Bright

PS - I have been on liquids since I had the "maybe" fill yesterday - In case it is a kinked tube, and not a leak, I may have increased restriction after the 1cc he put in to test the tube - I have only been drinking water/tea and yogurt but I'm pretty sure I have increased restriction - so doesn't that mean I haven't slipped or eroded? and does it mean I don't need to have my band removed immediately????? (please say yes!)

Congratulations Michelle - you look SOOOO beautiful - gorgeous dress, gorgeous scenery - cute hubby!!! I'm thrilled for you - wish you many happy years together xxx xxx xxx kisses & hugs

Congratulations Michelle - I'm so proud for you - you are such an inspiration - good luck on the rest of your weight loss journey - I have no doubt that you'll get where you want to! love and best wishes xxxxx

thanks guys - I am thinking about going to a dietition/nutritionist about all this - it's starting to affect my day to day life - what with the flatulence and running to the loo (More TMI for you The Best Me!) - it does seem that the band messes a little with the digestive system. I have been almost stationary :embarassed: for the last six/seven months Vera, so p'raps I need to haul my ass away from the TV Thanks for missing me by the way - I forget how warm and friendly this place is! I still have my college place to do psychology and will start in september (yikes) I feel much less depressed and anxious, and even held a family party at the weekend - I hadn't seen my sisters in SEVEN :omg: months, and it all went ok - I didn't freak out and hide in the wardrobe or anything! Now weigh 242 which is a lot more than my sig below indicates, but that was a low moment anyway! My lower stomach is KILLING me today, really burning and painful - am going to stay away from dairy and fats for a few days (read this on the internet) - maybe I have a bout of gastritis? But ultimately my digestive system is a lot more sensitive that pre-banding - am begining to think that the Big Mac sauce and 7 cans of diet coke a day was doing me some good back then!!! :rolleyes

Hi Everyone, just wondering if anyone else has noticed new intolerances to any foods since banding? I have an 11cc Inamed band which is filled to 6cc - I don't have a huge amount of restriction - and have spent the last year losing/gaining the same ten pounds - this is ok as I have had a few other issues going on and am actually pretty happy that I haven't gained a lot of weight during the past year...ANYWAY, even tho I don't have very much restriction I always seem to be having issues with food - I have had to cut way back on dairy foods as I was experiencing symptoms of lactose intorerance - eyes/nose streaming, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating... I never had a problem before getting my band in - I had a coffee with whipped cream at the weekend and had to run to the bathroom (not pleasant!) :embarassed: - Even if I avoid dairy, I get a lot of stomach cramps and pain - constipation/diarrhoea - actually most of the symptoms of irritible bowel syndrome - again, something I did not experience before banding, which is weird because I ate all sorts of crap then - McDonalds, candy bars, chinese take-away, coffee, coke etc ALL DAY! I seem to spend most days trying to avoid coffee and dairy - we had a family party at the weekend and I drank wine, coffee (with the whipped cream!) ate Tiramisu etc and woke up Monday morning with a painful tender stomach - it felt like it was burning almost.... the pain is always in my lower stomach and I'm wondering if there is too much acid produced in our stomachs when we eat, and it has a delay before there is any food for it to break down? I haven't gone to a doc about any of this and have booked a second fill (ever!) for later this month to get me going again....I'd like to hear anyone else's comments on this before I get a tighter fill.... thanks a mil

Hi all, wow - there are a LOT of new people here - wonder if anyone remembers me? I haven't posted in a while and wanted to check in and say hi. I haven't caught up with all the new posts yet, but am really sorry to hear about all the eroding/band removal ordeals that some of you have gone through - Donali emailed me to tell me about Lisa, Michelle and Penni - I hope you have all recovered from your revision surgerys - and I know it's belated but I'm sorry you've all been through so much. I am now over two years banded - celebrated my two year "bandiversary" at halloween (!) and am happy enough with my progress I guess... At this stage, I actually realise what is meant by "the band is a tool", I can use it to help me to feel fuller, eating healthy food or I can eat rubbish and drink it all down with a large latte if I want and not lose weight. I have had a pretty rough time lately as I am suffering from depression. The last six months have been difficult and the fact that I am posting here shows me that I'm getting better! I haven't lost much weight in the last six months but I haven't put any on either, which I am choosing to regard as a triumph . I have established some really good healthy eating habits which I have managed to maintain during my 26 month band-age (!). I eat low fat probiotic yogurt with seeds for breakfast most days, healthy lunches and dinners - my downfalls are snacking in the evenings, which can be cookies/popcorn at certain times of month - chocolate other times - also I am hopeless at exercise - every day I promise to get my ass moving and every night I feel guilty that I haven't. As I have had a lot of dark days recently, when I can just about get my kids to school, I have been kind of scared to go out - I'm a lot better now and hoping to join the gym again or something. Basically my good ol' band is there for me, reducing my food intake to 1/3 of what I used to eat (according to my husband) - if we indulge in a chinese or indian take-out, we usually share a meal - it used to be two seperate meals with me having tonnes of "accessories" with mine!. I haven't had any type of soda since the surgery - and drink water, green tea, coffee and wine pretty much. I'm pleased with the weight loss, planning to go get another fill (I am 6cc in a 9cc band) soon - I take size 18/20 jeans, 16/18 tops (american sizes) and have even lost two shoe sizes. I am healthy - have only pb'd once, never have had reflux or other issues with my band - highly recommend it to anyone. Ok sorry this is so long - hi to all my old friends - and hoping to partake of the community spirit and meet some new ones here. thanks for reading xx

thanks Donali xx em....what are they doing to the donkey??? I'm a little worried for him....!

thanks so much to everyone who replied here AND remembered me! I'm so touched - I was so emotional I typed several long sentimental replies to your messages but decided to delete them and wait a few days.... so great to see all the old people here again - warmed my heart - love to you all! Band-wise - still healthy, have actually lost 7lbs since Jan 1st so am pleased with that - back on track with a focused low GI eating plan....still no exercise tho. Career-wise - I finished my Certificate in Psychology from the University of Ireland, and even got first class honours....got a place in uni but deferred it to september 2006 as I wasn't really up for it right now... Depression wise - I am struggling - still finding it really hard - am not taking any anti-depressants and trying (stupidly) to "solve" it on my own - now taking my Doc's advice and going to see a psychologist (irony, anyone!?). It's serious I think so better get it looked at - wish me luck? well done to you all - I'm so proud of everyone with or without bands! I'm really sorry in advance if any of this is wrong - I seem to offend everyone these days talk soon xx

I just saw this on another support site (UK) - so funny!!! https://host206.ipowerweb.com/~bandland/cgi-bin/ecommerce/ac/agora.cgi?cart_id=2168552.50406*JP85S4&xm=on&product=Miscellaneous

Thinking of you Alex, hope you get good results, REALLY hoping for non-slippage for you....and well done on losing all that weight on such a little fill! Hope it all works out for you

I'll be banded two years in a few weeks....the oldest band I know of online, is Robin's (coffeewench) at http://www.geocities.com/robinh26/lapband.html - she was banded in 2000 - wonderful inspiring website, for any newbies who haven't "been" there....

Shoulder pain in banded-kind is usually caused by overeating - it is referred pain from the diaphragm - can also be caused by chewing gum a lot.... just info from my experience and research - according to two of the surgeons I have consulted....

so sorry but now I won't be able to make it to the east coast this time - I hope you all have a wonderful time

Hi folks so sorry about this but I am now not going to be able to make it to the East Coast this year - would dearly loved to have met all attending but circumstances beyond my control have forced me to change my plans. hope you all have a wonderful time

hi guys - sorry, life pretty stressful here right now - cannot even THINK about this trip - but will try to check out flights and book one asap - sorry for inattention to this

So sorry I haven't "been" here in ages - been up to my eyes in end of year essays etc, and can barely remember my own name! I haven't booked my flight for NYC yet, but am on the verge of doing so - I am waiting for my hubby to get back to me with revised corporate rate prices he can get for me in a lovely hotel in NJ - he had a contact quote him $139 per night per room back in March when I started inquiring about this, so I am just waiting to hear if this price still stands - I understand from hubby, and Alex here, that this is a lovely hotel with a gorgeous restaurant (The Madison - is that right Alex? Jeez, I'm woolly headed today!) With two people sharing, this isn't too expensive - I can get four or five rooms at this rate, hopefully, so anyone interested please pm me and I'll organise it - It'd be so great if a bunch of us were together in one hotel, for breakfast in the morning, and for cocktails at night too!!!! I'm bringing my bandless, but band-aware friend Debbie, and last I time I talked to her, Donali was coming here too! Anyway - I'm definitely on board - and again sincere apologies for not being here lately!

Oh Wow Michelle! What a fantastic NSV! I'd be happier for you if I wasn't sick with jealously!!!! Well Done!!!

Wow Donovine - you look fantastic - you have done so well!!! congratulations! Alex - AMAZING! you look completely different! What a gorgeous after photo - love your angel top, and your little girls are so cute - well done!

what crap news Babs, hope you fight it AND WIN! By the way, I hear great things from people in the UK and here in Ireland, that South Africa is pretty good value for plastic surgery....there are resorts where you come back to after the surgery and rest for two weeks....just a thought - really hope it works out for you xx

........is there any such thing???? I feel like I'm going crazy here, struggling with this weight loss journey...and I wondered if there's any smart people out there who have figured out just what the hell happens during plateaus/weight loss/gain etc.... I was pretty discouraged recently (3 Feb) to come back from the UK after having another (2nd) fill - now at 6cc in my 9cc capacity band - I was very restricted for a week or two and then, well, not so much. So I spent a week feeling sorry for myself and then decided I needed to get my weight loss moving again...I have been dieting, since then, basically - not more than 1200-1400 cals a day, or 35g fat, making sure I eat more than 40g protein, and drinking the damn water!!! This also went well for a few weeks - steady weight loss of 1-2lbs a week - then last weekend I kinda had a blow out - I ate a bag of chips on saturday night (this is a bag of Irish/english chips!!! ie French fries but really big and thick and em, yummy!) Then I went Kray-zay and had a baileys (alcoholic drink, creamy, like that Godiva stuff) - this is a pretty pathetic blow out by my pre-band standards - then I had apple pie on Sunday and shock, horror, BREAD! - and BAM! I weigh in on Monday morning at 240lbs - I had been 232 on the thursday before - I mean, what the hell??? Weighed today, 243...I'm back on my diet, what gives? Is this going to be a gigantic horrible struggle EVERYDAY for the rest of my life???? I am so pissed off and upset and, well discouraged to be more polite....How can weight come off so slowly and go on so fast? Maybe I should just go to my fill doc and get another 2cc in and just not be able to eat? Any advice or scientic data I could use?????!!!!!!!!:cry :cry :cry

uh huh....I'm pretty sure that's accurate....

Hi Michelle - just wanted to congratulate you on your one-year-banded Day!!! You have done brilliantly, and are such an inspiration to me, and loads of others! You look fantastic too - hope you have a great day, looking back over the amazing year you have had ((((((((((hugs)))))))))))) :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny

Happy Birthday to your band!!! Hope you had a great first year, and a wonderful year ahead :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

brilliant news Estela - so happy for you xx

hey penni!!!! It's my adorable little tiny baby sister's wedding! Mind you, how they're letting her get married at 6 is beyond me! Ok, actually, she's 25 but it FEELS like she's only six to me! I'm 9 years older than her, and she's my baby! So the blow off would have been for a good cause!! Sort of! Anyway - I am coming to USA so don't kick my ass just yet.................!!!!!!!!!!!