DeLarla

If your food is still getting stuck, having the tube repaired can't fix anything. Food usually gets stuck from eating too fast, too big of a bite, or too much. A properly working tube won't make you stop eating chips and ice cream, either. You sound like you have two separate issues. You might need to have the tube fixed, but it sounds like you are associating that problem with poor food choices??? I apologize if I'm wrong, but I'm kinda cranky so I'm being hardcore this morning

I'm sorry, am I the only one that's going to yell at you for eating chocolate when you're hungry? Please tell me it's at least chocolate pudding that contains some Protein??? With that said, I agree with Sue and will probably get pelted for giving band-removal advice. But at this point, you don't sound like you're doing well with the band. I haven't heard of your exact problem, but I had a variety of esophageal problems associated with my band that weren't getting any better. If you can't even get liquids down, that's a huge problem. Maybe you should spend some time on the phone getting 2nd and 3rd medical opinions from band doctors. Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Go get'em.

It took me all this time to figure out your question, duh. No, your situation isn't a complication in my opinion. Maybe we need a poll though. I'm gonna call you later.

In America, we have a saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil." So start squeaking and sqwaking like a loud bird till someone hears you. Can you call your old surgeon and ask his advice? Will he take your calls? Call the maker of your band and ask for a list of doctors. I agree that you need an unfill for starters, then good band maitenance. I had a lot of phlegm that caused me to cough, and I had a contant sore throat from the acid reflux. As far as not losing weight, you might want to count up the calories for one day in the liquids and "sloppies" you eat. Sorry, but I have to laugh because in the US we call them mushies, and I think sloppy is a cute word for mushy food But you might be surprised how many calories are in liquids and mushy stuff. Fruit juices are very concentrated and fattening. If you drink juice, you can dilute it with Water and save some calories. Good luck, I hope you find a doctor soon.

Do they taste okay? If so, I'm jealous. I tried saving money by asking a friend to pick me up some powder at Sam's Club. The truckload-size-jug is bigger than my kitchen. Cans are so much better!

After Dr. Billy's lecture on caloric intake, Chris actually listened. He's got "great respect for the only man that knows how to shut his wife up." So out of respect for Billy, Chris (completely clueless when it comes to nutrition, calories, fat grams, sugar, etc.) has decided to see if he can stay within my required 1200 calories today. He asked me to put a chart up, and has been bugging me for calorie counts. If anyone knows how many calories a cup of spaghetti meat sauce contains, I'd really appreciate it. So he just came running to me because he forgot to tell me he drank a Sprite. He can't even figure out how to read the "Chinese" nutrition label, so I explained one serving had 100 calories. When I told him his large bottle contained two servings that equal 200 calories, he got all pissed off and stormed out of the room mumbling, "If I knew it had 200 F-ing calories, I certainly wouldn't have drinkin' the crap." He's killing me!

The nurses said they see too many complications from all types of weightloss surgery. I'm just repeatin' what I heard. Billy called & said my fever is normal and time plus movement (exercise) will get me better. I ran some errands and walked to earn movies in bed with my fur babies.

Just don't drink, that would make it worse. Are you having a PB? A "productive burp" is when a particle gets stuck or trapped. It's very uncomfortable, and a good amount of thick slime starts coming up. Normally, one PB purges the stuck item out, then you're supposed to take it easy on your band for a couple days be eating soft foods. A PB is different than a vomit though. Are you throwing up, like from below your belly?

"Erosion causes port site infection." Yet this statement is acceptible? I know several women who didn't have port site infections that were eroded. Why is my statement being corrected yet this "opinion" isn't?

It bothers me now, after the fact. Back when I was banded, I was lost and desperate. What's that thing they say about hindsite?

"As for marking threads as read, you can do that from any screen where you see Quick Links. If you mark forums as read, everything will be considered "old" and only threads with new posts from that point forward will appear for you." Huh? Do I gotta go to school for this? Can you explain more? Are you saying I can click something and never see a message again? Very cool if I can figure that one out.

To me if I cant afford it in Australia then I cant afford it...it does require a lot of aftercare, forever. I'd only do it if I had local aftercare arranged." BRAVO As far as US doctors being timid with fills, while Mexican doctors go aggressive and fill you tight, there have been too many complications with aggressive fills. I've read here at LBT that aggressive, tight fills might lead to erosion since the sudden trauma of a tight fill puts such instant strain on the stomach. Again, this isn't a medical viewpoint, but it makes sense if you think about it. One thing for sure is that tight fills often leave people too restricted, to the point they can't swallow and have to run back for an unfill. After a bad "too tight" episode, they usually unfill the band completely until you're body has a chance to heal. So a tight fill might not be such a great idea. Main thing is that going to Mexico is like, well, it's like going to another country! While many people can afford to take time off work, some can't. There's so much more than the doctor's appointment. Will your work allow you to run off to see your surgeon any time you need to? Do you have a reputable babysitter, crittersitter, housesitter? Do you have an unlimited amount of time and money to pay for the extra traveling expenses? If you get an aggressive Mexican fill, will you be able to run right back to Mexico in a couple days to have it reversed, then do it again in a couple weeks to get refilled? Lots to consider. I'm changing my initial answer: Would you ever go to Mexico? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

You're even cuter than I thought you'd be! Your smile lights up the whole board. Now give me that darling sweat suit!

Alex, for us very popular big mouths, how about more PM space? Mine gets filled up too fast, woe is me Actually, I don't want more space, but I see no reason to why "sent" or "deleted" stuff needs to be stored. Also that whole, "do you want a confirmation" doesn't seem necessary, does it? I mean, we aren't the Kennedy family, we're just LBT. Do we really need to secure stuff we've sent, or confirmation that people read our PMs? Just a thought.

Dancing in pajamas at midnight sounds perfect! Thank you!

I'll call my surgeon at 11:00 since the guy really needs to sleep. I know I have an infection, I just don't know if all the IV antibiotics covered it. Billy is the best surgeon I know, and he knows I had the sinus & bronchial crap going on. They gave me my last antibiotic shot straight into my IV tube right before I left the hospital, so maybe it's working and I just have to ride this out.

I don't know anyone that's had their band removed long term, so unfortunately I don't know any long term potential problems. All I know is that my stomach has been through a lot of trauma, so I better start taking better care of it. That's my 2006 motivation kick starter right there for sure. They sew the holes with dissolving stitches. So I have dissolving stitches on the inside. As far as my outside scars, I have five wounds with about 15 stiches total. Dr. Billy really cleaned up my ugly wound. He cut all around it and sewed it straight across. It doesn't look like an eyeball with lashes any more. Praise Billy.

Jack, don't leave me! I'm going to clear my PMs right now!

Gag at the thought of a protein shake not blended! Yes, put that powder in the blender with ice. I've had some nasty protein shakes, so experiment till you find one she likes. Blend, blend, blend! You can even sneak in a cap of Vanilla or any extract - make her think it's an exotic no-no and she'll probably love them - kids, right? Make sure to read all the labels on protein shakes & powders. Some are high in protein but also high in sugar. Some taste great but don't have much protein. They are all different. I've gone through dozens of protein shakes, and Atkins canned shakes are my favorite premade ones, though somewhat expensive. I asked a friend to "pick me up some chocolate protein powder next time you go to Sam's Club." You should see the truckload-size container that takes up my whole kitchen! Thank God it's good! I can send you some if you want to try it - I've got a truckload!

I agree with Christina ~ make her stick to her doctor's eating plan, and do not adjust it. I think your daughter needs psycological support right now and for a long, long (and very serious time.) I just had my band removed due to erosion. Before being discharged, my surgeon (hardass Dr. Billy, but worth every nickle) sat down with me and my husband and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. He doesn't care about excuses, justifications, reasons, obstruction or anything else I tried to say so that he'd understand why I can't stick to a strict diet regimine. He is very matter-of-fact. "Either do what I tell you to do or CHOSE to be fat." It sounds harsh, but Dr. Billy is right. Either she changes her lifestyle or she'll lose the band and gain back those 8 pounds. If she's a heavy teen, she'll almost certainly be a morbidly obese adult. I'm really good with kids and teens, so if she needs someone to talk to, I'd be happy to call her. We can support each other. My husband is thin and eats like a hog. So my surgeon had two completely different metabolisms to discuss. He told me, "Lisa, you have fat genes. It's not your fault, but it's the crappy hand you were dealt and you'll never be able to eat like your husband. You can't make him keep his fattening foods out of the house, either, because you can't expect to change the world around you to lose weight. You have to change yourself. And as far as you complaining that you're too hungry on only 1200 calories a day, Bullship. You slept 8 hours last night and didn't wake up starving every couple hours, so I know you can make it 4 hours between each meal. I don't buy hunger, because if you eat the way I tell you, your body won't be physically hungry." Billy said I can't eat bread or Pasta any more. No more potatoes, bad carbs, Snacks, period. Sure, I can introduce some healthy carbs into my evening meal, but what obese person ever got satisfaction out of 1/3 of a baked potato? But Billy is right. I have fat genes, I have a fat metabolism, and if I want to lose weight, I'll know exactly how many calories I'm consuming. My plan is simple (thanks, LaMadam.) Breakfast is 400 calories of straight Protein, like bacon & eggs, salmon & cheese, last night's leftover pork roast & cottage cheese. lunch is a salad, lots of colorful fun veggies, accurate amount of chicken, steak, fish (protein) and moderate amount of real dressing (preferably vinegrette) and no bread, crackers or croutons. dinner is 400 calories of whatever hubby is eating. If I want a burger, I have to make sure the total meal is under 400 calories. Billy's number one rule for weight loss is NO diet foods. Get rid of all sugarfree, lowfat, nonfat (except skim milk) or lowcal foods. They trigger your metabolism and don't help. Sorry this is so harsh, but the only way to lose weight is to stop eating. Period. Sure, you can eat burgers, but then you have to run (not jog) for 12miles to burn it off. I can't even run one mile. Tell your sweet baby that lots of us are here for her. We could start a whole new thread just for her, but she has to want it for herself. I know you love her, but she'll need to become a member here and work with us if she wants to lose weight. Please take good care of her and her band. Don't let her overeat because that could cause slippage or worse. Don't let her stray from doctor's orders. Don't give any extra food or drinks, not even watery taters, because she just had major surgery that needs to heal. Take her to the mall for a walk. Reward her every day with a pair of cute socks or a lipgloss. Teach her new, healthy habits. Sorry this was so long, but it's really close to my heart since I was banded with a 16 year old. I became friends with her mom and dad, so I know how hard this is for you. Good luck. xoxo

Any way we can click on threads that we aren't interested in so they disappear forever? I still have 20 pages of new threads and there's at least one that I've see before, so I don't know why it's in the "new posts" list since nobody has added anything new?

What's so wrong with 8 years younger? My friend's husband is 10 years younger because she's too loaded with energy for a guy her own age. Now get back to that store and find him! Boy, I sure know what that's like because it happened to me a couple weeks ago. I mean, I wasn't even going to look towards the cutie because he was way, way to young and hot, but we ended up flirting for hours. Now hubby won't let me go out any more. Hmmm, I wonder if he'll let me have a new pet

Awe, THANK YOU KELLY! It's only 7:45 a.m. on this side of the world, and I'm feeling the love all the way here! I'm sitting in my hubby's torn robe, fuzzy slippers, wadded up used Kleenex everywhere, dogs at my feet, 101 temperature, and you just made my whole day. Thank you!

Thanks, Emily. I was on IV antibiotics for 3 days. I'm still going to call my surgeon in a couple hours to see if I should be on more.