DeLarla

Julie, I've tried every magic potion on the market. If Green Tea worked, the world would be skinny. Most of us have fallen for every gimmick in the world, but the only real way to lose weight and maintain weight loss is by eating smaller, healthier portions, which is why we all either have, had or want a LapBand.

My new rule is to tell ANYONE about the band before sharing a meal with them. One of my good friends almost called 911 last week when I had a PB at our lunch table. I never warned her, and she was freaking out more than me. She told me my eyes were popping out, my face was red, my eyes were watering, etc. I think it would be far more embarrasing to let a guy learn the hard way. Or, just order broth and mashed potatos. But then he'll think you're really weird. Men really love seeing women eat real food. You'll be eating really slow, and you can't talk while you're eating. Oh, and you can't talk during a PB to explain that you're not dying. It's not much fun going out to eat with people who don't understand you. I'm still chewing the first bite when they are ordering dessert. I feel like I get cheated out of eating when I go out so I decided to let people know in advance.

Sweet Tooth, you're probably banded by now! Hopefully all your worries are over and we'll be hearing from another happy patient.

Plain Creamora. Big mouthfuls of it when I was a kid.

My band has been so fickle lately that I popped a Dayquil capsule down my throat. Within 30 seconds it was the worst PB yet. I never drank during a PB but started sipping Gatorade to help it, but that made it much worse. I was at the convenience store and had to run to the bathroom & scared the hell out of the staff. More slime than ever, worst pain yet. The pill never came up, but the slime was creepy red from the Gatorade & looked like blood which really freaked me out. But then I had one last lump of clear slime come up. I'm going to try my hardest to stick with mushies for three full days. I swear, it feels like I did damage this time. My sinuses are so bad that I squished the juice out of the second caplet. No more messing around for me, I've learned too many lessons now. No matter how loose we think we are, the band remains a very fickle tool that demands full-time respect.

I'm sitting at my desk staring at my wedding ring as it slowly slides around my finger. The diamond won't stay in place any more. It slides to the underside of my hand where my palm is. I spin the ring so the diamond is on top again, then watch it slide down. I've watched it 10 times already in complete amazement. I had to smear lotion all over my hand then struggle to get my ring off before my Band surgery. Now I have to wear the diamond on the inside of my palm because my ring is too big. Looks like I'm just wearing gold bands. Fascinating. Having my wedding ring sized down simply doesn't compute. Wild.

I'm with Kathy on the head sucking cause there are eyeballs to reckon with, aren't there? Are you eating the eyeballs?

Vera, my puter says you posted at 1:43 a.m. Are you awake now? Call me collect.

Thanks for the reminder.

Vera Darling! I tried calling you tonight but lost all my phone numbers in a computer crash. I'm having a tech work on it next week to recover my stuff, so call me collect or shoot me your number. This is such great news. I hope you're feeling better.

I'd smoke it! Wait, I don't smoke. I'd use it for legal fees. I'm dying to take in some of the homeless teens in Vegas. They get often get showcased on TV, living on the streets, eating out of the garbage, making money in ways that no child should ever endure. We have the love, the home, the food, the dogs, even a pool and wonderful neighbor kids, but the laws won't allow us to invite them in our house. Most of their parents (the ones they can find) refuse to give up their rights, so we could get thrown in jail for even offering a warm shower or a safe night's sleep. I'd buy me some kids with that money.

I was banded the same time as a 13 year old. Her aunt was also having the surgery. Her mom & dad became my friends, they stayed with her the whole time. Her mom had previously undergone a bypass and lost all the weight, but she looked old and haggard. You could see the pain in Dad's eyes over what his daughter was going through, but they were very supportive parents and said this is what she desperately wanted. Having been a fat kid and fat teenager, as much as it would probably kill me I would allow my kids (if I had any) to get the Band. Mine was such a painful childhood. I would have risked my life to be thin as a kid, and lived wishing I was dead. So I guess I'm all for it if it's something that might save a kid's soul.

Sounds like you might have been choking on a finger... OOPS, sorry, couldn't help that one. Paula, my brother has severe acid reflux to the point he feels like he's having a heart attack when he gets heartburn. What you described sounds like bad, bad heartburn. You sound like me though, eating the spiciest thing out there when you know you should be careful. My doc prescribed Zantac twice a day but Prilosec or any of the others should help.

Location, location, location. Oh, and if I wasn't married he'd be madly in love with me, snort snort... had to get that one in before Penni did. Neener neener.

If you're only having 1/3 bottle a day, it's probably not enough water. Don't drink it all at once, but sip it constantly. I had a hard time getting the water down, so I got a sport's bottle and just held it like a baby bottle and let it drip down my throat while watching TV like an IV drip. Water gagged me more than juice, so I added 1/4 of cranberry juice to my water, which give it just enough flavor to get down. And I ate a lot of frozen pops. Made my own with watered down fruit juice.

I hate Victoria and her stupid secret. The only secret she has is she's probably bullemic. I've been boycotting them for years and write them nasty letters when they send me cataloges because they don't cater to plus size (uh, REAL) women. So I have this fantasy, kinda a Pretty Woman scene. I spend hours with the sales clerk at Vicky's Secret selecting thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. Then, after they ring up the purchase, I tell them I changed my mind and make them back off the entire sale." Then I spin on my heels and tell them I decided to go buy some pretty bras at JC Penny who loved me even when I was fat.

I say we start doing it in ALL the stores! I just bought 2 for $10.00 sports bras at Walgreen's Drug stores. They have always carried plus size!

We all have the right to happiness. Funny how one person's words can change your whole outlook. Maybe tonight I'll stop my last suppering, too. I've been mostly good, but I sure love my goodies at night. Good for you!

If you spend the next 4 days reading everything you can around here, you'll have all the information you need for the safest journey possible. I went to TJ for my surgery and had some pretty awful experiences. But as bad as it's been, I still love my Band, and I would do it all over again. I understand what it's like not to have a local aftercare doctor. It's really important to have someone nearby for problems and/or emergencies close to home. I personally had to pay for three trips to Mexico and one to California because of my problems. But if you absolutely have no other options other than going back to TJ, make sure to discuss your concerns with Ortiz. Maybe he'll offer you his private cell number or some other comfort. Even though I've had six surgical procedures related to my band, none of them were such extreme emergencies that I needed to be seen immediately. So far I haven't heard of any Band emergencies that require immediate, emergency treatment. Most things can wait at least a day. And what happened to me is rare. Most people that have problems get them resolved much quicker. Instead of being worried, just be prepared. You'll feel much more relaxed if you have all your ducks in a row before leaving. Read around this board for lists of things to bring and what to expect afterwards. You sound like you're ready for some happiness. Good luck to you. Friendly reminder - as of January 2006 you will need a passport according to what the boarder patrol police told me a few months ago. You might want to double check, and if it's true, you can get your passport in order in advance.

Glad you made it back here to let us know you're okay. 'Rads on your new Band!

Thanks Bill! Send her ALL MY LOVE!

I'm doing that thing where I'm convinced my Band is broken or eroded again. For the past months I've barely had any restriction. Last week out of the blue it came back. I had a bad PB last week, and a really bad one yesterday. Today I feel like I just got a fill. I haven't lost an ounce in months, but I swear, if this restriction keeps up I could drop 10 pounds by May. I've always fluctuated, but this is cool. Where did it come from?

Megan, quit your worrying and get a large pot, boil a chicken with chopped celery, carrots, onion, gar & seasons, boil like mad, debone & add some noodles. Take care of your man! YOUR man. Now get busy.

I don't know what Passover means, but doesn't it mean to pass right over the food table? Just change the meaning around and use it in your favor. Make a dance out of it, spread the word! Step away from the food!

There's really no such thing as a normal fill, but most doctors will give you one after 6 weeks if you don't have any complications. I've even heard of people that got them 4 weeks after surgery but 6 sounds about right.