DonnaB

You NEVER SPOKE WITH YOUR SURGEON before going to Monterrey? Huh? I mean, I'm glad it all worked out but . . . I wouldn't have trusted my health (and life) in the hands of a surgeon who had never even heard of me 24 hours before surgery. Uh uh.

This is ALSO unethical behavior and should be reported to the Bar Association in your state. This "friend" of the doctor now knows everything you plan on telling your next lawyer and has, no doubt, decided on how he plans to damage your credibility. Report him.

I don't think carbonation would survive all that stirring. Those machines STIR constantly - that's why the slurpee is "light and fluffy". Carbonation dissapates quickly if you stir a coke with a spoon so how would the stirring mechanism in the slurpee machine be any different? I don't think the amount of carbonation left in a slurpee would be a problem for your band. JMO

It may take more than one day off of the coffee for you to feel improvement. Sorry. I'm in the same boat you are, and have been watching your posts on chest pain and reflux. In my case the Nexium has helped with the chest pressure but I still get an occasional twinging pain at my esophogus. Good luck - tell me how stopping the coffee works for you.

No. My pain is/was more discomfort and worry about WHAT was going on in there. Sorry.

It's always fun when something unexpected happens! I love that Star didn't follow the script ABC handed her - well, asked her to write! Hell, if you can't misbehave after being FIRED when can you? LOL My next train of thought goes immediately to suspicion. WHY would Star Jones not use the situation more effectively? Why wouldn't she manipulate the media into more sympathetic coverage? It's not like she doesn't have to chops to do that. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe THIS IS the way to get the most coverage and splash before 'The View' sinks into oblivion which is inevitable with Rosie O'Donell taking the helm. I'm not a big fan of Star Jones but Rosie O'Donell is THE KISS OF DEATH. One word . . . Eeeeeewwwwwww.

Sorry to hear you're suffering Missie. I've been taking Nexium for about 2 1/2 weeks now and I'm starting to get some relief but I still get the occasionally pain in the sternum and back area. Mylanta or Malox Max help a little bit. Hope you feel better soon.

Beachee Girl, When you find the prescription you lost, take it back to your doctor. It'll restore your doctors' faith in you, but mostly, you'll just feel better about it.

I had surgery March 7th and my port area muscles don't feel right. If I do anything remotely physical, the area hurts. I'm kinda down about the whole band thing right now. Bad fill/unfill/fill issues - esophageal pain (on meds) and sternum pain. I'm not so sure I'd opt for the band again at this point. Ask me again in a couple of hours though and I'll probably give a different answer. :-) It would be nice if all of this would settle down and I could just enjoy the weight loss.

You said she lost weight on diet pills? Maybe they were not saying anything about your weight loss because you did it through surgery. A lot of people see WLS as doing it "the easy way." If you did it the "easy way," that means she did it "the hard way." Obviously the hard way deserves more praise. Right? If people KNEW how difficult it is to lose weight - even with a band - I don't think they'd make that kind of distinction. I really don't think they realize that fat people don't eat because they're hungry - we eat because we enjoy eating. That doesn't go away with WLS. The band helps us to eat less but we still want to eat every day all day. At least I do. I understand how you're feeling. I've lost close to 40 pounds and my family hasn't mentioned it once. On the up side, I'M healthier, I'M happier, I'M going to live longer, I'M SUCCEEDING. Who cares if they ever notice. Congratulations on your amazing weight loss. Condolences to your friend when she goes off the diet pills and regains all that weight. We all know it will happen.

I hate to be the one to break it to you ItsGottaGo, but ice cream immediately becomes liquid and slides right through the band. In other words, the band won't affect your ability to eat a lot of ice cream at one sitting. Before I had surgery, my doctor had a big discussion with me about what types of food are my downfall. He told me that grazers and sweet eaters - ice cream in particular - are usually not helped by being banded. The band controls the quantity of SOLID foods you are able to consume. liquids are not restricted in any way, which means that ice cream or anything that liquifies quickly, like chocolate or Peanut Butter, moves quickly and easily from the "pouch", through the stoma, and into your stomach. Sorry to be the one to bring you down.

The downloadable version of FitDay is worth every penny of the (whopping!) $20 it costs. The custom food/custom portion area and the many MANY reports available are particularly useful for food tracking and motivation. Good luck.

www.FitDay.com there is the free version and the $20 downloadable version. The free version is a good way to know if it's something you'll actually use - if you do, I HIGHLY recommend the $20 downloadable version. It's MUCH MUCH better - particularly when it comes to your custom foods. Good luck.

I've seen those machines! It looks difficult. Is it?

Ohhhhhhh. I just bet they'll regret their decision at some point! I'm with Paula, things happen for a reason and you'll have the last laugh yet! Good luck with the next job.

Congrats on your first fill - I'm with you, it's pretty nerve-wracking until you discover that it really isn't a big deal. I still worry about port infection but at least I'm more relaxed about the actual fill process. Here's my big hint for upcoming fill recipients: the fill nurse is MUCH better at it than the doc is! At least that's been my experience.

Welcome to bandland! Don't let anything stand in the way of your dreams!

Well I know what I'M going to do. Lower my goal weight! I mean, if the goal is 20% lower then I'll reach the original goal, right? :faint: LOL Sorry, I know it's frustrating and we ALL want to be in that 10% that lose all of our excess weight. If it were like getting in to an amazing college I'd be working on my civic and extracurricular activities.

If you're a failure, it's because YOU think you're a failure. It's certainly not because you're not losing weight. YOU ARE! OK, maybe you DIDN'T lose weight in May. You lost 4 - 5 pounds in June. Maybe you won't lose any weight in July. You WILL in August. Look at my weight loss. You see that I lost the majority of weight around my surgery. After that it's been in fits and starts. BUT I'VE LOST 40 POUNDS. IN 4 MONTHS. Just like you've lost 28 pounds in 2 months. You're losing an average of 3.1 pounds per week. Do you understand what we're talking about with "averaging" the weight loss over a period of time? Weight loss isn't like an appliance - it doesn't work the same every time you press start. It works over time. Take it, run with it, and see how far it takes you. 9 weeks shouldn't be a guage of success or failure. Besides LBT, what kind of support are you getting? Maybe seeing a counsellor or a therapist will help you get over your fear of failure.

You need to call your surgeon. Do it tomorrow morning.

Why don't you get his number and call him? If you do, remember he's going to try to sell you on lipo. Don't make an instant decision because you're talking to the guy. Do all your research and then decide.

Absolutely - I was quoted less than $2000 (a few years ago though so I'm sure it's more now) for chin lipo. I didn't do it because they kept pushing to do more - full face lift, eyelid lift and some other stuff! I'm 44 years old and have virtually NO LINES anywhere on my face - I'm frequently told I look like I'm 30. I guess that's where I got the bad taste in my mouth for plastic surgery. They just push for too much because it puts money in their pockets. Definitely call around to different places and find out what price they quote for a chin lipo. Obviously you need to research to find a good doctor if you actually DO the lipo but you can makes calls pretty easily to find out some prices.

Nope. I wouldn't. Wait until you've recovered, lost weight. See how you look. Chin liposuction doesn't cost very much, even here in Dallas, where plastic surgery is rivalled in frequency only by California. Besides, doesn't it smack a little of nepotism? Or feel a little too much like coersion? Who brought it up? You or him? Sounds like he's just wringing more money out of you. Besides, liposuction hurts.

MelAnne, You need to chill out a bit. We've been down this path before. I'm not trying to tell you to stop whining - I'm telling you to look at the big picture before you start the 'this-isn't-going-to-work-for-me' dance: You've been banded for about 9 weeks now. You've lost 28 pounds. If you average it out, you're losing over 3 pounds per week - WELL OVER the 1 - 2 pounds per week which most lap band doctor's project for weight loss. Break it down further if you like, 28 pounds divided by the 62 days you've been banded comes out to just under a half a pound per day! .45 in fact. The band is working. Stop freaking out. Maybe you should stop weighing yourself. Once a week is plenty. Once a month might be better for your mental health. I'm REALLY not trying to be mean, but I think you should give yourself a rest.

They'll take my milk from me when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Even if I DID switch to fat free skim milk! Hrumph. I agree with Jachut: I think it pays to remember doctors have their own biases, misinformation or beliefs on what constitutes a healthy diet - what consitutes perfect human nutrition is not something anybody has the answer to. I think its up to all of us to consider what our doctors tell us, but fit it in with our own personal needs and beliefs.