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!

My friend just named her last animal "Hamburger" and that kind of kept it in perspective for her.

My friend just named her last animal "Hamburger" and that kind of kept it in perspective for her.

LOL

Teresa, I'm right and you're wrong. That's all there is too it. If I weren't so darn tired, I'd come up with some clever justification (aka B.S.) like crabs and fish don't have fur? Poor little crab. How will I sleep tonight?

I got my first check from The Avenue today. It was $19.00. So I spent $21. I only worked 4 hours and socked a whopping $5 away, but I'm not really working for the dough. However, I'm sending the $19 to my band credit card even though I already made the payment this month since it's zero percent interest for a year. But what's more important are these really cute black linen capri pants with white embroidered detail all over one leg. And, I squeezed into a size 20 today. Sure, the pants resembled more like pantihose, but damnit, I got them zipped.

I liked working there today. It was fun, and I was on my feet 5 full hours so I feel I earned my day.

My friend, Brad, thinks vegetarians should be shot. He says we have to kill and eat cows because their manure destroys the ozone, while carrots and vegetables growing supply us with necessary oxygen. He also thinks meatloaf if evil. Meatloaf is just a place to hide evil vegetables. He says carrots don't "crunch" when you eat them, that noise is them screaming.

Great, now I gotta feel guilty for eating salad.

He says carrots don't "crunch" when you eat them, that noise is them screaming.

OH MY GOD!! That is too funny. I love it.

I also love AVENUE stores. I am forever buying way too much stuff in there. I am tempted to get a parttime job just to get the discount. LOL!!!!!

Oh my God! I can't go an vacation and stay away from this web-site for 4 or 5 days without missing a ripping hot comedy routine. DeLarla, where do you come up with this stuff? You're going to be required to do at least an hour of stand-up if we all ever meet. Your replies to Donali about restriction are priceless!!!!!!

You get even funnier when you get bored, Candy

wow!

I just read four pages worth of posts and cant remember where this started.... restriction I believe! Well Lisa, is it back? I believe its hormones, its the weather, is the food you eat, is the vibe....

sometimes you can enjoy a binge for a couple of days, and just as you are getting worried that you cant control it, you start getting the chest pains again ( hopefully not heartattack).

At my most restricted ( before my latest unfill) I still managed twice ( funnily enough on saturday nights eating at friend's places) to eat full size dinners. Is it mind over matter? ( as in being terrified that people will notice I dont eat as much as I used to? I dont know).

We took our child to the aquarium a few weeks ago, where we saw some HUGE lobsters. My fist thought was YUM! So I guess I have no trouble with screaming carrots....

cheers everyone

Telli, I'm gonna be late to work just so I can yell at you... YOU CAN'T EAT THE LOBSTERS FROM THE PETTING ZOO!

I'm dying here thinking of you at the aquarium with your mouth drooling. You are banned from the aquarium. And the zoo!

Candy, I'm not sure where it comes from... I must have bologna in my underwear.

You are right Lisa, and I am wrong. My apologies for offending you. It was all only in half jest and good fun. I wish you the very best. Teresa

Knock it off, Teresa, I'm only kidding and you know it. I'm eating Mac & Cheese right now so I didn't have to kill any goats or anything. But I did have to pick the noodles from the macaroni tree. I hope I didn't hurt it.

Thanks Lisa, It seems I am suddenly a pro at ruffling feathers. I am so emotional lately too. Cry at the drop of a hat. Must be the hormones released from weight loss. At least I hope that is the cause. I've never been so touchy in the past. It has been a crazy day. Hope all is well with you. Teresa

Teresa: We all have those days. IT will pass. I still love ya.

Thanks Penni, love ya too. Hope they pass, I am driving everyone crazy. Starting to wonder about medication for it. Teresa

HELLO, Teresa, do you NOW see why I've been drinking so much lately? I was doing the same upsy-downsey emotional thing and got hooked on Bloody Marys over night. But then someone said, "maybe you just really love tomato juice." YUCK. I hate tomato juice. But I started drinking Virgin Marys over the weekend, and apparently I'm just crazy about Virgin Marys. I'm drinking one right now. It's all I thought about all night at my second job. And I'm going straight to heaven drinking it. Hot, spicy, extra lime juice - I'll probably have one for Breakfast. I guess what I'm saying is that the whole band thing is making my head act strange. I'm going on these weird craving trips even though I'm not pregnant. For the past week I've lived off of salted peanuts in the shell - I simply must have them. Before that it was chicken (the kind that grows on vines.) Before that I'd have killed for asparagus.

Now I'm the trouble maker around here so let me do my job. By the way, I'm so exhausted I can't think straight, so I'm not quite sure what I'm saying. Listen to Dr. Penni, she knows what she's talkin' bout. xo

Lisa, I'm so sorry that you've had such a nightmare time! Surely all of this will play out soon and give you a break! I'm so glad that you have an appt. with the gastrologist. You need to know what's going on. At least, this will be done locally and with your insurance!

I know this is the least of your worries right now. But I was reading "Smartbandsters". (I just read occasionally, no posts.) Post #60045 was by a new banded person by Dr. Kuri. She said a U.S. dr. was there to support her sister. The U.S. dr. was allowed to go in and observe the surgery. She said the hospital was as clean as any U.S. hospital, and that some of the equipment was better than in the U.S. "Kuri has beautiful hands and worked with great precision." She was very impressed w/ his technique and the procedure. So when you do get your port replaced, hopefully this will give you some peace of mind.

Although I'm several hundred miles away, please know that I'm thinking about you and hoping things will settle down. I would say "and get back to normal". But I gave up on "normal" a long time ago. Hang in there, girl! Hey, you've done great on your weight loss!