Blazn

Amber, thanks for posting your experience. I am so glad it was a good one - as most of them are!! Keep us posted on your weight loss.

Fudgesicles should be okay once you get to the creamy soups phase. After all they do disolve in your mouth before you swallow. Just make sure it is the low fat kind!

Order from the kids menu. The waiters look at you crazy and some even try to give you trouble but just show them the card the OCC gave you and most of the time they are okay after that. It kinda serves as a doctor's order.

Destinie, First of all let me say how proud I am of you. I have only been banded for 2 months and my only regret is not having it done sooner. I have been overweigh most of my life. I did lose weight in highschool from diet pills but only gained it back plus some. I live in South Georgia so we are not too far apart. We are here if you need anything or have any questions. This can be a scary journey but you will see that all is good and you are on your way to a healthier and happier Destinie!!

Yes, I agree - I am an early to bed and early to rise person - so when I logged out at 10:30 EST - that was late for me - I am usually in bed by 10 - isn't that terrible!! - But so are 12 hour days at work!

I do not even own a scale at home. It got broke in the move and I just never bought another. So I weigh at work - and since I am a nurse I wear the same thing everyday - scrubs. So one week I weigh on Monday and Friday and the next week I only weigh on Wednesday.

Mac, I know exactly how you feel. Saturday was my 2month bandiversary and I weighed on Monday (at work) and I am down 31lbs. I came home and exclaimed to my husband - 31LBS IN 2 MONTHS!!!! DO YOU REALIZED THAT IS OVER 15LBS A MONTH. I am so excited. Way to go on you weight loss. And to the other ladies, be proud for every pound you lose. Say sayonara to them and just think of what is to come.

Lilly - you are only in surgery like 45 minutes at the most so maybe afterwards you can hurry and put it back in.

I think I'll join you two on that 175 by 7/04!!! We can do it!!!!!

I think I remembered to bring everything and then some but one thing I wish I would have done differently is take more pics. I mean I took plenty of pics of TJ but none of the MDs. Not even one of that good-looking Dr. Ortiz. What a bummer. Make sure you take pics!!!!!

How beautiful!

Kimmie - you look great and are doing wonderful. Keep up the good work.

Hello all, Here are a few pics taken pre-op - in February. My surgery was March 17th. My cousin got married Saturday which was exactly 2 months post-op so I just thought I would post a few pics for you guys. Sorry if the pics are too big - I'm a little new at posting these images to the forum. Oh and sorry - I just realized I was under the Forum Policies & Tech Help Topics.....anyone know how to move this? Pre-op 2 months post-op

Way to go Lisa, You look really great!!

Hi, I used Darlene with Fill Centers USA. I am from south GA but drove to Atlanta for my first fill. Darlene also goes to the Fill Center in Moultrie but I was going to have to wait an extra month to see her there (she only goes once every 2 months) so I just drove to Atlanta. Not sure how soon you need a fill but she will be in Moultrie June 14th and August 9th (I think thats right). Anyway she is great and she does use fluoro. Not sure how far of a drive this is for you but I would think if you live in N. Florida it would be closer than Tampa.

Hey Michelle, its a good thing you were still in TJ to get that unfill. I know exactly what you are talking about there are times when my 3cc fill seems like too much. For example, Friday my husband went out to eat for lunch and supper (don't usually do that but anyway) I ordered hickory smoked chicken (dark meat so it wouldn't be so dry) and the sides were mashed potatoes and mac-n-cheese and a biscuit (but I knew I wouldn't touch that). So I ate about 4 small bites of my chicken, 3 bites of mac and 2 bites of potatoes and the food started getting stuck. It was so terribly painful and the slime - OMG - its hard to spit it out in a restuarant and if you swallow it the pain only gets worse. So I went to the restroom and PB'd just what was in my chest (mostly mac) and then I felt 100% better. That night I did the same thing only this time I was eating pulled pork BBQ and baked beans. But yesterday I ate a small piece of cheese pizza with ease. I mean I was stuffed afterwards but no pain at all. Then last night my cousin got married and I ate 2 meatballs and although I did not PB they did get stuck in my chest and hurt a whole lot for about 10 minutes. Now for lunch today I ate some of the same pulled pork BBQ, baked beans, mashed potatoes, and mac-n-cheese. Probably a total of 6oz. of food. And all went down fine. But yesterday at lunch (the pizza) and today I ate really, really slow and chewed really, really good. Both times this weekend that the food got stuck I was out and about. Both times that everything went down good I was at home and could concentrate on eating slowely and chewing. So I think my fill is okay but I am having to learn how to eat with it. When I had no fill I could just eat whatever. So this has all been a learning process. So anyway now that I have babbled my whole weekend I'll stop. Keep us posted and good luck on your fill. Oh and you look amazing - your teeth and your slimming figure!!!!

WOW - I am so sorry you are feeling like this. You need to call the OCC today. I don't think they are open tomorrow although you should have Dr. Ortiz's cell phone number in the packet of info given to you the day of surgery. Also try drinking some warm soup. That relaxes the smooth muscles around the band and therefore will allow whatever is swallowed to go down smoother. As far as the gas - I have heard other bandsters say that Phazyme works for them. For the acid reflux you could try some mylanta or maalox. Really I am so sorry this experience has been so bad for you so soon. I hope it works itself out because I really think the band is great. Please keep us posted. You will be in my prayers.

No, it does not matter what diet you go on. I talked to Dr. Miranda about that and she said as long as you lose 5% of the weight whatever diet is fine. The first 5% really decreases the amount of fat around the liver therefore making it easier to access the posterior aspect of the stomach - any diet is fine - it's the 5% that counts.

I have only had my band for 2 months but I have lost 28lbs. I had the same fears that you are having. What if it doesn't work? What if I stretch my pouch out? What if...what if...what if? It does work. And I guess you could stretch your pouch out but if you overeat you throw up and the food gets stuck in the part of your esophagus that passes through your chest and it is really painful. So you would have to be really greedy to go through that. Maybe some of those veteran bandsters can also give you some reassurance! Good luck. This is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Any regrets? Sure, not having it done sooner.

Yay Michelle! That sounds like a good fill - up to 2.3cc now right? Maybe this is your sweet spot!!!! Keep us posted. What are your guidelines - as far as eating the next couple of days?

The fluoro price is based on the individual provider. Darlene charges 200 for initial fluoro and 120 for subsequent as stated earlier. I do wish it was cheaper but it's not and it's not worth going to another fill center to save the money.

Yes - soup would be the way to go. Make sure it is not chunky soup but if so - just eat around the chunks. If there is going to be about 50 people there - no on will notice.