Smiley

If you think you need a fill now, but are not planning on getting one before your surgery, then I definitely would not have an unfill because of the surgery. I have had 2 surgeries since my lap band and didn't have an unfill for either one. In fact, when I had my knee and foot done I had just had a fill the day before and was on liquids the day of the surgery, except for the graham cracker I had to eat with the pain meds. I think all you need to do is have your ducks in a row in case you do need an unfill after the surgery by knowing who you can go to locally, but I seriously doubt you will need it. The last thing you want to do is be too loose while you are just hanging around your house and the fridge for the weeks you will spend recovering at home. I know the swelling can move to areas other than the incision site, but the band is up between your breasts and your TT incision will be just at your pubic line, the crease that I could see when I moved my fat roll - I know, TMI. They are far enough apart that I don't see there being a problem, at least there wasn't for me. You will probably still be tight in the mornings, but you will just have to rely on a protein shake or regular fluids such as water and milk and then get the rest of your protein in later in the day. 2 cups of milk = 16 grams of protein and I start every day off with 2 cups. A lot of people find they are tighter in the morning, so it may have nothing at all to do with fluid retention. Have you tried drinking 8 to 16 ounces of water within the hour before you go to bed to see if that helps with the fluid retention? Gotta go - fixin' to be late for church and the 3 year old mania!

AngieB answered your PB question. I don't know what lsagenix is either. As for not drinking while eating, I have no problem with that. I just don't put anything to drink in front of me. Honestly, I am so tired of drinking the same old stuff anymore that there are some days that I could go all day without drinking anything at all (I do not recommend this). At restaurants I order a water and leave it where the waitress puts it only because I get tired of explaining that I really don't want anything to drink. You can do this! Welcome to your journey to a new you!

YOU GO GIRL! Way to jerk a knot in his tail. I don't run because I am scared of getting black eyes and no one is chasing me with a knife, but I am proud of you for running and for completing the Zoo Run.

I don't have gallstones but I do have a dead gallbladder compliments of my weight loss, but I'd do it all over again. You seriously need to call your doctor first thing tomorrow morning. This doesn't sound like a situation in which those of us on this forum can diagnose/help you with, other than to say "Call Your Doctor!"

I have had two surgeries since being banded and didn't have a problem either time. First surgery I took a pain pill before I left the surgery center and did just fine. I had had a fill the day before this surgery and had asked both doctors if that would be okay and they said it would. The only thing I refused to do after the surgery was take and anti-inflammatory meds. I agreed to get some in my IV, but refused the pills, this was a little bewildering to the anesthesia guy, but he lived. For my TT I had no problem either and didn't even eat anything at all after the surgery that day. The nice part is that I didn't get hungry either, but I was ready for some breakfast the next morning. You will do fine tomorrow. Just give us an update when you are able to.

Don't feel that you have to tell anyone about the band if you don't want to. I tell the people that I don't want to know my business that I have been working out more, eating less and drinking lots of water. That is 100% the truth and would generate productive weight loss by itself. The secret for us however is that we have the band which helps keep us accountable as do the meetings for those on Weight Watchers, ours is just an internal accountability rather than an external accountability. When telling a few people I have prefaced my announcement by saying I took the easy way out (even though I don't believe that 100%) in an attempt to not have them judge me. I have no idea if they would or would not have judged me - and I don't really care. However, they always follow it up with it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as it works for you and trust me, it has worked for me. I have been drinking a huge glass of OJ everyday and someone made the comment today that people like me can do that. I am not sure what she meant by that because she has known me for 6 years and knows how heavy I used to be. While I did kind of want to know what she meant, partially to see if she knows about the band because she is one that I have specifically chosen to not tell, I chose to just ignore the comment as if I hadn't heard her and kept walking back to my desk. When all is said and done, the only person that make you feel less guilty is you - you just have to buck up and remember all of the positive reasons you decided to do this.

It went better than expected. Getting up and moving around helped, plus it was another hour or so after this post that I finally went to bed.

Congratulations! =D> My feet were the last thing to go down and I didn't even realize they had until I started trying to wear my winter shoes and kept walking out of them. So, there is still hope for those of you wishing to wear a smaller size, or width as was my case. I never would have worn high heel boots two years ago either, but after Christmas last year I got some 3 inch ones and they will rarely leave my feet this winter. It is amazing the things you will try/do when you are so much smaller.

that I am going to have a hard time getting to sleep tonight. My tummy currently sounds like a 20 piece orchestra playing The Gurgling Song with a special guest appearance by The Rumblers. I find these noises to be rather neat at most other times during the evening, but not when I am trying to sleep or when surrounded by a lot of other people. :lb12:

Well, I did get to see the most important one - just hoping something will come of that one some day. As for the one I didn't get to see, I just wanted to make him jealous, so it was probably a good thing he didn't come because that wouldn't have been nice. If only we were the original ones to think up this thing, we could have gone on that Shark Tank show - or whatever it is. Let me know when you are coming to KC, I am always up for a steak. Maybe we could get Shelby to jump in as well. 3 of us sharing one steak should be rather economical and funny at the same time. We would probably have to tip the bewildered server pretty well.

This is my first week back after two weeks of vacation. I behaved pretty well during vacation, even though I allowed myself a few treats along the way, mainly when I was driving because I would spend 9 to 16 hours in the car at a time and I needed something to do to help me stay awake. However, now that I am back and supposed to be behaving myself I am craving sweets. I finally decided to let it go the rest of this week and then get back on track on Sunday. I will be at the Chiefs game and even though they might have sweets there, there is no way I am willing to pay the big bucks for them.

Thanks Kristi and Pammie! It does feel great and what felt just as good is when I got on the scale and discovered I was only up 1 pound from where I was two weeks ago when I left. I would say this is more accurate than last nights estimate of 2.5 pounds as I was weighing at the same time and in the same manner I did two weeks ago. If only a certain someone had been there to see me because I would have loved for him to have seen me. Even though another friend was there that will absolutely tell him, it just isn't the same. Guess that is what I get for wanting to be a little show off.

My TT and Arm Lift made all of the difference for me. Even after losing 70 pounds I still felt like I looked the same because I had the same rolls in the same places, they were just smaller. I had wanted my arms done for many years and even though the scar is long, I am more comfortable with it than I was with the loose skin that swung in the breeze. After the TT the change in my body was extremely visible to me and everyone else, especially the friends I have seen over the past two weeks that had no clue I had even lost weight. It will probably be at least another year, but I am already anticipating my inner thigh lift and breast reduction. My boobs have always been southern bells and have never been interested in the northern territories, but from what I understand a lift is part of the reduction and I cannot wait. If you have the ability to start saving for plastic surgery now I would absolutely do it. Even if you decide later you don't need the plastic surgery you already have a fund set aside to take a nice vacation or something like that.

The unfortunate part is that the doctor's reputation is muddied because of problems with his staff. I am sure the doctor 100% believed what he said to you, it is just that his office staff did not follow thru appropriately. More than likely he will never even know that this happened. Too bad you can't get a letter or something like that thru to him. I had my surgery at another facility here in KC where Dr. Selim and other doctor's work out of that is not associated with KU. He was not my doctor and I really don't know of anyone that has had their surgery with him, but I can tell you the staff at that center take care of their patients, or at least they did me and the other 15 or so people that I know of that went there. PM me if you would like the information on that center.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question about protein. I posted the question on the 4th of Oct. and then left town on the 5th. I was able to read everyone's posts but I couldn't post any of my own because I couldn't remember my password and being on a different wireless network my own computer didn't recognize me. After 2 weeks, 9 states and 2500 miles I am back at home. The morning I left I had lost 85 pounds and even though I ate my way thru these 9 states, I am pleased to say that I only gained 2.5 lbs. while I was gone and those can easily be taken off in the next week or so with exercise and water, both of which I was horrible about while I was gone. I got to see a lot of my old friends and co-workers, but every meeting involved restaurant food, so I don't think 2.5 lbs. is too bad. A couple of years ago I would have gained 10 lbs. or more on a trip like this. A lot of the people I reconnected with didn't know I had lost weight and every last one of them looked me in the face, said hi and then allowed their eyes to travel from my head to my toes, usually with a confused look on their face. :-? Even the ones who knew I had lost the weight and had periodically seen pictures along the way were kind of shocked when they saw me in person. I love the new me! =D>

I did count my protein and water while I was losing, but other than that your comments are pretty much what I choose to do as well. My goal is to live a normal life.

I had my TT in April and had no problems. Although, now that the swelling has completely disappeared (at least I think it has), my port is right under my skin and shows as a slight bump, but not enough to be seen thru my clothes, or even without them unless you are specificically looking for it. I am thinking of going to a lap band surgeon to have my gallbladder removed in hopes of getting my port repositioned at the same time.

6 years ago I lost 40 lbs. and had my ring sized down from a 9 to a 7. Even when I regained the weight my fingers stayed the same. Now I need to have it taken down to a 6 or 6.5. Since it is big on me I have been wearing it on my middle finger for safety's sake. My grandma gave me a turquoise ring about 15 years ago. At that time it was a pinky ring and eventually became too tight for my pinky. I now wear it on my ring finger but it is loose and when my hands are really cold I can sometimes get it over the knuckle on my middle finger. Never would have thought a too tight pinky ring would end up on my middle finger on occassion. As for some of my other rings, since the stones are not real they cannot be resized as the jeweler said the stones would melt during the resizing process.

I eat both of the Chili's salads from time to time and have no remorse whatsoever. I order them with grilled chicken and then only eat 1/4 to 1/3 of the salad. The entire salad is a lot, but when split into 3 or 4 meals it isn't too bad to have on occasion. Besides, lettuce is made up mainly of water and my fill doc said I could have 2 cups of lettuce without any worries because of the water content.

My gallbladder has died as well. I am waiting to choose my time to have it removed because I don't have any stones and it is not causing me any pain. Your gallbladder stores bile that is needed to process fatty foods. Since you are not necessarily eating much of that anymore it really isn't something you need. This is a very common occurrence for people that lose a significant amount of weight, be it fast or slow.

I don't think you always PB up the offending piece(s) of food. Sometimes the movement of the stomach during the PB of the most recently swallowed stuff is enough to dislodge the offending piece(s) and move it/them into a better position to allow it/them to go thru.

You find out the plates at RuthChris steakhouse have metal coils in them to keep the food warm and you immediately start developing a plan to get your hands on some of them, be it legal or illegal.

Go ahead and tell them what you are on - here are your options. On track to be skinnier than they are by Christmas. A lot of healthy foods and water. A mission to get even hotter than you already are/were. A mission to improve your life. I know, I am a smarty pants so my suggestion might not be the best option for a good working relationship.

I gurgle like the kitchen sink when I have good restriction. Some people are very tight in the morning and have to stick to a protein shake in the morning. Others can drink coffee or hot tea and get their band to loosen up enough that they can then eat some solid food. Cold foods such as cottage cheese can cause the band to restrict a little bit so that might be part of the problem. Having 7 cc's after your 2nd fill seems mighty aggressive to me. I didn't get up to 7 cc's until my 8th or 9th fill. I was banded in the states but my doctor wasn't milking me for any money with this many fills, as many on this site seem to assume. I had a follow up appointment monthly, usually with a fill, for the first year after my surgery at no additional cost.

I have basically reached my goal but now I am finding that I am doing a horrible job of getting in 60 grams of protein each day. I am eating a wide variety of foods, maintaining a one cup serving and not gaining weight at all and drinking anywhere from 48 to 64+ ounces of liquid a day. I never really counted my protein prior to my lap band, but I seriously doubt I got 60 grams a day then. I do weigh every morning so I will know if I start gaining weight. How important do you all think it is to continue to get in 60 grams of protein if you are not actively trying to lose weight?