vinesqueen

Well done Jini! Well done indeed! Not everyone looses during the liquied phase; indeed, it is a time for healing above all else. Once you move to solid foods you will find that the scales lie and tell you that you have gained wieght, when in realiity it is your colon is that full again.

I knew I was forgetting some one! My LBT traveling has been very wonky since my laptop wouldn't store my settings and I would have to logon to LBT in the middle of a post! You too Francesca! I feel so bad that I spaced on you too! You are definately included in the healing lights, thoughts and well wishes!

Well, even with all my pissing and groaning lately, I"m still happy with my band. Without my band I really believe I would be dead right about now.

Okay, Kare <3 Bear, I think I got the message. It is just really hard to be kind to myself, which of course, is why I tell people to do just that. I'm feeling better about my band, I just peridically get so frustrated that I can't stand it. I still haven't lost weight even with this new fill, but I apperently got shorter. Funny that you should mention Sally, I had the opportunity to have coffee with her Tuesday and it was great!

I have PCOS, but the carbs that do me in are corn since I'm sensitive to it. So anything with corn anything can set me off on wanting to eat and eat and eat. Avoiding corn hasn't done anything for my weight loss, but it sure as hell has with my not gaining weight. I don't abuse food, but steroids and other medications have caused me to gain large amounts of weight. This new technique may prove to be very helpful. I know that there are so many people out there that need help too. This is one reason that I'm fairly public with my band, I figure that if I can inform people, then more people with be informed. I think, based on my DHs experience, that the band would probably be a useful tool for people with bad food addictions. He used to weigh 600 pounds, and he's down almost 200 so far. Oh, and he dind't have any issues with steroids or other meds that contrubuted to his weight.. eating 4 super value fast food meals in one sitting did that... I'm sorry Tomorrowsdream that you read Sue as being sarcastic, she is very sincer and not sarcastic as a general rule. She does have a biting sense of humor that I appricate. Unfortunately, Sue is one of the people that the band wasn't the right tool they need. She's been struggling with her band a long time.

Sue and Michelle, and Francesca! I just want you to know that you've been on my mind all day, and have been sending you tons of white light. Sue, I know you are an athiest, which is groovey, but I also know you won't begrudge me sending you some positive and warm thoughts. You both have increadible strength and LBT has benifitted from your wisdom here. I have benifitted from your wisdom and strength. I'm sure you have been on everyone else's minds today as well, and we all send you our love. I'm editing to include Francesca! How could I forget one with such a gentle spirit!?

Hi Coco, well, you know why it is important to be on soft and much food right now, so you can heal properly. I don't know that you are going to get the answer you are looking for about what a fill feels like, since I think like so many other things about the band, it is intensely personal. I don't always feel full, I think everyone feels hungry because that is part of the human condition. I know that it is very important to not let yourself get too hungry because that is when we get into trouble, we eat too fast, take too big of bites and end up stuck or PBing. You will learn, hopefully not "fullness" but what it feels like to be satisfied with your meals, maybe for the first time in your life. Good luck and welcome to LBT and to the Banded Gentry

excellent work, make sure you keep track of all of them! They really are just the best thing

Holy Jenny Craig! Excellent work~!

Well, I'm home again, home again, jigatiy jig. I didn't post regular updates because I wasn't home and couldn't get my laptop to store my password to LBT and it was a major hastle. Okay, walked everyday I was home, except yesterday because we drove up to visit my family, and a long trip that is. I raked leaves and did yard work and cleaned up dog bombs ... Lots of work, no weight lost. However, I seem to have shrunk a couple of inches because now all my pants drag on the ground. So apperently, excersize, walking and raking leaves and yard work and cleaning up dog bombs makes one inches shorter. Today I wasn't really expecting to get in any excersize, being a travel day (spent 4 hours waiting for my flight that ended up being canceled... ) but I wound up shoveling snow and digging out a car, so undoubtably that is going to have a negative effect on my height too.

hippo birdies two ewes!

Yes, Skylab fell a long long time ago. It's already happened, which is why I like to use it when talking about irrational fears and worries. I think that given the laws of probability, the chances of something happening to you are quite slim in the realm of things. I just like using skylab cause I'm a geek.

I don't know if you are someone she's speaking to, but if her words speak to you, then she is speaking to you I suppose. I just need to lighten up by not being so hard on myself.

Okay, this is what I wrote in a different thread, one asking what the risks of the surgery are. Do not let the recent few bits of bad news color your decision. There are many many people who never have a bit of trouble with their band. Don't forget, Dear Lady, that you are on a support board. We generally come here because we have troubles of one sort or another. Those who are doing great move on and have no need to post here. (of course, there are many of us here because we are lbt junkies ) RISKS OF BEING BANDED.... okay, besides the usual risks that we are all painfully aware of here are some that you might not have considered. Oh, and while not specific to banding, your hair could catch on fire.... Super Train could crash into the hospital... Or The Atomic Train could crash into your hospital... a meteor strike could take out your town, an alien invation could be scheduled while you are in the OR, a masive EMP strike could nock out all power to everything in a 5 mile radius causing 3 jumbo jets to simultainiously crash into the hospital while shutting down every piece of equipement in the hospital, or a weird power surge could cause all the electrical equipment to suddenly come to life and hold the entire hospital staff hostage until their demands to be moved to the desert are met.... Just a million things could go wrong. Better not even leave the house. Heck, better not even get out of bed. Just grab your snorkle and hunker down in your blanket fort... And watch out for skylab.

I thought I'd bump this thread given the recent spate of bad news we've been having. I think no matter what the risks are, it is still worth it. And it's a much better alternative to death.

What a long day. I had a difficult time at the clinic this morning. The good news is that all my fill from Monday is still there today, so we shall see how much fill i have when I come back in a month. I have two honest ccs in my band.. good grief but this is a lot! It is taking me some getting used to, since even though I thought I had more like 3 ccs, (which I didn't) 2 is a lot. Initially I had a hard time getting through to the folks there. They felt like I wasn't being compliant because I've had mashed potatoes once in 3 months and I drink low fat milk, not fat free milk (circus freak parents). I mean, I got really angry because I didn't have a plan, that everything I've worked hasn't, if you know what I mean. I was able to explain that I havent felt heard. I have very dry skin, so I had to bump up my fat intake a bit, but it is well within the range of healthy low fat. Well, I was able to make them understand that I really am trying to do everything I can to lose weight. I'm working out, I'm very low calorie/low fat. I'm consulting with nutritionists and fitness specialists. I'm meditating and doing all the head work. My head certianly isn't up my butt, and I don't think Michelle was talking to those of us who are working really hard. I think she was speaking to those who are eating around the band. Anyway, I don't know if I have a leak yet or not, but the 5 pounds I put on were all Water weight. Not sure why I put that on, since I am very carefull about my sodium intake, but it was water, and now it's gone. Oh, I'm also apperently too hard on myself, and need to lighten up there too.

Okay, as part of the deal for me to go to school, my DH and son kept the cleaners so I wouldn't have a major freak-out everytime I came home from school. The cleaners come every two weeks, so my house stays in relatively good shape. I'm quite happy with the service we use, and I'll give you their name if you PM me. Today was cleaners day. Some how it always manages to work out that they come the week I'm home, but that's how it goes. Now the weirdness. I went to turn on one of the living-room lights tonight and I noticed an odd lump on one of my chime boxes. Much to my surprise it was a dead bird! The cleaners carefully dusted and wiped down the little dead bird before placing it on the chime box, in a spot of prominance. I have no idea where the poor little dead bird came from. But it died sometime today. It might have been a gift from one of our neighbor's cats... I'm thinking that they are hoping that by giving me an early Christmas gift I'll let them move in so they can eat my dog's food. Anyone else have weirdness happen today? (and I don't think the Erin Saga counts as new weirdness. )

How very, very funny. thanks for the erin saga update, these are always too much fun

I have my lab Astro, he used to be a golden lab, but my old yellow dog is so old he's no longer yellow. He just turned 16 years old, which in big dog years is dead. I'm going to have to put him down soon, which will break all our hearts. We got him 6 years ago, and he's brought such joy to us. Because of him I simply cannot look through the book "for the love of an old dog" without tearing up. DH has a pair of chinchillas, both males. We have a new neighbor with 3 cats, but 2 of those cats have decided that they live here. One wants to live in the dog food bin DH says at night the cats will scratch at the french doors trying to get in, and when that doesn't work, they will sit and meow for a while trying to get someone to let them in. Pretty funny. They also have chinchillas, and one got away and DH found it in our kitchen.

well, mars did go retrograde....

hippo birdies, two ewes!

we don't really have a "prime" time to lose weight. Part of the beauty of the band. And 40 in 4 is damn good. 100 pounds in a year may be setting yourself up for disapointment. I don't know what your starting weight was/is, but if you are a really high BMI person, this is more do-able than if you are closer to 40 or less. I just don't want you to set an unrealistic goal, then feel like a failure when you've already done such good work.

well, I skipped the month before my surgery (FREAKED OUT) and a week after my banding I had to have an emergency D&C to try to stop the bleeding. The GYN I saw this summer said that it is very common for women who've lost a significant amount of weight to have wonky periods. (not sure what my excuse was though) Fat holds onto estrogen like a sponge.

Yes, I'm able to see my original surgeon. They originally wanted me to only have fills done here in Western WA, but they are starting to understand that people move, have lives that are not divoted to weight loss, but who want to treat it as a lifestyle change instead of yet another diet. They are actively working with other doctors and radiology clinics to try to find support people for those that move or who started in a different state.