Smiley

I'm from Missouri and in the Kansas City area. I have been off of this site for a long while, but it is time for me to get to gettin' again. Got a fill scheduled for tomorrow!

I just got back on the forum after being off for almost 3 years. After reading your post I am just plain curious, what did you find out?

I'm not sure where your port is at currently, but mine is about 1/2 and inch to the right of my belly button and about 1/2 an inch above it, which is really in the way. My doctor was looking at putting it right under my sternum and bra line. There is a soft pad of tissue there that he would have put it under if I had had the money to pay for that procedure. Maybe some day I will add that scar to my expensive little body.

Don't pick a goal weight, pick a goal size. Determine what size you feel comfortable in and what size people say you look great at and go for it. I thought I would get down to 142, but being a size 10 at 160 is perfectly fine with me. That is half the size I used to be. If I went down to an 8 I would look sick and I don't want that. Besides, having been heavy our bones add extra bulk to carry us around and that also adds extra weight to us, especially those who have been fat all of their lives - like me.

I agree with Angie. I have always heard 3/4 to 1 cup of food at each meal, with most people doing a cup. If you are truely hungry and getting headaches from being so, you need to listen to your body and eat - within reason of course. Where did you get your surgery done?

I don't think I can change anything else right now. LapBand in 2008, TT and Arm Lift in 2009 and red hair in 2010. I now need someone on the other side of things to get to gettin'. I am being as patiently impatient as I can.

I still have to remind myself that being full is not the goal, being satisfied is. I can get anything and everything down, but I still have restriction. Restriction doesn't mean that all of this stuff gets stuck or will not go down necessarily, restriction means that you eat a cup of the foods you are supposed to eat and you feel satisfied. If you do not "feel" satisfied then you have to determine if it is head hunger you are dealing with or truely physical hunger.

So glad that was the problem and that it has now been fixed. I would so love to have my port relocated b/c it seems to either hit everything or everything hits it. Anyone want a couple of kittens as they are 100% accurate at landing on it every time they jump up on me?

I was right with you Tuesday. Yesterday I added some of the sauce to my rice to prevent the golfball feeling.

Hmmm - that is a new one. Have you tried eating something in the morning or at least having a protein shake. Usually people get quesy if their blood sugar drops, but maybe nausea is your symptom. You might want to give your primary doctor a call as well since this doesn't really sound band related to me.

Disclaimer: I have not read the entire article because I am once again at the library and once again supposed to be working on my dissertation but once again am being a slacker. And then I wonder why I keep having to shell out money each semester because I am not done yet. Anyway, here are my thoughts: A. The surgery she had is a much higher risk surgery than having the band. B. You should never choose the cheapest doctor for any surgery just because they are the cheapest. I could have used a cheaper band doctor here in the states, but I wanted to go to WTLSC and am happy I did, even though I know of others who are happy with the cheaper ones. I also could have gone to the plastic surgeon that was cheaper, but his office was kind of like a cattle call. The surgeon I chose I am absolutely in love with and after spending 2 hours consulting with him and no money, he was the one I chose b/c I was 100% comfortable with him. C. After writing B I realized that you should never choose the cheapest of anything just because it is the cheapest. You need to make sure it is what you are comfortable with and that you will be able to live with the consequences of it being cheap. Now, as for the box of salt I bought the other day, I did choose the cheapest one, but that is something I can live with and be comfortable with. However choosing a brand of salt at Wal-Mart is much different than choosing a doctor to cut me open and in this case rearrange my innerds.

You should not feel pain when you have proper restriction as long as you are eating the proper foods and chewing them properly. Although, on occasion I must admit that something may surprise you, but this should be a rare occurence. When you have proper restriction you feel a normal fullness after eating about a cup of food. There is a nerve with a medical name at the top of your pouch which is what signals your brain that you are full and it works the same whether you are banded or not, it is just that it kicks in sooner with much less food on a banded person. As a side and not a need by any means to know I have good restriction, sometimes after drinking or eating I get a sound like a clogged drain finally breaking loose and draining right in the area of my band once everything has gone thru. Luckily I have only heard it at home so hopefully no one else has heard it in public. One girl I know of describes it as her band being musical, but I cannot bring myself to think of my band as being musical.

When was your last fill? Do you have restriction? Are you eating no more than a cup of food at a time and in the proper porportions? Are you eathing slider foods? Are you exercising? Are you eating 60-80 grams of protein a day? Are you drinking at least 64 ounces of the proper liquids each day? Have you contacted your doctor about this? Okay, I will stop with the questions for now.

Well PB on him. He obviously was not willing to be the supportive one to help you get thru this time, so maybe it is best that he goes which might in the end alleviate one of the stressful issues in your life. You are not the only one that has had significant restriction issues. There have been others on this board that had problems with their band slamming shut even though they were completely unfilled. Take heart that we are with you and you will get thru this yucky time and come out a stronger person on the other side. When you did find that perfect man, let me know if he has a brother.

Around here they do a complete unfill and the liquids when someone stretches their pouch. Were you completely unfilled once they discovered it? As for the carbonated drinks my center says absolutely none for 6 months after surgery and they still are not really recommended after that. At am partaking of one at the present time, but I make sure that I go slowly and allow each drink to go thru the band before I take another drink b/c the carbonation does cause all of that fizz which can stretch the pouch with the gas that it creates. Sounds like you are doing better which is good to hear. Stay with us on here and we will help get you thru.