Sgt Bob

I checked out your web site and for an FAQ it is long on questions and short on answers. Most of the questions (supposedly asked by different people) seem to be written in the same broken English as yours. Now, why is that? How much are you getting paid per hit on your site? This looks to me like pay per hit advertising site.

I used to have acid reflux every day, took nexium, which worked very well. However, since being banded, I have had zero problems with reflux and stopped taking the little purple pill!

I've had some troubles with my port (doctor finding it) as well. The first couple times he fished for it for about 10 minutes. He just kept trying and trying... Next time I took a felt tip marker and drew a target with a bullseye around it and he found it. At some point I think he stabbed the needle into the tubing or something because I ended up with a leak. I went in on Nov 12 and had a new port installed. If I took my car to a shop to get a set of new tires and they poked a hole in one of them, they would have to replace it with no charge.

There will be a LapBand support group meeting on Nov 20, 6:30pm at the: Hillsdale Community Library 11 E. Bacon St. Hillsdale, Mi. For Directions Click Here!

I can't believe I'm saying that! I started out 141 pounds above my goal weight and it seemed it would take forever to reach it. Well, here I am, 3 months after the official (when I actually started dieting for pre-op) and I've lost over 50 pounds! It sure makes my goal of losing 141 pounds seem a lot more achievable. It's a lot more than just the LapBand™, it's a change in attitude and lifestyle. I was worried at first that I would miss eating large amounts of food because I really do enjoy eating a lot. I have found that I really don't miss eating big meals because now I enjoy eating, a lot. What a difference a little comma can make! I can still eat some steak or pork chops, just not as much and I have to eat it a lot slower (PB's are no fun), so I enjoy every bite instead of enjoying a lot of bites. I'm not a complete convert though. I still cheat once in a while (in that way I don't feel so deprived) with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard™. I get both of my absolute favorite dieter's failings in one fell swoop! It really is possible to have your cake (or in my case, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard™) and eat it too!

The waiter looks reminds me, When someone else is eating some mouth wateringly yummy snack and asks if you want some and you immediately pop out with a NO!, because you don't want to seem like you have no will power, like anyone is going to think that you do........... FMB's, that's funny! :wink2:

I'm reviving this thread because I've thought of another thing (now that I've lost 40 lbs) I won't miss. It's probably a bit embarrassing for most to talk about but I'm sure some of you will can sympathize. Having to literally sit on my hand after going to the bathroom to be able reach my "backside" in order to wipe.

I have only told a few people, mostly family or close friends and the response has been all positive. I too am hesitant to tell most people and I think it might be due to my own insecurities about what people will think of me. That they might think I am weak for having to result to mechanical means in order to lose weight. I was also hesitant to tell people when I was dieting in the past, maybe because to tell them would be to admit I was fat, which was hard to admit to myself as well. You know, like when you would walk past a mirror and purposely not look at yourself?

Congratulations on your first PB! Just kidding, although I'm glad it wasn't painful for you. I had my first today too. I was eating a banana and just forgot I had joined the band. Oh my, that is uncomfortable.... It felt like I had swallowed a tennis ball! I was over it pretty fast and it didn't taste so bad the second time.:lol:

Overall, I have really liked Tricare's service. I have standard and I have much more freedom and options for care than most other plans. Generally, if I have a health problem, I go to the doctor I need to see (without needing referral) which saves me money, not having to see my PCP just for a referral.

It's not the same thing but, have you tried PB2? It's a powdered peanut butter you mix with water and it's low fat and calorie. My sister tried it an said it's really good. I'm going to get some because I could pretty much live on PB. It is probably my favorite food in the world.

I was banded Monday the 21st of April and have lost 13 pounds so far.

Haha! Well, you know what they say......There's only one thing worse than a know-it-all, that's someone who thinks they know it all.:huh2:

If that happened to me, I would go to the ER to have it checked out. If it is infected, then you might become septic and have a whole lot worse problems.

I used to work in Manchester (when you were about 1 year old:biggrin:) and lived in Brooklyn. I live all the way over in Coldwater now.:smile2: Anyone over here near Coldwater?

I like to use Kayak.com to search for airfares. I've bought a few tickets through them and they pretty consistently found the lowest fares.

Oh My! That is way too funny! I feel the same way, a Blizzard can fix just about anything! The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard, quite possibly Nature's most perfect food!:redface:

Thanks, but it is still pretty sore. I think maybe they tend to be arrogant because they don't really have to deal with people very much, so they figure they don't need to. My niece has had a couple bad experiences with them as well, both for herself and her daughter. I'm sure you'll be a better doctor than them.

I was banded on Monday, April 21st (woohoo!) and overall, it was a very positive experience. My surgeon was fantastic, all the staff and accommodations at the hospital excellent. Prior to surgery, I talked with the anesthesiologist and informed him repeatedly I was very hard to intubate as I've had two previous experiences and both times ended up with a very gouged and sore throat. He assured me there wouldn't be any problem and when I asked him if he'd use a scope if necessary, he said yes. He administered some anesthetic and proceeded to intubate me. To my dismay, I was still conscious enough to feel him repeatedly gouging my throat while attempting to intubate me! I remember thinking, "When is this going to stop!". Then suddenly, I felt the tube just slide down my throat and the horror was over. I found out later, my surgeon told my wife that he had finished the intubation with a scope! Thank god he took over. It really peeves me off when doctors refuse to listen to their patients and think they know more about a person than the person themselves. That's my rant because I think all the trouble could have been avoided if that doctor had actually listened to his patient!

One thing I might miss when I lose my weight: Being able to gain 10 pounds and having no one notice!:biggrin::rolleyes2:

I too love my CPAP and and can't sleep without it. If I ever stop needing it, I will probably still use it. As for taking it to the hospital, my doctors told me "No CPAP, no surgery".

I went to my Pre Admission Testing today and they told me that I should take my Nexium (and only that) the morning of the surgery, as it would help to prevent nausea during and after anesthesia. Do you have anything like that? If you do, maybe you could call the pre-op people and ask about it.

I've had 3 colonoscopies, twice I used Phosphosoda (Ewww!) and once I used Miralax™. The Miralax was extremely more pleasant, both in flavor (mixed with Gatorade it is tasteless) and cause many fewer trips to the bathroom and no cramping, yet was just as effective. If you can, get your doctor to prescribe Miralax. I guarantee you will be glad you did. This is what my GI doctor prescribed for me: 1. Four DULCOLAX LAXATIVE tablets from the pharmacy-- MUST BE THE LAXATIVE PILLS! (over-the-counter). 2. MIRALAX powder 238gm bottle (over-the-counter). 3. 64 oz. of Gatorade or Powerade. Diabetics may use diet soda, any flavor. Drink over a 2 to 4 hour period.

I just found this information at Risk Information Contra-indications The LAP-BAND® System is not right for you if: You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for surgery. You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment. You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma. The same is true if you have symptoms of one of these diseases. Here are some posts on this forum about the subject. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/anyone-diagnosed-auto-immune-disease-after-being-banded-28872/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/auto-immune-disease-band-rejection-15372/ It appears that LapBand™ may not be for you.:smile2: I would still look into it though, if I were you. Good luck.

Don't worry about the spelling, once I got through "ankylosing Spondylitis", I was so blown away you could have spelled "hello" like this "movjkdjvhkndfgm" and I wouldn't have noticed!:smile2: I don't know if the actual autoimmune aspect would be a problem but, LapBand™ would definitely be of benefit with the arthritis. Have you ever heard of "Butyoudon'tlooksick.com" or "Healingwell.com"? They both have large and very informative autoimmune forums so you might want to poke around there for some guidance. I found them when I had ulcerative colitis and some other problems which my doctor suspected might have been Lupus. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and they are a wealth of information for any autoimmune disease.