DeLarla

Paula, who is your Mexican surgeon? It's not the hospital that does the surgery, it's the surgeon. The surgeons can use a variety of facilities. Maybe different doctors use that hospital you mentioned? Just curious. Rebecca, I had a great Mexican experience for my first surgery, as well. I just got screwed around when complications set in. I was cared for very well in Mexico for my band surgery. However, the country does go to sleep at night, so when I needed my surgeon in the middle of the night, I had to wait till the next day. I had a horrible bronchial infection, and there was nothing they could do till the next day, so I never slept at all. In the US, there's always a doctor on call. I had nurses tending to me all night, but no doctor in sight. And the nurses there are so much more loving and caring.

Sobe Green Tea, straight up, is my favorite drink on the market. YES, it spins me all out and makes me go too fast, but I dig it! I'll have to try the new one to clean my house this weekend.

Babs, call me a pimply teenager! I love Constantine (though I see your point that he's a little corny.) But I agree, when he redid I Think I Love You, he won me over. He does all my faves - Bohemiam Rhasody, for example. He's gonna win cuz I said so. Beat me up if you gotta! I'm thrilled that Nadia went home. She annoyed me. But Scott before Bo? America is CRAZY! Bo & Carrie don't even need the show. They should just got get massively famous already. Vonzel is growing on me, but Federov is invisible to me. I don't hate him or like him, he's just there.

Kathy, the thought of food during my first weeks was pukifying! I couldn't believe people actually wanted to eat. Not me, heck no. It was gross. I'm glad you can get Water in. Sip warm tea & broth and use the heating pad all day long. Ya know what I did? Sounds lame, but I layed in bed with a sports bottle and held it to my lips and let it drip in my mouth like an IV. I would do it as long as I could hold the bottle up, because drinking liquids was even a chore. But the little drops just kind of absorb into your mouth and throat so it's not difficult getting it down. And mix some cranberry juice in your water to make it taste better & easier to go down. Did you call Dr. Kuri? And if you did, has he called you back yet? How is his aftercare? Have they called to check on you?

Kathy, please don't be discouraged. You seem to be on the exact path I was on. You are only six days out. It took me two full weeks to feel better. I was so worried that I ran to my primary doctor on an urgent basis. They told me they couldn't fit me in, but I showed up in her office in tears. I was horribly miserable, just the way you were. No, I never PBd or had the heartburn like you, but it was awful. Just a few more days and you should be feeling better. Also, I started feeling better, then WHAM, I felt like hell again. That is totally normal. But call your doctor anyway. I am so, so, SO sorry this is happening to you, but you might just be a slow healer like me. Hang in there. Don't hate your band. At least TRY to think of the bright side, that you got the band to lose weight and now you must be losing, right? But liquids are vital so call your doc and hang in there.

Nice to see you pecking around here, cluuccckkkk CLUCCKKK brucckkkk. Gonna lay an egg now.

Nykee and Kendra, thank you SO much for your honest posts. I swear, I get really worried about people that boast and brag about Mexico without adding in the dangers. Many people are elated with their experiences, but like Kathy said, you give up all your rights when you go to a foreign country. This isn't a decision to be made lightly based on a few happy camper stories. Nykee, your IV story is common. I've heard a lot of stories with IV problems in Mexico. My IV was all bloody at one point, and Francesca's IV got all inflamed (I had Lopez, she had Ortiz.) During my port replacement the nurse couldn't even find my veins, and they only used gloves about half the time. I like to think that things will improve with so many American patients going there, but for now, the standards fall far below what we are used to in the United States. Great thread.

CRAP! Now we all have to boycot Idol. Ryan Seacrest made a fat joke. That's messed up. What the hell is wrong with people?

Well since you blew it for me, I'm going to blow it for everyone. Constantine will win. I know he will because I said he will win. And if he doesn't win I'm going to act like a big baby.

The only one geekier than me is YOU. I might be addicted to American Idol, but you are addicted 3 hours ahead of me. Here's your sign back.

P.s. You Suck.

Because I am gay and I have no life and all I do is sit in front of LBT and wait for American Idol. Please pass me a life.

I'm voting Penni off this island for blowing tonight's show. Penni is grounded. She's in the corner wearing a sign.

Okay silly hens, stop reading between the lines of Mother Clucker! Chris always clucks when the phone rings. He thinks all us banded women are a bunch of clucking hens since we can talk for hours and hours. It's pretty funny. Call me any time to cluck. Cluck cluck CLUCK cLuCk Cluck cluck CLUCK clUUUUUCccckkk!

So far today is mostly good (except the large McFlurry that fell down my throat.) It's 8:23 and I'm here at LBT and not laying on the couch eating. I took the dogs to the park after work and did some weights. I'm here because I can't eat and type at the same time. I started this thread because an hour can ruin my life. All I need to do is stop eating for an hour. Is that so hard? YES. If I can make it till 9:30 without eating I'll be fine. Big friggen deal, less than 2 hours yet my head screams at me to eat when my Band is full and my belly isn't hungry. Any word on the Brain Band yet? Anyone else out there struggling to stay out of the kitchen. Kitchen.. Kitchen... that's a funny word, isn't it? We should go back to the old days where we keep our food in a root cellar. I doubt I'd drag my fat ass to the root cellar for a jar of pickled rutabagas right now, that's for sure. I'm trading the freezer in for a root cellar. Donali, is that something you could build?

Kathy, sorry I took so long to catch up. As far as the Band not changing me, Oh, yes it has! It just hasn't changed the way I think. Yep, I PB from time to time and you gave a really good description of it. My worst one was about a week ago when I stupidly popped an entire cold pill. It was horrifying, and it happened in my local convenience store where the clerks know me, and I scared the hell out of them as I ran to the bathroom. Sometimes there are things in my head that I want to say but I'm afraid to write them cause the words come out wrong, so I'm not saying this to be an ass, but I kinda feel better about my surgery after hearing your experience. You sound like you feel like crap the way I did. Some people are bouncing back to normal and making me feel like a big baby, but you are describing my healing and recovery process. I felt lousy, there's no way I could take care of a child or myself for that matter. I guess this means we are normal! YEAH! I didn't have my first PB for months, so I would be just as worried as you (just cuz I'm a worry wart) but you probably don't have anything to worry about. There were a couple girls in recovery that kept vomitting right after surgery. I guess anesthesia makes some people really ill. Having one PB shouldn't hurt you, but like everyone else says, just take it really easy. I swear, the stuff you wrote came right out of my head all the way to the Heavenly relief of tea and a heating pad! You should be feeling better soon. Hang in there girl.

CONSTANTINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sitting here 2 feet from the TV waiting for the results. But yes, I LOVED Carrie last night and was disappointed that she didn't get better reviews. So what if it wasn't perfect, she looked hot.

I bet you look hot in that Plain Jane getup. It was fun talking to you & can't wait till you finish this smelly trial. xoxo Peace, baby! Hi to Bill, too.

GRAM... It's WORTH IT! Please please please know that I adore my band. My band saved my life. My band restricts my eating, it really does. My whole problem stems from being a worry wart. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, so I worry about everything, and I constantly worry that I will lose my mind over stupid food. I worry that I'm stretching my pouch and damaging my esophagus. I worry that I'll completely lose control and jump off a bridge. But it's all in my head. I started a thread called, "Why are you fat" awhile back. Turns out that each one of us is oversweight for different reasons. I fall into the category of night time binger. It stems back to childhood when I hid and ate. Oh my gosh, I'm rambling and can't get the words out as fast as my head is spinning right now, but I'm SO SO SO glad I posted this thread. Last night I suggested a Chat, but nobody was there at 5:00 or 5:30. But I came back later and found one of my favorite Bandster friends and two more new bandster buddies. They had suggestions up the ying-yang, but I didn't think anything could help me at this stage of the game. Teresa kept suggestiong healthy Snacks, as if I didn't already know that, but I refused to believe I had any willpower left. After I logged off Chat, I went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a candy bar - but then this shiney red apple twinkled from the counter, and I saw Teresa's face in it. So I put the candy down and ate the apple. Babs - the stupid apple nearly made me PB. Yep, my nightly Snicker's fix slides right down with the chips and ice cream, but an apple won't go down. The good news is that I did NOT eat the candy thanks to this support board. As far as the rumors and lies that kept me away, let's move past that now and drop it. I'm famous for editing and deleting my own words, but that's something I'm trying to stop doing, so I won't edit my original post, but I'm so glad I came back home. I'll be in Chat tonight. I'm not sure what time, but I WILL be there. LOVE YOU GUYS! Thanks everyone for making LBT the safety net I need.

I guess what I was trying to say was that "They" say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. First, who the heck are "they?" And have they ever broken a habit in 21 days? My point is I was hoping some of my old habits would have gotten a little easier. I tried a little experiment on myself last week. I tried counting how many times thoughts of food interupted my thought pattern, and I couldn't even keep up the count. Thoughts flood my brain at least every 2 minutes. I don't think anything is corny when we are trying to make a new life for myself. Guitarman, I wish you were closer cause I've been dying to pick up my guitar again and finally learn it, but I can't find a good instructor. I took a few classes here and there, but I sure wish I could make some decent noise come out of that thing. Yes, I can and SHOULD take night classes again. I adore school. I can even afford $25.00 these days but I need the push to get started (like a catalog needs to whack me upside the head.) Yes, I've come very far. I've learned enormous things. Most important I'm not letting anyone keep me from posting any more. I've dealt with the liars and will try to come to LBT every single night for support and wisdom. So I guess I have changed because I am like 90% better at getting all my Water in. I eat slower almost all the time. I finally chew my food. Eating slow and chewing food are definitely things the Band controls. It's almost 5:30 p.m., which would be 8:30 p.m. on the east coast, but nobody was in chat. And I'm 100% Polish so this thread accepts all Polish jokes! I was late for chat cuz my truck broke. It actually broke months ago but duct tape was keeping it together. I learned one more valuable lesson, that duct tape is only good during winter months cause the minute it gets warm it gets all gooey and stretchy. So I finally dropped it off for repair$. But finding all you guys right here is like when Dorothy finally wakes up and sees her loved ones standing over her bed. That's the feeling I have right now, and it ain't a bad feeling at all. Deep warm fuzzies you guys. The Food Monkey. That sounds like a book I should write!

Alex, I was holding my breathe reading your response. How can I say this without sounding cruel? But thank God I'm not alone. For some reason I figured you (particulary you) had come to terms with a new way of thinking. Like they say in OA, food is cunning, baffling, powerful. Kyleigh, I wish you could be on-line tonight because you seem so easy going about this whole thing, as if you found peace with food. I've tried finding other chat rooms at night since LBT is usually empty, but the other boards are flooded with Spammers, so it's nearly impossible to get a good chat going.

Now that the wound has finally closed, here's my plan. All I want to do is maintain my weight loss for one year. If I can manage to stay withing five pounds, I'll be happy. Then in another year or so I hope to get a new port. Once I have a port and a fill, it should be like having a brand new Band, so maybe I can lose some more another year. Today all I care about is keeping off what I lost.

I'm actually pretty impressed with him. I think you're lucky that it ended that way because most of us walk around for the rest of our lives with old straggling relationships in our heads and hearts that never ended with real closure. I'm not sure why closure is so important to women when men simply forget the whole thing ever happened, but I'd give anything to say goodbye to a couple "boys" from my past. I wish I knew what they were thinking. Was it me? Was it him? Was it another woman... another man? I'm sorry you had to go through all that pain, but at least it was with someone who had genuine feelings for you and didn't just use you and ignore you. Lessons learned the hard way - ugg. You being the cute young single one should update us married women on your next date so we can live vicariously through you. Hurry and post!

I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of being banded, and the verdict is in. My thought process regarding food is exactly the same. I still think like a fat person. I still obsess about food and give in to the demons. My weight has changed but that will only be temporary unless I find another solution. My thinking hasn't changed one ounce. I hoped that after a year I would have gained a new outlook on food, but it is still just as disturbing as ever. The Band physically prevents me from overeating during the day, but at night I can eat too much, and my head sill isn't strong enough to fight the evening demons. I have a lot of great days, but it's very rare that I make it through the night like a Bandster should. Thoughts of junk food control my mind. I got burned out on trying to keep occupied, and since I have no kids or family and my husband goes to bed at 7:00 p.m., I'm left alone. For me, the Band was a great tool in the beginning, but now I worry constantly that I'm hurting myself. There have been several times that I wasn't able to sleep due to discomfort from eating too much, and I even found a way to eat first thing in the morning, which I didn't do for over 6 months. I used to use LBT on a daily basis to keep me from eating, but I hardly write any more because several members continue to spread rumors about me, and one moderator has frightened people away from using the PM function. People send me e-mails because they are afraid to post their true feelings here because certain members are control freaks that think they own this board. I don't care what people say about me, but the rumors and gossip have distracted me from what's important around here, so it's time I get back to the tough-love support I need at this point in my Band's life. Part of who I am doesn't want me to bitch without trying to find a solution and end on a positive note, so I'll be on-line tonight from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., right here in LBT Chat to talk about the devil, FOOD itself. My purpose is to check in with other Bandsters BEFORE I begin eating dinner. I have an awful habit of eating the second I walk in the door (a habit my husband got me into.) All I want is to be able to come home from work and avoid eating for one hour, which can happen if I come to Chat first. So there's my plan. One day at a time, one step at a time. Hope to see some of you tonight. By the way, I edited the first paragraph to make it more clear.

UGG. That means I've been lazy and lifeless. Major dusty wind storms here suck away my motivation. But when I do exercise I try to keep it really basic these days. If I try to do too much, I'll lose my spunk. So I walk rapidly for 45 minutes then straight into upper body weights for about 10 minutes of arms. I don't have the motivation to do the whole body like I used to so I'm happy if I get that done 3 times a week.