Penni & Teresa, I hope you guys see this since it's in response to your posts on Alex's thread. Thank you so much for doing the research for me.

Dr. Kuri called me, and he did not check for erosion. He suggested I get a scopey if I'm worried. But unless something weird happens, I'm not making an appointment for one. I figure I'll let my band do the talking, and unless it's screaming at me, I'm going to leave it alone.

However, just to make sure I worried till I fell asleep, last night I lost all restriction. BOOM, gone. First time. Last night was my first mini binge since being banded. After dinner, I kept eating chicken from the roasting pan. Then I ate 2 Pringles (that's all that was left) then I ate 1/4 cup chile with chips, then 3 Cookies, then a few ounces beef jerkey. I have no idea where that came from or why it happened. Zero restriction. I could have kept eating. That's the first time since my band that I got out of control. I went to bed a little uncomfy, but no reflux or horrible pain.

I just ate a Protein bar this morning and feel it in my sternum, so maybe I have a little restriction back. Damn, I certainly hope so. But even without restriction, what the hell happened to my willpower last night? Worry warts eat it?

Get this, Sara at Dr. Billy's office said that even altitude affects restriction. She says people get fills at one altitude, but once they get home to either lower or higher, their restriction can change a lot. Now I have to wonder if bariatric (haha, I mean barametric) pressure works the same way.

We have a storm coming, and it always makes my eyes hurt. Our funny little bands might even be affected by lightening or the tides!

Every time I see the name Penni, I think of Penny Pringleton. Many moons agon I went to broadcasting school. We used to have to make complete commercials with sound effects, characters, etc. Me & my lab partner made this hysterical Pringles commercial, and I played the roll of Penny Pringleton. Too bad I can't find my old tapes. What a riot.

It's either laugh or cry in my world!

When I was in Jr. High School the cartoon came out "Penelope Pitstop" (anyone remember that cartoon?). Penelope Pitsop wore mini skirts and go go boots. She was a racer and I think a private eye as well. I was forever teased about that the whole time I was in Jr. High School. Of course I wore mini skirts and go go boots then. I had to keep up appearances of my namesake. My real name is Penelope. I shortened it to Penni.

When I get old and grey I will revert back to Penelope. I think it sounds like an old persons name. LOL!!

When are mini skirts and rubber go-go boots coming back? I'm ready! And I remember that cartoon!

I say when all of us hit goal ... we bring back mini skirts and go-go boots! There are enuf of us here to start a trend!

The 1st time I lost a ton of weight I was so happy to fit into my old jeans, then cracked up when I realized they were hip-hugging bell-bottoms! Of course, now those are back! Everything old is new again!!

YUP I am game. I wanna get into a miniskirt and gogo boots again. I was HOT in Jr. High. LOL!!!!

No mini-skirts for me... But I'm up for the boots!

I certainly remember Penelope Pitstop, and that crazy cross country race she was in.

DeLarla - about your restriction. Stress tends to increase restriction, so you just need to get stressed out... lol And to clarify the liquid thing - atmosphere should NOT affect the pressure of liquid, so your band should not be affected by altitude. Whether or not YOU are affected by altitude, I do not know - but the pressure in the band should not change, because it is filled with liquid.

I know it is frustrating to suddenly lose restriction, but continue to be careful, because it can come back with no warning!! You sounded pretty tight to me right after your fill, so I wouldn't be surprised if this lack of restriction is just a temporary phase.

As far as the need to eat junk food, I call that the compulsion part of my food addiction - I'm not physicall hungry, I'm not tired, bored, sad, lonely, depressed, etc., but I am COMPELLED to eat. I think the only thing that can beat compulsion is to find something else to do that totally absorbs your interest. I know that's hard to do, particularly when eating is so fun and easy. You'll have lots of opportunities to practice - remember, progress, not perfection.

Oh, and could you throw my shoe back, please? lol

I don't know... Last year several months before christmas I was trying to lose a few pounds and at about the same time saw the cutest pattern for crocheted hats. I proceded to chrochet about 20 hats over the next 4 months. I didn't snack at all because my fingers were SO busy and darned if I don't think I lost a single pound. LOL. I gave one to every single friend and family member for christmas. I kept meaning to make me one later and never got around to it. Now that I think about it I think I'll start a few more. Best wishes Teresa

Actually, I have heard this restriction/altitude thing many times before. I agree with Donali, that it may not be logical, although I knew a woman who would go into the city for her fills and be fine, but lived up in a higher elevation. By the time she would get home, she swore she could tell the difference.. I dunno. To me, it's just different from day to day.

They also say menstrual cycles, etc affect the band too.. It's a very interesting piece of equipment, the band...

Leatha

Hey girl,

I think somedays are just going to be different than others. Try not to worry. Your going to be fine. I know your going to be fine! Think positive thoughts.

POSITIVE, POSITIVE thoughts coming your way)))))))))))))))))))

Kathy

Fo those who really want to know how boring my life is....."penelope Ptstop" os on both the Cartoon Channel and Boomerang (a second cartoon channel) several times a day (and especiallt late night. Usual about 3 am and 6 am cst (I am usually nursinf the baby) but I have seen it at other times. I am a cartoon junkie (I just can't stand that one)

second. Mistress D' is so right about the Fluid. Former physics teacher. Fluid dynamics is very diffenrent thant balloon with air.

How ever it is probably like me and air plane. I understand every reason they stay in air, physics, Bernouli, etc; DH works for Boeing and I get the safety talk all the time. But I look at them and swear I don't know why they do not fall out of the sky

You might also be releasing a whole lot of estrogen (due to high wt loss and it is stores in fat) and it is causing a super munchie attack

Just my two cents

Jane, that's good to know that even people who do know better are mystified by what keeps airplanes in the sky. I'm normal!

Lisa, you are going to find that your band and stomach really do have a mind of their own sometimes. RELAX!!! I never know from one day to the next how my band is going to be behaving, so I always follow the golden rule of taking that first bite SLOWLY. If I'm super-tight or wide open, I'll know it soon enough.

And you will learn that you just have to WALK AWAY when food in the kitchen is calling your name. Although the amount you ate when you had the munchies is not excessive (really, it's not!), it may be more than you can comfortably hold in the future. Our brains definitely need time to process the fact that a meal is over when it's over, and the way I deal with it if it's too hard to just sit there is to remove myself from the situation. My family has come to accept that sometimes Mommy has to leave the table early, and I sometimes find myself outside a restaurant with the smokers while my family enjoys dessert.

That doesn't happen often to me anymore, but my point is that it's a learning curve we all have to climb. Figure out what works for you and do it.

Someone told me long ago that I'd eventually feel full in both my pouch and my lower stomach. Maybe now that my port surgery is setting, I'm just now feeling my lower stomach again. And I'm feeling fullness down there. It's a new sensation, and I'm not sure I like it. I think my port area swelling really kept my restriction tight. Last night I wasn't even hungry when I ate dinner, but I had a large salad anyway. Yes, the compulsive food thoughts came back, and I ate a few pieces of turkey jerkey. So far, I'm really impressed with that "estrogen" theory that it's causing major munchie attacks, because that's exactly how I feel. All hormoney.

Teresa, I make purses and welding caps and skull caps. When I get in moods, I make a bunch. I'm backed up on orders now, so I need to get back to work. However, I think I'm anemica (since I've been in the past) and I need to start Iron pills again. I hate taking them since they cause major constipation, but I'm going to buy some. I've been much better than ever in my entire life about taking my daily Vitamins, but I noticed none are high in iron. Or I need a B-12 injection. I lay in bed for an hour and a half before forcing myself up, which is really unlike me.

As far as flying, I certainly know that pressure affects me moreso than anyone I've ever met. Everything goes to hell when I fly. Then again, I'm the only one that bounces off walls at the top of The Stratosphere. Once I was in a New York penthouse, top floor, and I actually fell over because my equilibrium became so out of whack at such a high altitude.

Thanks you guys. I feel like I owe you all so much. xo

Hi Lisa,

Funny you mention Vitamin B-12. When I track my calories daily on fitday, I go to the reports section and look at my nutricianal intake from my foods. Vitamin B-12 is one of the few that I get TONS of. One day I had an ounce of beef liver and had something like 3000 X my normal suggested daily dose. I think that is one of the few Vitamins we get plenty of without taking supplements. Vitamin K and Iron are the ones I get too little of, so I take supplements just to make sure my bases are covered. I guess I was wrong about the barometric pressure possible affecting the band. I forgot it was liquid they were adding and not air. Brain fart I guess. I can't wait to spend some time with you and all our new band friends. Have a good day, Teresa

Teresa, your barometric pressure suggestion could possibly remain on key since I apparently come from another planet where things work backwards.

The only way I could eat liver if it were wrapped in bacon & onions and soaked in ketchup. Or in rumake. Mmm, when is the last time we had rumake?

My sweet restriction came back for a little lunch visit. Let's hope she stays around till dinner!