DeLarla

That's what grand dads are for!

"Unfortunately he didn't specifically address the issues regarding buckle placement which is a somewhat newer process adopted in band placement. If i remember correctly this has reduced the band erosion from 3% to 1%. He's seems to me to be a very articulate and eloquent Bull S---er." I was curious of the same thing & hope we get more answers now that there's a band doc in the house.

It's not stupid at all. I'm in the same boat and struggle with food obsession and compulsion daily. Even though I've lost a good chunk, nights scare the heck out of me. My husband doesn't help because he wants me on the couch watching TV with him while he eats goodies all night. He is very jealous of my computer because he misses me all day, then I sit alone on the computer to avoid food. Don't feel stupid ~ we are all in this together.

I'm taking the dress to Nordstrom & Dillards this weekend to find Chris something hot, yes I am! He wants to know if his butt looks big in his suit.

Jack is his last name. His first name is One-Eyed.

Carol Ann, Throw Down The Tennis Ball Marked Number 2.

Girl, be happy that Ventura is only an hour from you! I travel from Vegas all the way to Ventura to see Dr. Billy. I never knew his nurse does his fills. Are you sure about that? He's an excellent surgeon and worth traveling for.

Topless breasts, that's funny, and I don't care who y'ar.

"here i was thinking my most valuable asset was my mind" How did I miss that comment? The only valuable boobs I've ever heard of are expensive implants. Sad, sad request. But funny how you never see Magic in the same thread as Big Paul. Paul, is that you? Come out come out whoever you are.

Susan, EXCELLENT response. I agree that placement of the band might be a cause of erosion, which is why the same surgeons are seeing repeated erosions. I can't confirm since I'm not a doctor, but it makes sense.

Topsy, please PM me your phone number. I will pay the long distance charges. I understand what you are going through after having FIVE band related surgeries (plus 3 minor ones in Urgent Care.) I think I can help with some good suggestions.

OOPS, Michelle was right! I WAS meant to have the band, I just wasn't meant to have it forever. My point was supposed to be that there's life after band removal, but I tend to ramble (imagine that?) I LOVE YOU GUYS! But Jack, a tattoo? Are you nuts? You act like I'm a biker or something

After errosion can you do a rue-n-y procedure? Yes for me, no for someone else I know. One girl had her stomach cut during banding, which lead to complications, which lead to emergency band removal. She was told she could never have another weight loss surgical procedure. 2] What do you feel caused the errosion? Nobody can answer this. My doctor believes port infections will lead to erosion and some banding techniques having to do with stitches rubbing against the band, but nothing has been proved. Stomach irritant meds can lead to ulcers that can cause erosion. Even perfect bandster who follow all rules can erode. Does this happen to everyone evenually or from a bad lap-band procedure? A bad lap band procedure (in my opinion) can definitely lead to erosion according to my surgeon. Incorrect placement of the band, for example. Or if the surgeon nicks your stomach (even a tiny nick) and doesn't fix it, it can become infected, which can lead to erosion. Did you have pain or what? that caused the Dr to check for erosion? I had no pain, but the way my food digested felt way different than it used to when I was originally banded. Different noises, different sensations. None of my doctors would give me an endoscopy because my Upper GI came back fine. They refused to believe that I "knew my own body and knew I was eroded." So I had to fight for the endoscopy, which sure enough revealed erosion. Also, too many people that were banded by my surgeon around the same time had eroded, so I had valid reasons for suspicion. Would taking the Fluid out have worked? No. The only cure for erosion is to remove the band and repair any preferations. Removing fluid can fix a slipped band, but eroded bands must come out. When removed did you have actual holes in your stomach to be sewed up from where the band sat. Yes, many of us had adhesions or preferations that had to be sewn up. The earlier the erosion is detected, the better chances for smaller holes (I think, anyway.) Are you going to get rebanded? NO. Because I do not know the long term results of having my band removed. My belly is queasy and feels a little sick. I don't know if I have scars inside. If I do have scars, I don't know how they will develop over time. I wouldn't consider another band for several years, and I would ONLY get another if insurance covered it locally in the US. Do you have any restriciton from the scar tissue? YES. I personally have a lot of restriction, but my unbanded friends don't. I had a hiatal hernia prior to banding, which felt like a very painful version of band restriction. When I woke up with my new band, the hernia didn't hurt any more but the pouch restriction was in the same area with no pain. I think my restriction has to do with my hernia. I feel tight in the same place as I did when banded and often joke that my surgeon forgot to remove the band. But maybe it's just swollen and scarred, so maybe the restriction will go away with time. I hope not! Do you regret that you ever had it done? I regret going to Mexico. I regret not having patience to fight my insurance company. I do not regret getting banded. I've lost over 70 pounds and gained a whole new personality.

I took pics butt naked the day before banding. Yikes!

Ditto to what Michelle said. Any surgeon who says you can avoid erosion by following band rules is dead wrong. There's nothing a patient can do to avoid erosion. Erosion happens. There are no specific signs of erosion, though I definitely felt "different" once my band eroded. It's hard to explain, but my stomach/band felt squishy and odd. Just a hair queasy. I had restriction, but it was different. I had PBs but they were really weird, for example, I had normal PBs for a year when I ate too fast or swallowed a big bite. But the PB I had once I was eroded was more of a projectile vomit that happened after the food went down. I always had funny gurgling sounds when I got banded. I would drink Water then hear it squiggle through the band a few seconds later. Once I eroded, the gurgling noises were happening really low in my stomach, and I never heard water pass through any more. I compared the way I originally felt to the way I felt when I was eroded, and there were very clearly "different" sensations going on. Nothing painful, but creepy and odd feelings. I KNEW I was eroded based on the different feelings. I just knew it, and I was right. I could eat normal large portions for a week, and then suddenly I'd get my restriction back. Hard to explain, but like I've said in other threads, the band is like a piano or guitar ~ only a trained ear can tell when they are out of tune. So listen to your band and pay attention to small changes.

Yes, erosion sucks. Yes, paying for a band and going through painful surgery only to have more painful and uncomfortable surgery to remove the band sucks even worse. But there's way too much erosion-anxiety around here, and I'm afraid I caused a lot of it. People, being unbanded isn't the end of the world. Honestly, I'm happy to have the foreign object out of my stomach. Maybe if I'd been banded locally with good aftercare things would be different, but we all have to TAKE OUR LUCK AS IT COMES AND FIT OURSELVES TO IT. I was not meant to have the band. I can't explain why, but maybe there's a reason some of us aren't supposed to be skinny. Heck, maybe I'll crash on a deserted island one day and be the sole survivor because of my layers of fat. Or maybe I was supposed to get raped and murdered but the guy passed me by because I was too large to fight. Heck, I don't know the reasons, but there has to be a special place for us in Heaven. Living obese sucks in this life, but there simply has to be a reason in the end. Sometimes I actually feel sorry for skinny babes with awesome bodies. Maybe our layers of fat have provided us with "real" friendships and "real" relationships instead of those based just on a great rack or a nice ass. When people talked to me at 315 pounds, I knew they were interested in ME, not sex. I'd rather feel thin and healthy, I'm on the top of the world now strutting my hot little ass around the office in my size 18 jeans and new shitkicker boots. I'm feeling amazing and very attractive, but maybe we can't force fate, so chances are that I'll gain all of my weight back. Maybe even more. Maybe the Universe wants me to be a heavy Plain Jane. I just want everyone to accept that erosion happens. It's not the end of the world though. AND I DO NOT REGRET MY DECISION TO BE BANDED... MY BAND CHANGED MY LIFE AS DID THE FRIENDS I MET HERE!

"He's a very tall, very strong guy so the man literally threw me around the room (like I was tiny or something!) and I let him. It was *amazing*." Great, now I'm the "H" word. Monica, hello, where have you been? I own an adult toy business and also carry plus size lingerie! And Belgium Chocolate Body Paint! About Jack... you can meet him at my site (clue, he only has one eye.)

Keep on Trucking (If you know what I mean) O M G, I got it! Good one! Gee, I wonder what the "O" in Tommy O stands for. This thread has me thinking dirty!

This is a funny place for sure. Donali, now that you confessed your fear of needles, you should share your famous fill experience! And a fear of raccoons falling out of trees is another good one. I used to live in apartments (where you have to fight for open washers and dryers.) So I'd get up at 5:00 a.m. to do laundry. One day I turned the light on and a witch reached out and tried to eat me! Actually, she was a bag lady seeking warmth from a dryer, but she startled the life out of me. Few years later, a well-dressed man in an expensive suit was lingering in another Laundromat while I did my clothes. He gave me the creeps, so I decided to wait in my car. He got in his vehicle and moved it to park next to me, then slid his door open to expose himself masturbating. I fled and left my entire wardrobe behind and practically drove on the sidewalk to get home. Police arrested him and convicted him a few months later after I was involved with a formal photo line up. Then a detective showed up at my work simply to say, "Lisa, you are one lucky girl." His name was Billy Giles. Then in Oregon I snapped on the light in the dark laundry room and a MONSTER with wild fire eyeballs almost killed me. It flew at me, and then ran out the door through between my legs. It was a raccoon, though the monster story sounds better. I'm not afraid of coons, but no more laundry rooms.

OMG, our first three chartered members! And need I say how much I love you both? How did I get so lucky to find friends like you?

Welcome to the Love Shack, baby! Now that us bandless wonders have a place, how is everyone feeling? My belly is strange. I still feel the band squeezing, so maybe my old hernia is acting up. I'm starving most of the time, but I'm determined to lose more weight. Even a pound a week would make me happy. But like Michelle, the stupid mo-fo #$%@*%!@ EVIL night food demons have a spell over me. Hey, we've tried every diet on Earth so far. We've even tried God and religion. But has anyone ever tried voodoo? Does anyone have a spell? I have a little voodoo doll. I think I'll dip it in ice cream and poke it.

I friggen DIG my ride! I feel like I'm a growed up biker now like Nana, Jo & Betty, no more baby bike for Larla! I'm still always afraid because this city sucks for riding - way too many accidents & bike deaths. I had to drive past my own neighborhood in shock one night to get around a smashed bike that someone barrelled right over. So I'm very careful, and even though I have the grown up bike, I still riding with training wheels and don't keep up with the big boys. I have no idea how I rode with no tunes before. My stereo is awesome! Bling bling! Hi everyone! I took my bike in for pink detailing but all I got was an appointment for Valentine's Day cuz he's really popular and busy. The pink wings in my signature line are going on my hard saddle bags against black. Men hate pink, so it should keep them off my sweet ride! Bling, bling! Kelly, I did the whole banana! Color, Clarity, Carats and Celery! I'm extremely jealous of those boats, by the way. Really I am.

Pati-O, you might consider getting a 2nd opinion on that port issue. Mine never hurt even though it was badly infected. If it does get red/hot/inflammed/itchy/leaky, those are signs of infection that mean the port needs to be removed. Keep an eye on it, and call Kuri. I also had my endo done by a guy that wasn't familiar with the band. I showed him pictures of erosion and explained the procedure (which my band surgeon explained to me.) My band surgeon says detecting erosion can be very difficult, even for an experienced surgeon, so I'm glad you're on top of the game.

"DeLarla.. puddin *laughs* made me think of you. *winks*" SNORT!!!! Why marry when all you need is Bob? Bob doesn't make messes or stink up the room. He never cheats either. Bob will take care of you. (Battery Operated Boyfriend, by the way.)

I can't figure out how to respond to this thread. I mean, you all know what I do for a living (not the boring paralegal thing, the Slumber thing.) So you all must think that I have the funnest toybox in town. Well, you're right! Ever since losing weight, "down there" ALWAYS wants action. Hubby isn't always available, so I'm having affairs with Jack and several others. Meet Jack at my website, and he comes with a limited lifetime warranty!