Penni60

Alex: I had no problem eating and drinking alcohol at the Bachelorette party and did not experience the pain you mention. I still knew when to stop eating and did. The only reason I can imagine that would happen is if you get so drunk that you forget you are banded and do eat way too much. Then the pain the next day would be horrendous. I can't imagine the way alcohol affects the body chemically would make the band loser. THat just isn't feasible in my mind. But I might be wrong here. Yes, It can happen.

Bubbles are our friend. Had me a nice glass at my daughter's wedding two weekends ago. It was mighty nice. Oh and at her bridal shower about a month before the wedding had me a nice glass of wine and a nice glass of Jamaican Rum Cream on ice. Can we say sloshed? And the games we played at this shower. Let's just say the cake was anatomically correct. And I have pictures to prove it. LOL!!!! Putting a rubber on a cucumber while blind folded and being timed was something to see just let me tell you. I broke my rubber but not after letting one fly off the end first. LOLOLOL!!! GOod time was had by all and the alcohol helped ALOT. And don't get me started on the Bachelorette Party now. WHOO HOO!! Gracie the room is spinning and I want to get off.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING? No one should want a PB. LOLOLOL!!! IT ain't fun believe me. I have done it a couple of times and it is just because I tried to eat something I knew when I was eating I had NO business trying to eat. LOL!! Also, the only other time is I tried to eat way way way too fast and did not chew properly. That is the big thing to remember at every meal. Chew Chew Chew and take your time. Neither you nor the food are going anywhere.

Thanks Alex: I just downloaded it and will play with it today and see what happens. Will give an update later today.

Donali: We are kinda attached to you as well. So, stick around because where you go we go. LOL!!

OH MY GAWD!!! Those are such good quotes. Thanks for posting them. My favorite is the Mae West quote.

Where can I find it? It sounds like something I might be interested in looking into.

Let me just say that the term TOM was something I have never heard and it doesn't surprise me since I haven't had a TOM since 1987. I had a complete hysterectomy after my last child was born. I had fibroid tumors the size of grapefruits and would burst then hemorrhage. I passed out at work one day and they rushed me to the ER. THey are prepping me for emergency surgery but I told them to take me to my primary GYN in the opposite direction about 2 hours away. They did not want to because they did not think I would make it. I told them if they get me there I would give them all a cheap thrill. They took me there and I flashed all of them. I was delirious at the time. This story was told to me by my mom and sis that was at my side the whole time. The doc told me that if I had waited another couple of hours he would have not been able to do anything. I kissed him after the surgery and THANKED him for removing all that stuff out of me. Long story short I am a much happier woman and not on any hormone replacement therapy since being banded. No hot flashes, no night sweats, nothing. Sorry, got off track some here.

I ROLL too. LOL!! I am so ready for a vacation. How about all you guys?

Welcome Keith: Good luck and keep up the good work. Lots of support here on these boards.

Pipsi3: I had surgery in Mexico, but not in Monterrey and not with this doctor. I had surgery at Sanoviv Medical Institute with Dr. Lopez as my surgeon. I know there are people on here that have had surgery with Dr. Rumbault and in Monterrey. I am sure they will respond to your questions. Good Luck on the surgery. You will be glad you had it done. I know I was and am THRILLED to have mine done.

Hey Donali: wonder if Jennye's date had an erosion problem with is penile implant? That could explain his problem.

Lisa: I would get in touch with Kuri again just to let him know about the color of the liquid leaking out. I don't really think there is anything to worry about unless it starts hemorrahaging. Then get to the ER. But I doubt that will happen. How many Kotex are you going through in one day? How often are you having to change the pad? How saturated is the pad? When you take the pad off is there dried blood area noticable? These are things Kuri would want to know. It will determine how serious the leaking is. I still think it is serous sanguinous Fluid we are seeing. If it was pure blood then it would smell metally and you would see a difference. I think it is just the body healing and this is how yours reacts. What ever became of taking the disposable stitches out and putting others in?

All these statements are my experience being an RN and some from personal experience. Also take what I say as opinion and not treatments or diagnosis. Always check with your Doc if you have major concerns. I will preface this to say that Tylenol is a good pain reliever and a good Fever reducer. That said, it takes two tylenol pills 24 hours to get completely through your system. So if you take more than two a day you should rethink that. Tylenol is excreted through the liver like most medications. The liver is the waste cleaner of the body. IT extracts all the unused stuff we put into our bodies when it is working properly. Benadryl can increase your blood pressure and also is excreted through the liver. I used to take 50 mg to help me sleep at night for about a month and then decided that was stupid and harmful to my system. It suppresses the bodies natural immune system to allergies. Occasional use of Benadryl is Ok in my opinion but not an every night thing. Just doesn't make sense to me. Unisom is a good sleep aid. I have used it in the past. If you want some natural remedies. Chamomile tea is good. It relaxes you and there is NO caffeine in it. A nice warm bath right before bed will help you relax. Yoga can help you relax. Warm milk if you can tolerate it.

Lisa: I think your sarcoidosis is rearing it's ugly head with your sensitive skin. My incisions leaked from the whole site. It rained down my belly till I could get a new dressing on it. I too had to squeeze the stuff out. As long as it is clear or semi clear then there is NO infection. If it gets cloudy or turns colors to a milky color then call Dr. Kuri and let him know. You might want to invest in some Hydrocortisone cream for the irritated areas around the incision. It could calm it down considerably. I had to do that with my allergic reaction to the adhesive and the glued incisions. I was allergic to the glue they used to stitch me up. What a hassle!! How are you being treated for your Sarcoidosis?

Lisa: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/other/sarcoidosis/sarcoid.pdf Here is an article that describes Sarcoidosis and how it affects the body and what organs it can attack. In the article it does not mention the Gastrointestinal system as one of the systems it affects. On page 8 of the document it states: "Some organs are affected more often than others. Sarcoidosis occurs most often n the lungs. It also most commonly affects the skin, eyes, lymph nodes, and liver. Less commonly, it affects the spleen, brain, nerves, heart, tear glands, salivary glands, and bones and joints. Rarely, it affects other organs, such as the thyroid gland, breasts, kidneys, and male and female reproductive organs." I can only speculate that Lopez banded you knowing about your autoimmune disease thinking that it would not affect your recovery since it does not attack the G.I. system. Other autoimmune diseases would be a major concern in that respect. Again this is only speculation on my part. The person to ask of course is Dr. Lopez or your current doc. Hope this helped.

Suzy: Thanks I have his phone number. Dr. Lopez recommended him for someone here in the states if I have complications and for follow up. I think I will give him a call and see about making an appt. Thanks again.

Sassaay: I ordered my book from Amazon.com with no problems. Wonder what happened? Try this link? [ame=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0595311148/002-2573815-6610439?%5Fencoding=UTF8]Amazon.com: Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery: Jessie H. Ahroni Ph.D. A. R. N. P.: Books[/ame]

Are you NUTS? You are not Ghandi!!

Michelle, Jackie, Donali: I couldn't have said it better myself. LilMiss: You just have to listen to what your own body is telling you. If you are asking when is it time then I agree with Donali IT IS TIME TO STOP. I did not tell my mother about this procedure till after I was home and recuperated. She told me that was the smartest thing I had ever done. She said she would have tried to talk me out of it but now she knows it was the best decision I have made. I have to agree with her. My sweetie had his concerns about this procedure and wanted to make sure I was making an informed decision. I assured him I was. I too read everything I could get my hands on regarding banding. It is a life changing event for the better. There are down sides to this procedure but you have to ask yourself are they worse than if you continue on the road you are currently on? The after care and the emotional support you receive will be instrumental in your success. We are all here for you when and if you make that choice to be banded. And it is YOUR choice. I was banded the same day that Michelle was and to date I have lost 38.5 lbs and 20 inches. It was the best money (also self pay) I have ever spent. I would do it again in a heartbeat. No question.

Janie: WOW!!! Huge congrats. I am a grandmother of 6 and enjoy all the time I can spend with mine. I live in So. Calif and they are in Tennessee. 3 of them are coming out to visit at the end of July for a week with my daughter. I am so thrilled. We are gonna do Universal Studios, Legoland, Ripley's, and tons of other stuff while they are here. Can't wait!!!

Hi Suzy: Glad that you joined our little group. Welcome aboard. Hey how much does Dr. Billy charge for fills? Does he take Lopez patients? Do you know? Thanks

Donali: You will succeed I am positive to maintain and to even continue to lose. Don't get discouraged if you see a weight gain in the first few months after the removal of your band. I am sure that will be normal but to acknowledge that and stay on track. The only that I might add to your wonderful list is to add a "fasting" day in there. Maybe do one day either a week or every two weeks of a juice fast with Protein Bars or Protein Drinks as supplements. I do that now and it jump starts my weight loss when I hit a wall. It also helps cleanse the system of all the abuse we sometimes throw into it. Keep up the positive attitude and all things are possible. We are all here for you.

Lisa and anyone taking medication without knowing what it is. SHAME ON YOU!!! Never ever take any prescribed pill without first asking what it is and how it works and what are the warning signs I should watch for. Occasional use should be ok. The typical reason it is prescribed is to keep down any swelling post op. He did not give me anything post op so maybe he changed his protocol after surgery. I got an IV for two days (not continuous - twice a day) that had the medication in it to keep swelling down.

I too have ordered the book. About pouch stretching: The thing to remember is to not overeat to the point of PBing. That is the most important thing. The next thing is when you fill the pouch to it's capacity it stretches no matter what. Once the food goes through the opening it resumes it's normal size. If you continually over fill the pouch then it can stretch larger but over time it will resume it's shape again if you cut down on the portions you are taking in. I try to envision a single hand full of food (this is what the normal stomach can hold) then cut that in half and eat till I feel restriction. The KEY is to watch how much you are eating and stop when you feel restriction. Lisa, the Al Roker thing is something I have not heard. I kinda doubt the lower portion of our stomachs will become flabby as they are still working. The food that passes through the opening is being digested by the lower part of our stomachs. SO it should never become flabby due to not being used. Al Roker had the gastric bypass procedure. He would not have the flabby stomach that was mentioned I would think. His entire system has been re-plumbed so to speak. His stomach MUSCLES might be flabby from all the weight loss if he is not doing exercises. But NOT his stomach. That is my personal opinion on that matter. Sassaay you are correct in your observations.