DeLarla

Kel, can I borrow your port? I'm craving restriction like a junkie!

You can always get a 2nd and 3rd opinion. I say this because one very popular surgeon kinda snickered when I asked him about operating on someone with a fatty liver (I was worried since mine was fatty.) He said experienced doctors can get around the fatty liver without problem, and only a lazy inexperienced doc will have a problem. Don't quote me though, cause I'm just passing on one surgeon's comment.

Cookie to the mouth, cookie to the mouth. OOPS, I made a funny! Hey, Paula, ask Penni about my arms. Dr. Billy's assistant was even impressed with my guns because I lift heavy weights. It's the only thing that's ever worked for my arms. I have some turkey wobble underneath, but I've got strong arms with good definition. I bench press 40 pounds, 3 sets of 10. Then I stand up and pump above my head. Then I go to 20 pounds for bicep curls. It has to burn, and your really have to push, but you get fast results. I don't use weights anywhere else, just for arms.

Awwe, Trop, we all feel for you. None of us got Banded just for sport, that's for sure. We all felt the same way you do right now. I still feel that way after losing 70 pounds. The first 70 came off, but then I regained my old, ugly eating habits. I'm totally different than you though because I don't graze at all. I eat like the best Bandster in the world during the day. Nice little diet Protein shake for Breakfast, a chicken leg with a few carrot sticks for lunch, a gallon of Water. Then at night I lose my marbles, and I'm on the verge of losing my Band since I'm not taking care of it. I don't have any restriction right now, and I can eat too much junk food. But even when I feel my little pouch pressed full, I don't stop eating. I don't have a local band surgeon, and I've already had 2 ports removed due to infection, so I'm all screwed up in the head. Also, I'm stuck with huge financial burdens since I self-paid and had the extra surgeries. Every day I come home and find a few more thousand dollars in Band-related expenses. This is NOT an easy journey. There's a huge, enormous psychological component of weight loss surgery that I'm simply not dealing with very well. I don't have hardcore professional support, and I don't know where to find it. I'm alone at night, and food is more powerful than me during this phase of my life. But, for today I have my little Band. I do get a little restriction during the day, and even though I'm eating too many goodies, I'm still not eating heaps of food along with it like I used to. I'm rambling.

H-Pylori is a confusing little bug! I tested positive last year, and my doc gave me a box of samples to clear it up. But they said you could test positive without even having it, and the only way to know if it's gone is to re-test after treatment. So after you've finished the meds, you should schedule a breath test, where you breathe into these little balloon kinda bags. Because after you take the meds and it clears up, you could still test positive even if you're clean. Did I confuse you enough?

I don't know what the actual odds are, but I've heard way too many stories of doctors missing the port. I've even heard of people that were sent home cuz the doc couldn't find the port. I should go have some fun with the pretentious local band surgeon (ass) and make an appointment for a fill to see how long he looks for my port before giving up (I don't have a port.)

Take a deep breath... I think you're really lucky that your insurance even covers the procedure. I have BC/BS and had to self-pay. But yes, they tend to lag around till the last minute (my crazy mother would say it's a goverment conspiracy to drive you mad.)

Trop, there's a great thread called, "Why are you fat." You should read some of those posts since lots of people are like you. I'll find it and bump it for you.

I'll go bump them if they haven't been bumped yet. Everyone looks smashing!

I really like the idea of being able to refer new people to one centralized place. I always wonder when the owner will tell us we used up all the computer space or something crazy, so that would really clean things up. Good thinkin!

Donali, I think it's a fabulous idea since so much information is duplicated and criss-crossing all over LBT. I think I started a "definitions" thread awhile back, for starters. - What to bring to the hospital - Post surgical pain, gas, - Insurance - Grocery shopping list for liquid/mushy stage - What's a PB and rules to follow after having one - Port issues - Fills - pills, Vitamins - Going to Mexico, need of passports, language barriers, phones - How many days expected to stay in hospital, how many days for recovery - Blind vs. Fluoro

Lindsay screwed up by doing stupid Knock on Wood. She coulda done much better, but I'm shocked that Mikaela is still standing. I LOVE THE ROCKER BOYS! I think Bo will be the next Idol, thought the girls (me, for example) are swooning over Constantine. Thump, thump. Mmm, boys!

OMG, I just rushed in here planning to type, "I'm too busy to catch up, did they do it yet?" And there ya go! Girl, ya got me all giddy! Are those bluebirds and butterflies floating around your head?

I shower with scented shower gel, shave with scented shaving lotion, wash my face with scented face wash, wash my hair with scented shampoo, condition with scented conditioner, put on scented face cream, apply scented make up, use scented hair gel or mousse, brush my teeth with scented tooth paste, add scented glip gloss, apply scented deodorant then drive my scented car to my scented office where everyone fights about their allergies to everyone else's scents. I have perfume issues. She's bacckkkkk! Woof. Check.

Gas before, during, and after. I could never burp pre-band because of my hiatal hernia, but I can let out a pretty impressive one after a meal. It's inevitable, so you may as well find a way to enjoy it!

Did somebody say port? My mouth is salivating for need of that tight, restricted feeling. But this fill junkie can't a fix without a port so I gotta live vicariously through your fill, Megan! You lucky gal!

Who is going home tonight? I think Nikko screwed up his second chance. Either him or Mikaela.

Chloe left some of her jeans at my house. She's five. They are pretty tiny next to the 18s. I would be thrilled to wear a 16.

The Banded Queen pulls through with flying colors! It just amazes me how easy this process is for some people. You're flying through this like nothing, as if you just went to the dentist. Good for you, I can't wait to see you progress. Congrads, and a big smile to you

Wow, nobody's ever agreed 100% with me! Obviously, diets like Weight Watchers are the healthiest since you'll get a wide variety of foods, which give you a good range of nutrients. I like to think the healthiest way to eat is how the world ate before fast food restaurants came around. Things that grow out of the ground, things that swim, things that you gotta hunt, and things that you pick off trees. Nobody was fat back then.

The noodle diet sounds great to me, but I doubt anyone else will agree. Noodles are carbohydrates, which convert to sugar. The world is tied up in this huge carb craze right now, so most people will tell you to avoid carbs. Your doctor might want you to stick with lean Proteins (chicken, fish, cottage cheese) and lots of fresh veggies and fruits. Noodles by themself aren't that fattening, but they also don't contain much (if any) nutrition. But add butter or olive oil and you've created a diet disaster! Small portions will never hurt you, but you'll be better off getting in good nutrition if you want to lose weight. You're going to get 100 different opinions here, so you might want to discuss it with a nutritionalist since each one of us has different tastes, needs, requirements, etc. Diabetics can't follow the same programs as pregnant women, for example. Good luck to you.

That's called a PB (a productive burp.) You might be eating too fast or taking too large of bites. There's a lot about PBs on this board if you just type that in under the Search feature. The slime is normal, and usually the food that was stuck will come up after the slime. PBs can be very painful, plus they aren't healthy for the band. Some doctors want you to do liquids and/or mushie foods for a couple days after a PB. This subject is going to give you a lot of responses, so I'll stop here till others see the question. Good luck.

Tear jerkers, especially if they're based on true stories! I dare you not to cry: Lorenzo's Oil (Susan Sarandon & Nick Nolte.) True story. Also: Silkwood (Streep, Cher, Kirk Douglas) My Life (Michael Keaton) Sophie's Choice (Streep, Kline) Deer Hunter (Streep, DeNiro, etc.)

Finally, a good, juicy thread! So darn humdrum around here any more. Two more days till the St. Paddy's Day episode, and don't even think of leaving out any details!

Scotty said all the things I wanted to say. I admire people that go home the same day, but I felt safer in the hospital for 2 nights. Is your hospital close to home? Maybe I felt safer since I had it done in Mexico. If I was in a local hospital, I might have gone home earlier knowing the hospital was nearby. Also, they kept pain medicine in my IV till an hour before I was released, so I never felt any pain. But many people experienced bad pain afterwards. We all react differently.