La_madam

Why are you freaked out about Mexico. I was a self pay and went to Mexico, it is 3 xs more money here in California then what I paid for in Mexico not to mention one of the 3 Drs. here in Cali that I saw one of them told me about Dr. Ortiz since he was trained by my mexican doctor on how to do the surgery. Lots of us here on this site went to Mexico, this is where they were taught first and all the Mexican docs train the US docs. Most Mexican docs have placed more bands then many of the US docs. Here is a link to my doctors new book and some info about him, his facilities , who he has trained, info all about the band etc.. www.lap-bandforlife.com There are several outstanding docs in Mexico Kuri Ortiz Rumbaut Rodriguez Just to name of few that are very experienced..No reason to be freaked about Mexico Danyielle, they all have beautiful. clean facilities and most of them speak English with English speaking staffs.. I can tell you that I looked into 3 Dr.'s here the lowest being 18,000 the higest being 22,000 I paid 8995 for mine in TJ I know cheaper is not always better but experience is always better and "most" Mexican docs are more experienced then "most" US docs

Hi I saw your post on Lapbandforum.com web site. I was the one who replied and reccomended this site for you. My name is Michelle. Welcome! This place is so great. You will get all kinds of support. Any questions you have, you will get many answers and replies. Lotta love here, we are like one big happy family. Watch out for Delarla & Penni though. They will keep you laughing constantly!!! Lots of veterans here who can help you and lots of newbies too who can help you. We all help eachother any way we can, emotionaly physically , Great group of people here!!! You wont be dissapointed you joined!

Great NSV Michelle..Isint it great?? I got a couple too.. 1. my hubby was folding the laundry and he got to my panties and aksed who's they were he was so shocked at how small they are now. Every time he folds the laundry he makes a comment now. 2. My hubby and I were doin the nasty and he was having a hard time concentrating and he had this funny look on his face I asked him whats worng and he told me I felt so different that he could feel my hip bones , my rib bones and my butt bone, he said it felt so different that he kept thinking he was with another woman and cheating on me.

Damn how did I miss the Fat O Gram job offer..it was right before my post. Anyway I would like to apply for a possition Please. Anyone who really knows me...knows you do not want to piss me off :angry . (I think thats why my poor brother is still single 37 and living with me , hubby & the kids)

I think it is almost the same..with fluoro it is almost like an x-ray machine you can see your port and your band and Ortiz has you drink barium so we both can see it trickle down to give him more of an accurate fill ammount. Gives a better guide to your restriction for example he would not go tighter then 2'cc's on my last fill by how slow the barium was going through, if it goes through faster he will fill more but slowly as he wayches it pass through until i he feels it is a good fill level for you. He was right on the money with both my fills...not too much but just enough

I'm feeling ya Penni...1998 was a bad year for me with loss. I am so sorry for what you are going through ... be strong it is so easy to eat for comfort. 1998 with all my tragedies I ate for comfort for an entire year and it got me in this mess of being obese. Not that I have not battled my weight all my life but I had lost 100lbs and kept it off for 5 years until 1998 when my mom & son died 10 days apart and my little one had cancer. I spent all of 1998 in hospitals eating crap food constantly! Hang in there, things will get better

Fluoro is the only way to go! Seeing my little band and port in place where they should be and watching that barium trickle down gives me such a sense of relief. I'm forever thingking my port has flipped or my band has slipped. Thanks for all this info Alex..It definately makes sense.

You guys are all making me feel guilty so I had to ride the bike for 4 miles. Been about a week since I have exercised..ya happy now?

Some people have said it takes a week to 2 weeks for their fills to kick in. My first fill took a week to kick in ...my 2nd fill was instant restriction. Also some people need more then one fill to notice a difference This site is a good site to see if you are adjusted properely..sometimes it is an attitude adjustment we need more then a band adjustment. I know it is for me right now. I have scheduled my 3rd fill in 2 weeks but in the meantime I'm working on my attitude and seeing it it makes a difference. I have gotten lax on my food choices, water & exercise. http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm

As we lose the band loosens I have seen a pattern with my 2 fills. I seem to lose 20-25 lbs with each fill then I notice a increase in my appetite and my weight loss slows down. I have scheduled my 3rd fill for Nov 15th .This is why the 9cc Inamed band( which most of us Inamed bandsters have) is designed to hold 4cc's and this is why you do not get 4cc's all at one time. 4cc's at one fill would completely close most of us up if we have a 9cc band. Some of us like Teresa do great for months (6 months in her case) without a fill but as she mentioned she is noticing she can eat more and her weight loss has slowed down. The band loosens as we loose is what I was told by my Dr. Here is a good site on how to tell if you need another adjustment http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm It is very helpful

Hi Samy Have you had surgery yet? Or are you looking into having surgery? Either way this site is a great site for lots of helpful information. There is so much support here. As you can probably tell by our posts that you have been reading, we have so much love for eachother and are like 1 big family. So Welcome! I hope you stay around and become part of the family.

Here is a great site to look at too see if you need a fill. It is very helpful http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm. For me I know I need a fill when I am eating more Or If I have not lost 1-3 lbs a week in 3 consecutive weeks I have my 3rd fill scheduled for the 15th in 2 weeks but I may cancel it. I made the appointment when I hit a tiny plateau last week but my weight loss has started again, however I am eating more the past few weeks. I just need an attitude adjustment more then a band adjustment. So my goal is to work on that the next 2 weeks! Does your Dr. only do 1/2cc at a time? Most docs do not have a set fill ammount becasue every patients fill level is different. My first fill was 1.1 cc's and my 2nd fill was .9 cc's to make a total of 2cc's I have been at this level for almost 3 months now.

Bright, you have done great losing 70 lbs in a year. I bet you can honestly say that if you had NOT gotten your band you would of not lost 70 lbs in a year with any other diet right? We all have our bad days. I feel you when you say you struggle. I think we all do. I'm 7 months post op and the last 2 weeks I have been obsessed with food & chocolate which is why I have only lost 1 lb in 2 weeks. I know I need a fill , I can eat more and I tihnk about food more often throughout the day. I was told by my Dr. that I have a 9cc band which only holds 4cc's, your Dr. may be right when he said if you were filled with 4cc's at time of surgery you would of been closed up. It has the capacity to hold 4cc's over a period of time as you get your fills and as you lose. I am at 2cc's and it has worked great for me for the last 3 months I lost 22 lbs with that fill level but it is slowing down again and I eat more so I know it is time for another fill. My fills have lasted 2-3 months with a weight loss of 20 -25 lbs with each fill. Don't beat yourself up over this. You are successful! You will get to goal...it just takes time. My Dr. told me one thing that sticks with me "This is not a race, it will take time" he is so right. We are doing it the healthy way losing slowly. Hang in there Bright, maybe find a new Dr. too, one that will make you feel good about your band and weight loss. You do not need him to make you feel bad. Also , my first fill did not kick in for well over a week, maybe this is the case for you. Give it some time to kick in....Good Luck to you

Scott have they checked for slippage. There was a woman who had surgery the week before me and was still in the hospital by the time I went in for mine we were released the same day, she was experiencing the vomiting, could not even sip water. They ran some tests and found that her band had slipped right after surgery. Usually when you cant keep down liquids without vomiting (not PBing) but vomiting ..I was told it is a good sign of slippage. If you havent asked your doc about this..do so. I hope you get answers soon..hang in there

Hi Alex, my name is Michelle and I am a chocoholic. I have been tryingsince Thursday of last week to get this monkey off my back,I had 1 slip up on Halloween night and ate a mini milky way from my sons candy bag. Lucky for me I have posted on my fridge a sheet with all of the fat and calorie counts of those darn little mini halloween candy bars..so it helps to keep me in check whenever I go to grab one..did you know that 1 M&M has 4 calories? We all have our monkeys. I'm glad to see you are trying to get your of your back too:) Good Luck!

Scott has he checked your band for slippage? There was a woman in the hospital when I had my surgery. She had hers the week before me but was still there when I went in formine a week later due to the same thing you are explaining and she found out after days of vomiting that the band had slipped right after surgery. I do not want to alarm or scare you but has your Dr. checked for that yet? Usually when you cant keep even liquids down it could mean slippage. Ask him about that if you all ready haven't a barium swallow may detect that or an endoscopy. Hang in there. Keeping you in my thoughts & prayers

Teresa..you got a good attitude. Atleast you are not gaining.Hopefully your fill will help you. You have done such an awesome job to date.

I live with those smells everday at work...I have a restaraunt. I'm around food everyday. People who know I had the surgery aske me everday how can I work around food all the time. I just do..I have overcome it. I want this weight loss so bad that nothing will deter me from achieving it...We goota do what we gotta do

Every now and then I get a bought of nausea..it just comes over me for no reason..my mouth waters I do not vomit and it passes. You're not alone there Congrats on the weight loss. I hope this fill works for you. I do not know of too many Dr.'s though that would give 2 fills in such a short time but every doctor is different:)

Carmen didint you metnion your husband was ill and that is why you could not get away to Vegas for the bash? With that said, Stress can play a big factor in restriction. For me when I have something stressful going on in mylife I have total restriction. Also it is possible for your cycle to cause restriction too..for me some moths it does and some months it doesnt....if it persists, I'd call the doctor, having as little as .1 or.2 cc's removed makes a huge difference. I have also heard of fills taking time to kick in, maybe you are one of those. My first one kicked in after 2 weeks but my 2nd fill was immediate so you just never know, these bands are so fickle. Hang in there

Good Luck Friday Blossom We will keep you in our thoughts! This time next week, you wil lbe one of us, an official bandster

Thanks Lisa for that advice to Ryan..it hit home with me. One of the women that works for me at the restaraunt is always putting in her negative 2 cents worth when it comes to my band, she is the only one who has never complimented me or given me any encouragement..I now know why after reading your post. It makes so much sense now.. because now she is the biggest of all of us women who work together, as hard as she tries to control her eating and starts a new exercise or diet routine every week she always is starting over. It makes perfect sense as to why she is always so negative towards the band and my weight loss, she is forever making comments that she could never do it cuz she likes her beer and could never give it up and she HAS to drink during a meal and all I say to her is "you must not want to be thin and healthy bad enough to make the needed sacrafices" it is obvious she can not do it on her own seeing how she self desrtucts every week even though she is the one who tells me all you have to do is eat less and exercise more and you will lose weight. I tell her "if it were that easy, there would be NO obese people in this world and they would of never invented the Lap Band or the Bypass and you wouldnt be starting a new diet & exercise routine every Monday morning" shuts her up every time ( well until the next time) I feel so much better after reading your post Lisa..every time she starts in on me I will remember what you said.

Gagirl Dont be discouraged about the weight loss...the pre fill stage is for healing, any weight loss during this phase is a bonus. Once the band is filled you will notice a difference. As far as the sadness, I have never known anyone NOT to experince some kind of sadness after this surgery. It is normal..its gets better each day. Coming here to all of these wonderful people has been a key to my success . The support has helped me tremendously. Hang in there...

Monday 11/1 Where is everyone? Are you all not getting on the scales this morning after Halloween last night? Too much candy?? Well I got on thescale and only lost 1/4 of a pound to make it an even 62. I'm happy about it since I felt like I had gained all week long and in the beginning of the week I was eating halloween candy until Thursday. Today is a new day and a fresh week.. I'm feeling good... Hope allf you had a good week and heres to this coming week

Split Pea soup has slot of protein in it just add a little water and blend it. Also Hoods Carb Countdown Dairy beverage has lots of protein, it is in the dairy section of your grocery store , it is thick very satisfying and yummy.