julieburns

:lb9: Congratulations on your band. Hope to hear more about your journey. Any questions??? someone will always answer.

You may have the answer by now but there is also a fill center in Salem OR. I have gone there and she is great!! No fluoro though but I don't think that is important from my experience of having 2 w/fluoro and an overfill under fluoro and then an emergency unfill without fluoro. I hope you find a fairly close and convenient dill place. Best of luck and keep reading and posting, it will really help you feel confident about your decision.

Hi Stormy: I would stay local and go to Dr. Fitzpatrick. She is excellent from what my friend tells me. She's had all her fills by her and never has she missed the port. In this short a period of time, unless you have overeaten constantly, you would not /should not have damaged your pouch. You have stayed almost true to your diet from what you have written. It's up to you though and I know you are a worrier so for your own peace of mind if you will be put at ease to do the fluoro then take the time, you deserve it for all the hard work you do, and go to Olympia. How's that for putting it back in your court? Hugs

:lb10: Isn't that a great feeling that yes this will work!! Keep up the momentum and you'll be needing new clothes soon!!

Talk about a "weird" thanksgiving......I made up my plate on a dessert plate with about 1 tbsp. size serving of each thing. totaled about 3/4 cup at most. The last few weeks I've been only able to eat about 1/3 cup at most and then I MUST quit. Well I was eating, chewing and chewing but talking and not really paying attention and before I realized it I had eaten the whole plate!!! Same thing the next day. It's like overnight I lost most of my restriction. Now since I have been so stressed maybe that's a good sign as the stress is easing but now the dilemma is do I get a fill before Christmas? I am going to wait 1 week and see how it goes. Boy it felt good to eat though and really I only ate what I should be eating. Be thankful for restriction!!

As long as your breathing tests are OK (which most likely they will be unless you are a smoker,) and you don't have a fever they should do the surgery.

The largest scar where they put the band in and the port area is about 2 inches below the left breast area. It's barely an inch long if that.

I think you are being very normal for being freshly banded, you worry about everything regarding the band. That's normal. As far as how much liquid you must force yourself to sip almost all the time. Shoot for 4 ounces at a time slowly and try to get up to 64 ounces day. Yes that's alot but you need to be hydrated. And you will experience "different" feelings in your tummy, whether it be gas or hunger pains in a different way. It's normal too. Hang in there and remember to "Sip, sip, sip"!

Having good restriction will do the work for me and that I am thankful for. Mona you always crack me up. Wish I could be so funny!!!! Happy Thanksgiving to all. I know I am thankful for everyone here as well as all the blessings in my life.

Hi Kimberly: Here's my experience. I was sold on the fact that I should have my fill(s) with fluoro from what the OCC had said. I surely thought especially the first one so I flew to TJ and had my first fill done at the OCC. As I thought everything looked fine, it was cool to see the band in my stomach and the liquids go through it etc. In retrospect I found out that they have a limit for how much fill they will put in the first time and it is for our own good they do this. The stomach is still healing at the first fill so they don't want to make it too tight when you are still healing. Also I thought in 6 weeks unless you really blew your recommended diet that your really wouldn't/couldn't do any damage in that short a period of time . If it were me I now would not find it necessary, unless of course it's not a burden on me, to have fluoro on the first fill especially. Now with the second fill I went back and forth about what to do. I decided to go to the OCC again because they had said if anything ever happened to my band and I hadn't had all my fills there they wouldn't take care of it for free if deemed necessary. This made sense so I once again flew to TJ for the 2nd fill. I had 2.0 cc from the first fill and then they gave me 2.8 more cc (under fluoro of course) for a total of 2.8 cc. I sipped on an 8 ounce bottle of water while there afterwards and then went back to the hotel. That evening I could only swallow liquids but late in the evening I did eat some pudding. The next morning I was slightly concerned as I still could just get liquids down but they did go down, I tried something soft and PB'd right away. My plane left early on Saturday so I thought about it and after PBing just thought I had swelling and went on home. Well for 3 days I could barely even sip on liquid without PBing. I even woke up choking on my own spit at night. I called the OCC and never got a return call. Desperate for something to be done I almost just got a ticket to the OCC to go get an unfill. Because of the expense of that and also the lack of reply from them(another long story doesn't need to be rehashed) I called the closest Fill Center USA which was about an hour drive, got right in and got an unfill. The Fill center Nurse was awesome. No fluoro. She first removed everything and sent me to eat because in 5 days I lost 8 pounds (yahoo) but was severely dehydrated. I then went back and she refilled me to 2.25. The fill center requires you to drink what seems lile alot of water but it helps them know how the fill is working. My point with this 2nd fill story is that having it done under fluoro at the OCC did not help at all to prevent al overfill. Seeing the flow on the screen was not enough. Each persons body reacts differently and I am now a firm believer that fluoro isn't absolutely necessary to perform the fill. Perhaps for a persons peace of mind if you can afford the time and money then yes by all means do fluoro. The non fluoro fill/unfill was absolutely painless and she got my port with no problem. She taught me many things that I had not learned before which has been invaluable information. I will happily go back to her locally for another fill if needed. So far I am still ok 2 months later with restriction. This is a little long but it gives people something to think about.

It is very common to have no BM for a few days after the surgery. I used the benefiber in most of my liquids starting on about day 4 or so and it really helped. I'd give it a try.

I am so glad your fill was a positive experience. Maybe you should start carrying a special pen to sign the autographs requested of you Mrs. Star!! Your input here means so much to everybody and you are always positive it's no wonder everyone knew who you were!! People like you are ones others respect and remember. How do you feel today with your fill? notice any difference?

Just one more thing, I don't think you should cut or crush the medicine you are on. It is an extended release form. If you cut or crush it you will get more medicine right away and then not what you need later in the day. Double check this with your pharmacist for sure. And try not to worry too much about it, just swallow it and sip on that water to help it go down.

I tried muscle milk lite and I think it was some sort of chocolate and I couldn't gag it down. Very sweet with a sort of artificial coconut aftertaste. For me it only took a few sips and I realized it was not for me.

Some pills just can't be crushed nor come in liquids. I have some like that and it is crucial I not miss a dose. I just took it with sips of water and went slowly. I had no problems after surgery but my pills were not huge horse pills or large capsules either. You have to do what you have to do. Do ask Dr. Ortiz or one of his associates about this at the time of surgery but I bet they'll say to take it. That's not one to miss for sure!!

Mona my special banded buddy... I am so happy for you. You certainly win the prize for the stick-to-it plan. Yes restriction is something so elusive we know not what to expect and then one day we have it...YAHOO for you my dear friend. I am psyched. Loss is loss no matter how long it takes. And to be able to fit into the 22's is wonderful. Thank you for hanging in here and showing how the little engine that could CAN!!! :lb10: :lb21: :lb24: :lb10: :lb21: :lb24: :lb21: :lb10:

Leah Lanette first of all :lb9: Secondly :lb10: on making this decision and being ready to take on the challenge. At your age you should be able to kick some butt(literally off :lb16: ) Since you have been wanting this for 3 years I bet you have done your homework. Now is the time to immerse yourself in this forum to get your mind even more ready. You have a great attitude about this. Nothing to be nervous about as far as the surgery or Mexico goes. You are only in the OR maybe 45 minutes total and it takes Dr. Ortiz about 10 - 15 minutes to actually do the surgery. He is a wonderful compassionate Dr. who is in the business of helping folks just like you and me to get healthy. Hope to hear from you more often now on the forum so we can all follow your journey. I get so excited for new people because I remember how I felt before I got my band in June.

Stormy, I am a firm believer that this (meaning after being banded less than one year) is not the time to be changing up medications that you have been using to help with mental health issues. I am sure it would not surprise you to know that I too suffer from several of the same issues as you and Carrie mentioned. I think after being banded for the first year especially we are going through so many more emotions because of the band. We are grieving the loss of food, we are excited to have a "new" lease on life and to follow the recommended eating plan and exercise regime is very difficult and adds to our stress. Just because you have lost some weight your brain has not changed chemically and this is where these types of meds do their work. I am not even sure that if you lost #100 pounds if a competent mental health specialist would think it necessary to cut down on meds. If you are still dealing with the same issues as well as the new band life I don't think your weight related to these types of medication is relevant. Yes certain meds are dosed based on body weight but not psych meds that I know of. There may be some and if so and you are on one of those then yes maybe consider downing dosage after like #50. I encourage you to not get caught up in the stigma of having to take these life saving meds. If you had a heart condition or any other medical diagnoses I don't think you would want to not take what is necessary for you. Too many changes at once causes chaos as I am sure you know now. Get back to your regular dose of Zoloft and perhaps revisit this in 6 months to a year when your weight has stabilized and your are fully adjusted to the band life. You deserve not to feel so out of control so be gentle with yourself and don't try to change too much at once. Hang in there, I care. EDIT: When I wrote this I took for granted the fact that Stormy would call her physician today with her symptoms. I never profess to be a doctor just giving out what I have learned in my 20+ years as a nurse. It seemed not needed to say Call your doctor as it was the obvious thing to do.

Donna I am so happy for you, your are almost a true bandster. Sit back, relax. end enjoy your special "spa time" as I call it. You have met your goal.

:lb21: :lb21: :lb10: I am so happy for you Amy. You are doing so well. I have about 18 more before I hit that wonderful number as well. you are truly an inspiration to me. Thanks for being on this forum.

Linda you look fabulous in that dress. What a great thing you and your son have done. You both look so good. Hugs

The dog whisperer always for a dog this is the order to do things...Exercise, discipline, affection. This dog must be exercised daily, he must be walked daily at least one 30 minute walk if not 2!! The poor thing is going crazy because you are not properly training him and doing the things you should do as a responsible pet owner to socialize him. Puppies are very hard, that's why I did not choose to get one when I got my 2nd dog a few weeks ago. Kim I don't mean to sound harsh but if you don't have the time and dedication to take care of this dog properly he deserves a home that will. Think hard and fast. Fixing him won't magically change how he responds to you. You have not shown pack leader qualities or he would not be doing the things you described. If you are serious about this you can change his behavior fairly quickly. So please for the dog's sake do some soul searching and either commit to his needs or let him go. Better now than in another year or 2. He still has a chance to learn how to obey and he will but you have to work with him DAILLY on this. Sorry for the tough love but I am an animal advocate always.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery. I think most of the questions were answered but here's my 2 cents worth..... I have had zoom here in the states and yes it is cool, the price is good there. However for me I canceled my whitening the day before my surgery and was glad I did. You have to sit with the goop on your teeth and your lips sort of open anywhere from 2-4 times for 20-30 minutes a time and to me after surgery I wasn't going to want to do that. My advice would be to save that for another time if you plan to go back there for a fill. It wouldn't be terrible mind you and lots of people have had it done but I just didn't went to deal with it if I felt bad. It doesn't hurt or anything just the positioning of it and the time in the chair for me did not sound like what I wanted to do after surgery. The broth at the hotel ends up lie $4.00 a bowl, you get a huge bowl though, and yes the tortilla soup ( order the broth of it only and it's only available after like 4 pm) is so delicious I wish I would have had just it. I chose to only have a clear liquid diet, some soup, jello and juice the night before surgery but at least 12 hours before. I know they say nothing after midnight and that is what is always recommended but my digestion is slow and I just wanted a clear track if you know what I mean. Actually I think I only had liquids that day before surgery but that again was just me and my extra assurance. Do as they recommend if you wish but eat very light the night before, don't gorge yourself. And the Italian restaurant outside by the pool is excellent, if you want to splurge on a dessert the night before go there. If you have someone with you they will also enjoy eating there. You can have them bring you broth from the other restaurant inside the hotel as they are just steps away from each other. Other than that you've got great answers from the others. Relax, enjoy your mini vacation and pretend you are just at some cool spa retreat!!! Walking however is highly suggested afterwards so be sure to get in you r laps.

Cara you have alot of great pics. Not so sure I care for the one of me close up though, pretty intense. Oh well we had fun and that's all that matters. Thanks for the memories!!

Mona I'd like them both!!! But my husband says with the new dog we have 3 critters and that is enough!!! But you know if I lived closer it might be a possibility, at least in my mind. My hubbie and would DIVORCE me if I got another new one ...... so soon! Thanks for the darling pics, it really made my day.