Alexandra

Absolutely right, Darcy. That's why it's really important to think before you post. Nothing ever really goes away in cyberspace.

Congratulations and welcome to bandland! The snow is a great excuse to rest up. Take it easy and heal fast!

It's totally open as to who "started" the public attacking here. All I'm saying is that now it will end.

PMs are private correspondence and must remain that way. If someone is getting mean in them, the best reaction is to simply delete them and ignore the sender. Another board I'm on (but not a moderator of) considers the revelation of PM content an instantly bannable offense.

The sun is playing with us today. It's sort of a light gray outside.

This thread is being locked by agreement of the moderators.

Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and painless recovery. Come back and let us know how you're doing!

Low-carbing it really does take off weight quickly. If she does nothing else beyond removing all bread, pasta, potatoes, and as much sugar as possible from her diet she will see results. Beyond that, drinking LOADS of water and moving around as much as possible are things to do.

LOL, I'll be here a lot today, that's for sure. Listening to my girls argue about which computer game to play has me tearing out my hair! Sure is pretty outside, though.

Lisa, please refrain from stating that items are being censored or deleted. It's simply not true. No one but the author of a message will change it in any way. Thank you.

Well, another foot of snow has fallen on northern NJ, and we're home for the duration. Anyone else? Whatcha'll doing?

Kristi, you'll see a whole new world after you get your fill. Banding is not a quick fix and we all have to learn that our own way. Good luck!! Rbuchanan, you might want to start a new thread asking for info and support; not many will see it here. Can you give us more details? Have you had a fill? Are you exercising and tracking what you eat? Start a new thread and you'll get lots of feedback!

My weight has always been the most closely guarded secret since the location of the keys to Fort Knox. My brother has been asking me for DECADES to spill the Beans. In typical brotherly fashion he'd "guess," giving estimates ranging from 100 to 500 lbs and asking me if he was "getting warmer." :rolleyes I now weigh about 50 lbs LESS than he does and I get a lot of pleasure from sharing that with him. :devious My husband is a gentleman and has never asked, even though during our relationship I have outweighed him by anywhere from 70 - 100 lbs. It just dawned on me as I write this that at this very moment I might weigh the same or less than he does!! Will I tell him? I don't know. He knows the big milestones of size and so on, and when my loss went into the triple digits I had to tell him that. But I've never come right out and admitted to a number in his hearing.

Nykee, everyone's situation is different. If insurance covered the initial banding then it's very likely any complications will be covered. That was one of the major reasons I fought it out with my insurance company through three appeals--I thought that living in NJ if I had any problems with the band the medical expenses could easily break me. Now I think differently, since I have learned that even major band problems tend to be minor medical problems, and don't cost the whole house to fix. So if I were doing it again and insurance wasn't an option, I wouldn't let fear of the cost of complications stop me.

Bobby, it sounds like you're on the infamous "soft diet."Take care of yourself, because if that's all you can eat you might be too tight. If you start having any reflux you might want to consider being loosened a little. Here's my daily routine: breakfast is either a protein bar or 2 ozs of cheese. Coffee. Lunch is typically about half of the insides of a deli sandwich. If I snack it's usually some nuts. Dinner is usually some meat, breaded chicken breast or something like that, with a small amount of vegetables. More days than not I'll also have some ice cream, either before or after dinner. Lately I've been trying not to eat after 6:00 or so, which limits dessert. And I drink water and tea throughout the day.

If I had been able to I would definitely have gotten the band at age 19. What decades of pain that would have saved me! One thing I'd wonder about, though, with regard to the Navy. I have no idea what the medical requirements are but you might want to find out if having an implanted device like the band might be a problem. Better find out now if that's a deal-breaker for you. Good luck!

Members can edit or delete their own posts, which I think is a good thing on a board like this where personal information might be shared that the member has second thoughts about later. I agree that it can disturb the flow of a thread. In general, it's not considered good internet manners to delete posts entirely, for exactly this reason.

The moderators had a very interesting and fruitful discussion last night, and in the next few days you will be seeing some guidelines for the future. At this point we're just proofreading and fine-tuning. But one doesn't need any fine-tuning and is too important to wait. That is the first law of online etiquette: NO PERSONAL ATTACKS. Please, please, please, everyone, keep the discourse civil. Rumors and attacks must be stopped in their tracks and the only way to do that is not to respond. Moderators really will not be editing or deleting posts so PLEASE think before you post. Thank you. That is all.

Kelly, I'm hoping that we'll be able to figure out one central place for people to keep progress updates. Don't worry, it will be back.

I called the doctor and am going in on Wednesday morning. Naturally, now that I've done it, I feel 100% fine and like I could eat a horse. :rolleyes But the nighttime is the test. If making that phone call takes my reflux away, that'll be the coolest. :cool:

Well, I've put the ring on my right hand. It feels weird--it's a wide band and very present. But Penni's right, it commemorates my parents' union and the birth of their children, all of which happened long before they broke up. It has their initials and the date engraved on the inside, which makes me feel close to both of them though they're long gone. I'm sure I'll get used to it quickly. Babs, you should get your rings re-sized...what are you waiting for?? I had my engagement ring reset completely a couple of months ago. It was way too big and had to be cut, so I got a whole new setting that fit with the original stones. It was worth every penny. Go for it!!

Navymom, how are you doing now? It's been a few days, are you recovered? Let us know when you get a chance, OK? Thanks!

Normal, normal, normal, norma, normal!! Yes, it is normal. When you're in the post-op period right after surgery you might drop some weight quickly. But when you get back on solid food, which I assume you have done so by now, the weight loss stops. Just about every single bandster goes through this and you are absolutely normal. Your band isn't designed to work without some saline in it, so any weight you los pre-fill is just a bonus. Don't worry, it will start up again one you have a fill. You're fine! :cool:

Hi Kristi! Welcome to LBT. Glad you could make it! :cool:

Spaqueen, you should be sticking to thin or mostly clear liquids for probably another day or so before starting the thick liquids. Didn't your doctor give you any post-op instructions? If you can stick it out until Wednesday that might be a good day to start trying soups, and that should help make you feel more satisfied.