ARMKAM

Hi Joan , did you find out anything w/ your dye test today ? I ran into that problem once last year. I went in for a fill and within a few days felt very little restriction. I went back to the dr. a few weeks later and the band was totally empty. The Dr. re-filled it and it's been ok since. I wonder if he let the needle slip out of the port before the fluid was re-injected ? Right now I'm dealing w/ the port having flipped to it's side instead of laying flat. The dr. can still get to it , so we're not messing with it right now. Hopefully it won't flip all the way over. How are you doing w/ weight loss ? Mine is slowing down , but I'm almost to my goal now so I guess it should. I've lost 134 lbs. so far. Well , I hope you had good news today and that ther is no leak. Andrea:biggrin:

Hey Manatee . you look hot , congrats !!!!! I'm on my way right behind you. Only nine lbs til goal. I would love to do the whole body lift , but am chicken. Way to goooooo !!!!

Hey girls , things are going well now that school is back in full swing. I actually like getting back to work after being home with my whole family 24/7 all summer .:thumbup: My Dr. finally got his website up. It's richardfollwelldo.com. My pic. is under testimonies. That was fun to do , just wish we got compensated for the referalls. 2 of my teacher friends got banded in april and july after seeing my success. oh well , I am just thankful that I had the opportunity to get the band and that I've finally found something that actually works for me.:cry_smile:

Thanks Skinny ! I would love to go on a cruise. Maybe in the future. Right now I'm getting ready for my oldest daughter to start college this fall, with her 2 sisters to follow in a few years, so a cruise will have to wait. At least she received a tuition scholarship, which really helps. How did the band do for you w/ all the cruise food. Did you at least get to sample most of the goodies ?

Thanks for the encouragement girls , I appreciate it !:biggrin2: I do feel good. My personality has become much more confident also. 2 weeks ago I got my nose pierced on the side - sounds crazy , but it's something I had wanted to do for a long time but didn't have the guts. It's just a small, discreet diamond, but I really like it. We'll see how my students react at school , ! I guess it's the musician in me, lol !:wink_smile: I'm getting ready to go for another fill next week. I think that makes 10 altogether. For me , I can tell when I start eating too much, and that time is now. I'd like to reach my goal this year , but we'll see. If not , that's ok too 'cause I know I'm alot healthier now , which was my goal. Well , I've gotta go. I'm working on my christmas program. Yes , I said christmas. My shows take a lot of planning since we dance & sing, costumes , etc. Have a great rest of the week ! Thanks again for the support !

Hi all ! Just wanted to drop in and see how the summers going for you ! I think we're all busy actually "living " our lives now . I know I am. I feel so much more alive and happy than I did a year and a half ago. I thank God every day for this band in me.:wub: I'm getting ready to go back to work in just a few more weeks. Seems school starts sooner each year !:smile: I'm ready to get back tho'. I'm finally exercising more now - not that I'm lovin' it , but I finally have the energy to do it. I try to walk 2-3 miles almost every day and have also started working out on our bowflex @ home. I added a new pic to my sig. and am finally able to see a change in me. Have a great time w/ what's left of our summer !:biggrin2:

Wow Becky ! That's AWESOME , FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL or any other WOW word you can think of !:tongue: I think we have to be determined to make this work ! I've begun exercising more now hoping to help the sags a little ( I really don't want to go thru surgery for it ) plus I now have the energy to get my butt off the couch and actually feel good doing it !:thumbup: I definately have more confidence now and do more things that I love. I'm a jr. high music teacher , but sing w/ a band on week-ends , something I would not have done a year ago. I'm lovin' life and lovin' my lapband. My Dr. had me come in for a photo shoot to be on his website once they get it going. That was exciting .Gotta go now. Heading out to do some Wal-mart shopping and then walking 2 miles at our city park once it cools off( about 98 degrees right now:w00t: ) Have an awesome week & I hope that 4 lbs comes off quickly for you Becky !:teeth_smile:

Hey , add me to the 100 club too !!! I'm at 115 now in 17 months and feel AWESOME !:biggrin2: My skins' a'saggin', but I'm still braggin' ! LOL !:wink2: I need to post a new picture tho' , the thinner one was from a year ago and my looks are still changing. Congrats to everyone who's made it this far , and for those of you heading there , keep up the good work, you'll make it too !:scared2:

Hi All ! I am not from MO. , but I had my surgery at St Alexius Hosp. in St. Louis 16 months ago. Things are going great with the band. It's something I will never regret. Deedra , I hope you're getting around and feeling pretty good by now. I live in south central Illinois. As far as exercise the most I really do is walking a 2-3 miles 3-4 times a week. I wish I would have done resistance training early on tho' because after losing 112 lbs. my skin is really starting to sag but most of it is where clothes can cover it. LOL ! Good luck to all of you ! My weight loss has been continuous so far with little complications. If I can do it , I know that you all can too.:thumbup:

Hi all !I've been getting in my 2 mile walks. Yesterday tho' we walked 4+ country miles. What my husband calls the "little square" ! Little my *** ! It was really much easier than I thought it would be , and now my girls want to do it more often. Just depends on how warm out it is. Today is gonna be around 94 outside. Yeah Zannie , gettin that little guy in the water on his own ! WOOHOO ! Just wait , there are gonna be a lot of milestones headin' your way w/ your kids. Be sure to enjoy each of them !:tongue2:Boy do I know what you mean about saggy, baggy. But at least we're a healthier saggy , baggy right ?!? Good thing we don't all run around naked , or I would be cracking everyone up ! Thanks god for clothes !:tt1: Skinny - Where are you going on your cruise ? That's something we've always wanted to do , but just haven't yet. Maybe in the next few years . Contgrats Chris - That's awesome !:tt1:

Hi Girls , Sorry I pop in and out of here so sporadically. My kids just keep me really busy. I've been trying to get in at least a 2 mile walk each day. We usually walk in our city park or around the high school track after my daughter gets done w/ Drivers Ed. This week I'm in charge of the 3 year olds our church's vbs so they are keeping me on my toes. It sure is a lot different from the jr. high kids I teach at school. I forgot how much energy the little ones have, since my girls are 13, 15 & 18. I got to do a photo shoot for my Dr.'s website last week. That was fun ! :thumbup: i need to update my phot here too since it was from last summer. It's so weird to get attention for "looks" now. I've never had that before since I've always been the "big" girl.:tongue: I don't know if I should be happy for the attention or pissed off !

Lori , I've been dealing w/ the exact same issue for the past few weeks. My band is at about the same fullness as yours , and I'm 15 months out. I sleep propped up on my pillow. I've been awaken choking a few times which is scary. During the day I am fine if I take my time eating, and I try not to eat in the evening. I'm doing so well losing that I hate to have an unfill , but I also don't need my band to slip. What to do ????:biggrin: I tend to not lose and stay on a plateau if my band is not tight. Sometimes it's like acid reflux and when I eat a pepcid I'm ok. Other times it doesn't burn , just liquid comes up and other days everything is fine. I'm thinking hormones play into it some as to how tight I am at any given time. Some days are much tighter than others. I guess I may need to record the issues and talk w/ my Dr. the next time I see him.

Hi Beth, I really like Dr. Follwell and am sooooo glad that I had the surgery. :thumbup: As of today I am down 110 lbs in 15 months and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Hey my e-mail is andreamcgraw@aol.com. If you want to talk , e-mail me and I'll give you my cell#. I'm always happy to share what I've learned so far. I had my 9th fill w/ Dr. F last week and he asked me to do a photo shoot for his website , so I did this past Tuesday. That was fun. I've never been noticed for my looks - having been very big all my life , so this is a new experience. Going2lasvegas , I am a teacher also. I did my surgery in Feb.'07 and took a week off. I was a little tired at first going back, but recovered quickly. Another teacher friend of mine had the band put in in March '08 during spring break and she is doing well also. Gotta go work at my daughter's basketball game now. If I can be of any help , just e-mail me. I'll be glad to talk.

Chewing gum for me causes me to start sliming. I hate that because I was a major gum chewer before the band. I sing all day long at my job and it helped to keep my mouth moist. it kind of depends on the day also. It would be a mess to get it stuck tho'.

Hey starryeyed ! Congrats ! :biggrin2: I just got to "onederland" myself last week and man does it feel GOOOOD !:thumbup: I've been over 200 since college over 20 years ago. You are so right about keeping up with the fills. I'm going for my 9th in 15 months on Wednesday. I was able to eat 2 slices of dominos pizza last week - although it took about 40 minutes to do it. anyway, for me that was too much food. I just try to be aware of how much I consume to decide on adjustments. I also try to get in at least 2 miles of walking several times each week. I went to a beach yesterday and really didn't mind being seen in my swimsuit. i looked just about as "normal" as anyone else, and better than some . Tomorrow I'm taking 200 of my chorus students( 5 bus loads) :w00t: to a theme park in Indiana, and you can bet I'm gonna ride those rollercoasters - something I haven't been able to fit into in several years.

I agree too ! Guys at work talk and smile more , I notice guys looking at me when I drive by in the car or walk thru a store and it kind of creeps me out yet feels flattering at the same time. I still feel like the fat kid that people made fun of in grade school and I'm 43. TIME TO START LIVING THE LIFE WE WERE MEANT TO HAVE LADIES !!!!! We need to smile and accept the compliments 'cause we deserve them. We've lost 100lbs more or less and deserve the praise !!! have fun with it. I'm finally starting to. My underwear are shrinking pretty steadily and the granny panties are leaving. My girls think they were hillarious anyway. Has anyone seen the old pee-wee herman show where he make a swing out of them ? :rolleyes2: Talk about funny ! I'm in "onederland "now and lovin' every minute of it.We need to have fun this summer. I'm gonna ride some roller coasters that I never would have fit in , in the past 20 years. WHEEE ! Gotta go now - just wanted to say we need to get past our past. The past is gone, today is here , and tomorrow is a gift - let's enjoy !

Hi Guys , I don't have a "goal", but I am dancing my butt off "literally":rolleyes2: for 3 hours a day with my music classes to get them ready for our big show next week. My jeans are a'saggin for sure , but I hate to spend the $ for new ones yet w/ summer coming. I'll just have to make sure that I get some intense exercise in after the show is over since I've been dancing like this 5 days a week for the past few months. Hey!!! I'm over the 100 lb. loss mark now - WOOHOO !!:thumbup: and almost to onederland. The Dr. asked me to come to his seminars and talk to people about it , but I'd like to be offered some kind of perk to do so. Is that selfish ? They make so much off of these surgeries. I don't know. I am pretty comfortable talking about it. 2 other teachers at my school have gotten it since they've seen my success. A year ago I wouldn't have imagined I'd feel this good now. Hope you all are doing great also ! Gotta go - School's out !!! Yeah !!!

Hi All ! Sorry I've been gone so long - really super busy at work right now. I am spending 3 hours dancing with my students each morning to get ready for a big spring concert. Dancing to "Grease" and "Hairspray" really give you a workout. Talk about fast !:cursing: Whew !!! Hey it looks like everyone is doing Great ! I can't wait to get out of the 200's, and to hit the 100 lbs. loss . I've decided to have a massage when I do.That's something I've never done before. Gotta go now , just popping in to say "Hey". Have a good one !

Happy Valentines Day girls ! I had my 7th fill yesterday. It was ok except my dr. had to leave for an emergency and I saw a different doc. He was a little rougher. He got me on the first poke , but caused quite a bit of bleeding. Had to use a big gauze pad to get it to stop. So my belly is a little sore today. All of us in for fills had to see a nutritionist together in a class. What a waste of time - "eat your protien and take you vitamins". I've pretty much figured that one out in the past year !:cursing: At least I had time for a little shopping afterwards. Bought my family "Krispy Kreme" do-nuts. They looked great, but I knew better. lol ! Have a great V-Day with your loved ones !:wub: Talk to you soon !

HANG IN THERE SKINNY. I WAS STUCK FROM AUG. - NOV. THEN MY FILLS STARTED WORKING AGAIN AND I'VE LOST 15 LBS FROM NOV. - JAN. YOU CAN DO IT TOO ! EACH DAY WILL GET BETTER FOR YOU T.G. ! OUR KIDS AT SCHOOL MISS A WHOLE WEEK ONCE THEY GET HIT W/ THIS NASTY BUG THAT'S GOING AROUND. IT'S THE WORSE I'VE SEEN IN SEVERAL YEARS. HOPEFULLY YOUR DH IS HELPING OUT - SOUNDS LIKE HE DOES - SO LET HIM PAMPER YOU FOR A LITTLE LONGER UNTIL YOU START FEELING BETTER. I WENT CLOTHES SHOPPING LAST NIGHT , CHECKING OUT THE BARGAINS. I WAS ABLE TO BUY SOME 16/18 SHIRTS - WOOHOO !!!:drool: BEFORE THE BAND I WAS WEARING A 30/32. I CAN ALMOST SHOP IN A REGULAR STORE RIGHT OFF THE RACK ! I'M SO EXCITED.:cursing: IT REALLY DOES FEEL GOOD TO SEE ALL OF OUR HARD WORK PAY OFF. I REALLY DON'T EVEN MISS EATING OUT ANYMORE - I GUESS I'M CHEAP, BUT I HATE PAYING MUCH FOR SOMETHING I CAN ONLY EAT A FEW BITES OF. MY WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT FOOD HAVE CERTAINLY CHANGED. WATCH OUT BABYGIRL - PRETTY SOON YOU'LL BE TOO HOT TO HANDLE ! WITH YOUR SPUNKY ATTITUDE AND SEXY LOOKS YOU'LL BE BEATING THE GUYS OFF AT THE BARS ! LOL !!!:eek: BACK TO TEACHING FOR THE AFTERNOON . HAVE A GREAT DAY GIRLS !

Happy Bandiversary you guys ! I'll be there in 2 more weeks !:biggrin: Hey Babygirl , I'm right behind you as always in the weight loss. Keep leading the way !!!! I so wanted to be at 10O in a year, but I'll take the 88 or wherever I'll be in 2 weeks. I'm getting filled again next Wed., so we'll see. Are the guys starting to look at you all more now ? I'm noticing that is happening which is kinda freaking me because it's a new first. i've been tanning and have a new hair style, so I'm lovin' it. But my dh is starting to question why i dress better now , so i make sure he gets the attention he deserves so he will have nothing to worry about. Shoot , I've been w/ him 18 years , so why mess up a good thing ? Well , it's time to sit w/ the little hoodlums again here at school - my favorite part of the day .:smile: Have and awesome day girls !

Ok , I made it home alive last night. How weird , the day started out at 50, then as the cold front moved through we had storms, winds and a small tornado touched down, then...snow and ice in the evening and today the temp. is 19 and we're due for 6 inches of snow tomorrow. All of that happened in like 3 hours ! I am eating my wendy's chili for lunch right now. I would love a tattoo around my ankle, now that they no longer swell up anymore. i tried a henna one in florida and loved how it looked , but I heard that area is really tender and painful - I am such a wimp about that. i would also like to get my nose pierced. i already have 8 holes in each ear( my students think it's cool - parents don't believe them or think it's weird) but no where else yet. I guess it's the musician in me - we tend to be a little different !:biggrin: I also still like the massage idea, tho' my body looks pretty gross and squishy right now. don't know if I could "bare" it all to a stranger. I just schedued my 8th fill for Feb. 13th. i am not staying full as long and can eat a little more too. Thus I've come to a stand still for losing. I sooo want to be under 200 lbs. 17 lbs to go ! CRAP ! My bandiversary is the 21st, so I doubt I'll reach that goal but I think we've all done AWESOME this past year ! Let's keep it up !:tongue: C/Ya'll !

OOOO , a massage sounds great ! I've never had one but I think a bandiversariy would be a great way to celebrate , if.... they can get through my baggy, saggy skin !lol ! hey I love wendy's chili too. I eat it almost every day for lunch since it's only a buck. hey i gotta go the weather just turned really nasty and school's out and I've gotta drive 22 miles home. I'll check in tomorrow.

Hi girls , I've had a few busy days ! On the food thing I have a small Wendy's chili almost every day for lunch. I can't eat a burger or onions or tomatoes - but in chili it's ok. I guess because of how much it's cooked. Ok , saggy skin SUCKS big time. The other day I was wearing a shirt that was cut a little low. I bent over to do something. I glanced down and there I saw my grandma's 99 year old boobs on my frickin' body - OMG !!!! It's so frustrating. My legs and arms are pretty good , just a little sag ' cause they weren't real big to begin with, and my butt is totally flat. It really hurts sitting on bleachers at my girls' ballgames, just pretty much bone & skin there. But my belly is getting saggy as are my boobs - there's still a lot there , but I can pull a lot of skin away from them which is really gross. If I have the guts to get a tummy tuck I think I'll have my boobs done too, otherwise they'll be hanging down past my bellybutton ! But I've got at least 50 lbs. to go before I'd even consider that. of course my skin is older than yours so it's not so stretchy anymore. The good thing is that my husband is 16 years older than I so he really doesn't give a shit what I look like and he's told me that several times. But I want to look and feel good for me too !!!! Have a great week-end everyone !!!!:rolleyes2:

Ok , you girls are having toooo much fun in here together ! lol !:wink2: Things are going pretty well for me too. I got way over-filled in November , but it helped me over a plateau. i just had to deal w/ the puking and all. But I 'v lost about 16 lbs during that time. i am just now starting to feel hungry sometimes like I used too. I so can't wait to get to Onederland, but hey , I haven't been in the teens since college 20 something years ago , so I feel pretty darn good right now. Gotta go ! Time to sit with those wonderful in-school suspension kids for an hour.:Dancing_biggrin: bye !