Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

welcome April!!:Dancing_sorry:

lovegrapes, couldn't he use the thicker fill solution? I've heard it works for minor leaks.

Although I really don't want another surgery, I want my band replaced if there is any leak no matter how small. At this point my insurance covers everything. I don't want to look back down the road to only find out that the defect got worse and it has to be replaced and now my insurance doesn't cover it fully.

Thanks for the info though!

Lovegrapes, I totally understand. I'd feel the same way.

Hi Everyone! I was banded July 3rd 2008! I just found this sight last week. I was so happy to see there is a July fourum! I love seeing everyone progress and stories!

Welcome! Glad you found us. :-)

Welcome all, Glad to have you. Hope ya'll hang around, and congrats on the weight loss

Welcome all the newcomers!

Orea, congrats on 7 lbs!! I bet you were thrilled to see that scale go down.

Lovegrapes - sounds like you've got the right idea. No need to have defects that might affect your health.

Donna 113, thanks for the welcome. I lost 10 pounds pre-op. and the rest since the band. It road has been hard due to little restriction but I hope that I am on the right path. I have had three fills, the first two I felt no difference in the amount of food I could eat and the type of food I was able to eat, which was anything. After both of the first two fills I was missing most of the fluid, so they think I might have a leak. I had the third fill and have had a few foods that don't go down well and a hand full of days that it seems I am not able to eat as much, I go back next Tues. to see if I am missing more fluid and they will make a decision about more surgery if that is the case. I have lost most of the weight by my own hard work, I do not cheat in my food intake, no more than 1,200 calories a day and only healthy foods and I work out 7 days a week in some form either walking, cardio, or sculpting. I just tell myself that when the band kicks in it will be when I need it the most.

I'm so glad to find a group of July band pts. it makes things so much more comfortable knowing we are about the same stage of the game.

hey all i have not been on in a while i am getting a bit discouraged with my weight loss but not totally bc the scale is still going down just slowly so i am going to downsize my portions again and try to stick with half a cup of food per meal.

Hi Daisy. It's nice to see you again. Your avator always brought me a smile so it's nice to have it back again too!

Hi, I was banded on July 22 2008. I have been losing slow but steady. I just bought a treadmill and plan on using it 5 days a week. I hope that will help me lose a little faster and firm up. Denise

Welcome Denise. Slow and steady wins the race... or so they say. It's been very slow for me and not all that steady but the weight is on a decline and not an incline so I'm grateful for that.

May I make a suggestion? Your registered username "Ready2diet" might be playing pyschological games with you. I know it is with me. Remember, we got the lapband so we could LIVE, not DIEt. We have to make LIFEstyle changes for the rest of our LIVES. DIEts don't work, that's why we're here.

OK, I'm stepping off my soapbox now and sorry for lecture at your first meet and greet.

i hear you about the diet thing but i am finding that it still plays a role in how i eat i cant just decide i am going to eat chocolate (unless period time ;0) i have to chose how an what i am going to eat. which in essence i suppose could be considered a iet of sorts. but no more get skinny quick diets for me.

slow and steady wins the race as far as i am concerned

I just got back from my second fill. I only had them put in 1 more ccs for a total of 2. They would be much more aggressive if I would let them. My friend who was banded 2 weeks prior to me went today also. Her port is turning/flipping. According to their scales I have dropped 47 lbs.

The doctor told her we could be losing up to 5 lbs per week. I say he's on crack. I am NOT going to eat much less than what I am now. I am slowly taking it off and happy with my weight loss and the fact that I haven't been sick even once. I eat almost anything I want, just 1/2 (or less) of what I did prior to banding. I have gone down 3 sizes in my jeans and 2 sizes in my shirts. That is pretty good in my book. The only thing I need to change, is I need to get off my lazy (actually just REALLY tired) butt and haul it to the gym.

I just got back from my second fill. I only had them put in 1 more ccs for a total of 2. They would be much more aggressive if I would let them. My friend who was banded 2 weeks prior to me went today also. Her port is turning/flipping. According to their scales I have dropped 47 lbs.

The doctor told her we could be losing up to 5 lbs per week. I say he's on crack.:tt2: I am NOT going to eat much less than what I am now. I am slowly taking it off and happy with my weight loss and the fact that I haven't been sick even once. I eat almost anything I want, just 1/2 (or less) of what I did prior to banding. I have gone down 3 sizes in my jeans and 2 sizes in my shirts. That is pretty good in my book. The only thing I need to change, is I need to get off my lazy (actually just REALLY tired) butt and haul it to the gym.

AMEN SISTER! Sometimes doctor who do bypass and banding forget who is who. I think 5-8lbs a month is awesome. Fortunately, my doctor thinks that is good too.