Hi all you April Bandsters! We have our own April '09 Forum here. This will be our 1st Master Thread to chat, share dates, diets, feelings, etc. When it starts getting too long (loads too slowly) we can start a 2nd and so on.

Sherry (Sissyh1006) has started a list with all our surgery dates, so she'll be along soon and you can give her updates.

If you want a "Bunny Bandsters - April '09" signature line (see below) then click HERE (feel free to change anything). On LBT go to 'User CP' (in the top banner) then down to 'Edit your Signature' (on the Left column). Now copy the PICTURE of the Bunny signature with the peep and paste it into the edit your signature box.

Can't wait to meet you all! -BG

I saw my Dr today and got a bit of an unfill I've been having a lot of GRED and night cough issues. He took out a bit mor ethan I would have liked and said that we'll start doing smaller fills at a time .25 fills going forward. On the other hand I've lost 9 pounds since I was there last.

Hi friends! It's been awhile... again. I had some more taken out of my band and I am at 7cc in a 10cc band. It feels so much better! I am not throwing up like I was before, which is wonderful. Having said that, I start school tomorrow, so temptations won't be so bad. I am really going to start trying. I see so many people having success and I just feel a lot of disappointment. I have to do this!

Well I now know that unfills are just a common part of this process that many of us have to go through. I'm still trying to decide whether to get a partial refill or not so I'm tracking things this week. I'm now up 11 pounds from my lowest...yikes! I'm taking full responsibility as there were lots of bad choices last week and over the long weekend. Just need now to figure out how much of this is real hunger LOL. Back to basics!

Andrea...glad the unfill is working better for you!

I am realizing too that it's never probably going to be a perfect fill. Just trying to retrain myself.

Well I now know that unfills are just a common part of this process that many of us have to go through. I'm still trying to decide whether to get a partial refill or not so I'm tracking things this week. I'm now up 11 pounds from my lowest...yikes! I'm taking full responsibility as there were lots of bad choices last week and over the long weekend. Just need now to figure out how much of this is real hunger LOL. Back to basics!

Andrea...glad the unfill is working better for you!

Band _Groupie - Wow we are in the exact same boat. I had to have an unfill two months ago and I am now up 11 pounds from my lowest weight. I am also watching myself and doing my best this week (and next). If I have not started to lose again, I'll go in for a very small fill. I havent been on LBT in a long time. It's my weight gain that brought me back. Here's hoping you and I both start to see the scale moving down!

smilan- SO glad to see you again! These Bands are so fickle and SUCH a constant learning curve. I'm down the 2.5 I gained just over the long weekend, but now I've suddenly been getting stuck again...weird, but now I'm back to chewing well again. At this level of restriction I'm at now (between my first and second fills) I had NO restriction at all...and now I definitely have some...like I said, weird.

I'll be watching to see what you decide. Best wishes!

Haven't really had much to post about lately my weight has been boing form 203 to 205 or so. I have had major Reflux issues ended up having upper GI just found out that I have a bacteria called H. Pylori guess you get it as a child and it lies dorment till adulthood. Go to see the Dr in a couple weeks toe get meds to treat it. Hope everyone is well JT

JT, how are you feeling? What did the doctor say?

I'm back. I am up like 30lbs. since my lowest last March. So here we go! I had that unfill and now I'm going to get some more fill tomorrow. Going to do the 5 day pouch test, so pray I can have willpower and then some! Any of you ever do it before? What am I looking for to see if my pouch is working? I am worried that it's all stretched out.

... Going to do the 5 day pouch test, ... see if my pouch is working? I am worried that it's all stretched out.

Hopeful - I am worried about my pouch being stretched too. What is the 5-day pouch test and how does it work and what does it tell you??

JT - not good to hear about the reflux and H.pylori - good news is it just takes a week or two of two antibiotics (usually amoxicillin & clarithromycin) + an acid-reducing medicine (usually omeprazole) and it is usually all fixed!

Like PharmaGirl said 2 antibiotics for 10 days but I've also got chest congestion and a bad cough good thing I'm already on antibiotics.

JT glad you are doing better!

Anybody still around? OMG I've been having issues, GERD, slimming, throwingup, coughing fluid up at niight when I lay down. I finally got a major unfill 1.5cc and it's all gone that same night. I'm feeling better and actually able to get my fluids in better. Now I just have to kick the sweets habit I've picked up.

Wow! Sounds like you got pretty tight! Glad you're feeling better. The coughing and GERD are not fun symptoms at all. I've been doing well. Don't post on this thread a whole lot.

I've been really lucky with no problems. Can eat anything yet have restriction. No problems with sliming, pb'ing, etc. Reflux and night coughing went away after 2 slight unfills this spring. Haven't had a problem since. It helps me (personally) to keep my band on the loose side so I can eat solids well. Seems to help with keeping me feeling full, but I have to rely on myself to make the right food choices. I'm willing to do that so I can eat what I want. I just hope I can keep maintaining thru the holidays.

JT glad to hear the unfill helped. Hope your feeling much better now.

Hi Bunnies,

It's been a while since I've been on here. Not sure I have my head in the game like I should. I'm nowhere near my goal. I'm a little disappointed in myself as I seem to have no commitment to making this work, The only good thing is I'm not gaining any weight. My doctor left the hospital and started his own business so now he's not a PPO preferred doctor which means a visit will cost me more money and my deductible for out of network doctors is higher. So I need to figure out do I suck it up and pay the extra money or do I find a new doctor who is in the network? What I really need to do is stop making excuses and start working out on a regular basis. I'm sure that would make a big difference. Thanks for letting me vent. How are all the other bunnies out there doing?