ValleyGirl

We've missed you. Glad you're back! Sabrina:)

This pic was taken on vacation in Florida in February by none other than JenniferJS from this forum! We met on the site and I had her photograph our family as a Valentines gift to my husband. My son (seen here) is four and only weighs 40 pounds so I've lost more than a small child, lol!!! Sabrina:)

Despite having no restriction for the past week, I have been white-knucking it and am now down 50 pounds! I was worried I may have a leak but I wonder if my band could also be loosening up because I'm losing weight fairly quickly? My last fill was only 19 days ago and since then I've lost 8 pounds. I was super tight for a few days after the fill but now I can eat lots, just trying to make sure that when I do eat lots, it's lots of good stuff- salads and veggies etc. I'm going to ride it out with willpower until I can afford another fill but it would ease my mind knowing that I may have loosened up so quickly due to the weight loss and not because there is something wrong with my band. I'd love to hear your experiences with fills that don't last. Thanks. Happy Easter everyone! Sabrina:)

I tried the enzymes and it seemed to make it worse so I haven't tried since. I also heard small sips of pineapple juice but was too afraid to pour liquid on top....although that's what my fill centre recommends. Sabrina:)

I have heard that restriction can come and go, but this is nuts. I was so tight after my third fill, I could hardly drink liquids the first few days and now I have no restriction. I've had restrtiction so I know what it feels like and mine is GONE. I'm supposed to have 3 cc's in a 4 cc band but I feel like I did before my first fill....bandster hell again. I really can't afford to go for a fill every three weeks!!! Would they be able to spot a leak with fluoro? Sabrina:)

Yes I remember Evette had this with beef and I had my worst with a wrap. Unfortunately, this may be the first but probably won't be the last time it will happen. Walking never helps me, but if I bend all the way over and touch my toes for a while, the food seems to come up (with a bunch of saliva) so make sure you do this over the toilet. Also, I cut my food to the size of a pencil eraser now and it doesn't seem to be happening anymore. Knock on wood! Sabrina:)

I have no info on the miscarraige rate, but just wanted to say congratulations. Sabrina:)

I remember asking this question to a lady who had been successful with the band (lost over 100#'s) at a seminar at NWWLS in Washington when I first started researching. We asked her what she'd eaten that day and her answer was, "a latte for breakfast, two strawberries for lunch, and 2 chicken strips for dinner.". My mom and I just about fell over. It actually put me off having this surgery....I thought that can not be healthy. Now I see that type of eating is typical of people who have lost LOTS of weight with the band. I'm not there yet. I eat WAY more than that and often wonder if that's how little I'm going to have to eat to get to where I want to be....another 50 or so pounds. I can see how easy it will be to "maintain" a healthy weight eating three small meals per day but to actually LOSE another 50, I'm afraid that, I too, will have to eat about 600 cals per day at most. That seems to be my magic number. Sabrina:)

Okay, I'm sold! I have pretty small arms and legs and a tiny face so I look skinny from the waist up but my stomach is a mess after having two huge babies. My son was over 11 pounds! What a transformation!!! I really want to do this now. Thanks for posting pics. Sabrina:)

So the sweet little girl-guides are out knocking on doors, selling their cookies again. I bought some mint ones last time they were around and still have all 4 boxes. That's how good I've been about staying awy from the junk. Well, I bought one box of the cream-filled ones just to be nice and since my kids witnessed the transaction, there was no hiding them. They wanted some cookies and milk before bed. I said yes and decided to join them for one.....I mean two (have to try both flavours, right?). Oops, did I just eat THREE? How is it that I don't feel any tightness in my chest? It's a MIRACLE, maybe I'll have one more.....FOUR FREAKIN COOKIES BEFORE BED!!!! This morning the scale was up one pound....and I deserved it! Sabrina:)

You don't look like you need your arms done- you look GREAT! Way to go! And as long as you don't mind people staring at your chest, go for the D...cause, with some perky new D's, they will be staring all right, you go girl!!! Sabrina:)

As you know, this happened to me last weekend too and I was planning on going for an unfill Thursday but by Monday afternoon I loosened right up...I think I irritated the area and took others advice to do liquids for a few days and if it didn't improve, to get the unfill- which worked. I've been eating like a "normal" person for almost a week now! Three small meals per day. No problems. Sabrina:)

Almost40, (me too) you crack me up. Yeah, I was probably larger the double-d but I refused to buy big old granny bras so that's why I say "over-flowing". A prper bra fitting would probably have measured an F! It's funny, so many on here are dying to buy some boobs. I'm so happy to see mine GONE! Take `em, lol! Sabrina:)

I didn't want to seem insensitive so I didn't respond earlier but I was thinking you sounded like maybe you were a little "off" emotionally so that may explain it. I understand. I was VERY emotional after surgery...there is so much going on in your head, so many changes, and not sleeping or eating for days doesn't help. Try to rest and be good to yourself. I'm certain you'll start feeling better soon- although I still can't sleep on my left side at four months post-op. Best of luck to you. Sabrina:)

Oh Pammie! Please say it isn't so. Mine is just about six and what a DIVA...you mean to say I have almost twenty years to go????? Ahhhhhhh!!! Sabrina:)

I had my gallbladder out six weeks after my first child was born. I just couldn't cope with night-time feedings and night-time gallbladder attacks (which is when I always got mine). The recovery from this surgery is about the same as lap-band....should be fine withing five days. I don't know how bad your pain is when you have an attack, but mine were worse than my labour pains so it was an easy decision for me- take that thing OUT! My sister and close friend have the attacks too but their pain is more manageable so they've opted to not have surgery and instead try to watch what they eat, avoiding fatty foods. Sabrina:)

My third fill was a couple weeks ago and waht a doozie! my fill centre has us do 24 hours liquid and 24 mushie but I think I wasn't choosing mushy enough and irritated the area so I went back on liquids for a few days and now I'm fine. This is what I was hoping would happen. It just worked itself out. I still drink my breakfast, but I can eat solid proteins by noon so lunch and dinner aren't a problem anymore- unless I take too big a bite. I feel much better now. B ut, trust me, I won't be asking for more fill any time soon! Sabrina:)

Yes, but even when I've lost this amount of fat before, I never lost my boobs. I can't make sense of why this time they've gone down. I had every intention of getting a reduction since no matter how much I'd lost in the past, they never shrunk! Don't need to now. Sabrina:)

I have lost 50 pounds a few times in the past five years and I never seem to lose from my chest. This time though, my boobs are dissapearing! I wonder why? I'm not doing any exercize for that area. I have been an over-flowing Double D for as long as I can remember and suddenly I'm a C-cup! Strange. Sabrina:)

You're so sweet! Where is Maple Valley? Sabrina:)

I find it's easier to notice the signs if there are absolutely no distractions when I'm eating. No eating in front of the tv, no eating on the run. As much as possible, I sit down to eat with my family. First, I have a glass of water (and then no more drinking for an hour)....then I put the proper portion in front of me (use one of my kids plates) and sometimes I can eat it all and not feel "full" but I'm certainly not hungey either. Other times I am full after only a few bites (I start feeling a heaviness in my chest) it sucks because I WANT to eat the rest but I don't want the pain so I wait and chat with my family and try again later. I really try to get that meal down at some point because I don't believe two mouthfuls per meal is nutritionally sound....although sometimes I forget to go back and finish it....you should see how many little plates of my left-overs are in the fridge right now! What a fab collection of plates too....Dora the Explorer , Diego, Hannah Montannah, High School Musical, hahaha. Sabrina:)

Almost halfway to goal.....50 pounds to go!!!

How close to goal weight should you be for a tt? I'm averaging a weight-loss of ten pounds per month, so I could be at my goal by the end of summer. Although my "goal" weight is still quite high. I'm aiming for 160 since I was 150 in 8th grade and can't imagine weighing the same as I did in 8th grade!!! Although 160 is heavy for some, on my frame it translates to a very healthy-looking size 10. Will they do a tt if you're still a little overweight? Sabrina:)

Hooray Julie!!! I wish I could fly back for fills there too. I'm going to try to go for a check-up on my 1-year bandiversary and kill 2 birds with one stone celebrating my ten-year anniversary in SD at the same time. I PRAY I'll be at goal by then!!! Best of luck to you...and hope it's warming up out there in the Prairies! Sabrina:)

I feel bad now, like I was fishing for compliments. You guys have made my day, though, so if I was, it worked. You've all made me feel better. Thanks!!! Sabrina:)