Zoe

Thanks, Sue, that helps! And, Greg, your enthusiasm for education is truly inspiring.

Congratulations! Mary's right -- walking will help the gas go away (I won't say pass). The first couple of days are the roughest. I didn't have any trouble with burping; it just felt normal. Pamper yourself this week! Try a heating pad on your belly, and give yourself one huge pat on the back for taking this giant step.

Amazing! What an inspiration you two are. And how wonderful that you have a "band sister" who's been on the journey with you. Thanks for sharing the pictures, and please tell Fiona she looks great -- although I'm sure she's already hearing that from everyone she knows. You both look maaaahvelous!

A student just got $30,000 on eBay from a company that's renting out his forehead as a billboard for a month. That's right, one month. I'm going to try renting my entire body as a billboard -- there's plenty of space available! BTW, one of my brothers got $71.50 on eBay for one of his half-eaten sandwiches. His friend wrote the description; it was a collector's item, he said, because my bro rarely has any leftovers. $71.50! People are nuts!

BigBand, read some of the past posts on this forum (especially those that the moderators have marked with an electronic "sticky") and you'll get a better idea of whether the band is for you. The "General Discussion" and "Introductions" forums are good places to start. Meanwhile, Becki, congratulations! You'll be under the 300 mark soon! A couple of people on this board have called your next stop Twoville or Two-nesia. Welcome.

Sorry I can't be there; I attend an annual music event over Memorial Day weekend. I can forward some stuff for a clothing exchange (at Lisa's or the general Kuri-fest).

Works for me! My weekends are pretty busy, but pick a date & I'll be there if I can.

Hi Bigmom -- I experienced the same thing. Some bandsters get an appetite almost the minute they come out of surgery, and some of us have no interest in food for a couple of days or weeks. Marie offered good advice; there's no need to follow a fixed schedule, but keep yourself hydrated. Make sure that you're getting some Protein each day. I drank EAS protein supplements for the first two weeks; you might find something similar at your grocery or health-food store. Alas, the day will come when you'll marvel at the disappearance of your appetite. Meanwhile, congratulations on your band!

I belatedly discovered this thread. Ryan, I'm so happy to learn that Patty got immediate relief from her pain. I hope your drive home is safe and comfortable, and that your wife not only stays free of pain but begins a true recovery. Know that we all are wishing/praying for both of you. When you come up for air, please tell us how you're doing with your band, if you haven't already posted someplace else.

Marie is right -- since Bandstock in Michigan will be held in June, I for one suggested dropping the Chicago summer bash. I'm sure Chi-town will be well represented in Michigan!

If I'm not mistaken, the "slime thing" is in fact a PB, which stands for Productive Burp.

Great advice from Michelle! I'm the same way -- I just can't have junk in the house. If I'm craving ice cream, I'll buy a scoop of it at a fancy-schmancy ice cream parlor, but no way can I have a pint (much less a half-gallon) sitting in my freezer. Maybe you should buy Chris a combination safe. He can keep his junk food in there but he has to swear that he will not tell you the combination no matter what evil tactics you devise to get him to reveal the code. If you can't lock it up, throw it away. Pronto. You can always run to the 7-11 if you absolutely positively must have a candy bar, but why make it easy to torture yourself by keeping the stuff right at hand? Believe me, I know what you're going through with junk food -- and I bet almost everyone here can say the same thing. We're all behind you in your struggle to get past this.

No need to hop on a jet, DeLarla, just make the phone call. Maybe your band will kick in if it thinks it's getting a fill soon! Voodoo science, but it worked for me. Boy, I agree with Vickie about that 13-year-old. Good grief -- she hasn't even reached her adult height yet, and her internal organs are still developing.

Hi Blossom -- I won't hold your blondeness against you! I get my fills standing up. I posted notes on the procedure and some pictures of Dr. Horgan's equipment at http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3382 . I've only had two fills, and barium was used both times. Tammy, I don't know if either Dr. Rumbaut or Dr. Horgan will perform surgery on someone of your size. You might qualify if you have weight-related health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Check the Inamed web site (www.inamed.com) for information on who's a candidate for the band, and how to find a doctor in your area. I can't resist saying that I, for one, would love to weigh 195 again -- but I know there are people reading this who would love to weigh 225, or even my high weight of 273. We're all trying to head in the same direction: down, to healthier, happier bodies. Read some old posts here in the "introductions," "general discusssion" and "doctors and hospitals" forums to help decide if the band is right for you; many posts have great information on the band experience for people of all starting sizes. Good luck in your journey -- hope you find some answers.

Sounds like you're on the right track, Vinesqueen. Remember, if you need help kicking your PC doctor's ass, there are plenty of us willing to help. Consider my size-11 feet ready to aim for his bony behind.

Wow, so THIS is what restriction feels like! Dr. Baptista (colleague of Dr. Horton's) checked me out yesterday. During the first test, the barium flowed right through my band, which explains why I've been able to eat heaping plates of Thai chicken with peanut sauce and rice. Dr. B tinkered with the port adjustment, asking me to swallow several times (with barium and without). He encouraged me to watch the fluoroscope monitor so I could see for myself how the band was working. So here I am with 1.8cc, on liquids until Sunday afternoon, and feeling some tightness just drinking Water. If solid food is too uncomfortable to swallow, I may get a slight unfill early next week. I am ready to drop some pounds after the sluggish holidays, so I'm ready to be a real bandster now. Meanwhile, DeLarla, call (312) 255-1900 and set up an appointment in Chicago with Dr. B for vicarious restriction.

Hey, DeLarla, that's a brilliant idea! Especially if the appointment is difficult or expensive to cancel, you'll get instant restriction. I had the worst PB of my band journey last night; I had to get off the phone immediately and couldn't even make it to the bathroom before I slimed all over myself. I feel kinda stupid going in for a fill today -- but I know that if I cancelled, I'd be wide open as usual by dinnertime! Make that appointment, D., and let the restriction begin! OK, I'm off to the doc now. Will report back.

OK, I've been whining to myself (and to anyone who isn't already tired of listening) that I don't have much restriction with my 1.2cc fill. I can eat two cups of most foods without any trouble. So I scheduled an appointment for another fill tomorrow (1/21). Guess what? During the last three days I've had good restriction. Nothing extreme (although I did PB yesterday after not chewing a piece of dry chicken well enough), just what I thought I was supposed to have. No, I'm not in PMS or M mode. Funny, it feels as if my band knows it's going to be messed with tomorrow, so it's behaving itself now! Tempted as I am to cancel the appointment, I'm going to keep it, just to make sure everything's in place and to get topped off with just a wee bit of saline for good measure. Sheesh!

Hi Fran -- Boy, am I sorry to hear about your flipped port. I know you were really looking forward to getting serious restriction. How frustrating! I'm sorry I couldn't give good answers to all of your questions when you called on your fill day. Let us know how you are doing. I am getting my second fill tomorrow & will ask Dr. H for more info about flipped ports. Hang in there.

I was wondering what you were up to... hmm, sounds like mixed news. Yeah, at least you have an explanation, which is better than not knowing. Too bad the explanation SUCKS! Your one-day-at-a-time philosophy ("just for today, I have a band/tube/port"), combined with all the support you're getting and your own inner strength, will help see you through. We are all rooting for you. Glad Lopez seems to be cleaning up his act, too. PS: I know what you mean about the pie hole. I can eat platesful of pie, but a single bite of a hard-boiled egg chewed like mad gets stuck!

It's true: if you're fat and female (and over 40), a lot of doctors will treat you like rubbish, as if you are destroying your own body and are unworthy of care. Sad but true. A lot of us have to put up a hell of a fight just to get adequate treatment, much less a cure, for health problems that may have nothing to do with our weight. Then we're treated as jokes, fat American weaklings who can't stop shoveling in the junk food. I like Sue's suggestion, Vinesqueen: If you can, get another medical opinion, even if you have to pay out of pocket. You deserve better treatment than you're receiving from your current doctor.

Great news, Rachel! Congratulations! A surgery date makes getting a band seem much more real. And don't worry about the pre-op testing; for most of us, it's a breeze.

Hey, Greg, I am definitely up for an Easter challenge, now that I've read the fine print. If we get a pass on malted milk eggs you can definitely include me! I'm finally getting another fill on Friday, after a month of procrastination, so maybe I'll be able to drop a few more lbs. before spring -- which hits around Memorial Day here, a couple of weeks before summer begins. Evil twin hijacks the thread: Alert, all malted milk fans: There's a killer recipe in Nigella Lawson's "Feast" cookbook with malted milk in the cake and buttercream frosting, with a ring of chocolate malted milk balls on top. Substitute pastel egg candies for something more festive. Evil twin dashes from the computer while Zoe beats her upside the head with a wooden spoon.

I lost 1/2 lb. Does that count? I'm kinda surprised I lost anything at all. One of my brothers is living with me for a while. His version of the food pyramid includes only cheesecake, frozen waffles, and pizza, so my refrigerator is stuffed with all that junk. Today I'm making a fill appointment -- I can eat a lot without restriction, except for hard-boiled eggs and canned tuna! (Go figure.)

Excellent news, Jonathan! January 31 is almost here; in another month you'll be a bandster moving into mushy foods. I'm sure there must be a Texas steakhouse near you somewhere that can rise to your carnivore challenge.