LisaLaw

bandster rule: No drinking liquids when eating. You will create a "washing machine type" issue with your pouch. Not only can it contribute to turning your pouch into the size of an Apple (at which point they will totally unfill you), but you want to be able to learn your ability to eat bite-sized pieces. tiny bites and small portions.

I saw your question a few days ago and decided to offer my perspective. After a fill, I do not drink 'alot' of cold water because I am typically a bit swollen and it feels like a slow pipe. I prefer to drink alot of green tea, Earl Grey and peppermint tea (which by the way is excellent for our tummies and nausea). The warmth feels good and I believe it helps relax my new fill a bit. Personally, I was once VERY tight and had the same issue you are going through. It took FOREVER for anything to go down. Even just an ounce. After hoping for 6 days things would settle down, I went and had .2 removed. It was like the floodgates were opened. If you are having to wait for 1-2 ounces of water to go down, I would suggest getting a fluoro...or at the very least .2-.4 removed. You do NOT want to pooch your pouch (or keep the irritation going and have a slippage). Keep us posted. xoxo

18 lbs? That is fabulous! considering you are only allowed liquids for 10-14 days, that puts you at the first week of November. 18 lbs in 8 weeks my dear is a very tidy sum. Do not cut yourself short. You could be 18 lbs heavier. Congrats. I am still trying to grapple with the whole 'lesion' thing. How did this all start? I hope you are okay and healing well. For you to now consider Plication just goes to show you how badly we all want to live healthy lives without food being our crutch. xoxo

I always get the roasted chicken from Costco or Fred Meyer and then portion it out. I have not been able to eat dried out grilled chicken for two years...nor am I going to drench it in sauce to get it down. The roasted chickens are always crazy moist and do not require sauce dipping

Great commentary CG One of our bandster sisters is considering switching to plication. Personally myself? I am sick of fills, but I have had some great success to this point with the band. I know nothing about plication, but was wondering if you can stretch your tummy out just like a gastric bypass. someone I work with had a GB 8 years ago...he got real thin and now he is right back up to 400 lbs. he completely stretched out his stomach again. very sad. so do you have to do the 21 days of liquids as well? what kinds of portion sizes are you allowed? oodles and congrats!

So I am just curious. one of our bandster sisters has had her band since Spring of 2008. she is thinking of having it removed and getting a plication done, since she has not lost any weight in a year. Have either of you had a band? Hope you are feeling great! I have no idea what a plication is, but it sounds like the hot new thing.

YUM!! so simple and easy (for $2.00 more, you can put fresh veg in). I love meals that are low cal, healthy and dont require alot of thought.

Tobi This is a terrific website from a dr. down in TJ about the symptoms of slippage <http://arturorodriguezmd.com/lap-band-slippage-causes-and-prevention>

Kotex...who knew?

I would say if you have hit goal, don't touch a thing I haven't had my band checked since April of 2009, so I am heading in next Friday for a checkup and potential fill as I am on the last 30 lbs to get off. Once I hit goal, I am taking Dr. Os advice and only doing a check every few years.

Denise Of all the women on this board who have had a TT, you have the most shapely, well done TT I have ever seen. I am seriously thinking of heading to see Dr Campos myself, I used to have the most fabulous curves until having kids, I want them back! You my dear friend have Marilyn Monroes curves..and I am damn jealous! LOL xoxo you much Cara

SO glad you posted this Pammie! I put this on my Facebook page as a warning to people. I had actually considered going up there to have my inner thighs done as I know someone who went to this guy and he did her waist and hips. She went from a size 14 to a 10 in 4 hours. Now she is freaking out because an unlicensed Dr did the work! I am having my Dr. (Dr. Philip Haeck-president of the PS board in the US) at Swedish do my breast lift, but seriously thinking of going to Denises dr in TJ for my TT and lipo - Denise has THE best TT I have ever seen done...hands down!

Fabulous!! thank you for sharing such a low cal yummy treat.

craziness. I had my band slam shut about a month ago for nearly a week. I am thinking of heading to Olympia to get things checked out myself and also doing band test. Fortunately, I have those glorious anti-nauseal pills that Lisal told me to get which TOTALLY help with acid reflux, I would be up the creek without a paddle at times because it seems like the smaller I am getting, the more acidy I get. I have also noticed that when I 'slouch' in the middle (not paying attention to crappy posture) I get REALLY crampy in my gut. keep us posted. I am really glad I read this. C

ooo..I love it! That is hysterical. my NSV happened this morning as my husband grabbed my hips (and waist - yes! I have one again!) and said "wow, you are losing so much weight and look amazing" that felt pretty damn good!

I second what Lindsay just said. My excessive cooking has come to a nice slow idle. IF I can't(OR SHOULDN'T) eat it...I rarely make it even for the family. I now cook alot of "clean" foods, which are just better all around.

That is tough. My encouragement would be two things. #1 - be in control of your situations. This will eliminate the insatiable need to patrol your kitchen like a shark (we all do it in the beginning) and will also make you stop needlessly/blindly cooking enough food for an army. #2. I had the head hunger for a solid 3-4 months before it began to wane. Once you hit the fill you need to be at to eliminate your physical hunger, the mental hunger will begin to go away as well and will allow you to make conscious decisions. Keep your chin up and a smile on your face.

Well, I am THRILLED to read that. I have a 6 inch scar on my throat that looks like I was attacked at a damn truck stop and already I have noticed from using Vitamin E oil daily, it is less red and is actually starting to become the color of my regular skin. I had never heard that Vitamin E was bad. Actually, Vitamin E is used in tons of skin creams for anti-aging benefits, used as an antioxidant (maybe that is why I look 27? ) and for forms of psoriasis. My neurosurgeon Dr. P. Mummaneni at University of Cal-San Francisco is one of the top in his field (yes, I flew from Seattle to ONLY have him reconstruct my neck - he is that good), so for him to tell me to prick a capsule and rub the oil on my scar..I do it. I have seen a huge difference that is for sure. I can't imagine it would not benefit our tummy scars as well.

I agree. it is very slow...and that is why I never stuck with it before. I just enjoy the treadmill and stairmaster far better. BUT, slow is good and I was told this is all I am allowed for now. I will take what I can get!

So I am completely thrilled! I had neurosurgical spine surgery on my neck 12 weeks ago. The day before surgery, I ran 4 miles with the Pacific Ocean as my view. I have not been able to do any form of exercise for three months and I just got cleared to begin physical therapy AND yoga. So I am meeting with the director of this studio who is certified in dealing with people who have owies such as mine. I will of course have to go slow..but I am thrilled to death to finally get to do something! For those of you who have never tried Yoga (kundalini, bikram, etc), it is AMAZING and gives you such peace of mind as well as showing you muscles you never knew you had. It makes your body leaner as it stretches the muscle and has this magical way of making you look more graceful when you walk. It also kicks those core muscles magically as well. Bikram also burns more calories than you can imagine. Example: a 190 lb person who takes a class for 90 minutes will burn 1,259 calories! (yes..really)

Hi...I never put Vitamin E on my incisions...maybe I should have now. I actually just had spine surgery in my neck and have a 6 inch long scar on my neck. My neurosurgeon stated that as soon as the majority of scab had healed to immediately take a vit E capsule..prick it with a needle and rub it on there. He stated that it would help the scar and encourage it to heal faster. I began doing this about 3 weeks after my surgery and WOW...what a huge difference it has made..the massaging of the E oil into it has also encouraged better healing from stimulating blood flow. So that would be my advice. Or just call the OCC.

Amen Angie!! LOL

I am still using it, although very infrequently, I typically forget to take them It has definately eliminated much of the belly fat I had. I have not been able to exercise from my spinal surgery and I firmly believe it helped to break the plateau I was stuck on for seven months.