Carlene

Tidge and Heather....you girls are my new best friends. Thanks for your kind words.

I think Southwest is the only airline that requires POS (people of size) to purchase two seats.

First of all, 23 pounds in two months is GREAT. You can only expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week with the band. I started out at 227 and it has taken me almost 18 months to lose 97 pounds. If you don't have good restriction, you might go for another fill. If you do have good restriction, then you need to re-think what you are eating. You have to utilize some self-control and stay away from the carbs: chips, sweets, potatoes, etc. My trick has been to substitute for my favorite "bad" foods - low fat yogurt instead of ice cream, air popped popcorn instead of chips (spray on butter flavoring, but none of the real stuff). I don't have a good substitute for chocolate, though...LOL. Just commit to one day at a time. Don't promise yourself that you will never have another Hershey bar - just that you won't have one TODAY. It really works. The best of luck to you...

I love the smell of burning rhetoric in the morning!

I love the smell of burning rhetoric in the morning!

I'm close....banded at age 56 and have lost 97 pounds in less than 18 months.

One more reason to use your insurance - or find a reasonable self-pay doctor in the US....after care. With the band, good restriction is EVERYTHING, and it is often difficult to find a local doc who will do fills for someone banded in Mexico. If you decide to go out of the country for surgery, be sure you have someone lined up in your area before you get the band who will do your fills.

At four months post-op, I started noticing hair loss. It has slowed down, but definitely is still thinner. I find hair on my pillow, in the tub, etc. I cut mine short - used to wear it pulled up and back, but the sides are sooooo thin now, it started to look really weird.

If I lose another 10 pounds my BMI will be "normal", so I guess that's my ultimate goal. I don't actually care if I make it or not, however. I am wearing size 4 jeans (2 if they stretch) and it's hard to find age appropriate clothing. Somehow, a thong peeking out of low-riding pants just doesn't suit me at this stage of my life.

I stopped smoking about 12 years ago. Now I chew SF gum instead. It's a lot cheaper and much better for my health. Congrats on the smoke free thing. It is the best gift you could ever give yourself.

Is this woman an RN, or a nurse practicioner? I agree that she should not have filled you on top of a dilated pouch/esophagus. Over-eating is the usual cause, but being too tight can cause it, too. Sometimes just a partial unfill will fix the problem. Talk to your doctor.

Six Feet Under was my favorite! And the last six minutes of the final episode are sure to be a classic.

My husband's theory is that Izzie wanted off the show and that's why the writers invented Denny in the first place. I sure hope he's wrong. I didn't like Izzie at first, but she kind of grows on you. Callie is another matter, though. I just can't warm up to that girl! Big Love rocks! I can see why Bill married all three....I love all of them, too!

Lisa... Smoking pot will not make you lose weight. Smoking cigarettes will cause a decrease in appetitie, but it's not drastic and generally does not effect long-term smokers. Pot, by itself, is fairly harmless. However, it is a gateway drug. I don't think I have ever known a druggie that didn't start out smoking pot. What makes you lose massive amounts of weight are meth, cocaine, and heroin. I don't know what the "signs" are of early use of these, except that meth users have a lot of sores, boils, etc on their skin. They also appear highly agitated (nervous) and don't sleep for long periods. My neighbor is dealing with a meth-addicted son right now. She found some things that made her suspicious - glass pipes, etc. Look up drug programs in your phone book and call some of them. Maybe they can give you better answers to your questions.

I am so addicted to Grey's Anatomy, and I have no idea why. I watched ER only once in a while. I don't like Lost, and I can even stand to miss Desperate Housewives, but I MUST be home for Grey's! I knew they would leave us hanging, as far as Meredith and McDreamy's thing. Will she pick Derek, or will she pick Finn? And what's going to happen when her panties turn up? Maybe they can run a DNA test on them to nail her and Shepherd to the wall....no pun intended. I wonder if Izzie is really gone from the show? I sure hope not. The chemistry between the actors who play the interns is just amazing. PS....Anybody want to talk about Big Love?

I was no youngster when I was banded (56 year old grandmother), but it was sooooooooo easy - minimal pain, no stitches or staples, and I came home the same day. My surgery took half an hour. I have lost 94 pounds in almost 18 months. I am very close to goal, and I mean by that the weight all the charts say I should be carrying. I'm pretty small now - size 4 jeans - and would be happy if I never lost another pound.

Thank you! Our boys are coming to cook lunch for me, daughter, and daughter-in-law. I made Toll House cookies and already ate two, and that was just from the first batch! Someone slap my hands. Please!

I have lost 93 pounds in less than 18 months, with only about 12 or 15 pounds to go, and I honestly don't see that I even need to lose more at all. My jeans are size 4, my dress pants a 6.

How much weight would you have to gain to meet the insurance company's BMI requirement? Maybe it would be worth it. I agree that medical coverage for the band, after care, etc is priceless. I know many people who struggle to get fills, etc because they were banded in Mexico.

I swear I sent it! There must be gremlins in my computer again. I will re-send.

I also take meds for reflux (Nexium), and sometimes - if I'm not a really good girl - it will show up anyway. If I were you, I would see a GI doctor about the reflux. Those guys (GI specialists) know exactly what's what, from your esophagus to your....well, to the other end.

This is me, summer of 2004 and last week (with DH). I'm very close to goal. :clap2:

My "little girl", Lucy. She is a mini-Shih Tzu

I bought Phsioderm and bathed with it until the bottle was gone...nothing else. My incisions were closed with surgical glue and steri-strips, which I thought would NEVER come off.

I want to point out that not nearly everyone experiences a lot of pain with gas, PBs, etc. I found that Gas X was my best friend for a couple of weeks, but the pain was not terrible. The golfball is a rare thing for me, and again, I don't find it extremely painful. PBs are a no-pain deal (for me) - just bend over and it comes up, then it's over. It's more like a baby spitting up than anything else - definitely not like vomiting. I would hate for any pre-ops to think that everyone suffers a lot of post-band pain. It just isn't so!