Carlene

The end of summer sales are coming up and you can pick up some great bargains in your gonna be size. One size equals about 15 pounds, so buy some shorts, capris, etc about 4 sizes smaller than what you wear now. It will also be a great incentive - to fit into them come cruise time. I bought my dress for my Oct wedding in Mar and got a great deal. I also bought it two sizes too small and made myself work to fit into it - and I did! I love to cruise! My DH loves to tell people that they do everything for you except powder your butt. For formal night, I would buy a party dress at the after-new-year sales. You will be very close to your 60 pound loss then, so size will be less of an issue. Don't go too naked on the top, though, as they keep the AC turned up on those ships and the dining room gets cold. Money exchange...you can look up the exchange rate online right before you leave and almost all airports have a place to exchange money. Also any bank, once you arrive at a port, will give you current rates. Merchants WILL scam you. We just got back from Mexico and every place was charging 10 pesos to one US dollar. The rate was actually 10 pesos to 90 cents, so they made an extra 10% off every transaction if you paid in USD. Even so, don't expect huge bargains in port cities, or truly "local" stuff. Most of the world's souvenirs are made in China! Alcoholic drinks on cruise ships are very expensive. coffee, tea, juice, and Water are free and more healthy, so I'd stick with them. We were settling up our bill on the last day of one cruise and overheard a party of 3 young women weeping and wailing. Their bar tab was $1300!!! Staterooms are small and the closets are tiny. Don't over-pack. Also, be aware that most airlines allow 40 pounds per bag and if you go over that, there is a steep charge. One last thing...arrange transfers in advance from the airport to the dock and back again. Most cruises do not include these and depending on the distance, a cab ride could be very costly. Hope you have a great time!

I began to lose mine about 4 months post-op. Eventually I consulted my band surgeon (he said it was lack of protein), my PCP (who checked my thyroid), and a Dermatologist (who said it's the weight loss and that it isn't unusual to lose up to half your hair!) He also said sometimes it all comes back (could take up to a year), and sometimes it doesn't.

It's not only different for each person, it's often not the same from one day to the next, either. Try everything (in tiny bites) and if it hurts or acts like it wants to come back up, don't eat it. Then try the same thing the next day (or next week) and if it's a no-go 3 times in a row, mark it off your list of things you can eat.

I hated every protein drink I ever tried. I use the Slim Fast powder (low carb) and add Knox bone and joint powder (tastless and adds protein). I mix it all in a min-blender with skim milk and some ice.

I am queen of the stressed Lap Band. Twice I have had to be partially unfilled because of sudden, stress-related tightening. The first time was when my son deployed to Iraq. Not only did my band almost close up, but I got a whole mouthful of ulcers. It was miserable! My meal time conversation has to be nice and pleasant or my band will squeeze shut. I can almost feel it closing up on me.

Good luck with that menu, Kim. I have been banded almost 2 years, lost 97 pounds and haven't had a piece of bread (pizza, pasta, cake, rice, red meat, French fries) in all that time because it turns into a bowling ball (forget the golf ball) in the middle of my chest. Salads I can sometimes eat, other times not. I live on skinless, dark meat chicken (not breaded or fried), flaky fish (sometimes I can eat shrimp or crab), very soft veggies, chili, meaty soups, crisp bacon, low fat yogurt, etc. I can eat a little cereal for breakfast, but usually have a protein shake as I am very tight in the morning. Lunch is often one of those little foil packs of tuna and a couple of crackers. Dinner might be a small bowl of thick soup or one chicken thigh, or 4-6 grilled shrimp. In restaurants, I usually order from the appetizer menu (or the kid's menu). Don't stress so much over what you will/won't be able to eat. Everyone is different and remember that nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Good Luck!

It feels totally different, to me. Not only is it higher up, but it's MISERABLE if I over-eat. I would say "full" is definitely not the same as "satisfied", once you are banded. Depending on the food (and the mood my fickle band is in) I might get full on 5 bites.

Wish I had one of us all together...but here is my DH Bob and myself, and Cheyenne, the granddaughter who lives with us. She just turned 14 yesterday....LORD HELP ME!

Glad you cleared that up for us.

You want to be really careful with Reflux. It can cause damage to your band and your esophagus. It can also lead to aspiration pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. If you experience flu-like symptoms - chills, fever, body aches, etc - and/or shortness of breath, please see your doctor ASAP. Reflux is usually associated with a fill that is too-tight. Are your fills done under fluoro? Tums might help with indigestion but they will not treat Reflux. You need Nexium or Protonix or something like that. And don't eat after about 7 PM. Night time eating will make Reflux soooooooo much worse. I keep my band on the tight side and have to be very careful about the Reflux. I tried to "live with it" at one point, because I was losing weight like crazy, and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia (and a partial unfill). It's not worth it in the long run.

See, I told you I was old. I have no idea what a "muffin top" is.

I'm so old that jeans I wore in high school would be back in style now...hip-huggin' bell bottoms!

Dr Smith was my surgeon. He is a super, down-to-earth guy, and is banded himself. You will love him!

I was 56 when I was banded (almost 2 years ago). I have lost 97 pounds and I think my face has held up pretty well, but I have some major bat wing arms and my thighs look like they are kind of melting down into my knees. Everything's a trade out, I guess. Here are side-by-sides of my face, before and after.

I had a wedge, too. Somewhere there is proof - a photo from around 1980. If I can find it I wil scan and post it.

We just got home yesterday from a week in beautiful Playa Del Carmen. I was gonna be good and stay away from the flan and the pina coladas and the Mexican ice cream, and the dessert buffet....I was gonna do that, but then I decided that's why I'm on vacation!

At one of those all inclusive resorts - Allegro Playacar. It was not the most expensive one in the area, but it was still great. There is a spa next door (Royal Hideaway) that looks AWESOME, but will set you back about $500 per night for two people. And silly me, I wanted to stay someplace where I could afford more than two nights.

I'm married, so my perspective probably isn't even valid, but what if you tell someone you had your gall bladder taken out and later you end up living together or even married? How will you ever say, "By the way, I lied about the scars on my belly"? I just don't think it's possible to keep the band a secret from someone you are married to, nor would I think it a smart thing to even try. There are just too many things that can happen to give you away. By the way, you can easily feel my band. I've had doctors feel it and jump about six feet and yell, "What the hell is THAT?". I can imagine a lover might have a similar reaction.

I would like to add that reflux can also lead to aspiration pneumonia, a particularly nasty type of pneumonia that can be life-threatening. You should never attempt to "live with" reflux. If you can't control it with meds, you need an unfill.

I am 56 and have had my band almost 2 years. I have lost 97 pounds. Here is a photo taken just a few days ago, on vacation with my husband, Bob.

You might enjoy the book I am currently reading, Sisters to the King. It is about Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France, whom people generally don't know much about, even though they were sisters to the famous (infamous?) King Henry VIII.

I fly a lot, so I steal all the barf bags out of the seat back pockets on the airplanes. They are great to carry in your car.