La_madam

SUsan, glad to hear you are feeling better. I have had 4 PB's in 11 months and my last one was the worst. SO I now take it very very slow..As Marie said, with your filllevel you will always need to be careful..good luck to you

Nicole the pain you are having is very normal for alot of new bandsters. I had it too, exactly how you explained it here and according to Dr. Ortiz when I called him to ask what it is from, he told me it is caused from the swelling of the placement of the band with a possibility of some trapped gas . Mine did not go away for almost 4 weeks post op but each day it got better and better. I felt like I constantly had to burp but couldnt' because it was so painful. Hang in there it will get better

I'm with Betty & marie I just eat my mini wheats daily ( dry), ithey keep me regularand they are yummy too. They have a french vanill flavor now that is so good. Too much fiber for me makes me hungrier, dont know why but it does

Teresa my husband was rear ended 9 years ago and still suffers from it, in the last 9 years has had 3 neck surgeries, lives on fentynal ( narcotic pain patch) he also needs back surgery a;ll stemmingfrom an accident 9 years ago, wegot 25,000 which is nothing compared to the money we have put out over the years and for what my husband has lost, emotionally, physically and mentally. I would never have imagined we would still be seeing a pain management doctr 9 yrs later, still going to PT 9 years later, still waking up in pain 9 years later. This has changed my husbands life dramatically and our families. Think long term Teresa, because you never know how this will affect you later. My husband is living proof

Hey Babs, sure sounds like you had a great time at the Casino rollin those dice. Isint it nice to just get away from hubby and kids. I love vacationing on my own Nice to see you back safe & sound

Welcome to the world of a bandster Norma..LOL I have had more gas in the last 11 months then I have had in my lifetime . I have gas everyday, there is a great thread here I started way back titled Burping & farting, do a search and you will see that you are not alone I was told by my Dr. that the band works as a one way valve hence the reason for the gas. I wasalso told that bandsters are air swallowers since they haveto eat so slow now which can produce more gas, and I was told that chewing gum and drinking through a straw does not help thegas either. I have avoided the straw and cut back on my gum chewing so it is not as bad as it was. Maybe try and see if you eliminate those things if you do them if it helps.

One thing that many of us bandsters forget is that we will never experience that " Thanksgiving" unbottun my pants " full feeling in your stomach again.You will ge the tightness in your chest and an occasional hiccup. This is where some head works come in for me. Waiting for that full feeling in my stomach never happens. I just convince myself, Ok I have eaten a 1/2 of chicken breast with a small salad I'm not full but Iam satisfied. I will not die of starvation. I have gotten nutrition. I only give myself 20 minutes to eat, no matter what. After that I push it away regardless. Strange enough I have less restriction with my 3rd fill then I had with my first or second, but I'm making this fill work, I'm doing alot of head work. The band is my tool to help my head. I can not rely on my band to do it all that is not what it was designed to do. It is a struggle and I wish you all the best. Do not get discouraged, think of how you were pre band ..this is a victory is it not?

Jenna, I feel your pain. We just put our beloved family dog to sleep last month. It was a horrible experience,she was only 6, had a stroke, could not walk anymore my husband was like you he had the be there until the very end. Our other dog is suffering from loneliness as well. We have been debating on getting another dog to help and "try and fill the void" of Roxy, I'm sorry you are having a hard time of it right now, Hang in there

Kathy, it all depends on who your cell phone carrier is. I have Sprint and my cell phone worked just fine anywhere I was in TJ , my husband has Cingular and his would not work at all anywhere in TJ. Costco, sells a great phone card. I but it all the time and it is rechargeable. 670 minutes for $19.99 and you can use it for international calls. Also Kathy you can call your cell phone company and tell them you are traveling to Mexico, some companies can give you a code to dial or download something to make it possible to use your phone in TJ, it all depends on your carrier.

Alice , Happy to hear all went well foryou

9 days will be here before you know it.. We are all excited for you

Hi T Congratulations on your new band... Its the beginning of a new life for you..so rest up and take care of yourself

Im very happy to se both Betty and Marie are still moderators of LBT As well as the rest of the moderating team Like Betty said All of the moderators add something special to this board.

Paula on the moderating page where thye list the moderators it looks like the new moderating team is Penni, Alexandra and Kellymoos.

Happy Birthday Ryan, I sure hope you have a wonderful day, if anyone desreves it it is you my friend. Enjoy your day

Kelly congratulations on your new moderating job I wish you the best, you have my support as well & Marie, you are awesome, you have handled yourself brilliantly through all of this, not many women would be able to do it , we have seen that first hand here

I am sure there were some people who did use other names trying to deciet other members and were trying to scare other members with their threatening PM"s But then I'm sure there were members who used other screen names for safety reasons, in fear of certain members. Either way it is a done deal, we all need to wait for Alex's new guidlines, then move on and put this entire mess past us or this board will never be the same! Do you realize how stressed out most of us have been over this mess , I speak for myself here when I say it has affected my weight loss and eating habits the last week and a half , anyone else? This is not why we come here!

Thanks Bright for the sweet compliment any excuse to go to New York I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. I have heard of the Madisson It is a budget hotel in New York I have stayed at hotel Pennsylvania which is also a bugdget hotel in Manhattan and the HOward Johnson on 8th & 51st, very nice Ho Jo nothing like Vegas HoJo (Penni) here is the link to it http://www.madison-hotel.com/ I will most likely take the red eye from Orange County to Newark and arrive 6:00 am Friday morning and take the early plane out on Monday so I can get a full 3 days there. This is how I usually do it when I go to the east coast., it works well for me ,

My insurance does not cover the band yet, but Blue Cross is covering the band in other parts of the U.S. . I self payed, was not going to fight with them , I'd still be fighting and appealing, Iam 19 lbs from goal weight 11 months later

1) I am worried about the gas and noises that bandsters talk about. At least once a week I present to a staff of 40 people. I can't imagine having my stomach making noises during my presentations. How loud are the noises? Is it easy for people around you to hear them? Over time, will the noises ever stop? [I]No one yet has been close enoughto me at the time my tummy makes those noised only I can hear them and they seem loud to me [/i] 2) Do you always feel the device in your body? No I do not feel the band in my body, but I do feel my port in my body, sometimes I get a few pains or twinges of pain from my port area. 3) Is it a probelm to do rigorous exercise (not that I do any of it)? If you jump up and down can you damage something? I have been working out at the gym and have had no problems, there is a wait period after surgery to make sure all is healed and set in place. 4) Does it hurt when food passes from the small pouch to the larger part of the stomach? It is the food that the bite is too big that is painful or the food that does not want to go through the band that is painful 5) Do you regret having had the surgery? If so, why? NO NO NO NO !!!!! best thing I have ever done for myself Thanks so much for your time Reply With Quote

I love New York, I would love to meet you all wherever. I have stayed in Jersey and the city..either one is fine with me. I will wait to see where you all decide on and then book mytrip, Sept 24, 25 ,26th right? Or did it change

That is where mine is too

Shamrock, glad to hear you are home and things are going OK for you. Rest up !

I agree with Alex When patients are too tight they tend to fall int to the soft food syndrome, food that goes through the band quicker and does not give the satisfaction of being full hence to only eat more softer foods quicker then eating solids and letting the food sit in your pouch and fall through slowly. Not to mention Pbing often is not good for your band, it is a definite way and proven to be a factor in your band slipping and the reflux damages your esophagus, If it were me and I was experiencing these symptoms I would go in for a small unfill . Many have had your experience and would share their input, I agree again with Alex, start a thread about your experience to date, you will get lots of info

Here is a link from Inameds web site that may be of hel pto you with Blue Cross of Tennessee if you are a state employee, they may cover it now even if you are not a state employee, this statement was made back in September of 2004, it is worth checking into http://ir.inamed.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=90325&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=615494&