ThunderThighs

I am here, was wondering where all the Sept bandsters were at in their weight loss too! I am down 65 lbs and would love 20-25 more by my anniversary! Congratulations to all!

I chew ice daily, funny thing is, before banding, I couldn't stand chewing ice. Since the band, I crave ice! Isn't that weird? I love the crushed ice and will make special trips to the convenience store just to get a cup of ice! I know it's not good to chew for the teeth, but almost positive it won't hurt the band.

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a "don't go on vacation" thread at all, and I am sorry if I mislead some. Heck, I am going on vacation again to Hawaii in September! I just wanted to post my experience because it was miserable to try and get an unfill while out of state, etc. I learn a lot from others experiences on here and have found many answers to my questions and concerns by searching. I think we all have differences with the band and if we can learn from others, great! I don't regret having the band at all and I am glad to be filled! I lost lbs on vacation and gained it back plus some after the unfill, but now I am back to losing since my fill.

The previous posts are right about people posting a lot of their thoughts when they are low. I too tend to only post about the negative, but I am 9 months post op and down about 65 lbs. I have lost slower than I know I could have, because I have not deprived myself of certain things that I love. I told myself that I will lose the weight in time. I am happy how things have gone. I am not consistent with the weight loss, but it's ongoing and I haven't gained. It is a good feeling when everyone around you starts noticing. That's the encouragement for me. I also find that the before and after pics help me a lot!!! I'm telling you, if I can do it, anyone can. We will have bad days and good days and bad weeks and good weeks, just keep with it! Good luck

My mom and dad, sister, grandparents and aunt all go to Mexico for dental work. There has been no problems and they get great treatment there. I have great dental insurance, so I have no need to go there for a dentist, but I would if I didn't have the insurance!

I am almost a year out. I have only had one major problem where I had to be unfilled in an emergency. I have a very picky band, some days I can eat normal, other days, everything makes me get what I like to call "locked up." Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY. There are days that eating makes me feel sick, other days that are completely normal. I can't eat out very often, which saves money! I just know if I am going to be around a lot of people, like at a party, I don't eat, or if I do, it's a few bites here and there. That way I do not have to experience being "locked up" or anything of the sort in front of people. I tend to be very private about my banding, so this is why I avoid confrontation whenever possible. Whatever the decision, I think you will find, it is different for everyone. Good luck with your decision!

This is kind of long, but please read....... I have been a lurker on lapbandtalk for awhile now, I don't post much. I had something happen to me while on vacation that was very scary, so I thought I should share. I know a lot of us who have been banded have experienced the restriction when we eat something we know we shouldn't. I did, I ate nachos and I got inflamed, or whatever you want to call it. A few days of liquids, I was back to normal. Then my family and I flew from California to Illinois for a 2 week vacation to visit relatives. I got a coffee in the airport before boarding the plane and all was good. As soon as I got in the air, I was experiencing more restriction just drinking coffee! Got to Illinois, and I just couldn't eat, I just put it off, thinking, great, this is the first vacation where I won't gain weight!!!:eek: Well then I started to barely be able to drink Water, but I was getting water down. The way I felt it didn't feel like it was related to the LapBand, my stomach really hurt everytime I ate, so thought it was stomach related. We rented a car and drove to Ohio to visit friends. Got to Ohio, and I was sick. I was very lethargic, but I'm on vacation, I refuse to be sick! Standing by the pool, I just passed out, right into the pool. Thank goodness my friend was there to save me! So, off to the doctor in Ohio, I go. They diagnosed me with a UTI and heartburn and gave me antibiotics and zantac and sent me on my way. I told them I had the LapBand and the doctor said my symptoms were not related to the LapBand. Okay, but now I can't even get water down, how in the hell am I supposed to get a pill down? I called Dr. Martinez in Mexico and he said I need to get unfilled ASAP. I had my LapBand surgery in Mexico, self pay, and I am 2500 miles from home, what do I do? We drove back to Illinois and I told my husband, I am getting scared. I need to go to the ER when we get back to Illinois. We still had another week full of activities and things to do! So I went to the ER, told them my situation and the doctor looked at me like I was an alien! He had never heard of the LapBand and was asking me all sorts of questions. At this point, I hadn't eaten for 8 days, and barely taking in any water. So they did the normal, blood testing, IV, xrays, etc. The doctor comes back and said I have bad news. We cannot do the unfill here, nobody is experienced to do it and they are unwilling to do it. Give me some time, I will call around. The doctor comes back a few hours later and said "I have good news, and bad news". He said that he found a doctor that is willing and able to unfill me, but I have to go to Madison, WI!! At this point, I'm willing to go to the North Pole, I was miserable, grouchy, hungry, thirsty, etc. So, off to Madison we go. The doctor there was very late and a little testy. This was fourth of July weekend and he had the weekend off and had to come in on his time off to unfill my LapBand, so he took his time. Which is understandable now, but not then ha ha. 14 hours in the hospital, about 20 attempts at finding the port (I am not sure how experienced he was) and 100's of miles of traveling, I got unfilled. I drank a whole bottle of water immediately upon being unfilled! I felt so much better! A week later, I went to Mexico to get a fill. I asked why this happened, and the tech said sometimes, not always, the pressure of going up and down in an airplane can affect the lapband. I am not sure I understand why, but it does. This is what happened to me. So, my point in this long story??? Be prepared when you go on vacation. Do some homework. Next time I go anywhere, I will make sure if it's far away from home, that I will find a specialist nearby to help in a case of emergency like I experienced. Looking back, I was very anemic, very dehydrated and could have died, had I not been able to get help! Learn from my experience and be prepared for these types of emergencies!

A couple of months ago I had a lane bryant credit card, shredded it and threw it away. I was so happy to be able to shop in the "normal" sizes. That has probably been my biggest NSV. I got a catalog from Lane Bryant in the mail the other day and put it right into the recycle can, didn't even open it! Congratulations to you!

There are several threads on this, if you just do a search. My experience is that I can't eat or drink much of anything in the mornings. It helps a lot if I have a cup of something warm. Somthing I've heard that the band shrinks up over night. I've had this same problem after a fill. Good luck

thank you for that info, makes sense. I guess I should have done a search before I posted, I was being lazy. Thanks again. I have to mentally force myself to stay off the scale. I am still very obsessed with the scale!

I am a lurker here, mostly. I read everyday, but do not post much ever. I was banded in Sept 2005 by Dr. Ortiz. I have lost 45 lbs to date. Dr. Martinez told me on my last fill to not be disappointed if the scale doesn't show weight loss, but you find that you are losing size. I just let his statement fly right over my head, thinking "yeah, yeah whatever." Well I am finding it to be true! I haven't lost many pounds since then, but I find my size going down. I was a size 20, now yesterday I bought a size 12, although a bit tight, they fit darn it! So my question is, how does this work? Can someone please explain this? or is it just PM (pure magic)?

I am more of a lurker here, but thought I'd post some of my NSV's and weight loss. I was banded on 9/30/05, I have two fills and I've lost 41 lbs. A big NSV I had today was I went to Sam's Club and bought a size 16 capri pant without trying them on. Got home and they are too big, I have to take them back for a 14, woo hoo. I am noticing more size loss than poundage loss. I have a hard time mentally with the fact that I am not losing more pounds, but when I try clothes on, that mental struggle goes away. I like to hear all the positive stories from everyone.

I am in Tijuana now...get banded in the morning around 9 with Dr. Ortiz. I am a nervous wreck! Dana

I have one, not low fat, but it is yummy!!! BAKED POTATO Soup 2/3 cup butter 2/3 cup flour 7 cups milk 4 Large Baking Potatoes, baked (not overbaked), cooled, peeled and diced 4 green onions 12 bacon strips cooked well done, crumbled 1 1/4 cup cheese 1 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste Melt butter in large pot. Add flour to make a paste. Add milk and cook on low heat until thickens (this takes a long time!!!!) Add potatoe and onion. Simmer 10 min stirring constantly. Add everything else and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes.

I'm guilty. 3 days post op, made dinner for the kids and made tater tots, my very weakness, potatoes, so I popped one in my mouth, chewed it really good and DIDNT eat it, I spit it out, gross, I know, but I got the taste. I am doing very well with the liquid thing, but I am so crazy hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had my surgery yesterday and did not have a catheter

I have the opposite effect with the preop diet, I can't go! LOL

I am getting banded in Mexico on 9/30 with Dr. Ortiz. I live in Redlands, which is about 100 miles north of TJ, so I will be driving Thursday to the border for my surgery on Friday, I can't wait!!!

I committed to get the surgery after we took advantage of the housing market and sold our house and made a nice profit. So, we didn't put all of the profits into our new home and we took a little cash out of the profits and paid for the surgery. I will be newly banded this Friday (9/30) woohoo!

September 30 is my date, just confirmed today with Dr. Ortiz, anyone else going to be there that day?

I am scheduled to be banded on September 30. I am nervous, but excited. I want to be skinny. I have been fat my whole life and I see myself growing more and more in time. I've dieted, with success only to be followed by failure. I do have a question. All the tickers in everyone's signature, who sets the goal weight? You? Your doctor? I don't so much have a goal weight as I have a goal "look" and size of clothing. I am looking forward to reading all the information on this site.