Sue Magoo

Diane: I know a young man (17) who had a pituitary tumor. They removed it through his nose. I'll be praying for you for a quick resolution to this medical issue. Take care. Sue

Hi Rainer: Definitely call your doctor. I would call your PCP though and get in to see him/her so that it makes it onto your chart. Ask for a copy of your chart to take with you, or call them in a week to ask for a copy to make sure that it's noted. With the warmer weather coming this may happen more frequently. I can't wait to get a rash - my insurance says that you either have to have rash problems or have issues walking. I don't have issues walking. However, I still have 40 pounds till goal so I imagine that as I lose more fat from my middle the apron will start to thin out and hang more - yuck! Good luck with your infection. Take care. Sue

Hey Liz: Congratulations on being banded. I was banded 9 months ago. I love, love, love my band. I do think that exercising in addition to eating like a bandster is the key to my success so far. You said above that you don't like exercising, or haven't motivated yourself to exercise yet. If you have an MP3 player load it up with some great music and get moving! I know it was alot harder to get out and walk when I weighed 324 pounds, but I truly love to do it now. It's great stress relief too. I'm glad to talk LB with you anytime. If you send me a PM I'll send you my phone number and you can call if you'd like. I'm in Norwood. Take care and good luck with getting moving. Sue

Hi: I never tried anything but paved surfaces and it gets slowed by bumps and cracks in the tar, so I cannot imagine that a dirt road would work. Well worth it to drive to a great paved area and then trikke. Good luck, and let us know if you get one. Take care. Sue

Absolutely positive Nikki. I don't think it can be done without alot of exercising too. I haven't been banded a year yet, but I started a pre-surgery diet three months before surgery and I've lost 125 in 12 months. Best wishes for your hundred in a year. Sue

Dave: Congratulations. What a fabulous result of all of your hard work! Take care and keep up the good work. Sue

Hi slimmy: I take Centrum adult chewable Vitamins because I have difficulty with large horse pills going down. Vitamins are important so find something that works for you. Sue

Dave: I'm jealous. The best place I found near me is an empty parking lot. I go and ride for about a half an hour and then my legs get too tired to continue without increasing the risk of hurting myself. I cannot track the mileage with mine. When the weather gets warmer I'll try the Cape Cod Canal, however the wind is going to be a killer on the canal so I'm not sure that will work out. Keep trikking! Sue

SydneyLouWho: My port is just below my breast bone and I think it's in a great place. It never got sore from wearing pants or a bra. The doctor seems to have no problem finding the right spot as my fills have always taken less than 2 minutes. Good luck. Sue

Dolores: I've had a bunch of bad days, but most of the time I eat like a bandster eats. Alot of times if I want frozen yogurt I walk for it. I walk to the store, get a small container, or walk to the shop and get one frozen yogurt. Then, I walk home too. Today I had one piece of pizza - yummmmmmy. However, I ate it too fast and only rented it - pb:( I think that as long as you eat like a bandster most of the time you should do okay. Best wishes. Sue

Harley Girl: How about smoothies? How about yogurt with some berries and/or granola mixed in? How about a cereal bar? How about a piece of toast with Peanut Butter? Those are the things that I have sometimes. Sue

mnroses: Congratulations. I think the best advice I can give you is that you need to remember it's not magic, it's a tool. You have to work with this tool to make it be successful. I think that the band helps if your head is in the right place. You have to want to be thinner and act accordingly. I believe that exercise plays a big part in using the tool too. Exercise does two things - burns calories, and keeps you away from the fridge. I think there's a saying something like "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." It's best to try to lose before the banding to shrink your liver too. Hope all goes smoothly for you so that you can walk down that aisle with your head up high and your waist much smaller. Sue

Hi: I gained 9 pounds in 3 days post surgery. It was Fluid retention and it took about a week to ten days to get rid of it. You'll probably pee it out in the next few days. Don't get discouraged. Take care. Sue

Tracy: I'm standing up giving you a standing ovation! Congratulations and continued success to you. Sue

Nip50: Congrats! Yippee and Yahoooo! I am proud of you and you should be very proud of yourself too. You did this so fast! Keep up the good work and Onederland is yours. Take care. Sue

Hi: The lap band calms the beast in my belly and it is my belly cop. I love my band. Sue

Alicia: It sounds like you might be having panic attacks. If it makes you feel any better, just know that banding was the best thing I've done for myself in 20 years. The pain isn't bad. I got worked up before my surgery too. I was stressed out and I got a yeast infection two days before surgery. Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe not. Anyway, I don't know how much you want to lose, but you'll see - it really feels so much better to weigh significantly less. Good luck and try to relax knowing that you're doing something that is probably going to make you very happy and healthier. Take care. Sue

BrandyII: I think that the deadline for filing a claim in the class action suit was about 4 or 5 years ago. Too bad. Anytime you see anything about a class action suit and you used the product go for it. I can remember back in the early 90's there was one about price fixing by the diaper companies. My Sister and I each got about $250 each. Sweet! Sue

Hi: I did Redux, not phen-phen. They were very similar and were both taken off the market around the same time. I think it was around 1995 or so. I lost about 50 pounds taking that. When they had the class action suit for these products I signed up and got a free echocardiogram, and I also got about $2,000 cash as part of the class action suit. Good luck with the tests. Sue

I'm not sure what you mean by "having the band to be open back up". They usually can do an unfill if you're having stuck food issues. They follow this with liquids, then mushies, and then small fills back up to where you were. I've never heard of anyone having their band opened back up. I think that would require surgery as the buckle that closes the band isn't accessible from the outside of your body. Welcome to band land. Best wishes for your success. Please follow your doctors orders for the post banding diet to be safe and successful. Take care. Sue

Hi: Crackers weren't on my mushies list. I eat them often, and rice cakes too. Either with Peanut Butter or chicken salad are good for me for a portable lunch. If it's rice cakes I eat just one. If it's crackers I eat four of them. Good luck. Sue

Sounds normal to me. I think that the band gives us that pain just as a reminder to slow down, eat tiny bites, and chew everything to death! Hopefully it won't happen again anytime soon. Take care. Sue

I remember meeting with Anesthesiology at my pre-op appointment. I do recall that they did weigh me, ask me about previous circumstances with anesthesia, medications currently taking, previous surgeries. They also asked me to tilt my head backward and open wide. I'm guessing they want to make sure there's a clear path for the breathing and anesthesia apparatus. I'm sure everything will be fine. They're trying to take good care of you, so please answer all of their questions truthfully. Take care. Sue

Southern Missy asked for it, so here goes. Love, love, love riding my trykke. I weighed about 205 or so here, and am now down to 199.4. It's great exercise that is so much fun you forget you're working out until your legs start to feel like jelly. That's when I have to get off, walk, and stop trikking so that I don't kill myself on it. Started pre-surgery diet 4/23/07 at 324, and now 199.4. What an amazing year it's been, and I truly feel like I'm about 20 years younger. Still have a ways to go. Started out with 3X and 26/28's. Now, on top I wear a Large, but on bottom I'm still in size 18W - grrrrr. I'm hoping to be in a size 12 by the Fall of 2008. Keep up the good work and come and join me in Onederland. Sue

Tina - WOW! Celebrate, you deserve it. Doesn't it feel amazing? Congratulations. Sue