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Yes!!!!!! I got some postcards from Kellymoos today Awesome postcards from Texas love the recipes one.Thx so much Kelly I was so excited to see them.My sister was with me and she was like who do you know in Texas i said my new friend online she is also one of my new weight lose friend.She was very happy for me.Thank you again.!!!!

just wanted to let everyone know that oprah is doing her show about about WLS surgery and sagging skin on thursday. could be interesting!

First time user. I am just waiting to hear from my insurance. I went for my first doctor's visit today. Anxiety is going to kill me. Dr. Felix Spiegel Port Neches, TX

Hey Kelly Thank you so much for the postcard.Loved it.My collection is growing really good thanks to you and some others. One day soon i will have to catagorize them and see how many i have.Thx again Beth

WELL TY I DONT REALLY HAVE ANY THING THAT IM DOING DIFF FROM ANY ONE ELS I JUST DONT EAT AS MUCH. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I HOPE EVERY THING IS GOING WELL WITH YOU. LOSE LOSE LOSE FOR GOOD. ISABELLA

2 of these photos are some that have never seen the light of day!!!! they are the ones that made start think about gastric bypass... thank god i stumbled upon the band!!! i weighed roughley 350 in photo # 1 and 3 one is a body shot the other is with my boyfriend. they were taken memorial weekend at gulf shores AL. the day i got my photos back i started adtkins... and lost about 25 lbs. the photos in the tye dye t shirt were taken this past weekend 9-6-03 they show me at about 308. i can tell a difference.

I have so many questions I don't know where to start! First of all, who has had the surgery done laproscopically? Is this the standard way of doing the surgery now? What is the recovery time if you have the surgery done laproscopically? HOspital stay length? How long does a laproscopic surgery take? I mean, how long are you actually in the operating room for? thanks. I 'll be back with more questions I'm sure of it!

i am in the process of waiting for the insurence to approve ..the dr's office says united should cover so im in the waiting game... i have been thinking this band was going to be easy..i mean im ready for the pain from the surgury and healing..but i think i set myself up for this to be "i cant fail" i am hoping to come out of surgury feeling not hungry and then every once in a while making myself eat just to get the nutrients i need. i also have to have a back surgury and im afraid the back surgen will tell me to wait on the band...i need both surguries the pain from my back will allways hurt if i am 100pounds overweight..also im a stay at home mom and when i come back fr…

Fla. Women Disarm Intruder With Sandwich TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Confronted with an armed intruder in their home, two women plied him with a ham sandwich and rum until he became groggy and passed out. Police arrived and arrested Alfred Joseph Sweet, 52, to end the five-hour episode. Cathy Ord, 60, and Rose Bucher, 63, said they tried to befriend the man after he burst through their kitchen window with a sawed-off shotgun Tuesday night. They made him a sandwich, gave him a bottle of rum and suggested he shower and shave so he could ``sort of be disguised in his getaway,'' Ord said. ``We just treated him with kindness,'' Bucher said. She said she had offered S…

Hi Everyone, I am almost 6 weeks post op and starting to look for a fill doctor I was banded in Mexico so some of the doctors are not willing to do the fills. I have been told that Dr. John Vitello in Downers Grove will do fill but I do not really know how to get ahold of him. Dr Chua is the other one people talk about but because I did not see him first the nurse did not know if they would do my fills they will let me know, but even if they will it is almost cheaper to fly back to Mexico. If anyone would know of any other doctors that might I would be for ever in your debt if you can give me there names. I live by Madison and with all the doctors in the area yo…

I was banded on 9/15/03. My diet so far has consists of Protein drinks, applesauce, egg drop Soup, sugar free Jello, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and Water. I have been hungry since the day after surgery and the hunger pains are getting worse every day. I have lost 14 lbs (including pre-op diet) and have not lost anything for 5 days. I am afraid of losing control and gaining it back. How long do you have to wait for the first fill? I have my 2 week checkup on Monday. I am so afraid of failing again. Last night at my son's baseball game I purchased a bag of cheese puffs (They disolve in your mouth). I ate 4 and gave the rest of the bag to some kids. If…

Just heard on the news that they are now coming out with a device kinda like a pacemaker only it's for your stomach. It sends electrical impulses that give you a "full" sensation. I thought this was pretty interesting....what WILL they think of next.

Hi Guys.This is a none surgery question.I collect postcards from all over.or i should say i'm trying to.I know some ppl dont like mailing things to be ect.But if any of you wanted to either do a postcard trade or wanted to send me one.I would reimburse you for the cost of postcard and stamp here is my addy Bethanie Starr pobox 431 Turner Maine 04282 usa Thank you so much in advance if you do decide to do it plz leave me a little msg on here.If anyone is offended with this request i'm sorry

hi happylass!, just want to say im so pleased someone from near me has joined this site!, its really nice to talk to everyone about their experiences but its even better when they only live a few miles away from you!, i live in hull!!, hope you dont mind me asking but did you get your band on the NHS?? i did, at hull royal infirmary, would love to chat to you!! nikki x

Well I had my psych eval yesterday and I was suprised at how well it went. The doc that I had was so down to earth and friendly that we chatted like we were old friends!! When we got done talking she turned to me and said "I think you make an excellent candidate for this surgery." I was so exstatic I wanted to jump over and hug her!!! Well that piece is behind me and now I go to see the doc that will be doing the surgery on Monday. I am just so happy that things are moving so quickly!!! With any kind of luck I will be able to get banded by the end of this year!!! :)

Hi ya'll. I had the band placed on the 25th and since then I've been doing very well except...well I guess i'm not used to having a band around me cause i definitely feel something constantly. I cant tell you if i'm hungry or too full. Maybe it's gas from when they blew me up...but there seems to be so much pressure in my stomach area and my chest. It hurts to take a deep breath and i burp little burps all day long. I'm eating very little liquid foods such as Protein drinks ( about a fourth) and juice. It almost feels like my entire mass of organs have a band around them also their is a pain in my chest or a pressure not sure which. My stomach gurgles constantly too, I th…

Dear Bandster Friends; I got the call!! I have been approved and my surgery date is 10/30. Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! Although the end of October seems so far away, I had prayed and asked God that if I could get banded HE should pick the best time. So what's my first thought? To call back and ask if they would fit me in if there is a cancellation!!! (I came to my senses quickly and didn't make the call.) I have learned so much from all of you and now it's time to put it into practice. The following are my goals for the next month: 1. No bingeing 2. Only ONE last supper at Red Lobster 3. Learn to chew slowly …

well i thought my nerves were out of control on monday but it being thursday (surgery fri 8 am) and having to meet with the doc assitant I am really nervous and a little upset. she gave me my results to my pre op testing my blood work was good. I have acid reflux(did not need a doc to tell me that haha) the also told me that i have a fatty liver and said it is very common in us people.(no offence anyone )the doc then told me that i would have to sign a concent form that if they were unable to get the band around (cuz of the fatty liver) the would have to open me up. vs laproscopically. and at that time they would take a by op of it. also im not one for hospitals (spent 5 …

Ok before you tell me this is not THAT kind of board, hear me out. I've been called a "tomboy" all my life. Tomboy, brute, one of the guys, ect. But there is a woman hiding in this body that is screaming to get out. Right now she can't be heard because all the fat tends to muffle her. When I took a long look in the mirrow (yack) I noticed I was looking at a tired, very sad young lady who has been watching the world go by day by day. I'm now 31 years old and I haven't lived yet. I try to make myself invisible in my long, dark colored T-shirts, nothing that stands out. No make up or jewelry or anything that could catch someone's attention. My hair is long because I can pul…

I can't believe it, I'm actually banded. I was banded on Thursday and today (Saturday) I'm cleaning my house. I am still in pain when I get up or lay down but for the most part i'm ok. My shoulder reallllly hurts and I didn't expect that to happen but the nurse said it was from the gas that they blow you up with and it will go away in time. Aside from that and being verrry hungry, i'm ok. After my surgery that morning, i was able to get up and pee. That was very difficult to do by the way but i managed. Then I walked the halls a few times that night. I came home Friday afternoon and slept for awhile and now 6 Am Saturday morning I was able to do some housecleaning. I'm so…

My before and after pixs are at http://supergramemr.homestead.com/Photo_Gallery.html If that doesn't work you can click on my web site below this post and get to the pictures from there. Elma in Graham, WA Banded 2/27/01 Dr Rumbuat 300/165/?? Size 28/Size 10

only 7 days to go, getting a little nervous.can anyone relate?????????

OMG, i got weighed today and the scales which i use every time says i weigh 10lb more than i did last week! whats happened?!!! ive not eaten in excess or anything, aww im soooo dissapointed...i really feel like comfort eating because ive let myself down..feel really upset. has anyone else oput this amount of weight on in a week before????

hey Donali, I've always looked at your signature thing (beside the little mouse guy) and thought, how very odd! I've just realised today that it says POM lover - em, for ages I thought it said PORN lover.....ohmigod I laughed for about ten minutes at myself - had to share!!!! apologies....! Ps - what ARE poms? Are they those little cute dogs? :)

As far as I know, I passed! I mean, they didn't ask me to stay and try on jackets that zip up the back or anything, so I guess I pased. LOL Seriously, though, it went fine. In all honesty, it was a big, fat (no pun intended here! LOL) waste of my time. All the results that came out of the personality test was stuff that I could have told him up front without having to waste the time on the test. He also took a lot of time to talk about some of the emotional pitfalls that can sometimes happen after surgery. I can definitely see the purpose of doing that, but again, it was stuff that I had already learned by researching it on the internet. But, it HAD to be done, as…

I just wanted to share my experience with all of you. I am 6 days post-op and last night I spiked a temperature, had the sweats, cold chills, nausea (I was even heaving) and diarrhea. I freaked out thinking that there was an infection or that my body was rejecting the band. I called the surgeon and it turns out that these are all signs of dehydration. So they told me to take tylenol for the fever and drink gatorade (apparently this is the best thing to re-hydrate you). But I thought I'd post this on here to remind everyone to make sure you are paying attention to how much fluids you're taking in.

Well its been since 8/12/03 and I have dropped 13 lbs with my main problem being sticking to a diet correctly. I still eat way less but can eat anything I've tried so far. The weights coming off though so I guess all goes well for now. Scars healing nicely also. Got lots of info here and will answer questions as I learn answers myself......

How soon after the surgery should/can you start exercising? I work as a medical courier and am in and out of my van all day going into and out of hospitals and doctors offices. So I do get some exercise with that, but would you suggest more? Anything in particular? What has worked best for some of you post-bandsters out there?

Okay, I've looked all over this site trying to find out what it means to "PB" so I didn't have to feel stupid asking.....will someone please tell me?!?!

I visited my MD yesterday for a post op check up, blood pressure, cholestrol, etc. Their scales registered a loss of 37 lbs (since September 2002), that was very exiciting, but at one point during my visit I was alone in the examining room just kind of having happy thoughts about my weight loss and realized that I had sat down in the waiting room chairs and crossed my legs! I haven't been able to do that for years. This realization had more impact on me than the weight loss!! I am again so impressed with how much difference even this amount of loss can make in how our bodies function and am looking forward to what else I'll be able to do again! Dr. Pleatman 7/22…

hi all, I had my first fill and took some pics of the actually process, feel free to have a look http://www.pbase.com/leo728/09042003_first_fill_in_tijuana

Calling all women over 40...run, do not walk, to your local ticket company (i.e. ticketmaster) to see if Menopause the Musical is playing in your area. For those in the NY area it is playing off Broadway at the 91st Street Playhouse ( 91st and First). It is absolutely hysterical. Four women meet in Bloomingdales and sing (to 60's and 70's) music about the perils of menopause. I laughed so hard that I had stomach pains afterwards and was afraid I might have moved or flipped my port. There wasn't a dry eye in the house from laughing. Take your mother, sisters, and friends. Don't miss it. Lori in PA

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry that I haven't been around at all lately. I have been officially promoted to manager at the restaurant I work, so things have been totally crazy lately. I had spent days redoing the menus, then the hard drive at work crashed. We're also trying to get our website up and running, not to mention all of the scheduling changes now that summer is over! I finally had a fill of .6ccs in the beginning of August. I have a little more restriction than I did just before it, but think I need just a tiny bit more. Maybe .4ccs to bring me up to 1cc. Weight loss is still going fairly well though. Hope everyone here is doing well, I'll try to catch up on al…

...what the series of numbers in someone's signature means? I've seen it on several different WLS message boards, and I figured that it has something to do with their weight, but what specifically?

Hi. I am new to this site. My weight is 375lbs and I am 6 ft. tall, male, 37 years. I have been approved for Lapband by my insurance and am scheduled for Aug 22. My surgeon will be Dr. Christine Ren at NYU hospital. First of all: 1. I am scared SH*Tless. I have never been admitted to any hospital and am scared of anesthesia (sp?). Also I am embarrassed of my weight... will they be able to move me from the gurney to the bed? Also, can I go to the bathroom, or do I use a bedpan (again -- I am embarrassed). 2. PAIN I am a baby with pain... I have a low tolerance for pain. How bad is the pain? 3. Recovery Can I climb stairs on arrival from hospital? (I have …

Hey I have went through this forum but haven't seen my question. I was banded 8 days ago at Hamilton Medical Center Ga. They were fabulous I will add. I can eat. I haven't had bulky meat now but pulled pork yes. Normal food just not as much.I don't want to disrupt the procedure here you know. I'm guessing after they adjust me or fill is it? I will be eating even less. I have lost a few pounds and I feel some restriction as in I get full quick like half of a sandwich.... Concerned.

Hi, I was banded on 8/1 and due for my first fill on 9/8. I have an AMI band and don't know how much of a fill I should get the first time. I don't know if the doctor just has a set amount of saline ready or if you can request more or if there is no restriction, if he will add more..... Any suggestions? Barb

This has nothing to do with lap-band talk, but I have read several posts on people getting viruses. Last night, I opened an e-mail that said re-application. Well, I should have known better because the sender had numbers for the name, but when I noticed it was too late. I must add, I just applied for a loan to help pay for my surgery. This worm was trying to send emails to every email address i had ever seen. Luckily my virus scan picked it up and I was able to stop the emails, but it didn't delete the worm. Well, my computer was going crazy, but I was able to do a computer scan at a web site the road runner man told me about just yesterday. I was able to delete this worm…

I don't own a scale. I've always thought they were evil. I mean, every time anyone gets on one they cry right? Well, maybe not anymore. Do you think I should buy a scale?

I just checked out our chat function, and it seems pretty simple. I've only used chat rooms before on occasion, so I'm no expert. One other board I'm on has an open one all the time, and when someone is in there he or she posts a note on the general board so others can see and chat if they like. Does that sound like a good idea? I don't mean that we should set specific chat times--although that can work too, of course--but that if anyone is online and wants to start a chat they should post a notice to that effect and then stay available in the chat room for the next ten minutes or so to give others a chance to join. I'll get the ball rolling, I guess. SO: I'm in the…

Hi Everyone, Well I did it....on August 7th. The surgery only took 15 minutes but the recovery is on going. I have been on liquids since last Thursday but last night I almost past out because I am not getting enough calories with juice. Here's how my diet is supposed to work this week: 800 calories a day. 2oz of juice every 2 hours. Well if I drink 7 times in one day which would cover 14 hours then that would equal 28 fl oz. I don't know of any juice that would give me 800 calories for 28 oz!! I think that is the reason I feel queezy. I am sort of frustrated that the nutritionist (whom I will email next) would tell me to eat 800 calories with just juice. Any r…

I just posted this info at Spotlight and it occured to me that not everyone here may be familiar with it. It's the best thing about this interface, if you ask me! ------------------- One of the great things about the vbulletin format at LBT is that you CAN see which posts you posted to and which ones have new replies. On the main page click "view new posts" and any thread which has a big black dot in the middle of its icon is one to which you have posted. I personally prefer the LBT format immensely over Spotlight's, Yahoo, and over listserves. The View New Posts option lets me pop in and out and check all sections simultaneously for new threads of interest. When I s…

My doctor has monthly educational meetings after you're banded. They go over nutrition and exercise. This months was a water arobics class. I'm 10 days banded and I finished my first ever water arobics class and I feel great! If you're wondering how you're gonna feel after you're banded, keep that in mind! Yeah for all of us!

Hi Gang, Well I am leaving for Mexico this afternoon to get banded tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my God I am so nervous. My only doubt is will I ever enjoy eating again or will I forever feel deprived? Please talk some sense into me. I was talking to my causin (who is 100% supportive & wants to get the same procedure after me) she said I should give the doctor a $2000 tip for performing this and setting me free. Does anyone feel deprived? The coordinator said the feeling is the one you have after having a full course meal. You don't want to eat anymore so there is no torture of being hungry but not being able to eat. I guess I have cold feet. Any encourageme…

Pretty good article...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25474-2003Jul21.html?nav=hptoc_h A Kinder Cut? Obese Patients Weigh Safety, Effectiveness, Lifestyle Issues of Lap Band, Bypass Surgeries By Sandra G. Boodman Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, July 22, 2003; Page HE01 After his weight ballooned to 285 pounds, John Bischoff, a veteran of failed diet and exercise programs, figured he had no alternative to a gastric bypass that would permanently shrink his stomach. His internist suggested it. A surgeon told him the operation might alleviate his hypertension and lower his worrisome cholesterol level as well as his weight. The retired Ameri…