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Hey! I'm going to see paranormal activity this weekend w/ some friends. I rarely get to go to the movies, so I'm pretty excited.

Right on both counts. What constitutes "support and acceptance" varies from person to person. One of the things I like best about this site is the diversity of opinions.

Wow....he's quite the handyman!

Are you totally sure about that??

Bravo! I hope this inspires those that need a little boost!!

You're not doing anything wrong. Now is the time for your body to be healing. Many of us don't start experiencing weight loss until we start getting fills. So for now, just follow your doctor's directions on what you're supposed to be eating, and be patient. Hang in there.

Hey marmots, welcome to lapbandtalk. I had to do the 6 month supervised diet as an insurance pre-recquisite too, so I know how much that sucks. But hang in there.....the 6 months will eventually pass by. You can do it!

Then you have to do just what you're doing now....ask the right questions. Will the band help you to feel more satisfied on smaller portions? Yes. But where people get confused is the line between physical hunger and head hunger. Few, if any, of us got to be obese by stopping eating when our stomachs were physically full. Over a period of time, we "reset" our hunger level. What the band has helped me to see is that there is a big difference between "full" and "not hungry". Eating until you are full implies that you can't hold any more, that you've stuffed enough food in the belly to the point that there is no more room. Eating until you're not hungry is just that. IMO, most (but not all) people that have problems w/ the band use their band in a way not intended. They expect the band to physically make them stop eating, and they are constantly challenging their band to see how much they can eat without feeling out of sorts. Successful bandsters take the opposite approach....they see how little they can eat and not feel hungry for 4-5 hours. To the poster that was complaining about hunger waking her up and causing her physical pain, I'd say "If you're hungry, then eat". Another big part of banded life is eating healthy foods and exercise. But then again, that's a big part of ANY weightloss surgery or diet plan. The bottom line of losing weight, no matter what method chosen is you have to burn more calories than you take in. Are there bandsters that lose weight without exercise? I have no doubt there are. But attacking the problem on ALL fronts is a much more efficient way to go. Ok, I've written so much that I feel like I'm rambling, and that would be counter-productive, so I'm quitting before everybody nods off, lol.

Probably best for your doc to make that call, marmar. With the prevalence of staph, any open wound could potentially be trouble. However, neosporin isn't a good idea with all wounds.....so let your doc advise you.

Hey tall. Your doc (usually your general or family practice doc.....whoever your "regular" doctor is) will usually write that letter. If you're having trouble getting your regular doc writing it, talk to your bariatric surgeon.

Here....if you're thinking of having surgery in Mexico, this link may be a good place to start: HOW TO RESEARCH A MEXICAN SURGEON: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/resea...s-101-a-66635/

Hi brent. Sorry you had such a crappy experience. I myself work in a sleep center, and can tell you that sleep labs are kind of like mechanics.....some are very good, and some are only out to make a buck. Very few of my patients come in because they're seeking gastric banding surgery, so maybe that's the difference? I will tell you that Oxygen saturation levels don't mean you have sleep apnea or not...that's a load of bunk.

Hi rdarby, welcome to lapbandtalk! How very exciting that you have a tenative surgery date! Sure, there will probably be a lot of red tape for you to wade through, but hang in there. Please DO post....you never know who you might end up inspiring. Good luck!

The good news is, as a 4 month bandster, you're considered a veteran by lots of very newbies, so get out there and help those that you're able to help. As for MIA bandsters that frequent the newbie boards, who specifically are you missing? Maybe I can shepard them your way....

Quoted because I sooooo agree. PJTP: I haven't been on as much because work has been slow lately, so I've been @ home. So, don't think I'm ignoring anybody, or that anybody has body odor, or anything like that. That was my official check-in, tap!

If anybody could pull that off, you could, tap. I say give it a try. Just show up somewhere and start barking orders. If somebody questions you, just say you're from the home office. Are you serious? How does she not "get" that? Wow, I hope she's as successful as you've been!! What a great role model! Technically, landseers ARE Newfs....but some Newf people don't really accept them. Plus, every couple of generations, 'seers have to be bred back to "pure" Newfs or they stop looking less and less like a newf. Is that clear as mud? lol I'll try to do that tonight! Wow! That looks like an abandonded house! You've made brilliant progress...

I saw that! No Dane, that's pure Landseer, baby! While I prefer my Newfs in the more "pure" traditional colors, some folks are crazy about the 'seer. My Newf Tug may not be as tall (at the shoulder), but he is clearly heavier, and I'll wager nearly as long (snout to tail). I'll try to measure him snout-to-tail tomorrow while he's sleeping.....because when he's not asleep, he keeps rolling over to get his belly scratched at my approach.

You know....I don't support most of President Obama's policies.....but I like pics like this. IMO, it "humanizes" him more, and makes me like him more (I don't think I'll be liking those policies any more anytime soon, though).

I echo the sentiment of others.....tough call. From subsequent posts, it seems like maybe you are not "sold" on the new location as much as you're wanting out of your rut. Is this an accurate assessment? Because it seems to me that this situation calls for either compromise, or.....something more drastic and unilateral?

Hi Christina. Here's a good place to start: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/researching-mexican-lap-band-surgeons-101-a-66635/ Good luck!

Hi Van. What helped me stay on the preop diet was the knowledge that the reason for the diet was to make my procedure more safe. And......I'm not going to lie, once the weight started dropping, I was pumped to have a pre-existing weightloss to "slingshot" me into banded life. It's difficult, but you can totally do it. Because if I can do it, ANYbody can. Hang in there!!!

Hi corinne. Making your way through all the red tape certainly sucks, and being on the pre-op diet during Thanksgiving would really suck. But both things are *still* better than being miserable with your weight and not being able to affect it much. Being banded is totally worth (IMO) all the bullcrap we have to go through to get it. Hang in there!

I've been sleeping!! Pug / Beagle cross. The are built like pugs, but have a "snout". Very cute, very lovey, very lazy dogs. Our puggle is a snuggler. She sleeps with the family during the night, and then when I come in from work she sleeps w/ me during the day. Google images of puggles and you'll fall in love. OMG!! He's waaaaaaaay too big to get his big ass on the bed, lol.

Hi Tia. You might have better luck if you check out the "doctors and hospitals" subforum on the homepage. Here in the general section, questions get pushed down pretty quick, lol. Good luck!

Hang in there neesh. The pre-op is rough, but you can do it.