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).

Hi everyone, you all are doing so great. Very busy in life right now and have not had a chance to be on very much. Keep up the great work! Wow only four more months to one year, unbelievable.

Congrats Orea!!

You go Girl:party:

Heading out the door for another fill. Hopefully this will give me restriction without the reflux. I'm asking for .25 cc; they took out .5 cc so I'm figuring if they put 1/2 of that back in, maybe that'll be just right. One can only hope.

I'm back from the fill appointment. The doc didn't want to give me a fill today. He said that since I lost some weight even after he took out the .5 cc, he didn't feel I needed it. I told him 1 1/2 lb in 4 weeks does not constitute weight loss in my book and I needed just a little tweak. He said fine, but not before we do an x-ray to see my flow. So he took me to the x-ray room and said he liked the flow but would give me .3 since I felt I could handle it. He said he wanted his patients to have good quality of life and not be battling the band all the time. He told me if I had any problems come right back and he'll tweak it back out again. He's a sweetie.

I have no problems with any food so long as I remember to chew thoroughly. It's only when I "forget" that I get that stuck feeling. It usually passes within a few minutes and then I tend to not forget again for quite a while.

On a related note, I asked my doc today how many of his long term patients have problems with the band and he said he's done over 4,000 bands and very few have problems. He says he's been doing the band for over 10 years and he still keeps track of many of them. I told him I was concerned because I read so many long term bandsters experiencing erosions, slips, scarring, etc. and he said that depends on the patients, their doctors and how much aftercare they receive. If a bandster is experiencing reflux or PBing, they should immediately go to their doctor and get it taken care of, it's when it's left too long that those problems arise. He also cautioned me against giving too much weight to those that post of their problems because he said the vast majority of bandsters do not have problems and if they are happy with the band and doing well, they tend to move on with their lives and not frequent weight loss forums. He said, as in every other facet of life, one is more likely to hear from unhappy, disgruntled people than those who are satisfied. That made me feel better and helped me put it into better perspective.

I'm back from the fill appointment. The doc didn't want to give me a fill today. He said that since I lost some weight even after he took out the .5 cc, he didn't feel I needed it. I told him 1 1/2 lb in 4 weeks does not constitute weight loss in my book and I needed just a little tweak. He said fine, but not before we do an x-ray to see my flow. So he took me to the x-ray room and said he liked the flow but would give me .3 since I felt I could handle it. He said he wanted his patients to have good quality of life and not be battling the band all the time. He told me if I had any problems come right back and he'll tweak it back out again. He's a sweetie.

I have no problems with any food so long as I remember to chew thoroughly. It's only when I "forget" that I get that stuck feeling. It usually passes within a few minutes and then I tend to not forget again for quite a while.

On a related note, I asked my doc today how many of his long term patients have problems with the band and he said he's done over 4,000 bands and very few have problems. He says he's been doing the band for over 10 years and he still keeps track of many of them. I told him I was concerned because I read so many long term bandsters experiencing erosions, slips, scarring, etc. and he said that depends on the patients, their doctors and how much aftercare they receive. If a bandster is experiencing reflux or PBing, they should immediately go to their doctor and get it taken care of, it's when it's left too long that those problems arise. He also cautioned me against giving too much weight to those that post of their problems because he said the vast majority of bandsters do not have problems and if they are happy with the band and doing well, they tend to move on with their lives and not frequent weight loss forums. He said, as in every other facet of life, one is more likely to hear from unhappy, disgruntled people than those who are satisfied. That made me feel better and helped me put it into better perspective.

I am glad he gave you a little. I had .2 of a cc last time and it really made a difference to me. I agree with him on the problems. I pb'd today only because I ate Chick fil A nuggets and got stuck. I just won't eat nuggets again. I thought I had the chew-chew thing down....I guess my bites were too big.

The only thing about the band that I didn't know is how fickle it can be. When I had a cold I was tight. When I lift groceries or my grandbaby I can't eat for awhile because I am tight. I know....weird. Anyway, overall the band takes care of my hunger that always sabotaged any diet I would go on.

NSV Alert: I went shopping in my closet this morning and was able to fit into several outifits I haven't been able to fit into in well over 2 years. Great outfits I love!

Congratulations! :-D

NSV Alert: I went shopping in my closet this morning and was able to fit into several outifits I haven't been able to fit into in well over 2 years. Great outfits I love!

AWESOME!

Hello everyone, I have not check in a while. I doubt anyone will even remember me. I was banded in Mexico on July 2nd. I have lost right at 46 pounds. I started at 248lbs I am as of this morning 202.8 I am so close to onderland, closer than I have been in probably 7 years. I am so excited. I am tracking my food everyday on a free application I found for my ipod touch and I am exercising almost everyday with Walk at Home DVDs Leslie Sansome - they are great exercise dvds. I have only been tracking the weight and doing the regular exercise for the past month and boy has it made a huge difference.

I have had 2 fills so far and believe at least for now I am at a good place restriction wise - I think I have 2cc's in (sorry I know I should know the exact #) I was told my band will only hold around 4 cc's.

I have read through alot of the posts and everyone is doing so well, congrats,

Hello everyone, I have not check in a while. I doubt anyone will even remember me. I was banded in Mexico on July 2nd. I have lost right at 46 pounds. I started at 248lbs I am as of this morning 202.8 I am so close to onderland, closer than I have been in probably 7 years. I am so excited. I am tracking my food everyday on a free application I found for my ipod touch and I am exercising almost everyday with Walk at Home DVDs Leslie Sansome - they are great exercise dvds. I have only been tracking the weight and doing the regular exercise for the past month and boy has it made a huge difference.

I have had 2 fills so far and believe at least for now I am at a good place restriction wise - I think I have 2cc's in (sorry I know I should know the exact #) I was told my band will only hold around 4 cc's.

I have read through alot of the posts and everyone is doing so well, congrats,

AWESOME WEIGHT LOSS! I wish they had had the band when I was younger because believe me it is much harder when you get over 50. But everyday is a new day for this band journey. Some days I don't do so good, but I just wake up the next day and determine it will be a successful day. Yep, exercise and journaling food is the key to wl success.

Hi Trude, thanks for checking in. You are doing great.

I have an Ipod Touch, where can I find this application? It sound like just what I need.

Orea, I have Nutrition, My Plate, and Weight Tracker. Also I have Restaurants . I think they were all free.

Orea, is the The Daily Plate. I like it because I can use it on my IPhone when I am out, and then use my computer when I am home.

Orea, is the The Daily Plate. I like it because I can use it on my IPhone when I am out, and then use my computer when I am home.

What I have is "Lose It"

Hi Trude, thanks for checking in. You are doing great.

I have an Ipod Touch, where can I find this application? It sound like just what I need.

I have Lose It - you could find one of two ways - the easiest would probally through itunes, go to applications and then the free ones under helathcare and fitness then look at the free ones. There are a lot of them but I really like this one because it is free and it comes with a database of foods.

Edited March 7, 200917 yr by trudeip
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