donali

I'm right there with you - you're giving me hope!!!

Whoo hooo!!! Congrats on your graduation, too!! You should be soooo proud!

Thanks, Alicia!!! And I hope you are able to solve your acid indigestion problem. I am so grateful I was never plagued by that. Best of luck, too, in finding your optimum portion size! DeLarla - so not only am I going to have to go through band withdrawal, you were going to put me through DeLarla withdrawal, TOO?!?!?! What is this, torture Donali month?!?! When will the madness stop?!?!?! Please don't ground yourself from this board - I look forward to reading whatever you come up with next!

There's no place like home.... There's no place like home.... There's no place like home.... lol And YOU were there, and YOU were there, and YOU.... But it was all just a dream... lol It seemed so real... lol

Probably WAAAAY better choice than clear baggies... lol And ugh!

Terry - AMEN!!! *clap clap clap clap*

Leatha - I'm sorry for not only your experience on the DFW board, but for your rocky transition in follow-up care. You have every right to be outraged!! Glad you found us here, though...

Many people say they carry around little ziplock baggies for this very reason. So sorry you had this experience.

Here you go, Leatha! Thanks for sharing. You might want to delete the larger pic from your original post.

Sorry Francesca's 'puter is down. Please tell her that I hope she's able to get fixed up with the vomiting thing, and all better soon.

Anterior would be in the front - posterior would be in the back.

Oh, I should have added: When the slippage is cause by the lower stomach coming up through the band, it can sometimes be treated by removing the fill, making the band looser and allowing the lower stomach to move back down through the band. In my understanding.

Congrats! You've walked a MILE already?!?!?! Sheesh... I'm such a wimp! So sorry about your Mom. Glad you're taking care to get help. Be good to you...

OMG! First belly laugh of the day for me!! LOL

Birdee - Could you use soy milk instead?

Darcy, Darcy, Darcy!!!! This time TOMORROW you will be BANDED!!! Whooo Hoooo!!!!! Can't wait to hear how it goes!

Would it be a party without us?!?!? lol

I beg a moritorium on talk about the other board... Please???? I'm trying to forget it all happened... It was all just a bad dream...

WOW. Of course, Jessie is really the reason to go there anyway. I think she is the most knowledgeable and levelheaded one of the bunch. She just wrote a book for bandsters, and I intend on getting a copy. I'm sure it's full of wonderful and helpful info. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding : Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery by Jessie H. Ahroni Ph.D. A. R. N. P. You can order, and read partial online text: http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-31114-8

Uhhh... Kathy... really, you've missed NOTHING... Well, except that DeLarla is a TV star!! lol The baby is waaaay more important and interesting!! Restriction does vary, so it's not your imagination that some days are easier than others with the exact same food. Sometime you chew well enough, but are still eating faster than your pouch can empty, which is what will cause that golfball feeling. Are you meeting us in Vegas in October?? HUH??? Are you?!?! Say yes!!!

I tell you, but then I'd have to kill you... lol Copy what you want to quote, and in your new message box click the box that says "Quote". The you'll see the html tags: the starting tag is [ quote ] (without the spaces between the brackets and the words, and the ending tag is [ /quote ] (without the spaces between the brackets and the words). If you forget the end tag, everything you write will look like a part of the quote. My heart stopped for a moment when you said you were going to post my drinking "cheat" tip to that other board... wheeww...

Thanks a lot, Leatha.

I have a doc's appointment tomorrow, and I will ask him what he thinks. Thanks for all the good advice.

Carmen - It is very common for the doc to pull out less Fluid than was supposed to be in there. Don't worry about it. You sound very, very tight. Try drinking warm fluids before you eat - that will often relax things a little bit, and make eating a little more comfortable. Also, you may try doing one very small bite or two, and then waiting 5 to 10 minutes before trying to eat anymore. That can help with first bite pain as well. If eating remains an uncomfortable experience, you may consider having a slight unfill. .1 cc can make all the difference in the world between being too tight and just right.

Vera, it most certainly is NOT all in your head. I use that very same strategy. And if I'm out to dinner at a nice restaurant and eating something very yummy, I may drink with my meal so I can eat more. It's a choice I make, and usually I have not eaten much earlier in the day. Kelly - thanks. Lisa - some people feel very bloated on lettuce. It's something that has always gone down well for me, but many people say they have to avoid it. I think you're one of the few who has good restriction on your first fill. What you're experiencing - the disconnect between your learned behaviours and what the band is currently allowing - is an example of why it can be beneficial to creep up on restriction. You're having to go from 1st to 4th gear, so you're getting that chug-chug until you hit your momentum. I went from 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th, and my transitions were a little easier because they were more gradual. We get to the same place in the end - you're just experiencing a little more culture shock this way.