I would like to hear from some Texarkana Bandsters about their experiences. re: doctors, pre and post surgery, and how things are going for them now. I am considering the lap band.

cmoomoos, that is great weight loss. When was it that you had your surgery? I wish you could come to lunch too. Maybe we will do it sometime on a Sat. maybe you will be off. Some of the ladies are school teachers that are on here, so we might have to do one on Sat. after school starts. We will try and work the times around where everyone has an opportunity to come. Do you go to the support meetings? They are on the second Monday of the month? I think several of us go but we don't know who is who when we get there. I know Lo2us, and LisaG. We met in the doctors office. Lo2us and I sit together at the support meetings. She had her surgery in June and is doing fantastic. Keep up the good work.

Okay girls, oops, or guys. I will be wearing a black top and light color capris, and gray hair, lol, tomorrow at Bryces. If I have time I will stop and get a balloon. That way if we go in to eat and someone is late, they can spot our table by the balloon tied to a chair. Is that too corny?? Scratch that time thing, I'll make time. Looking forward to seeing all who can come. 11:30 tomorrow, Thurs. 19th, Bryces.

I don't think I'll be able to make it tomorrow. I have a last minute meeting to be at and I'm just plain pooped. I've been running all over TXARK the past three days, have to pack to get ready to take Mom to Nashville, TN. Not to mention Gus has decided against sleep this week. Still having trouble at Breakfast and Lunch with swallowing, but I'm trying hot liquids before meals to see if it helps. I'll let ya know.

Go cmoomoos!

Yall have good time tommorrow!

Lo2us, you be careful on the road. When is your mom leaving?

I hate to say this, but the last few days, I have had some trouble with stuff going down wrong. I haven't a clue what 's going on, but maybe, I will start losing again.

Yall have a good day.

lisa

The hot liquids aren't working. I get cottage chese hung, so I guess I'll be eating grits or cream of wheat at lunch and breakfast. We're leaving Friday morning for Nashville to meet my brother there and he's picking up Mom. Lisa I hope it's not to annoying for ya. Y'all hang in there!

Shannon, if you're getting hung up on cottage cheese, sounds like you need to call the office. You might need a slight un-fill. You know what happens if you stay too tight for too long and you have come too far to lose your band.(erosion) You should be able to eat solid food now. When did you get your fill again? I forgot. But when I get a fill, it will kick in around two weeks after I get it. Not everyone's fill will do that, but if it happens to you........and if you are this tight now..... I'm not trying to scare you. I just want you to take care of you. Call Mrs. Betty or Jamie and talk to them, k and let us know. Sorry for sounding like a Mom. I know I joke around a lot on here, but the truth is, I care what happens to everyone on here and I don't want anything go to wrong with you. So, do what you think is best and let us know, k? With that said..... the end.

Yall have a good day!

lisa

It's been about a week since my fill. I appreciate all the advice, I know y'all are just looking out for me. Don't worry about offending me, I figure that collectively, we're pretty darn smart! I wouldn't post about stuff if I wasn't a little unnerved by it.

I've had no trouble today. I had a hunk of grilled turkey breast for lunch. I've noticed that whenever I have a hot lunch and breakfast, there's not trouble. Plus I ate as soon as I came in from mowing and I, myself, was hot too. I'm going to give it a little more time over the weekend and see if it'll get better. I've been chewing 50 times instead of the 30 and that seems to help too. It's something I can live with at the moment and I hate to think I might not tolerate a fill. I just need to slow down, that's been the hardest part for me. Thanks for caring!

Shannon...do you have trouble with things that are crunchy?...(i.e. cheetohs, crackers, etc...)...

Dr. H. told me this last time that a person who is "too tight" will find themselves relying on crunchy because it will go down easier...I am finding that I don't have any problems with stuff like that and will tend to get a cracker rather than trying to eat something else because I know I can eat it and have no problems...He said I may need to take some out...I am going to see if it gets better, but I am doing the same thing you are doing...only, this is after 3 fills...

It is not good to just let it go and try to deal with it...it won't help you lose the weight quicker, it will only make you miserable and keep you hungry...

Let us know how you are doing...take care

Sharon and Betty...had a great time visiting with you ladies today...hope we can do it again sometime and the rest of you can join us...I feel like I have really made new friends...since now I have a face to go with the name...LOL

vlynn and Sunlight, I certainly enjoyed meeting you both. I am happy to put a face with my new friends. Lynn I hope you made it hope in time to take care of Billy. I meant to thank you today for so much encouragement while I was "just getting started." I was such a weenie!! Look at your ticker!!! 72 POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In 7 months. That's incredible. By the way, now that I have met you, I can say first hand, YOU LOOK TERRIFFIC!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it will take me longer, but I hope I can share that much weight loss with you one day too. I will try to remember to ask about what there is to take for the hair thinning at my next doctors visit. (Monday.)

Betty, you hang in there. We all go through Bandster Hell. Well most of us anyway. I think I stayed in it until my third fill.....LOL. I get my fourth Monday. I seriously think this one is going to be the biggest change for me. I think it is going to help me help myself. I just have to make good food choices. I am doing better. but still have so many weaknesses. But like they say we didn't get this way over night and we aren't going to get "thin" over night either. I have got a lifetime of poor eating habits to undo. I seldom have anything fried. Occasionally fish, or fries. Seldom sweets, and I have cut breads, which I dearly love, way back. At least it is a start, huh?

Better go now. Ya'll take care.

Hi to all!

Sharon and Lynn thank you so much for sharing ideal and stories with me. I really enjoyed talking to you both. I really needed it to because i was getting really disapointed with the ways things was going (thinking i had done something wrong). Now i find i am normal in the way i have been feeling. I hope we keep in touch with each other. You both are very nice people.

I did a bad thing when i got home. I bought chicken from sams and had some and it got stuck! I had asked you both how it would feel and it was really bad. I thought it would never get unstuck. I do not want that again.

Sunlight, you are certainly normal. When do you go back to the doctor? I forgot. I go Mon. a.m. Anybody else going then? Anyway, you haven't done anything wrong. Just try and make good food choices, I know, easier said than done. I think we all have to be concious of that. We want to be healthier, not just thinner. I try to remind myself of that. If we eat all the wrong foods our weight loss journey will not be successful. You don't have any restriction at this time so you aren't going to feel much difference, if any. (Unless your band is snug around the stomach opening.) Everyones opening isn't the same, therefore the band is going to fit differently. Just like clothes, we might wear the same size, but it may fit me tighter, or looser than it does you. I know you are anxious for results, so am I, but we have to be patient, and behave(lol) until we get some restriction, then we have to depend on ourself to use our tool wisely. NOW, to follow my own advice! Take care .

I think I need some help I am trying to put a ticker on my replies and I am having problems doing it. Can some please give me some advice. Thanks!!!

I'm back from Nashville and thing are going down better. I tried what Lisa suggested to take a few minutes and not eat as soon as my food was brought out and just look at it and it's helped me slow down. Vlynn, I can do crunchy really easy, I'll keep that in mind this week in case I have anymore too tight days AND I'm taking everything small and slow. I wish I could have been there to meet you guys. Hopefully, my world will slow down a little as I get back into the swing of life here with Gussy by myself.

Cmoomoos, still having trouble?

lisa

Hello everyone. I went to the doc this a.m. Didn't lose any weight this time:(. But, on the other hand, didn't gain any either. I got a fill .4cc. Dr. K is doing like Dr. H now, not doing the numbing. Ok by me. The fill stick isn't any worse than the numbing. Neither is bad to me. Next appt. will be 7 weeks instead of 6. Falls on Labor day.

Oh I haven't been to the website yet but they put up a notice that our support meetings will be at a different place. Not the YWCA anymore.

Lisa how are things going for you?

Lo2us hope you can get Guss back in a routine. I raised three of those little boogers, that can be pretty tough sometimes. Every now and then I see on TV where people are having them by the "litters," I just don't think I could do that. How is your restriction comming along?

Sunlight when is your fill? I got one today, hope this helps.

Vlynn, Dr. K says lots of protien to help the hair. They are even selling supplements.

I have been without AC:mad:, repairman is working on it right now. Spoiled to AC, It has been 2 days . Later.

Cmoomoos

Open two windows. In one window go to the ticker website and make your ticker.

In your other window come to this site and go to your user "CP",(above the post, and to the left in the small blue bar.

When you get there, on the left side of the page, click on edit signiture.

When you get this done, go to the other window and RIGHT click on the picture of your ticker, and "copy" back to the "signiture window" and in the box that says "edit signiture." ( It will be under the Preview Box) and right click again in that box and Paste the ticker in that window. That should do it.

I got these instructions from Lisa, and it worked for me. Seems like I had to do it twice but it finally took. lol.

How are you doing??