Donna34

OK, this is what I have! I have 2 pairs of size 20w jeans. They are the stretch denim, so you could probably wear them. They are both bootcut. One is Faded Glory, and the other is Daisy Fuentes brand. I also have a pair of size 20w khaki dress pants, Liz and Me. They are brand new, never been worn. Also stretchy. If you are interested, send me your address, and I'll get them out to you!

Donna

That would be Great! Thank you so much! >

Misty,

Are you still looking for size 22 jeans? I think I have some. I'll go check right now!

Donna

Glad to see you back Donna, I know it's been a harder road for you then most of us and it's SO great to see that you didn't give up on the band... You kept getting the fills untill you finally got it right, preseverence pays off and now you'll be in Onederland before you know it!

So proud of you!!!

WOW Michelle!!! You look GREAT!!! I know you are so happy! Keep up the great work. I hope to be posting smaller pics soon!

Donna

So glad to hear everything is ok now. And thanks for the responce. I go tomorrow back to the OCC for my first fill. Cant wait to tell you the truth. This will power is not my cup of tea. But I'm doing it. All the best to you.

Good luck with your fill tomorrow! I know what you mean about willpower!! I didn't spend all this money to do it with willpower alone. Besides, if I could have done it with willpower, I wouldn't have needed the surgery. LOL

Donna

Glad I have Dish I programed it last week.

Thanks so much for posting this!! I missed it the first time it aired, and I really wanted to see it!! Got it programmed to record on DVR.

Donna

WTG Donna, What size band do you have can you post dates and amounts cc in each fill.

Hi,

I can't remember the dates. During my first year, I was VERY proactive in getting fills. I had a fill almost every month or 2, with fluoro. However, my doctor was very conservative on adding saline to my band! My first fill was 1.2cc's, the next was .08, (not.8, but .08) less than a tenth of a cc. I'm not sure how you even measure that!! The next time I think it was like .2cc's Then I decided to switch doctors. That was where my trouble started! The new doc hit the port long enough to draw out all my saline. Then when she injected more, she wasn't even in the port!! So, my band was empty, and I started gaining weight! After that she never could "find" the port again!! She did blind fills.

So, I went BACK to my former doctor, and he put back 1.25cc's! I was concerned that maybe I had a leak since the other lady had poked me so much. The next time my doc used Omnipaque to rule out a leak. Still not tight enough. By this time, I just assumed that this wasn't going to work for me. I was apparently one of the freaks that can't even lose weight with WEIGHTLOSS SURGERY! I gave up!!

Then I went to Tennessee last week, and my cousin (she is an RN who also has a lap band, and has lost 100lbs) gave me a fill. She did GREAT. Hit the port the very first time, and I didn't feel a thing! She added about 1.5cc's. Now I FINALLY know what restriction is!! AND, I can see how it is possible to lose weight with this band now!! Yippeeee!!

Oh, and my band is the 4cc band. Done in TJ with Dr. Ortiz!

Donna

Hi it's Donna!

I have been gone for awhile, but MAN!! I don't recognize anybody!

Well, I got a fill, and I'm really tight! I mean REALLLLLY tight. I think I'm too tight actually. So, I'm on liquids for awhile. I'm losing again, and that's good. After getting fill after fill after fill, and never having restriction, I was so excited to finally be tight! Well, there is definitley a FINE line between tight and TOO tight!

So, how's everyone else?

Hi you can add me....I'm at http://www.myspace.com/donnasparks

My band is 4, my fill is "0"

(

I'm sorry Cleo...I meant to say what was your highest fill level? Were you having problems? Is that why they removed all the saline? I honestly believe I would gain my weight back if all my fill was removed. Maybe if you could tolerate it, a small fill might help you maintain your weight more easily.

If I weighed what you weigh now, I'd be so happy, I wouldn't know what to do! LOL

Best of luck to you!

Donna

"Do you really have no restriction - if no restriction you could probably eat eggs.... not saying this to be bitchy sounding but believe me you would feel a difference with no fluid in you - "

About 3 months ago, my family dr. pulled every last drop of saline out of my band. (unintentionally. She thought she had replaced it, but missed the port) I had no fill for 2 1/2 weeks. I was so hungry, ALL the time. I could eat anything, and WANTED to eat everything. I had cravings like MAD. Now that I have maybe 2.6cc's, I still have no restriction. Am I ravenous like I was with no fill?....NO. So, I know what it's like to have an empty band after having a fill. And I know that having a fill DOES suppress appetite.

When I first got my LAST fill, I had pretty good restriction. I lost 2 pounds, and then it was gone again! Then I gained the 2 pounds back!!?? I just want some lasting restriction, so I can lose weight the way the band was intended to help you lose. I just can't afford to get a fill every 2 pounds.

Another thing that proves that having a fill helps you maintain your weight....

My cousin has lost 120 pounds. Her doctor was VERY aggressive with her fills. I think she bordered on being TOO TIGHT most of the time, but she lost quickly. She had lost all the weight she wanted to lose, and was happy, so he took a tiny bit of saline back out. A couple of weeks later, she got the stomach flu. She vommitted violently, and repeatedly, and her band slipped.

She went back, and her doc pulled all the saline out. Her band slid back into place, but he still did surgery to add more sutures.

During the period of 3 weeks, (while she had no saline) she gained 20 pounds! She was shocked at how badly she wanted to eat, and how MUCH she wanted to eat. She told me that she was thoroughly convinced that she could keep the weight off by herself, until that happened.

SOOOO, it is a fact that having the band does curb appetite. I'm glad that I can't regain what I lost, as long as I have a fill, but I know I really need to be tighter to get this weight off.

I guess my biggest problem is probably that my fill doctor is WAY too conservative with his fills. Maybe someday I will get there. One time I got a fill of .08 cc's.....NOT .8, but .08!! I couldn't tell I had even GONE for a fill!! I don't consider my band a mistake, or a complete loss. After all, I was on high blood pressure meds before I got it. My triglycerides were high, and my cholesterol looked pretty bad too. Now that I've lost almost 40 pounds, I'm not on BP meds anymore, blood pressure looks GREAT, and my DR told me she was ENVIOUS of my bloodwork. It was perfect!

My health is the most important thing. I want to be here for my kids! So, I do LOVE my band, don't get me wrong about that. I'm just a little frustrated at this point. That's all.

Good Grief....sorry I wrote a book!

Donna

Thanks for writing that.

I have been banded since July of 2006 and it has been a tough road for me. I have lost little weight.

Most recently, I flew to WA after months of misery and several visits to doctors. All of them, except the last one, told me to have it removed.

I just had a colonoscopy to see if that was the problem...that was fun! They found nothing.

NOW....I have NO fill and I am so scarred that I am going to start eating and eating and gain tons of weight.

My challenges now are to work out more and eat less. Exactly what I was doing before the band.

I don't regret getting the band. I just don't know if it was right for me.

Living in beautiful sunny SC!

Michele

Hi Cleo,

I'm sorry you are feeling the same thing I am! I really WANTED this to work for me, and I was determined that I would MAKE it work no matter what. I don't understand WHY, after following all the rules to the letter, I just don't have restriction!! It's so frustrating.

I'm still hoping that the Omnipaque will work....who knows?

What size band do you have, and what is your fill level, if you don't mind me asking?

Talk to you soon!

Donna

Hi Donna,

Glad to hear you are getting banded! I had a great experience there. I really don't want to sound negative about the band, I'm just really frustrated right now. I've been checked for leaks, and there are none. By the way is your middle name Kay? My name is Donna Kaye.

Good luck with the band!

Donna

I’m so frustrated right now. I had lap band surgery April 3rd, 2007. I was so excited! I was finally going to lose the weight

for GOOD! And yet, here I sit

almost a year later, still fat and unhappy!

I lost about 37 pounds after

surgery. I lost weight for 2

months, and then it STOPPED.

COMPLETELY stopped! I

haven’t dropped another ounce since!

I knew going into this, that it wouldn’t be a miracle cure. But I just KNEW it would work for

me! I knew if I could just GET that

band, I could MAKE it work for me!!

I have had 6 fills, and I still

have no restriction. It’s getting

really expensive to get fills. $300

a pop! I just don’t get it. I see it on fluoro. The barium goes down, and stops. I “feel†tight, and then I go home and

ALL restriction is GONE.

I am eating solid foods. I don’t

drink with meals. And I might add

that I can eat quite a BIT of solids!

The only thing I CAN’T eat is scrambled eggs! They get stuck EVERYTIME. I guess I could go on a scrambled egg

diet! I bought Lean Cuisine meals

just for the portion control, but after I eat one, I’m STILL STARVING. I do get tight around my period. Then things get stuck, before I even

realize what has happened!

I’ve had people tell me, “You’re

just not at your sweet spot yet.â€

But is that true? I don’t

know. I’ve never felt this magical

thing called “restriction.†I have

felt “STUCK food†and have PB’ed several times, but I don’t know about

restriction. Am I just NOT there

yet, or is this just not gonna work for me?? My cousin and I are identical in eating

patterns, build, even emotions. She

has had her band for 2 years, and has lost 100 pounds. So, I keep thinking , “WHY CAN’T

I??? I have a 4cc band. I really don’t know how much is in

it. I’m guessing around

2.8cc’s. My fill doc didn’t tell me

last time.

I don’t THINK I have a leak. But, I have worried about that A

LOT. My fill doc is going to use

Omnipaque (thicker saline) when I get my next fill. Has anyone heard of this, or had

experience with this?

I don’t mean to gripe. I know this is a great tool! And, I KNOW that you DO have to work

with it. But right now, I don’t

feel like it is helping me at all.

Well, I haven’t gained back the 37 pounds, and I AM happy about that, but

I want to get down to 150. That is

my goal. That is 60 pounds away

though, and I really NEED this band to help me.

Has anyone else felt this way, or

am I some kind of NUT?

Thanks,

Donna

Jenn, you did an amazing job on the show ! I read the boards last night a little bit , And we ALL Need to go on there. There were about 2 pages of messages on there last night and they were NOT Being Kind !!!!

Just an FYI you might want to look at them first before Cassie ! Im afraid they might hurt her feelings ! but she seems to have a thick skin ! She really held her own on the show !

But we all need to get on there and tell people how things really are. There were some very mean and very ignorant comments on the boards when i read them

HTH

Mindy

I knew I'd probably get ticked off if I read it, so I'm staying away. You've always got people out there who are going to say nasty things no matter what. It's best just to ignore them. They aren't going to change their thinking. I'm not saying don't support Cassie, just try not to get too bent out of shape over these ignorant people.

Donna

HI JENN! GOOD LUCK TODAY... I'M SURE EVERYTHING WILL GO SMOOTH AS GLASS FOR YOU AND CASSIE!! IT'S SOOOO NICE OF YOU GUYS TO THINK OF US WHILE YOU'RE JUMPING ON THE BEDS AT THE OMNI!! KEEP US UPDATED!! DARLENE

OK, this is a crazy question....Did they make Cassie "pad up" to appear to be fat in the re-enactment?? LOL I've always wondered how they do those re-enactments. I'm so happy for you Cassie!! Have fun! Try not to be nervous, and let us all know how it went, as soon as you get back!

Donna

I agree...she does say that WLS is the easy way out. Remember the show she did on people who just switched their food addiction to drugs or alcohol? I hope OCC knows what they are getting into. While I like Lady O, I sometimes worry about the influence she has on people...she has lots of power and if she does a negative piece on OCC and banding, it could really backfire. As for me -- I am very pleased with my experience and although I haven't lost as much as I'd like to, I am still plugging away at it.

Twigs

I totall agree!! They just recently aired the show again about gastric bypass, and how it only deflected the addiction to food, to other WORSE addictions. And said that weightloss surgery was the easy way out. I sincerely hope that she is not pulling a dirty trick out of the bag!! Who knows? Also isn't Cassie the young girl who had lap band surgery? I'm also concerned that she may be picking on MX for doing surgeries on younger people. I'm trying to be optimistic. I hopes she proves me wrong, but I really have a bad feeling about this!

Whatever her intentions are...maybe when she see's the OCC in operation, just MAYBE she herself will decide to have lap band surgery there! Wouldn't THAT be an advertisement????

LOL

Donna

Kathy,

What instructions were you given for post-op food? We were told to do just clear liquids (no protein shakes, ice cream or cream soups) for the first week. We were also told to cut up pills and use liquid vitamins. I know not all doctors have the same advice, but it sounds like you are very swollen and so you're having problems getting anything down. I wouldn't worry about adequate protein intake for the first week; you can start getting your protein later when you are less swollen and restricted. If you continue to have problems, though, for heaven's sake call your doctor! Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Kathy,

I'm not a doctor by any stretch of the imagination, so take this with a grain of salt. I think this is what could be going on with you. Some people get REALLY restricted just from having the band placed. I personally had some good restriction because of the band, and the swollen tissues. Now, if you are taking meds, and already have a bit of inflammation from the band being placed...the swollen tissue could cause your pills to get stuck. You mentioned the pain from them getting stuck as well. The pills getting stuck are most likely causing more inflammation which in turn creates MORE restriction. Make sense? If it is at ALL possible, crush your meds. If you take anything that cannot be crushed, ask your DR if you can get that med in a different form.

I would do at least 3 days of CLEAR liquids, with the CRUSHED meds, and see if things loosen up a bit. If your stoma is continuing to be irritated, and inflamed, you are going to continue having problems, so the 3 days SHOULD help calm things a bit. Hunger is VERY normal the first few weeks, it's just one of those things we have to endure for awhile. I was NEVER full during this period, and always starving. Try drinking some Silk Soy Milk Very Vanilla is really good, Eighth Continent Chocolate is my favorite. It's almost like a TREAT to me. It's a little thinner than milk, so it shouldn't be a problem. Try to have clear broths, popsicles, and other clear stuff, NO JELLO though. After a few days if things haven't improved, I'd definitely call the doc!

Good Luck,

Donna

WHOO HOO! That is great news. I am so pleased things are ok with your band. I'm still feeling a pretty good restriction. I don't even try to eat my usual breakfast any more...one warm low fat cocoa until about 10:30. Sometimes I can eat a small amount of cereal then, other times I just end up eating a granola bar. Have you tried those KASHI ones? Delicious and they aren't too bad calorie wise. The rest of the day is made of healthy choices. I wish apples were easier to eat, but oranges are a good afterschool snack for me. I have a few things I'll be packing my MX bound suitcase, the granolas being one of them.

I'm working harder at the exercise too. I pretty much took the first quarter of the school year off, but now I'm back at it. If I'm going to try surfing down in MX at Christmas i'd better be sure my shoulders and arms are strong so I'm hitting the weights at the gym very regularly. Man, was I sore for a few days, but it is better now.

Are you fixing the Thanksgiving dinner or are you traveling to one of your family's homes. I'm doing the cooking and will probably get the last of my shopping done today. I think I'll brine my turkey this year. It'll be interesting to see what I can and can't eat and I'll have to be especially careful with the current fill I have. I wouldn't want to PB in front of the family since they all have no clue about the band. Again though, I am soooo glad I didn't tell anyone. DH keeps an eye on me whenwe eat out or around friends and will ask me quietly if I'm ok if I lay my fork down (ha ha ha) -- something I'd rarely do beforehand. Now I try to put it down inbetween bites.

Do you waterload before meals? I try very very hard to drink a full 16 oz. before I sit down to eat a meal. It does help with that temptation to drink during meals. At restaurants I often suck on an ice cube rather than taking a drink. I remember Dr. Miranda suggesting that and it works well. I get that need for a drink taken care of without water choking me.

Take care hon, let me know how it goes.

Janice

Hi Janice!

Yep, I was PRETTY HAPPY that my band was OK. Ill have to try the Kashi bars. And, yes, I'm cooking the Thanksgiving dinner this year. Just for my immediate family, (hubby & kids) but I still tend to do the full blown deal! LOL We are gonna try to head back to TN to see family for Christmas. Thanksgiving is just TOO close to have to do that trip twice!

I definitely have restriction! I'm SO glad. I'd really like to be smaller at Christmas when the family sees me. I do try to drink something REALLY cold before I eat. I still sneak a drink sometimes though. Gonna try to QUIT that though. I did good yesteray! LOL

You take care too!

Love,

Donna

Hi Everyone,

Well I've really been pretty down these past few days.My eating habits have been awful and because of it i'm kicking myself in the ya know what! I am in need of a fill badly!!!! I could have had a fill this past saturday with dr.vitello but i got the email late and missed seeing him.Ahhhhhh!!!! I'm awaiting to hear if he can take me this friday.I was wondering,is anyone going to see him this week? If so let me know,i'd love to chat and it always helps to ease my fear. I'm a big chicken and i too have him numb the site before he sticks me.His assistant patti is wonderful and she is very comforting.He's a great doctor and i'm praying that my second fill will have more restriction so that i can start losing more weight.I'm down 15 pounds but i got on the scale this morning and gained a couple pounds.It was hard for to see that.I'm working out five times a week and ''trying'' to watch what i eat. It does'nt help that my hubby and daughter are junk food junkies either:-)

Take Care,

Have a nice day everyone!

Valerie~

Hi Valerie!! It was nice meeting you in Chicago last night! Wish I had seen the post before I went, then we could have talked longer! How did your fill go? I was SO glad everything was OK with my band. However I was only able to tolerate 2.25cc's this time. At my last fill with Dr. Vitello I had 2.5cc's. I think since my band has been empty for over a week, maybe my stomach walls thickened??? Who knows, but I feel restricted a little already.

Seriously, don't worry, you WILL get the proper restriction eventually. It just takes longer for some of us. I gained 2 pounds since my band was empty for over a week, so I know the band IS working, when there is saline in it! LOL

Don't worry about 2 pound fluctuations. They ALWAYS come back off. Being a female has A LOT to do with that!

Talk to you later!

Donna

Donna, have you learned anything about your band? Are you okay?

Suzie, thanks for asking about me! I actually went back to Chicago last night, to get fluoro, and have everything checked out. LUCKILY, everything is OK. No leaks, no damaged port, no slips, erosion, or stretched pouch! I can't TELL you how happy I am! However, my band was COMPLETELY empty, which is what I had expected. My family doc had pulled out a total of 2.5cc's, but when she tried to add saline, she wasn't in the port! So for over a week, I've been able to eat ANYTHING, and EVERYTHING. I almost KNEW it was empty. I don't know if, while my band was empty, my stomach walls got thicker or what, but I was only able to handle 2.25cc's last night. At 2.5 NOTHING would go through, and that is what I had before. Or it COULD have been those 2 pounds I gained while my BAND was EMPTY. Either way, everything should be back to normal now, and I'm gonna REALLY work on it before Christmas. I'm gonna start exercising more, and try to watch what I eat, and NO drinking with my meals. It's strange how you can slowly fall back into old habits. But, with my band scare, and my new adjustment, I'm thinking of it as a FRESH START.

Donna

Thanks Kari!

Actually that does make me feel a little better! She had a larger syringe at first, but said it would be easier with a smaller one, and used a smaller one instead. I hope and PRAY that is what the deal was. I know at my LAST fill she used the larger syringe. You'd think you would be able to pull out the same amount with either one. Strange...

Thanks, for sharing!

Donna

OK, so this is the story. I went to get a fill last week. My doc didn't have the right length needle, so she used a shorter one, and had trouble accessing the port because it was so short. She pulled out about 2cc's and that was all she could get. She put in 2.6cc's (if indeed she was in the port) and I left pretty happy. I immediatley went to get something to eat to see if I had any restriction. NONE WHATSOEVER. I went back today to get another fill. Same thing, longer needles hadn't arrived yet, and she tried to use the shorter ones again. She "thinks" she hit the port on the 2nd try. She tried to pull out the 2.6cc's but was only able to pull out .5cc. It had a little blood in it. So, can you pull .5 cc of liquid out of tissue??? I'm terrified that my band has a leak! She never was "quite sure" she was in the port with the shorter needle, so she told me to come back Friday, when the longer needles would be there, and she would try again.

She was using a 1 inch, right angle Huber non-coring needle. I'm also scared about this....could she have damaged the tubing, and CAUSED a leak? Any ideas????

Thanks,

Donna

Thanks for all the replies, and words of encouragement!

Kris- I usually try not to drink while eating meals, but sometimes I just HAVE to have a sip of something. Of course the "sometimes" could be a little more frequent than I think. So, you're right, I need to watch that.

Lynn- Thanks for your words of encouragement. I know I'm just REALLY impatient. Also, I'm thinking that the barium mixture was a little thicker this time. I'm wondering if that could have made me SEEM tight while I was there, and then NO restriction when I got home. I'm gonna ask him about that, next time!

Kym- I'm terrible about exercising. I HATE IT. I know I need to do a better job of that, and watching calories, but I STILL want to experience some restriction. I think it will be a little easier to do what I'm "supposed" to do, if I have restriction.

Janice- I guess I should stop freaking out. It's just that my mom keeps asking how much weight have you lost? Is that surgery not gonna work?? Be glad you didn't tell anyone! LOL

Kristy- I would REALLY be peeved if I was working at it, as hard as you are, and not seeing results. Hang in there, it's got to come off EVENTUALLY.

Thanks everyone,

Donna

Okay, I'm gonna gripe a little. I'm usually a positive cheery voice, but NOT TODAY! I'm so frustrated! I have 2.5 ccs in my 4cc band, and NO restriction. I just got my 3rd fill Saturday, and I watched as the barium STOPPED, and didn't go ANYWHERE. Then after removing a few drops it began to go through slowly. So, I'm thinking...this is GOOD, a WHOLE cc. I'm gonna have restriction THIS time for SURE.

But ya know, I STILL don't have restriction! I don't think I've EVER experienced restriction, and now I'm beginning to wonder if I EVER will!!! I only have 1.5 cc's to go before I'm at 4cc's! What is the deal???? I can eat anything, and I don't know WHY. I had more restriction in the very beginning, when I didn't even HAVE ANYTHING in my band. Anyone have a clue what is going on? Anyone out there been through this, and want to give me some advice???

Thanks,

Donna

Well, anytime a person needs to lose 100 pounds or more, there is gonna be extra SKIN. No way to stop that. They say it takes 1 year after losing all your excess weight, for your skin to catch up. It will shrink SOME, but the sad fact is....you're still gonna have a lot left. My cousin has lost 100, and she still has flappy skin, but you can't tell when she's got it tucked into her size 6 jeans! LOL

I'll take the flappy skin over the fully S_T_R_E_T_C_H_E_D out FAT skin anyday! LOL

Donna