shellyj.

you guys are CRACKING ME UP!!!! i still have SOOOO FAR TO GO!!! i am not even near 200!!!! i do REALLY appreciate it though! i am 5'-7"...i used to be 5'-9" but i must be shrinking cause my dr assured me that its 5'-7"!!! YIKES!

hey lisa! i LOVE the melting pot! for future reference you CAN the big night out for ONE and split it! calvin and i did that (he's and RNY'er) and we STILL had to much food!!! YUM YUM though, when we left my stomach was hard as a rock where i ate so much...the only way i'll ever have abs of steel is by eating to much fondue!!! ya'll look like you had a blast!

penni, thanks for sharing your story. i too have that feeling that somethings just not quite right. in september i shelled out over 2,000 to have the band checked TWICE and was assured ita all good. but i still wonder. originally it took 3.4 cc's to have restriction, now 2.6 closes me up? just doesnt sound right! anyhow, you have a come such a long way and are such a strong woman. i know you can make it! you also have all the good folks at LBT here for support. you are in my thoughts,

THANKS jq! i have seen your pics too and you really look great too! FANTASTIC JOB!

thanks everyone for the encouragement! i still feel like i have a long way to go. this is a ever changing journey thats for sure! dont worry alex i wont forget the wedding pics! i am not gonna buy my dress till may or june because i dont know what my weight will be in 7 months!

hi everyone, just wanted to give a quick update on me and my band. anyhow i am 2 1/2 years post op and got as low as 207 last year at this time but that was a result of being to tight. my restriction hasnt been what it should be for over a year. i am not going to get a another fill till the begining of february after i have flown for the last time for a while. ( i have noticed my restriction REALLY gets tighter when i fly). currently i am a size 16/18. i am still sure once i can get restriction again i will get back to 207 maybe even my goal of 200 (size 14) when i was first banded i did a hardcore diet and lost weight SUPER quick, as soon as i got to tight and had to have a unfill i went a little crazy with food and i think its because i was restricting my intake so much before. now i just eat what i want, the amount i want and live with the choices i make. i eat healthy MOST of the time. i still log on fitday occasionaly. i can really ballpark it in my head though for the most part. heres a recent pic with my SWEET abuelos! the pic has my pre-ops, my lowest and me now. personal update: calvin and i are set to marry in july of 05. we just bought a FAB new house and are doing great! happy holidays to all!

there is a survey on obesityhelp.com for anyone who is banded. you recieve $50 for completing! http://www.obesityhelp.com/sendover.phtml?From=Top&N=http://copernicussurveys.com/run/copgb i did this a year or so ago and got my $50! i just did it again so maybe i can get it again?!! MERRY CHRISTMAS...from your band! michelle

hi i just wanted to thank you for posting your story. i have had a lot of problems with to tight/to loose and have actually been contemplating a .1 cc fill. you have given me some food for thought. i also want you to know that i am sending you well wishes and healing vibes. all the best to you and your family. michelle

when i was a kid, about 5 or 6, we had a 'pet pig' named porky, we used to bring him 'slop' every weekend (he was kept at my dads friends farm) i had so much fun over there looking at all his animals, feeding them, petting them. they were my friends. then one week we had eaten good ALLLLLL week then friday the parents had a party, they had everything, eveything PORK that is, the next morning, i exlaim with glee "WOW look at all the slop we have for porky!" i still love pork though. as a little league cheerleader we had a cheer, this is to funny to NOT post: (picture 5-6 year olds cheering) PORK CHOP! PORK CHOP! greeezzzzy greeeezzzzy!!! we can beat your team EASY EASY! hehehehe now i want some pom poms!

i'll be in laurel,MD visiting family the 12th-19th! michelle

1 chocolate 2 french bread 3 butter 4 cheese 5 chicken breast 6 mayo 7 onions 8 tomatoes 9 eggs 10 new york strips thats wasnt so hard. lots of different things i could make too.

i have lost 140 but had a little regain after not having restriction for a year (being to tight or zero restriction). i am now at a comfortable restriction spot and working to lose the few i gained (1/2 way there!!!) i am 2 yrs and 2 months post op. michelle highest 350 lowest 207 current ??? but my 16's wont button!!!

i love looking at everyones art work! sarah i looked at your website before (and again today) and you are GREAT! you should come out with a lapband comic book or cartoon! i have a whole slew of things 'arty' things but the are all in TN since i have to careful in transporting them. these are two that photographed decently. i dont know why they dont just show up? oh well. the one 'birds' was an assignment using all the different techniques with pen and ink, you cant see it but there are stippling, cross hatching. my theme was flamingos. the one of the girl eatin a peach was the first portrait i ever did. hence the man hands! the last one is a progression of tiger lillies opening i LOVE THE CAKES!!! your making my hungry!

hey lisa, what about getting the endo in vegas, and sending the films to billy or whoever to review. the films are yours. you can request they be sent to any dr. all you have to do provide written notice that you want them transferred and the dr's address that you want them sent to. michelle

YOUR CLEARED FOR MARGARITA'S!!! if they are 'frozen' go slow since the ice in the slush can make you a little tighter. michelle

i did a modified atkins the and thats when i lost the most of my weight. it was DR approved. my band dr said he wished all his patients did because you get results. now i still have a pretty good amount i would like to lose but i am not doing ANY diet. i do log my calories on fitday a lot of days and have goals for my calorie intake but i am not following a diet. the main issues i had with atkins or atkins like diets was CONSTIPATION!!! yuck! as bandsters we eat smaller amounts so some people get constipated from that and when you add a low carb diet to that it can really back things up. i never thought about poop as much in my life. i still eat low carb Pasta (dreamfields), use low carb wraps, low carb bread and buy the south beach 100 cal. packs of crackers but its because i like the taste and they are better for you than the original version. another side effect is you become accustomed to the higher calorie rich foods you are allowed. this becomes a problem when you start introducing carbs back into your diet. a diet is a GREAT way to use your tool. the 'non-diet' is also a GREAT way. at first you will have so many restrictions with HOW to eat that it will seem like a diet on its own! michelle

GO TITANS!!!!! (still a loyal fan from 2,500 miles away!) calvins team is the vikings. we had to get 'nfl sunday ticket' so we could both watch our games! with all the food and 'tight ends' WHATS NOT TO LOVE!!!!!!!!!!

"Just the hummmm of my widdle bunni rabbit..." well at least the bunny sets off bells and whistles!!!!

i like free to! FREE and CLEARANCE are my two favorite words... ENJOY!

I DONT KNOW EITHER AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT (sorry caps) it was a bunch of hoooey till it happened to me once. michelle

this site is giving away free samples of their new Protein powder...if your interested: http://www.wheygoldstandard.com/form.asp

But I still beleive in a very tight band, with Protein and Vitamins, and being able t0 stop eating when your band gives you the signal toavoid pbing, gag, choke, get food stuck thus your not abusing the band and end up loosing it. (I CAN DO THAT..i prooved it long time now) I know its not the right thing to do..but i dont care! All i want is to NOT be 400 pounds, ready to die anymore! People dont have to eat solids to survive. I wont die, after 100 pounds,,,maybe, I'll get a new attitude. definately move more... YOUR band will not ever give you a signal that your full unless you eat something that will actually STAY in your banded area. you are filling your bottom stomache you should be filling your pouch. i would challenge you to eat SOLid protien at night. if it has to be junk try fried chicken or chicken nuggets. that discomfort you feel THATS the signal that OH my pouch is full...better quit eating. eating things that will slide through the band is EATING AROUND THE BAND. i am by no means perfect or even close. last night i had a MUNCHIE night..i had a dinner at 6 pm but worked till 3 am. needless to say i got hungry again. i ate 10 ritz crackers, a pice of zuchini bread, handfull of jellybelly's and a cup of ricemilk oh and 1 oz of beef Jerky. if i had just ate a leftover pork chop i coulld have saved myself a couple hundred calories. i hope i didnt sound to harsh before. please dont give up. i TRULY think a unfill is needed. michelle

nykee, megan has given you EXCEPTIONAL advice. obviously you dont want it you are determined to fail. i think your band sounds to tight if you are restricted to the point you are only able to get down "milk, juice, soup and mashed potatoes,& cheatoo's" then you are to tight youd need to be eating solids. at least a piece of fried chicken would fill you up. "The calories in milk, juice, soup and mashed potatoes,& cheatoo's my band allows at night is too much to cause weight loss" maybe you should just get unfilled and save yourself the anguish. WHEN YOU ARE READY TO MAKE THE CHANGES YOUR BAND WILL STILL BE THERE.

it sounds like a seroma, which is Fluid build up from surgery that doesnt absorb back into the body. it eventually ruptures or has to be drained by the dr. my fiance had it. he was put on anti-biotics for it and had to pack his wound 2 times a day. try not to get to freaked out, your body needs the energy to HEAL! these things do take time. my fiances seroma went on for 3 months. be patient and be diligent and super carefull when you clean it. definitally call your dr to see if he did a culture and if your not on antibiotics ask him WHY! (fiances was from plastic surgery, he was cut from hip to hip. the seromas can happen with any surgery) please keep us updated with what you find out. i'll be thinking about you and hoping for the best.

hey megan, penni and betty! i promise to post my wedding pics...but it wont be till next june! babs! it was great talking to you! i hope you can get out this way or the next time i am in vegas maybe we can meet up! michelle