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Laura, Thanks for the nice comments -- I've never been modest in bathing suits either cause I love, love, love the water. Hope you and Nelson have a great time at the beach today, I'm jealous. It won't be much longer until you will be out of those 2x, trust me, it went so quick, I can't hardly believe it. It is amazing - I love this band!

Hello everyone! I'm back from my trip and happy to see all of you are doing well. Long, congratulations on another great accomplishment -- I think you already deserve the gold medal, but if Janet is making you do another 10 pounds for the gold, I know you will do it. Such a great inspiration! Julie, hope you have other people helping out making pies and ice cream as it sounds like a lot for just you to do! I'm sure it will be a great time. Sounds like fun. Wish I could be there too. Meredith, just another week! That will go by fast! You're doing great, and I know you'll do great after your surgery too. I loved that you "cheated" with olives. LOL. I too love olives and pickles and crave them sometimes, so I completely understand. I was like you when I did my 2 week liquid diet -- I felt great and was so sick of food by that time that I too was happy to get started with my new life. Pam, so happy that you are feeling better. I also love that your boys said "wow" at last. I think it's true that when we're with people everyday, it is harder to notice the changes. I'm sure you'll get lots and lots of compliments at your reunion. Have a great time. Laura, what a nice experience you had with that woman. It's nice to talk in person to another bandster, isn't it? I have one friend that I met on LBT that had the same surgeon as me and we try to get together after the support group meetings to talk and we e-mail several times a week. I guess we're "lap band sisters." Janet, all I can say is "Wowzeeee!" You look fantastic and soooo skinny -- I'd never ever guess you were ever a fat chick. Love that color of your blouse on you -- so pretty with your skin and hair. Laura, so sorry you are still bothered with TOM. Oh my goodness, that's the ONE advantage of getting old. I don't miss that at all. Charlene, so sorry about your hubby's surgery being postponed, but have faith that it will happen before summer is over. Glad they are so careful so your DH is not in danger. Love your Dr. Garth -- saw some new shows recently - he and his dad are great with their patients. Well, I went to the Lake of Ozarks and behaved pretty well, had a delish margarita one night and a couple of other frozen drinks (someone brought one of those tubs you mix with vodka) and they tasted really great (considering I've had no alcohol since probably Nov. or Dec. LOL. I only had two meals that were not strictly on my plan. One was a chopped salad at an Italian restaurant that has a famous parmesean salad dressing and we went there ESPECIALLY for that salad. But I ordered a small and didn't touch the roll or butter, so that was a victory for me. That same night we met some other friends at a pizza place and the only thing I could order was some pasta with a pink sauce with shrimp, so I ate the shrimp and had a few bites of the pasta and then I offered it to another girl who ate some and so I wouldn't eat the rest I opened the salt shaker and dumped enough in it that would make me not want it. But I was bad and didn't get any exercise in (four days). But the good new is, is that my shoulder which has been bothering me for almost 2 months didn't hurt today when I went back to the gym, so I think that 4 days rest was what it needed to finish healing. So, that's a good thing. I won't weigh until my regular day on Tues., so I hope I did okay. But I had several NSV which I want to share. One of my friends I've always thought of as "thin" gave me an outfit to try on. She said, "it's a little snug on me, but I think it will fit you, so try it on. If you like it you can have it." I said, "oh, I don't think that will fit ME." But OMG, it DID! I couldn't believe it. However, like everyone else, when I look in the mirror, I still see the old me, not the new me when I look in the mirror. Well, after that, there was no stopping me. One of the girls had set up a fashion show at the Dress Barn at the outlet mall and I was shocked at what cute clothes Dress Barn has! Well, to say the least, I spent the most money (by a large margin). I was so busy trying on clothes that I could probably have counted it as exercise (only kidding). But too many cute things and I made it into a size 16 without elastic!! Oh what a thrill! It's been over 10 years since I've had on any pants without elastic. So I'm happy happy now. LOL. And, I was able to wear Large tops and even some mediums. That's a big difference from 3X and 4X I was wearing in January. Just had to share all this good news with my friends here on LBT. Thanks to you all for your support every day. I love you all. Linda

PJ, good luck at the doctor's tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you and hoping you'll be all better by the time I get home. Take care of yourself. Linda

Hi everyone, Just wanted to check in and say hi. Had a busy weekend, but did get all my exercise in. Did both step aerobics and walking Sat. and Sunday. Heading off with my girlfriends (10 in all) to another friend's house at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. I'll return on Thursday. This will be a challenge for me to see how I do away from home and with eating out alot and drinking, etc. etc. If I can maintain and not gain I'll be thrilled. Her house is right on the lake, so hopefully the weather will cooperate (no rain) and I'll be swimming everyday. We'll also be shopping a lot I'm sure (big outlet mall there). Have a great week everyone! Linda

Oh, forgot, that nutritional information I used above was using egg beaters original as well, not eggs. Linda

If you make the recipe with the turkey bacon, 93% lean ground beef, 2% cheddar cheese and the fat free evaporated milk and cut it into 8 slices, you would have 155 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving which is very good for such a tasty dish. All I did to get this information was to go to www.dailyplate.com and click on create a meal and then list all the ingredients and then click on it to add to my plate which then shows the total calories and total fat grams. You just divide that into the number of servings to get the nutritional value for the recipe. Enjoy and thanks for sharing the recipe. Linda

Meredith, I did the full two weeks of liquids. I was able to have tomato soup, broth, yogurt, sugar free pudding and jello, all juices, tomato, orange, apple, etc. plus protein shakes. I made my own and sometimes added strawberries (blended in, no chunks) to it (used non-fat milk). I was told to drink as much as I wanted so I would not get hungry. I also used unjury chicken soup. I found that by drinking lots of protein it kept me satisfied and I really never felt too hungry. Good luck to you, I know you'll be fine. Just try to stay away from people when they're eating and don't cook for anyone else if you can avoid it. That would make it much harder, I think. I just made my DH cook for himself. LOL Good excuse to stop cooking. Janet, enjoy your company. I head out to Lake of the Ozarks with 10 other girlfriends Monday and I'm sure we'll have a great time. Linda

Long, Charlene, JoAnn, you are all so right. I too have noticed the same things with friends and it's sad, but we cannot allow their actions (and reactions) bother us, because we know we are fragile about our weight. Meredith, I'm so very sorry about the things your sister said to you. She sounds like a very selfish person who obviously has insecurity issues. You are a much more secure person than she is, so I know you'll overcome her hurtful feelings. It's so very hard to balance who we are with who we used to be once we lose even a small amount of weight. We feel differently, even look different and that seems to be threatening to many people. When I applied for that other job at work a month ago, I felt so good about doing so, but the person who interviewed me used to work in my dept. and her first comment to me was, "oh, so I see you've decided to do something about your weight?" She was always a very judgmental person (who's never had a weight problem) and I knew right then and there that I did not want that job because I didn't want to work with her again. It also hurt that she didn't follow it up with another comment like, "gee, you've done a good job", or even "congratulations", nothing. We have to develop very thick skin to deal with these kinds of problems. But I'm willing to deal with them, as we all must be, because we want to be the new us, not the old us. Julie, sorry about your friends -- I understand completely how you feel as I have experienced the same type of thing many times. I do think that when we are heavier, we tended to let people get away with things more and act like things didn't bother us as much (for whatever reason, I don't know why, but I think it's true). I think that because we are succeeding in our weight loss battles, it gives us more courage to speak up about our feelings and not let people treat us like doormats. I do believe that we change a lot more than just our sizes when we lose the weight. This would be a great topic for a discussion at a support group meeting. Julie, I know from reading your posts over the past six months that you give a lot of yourself to your church, friends and relatives. If those woman had been your closest and dearest friends, they would probably had not allowed you to do so much work so soon after your illness. They should have done more to help you instead of going behind your back. Yes, they should apologize, but they probably won't because they are too busy being self righteous about your behavior when they should be appalled at their own behavior. I just wanted to chime in and give you all my support and love and hope tomorrow brings sunnier skies, warmer temps and brighter smiles! Linda

Don't know how that posted, I never clicked the post button. I guess I'm done anyway, just wanted to say a quick hello. Apples, have fun at the lake. Have a good Hump Day everyone! Linda

Hi everyone, just a quick note to check in. Doing fine here. Doodles, congrats on your Onederland and BeckyinTexas, you are soooooo AWESOME! Congratulations and I'm so impressed at how hard you've worked and how successful you've been. I cannot imagine how tough these 4 years have been for you. Everytime I think about whining about eating right and exercise, I will think of you and it will get me through. Thanks so much for sharing your story. Wow. Laura, so happy to hear your sister is doing so well and glad you and your family are now having some fun!! Enjoy! Went to my support group tonight and a medical doctor who is also an acupuncturist gave a talk. It was very interesting. Have any of you ever had acupuncture? I have some issues with my leg and back and if my insurance will cover it I'd like to try acupuncture for some pain control, so

Hi, so glad to hear from you Pen and know you're still doing well. Hey, you've lost 20 pounds -- without the band you probably would have stayed the same or even gained weight during the last 6 months, so you are still doign FABULOUS! It sounds like the past several months has been very busy for you -- understand why you can't be checking in more often. Congratulations on graduation -- that's a BIG deal -- so happy for you. But after that's over, then you'll have time to focus more on your eating and exercise. I just had fill 3 -- I only got .5 cc's for a total of 5.5 in a 10 cc band. I don't feel much restriction either, but my surgeon says he wants to go very slow with fills as he doesn't want me to be too tight (me either). Ideally, I think that we should never PB or get the golf ball feeling -- because that is not good to be too tight. Unfortunately what I've learned from the people I stay in touch with on the mentoring page is that you still have to exercise a lot of will power, even when you are at your sweet spot. It kinda sucks, but at the same time, I don't feel the same as I did pre-band. I don't get as hungry and I don't seem to crave the wrong foods -- I stay perfectly satisfied by eating my protein and my veggies and some fruit. Seriously, I do. I used to crave food all the time and think about meals and what I was going to eat and then I'd get hungry and go cook all afternoon -- my favs were pastas and anything with cheese and sour cream. LOL. I really feel like they cut something out of my brain as well. What I had also forgotten (but again you have to constantly re-learn things in life) is that you must make time for exercise. I have been doing a lot of exercise and hope that when I get to goal I'll be able to lessen the amount because I don't see this old lady keeping this up forever. I just went on Youtube to check out Zumba. Wow, what a riot. I can't even imagine trying to do that!! It's wild and crazy (but looked like fun and the music was great). Hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day and has a successful June. Please stay in touch. Carolina, hope you're doing well, know you're busy, but would love to hear from you. MsKelly hope all is well with your family. Take care everyone. Linda

Wow wow wow!! Long, you are just gorgeous!! You look at least 10 if not 15 years younger. I am so inspired. Thank you for sharing those pics - it renews my determination. What a difference a year makes. Gonna, JoAnn gave you great advice -- she's spot on with everything. Janet, congrats on your hike -- sounds tough, not something I'm ready for yet. Laura, how's your sis? It's Sat., so I know you're there with her and I hope all is well. You'll be so much help to her, I bet she's very happy you could travel to be with her. Don't worry so much about your eating on vacation -- you'll find yourself automatically choosing the correct foods -- I know when I went to Vegas in April, I found that when faced with the temptation of eating carbs and other unhealthy foods, I actually didn't even want those anymore. Another thing, food used to be my whole world -- so when going on vacation the first thing I thought about was, "oh, what wonderful food will I'll be able to eat" -- I used to go and google up all the restaurants in the areas I was going and drool over the menus!! Sick sick sick! Now I've learned to dwell on the other things on vacation -- like the beauty, the PEOPLE I go to see, the sites (museums, etc.) the sun, enjoy the weather, etc. etc. you know what I mean and food is the LEAST important thing now. That's just the way it has to be for the rest of my life. And you know what? I like it this way much better. Meredith, so sorry for that rude woman. I think we've all had a similar experience. Over the years I've had many occasions to say (mostly to myself) "there's worse things than being fat, I'd rather be fat than be a B_____h, a cheat, a liar, etc., etc. you get my drift. It's all true, but unfortunately the people who say things like that wouldn't understand what we mean -- they are the self centered, self righteous, selfish people of the world who think it's their right to judge all other people. What a sad, sad world they live in. Honestly, I would rather be pbese than be like that, but fortunately, we have the skills and determination and courage to know we need to change, but they don't even realize they need to change. Laura said it best, it would be great to actually be able to say something like, "you need a lobotomy". LOL. Maybe in my next life. Julie, glad you are checking in and doing well, sounds like you're getting better every day. Linda

Hi everyone, just checking in - had a lot of reading to do to catch up. Charlene, congrats on your DH's surgery date, we'll all be thinking of you both and wishing him a speedy recovery. Laura, I too was surprised at your post about your surgeon's attitude -- I'm like Long, I just expect that because you and your DH are in the medical profession that you would be treated much better by doctors and surgeons than us non-medical people. I think that your decision to get the band was your personal choice which was best for you and your family and your surgeon should honor that decision instead of being so negative. I'm glad you're a strong lady and can deal with that, so many people would be devastated by a comment like that. I had a very small fill today -- 1/2 a cc -- my surgeon agreed with me that a tiny fill was in order but he thinks (as I do) that I will be at my sweet spot after this one. I'm hoping so. He had a little bit of trouble finding the port again -- but no pain this time and it wasn't nearly as bad as the first but he did make a comment, "I hope it hasn't flipped" while searching that made very VERY nervous. A few seconds later he thankfully found it, thank Goodness! Julie, you are sounding good and glad you are getting stronger every day. Just keep it up. Meredith, if I didn't say congrats on the date yet, congrats. Glad you were strong enough to talk to your Dad and give him good information about your surgery. There's no need for such negativity. We have such marvelous medical miracles being performed everyday. I mean, yes, we all need to be cautious and abide by doctor's orders, but as someone else pointed out, they put you through enough screenings before surgery and they wouldn't perform surgery on you if you weren't in good enough shape for it. Rose, congrats on your Onederland!! It's so exciting. We're having a garage sale with our neighbors this weekend and I'm getting rid of some newer clothes that are already too big as well as some of my original big clothes that I kept back when I got rid of the first round. I'm also clearing out some other things I know I'll never use again, like my deep fryer, my onion blossom thingie, a huge pasta pot, etc. I'm done with all that kind of cooking for good! Apples, I'm sure i missed you, but have a good time at the lake this week. Hope everyone has a lovely Thursday. Linda

Long congratulations on that 125 milestone! That is so inspiring to me, thanks for being here to share such great news with all of us. That's the one thing that my weight loss support group does not seem to have -- anyone coming to the meetings that has been a long-term band patient -- they seem to come the first month or two after surgery and then disappear. That's why I've made a committment to continue to go each month even though it is an hour and a half drive for me. So I really really appreciate all of you experienced bandsters who take the time to come here and keep us inspired. Your son is smart (must take after his mom) and called you right away to take him to the hospital before his appendix ruptured. JoAnn you're right, we just all need to keep on keepin' on -- that's a good way to think about it. Laura, good luck tomorrow with your appointment. I go Wednes. for a fill but I'm going to ask doctor to be very conservative -- maybe just 1cc or even a half a cc. I just never want to get too tight -- but I do want to feel a little restriction. And, Laura, I do know what you mean about your DH. Mine isn't even trying to lose any weight -- he eats candy bars and pizza, fat burgers and fries, biscuits and gravy, etc. etc. - and still he's lost about 10 lbs. since my surgery. He "rides" the lawn mower, but other than general yard work once a week or so, he gets no real exercise. Oh well, I guess we should be happy for them that they don't have to struggle as much as we do. Take care everyone and have a great week! Linda

I regularly substitute fat free evaporated milk in my quiches instead of half and half with very good results. That's another way to cut down some of the fat in the recipe.

Hi everyone. Went to a bunco party tonight and made a great low fat dip (we each take appetizers or dessert to share). I adapted the recipe to lower fat ingredients and it turned out delish and no one even guessed it was low in fat. 1 can Members Mark chicken Breast (13 oz), shredded 1 8 oz. pkg. fat free cream cheese, softened 3/4 C. Hellman's Light Mayo (1 gram fat per 1 Tablespoon - has green lid) 1/4 C Fat free Mayo 1 C. fat free shredded cheddar cheese 1 can mild green chili peppers 1 Tablespoon Worcheshire sauce 1 jalepino pepper, diced very fine Shred chicken, stir in softened cream cheese, blending well. Add mayos, shredded cheese and stir to mix well. Add mild chili peppers, jalepino (if desired) and Worcheshire sauce. Spray a small casserole dish with Pam and bake at 350 for 30 mins. or until bubbly. Eat with low fat crackers (I used Special K crackers and they were excellent). Enjoy! I did the entire recipe on Daily Plate and it came out to 20 grams fat and 900 calories per recipe. It makes about 3 cups total. It's very filling and I think I ate about 4 tablespoons of the dip on about 10 crackers and was very satisfied (which was the majority of my "dinner"). Anyway, it's a good recipe for parties and I hope you'll give it a try. Linda

Meredith, forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK.

Hi everyone. Before I forget, Phyll, love your new photo! TV, welcome and sorry for all your troubles. Regarding your losing your job, I don't know what kind of work you do, but it was my experience when I moved to Southern Cal. in the early 90s, I started working right away with a temp agency. If you do any kind of clerical work, you might check that out -- I know they have temp associates for all kinds of professions now, not just clerical. I ended up being offered a job through one of my temp associates which is nice cause you have a little knowledge about the company and those you'd be working with before you make a decision. Anyway, for what it's worth, I thought I offer that suggestion to you. Change is hard and it's upsetting. I think you got plenty of good advice from everyone, but know that everyone here will be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers and will be suportive of you. You have us now to care and support you too, so hang in there and keep us in the loop, okay? Also since February, you've LOST weight -- probably normal for you before the band (as it was for me) I would have either stayed the same or gained a few pounds between Feb. and June, so you have that to celebrate. Hang in there! Julie, you are sounding so good, so glad to hear you're back at water aerobics. Remember, small steps - you had a major illness, you can't be back to your normal routine for awhile longer yet. But, you're doing good. I bet your fill will feel good to you after all this time of being empty. Good luck with the fill. Kath, welcome. I think everyone here can say that they loved to eat and miss it. I have to say that once I made the decision to get the surgery, I also decided right then and there that food was no longer my no. ONE reason for living - we all had to put food into better perspective. Janet, do you still have your "breakup letter to food" -- if you do maybe you could post it again, I found it very helpful when I first saw it and that was my first month after surgery. Maybe some of the newer people here would benefit from reading that as well. I've had a good week, lost my 3 lbs. this week (was catch up from week before), have been exercising like crazy. Went to bunco tonight and had a few "planned treats". I did a five mile walk and 40 mins. of step aerobics today to make up for those goodies. I just wish we could avoid food altogether, but unfortunately, we can't, so we have to be strong. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Linda

Hi everyone! Meredith, glad you made some progress with surgeon's office, but I do hope you will still tell him about that woman. She is too much! How dare she call you back and accuse you of complaining to the office manager. But, I can imagine you're probably a little worried about irritating this woman any further until you get your date -- after that, I'd be sure to complain to the office manager and the surgeon. Unbelievable! Apples, you are so lucky you can get away so much, I'm sure you manage to make it through the harsh winter just dreaming of getting back to spending time at the lake each spring/summer. Sounds lovely. Long and Phyl I love traveling too and am so happy that I can fit in an airline seat so much more comfortably now. It makes so much difference! I cooked food for DH and DD and GD yesterday, but really wasn't even interested in eating any of it -- I just ate my usual green beans and turkey tenderloin. I let them have all the fattening stuff. It's funny that I don't even care about eating food like that anymore. I just don't get it, cause any other time I used to watch my eating, I'd be looking forward to eating on holidays -- any excuse to eat -- now, I don't even care -- what is it about the band that causes that I wonder? It's weird. Janet, thanks for your kind words. I do work hard at my eating and exercise and it's nice to have the scale reward me each week. I really thought I'd have more trouble losing (since I'm waaaayyy over 50) than I have, so I'm thrilled I've been able to do so well. I have a question for you experienced bandsters -- I've had two fills so far, and have another scheduled for next week. I don't really get hungry and my meals keep me satisfied for at least 5 to 6 hours. I have never had a PB and have only experienced a stuck feeling in my chest for a few mins. when I've forgotten to chew as well as I need to. I don't really ever feel "hungry" so I'm wondering if I'm at my sweet spot. I can't seem to get a lot of info about what that really should be like. Before I had my second fill I did have a lot of "hunger" and I could eat a lot of food before feeling full. Now, I eat about what a bandster is supposed to eat -- 4 oz. protein and about 1/2 cup veggies and I do stayed satisfied. I'm just trying to decide if I really need a fill or not. If any of you can help me out I'd appreciate it. I am really afraid of getting too tight. Maybe I should just postpone it until I start to feel hungrier inbetween meals? I do lose at a steady pace, but I do feel a lot of it is my own willpower as well as the foods I choose (low in fat, low in sugar, etc.) and I stay withing my calorie budget to lose 2 lbs. per week. If any of you have any suggestions on this, I'd appreciate your help. Thanks so much. Linda

Hi everyone! Laura thanks so much and high five back at ya! You're also doing a fantastic job! This is the first week where I did exercise every day for 7 days straight. Usually I take Sun. off, but I managed to do about 45 mins. of step aerobics this am before it got too busy (I work on call from home from 8 a.m. until I come in the office at 4 p.m.). I'm trying to make sure that scale moves this week more than the one lb. from last week. I forgot to mention that finally people are starting to notice I've lost weight. LOL. I took my pic to put in my lap band book and it was an incredible difference. Rose, I'm so so sorry about all your troubles, I too will keep you in my prayers. DD and DG will be over tomorrow for barbeque -- I'll eat my own food and make them some goodies. Seedless watermelon was on sale so that will definitely be on the menu. Have a lovely and safe Memorial Day everyone! Linda

Sarah, Congratulations on your decision. I too struggled with my decision and I waited 6 months after my pre-op required physicals (psych., sleep clinic, etc.) Even on the morning of surgery, as the nurse was putting my IV in my arm, I kept thinking, "do I really want to do this?" I walked into the Operating room and laid on the table still wondering if it was the right thing. Well, I can tell you four months post op that it is and it was the correct decision for me. I had my surgery on 1-27-09 and my life has changed all for the better since. I understand the nagging doubts, especially when reading about some people's problems with the band. What I've discovered, it that those problems are few and far between. I have NEVER PB'd, never had anything "stuck" never have had any problems. If you follow your doctor's orders and follow the band rules, I'm sure you won't have any problems either. Welcome and good luck to you. Linda

Janet, do NOT worry you are fabulous! No stinky breath -- just pure love and inspiration. I think everyone is just busy with their own lives. Even I'm busier than usual with my exercise regime. Everyone have a great long weekend. Even I'm off on Monday. Whoo Hoo! Linda

I highly recommend Dr. Smolik. He is my surgeon and did a wonderful job. He and Dr. Cahalan are partners and their staff is also fantastic. They are well organized and give you a folder containing all the instructions and guidelines you need to help you with the pre-surgical and post surgical diet. If you have a question, they are more than happy to help. They stress that they want to be part of your medical team for life -- once you have the surgery you can visit with them long after surgery. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about Mercy Center for Weight Reduction.

Laura, me too, I was so disappointed in Idol last night. I like Kris, but just don't think he has as much talent (or voice) as Adam. But, the good news is almost all the final 5 or 6 will have great careers -- they were all amazing this year. I'm checking in here just to get motivated to get to my exercise today -- feeling a little sluggish. Oneday, hope you are feeling better today and sorry to hear of your illness and wishing you a fast and full recovery. Julie, glad you are taking time for yourself -- you deserve it. Long, you are such an inspiration - you're not even at your one year anniversary yet and look how great you've done!! It helps keep me motivated for sure. Barb, hope your nose gets better soon and everything I said about Long goes to you too, you've done great. I only lost 1 lb. this week, but I know I'll end up with a loss next week - my body is so weird the way it reacts. Made some tasty salmon patties for my lunch -haven't had much fish lately, so thought I'd better have some. Going to card party tonight where I'll have to be very firm and take only a few bites of whatever fabulous dessert is offered. Went out for dinner last night and had crab with cocktail sauce -- my new favorite way to eat steamed crab -- who would have ever thought I'd forego butter!! Amazing! Meredith, I'm hoping you have good news when I check back in later. Laura hope Nelson is feeling better. Wow, that is a great gift you got from your wellness center. I'm jealous! Have a great afternoon and evening everyone. Linda

Happy Birthday and welcome back Long. You were missed! Congrats on not gaining and actually losing while on a cruise -- sounds impossible to me, but way to go! Funny, when I went to my LB support group meeting last Tuesday night, the woman I sat next to who isn't yet banded said they are taking that same exact cruise next month before she gets banded. Thanks for the support Janet, yes, I know some days we have to relax and enjoy ourselves, but it makes me nervous when I do give in to the head hunger even though I keep the calories in line. I guess I just feel weak or somethign. Will see what my weigh in tomorrow brings. Meredith, I agree with everyone - time to stop being the nice lady. I'd call and talk to either an office manager or even leave a message for the surgeon and let him know what is going on (as Apples said). Good Luck and keep us posted. Laura, you are a fill ahead of me -- I go for my 3rd on June 3, sounds like you'll have to work with this a bit, which is what I'm expecting next time too. My first was 3 cc and this past one was 2 ccs and occasionally I've had a few golf ball chest moments since the last fill, but I think it's cause I was eating too fast or not chewing enough but I've never had a pb and the feeling didn't last more than a few seconds. I've been lucky. Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes. I'lll certainly be keeping all that in mind when I get my fill next month. Apples, loved your story about your son, he reminds me of YOU. Everyone have a great night and a beautiful day tomorrow. Linda