic, girl! Wow!! You are totally an inspiration!

Way to go!!!!

Big hugs,

Thank you, everyone, for your replies! I appreciate all the feed-back...

I received my first fill a week ago today. I was very impressed with the Dr. and his staff. The Dr. gave me the maximum amount they can give that doesn't void the warranty, which is 2 cc's. I have the 10 cm Inamed band that will hold 5 cc's of saline (6 cc's if you count what's in the tubing).

I had the fill done under flouro, since it was my first fill and all. The Dr. told me that my port is buried pretty deep (which could just be his *nice* way of saying that there's a ton of fat to go through in order to *get* to the port, I don't know!) and he advised me to have all my fills done with flouro because of how deep my port is.

I was on warm clear liquids for 48 hours but I did cheat and have a bite of cheese on day two. It went down with no problems at all, but I did chew like a mad woman, just to be on the safe side!

I didn't really feel like I had any restriction. Then I tried to eat some chicken a few days later...I was starving and I ate entirely too fast and I didn't chew my chicken up well. Yeah, big mistake, there!

All of you who have *been there, done that* know what's coming next....yup, the big ol' PB. It was ugly, but I was sure thankful I was home when it happened! Trust me, I certainly don't want it to happen again anytime soon, that's for sure!

I'll probably work with this fill for a couple of months and then go back to SLC for my second fill. My fills are going to have to be budgeted a little bit more carefully now, since I'll have another $99 for the flouro AND another $200 for two nights in a motel to worry about, in addition to the cost of the basic fill.

One day at a time, though, right? *smiles softly*

Oh! The *best* news that day was that when I weighed in that afternoon (in street clothes and in the middle of the afternoon) I weighed 2 pounds less than I weighed that morning, naked! Woo-hooooo!!

((((((((((((((((((((((Luna)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Thank you for your post. You are a sweetheart. You'll be in my thoughts tomorrow. Where are you having your fill?

I'm going to be there for my Scentsy convention, so I'm totally killing two birds with one stone! Woo-hooo!!

Good afternoon, all. I have my first fill in about 24 hours and I have a question that I'm hoping you more 'experienced' lap-banders can answer for me.

I know that it's unrealistic to think that I will be reaching my 'sweet spot' on the first fill. Or even on the second fill, for that matter. Maybe not on the third, either!

I have a friend who only had about 60 pounds to lose to reach her goal weight and she's only ever had two fills in the three years since she was banded.

Do you think that the heavier you are to start with, the more fills it will take before you reach your sweet spot? Have you noticed that there is a correlation between how much weight a person has to lose and how many fills it will take to reach your sweet spot?

Thoughts, anyone?

Thank you in advance!

After my plastic surgery and a complete un-unfill so I could get my pills down, I found a RN in Amarillo Texas to do my fills. OMG She is awsome, without floruo and found my port in one try. Not like the doctor I went to that poked me 4 times every time I went there. So I am happy, but im supper tight, we tried 1.5cc and water went right thru it so she went up to 2cc and omg I can get water down but anything else gives me a hard time even my protien shake. So I have been drinking real hot soup snd it has helped but I need to go back today and take some out. I dont want to be to tight were I cant eat again. She charges $100.00 and if you dont get enough or get to little she will take out or put in, if its within 7 days at no extra charge. If you need the info on her just PM me.

I don't suppose your nurse would consider moving to Boise, Idaho, would she? lol

Seriously, you look great, Denise!

Hi, Robyn!! I just want to say that you are an inspiration to me. Even when you feel like you've broken every lap-band rule that there is, you aren't afraid of taking responsibility for that and you get right back on the forum again. Good for you, girl!

I have my first fill scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so your post is *definately* helpful to me. Thank you for giving me an idea of what's going to happen.

I appreciate you and your wonderfully honest (sometimes painstakingly so) posts.

Hi, Jen.

I have to take Lodine every day for back inflammation. I had to stop (of course) a week before surgery and then I waited until I was out of the 21-day liquids before I started taking taking them again.

I have to take them with milk. So here's what I do: I make myself a Carnation Instant Breakfast with milk and add a scoop of protein powder to it. I put it in a glass and use a straw to drink it. Then I cut my pills up so the pieces are the size of pencil erasers. I take a sip of my breakfast, then one at a time, I take my pills.

So far, I've had no problems.

Hope that helps!

Hugs!

Hey Shy!

Tell your mom "Congratulations!" from all of us. She is an inspiration!

Wow, Stormy! Gratz on moving up to level two! I *totally* want a pole now! I'll be the only 50 year old grandma on the block who has one, but I think it would be awesome!

Keep up the excellent work and keep us updated with the classes, please!

Hugs!

I am very pro breast-feeding, personally. I breast-fed each of my three babies and those quiet times of bonding with them are some of my most cherished memories.

If it were me, I would definately breast-feed and THEN go in for a fill.

Hugs!

Congratulations, Sabrina, on being so dang close to goal you can smell it! I am super excited for you!!

You'll have to let us know periodically how you're doing.

Hugs!

Congratulations, Chloe, on your journey to a new you!

You won't regret it, I promise!!

Get some rest now and concentrate on allowing your body to heal.

Remember, we are all here for you, honey!

Hugs,

I'm 5' 9". At my heaviest, I weighed 284 and wore size 2X.

HI SKYE,

WERE YOU BANDED AT THE OCC? I JUST HAD GLUE, NO STITCHES BUT THEN AGAIN IT'S BEEN 3 YEARS

Hi, Pammie!

No, I was not banded at the OCC. I was banded in Tijuana, but not at the OCC. Different hospital, different Dr.

I had my surgery at 4:17 on a Thursday afternoon and went back to work Monday afternoon for about 3.5 hours. Wish I could've stayed home. They have no clue at work that I've had surgery, so I had to completely hide the exhaustion and the soreness (and the fact that I was all bloated and swollen!)from my co-workers.

I also discovered the day after I'd started back to work that the stitches had ripped out of one of my incisions, so that was difficult. It is *just now* healed enough to scab and Thursday will be my six-week anniversary.

Plus there's the fact that I'm almost 50 years old.

I'm sure that had I been a trifle younger and not had to deal with ripped out stitches, my recovery period would have been way shorter than it was. It took me a full two weeks before I could honestly say that I felt better.

Didn't mean for this post to be so gross. Sorry!

Karen, sometimes being able to visualize the grossness is EXACTLY what we need in order to take care that we NOT have to go through it ourselves!

I, for one, appreciate it!

Thank you for an accurate picture being painted.

Congratulations on becoming pregnant!!

And please try to remember that you are now MUCH more conscious of your body, and what you need to survive in a healthy way, thanks to the band. That is a *huge* step in NOT making the next eight months a 'pig-fest'! You are so much more on top of things now! Being aware is the first step, right?

I'm sure you'll do fine...concentrate on eating healthy for yourself and your little one...and every once in a while, pat yourself on the back for a job well done when you recognize where you'd be *without* the band!!

Hugs!!

Awesome, Simone! You go, girl!!

I had the same problem. I think mine was caused by all the fruit juices I was drinking, coupled with the broth. Nothin' worse than sitting in your chair thinking you just need to pass a little bit of gas from the surgery and then you discover that it *wasn't* just gas, let me tell you!

Thank God I live by myself, that's all I can say!

My stools started to get more solid as soon as I was on full liquids and had a little bit more 'fullness' in my liquid diet.

Hope that helps!

That's awesome, Kristi!! Congratulations!!!

Hi, Alia! Nope, didn't experience bad gas at all, but then I did make myself get up several times and walk the corridors of the hospital. And I have (of course) been passing the gas. I was actually pretty glad that the sound of the airplane was as loud as it was yesterday on the flight home (for obvious reasons)!

My port is not located in the 'normal' place...mine is between my boobs. But so far, I haven't experienced any more pain at the port site than at any of the other sites.

Thank you for asking...now I *finally* feel like I have something useful to contribute to the forum!!

BIG thanks to everyone who has welcomed me to the 'other' side. I love the sense of comraderie that we share, even though we're not all banded by the same surgeon. You guys are awesome!

Good morning, everyone! It's official...I'm now a bandster! My surgery was performed at 4:17 pm on Thursday, June 25. I got home last night but I was pretty wiped out from flying and just didn't have the energy to get online last night.

The Dr. found that I had a hiatal hernia and some adhesions and that my stomach was in my chest cavity instead of in my abdominal cavity where it belongs (I had no clue!). He fixed everything and didn't charge me a penny extra! How the hell cool is that!!!????

I'm glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed, that's for sure. My dogs are due home today. I had chicken broth and a half a glass of apple juice last night for dinner. Took me three hours to finish it...and honestly, pre-lapband, it would have been gone in three minutes!

I got on the scales this morning and they say I weigh seven pounds more than I did the morning I left. Is that from water weight? I'm assuming it is because my little fingers look like sausages and I can't get any of my rings on yet. I have a new motto....'Adjust, Adapt, and Overcome!'

I am *so* excited about the new me about to be made!!!

Hugs to everyone!!

And then I woke up and the only reason I believed I had the surgery is because it felt like an elephant had stepped on my stomach.

I've read that it is a *must* to get in between 65-90 grams of protein every day, just so you don't lose your hair.