Jaffa

Well, I finally, broke my Plateau, and went to 195.5. WOW, being at 202 then 203 for two weeks was a terrible time for a plateau. It seemed like I was just waiting and waiting to go below 200. Now I can quit obsessing about the scale again.

You are right, for some people it doesn't change at all. I know for others it can really make things change a lot. It probably depends on how regular your smoking is, and how spaced out it is, also some people smoke with almost no change in BP, while others change a lot.

Yes it is, but I'm doing really good again now!!!

You need to quit. The nicotine will make your hydration level change a lot, and make getting properly adjusted very difficult. If you don't quit, completely, you will regret it when later with the band.

I think in reality you are using the bible and looking at it, exactly the way I do, if this statement is really how you feel. So yes, you should listen to Jaffa Steve....although, I am a free Jaffa and worship no Gouald.

I didn't overlook it, I was very impressed. Maybe the lapband causes writing enhancement?

I would use scuba gear for this, as the lapband isn't really going to provide you with much oxygen. But, I think it would also depend on how deep you go. Of course maybe you are referring to dive, as in diving off a board....in this case, yes, if you could before, you can now.

One had RNY, and I suspect the Old guy at the finale has a little secret of his own. Yes, I smell an old rat!!! There is no rule that the people who get booted can't have WLS when they get home, and he was in such bad shape, I'm not buying that he did it with just working out.

You are entering the phase, where the swelling that came from putting the band on, is probably going to start going down, plus you are going to be losing fat, both of which are going to cause a loss of restriction. Eventually, you will probably need a fill, but I think everyone can agree, that the longer you can go and the less aggressive the fills, the less potential trouble.

Well, I listen to the guy who works on my car, tell me how I should fix my house all of the time. Just because someone is a doctor doesn't mean they really know anything about the different WLS options out there now, and what the risks are associated with each type. In fact, many know less then the average person does after a good couple of days of research.

I was raised Catholic, and was mostly able to overcome it...LOL

Actually, Wasa accidently reminded me of my favorite of all questions. Ok, it really only applies to a Catholic Priest as far as I know. Why is that a Catholic Priest is allowed to read the bible and "interpret" what something means. But, you the Catholic follower are now allowed to interpret anything in the bible. Oh yes, you are allowed to read it, but you can not derive or attempt to derive any meaning from it. It is simply against the Catholic Church. I have actually asked this question of a priest, and the answer I got, was basically, "you are ignorant, and therefore unable to understand or even ask questions relating to what the bible says and what it means". To ask questions is to attempt to interpret and to not ask is to assume you understand. I practice what I preach (pun intended). I left the Catholic Church for good after this, and became a Luthern. You know the ones the Catholics cast out for not being willing to be just led around like sheep....LOL. Someone else mentioned earlier the worst sin. I don't care what any of them say, the worst sin to me, is someone using religion for financial gain. Did you know at one time you could kill someone and be forgiven for it by the Catholic Church. Of course you had a certain amount of money you needed to donate directly to the vatican, but it could be done. How can anyone follow such a church. Tell me they have changed....well have they really changed? I don't know, nor do I care to try and figure it out.

I just had my band unfilled for just the reason you stated Jachut. I was down to less then a cup of food except at night and then only just over a cup. But it pretty much had to be all Protein this way, and for me, it was much harder to eat. It was so much harder to manage the food going in, without getting stuck, and it instantly became harder to manage getting the food out, the other end (poopy). On top of all those problems, my weight loss came to a stop. I decided to have a little fill taken back out, in hopes of returning to where I was, when eating was a little more self control, but easier to actually do.

I have a t-shirt that say the following on it DICKIE DO My belly sticks out farther then my Dickie do My wife won't let me wear it anywhere??

I am surprised, that I get stuck at all. I thought, from research that if you get stuck you ate too fast or didn't chew well enough. Well, it turns out that dry meat is not going down no matter how much you chew. And even though I chew 30 times and take pea size bites, I can still get stuck in the morning, but later that day, I might have no restriction at all. I'm surprised at how MUCH the restriction level changes, daily, hourly, and sometimes by the minute. It is very frustrating. I just had an unfill, to try and make it a little less of a problem, but you know then it takes more will power. It is definitely easier then dieting without the band, but it is definitely harder then I expected.

Well, yesterday, the tightness just got worse. I couldn't even swallow something that was half the size of a pea. I got stuck and it down right hurt. I went in today, and got some of my fluid taken out. They removed .5cc, to take me back to 5.8 total. I am on liquids right now, in hopes that I can get rid of any swelling and with the unfill, be just about right. We shall know in a couple of days. I know I will be happier this way, but I'm guessing I will be needing to execute some more self control at night again. That's ok with me, I don't want to be stuck again!!!! Not that kind of stuck. Were thinking I probably scratched my inside when I ate some grilled hamburger last week, and with the inflamation that occured afterward it just kept getting worse.

Well, yesterday, the tightness just got worse. I couldn't even swallow something that was half the size of a pea. I got stuck and it down right hurt. I went in today, and got some of my fluid taken out. They removed .5cc, to take me back to 5.8 total. I am on liquids right now, in hopes that I can get rid of any swelling and with the unfill, be just about right. We shall know in a couple of days. I know I will be happier this way, but I'm guessing I will be needing to execute some more self control at night again. That's ok with me, I don't want to be stuck again!!!! Not that kind of stuck. Were thinking I probably scratched my inside when I ate some grilled hamburger last week, and with the inflamation that occured afterward it just kept getting worse.

"Plain" has accidently hit on a basic issue that is a really good one. Why, is it that people take the bible parts that make sense literally, and the parts that don't figuratively. Or why are some parts taken literally, and others are methaphorical. It is too often changed to one or the other to suit what we need it to say or mean. Or to make something that makes no logical sense in todays context of knowledge, still have value or not look down right silly. The bible is NOT the word of god, by the way. It is what many people wrote down at different times and different places, and then some people got together and pulled it all together into one book. They may claim it is the word of god, but if I wrote something right now and said it was the word of god, you would just laugh. I love the bible, but I read it and know it for what it is.....a collection of stories and paraboles. Christ was crucified because of what? I mean really, what was the real reason. Of course I know what christ said, but what was the reason the guy who actually nailed him to the cross thought Christ had done? Bin Laden is a terrorist and killed a bunch of people, but if you heard his version, he isn't a terrorist at all? He thinks he is like the muslim version of christ.....LOL.

"Wow, lotsa folks posting "Gotcha" questions to try and "trick" BG's pastor into giving an "a-ha" answer. Some, (Jaffa Steve) believe that if her pastor even hesitates in his worm / heaven question, she should immediately leave her church. Dude, I would want my pastor to really think and reflect on ANY question I asked, and not just give me a kneejerk reaction" Plain, you are exactly the kind of person I'm referring to....quoting the bible. The bible MEANS NOTHING. It proves nothing and to anyone who it proves anything to, they are misunderstanding where the bible originated and how it was produced. It sounds to me that you couldn't easily answer the worm question and I then offended you. I will say it again, you have to have faith, and any other BS intellectual justification is just your logical mind in conflict. ANY pastor or so called person of the cloth can answer the worm question easily, unless they don't understand the nature of the only true difference between us and other animals, the soul, and the nature of faith versus proof. You look for proof, but the whole point is, that you will not find it....duhhh.

Many churches don't like to talk about ritualistic versus idealogical religion. It doesn't fair well for them, when the goal is to get people to go to a church. I'm not even going to touch the subject of why they need you to go to church, when even the bible doesn't say it is at all necessary. If it makes someone feel better and they enjoy it, that is good enought for me.

But do worms go to heaven? LOL....just kidding, but it does make the question of belief a fairly simple one, that many "believers" fail. I ask anyone who makes a point out of stating their beliefs in god this question. Do you know that only one person has ever answered it in a way that truly showed that they believed and why. Frankly, most people are just phony, and it isn't their fault. They are so busy with the ritualistic part of religion versus idealogical part that they get confused.

Well, someone else on here recently said a lot of the same things, but claimed it was her body was rejecting or allergic to the band, not an infection. Of course her surgeon let her believe that, probably thinking she was less likely to sue them. At least someone was honest with you. I think your original surgeon knew what was wrong, or is imcompetant, either one of which he doesn't really want to admit to most likely.

In case your wondering, I believe worms go to heaven just as often as humans do. Not really an answer to what I believe, but that is what religion is, answers that aren't really answers, just more questions.

If your pastor so much as hesitates to answer this question correctly, you need to find a new pastor.

Do you believe worms go to heaven? Most will answer no. Many will answer I don't know while thinking about it, and some will even answer yes. It amazes me, how many so called "believers" can't quickly and easily answer this question. The correct answer is....if you believe that human animals have a majic thing called a "soul" while other animals do not, then only humans go to heaven. If you didn't know the answer without thinking about it, then I would say, you are really just pretending to believe, or wanting to believe without any real evidence that should cause you to believe. Hey, that is fine for religion, but frankly ridiculous and laughable to most other situations. The human brain is the most advanced brain of all animals. It differs from all other brains of the animal kingdom in this regard. Does this difference give us a unique ability to fear death and in an attempt to deal with this fear we have created an abstraction such as the theory of the "soul" Isn't this just a more advanced fear response from a more advanced brain? That should get you started very well. You will be amazed how many "believers" have trouble with this question. In the end, it takes someone believing in a "soul" concept to believe in any advanced from of warship. The must believe in a concept that is a total abstraction with no proof whatsoever, in order to be able to do this. Proof of the soul. Nothing written can be shown as proof, since everything written is merely an abstraction. The bible and the stories in it, are many times sited, but only by people who don't understand that the bible proves nothing, if you know how it was actually formed. The only proof is that individuals are able to believe in something such as the "Soul" without any real proof at all. Here is a fun experiment. Tell everyone that once upon a time there were people who had skin that was striped like a zebra. They will want proof, before they will "believe you". Show them a collection of writing from thousands of years ago, assembled into a book. Tell them that these writings are the proof. They will laugh at you. How is the bible really any different. Frankly, it isn't, other then it has been passed down longer and therefore is more accepted.