Donna34

Nope, you're not crazy, I'm just diligent. I have to log in 3 TIMES for every post I make, including this one. This is the 3rd time, let's see if it posts THIS time.

Donna

Wow, slipping behind your ribs? That is unusual. Maybe it's because you've lost so much weight already. I've only lost 30 pounds, so my port is a good distance from my ribs. I'm sure if your doc wasn't alarmed by it, then it's probably no big deal. It does raise a good question though. Where is everyone's port located? Mine is about 4 inches up from my belly button, and about 4 inches to the left.

Donna

I go tomorrow for my 2nd fill. Wish me luck everyone. I'm hoping that this one will find my "sweet spot!" Ready to get down to business!

Donna

Couple of things:

1) You don't need to eat baby food. Some people choose to eat baby food during the post-op diet, but this is not required and once you are back onto normal foods you can eat, well, normal foods.

2) Nobody said you can't eat chicken. Some people have said that THEY can't eat chicken. We all have different foods that don't work with us. For me it is bread and pasta but I shouldn't be eating those things anyway, and since the consequences with the band are severe, I have no desire for these foods. I had a fill last week so I am quite tight right now and was able to have chicken for dinner last night (with pesto, it was yummy!) Your results will vary but if you chew enough you will probably be able to eat chicken just fine.

3) Yes you will need to "chew to goo" but it sounds much much worse than it is. It is no big deal once you get used to it.

4) You should not drink liquids for an hour after eating but before eating you are fine. In fact I usually make sure to drink something before eating so I don't get thirsty afterwards.

5) Gas and burping is most associated with the week post-op since they pump your system full of gas while they are operating. This gas goes away and things are fine. I do find when I eat I need to burp more than before, but it is not severe and I still cannot compete with my (not-banded) guy friends when it comes to belching.

Probably the biggest question to ask on whether it will work for you is how much do you want to loose? Those of us who need to be halved or even quartered seem to have the biggest success stories. People with smaller bmi's seem to have to work for it more, but even still the response from them is quite positive.

Is it worth it? Check out my signature, even though I'm less than a year out I'm almost to 100 pounds lost so YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. . .YES!

VERY VERY VERY WELL SPOKEN Clynn!! You always have the perfect answers! This is so true. I do agree with Clynn, and I have to say that if your weight isn't a problem for you, then NO you probably don't want the band...

On the other hand if you are not bothered about your weight, (or you have never defined yourself by your weight) why are you looking into weight loss surgery? I think we are all bothered by our weight to a degree, some are bothered more than others. Apparently none of us are bothered to the point that super models are, or we wouldn't be here would we? Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to come off as a smart BUTT, I just want you to have a heart to heart with yourself, and think about the reasons YOU want to have it done.

If those reasons don't outweigh, (by FAR) the inconvenience of chewing like a mad dog, or giving up a few foods, or doing a liquid diet for a couple of weeks after surgery, then you probably don't need to have it.

Also, don't go into it thinking you are going to have SUPER FAST weightloss. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people DO. But some of us lose much slower. The average is 1-2 pounds a week. The doctor will tell you this himself. BUT, have you not ALWAYS been told that when it comes to weight loss, slower is better? I know I was told that REPEATEDLY.

I'm fine just knowing that JUST by having this band, I won't be this size NEXT year at this time. If I did nothing, I would have most likely been BIGGER this time next year. The weight is coming off slowly, but I'm not starving myself either. If I put forth a little effort, it would probably be melting off, but I am not in a big hurry. I know that just by taking it easy, I should be weighing about 160 or less this time next year. And to ME that sounded REAL good, chicken or no chicken.

Good Luck with your decision!

Donna

Hmmmm, I checked everything out too. My browser is enabled for cookies, and I haven't done anything with the security settings either. Strange....Oh well, thanks CalKev for reporting me!LOL Thanks Lori, for your suggestions! We'll see if this one posts.....

Donna

OK, it did it AGAIN, and this time it told me to copy my post, as it wouldn't BE THERE after I signed in. So I copied it, signed in AGAIN, and pasted it, and it posted all this mumbo jumbo.

Keeps saying, Sorry, you do not have permission to post to this topic. It's my own stinking TOPIC!!

Guess I'll have to type all my replies into a Word document, and sign in 100 times, and copy it to the message board.

<BR>I am also having the same problem...checked the settings Lori told me about....still did not work...BUT this reply is working for the first time so whats up with that?? anyway I will keep checking back...I did find another site yesterday, and it is nice to hear from others and talk over our experiences.<BR>

<BR><BR><BR>Hmmmm, I checked everything out too.  My browser is enabled for cookies, and I haven't done anything with the security settings either.  Strange....<BR>Oh well, thanks CalKev for reporting me!  LOL  Thanks Lori, for your suggestions!<BR>We'll see if this one posts.....<IMG style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" alt="" src="http://www.lapbandforum.com/style_emoticon...ault/tongue.gif" border=0 emoid=""><BR>Donna

Just thinking about you, and wondering how everything is going since this last fill? Did this one work for you? I certainly hope so. Stop in, and let us know!

Talk to you later!

Donna

Somehow everytime I sign in, it says I'm logged in, but when I try to post something, or reply to a topic, it tells me I'm not allowed to do that, and asks me to sign in. SOOOO, once again I sign in and, it says I'm signed in, and the SAME thing happens again.

Heck, I'll even be surprised if THIS post shows up! Am, I being censored???

SO, if anyone out there is asking me something, or expecting me to say something....sorry, I'm not avoiding you, I promise!

Donna

Thanks Greg, for your report. WOW 7.6cc's! That's a lot. But it sounds like you really know your VG band, and seems that all is going well! That should be an encouragement to some of the people on here who have concerns about the VG band.

The whitening sounds like a real deal! I've always wanted to have my teeth whitened. However, my front 2 teeth are capped, and I'm thinking you can't whiten them. Do you know if that is true? Or will the Zoom whitening also work on caps? Glad you had a good trip, and a great loss while gone!

Thanks for sharing!

Donna

I'm thinking gas too. That is EXACTLY how mine felt. It would start like a sharp pain a little bit below my right shoulder, but more prominent in the front. Then it would creep up into my neck, and you talk about a PAIN!!!! It REALLY hurts when it get's to your neck. Mine also hurt more often after I had eaten something, not always, but most of the time.

Just to be sure, I'd give Dr. Ortiz a call, or if you're like me, and don't like to call, just drop him an e-mail. He'd be glad to help!

Donna

Do you weigh yourself everyday? I wind up getting on the scale every morning, but I am going to force myself to stop. It so hugely impacts my day, especially when I have gained a little weight and even though I KNOW it's just water gain, I get depressed and often wind up making bad decisions throughout the day. I know I have to stop doing that.

The only thing I can think of that would be worse would be to record a 3 lb weight gain into a software chart and have it show me a projected weight gain of 90 lbs over the next month!

LOL, yep, this is true! However I don't really tend to pay a lot of attention to the graph that predicts the future. It's not very accurate until you have really entered a LOT of figures. It's kinda slow thinking I guess. The reason I weigh myself DAILY, is sometimes I forget what I weighed 4 days ago. If those scales are not moving, I sometimes exaggerate it in my head, and think, I haven't lost a pound in a MONTH, or I haven't lost in 2 weeks, etc. It helps me to be able to go back, and SEE how much I've actually lost, and that keeps me from getting discouraged.

Plus if I only weigh one day a week, say on a Friday, and the previous Friday I weighed like 217. Then suppose on Wednesday of the following week my weight drops down to 215, and maybe due to water, etc. it jumps back up to 217 by Friday, then I'm ticked off, because I think the scale never moved. I would never have known that I actually got down to 215. Plus I like to see if there's a pattern. I've always been that way. Say I might have 3 losing weeks, and plateau for a week. I want to see how frequently that plateau week comes around. Of course, there's seldom an accurate pattern. I just like to see it in writing I guess!

But, I'm crazy like that! LOL I've always been a scale addict! I just can't stay away from them, that's the FIRST place I head to, when my feet hit the floor in the mornings!

Donna

That's a good question, I was wondering the same thing. I used to be CRAZY about measuring myself every other day! LOL I measured, chest, hips, waist, right thigh, right calf, and halfway between the elbow, and shoulder on my right arm, oh, and the fatty part of the stomach, just under the waistline (more prominent in women).

I don't know if this is the RIGHT way to do it, but I had gone to a Weight loss clinic, and they told us to do it that way, so thats just what I've always done. I'd like to know the "right" way to do it though!

Donna

65 INCHES

70 POUNDS! WAY TO GO!!!!!! HOLY MOLY! I'll be so glad when I can say that!!!! And, this is all after JUST one fill????? You go girl! LOL I'm amazed!

Donna

There you go! Next 4th we should be where we WANT to be! Good luck with your remaining 7.5. I've been on a week, and a half plateau, and the scales are FINALLY moving again! Yippee!

Donna

One thing that you might be interested in...I use this and it really encourages me! It's at

www.weightcommander.com

It's a downloadable program that you can try for free, for like 10 days or so. If you opt to keep it, the guy will send you a bill for 9.95. I bought it a few years back, and it's been kinda neat to have. You enter your weight everyday. It graphs your weight loss, and predicts your weight for the future, based on your rate of loss. Has lot's of diet tips, and just some fun stuff.

Check it out!

UUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH! The dreaded E word! I was doing pretty good there for awhile, but lately I've been slacking! I really need to get a move on! If not, I'm gonna have saggy skin, and cellulite for DAYS. I was doing 20 minutes on my Gazelle, and 25 on my treadmill, and maybe a few reps on the Ab Lounge, until I got worried about slipping my band! :-?

OK, so I'm starting back today! I think we all need these posts to help us remember to do the E thing! Thanks for posting this, and I'll try to keep you, and myself accountable!

Donna

Sounds like you've got everything planned out! As with ANYtime you eat in public, make sure you know where the bathroom is, before you even take a bite! LOL I've only had one public episode, and it was on my daughter's field trip, of all places!! It was before I even got my first fill. We were like 1 mile from the bathroom! I thought I was going to DIE. I immediately took a little walk, hid behind a building, and started spitting like a rabbid dog. After, I walked a bit longer, it went down, and I was able to go back to the rest of the group. As far as eating though, I WAS DONE! I really don't think anyone even noticed though. Thank goodness!

You'll be fine! Bet we won't be eating much at all the July 4th festivities!

Donna

I also have the pain in the upper part of stomach but I've had the gallbaddr and appidence removed 7 years ago. I'm fity two, female, not fertile and yes fat.

Was lapbanded Oct 2006 and have lost 60 pounds, wonder what my pain is coming from?? I'm just sorta thinking something I ate, too much of maybe. My stomach does swell as the day goes on. The pants I were in the morning will not fit in the evening. I've tried to narrow down some of the things I'm eating/drinking but no answer yet.

Any suggestions??

I really can't say. I do know that my doc told me that after gall bladder removal some people experience "fake attacks." They hurt, yet not as severely as the real ones, but same location and everything. I have had several of these. Totally different than heartburn. Feels like the onset of an attack, but usually subsides pretty soon.

The pants not fittin gin the afternoon, as opposed to morning, is probably water retention. Do you take any kind of diuretic? If not you could try one, and see if that helps. I'm certainly not a doctor, so take any of my suggestions with a grain of salt! LOL

Donna

I had my gall bladder removed a couple of years ago. Mine had developed into pancreatitus, because my doctor kept sending me home from the ER with antacids!!! I knew it was NOT heartburn. It was KILLING me! So, if you do start having symptoms, DO NOT put it off. Get it out!

My outpatient gall bladder surgery, turned into a 7 day stay in the hospital, with no food. Had to let my pancreatitus clear up, before they could remove my gall bladder! It was by far worse than childbirth! I've never experienced pain like that in my LIFE!

I researched it a lot, when I first started having the attacks. One easy rule to remember, (and it can also be added to) is what they call the 4 F's.

FORTY, FEMALE, FERTILE, and FAT

I wasn't 40 but the other 3 applied to me. I had gone on a diet, and lost 36 pounds, that's when the attacks started. So, if you start losing, and start hurting...beware.

Donna

Maybe, with Dr. Romero's experience, you will need less fills. We will hope so anyway. Dr. Vitello (my doc) however has done a lot of fills. He seemed to be very familiar with Dr. Ortiz, and his patients as well. It would be hard to compete with the number of fills that Dr. Romero has done though. I doubt many US doc's could even come close.

However, when he injected the 2cc's of saline. We watched it, and it just sit there. I drank a little more barium, and began to get sick. It still was not moving. He pulled out maybe .5cc and I was still SICK. He pulled out 1cc. Still sick, he was very gradual about taking it out. Finally I was getting SO sick that I told him it was going to come back up, and of course on the monitor it WAS backing up my esophagus. He immediately pulled all the saline out, and it was INSTANT relief. He then injected 1.7cc's. I drank more barium, STILL too tight. At 1.2cc's I felt like I would be ok, and the barium was going through slowly enough. He injected just a tiny bit more, and I immediately felt sick. He pulled it back out, and I was happy with 1.2cc's. It's funny how finicky the bands can be. I'd never gues that .5cc's could make that big a difference!

I felt like he knew what he was doing, and I didn't feel like he was scrimping on the saline! LOL

My cousin's doctor gives her maybe .2cc's each visit. It has taken her FOREVER to get to the sweet spot. She lost NO weight at all the first 6 months!

MAYBE your VG band will be more beneficial to you than you think! Maybe the extra leeway, will be just what you need to get to that sweet spot sooner. I think there is a varied opinion on the VG bands. Some people think they are harder to adjust, and some people think they are the BEST!

This is just a suggestion...

When you go to TJ, plan to stay a couple of days. After your fill, go eat solids! See if you can eat,(about 1/3 of what you could eat before) and see if you have good restriction. You might want to do this in your hotel room, just in case. It makes me nervous to eat out right after a fill. MAKE sure you have good restriction before you leave TJ. They will adjust it for you the next day, if you didn't get enough on the first day.

I get my next fill on the 22nd. Next Friday, so hopefully I'll have good restriction for quite awhile after that one!

Donna

I thought that they flush the air out during the first fill. Did I get this wrong? I'm hoping that a second fill won't be necessary until either significant weight loss or one year after banding.

Second question. When you say 'loose again,' are you describing a physical sensation from the band? Or is it that you can now eat more so you are concluding that the band is now loose?

You're right! They do an initial purge of the band when they install it. LOL However, they say it is impossible to get ALL the air out of the band, and tube, which is understandable. So, when you go to your fill doctor, he will once again atempt to purge the air out. Still gonna be a little there, and when the saline is added, it somehow get's out, over the next couple of weeks. I'm not exactly sure how, but it does. I think there is a section about it in Dr. O's book. Maybe in the fill section, I'd have to look to be sure.

To answer your second question...No, it's not a physical sensation from the band. Generally, the band causes very little sensation at all. No more than you feel in the A.M. when you take a drink or a bite of something, and you might notice a little tightness. (you may not have experienced this yet either)

The reason, I know it's gone is I CAN EAT. After I had my fill, I could only eat about 1/3 of what I normally ate. Now, I'm back at the point where I can eat almost anything. Just like I felt when I started back on solids.

My fill doc says most people end up coming back in about 2-6 weeks for the 2nd fill. This again is one of those YMMV instances. Maybe you won't need one for several weeks, or months. But, I'm not losing, and therefore, I WANT to get more saline! LOL You'll know when it's time. :-?

I hate to get real graphic, I don't want to gross you out...

I think I was really not as tight as I thougt after my first fill, because I was bloated. (PMS) When that was over, and the air being gone too....whew. I could EAT. A LOT.

Be thankful you don't have to deal with that aspect!

Donna

Hey all,

I need to ask about BM problems which I know many of us has had problems with. I am on solid foods now and am always trying to eat good balanced meal. I take narcotic pain meds for a couple of things and I know they can be constipating, but I eat fiber every day and I also have a prescription laxative syrup to help, but it hasn't this time. I took three tablespoons of it in two days and usually I would get well cleaned out, but nothing happened...no urge or anything. Well, last night I could go, but had no choice but to do some straining. I guess I have lazy bowels or something. I haven't exercised much yet and should soon. I love to walk and will be doing that very soon, once I can wear some good walking shoes. I haven't been able to wear socks or decent shoes besides birkenstocks for many years because of swelling from lymphedema.

OK...my question is...can straining cause damage or slippage to the band if done too much? I tried to be very careful, but to get relief, it took some extra effort. LOL

I know once I start exercising more and eating more fiber, etc., I should be ok...I hope.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions to help me and hopefully others that are struggling with this same problem.

Peace,

Judy

I'm sorry Judy, I'm about to die laughing! I wondered the EXACT same thing, after I got banded. Was I gonna slip my band if I strained too hard??? You will think of EVERY POSSIBLE reason to think that band is gonna slip off there in the beginning. I thought if I bent over to pick things up, it might slip. If i picked up my daughter it was gonna slip. AS far as I could see ANYTHING and EVERYTHING was gonna cause a slip.

There are A LOT of banded folks out there, and I don't think there are THAT many slips. It's another one of those things that you hear about MORE often because they are posting on a board to ask questions etc. But, the thousands of other happy bandsters are out there living their lives virtually worry free!

After you've eaten solids for awhile, and even had the first fill, and SEEN the band in there, you won't wonder so much about every little thing. I think the band is a lot more durable than we all think in the beginning.

However, if it makes you feel better, you could try some Colace stool softener form Wal-Mart. It's the same thing you get in the hospital after you have a baby!

Good Luck,

Donna

How are you handling not drinking anything during and after your meals? It feels terribly unnatural to me.

That's the hard part! ( At least it is for me anyway. I have always had to have a SUPER cold drink, while I'm eating. After, I started on solids again, I just couldn't do it! I started drinking with my food. After I got my fill, I finally broke the habit. There is a NOTICEABLE difference in how soon you get full when drinking with meals as opposed to NOT.

If you get any restriction with your first fill, you will notice it. It does seem to "wash things down." I try to drink a LOT before I eat now. Something REALLY cold! Then I eat slowly, and I get full MUCH sooner. It may be different for everyone else, but since I've gotten a fill, I don't feel like I NEED a drink with my meals, as bad as before. Maybe it's my subconcious, trying to keep me from sabotaging myself, I don't know! LOL

Just take it slow. If you can't give up drinks cold turkey, try to wean off slowly. Dr. Miranda told me another thing to try, and it sometimes helps. If you are eating, and feel like you've just GOTTA have a drink, suck on an ice cube. Helps a little, and doesn't allow you enough water to wash stuff down.

Unless this has changed...I was told that you could cross over to Tijuana, and back with just a drivers liscense or a birth certificate, until January 2008.

This could have changed though. I went in April. This is not flying into Mexico, though. Flying to San Diego, and walking over, so that may be the difference!

Donna

I wanted to bump this post, because I never knew about the 1-877- lap-band fill doctors line. This is valuable info, for anyone who is looking for a fill doctor!

Thanks for sharing!

Donna

Try not to stress too much over it. Everyone told me I would probably gain EVERYTHING back during this period, but I was DETERMINED that I was not going to put it back on, and have to lose it again! I did a lot of salads with grilled chicken, and vinagrette dressings.(that's low carb) I also drank a LOT of that Diet Lipton White Raspberry tea. It seems to stay so COLD, and it goes down easy! But, for the most part, I still ate what I wanted to. I just chewed it so much, and ate so slowly, that I became full sooner. I think just having the band sitting there on your stomach makes you feel full a little faster. Not restricion, but just having something wrapped around the upper part of your stomach. It may not be that way for everyone, but it somehow made me AWARE of what I was eating, or how I was eating.

I actually lost a few pounds before my first fill, so I was VERY happy! Just watch you weight (daily), and eat slowly. If you put on a couple of pounds, maybe take a diuretic, and most likely you will see it's JUST water! Also, the tea serves as a natural diuretic, if you like to drink it. The green tea with citrus is also good, and also comes in diet. Whatever you do drink a lot! Crystal Light, ( I get the Wal-Mart version, more flavors, and cheaper) is good, or your own home brewed tea, or just plain water! Keep hydrated. You'll be OK! Everyone goes through this fear of gaining weight, in the lull between liquids, and fill. It's normal, but even if you do gain back a couple of pounds, it will come back off!

Donna