La_madam

I use the Tylenol liquid cold medicine, works wonders for me.

Most people I know who have the VG band do not feel the proper restriction until they reach atleast 5 cc's , maybe this copuld be the same for you? My good friend had 2 fills and did not feel nothing and only lost minimal wieght, he just had his 3rd fill and is at 5.5 and is doing great now, weight is coming off and he feels the band doing it's job.

Great post Sue I am at 25.9 BMI, started at 42 Here is a BMI calculator for those who do not know their BMI http://lapbandtalk.com/bmicalculator.htm

Thanks Christina for the Penni update..I've been worried all day about her. So happy to hear it all went smoothly

So far so good, I feel great and am losing weight. I too feel like I still have a band. My behavior still in my eating is helping me, I eat small portions and chew chew chew, not drinking with meals, basically following the rules of a bandster still. Thanks for asking

Any news on Penni? She has been on my mind all day long

Paula an upper Gi may show signs of erosion if the barium flows over the band and not through the band. In Penni's case he said all looked well with her upper GI again though he was no band doctor., an experienced band doctor may detect something wrong with the band doing an uppper GI but to be 100% sure an endo must be done.

Kathy all I am going on is what my Dr. tells his patients. He wants an endo between 18 -24 months post op. I'm a perfect example of no erosion at the 1 yr mark when I had the endo due to my bowel obstruction no erosion then but in November I had erosion. Go figure.

I couldnt sleep last nightthinking of Penni, knowing she was in surgery. It got me to thinking about things...People just because you have an upper GI does not mean your band is fine.. Penni is perfect example of this.. Here is a quote from her post last week in regards to her upper GI Then they sent me to have an upper GI. I was shocked they wanted me to have it done today. I was equally shocked I was worked in so fast. ANyway I drank that horrible stuff and rolled and tossed on the table while the doc looked at my innards. He showed me the pictures and he said it all looks fine. It doesn't appear I have either a slip or erosion but then again he wasn't my band doc. A week later after and endo she is in surgery having her band removed due to erosion. An endo is the sure way to tell if you have erosion. Just my opinion on all of this. If you want to know for sure if your band is OK have an endo over an upper GI

Well Penni it is 6:01, by now you are getting prepped for surgery. Just want you to know you have been on my mind all afternoon. Hope everything with the removal goes smoothly. I'm waiting anxiously to hear an update from Lisa or Christina. Love you my friend. Sending lots of love and possitive thoughts to you right now

Thank God, I'm not the only one My family and I fight to have the heater on in the car and the house. Same thing at work..my employees are always hot where Iam always freezing.It's a constant battle with them, they turn on the air, I turn it off and turn on the heater. My poor husband, when he wants to get intimate he has to get through 6 layers of clothing to do it

I can only speak for myself..I had no pain or pressure..I was losing weight and had great restriction, the only difference I noticed was my tummy was gassier but I also have gastritis...

Pat, it has been a year all ready? Wow time flys! Well you have done a remarkable job and like the rest have said COngratulations on a great year and keep it up

Don't do it..stay filled. You will hate yourself if you gain those 10 lbs back. Ive always said the best thing about the band was that I could still enjoy food but in much smaller quantities. Enjoy the food they make for you but eat less of it. The band was not designed to be filled and unfilled to eat or not when some special occassion arises. This is where the head has to do some of the work. I fI told my doctor I wanted to be unfilled so I could eat over the holidays he would NOT do it. I'm having anxiety about having noi band over the holidays. I'm doing everything I can to maintain this weight loss and not give in to the evils of holiday goodies. I wish I had a fill. I wish I had my band. Stay filled Estella..you will love yourself later for it

This is the technique Dr. Ortiz used on me and I still eroded. He even has a chapter about it in his book http://www.lap-bandforlife.com/chapters_06.html From the book it reads : This technique has been related to a drastic decrease in the number of band slippages or pouch dilations that may occur. Mentions nothing about erosions occurring less. Some bodies are just not meant to have a foreign object in them for long periods of time, regardless of what technique they use. Plain and simple.

*Sighs* Penni, my banded sister...I feel your sadness. I know what you are going through. Please know that my heart and thoughts are with you. We were banded on the same day and had our bands removed one week apart due to erosion. Strange huh? I believe like your daughter does.... that everything in our lives happens for a reason even though we do not know the reason right now. Just know that I'm here for you every step of the way. We can support eachother just as we have been doing for the last 20 months. We can do this! Love you and big hugs to you Tonight I will be with you in spirit, holding your hand and wishing you well

you have one of the best NSV's the band can ever give....a child I can relate to the emotions you are feeling . I was unbanded 1 week ago due to eorsion. Amen to that! My feelings exactly I wishh you the best, and please fell free to PM me anytime there are 3 of us who were unbanded last week here on LBT, we can all help eachother through this new challenge and journey.

Francesca, you know you are in my thoughts. You know I'm here for you my friend. I'm glad you are home. I will call you later in the week. Rest up

Good Luck tomorrow Penni, I wlll definately send good vibes your way. I hope the endo shows no signs of anything wrong with your band.

You are normal..not to worry

Jenna I have had thoughts like you, but I have come to realize that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. I'm loving my new life, I'm loving all the compliments and attention Iam getting. I'm loving the energy I have, the new mom and wife I have become. My husband and kids are benefiting so much from my weight loss. I have my life back! There is no way I want that to change. I have OCD in a bad way, so now my OCD has a new direction.. and that is keeping this weight off. I can not wait until next years Bash so I can show up and still be thin and bandless

Well in my case this statement is totally flase. I was banded in TJ..I have seen my Dr. in Tj more in the last 19 mopnths then I have seen my regular Dr. here in California I have had impecable aftercare being banded in MX. In 19 months I have traveled to Tj atleast a dozen times, if not more and I still eroded.

Pati, do not be afraid. There are good and bad with every surgery. There are risks and complications with every surgery. We all know them going in. Some of us are less fortunate then others.I feel it is important to hear the good bad and the ugly, we all need to be aware .. yes I had erosion, yes I had bowel obstruction but I also have lost 106 lbs. Without my band it would of never happened. My band gave me my life back. Over the last 19 months I have learned many things and have changed my lifestyle in regards to how and what I eat. I hope and pray it stays with me now being bandless and I can manitain my weight loss. If I never lose another pound...I'm happy ....My band did it's job, no doubt about it!

Sue, so glad you are doing well. You have been on my mind for the last week. I wish you the very best with this new journey, I hope the DS and you have a long happy life together

Jenna, since you are an Ortiz patient I will tell you what he told me. Ortiz & martinez like their patients to have an endoscopy at the 18 month to 2 year post op mark. If erosion occurs it will usualyy occur in this timeframe and Iam an example of that. I had an endo at 1 yr while under the knife for my bowel obstruction surgery and had no erosion. I had a fill in July and no erosion. My erosion happened between the 15th and 19th month post op . Everyone should have an endo after 18 months post opaccording to Dr. Ortiz . I had my 2nd endo 19 months post op ...Francesca also had her endo at the 17 month post op and she had erosion. Call Dr. Martinez he will tell you what he told me.