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You're more than welcome ma'am! We certainly empathize with where you are and have been. Grab yourself a rocking chair!

Please don't feed the trolls.

Amen Jack! Great post!

Loookin Goood!! Great job Tricia! You look so much happier!

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: Way to go Jen! Yep that's how it goes! Keep up the good work!

:faint:Just in case someone missed it.

:faint:Just in case someone missed it.

(((HAMU))) I can certainly understand your fear, but please try to calm yourself until you can be tested. If I remember correctly, I believe your doc can do a test under flouro with contrast to see if he thinks there is a leak. IF this were the case and it is the fault of the nurse. I'd demand any cost of repair be at their expense. Odds are, this is not the case and you are just being a normal bandster with fears of band damage and a fickle band. Tomorrow you may wake up with more restriction than you want. Remember, don't borrow trouble. Breathe, breathe, breathe..

I think you should ask your doctor to be sure of his rules. I think I gave myself a couple of weeks and followed the rule 'if it hurts, don't do it.'.

Thank you Donna, what a sweet thing to say. I think each one of us here have something to offer and I know that most of us wouldn't have been around as long as we have without sincerely caring about helping others. Like you, I learned SO much from those who'd gone before me. I don't know what I'd have done, or if I'd ever have been banded at all if it weren't for the message boards. DeLarla!! Tripolar?? too funny...

:think ((((Penni)))), but you don't LOOK like a failure to me. Stick with us old woman. Least we can do is listen to you moan and groan and still show you love..

I very purposefully created my post here to be positive and grateful in nature. I, too, would like to keep it that way. I think since I fall into the old, disgruntled and failing sector I can post here and be understood, perhaps. I would like to ask that those of us who fall into that 'category' strive to keep our conversation within the boundaries of being 'old, disgruntled and a 'failure' (or not). Not everyone is required to participate.

You're just in a tough period, Paula. Unfortunately, the closer you get to goal, things just slow down and become more about working harder, dammit. (((PAULA))) We're in this together, girly.

LOL. It's very normal. Truth is, SOME folks have immediate restriction and some just wished they did. You could still be swollen, or you may actually get to start out with restriction. Rejoice, my friend! Now go forth with caution my banded friend!

Thanks for the support, Delarla. However, as thick-headed, old and abrasive as I may be I sure don't consider myself a failure. Personally, I think we're all winners! To have had this opportunity, win or lose, fail or succeed, I feel that God has blessed us with a gift that many many others will never get to experience. True, some of us have had issues and many will to come. I think that's the risk we take to overcome this terrible thing called obesity and this makes us all brothers and sisters in a common struggle. Honestly, my life is hard enough. Not only do I have this issue of weight to battle, but I have several health issues that could mean life or death, if I don't manage the weight. Am I perfect? No way. Have I turned my life around? You betcha. Will I continue or will I 'give up' and be a 'failure'? I can't say what tomorrow will bring, but TODAY, I am a winner because I still have my humility and I still have my self-respect and I haven't given up at all. I'm just a grateful bandster who's had the pleasure of meeting and helping many people along the way. I've had my share of wonderful, thankful messages and I sincerely hope I haven't done anyone any harm in any of my responses. BTW, regarding the old, disgruntled thing.. I reckon it's time to face up to it. Even this week I got an email inviting me to be in a country music video as 'an older good lookin bar fly' type.. :omg: :pound: , so there must be some truth to it.. lol.. God bless us all, God bless our bands and grant us the health that we all are here to achieve.

LOL, people are strange creatures.. for sure.. funny..

Have a great visit with your parents and a safe, safe, trip to Florida!!

I'm sorry to hear about your band loss. I really can't answer your question adequately, regarding your insurance due to the fact that all insurances are different. In my case, I was rebanded the day they tried to reposition my slipped band. Apparently, in trying to reposition the band they broke it and had to replace it, according to the Dr. I actually had to have my second surgery approved, same as the first, but it was considered medically necessary as my band had slipped. I guess this far out, your insurance company would look at the fact that you are not currently banded and whether your BMI/Co-morbidities still warrented gastric banding. In my opinion (and I don't know your specifics), unless there was extensive healing that needed to take place, it would have been better for you to have had the band replaced at the time of your removal surgery. This would have kept the ordeal all in one surgery and one recovery time. I really hope you get it worked out!

Yes ma'am. I had Cigna PPO with my initial banding. Cigna HMO with my second. I had moved to another city, so I had to locate another doctor which was a nightmare, but fortunately my employer has chosen to cover banding, so I've been very fortunate in that aspect.

Woohoo!! Gotta love it!! Way to go!

GO MINNY GO!!! Keep STEPPING forward!!

LOL Paula.. YOU SO FUNNY.. Mandy, Gurgling is pretty common with the band. I'm not sure why it would suddenly begin, however, if you hadn't recently had an adjustment. To me, it's always been a sign of definite restriction. Sometimes I notice it more in the morning, when I may be more dehydrated, rather than later in the day. I don't really think you have anything to worry about, but I do think it's good that you ask your doc about any changes that occur suddenly.

Something else you might want to try at home. Janet C and her husband, Mikey let us in on the fact that they use Dance Dance Revolution at home and say it's great exercise and fun to boot! Maybe that's a place to start?? Also, Walk Away the Pounds DVD is a pretty good workout and you can always turn it off if you need to. I know it's tough. Been there, done that. And I guess the thing that got me started was that when I was first banded, one of the pieces of literature in my doc's packet was a walking plan, starting out at 5 minutes if need be, then working up in increments of 5 minutes. It worked for me and I had blood clots in my legs, shortness of breath, due to pulmonary embolism, etc. You'll get there!

I got my first band at Burlingame, Ca. Dr Albert Wetter. I sincerely hope all goes perfectly for you and you hurry back to let us all know you're doing well!!

(((((((((MALICE))))))))) slow down girl. It may not be YOUR fault at all. It very well could be that you've been over-filled and the pouch is distended above the band. I certainly do advocate asking the doc to show you the pics and explain WHY you would continue to fill over the stretched pouch as opposed to unfilling and allowing it to go down for awhile. Empower thyself with knowledge and have them inform you as to why their decisions. Please don't beat yourself up. Definitely, begin again. Use only cups and saucers to eat from. Put your fork down between bites, don't eat for extended amounts of time. Choose only hard Proteins for awhile. Try seeing how little you can eat as opposed to how much you can get in. It's a learning process and you're not yet done. Don't give up, just keep moving forward trying to do the right thing MOST of the time.