Re: Swallowing technique- Thanks !! (my second-fill saga)

[Guest guest]

Oh , ,

. (can you see me shaking my head). You are a perfect example of what NOT

TO DO girl! Sorry, but I have to give you a small kick in the arse here. J You are supposed to be able to eat at least a cup to a cup

and a half of SOLID food. Not chilli, or tuna, or soup---solid meat or chicken

with some veggies. Oh and pasta never goes down smoothly, you should have been

picking out the shrimp for yourself and giving the pasta to Timmy!! You are

WAYYY to tight and you are hurting your band, even if it has let up. I promise

you, if you get a teeny tiny unfill, it will help you sooo much and you will

still lose weight. All that PB’ing can cause a slip as you know.

(Especially if it is to the point of actual stomach acid coming back up). I

have to agree with hubby, the point of the band was not to turn you into a bulimic!!

Ok enough butt

kicking for now. J I do hope the swallowing technique

helps you. I am glad things have loosened up a bit but if you have been

experiencing any heartburn (I am sure you have), your throat hurting from so

much PB-ing, or a sudden propensity for taking tums and other antacids, you are

still too tight. Dang, I guess that was one last kick. J

M

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007

10:41 AM

Subject:

Swallowing technique- Thanks !! (my second-fill saga)

,

Thanks so much for the hint on the swallowing technique..I'll

definitely have to give that a try.

I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly tight

ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I really

was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt restriction

after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads, veggies,

chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any sliming,

PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I even

had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food as much

as an experience..

Second fill.....completely different experience. I went back and

started with clear liquids, my clear protein drinks, and each time I

tried to progress to anything more than cream soups, I'd quickly go

from PB'ing, to actual emesis. The rushing from the dinner table became

such a constant event that my beloved husband, who initially was not

supportive of the lapband but has certainly come to appreciate what it

has done for me, struggles on a daily basis to hold back his comments.

He started with concern and suggested repeatedly that I go back to Dr.

Brinkley ( My fill doc in Frederick,

Md) for an unfill. Blah, blah,

blah, I put that off, my schedule is too crazed. Then he brought home

whole-food vegetable and fruit powder for me to add to my protein

shakes and reminded me on a regular basis that just because I am a

nurse does not mean that I cannot occasionally seek the assistance of

another health care professional. Finally, he looked at me one night,

and said, " not for nothin, honey, but if you had been this good at the

bulemia trick before, you would never have needed the lapband in the

first place. " I would have smacked him a good one, but I was running to

the bathroom to reach the toilet in time to get rid of the half-cup of

chicken rice soup that was trying to get back out.....

I got to have several really humiliating experiences during this stage.

I live in a veryyyy small town, and in addition to my real full time

job as a psychiatric nurse, my husband and I own a computer store here

in town. In the past, after we'd close up shop on Saturday night, my

husband, my 6 year old son and I would walk two shops down to a lovely

little Italian restaurant. So, of course, we know all of the staff

there, the owner, and usually all of the other patrons as well. (Yes,

the type of small town where the cashier at the grocery store will ask

me how Timmy ( my son) is, if he doesn't happen to be with me..)

Two weeks ago we went there, and while my husband and son enjoyed

calamari, which sadly I suspect I will never attempt again, I was

having a few bites of a child-sized portion of pasta and shrimp creme

marinara......Not the shrimp, of course, the guys were picking those

out of my bowl, and I was trying to figure out how long to chew a bite

of pasta in order to keep it down. Second bite, stuck.......very very

very stuck. I tried sipping water to get it down, with no

success....And then ended up making a mad dash through the dining room

of the restaurant and made it ALMOST to the hallway leading to the

restrooms before I exploded. Onto the floor. Directly in front of the

kitchen, the waitstaff, and, yes, on the carpet just inches away from

where the tile hallway began. I continued on into the ladies room,

vomited until it hurt, and then cried for about 15 minutes. Two of the

young waitresses came into the ladies room, and kept telling me that

they had to clean that up all the time ( which is really kind of funny

when you arent the one who MADE the mess they had to clean up) and that

no one noticed a thing. really.....

Second most embarrasing moment- one of our attending psychiatrists,

trying to give a little boost to the staff, brought in lunch for all of

the nurses. He had stopped at a sub shop, and brought everyone else

tuna and chicken salad, and very proudly told me that he knew that I

was doing SOMETHING since I was losing so much weight, so he had asked

the sub shop staff for the best option for a dieter- and brought me a

low fat turkey breast sub, loaded with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers,

sprouts, etc. and no dressing. It was so thoughtful of him, that I

didn't have the heart to try and trade with someone else for a

spoonfull of their dripping with mayo tuna salad..... So I sat

there, picked out a few bites of the turkey breast, smiled......and

then almost knocked him over trying to get to the trash can, since the

only staff restroom was occupied at the moment. Ahhh,, but where else

can you share lunch with your coworkers, yak it up while they are still

eating, directly in front of them, and have no one miss a beat? God

bless nurses.

After a month of this incredible tightness- being unable to handle more

than sips of water ( sugar free flavored water laced with liquid

vitamins, protein powder, and the afformentioned vegetable and fruit

powers)- and even that sometimes seems to get stuck if I try to drink

it sitting down- I really was just about ready to call and schedule an

little unfilling session, when things finalllllllllllllllly started to

ease up a bit. I can now eat a few bites of heavier soups, chili, etc,

and even had about 3 ounces of laquered salmon and got to enjoy it only

once, as it did not reappear moments later. Success!

I think that part of the problem is that I am a yakker. Meaning I talk

(yak) during meals. Which, sadly, leads to more yakking (PB'ng)

immediately following the meal, or actually, more often during the meal.

I'm going to CONTINUE to try to chat before and after meals, instead of

during, and hope that with that, and with your swallowing technique, I

may progress to something that actually requires chewing. Chewing

oatmeal is boring. It is SO hard to tell when you are DONE!

The REALLY good news is that my weight has gone from 276 lbs in July of

2006, to 184 pounds as of this morning. 92 pounds gone forever, from

size 28 to a l8 ( and looking at the size 16's for next week) in seven

months. Amazing.

[Guest guest]

, you are so absolutely delightful to read. I always enjoy your banter

and descriptions. I have my second fill on the 24th. Like you, I have had

little to no restriction with my first 1.4cc fill. However, I am glad that

is all I got the first time so that I could adjust to it. We'll see how it

goes.

I also have an announcement. According to my home scales, I have lost 25

pounds---FINALLY! Of course, that is standing on the scale stark

naked---not the same way they will let me weigh at Almater--LUCKILY FOR

EVERYONE! ))

So good to hear from you and we are all so very proud of your success. I

laughed at your restaurant pbing. Same thing happend to me one night at our

local Spanish restaurant...that yellow rice got so stuck, I darted back and

forth to the potty room and finally had it wrapped up and left. Same thing

happened one night at Applebees. I finally stood out in the parking lot

pding into the landscaping while my hubby finished his dinner alone, paid

the bill and rescued me and took me home. Ain't this band grand?!!!!

C

Tampa

DOB 9-7-06

240/215/150 ish

>From: " " <susan@...>

>

>I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly tight

>ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I really

>was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt restriction

>after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads, veggies,

>chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any sliming,

>PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I even

>had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

>covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food as much

>as an experience..

>

>Second fill.....completely different experience.

[Guest guest]

I was going to respond to this earlier, but I was unable to sit at

the keyboard in order to type....( still rubbing my smacked

backside...

I KNOW, I KNOW and I KNOW!!!!!

, my dear, you are absolutely correct, and I have, in fact, been

resorting to my previous habit of the old " I'm a nurse, I can handle

anything, the only time to see a physician is if you cannot stop the

blood flow once you have removed the axe that was embedded in your

chest.... " An attempt to alter this long-term behaviour pattern

didn't make my New Year's Resolution list this year.....maybe I

should go ahead and pen(cil) it in for 2008?

I read your response to me to my husband last night, when I got home

from work at 9:30pm. Fist, of course, he gave me the ultimate stink-

eye, you know, the one that says without words " sure......PAY

attention to the people online, and completely disregard the words of

wisdom your loving spouse has to offer..... " (complete with the head

tilt, eyes peering up over his glasses, and raised eyebrows....)

Then, of course, he asked me if I had made my appointment yet for an

unfill. This will sound like I am making excuses, which of course, I

am, but I leave the house at about 5:30 am for my work day, and if I

am lucky, I get home by 8:00pm, the 9:30 pm is more the norm. Most

days, I am lucky if I have time to go to the bathroom, much less to

leave the hospital ( no cell phone zone) in order to try to make a

call. And of course, I cannot reach the office during my commute to

work, as my " free time " does not coincide with any normal human

being's office hours. So that's one excuse. (I think it's a fairly

reasonable one, in my own little rationalizing way)

Secondly, I was truly convinced that if I just followed the initial

post-op diet of progressing from clear liguids, that the issue would

resolve itself. It's been in the more recent days that I have come to

the conclusion that my band truly is too tight.

Lastly, and this is a horrible reason to put off calling the doctor,

especially when, as you so clearly reminded me, NOT doing so could

potentially lead to permanently damaging my band ( thus pissing away

the money that I spent to have it placed, GOD BLESS DR ACEVES- is the

fact that since my insurance does not cover the costs, the $200 cash

fill fee was in my budget- a fee to go back a month later to have the

same cc's of normal saline REMOVED was not, and I was hoping for at

least another paycheck or two before I had to come up with the money.

I did place a call to my fill doctor today, and am hoping for an

appointment for next week- still waiting for them to call me back.

( I only had to work at the hospital from 6:30 am until 2:30 pm today-

a very rare occurence) and so I was able to call the office, and am

now here at the store that I own with my husband, working the

showroom, and typing at the same time. (Standing at the cash

register, naturally, since I may not be able to sit down until

Tuesday <g>

Again, I appreciate your butt-kicking...I needed to hear it. I LOVE

my band, I love the changes that it has allowed me to make in my

life, and I would rather lose a body part than lose my band.

Best wishes,

>

> Oh , , . (can you see me shaking my head). You are a

perfect

> example of what NOT TO DO girl! Sorry, but I have to give you a

small kick

> in the arse here. :-) You are supposed to be able to eat at least

a cup to

> a cup and a half of SOLID food. Not chilli, or tuna, or soup---

solid meat or

> chicken with some veggies. Oh and pasta never goes down smoothly,

you should

> have been picking out the shrimp for yourself and giving the pasta

to

> Timmy!! You are WAYYY to tight and you are hurting your band, even

if it has

> let up. I promise you, if you get a teeny tiny unfill, it will help

you sooo

> much and you will still lose weight. All that PB'ing can cause a

slip as you

> know. (Especially if it is to the point of actual stomach acid

coming back

> up). I have to agree with hubby, the point of the band was not to

turn you

> into a bulimic!!

>

>

>

> Ok enough butt kicking for now. :-) I do hope the swallowing

technique helps

> you. I am glad things have loosened up a bit but if you have been

> experiencing any heartburn (I am sure you have), your throat

hurting from so

> much PB-ing, or a sudden propensity for taking tums and other

antacids, you

> are still too tight. Dang, I guess that was one last kick. :-)

>

>

>

> <http://www.TickerFactory.com/>

>

> M

>

> _____

>

> From:

> [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

> Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 10:41 AM

>

> Subject: Swallowing technique- Thanks !!

(my

> second-fill saga)

>

>

>

> ,

>

> Thanks so much for the hint on the swallowing technique..I'll

> definitely have to give that a try.

>

> I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly

tight

> ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I

really

> was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt restriction

> after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads,

veggies,

> chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any

sliming,

> PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I

even

> had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

> covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food as

much

> as an experience..

>

> Second fill.....completely different experience. I went back and

> started with clear liquids, my clear protein drinks, and each time

I

> tried to progress to anything more than cream soups, I'd quickly go

> from PB'ing, to actual emesis. The rushing from the dinner table

became

> such a constant event that my beloved husband, who initially was

not

> supportive of the lapband but has certainly come to appreciate what

it

> has done for me, struggles on a daily basis to hold back his

comments.

> He started with concern and suggested repeatedly that I go back to

Dr.

> Brinkley ( My fill doc in Frederick, Md) for an unfill. Blah, blah,

> blah, I put that off, my schedule is too crazed. Then he brought

home

> whole-food vegetable and fruit powder for me to add to my protein

> shakes and reminded me on a regular basis that just because I am a

> nurse does not mean that I cannot occasionally seek the assistance

of

> another health care professional. Finally, he looked at me one

night,

> and said, " not for nothin, honey, but if you had been this good at

the

> bulemia trick before, you would never have needed the lapband in

the

> first place. " I would have smacked him a good one, but I was

running to

> the bathroom to reach the toilet in time to get rid of the half-cup

of

> chicken rice soup that was trying to get back out.....

>

> I got to have several really humiliating experiences during this

stage.

> I live in a veryyyy small town, and in addition to my real full

time

> job as a psychiatric nurse, my husband and I own a computer store

here

> in town. In the past, after we'd close up shop on Saturday night,

my

> husband, my 6 year old son and I would walk two shops down to a

lovely

> little Italian restaurant. So, of course, we know all of the staff

> there, the owner, and usually all of the other patrons as well.

(Yes,

> the type of small town where the cashier at the grocery store will

ask

> me how Timmy ( my son) is, if he doesn't happen to be with me..)

> Two weeks ago we went there, and while my husband and son enjoyed

> calamari, which sadly I suspect I will never attempt again, I was

> having a few bites of a child-sized portion of pasta and shrimp

creme

> marinara......Not the shrimp, of course, the guys were picking

those

> out of my bowl, and I was trying to figure out how long to chew a

bite

> of pasta in order to keep it down. Second bite, stuck.......very

very

> very stuck. I tried sipping water to get it down, with no

> success....And then ended up making a mad dash through the dining

room

> of the restaurant and made it ALMOST to the hallway leading to the

> restrooms before I exploded. Onto the floor. Directly in front of

the

> kitchen, the waitstaff, and, yes, on the carpet just inches away

from

> where the tile hallway began. I continued on into the ladies room,

> vomited until it hurt, and then cried for about 15 minutes. Two of

the

> young waitresses came into the ladies room, and kept telling me

that

> they had to clean that up all the time ( which is really kind of

funny

> when you arent the one who MADE the mess they had to clean up) and

that

> no one noticed a thing. really.....

>

> Second most embarrasing moment- one of our attending psychiatrists,

> trying to give a little boost to the staff, brought in lunch for

all of

> the nurses. He had stopped at a sub shop, and brought everyone else

> tuna and chicken salad, and very proudly told me that he knew that

I

> was doing SOMETHING since I was losing so much weight, so he had

asked

> the sub shop staff for the best option for a dieter- and brought me

a

> low fat turkey breast sub, loaded with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers,

> sprouts, etc. and no dressing. It was so thoughtful of him, that I

> didn't have the heart to try and trade with someone else for a

> spoonfull of their dripping with mayo tuna salad..... So I sat

> there, picked out a few bites of the turkey breast, smiled......and

> then almost knocked him over trying to get to the trash can, since

the

> only staff restroom was occupied at the moment. Ahhh,, but where

else

> can you share lunch with your coworkers, yak it up while they are

still

> eating, directly in front of them, and have no one miss a beat? God

> bless nurses.

>

> After a month of this incredible tightness- being unable to handle

more

> than sips of water ( sugar free flavored water laced with liquid

> vitamins, protein powder, and the afformentioned vegetable and

fruit

> powers)- and even that sometimes seems to get stuck if I try to

drink

> it sitting down- I really was just about ready to call and schedule

an

> little unfilling session, when things finalllllllllllllllly started

to

> ease up a bit. I can now eat a few bites of heavier soups, chili,

etc,

> and even had about 3 ounces of laquered salmon and got to enjoy it

only

> once, as it did not reappear moments later. Success!

>

> I think that part of the problem is that I am a yakker. Meaning I

talk

> (yak) during meals. Which, sadly, leads to more yakking (PB'ng)

> immediately following the meal, or actually, more often during the

meal.

> I'm going to CONTINUE to try to chat before and after meals,

instead of

> during, and hope that with that, and with your swallowing

technique, I

> may progress to something that actually requires chewing. Chewing

> oatmeal is boring. It is SO hard to tell when you are DONE!

>

> The REALLY good news is that my weight has gone from 276 lbs in

July of

> 2006, to 184 pounds as of this morning. 92 pounds gone forever,

from

> size 28 to a l8 ( and looking at the size 16's for next week) in

seven

> months. Amazing.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Congratulations!!!!!!! Isn't it amazing when we think back on what

we have tried in the past, and the ways in which we have

struggled/felt deprived/felt miserable and pretty much been pissed

off about the " D " word (di*t) without being able to lose 25 pounds?

Good for you!!!!!!!

And good luck with your band following your second fill. Now,

remember, do as says, not as I did

ly, I weigh myself in the nude all the time now. It raises a few

eyebrows at the hospital ( hey, that's where the really accurate

scales are, right?) but it's not like I do it in the middle of change

of shift report or grand rounds with our docs. Sheeeesh. No,

seriously, I weigh myself about once a week at home, right before I

hop into the shower, ( while I'm waiting for the water to heat up )

If it has been an especially good week, I wake my husband up so he

can watch me do the naked weight loss dance. He loves my band, too!

<g>

>

> , you are so absolutely delightful to read. I always enjoy

your banter

> and descriptions. I have my second fill on the 24th. Like you, I

have had

> little to no restriction with my first 1.4cc fill. However, I am

glad that

> is all I got the first time so that I could adjust to it. We'll

see how it

> goes.

>

> I also have an announcement. According to my home scales, I have

lost 25

> pounds---FINALLY! Of course, that is standing on the scale stark

> naked---not the same way they will let me weigh at Almater--LUCKILY

FOR

> EVERYONE! ))

>

> So good to hear from you and we are all so very proud of your

success. I

> laughed at your restaurant pbing. Same thing happend to me one

night at our

> local Spanish restaurant...that yellow rice got so stuck, I darted

back and

> forth to the potty room and finally had it wrapped up and left.

Same thing

> happened one night at Applebees. I finally stood out in the

parking lot

> pding into the landscaping while my hubby finished his dinner

alone, paid

> the bill and rescued me and took me home. Ain't this band

grand?!!!!

>

> C

> Tampa

> DOB 9-7-06

> 240/215/150 ish

>

>

>

> >From: " " <susan@...>

>

> >

> >I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly

tight

> >ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I

really

> >was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt restriction

> >after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads,

veggies,

> >chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any

sliming,

> >PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I

even

> >had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

> >covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food as

much

> >as an experience..

> >

> >Second fill.....completely different experience.

>

[Guest guest]

...

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! I weigh myself AFTER I shower! Never know how much a little dirt weighs. I wait until my hair is dry and everything is dry because I don't want water adding to the scale numbers! ;o))))

On 2/20/07, <susan@...> wrote:

Dear ,Congratulations!!!!!!! Isn't it amazing when we think back on what we have tried in the past, and the ways in which we have struggled/felt deprived/felt miserable and pretty much been pissed off about the " D " word (di*t) without being able to lose 25 pounds?Good for you!!!!!!!And good luck with your band following your second fill. Now, remember, do as says, not as I did ly, I weigh myself in the nude all the time now. It raises a few eyebrows at the hospital ( hey, that's where the really accurate scales are, right?) but it's not like I do it in the middle of change of shift report or grand rounds with our docs. Sheeeesh. No, seriously, I weigh myself about once a week at home, right before I hop into the shower, ( while I'm waiting for the water to heat up )If it has been an especially good week, I wake my husband up so he can watch me do the naked weight loss dance. He loves my band, too! <g> >> , you are so absolutely delightful to read. I always enjoy your banter > and descriptions. I have my second fill on the 24th. Like you, I have had > little to no restriction with my first 1.4cc fill. However, I am glad that > is all I got the first time so that I could adjust to it. We'll see how it > goes.> > I also have an announcement. According to my home scales, I have lost 25 > pounds---FINALLY! Of course, that is standing on the scale stark > naked---not the same way they will let me weigh at Almater--LUCKILY FOR > EVERYONE! ))> > So good to hear from you and we are all so very proud of your success. I > laughed at your restaurant pbing. Same thing happend to me one night at our > local Spanish restaurant...that yellow rice got so stuck, I darted back and > forth to the potty room and finally had it wrapped up and left. Same thing > happened one night at Applebees. I finally stood out in the parking lot > pding into the landscaping while my hubby finished his dinner alone, paid > the bill and rescued me and took me home. Ain't this band grand?!!!!> > C> Tampa> DOB 9-7-06> 240/215/150 ish> > > > >From: " " <susan@...>> > >> >I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly tight> >ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I really> >was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt restriction> >after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads, veggies,> >chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any sliming,> >PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I even> >had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

> >covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food as much> >as an experience..> >> >Second fill.....completely different experience.>

[Guest guest]

...

>>I know how you nurses can be!!<<

Why do we hear that so much? If I hear Dr. A say ONE MORE TIME! " Bipley, *I* am the surgeon, YOU are the patient! " and blah blah blah.

I swear, I am going to start referring to him as " Poppy " (as in head of a family, head of a large group of people) so he will know that I understand, HE is the surgeon. ;o)

But I still get my own way, any good nurse knows how to do that.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Ok, I did it....I got my un-fill scheduled. At first, the office

offered me the next open fill apppointment the last week of March,

and I was quite assertive, and said that I REALLY needed to be seen

before another six weeks passes, and so I got bumped up to Wednesday

Feb 28th.

My question is, how does one " used to be " a nurse? Even when I spent

a year working as a eunix coder and software tester for AT & T I

*still* spent most of my day assessing people....( and often

reminding them if they didn't behave, as a certified pre-screener by

the Commonwealth, I'd be happy to send them to an inpatient

psychiatric hospital against their will if they didn't knock it off

and play nicely! )

> >

> > Oh , , . (can you see me shaking my head). You are

a

> perfect

> > example of what NOT TO DO girl! Sorry, but I have to give you a

> small kick

> > in the arse here. :-) You are supposed to be able to eat at least

> a cup to

> > a cup and a half of SOLID food. Not chilli, or tuna, or soup---

> solid meat or

> > chicken with some veggies. Oh and pasta never goes down smoothly,

> you should

> > have been picking out the shrimp for yourself and giving the

pasta

> to

> > Timmy!! You are WAYYY to tight and you are hurting your band,

even

> if it has

> > let up. I promise you, if you get a teeny tiny unfill, it will

help

> you sooo

> > much and you will still lose weight. All that PB'ing can cause a

> slip as you

> > know. (Especially if it is to the point of actual stomach acid

> coming back

> > up). I have to agree with hubby, the point of the band was not to

> turn you

> > into a bulimic!!

> >

> >

> >

> > Ok enough butt kicking for now. :-) I do hope the swallowing

> technique helps

> > you. I am glad things have loosened up a bit but if you have been

> > experiencing any heartburn (I am sure you have), your throat

> hurting from so

> > much PB-ing, or a sudden propensity for taking tums and other

> antacids, you

> > are still too tight. Dang, I guess that was one last kick. :-)

> >

> >

> >

> > <http://www.TickerFa <http://www.TickerFactory.com/> ctory.com/>

> >

> > M

> >

> > _____

> >

> > From: <mailto:%

40>

>

> > [mailto: <mailto:%

40>

> ] On Behalf Of

>

> > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 10:41 AM

> > <mailto:%

40>

>

> > Subject: Swallowing technique- Thanks

!!

> (my

> > second-fill saga)

> >

> >

> >

> > ,

> >

> > Thanks so much for the hint on the swallowing technique..I'll

> > definitely have to give that a try.

> >

> > I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly

> tight

> > ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I

> really

> > was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt

restriction

> > after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads,

> veggies,

> > chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any

> sliming,

> > PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I

> even

> > had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

> > covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food

as

> much

> > as an experience..

> >

> > Second fill.....completely different experience. I went back and

> > started with clear liquids, my clear protein drinks, and each

time

> I

> > tried to progress to anything more than cream soups, I'd quickly

go

> > from PB'ing, to actual emesis. The rushing from the dinner table

> became

> > such a constant event that my beloved husband, who initially was

> not

> > supportive of the lapband but has certainly come to appreciate

what

> it

> > has done for me, struggles on a daily basis to hold back his

> comments.

> > He started with concern and suggested repeatedly that I go back

to

> Dr.

> > Brinkley ( My fill doc in Frederick, Md) for an unfill. Blah,

blah,

> > blah, I put that off, my schedule is too crazed. Then he brought

> home

> > whole-food vegetable and fruit powder for me to add to my protein

> > shakes and reminded me on a regular basis that just because I am

a

> > nurse does not mean that I cannot occasionally seek the

assistance

> of

> > another health care professional. Finally, he looked at me one

> night,

> > and said, " not for nothin, honey, but if you had been this good

at

> the

> > bulemia trick before, you would never have needed the lapband in

> the

> > first place. " I would have smacked him a good one, but I was

> running to

> > the bathroom to reach the toilet in time to get rid of the half-

cup

> of

> > chicken rice soup that was trying to get back out.....

> >

> > I got to have several really humiliating experiences during this

> stage.

> > I live in a veryyyy small town, and in addition to my real full

> time

> > job as a psychiatric nurse, my husband and I own a computer store

> here

> > in town. In the past, after we'd close up shop on Saturday night,

> my

> > husband, my 6 year old son and I would walk two shops down to a

> lovely

> > little Italian restaurant. So, of course, we know all of the

staff

> > there, the owner, and usually all of the other patrons as well.

> (Yes,

> > the type of small town where the cashier at the grocery store

will

> ask

> > me how Timmy ( my son) is, if he doesn't happen to be with me..)

> > Two weeks ago we went there, and while my husband and son enjoyed

> > calamari, which sadly I suspect I will never attempt again, I was

> > having a few bites of a child-sized portion of pasta and shrimp

> creme

> > marinara......Not the shrimp, of course, the guys were picking

> those

> > out of my bowl, and I was trying to figure out how long to chew a

> bite

> > of pasta in order to keep it down. Second bite, stuck.......very

> very

> > very stuck. I tried sipping water to get it down, with no

> > success....And then ended up making a mad dash through the dining

> room

> > of the restaurant and made it ALMOST to the hallway leading to

the

> > restrooms before I exploded. Onto the floor. Directly in front of

> the

> > kitchen, the waitstaff, and, yes, on the carpet just inches away

> from

> > where the tile hallway began. I continued on into the ladies

room,

> > vomited until it hurt, and then cried for about 15 minutes. Two

of

> the

> > young waitresses came into the ladies room, and kept telling me

> that

> > they had to clean that up all the time ( which is really kind of

> funny

> > when you arent the one who MADE the mess they had to clean up)

and

> that

> > no one noticed a thing. really.....

> >

> > Second most embarrasing moment- one of our attending

psychiatrists,

> > trying to give a little boost to the staff, brought in lunch for

> all of

> > the nurses. He had stopped at a sub shop, and brought everyone

else

> > tuna and chicken salad, and very proudly told me that he knew

that

> I

> > was doing SOMETHING since I was losing so much weight, so he had

> asked

> > the sub shop staff for the best option for a dieter- and brought

me

> a

> > low fat turkey breast sub, loaded with lettuce, tomato,

cucumbers,

> > sprouts, etc. and no dressing. It was so thoughtful of him, that

I

> > didn't have the heart to try and trade with someone else for a

> > spoonfull of their dripping with mayo tuna salad..... So I sat

> > there, picked out a few bites of the turkey breast,

smiled......and

> > then almost knocked him over trying to get to the trash can,

since

> the

> > only staff restroom was occupied at the moment. Ahhh,, but where

> else

> > can you share lunch with your coworkers, yak it up while they are

> still

> > eating, directly in front of them, and have no one miss a beat?

God

> > bless nurses.

> >

> > After a month of this incredible tightness- being unable to

handle

> more

> > than sips of water ( sugar free flavored water laced with liquid

> > vitamins, protein powder, and the afformentioned vegetable and

> fruit

> > powers)- and even that sometimes seems to get stuck if I try to

> drink

> > it sitting down- I really was just about ready to call and

schedule

> an

> > little unfilling session, when things finalllllllllllllllly

started

> to

> > ease up a bit. I can now eat a few bites of heavier soups, chili,

> etc,

> > and even had about 3 ounces of laquered salmon and got to enjoy

it

> only

> > once, as it did not reappear moments later. Success!

> >

> > I think that part of the problem is that I am a yakker. Meaning I

> talk

> > (yak) during meals. Which, sadly, leads to more yakking (PB'ng)

> > immediately following the meal, or actually, more often during

the

> meal.

> > I'm going to CONTINUE to try to chat before and after meals,

> instead of

> > during, and hope that with that, and with your swallowing

> technique, I

> > may progress to something that actually requires chewing. Chewing

> > oatmeal is boring. It is SO hard to tell when you are DONE!

> >

> > The REALLY good news is that my weight has gone from 276 lbs in

> July of

> > 2006, to 184 pounds as of this morning. 92 pounds gone forever,

> from

> > size 28 to a l8 ( and looking at the size 16's for next week) in

> seven

> > months. Amazing.

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , GOOD

FOR YOU! I hope you get some relief soon.

You are right,

I guess I am still a nurse at heart. J I guess you never let it go. The last

real nursing job I had was in 97 so I feel I am a little rusty but I could

still probably put in an IV or something LOL.

M

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007

2:22 PM

Subject: Re:

Swallowing technique- Thanks !! (my second-fill saga)

Dear ,

Ok, I did it....I got my un-fill scheduled. At first, the office

offered me the next open fill apppointment the last week of March,

and I was quite assertive, and said that I REALLY needed to be seen

before another six weeks passes, and so I got bumped up to Wednesday

Feb 28th.

My question is, how does one " used to be " a nurse? Even when I spent

a year working as a eunix coder and software tester for AT & T I

*still* spent most of my day assessing people....( and often

reminding them if they didn't behave, as a certified pre-screener by

the Commonwealth, I'd be happy to send them to an inpatient

psychiatric hospital against their will if they didn't knock it off

and play nicely! )

> >

> > Oh , , . (can you see me shaking my head). You are

a

> perfect

> > example of what NOT TO DO girl! Sorry, but I have to give you a

> small kick

> > in the arse here. :-) You are supposed to be able to eat at least

> a cup to

> > a cup and a half of SOLID food. Not chilli, or tuna, or soup---

> solid meat or

> > chicken with some veggies. Oh and pasta never goes down smoothly,

> you should

> > have been picking out the shrimp for yourself and giving the

pasta

> to

> > Timmy!! You are WAYYY to tight and you are hurting your band,

even

> if it has

> > let up. I promise you, if you get a teeny tiny unfill, it will

help

> you sooo

> > much and you will still lose weight. All that PB'ing can cause a

> slip as you

> > know. (Especially if it is to the point of actual stomach acid

> coming back

> > up). I have to agree with hubby, the point of the band was not to

> turn you

> > into a bulimic!!

> >

> >

> >

> > Ok enough butt kicking for now. :-) I do hope the swallowing

> technique helps

> > you. I am glad things have loosened up a bit but if you have been

> > experiencing any heartburn (I am sure you have), your throat

> hurting from so

> > much PB-ing, or a sudden propensity for taking tums and other

> antacids, you

> > are still too tight. Dang, I guess that was one last kick. :-)

> >

> >

> >

> > <http://www.TickerFa <http://www.TickerFactory.com/>

ctory.com/>

> >

> > M

> >

> > _____

> >

> > From: <mailto:%

40>

>

> > [mailto: <mailto:%

40>

> ] On Behalf Of

>

> > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 10:41 AM

> > <mailto:%

40>

>

> > Subject: Swallowing technique- Thanks

!!

> (my

> > second-fill saga)

> >

> >

> >

> > ,

> >

> > Thanks so much for the hint on the swallowing technique..I'll

> > definitely have to give that a try.

> >

> > I had my second fill on January 19th, and have been incredibly

> tight

> > ever since. Following my first fill, in the end of October, I

> really

> > was able to swallow just about anything, and only felt

restriction

> > after eating my alloted portion of food- I could eat salads,

> veggies,

> > chicken and seafood, pretty much anything without having any

> sliming,

> > PB'ing, etc, unless I had not stopped when I needed to. Oh, and I

> even

> > had beef once, but since it was an incredibly tender filet mignon

> > covered in melted gorgonzola cheese, I don't count it as a food

as

> much

> > as an experience..

> >

> > Second fill.....completely different experience. I went back and

> > started with clear liquids, my clear protein drinks, and each

time

> I

> > tried to progress to anything more than cream soups, I'd quickly

go

> > from PB'ing, to actual emesis. The rushing from the dinner table

> became

> > such a constant event that my beloved husband, who initially was

> not

> > supportive of the lapband but has certainly come to appreciate

what

> it

> > has done for me, struggles on a daily basis to hold back his

> comments.

> > He started with concern and suggested repeatedly that I go back

to

> Dr.

> > Brinkley ( My fill doc in Frederick, Md) for an unfill. Blah,

blah,

> > blah, I put that off, my schedule is too crazed. Then he brought

> home

> > whole-food vegetable and fruit powder for me to add to my protein

> > shakes and reminded me on a regular basis that just because I am

a

> > nurse does not mean that I cannot occasionally seek the

assistance

> of

> > another health care professional. Finally, he looked at me one

> night,

> > and said, " not for nothin, honey, but if you had been this good

at

> the

> > bulemia trick before, you would never have needed the lapband in

> the

> > first place. " I would have smacked him a good one, but I was

> running to

> > the bathroom to reach the toilet in time to get rid of the half-

cup

> of

> > chicken rice soup that was trying to get back out.....

> >

> > I got to have several really humiliating experiences during this

> stage.

> > I live in a veryyyy small town, and in addition to my real full

> time

> > job as a psychiatric nurse, my husband and I own a computer store

> here

> > in town. In the past, after we'd close up shop on Saturday night,

> my

> > husband, my 6 year old son and I would walk two shops down to a

> lovely

> > little Italian restaurant. So, of course, we know all of the

staff

> > there, the owner, and usually all of the other patrons as well.

> (Yes,

> > the type of small town where the cashier at the grocery store

will

> ask

> > me how Timmy ( my son) is, if he doesn't happen to be with me..)

> > Two weeks ago we went there, and while my husband and son enjoyed

> > calamari, which sadly I suspect I will never attempt again, I was

> > having a few bites of a child-sized portion of pasta and shrimp

> creme

> > marinara......Not the shrimp, of course, the guys were picking

> those

> > out of my bowl, and I was trying to figure out how long to chew a

> bite

> > of pasta in order to keep it down. Second bite, stuck.......very

> very

> > very stuck. I tried sipping water to get it down, with no

> > success....And then ended up making a mad dash through the dining

> room

> > of the restaurant and made it ALMOST to the hallway leading to

the

> > restrooms before I exploded. Onto the floor. Directly in front of

> the

> > kitchen, the waitstaff, and, yes, on the carpet just inches away

> from

> > where the tile hallway began. I continued on into the ladies

room,

> > vomited until it hurt, and then cried for about 15 minutes. Two

of

> the

> > young waitresses came into the ladies room, and kept telling me

> that

> > they had to clean that up all the time ( which is really kind of

> funny

> > when you arent the one who MADE the mess they had to clean up)

and

> that

> > no one noticed a thing. really.....

> >

> > Second most embarrasing moment- one of our attending

psychiatrists,

> > trying to give a little boost to the staff, brought in lunch for

> all of

> > the nurses. He had stopped at a sub shop, and brought everyone

else

> > tuna and chicken salad, and very proudly told me that he knew

that

> I

> > was doing SOMETHING since I was losing so much weight, so he had

> asked

> > the sub shop staff for the best option for a dieter- and brought

me

> a

> > low fat turkey breast sub, loaded with lettuce, tomato,

cucumbers,

> > sprouts, etc. and no dressing. It was so thoughtful of him, that

I

> > didn't have the heart to try and trade with someone else for a

> > spoonfull of their dripping with mayo tuna salad..... So I sat

> > there, picked out a few bites of the turkey breast,

smiled......and

> > then almost knocked him over trying to get to the trash can,

since

> the

> > only staff restroom was occupied at the moment. Ahhh,, but where

> else

> > can you share lunch with your coworkers, yak it up while they are

> still

> > eating, directly in front of them, and have no one miss a beat?

God

> > bless nurses.

> >

> > After a month of this incredible tightness- being unable to

handle

> more

> > than sips of water ( sugar free flavored water laced with liquid

> > vitamins, protein powder, and the afformentioned vegetable and

> fruit

> > powers)- and even that sometimes seems to get stuck if I try to

> drink

> > it sitting down- I really was just about ready to call and

schedule

> an

> > little unfilling session, when things finalllllllllllllllly

started

> to

> > ease up a bit. I can now eat a few bites of heavier soups, chili,

> etc,

> > and even had about 3 ounces of laquered salmon and got to enjoy

it

> only

> > once, as it did not reappear moments later. Success!

> >

> > I think that part of the problem is that I am a yakker. Meaning I

> talk

> > (yak) during meals. Which, sadly, leads to more yakking (PB'ng)

> > immediately following the meal, or actually, more often during

the

> meal.

> > I'm going to CONTINUE to try to chat before and after meals,

> instead of

> > during, and hope that with that, and with your swallowing

> technique, I

> > may progress to something that actually requires chewing. Chewing

> > oatmeal is boring. It is SO hard to tell when you are DONE!

> >

> > The REALLY good news is that my weight has gone from 276 lbs in

> July of

> > 2006, to 184 pounds as of this morning. 92 pounds gone forever,

> from

> > size 28 to a l8 ( and looking at the size 16's for next week) in

> seven

> > months. Amazing.

> >

> >

> >

>