Greetings: Mimin, Ghost, BJean and I (Kareyquilts) are all September 2006 bandsters. We are all around 20 pounds to goal and we want to get there as close to our 2nd band anniversary as possible! Thus, the new thread. We are putting out to the universerve and you that we want to lose that last little bit that has been tripping all of us up for a while now! We would love your support, suggestions and help. I believe that all of us (not sure about BJean) have had some plastic surgery to get rid of excess skin, etc. We are of various ages and stages, but through it all we have supported one another. In fact, of all the September bandsters that started with us, in our thread, we are the last ones to keep up the chatter. I guess we will all state how we're going to try and lose the last 20 pounds. The challenge starts on July 1st. Hope you'll join us for the ride!

Becky: Thanks for the words of encouragement. My patella is misaligned and is bone on bone with my knee cap. They are going to cut off part of the patella and realign it and loosen the ligment on the opposite side, so that the patella rides (or aligns) correctly over the knee. The inflation and misalignment is causing the underlying bone to start deteriorating. This procedure is suppose to give me another 10-15 years before a knee replacement. I hope my doc, knows what he is talking about. My surgeon is Tom Rosenberg, he did my DH knee and Tiger Woods. My husband's knee is great, I haven't asked Tiger! Is this similar to your knee surgery?

Sorry to hear about your Knee surgery. But hopefully you can take advantage of it like you said and have one recovery time with the other surgeries. Sadly, my local PS refuses to even consider doing PS at the same time as any other surgery.

Karey, that sounds almost exactly like what I had done to my left knee several years ago. It was open surgery and recovery was slower, but I was in good shape at about six weeks and the knee is still working very well. Two years ago I had a torn meniscus repaired on the right knee and that was done arthroscopically. Much easier surgery and a quicker recovery. I don't think you could have found a better surgeon so I'm sure you're in good hands.

I'm anxious to hear what the PS says and how the timing will work on both of the surgeries. You deserve something to workout perfectly for a change!

Becky: Wow, who would have thought I could find someone on LBT that had the same knee surgery that I need. I'm glad to hear that yours went so well! Now to see what the PS says and get it all figured out!

Hey karey. Sorry I've been away from the computer lately. Too much on my plate (so to speak). My weight loss has slowed a lot, but I'm still hoping to make my goal.

I was very sorry to hear about your knee surgery. Dang it, girl! If it's not one thing it's two others!

I was told a couple of years ago that I need both of my knees replaced. That situation has been instrumental in my weight loss being so difficult. Exercise is a challenge because I can't do anything where I bear my full body weight. So when I lift weights, for instance, I have to be sitting instead of standing.

The more weight I lose, the less pain I have to live with in my knees. They say that one pound of weight loss equals 4 pounds of pressure off your knees. So the closer I get to goal the better for me. I refuse to have my knees replaced. I don't know how long I can get away with it, but I hope to never have my knees replaced! I'm hoping that one day they will come up with a much better procedure and better equipment. Right now the replacements are only expected to last around 18 years. That's just not good enough! And the recovery is 6 months. I just can't face it.

Your surgery doesn't sound nearly as bad and I hope that it keeps you from having to have replacements for a really long time!

Are you sure that you need your behind and arms done? I just feel so sorry for you going through another procedure with all you've had to deal with!

Hang in there! Keep us posted. bj

Still nauseated and waiting to hear the results of my Cat scan. I'm thinking that the mono vision that I've been trying is making me sick (1 contact for reading and nothing for distance). My eye doc says that she doesn't think it's the contact because my worse time for nausea is in the middle of the night and the morning, before I'm really using my sights. Not sure, but if everything checks out okay, I'm going to take out the contact (I already took it out for 3 days and it didn't seem to work). Anyway, I saw my plastic surgeon today and I am scheduled for surgery on Oct.16th and then knee surgery on Nov. 12th! After my doc showed me what he can do for me, I'm really excited about it. I've lost weight since my TT and have more loose skin on the upper ab, so he is going to do an anchor incision to get rid of all the loose skin. Wish I didn't have to have another scar, but I guess it doesn't matter when I'll have one that goes around 350 degrees. He is also going to do my arms, thighs and a butt lift. It's going to be a lot of surgery, he said about 6 hours, but it shouldn't be as painful as the last one. Sense there won't be any muscle repair. Anyway, I've got to get over this nausea, so I can get on with things!

Well, my doctor called about my CAT scan today. She said that I had fluid collected in my pelvis (but that it shouldn't make me nauseated, but no explanation why it would be there). She said that my band was sitting in an awkward position and that she thought they should take some of the fill out. I said that's interesting, since I don't have any fill in! She said really and checked the record like I wouldn't know! Then she said, well my band should be okay. Okay! I'm not breaming over with confidence in her right now! I'm still nauseated and I'm not sure that my band is really okay. I told her I was going to come and get a copy of my CAT scan on disc, then she said, don't come today, it's at the hospital, but that I could come get it tommorrow. I think I will burn a copy for my internist and get a copy of the radiologist report. Not sure how to proceed. Any suggestions? I'm just wondering how to get an unfill, when I don't have one in and how to change the position of my NEW band? Maybe my nausea is totally unrelated to the band, like an inner ear problem, just really frustrated!

Karey, no suggestions here but a lot of sympathy and well wishes. Keep us up to date.

OK one suggestion but its pretty obvious don't just let them brush you off. Keep pushing to find out what is causing the nasea and the Fluid in the pelvis. Sometimes we women can be just a little to stoic about our aches and pains.

Okay, it's awfully quite on this thread! How is everyone doing? I'm feeling a little less nauseated. Go back to the doc tomorrow. I changed from the female doc to the male doc in the same practice. I've had a couple good conversations with him and he assisted in my surgery. I relate better to him, so I decided to stop worrying about being loyal and go with who I liked better.

BJean: How you don't break down and get knee replacements?

I've lost another 3 pounds. I'm trying to get down as much as I can before my plastic surgery in 6 weeks. Would love to hear from everyone!

Glad to hear the nasea is getting better.

I'm still struggling to maintain my weight while I wait for my second re-fill. The biggest problem still seems to be I've spent so long eating softer foods that I'm almost afraid to eat the more solid foods. The mere thought of eating a piece of chicken practically turns my stomach. But I am trying.

Diane: I know exactly how you feel. I think that my band had problems for so long that I had accomadated my diet to it and was choosing softer foods also. I think that finding the balance is crucial. You would think that old pros like us should have it down, but it really is a process and luckily we're smart and we can keep learning! Right?!

I sure hope so. I know what I should be eating and I am eating high protein foods like egg dishes and cottage cheese but it has been hard to force myself to eat the food I know will help me feel full longer. NOT because I want to be hungry or because I want to eat more. I just had so many bad cases of heartburn, reflux etc with the "right" foods when I was too tight that now I'm battlling all the negative re-inforcement I received from those foods when I was too tight.

I've practically gagged when trying to eat some of the more solid foods. But I know it is all in my head. I'm not stuck and the foods are ones I use to love. UHGHHH!!! Just one more reason not to let yourself get too tight for any prolonged period. It messes with your head.

Hi All!

I am sorry I've been out of the loop for so long! I have had a lot going on, both good and well, not so good. How is everyone?

I am sad and ashamed to report that I have had a total unfill due to pouch dialation. I started having really bad acid reflux and was unable to eat anything with substance for a few days and instead of going in right away I put it off 'hoping' it would rectify itself. I had a really bad attack one evening, the next day I was unable to keep anything down so made an emergency appt and drove to Cincinnati. Although I did not slip, it was close and I am not out of the woods yet. Total unfill for the next 4 weeks and then back to see how it looks. I was over-filled and I knew it and then stress seems to affect my band and it tightened right up. I've been at this almost 2 years, one would think I knew better!

So now onto battle keeping the weight off. I am down to 163lbs and if I never lose another pound I will be happy but I fear I will gain. I rely far to heavily on my band:(

Onto brighter things, my fiance and I have made the offical decision to have a destination wedding and have told family and friends to back off. We have had good reactions from everyone and suprisingly every one seems to be suportive. We will be taking a cruise in December through the Caribbean; our excuse is Wedding planning

Mimin: Congratulations on deciding to have a destination wedding. I'm sure it's going to be great! So sorry to hear about your band! I'm glad it didn't slip like mine! It's just another reminder that we need to pay attention when our band is acting up! I still don't have a fill for my new band and I want one, because I'm tired of being hungry, but I am not going to allow myself to be too tight this time!

I've lost 6 more pounds. I'm back on the HCG diet. I want to lose 12 more pounds and than I'm going to call it good! Just trying to get ready for my next round of plastic surgery. UGG! Then I'm going to concentrate on more important areas of my life, while trying to maintain my weight. How is everyone else doing?

How is everyone doing? BJean, I hope you are alright, you've been awfully quite! Well, I have been working really hard and I have 4 pounds from my goal! This is going to be my last week to diet and then I need to maintain my weight and build up for my upcoming plastics. I got a fill under floru a while ago and my band looks good and my fill seems alright. I don't really notice my band unless I eat something fibrous like broccoli. Would love to hear from everyone!