Neicy

Great pictures, loved the Jam! Your family is beautiful, thanks for sharing.

I remember asking him about it, and if my memory serves me correctly, I believe he said it was Dr. Favretti in Italy.

Hey Lisa, that is one fine looking bike! Secretly, I have always wanted one, but I'm thinking I might be a smidge too old for it now. Enjoy yourselves, be safe and the financials will work themselves out. I know ya'll will have a blast, I'm glad for you.

I've always wondered about the fill kicking in later. Now that you've explained it so well, I get it!! Thanks for the info, Alex, you are too smart.

I find that if I eat too quickly, no matter how well I chew, it will cause me to P.B. I have really been trying to eat very slowly and I find it has improved quite a bit. If I wait long enough between bites, I can eat almost anything, except bread. I'm getting the hang of this band!

Thanks for the info, Leatha. It sounds very much like the surgical description that Dr. Rumbaut explained in my pre-op discussion. I think it will be a while before the details of gastric banding is more fully understood and accepted by American doctors. I'm glad your daughter didn't have that band removed needlessly. My daughter is also banded since Nov. '03. She has lost 65 lbs. I am proud of her , too.

Hi Veronica, nice to have you in our forum.

Welcome to you Livewire. Glad to have you here.

Katie, one thing that really helped me when I was on liquids/ mushies was Atkin's shakes. They taste pretty good, and have plenty of protien so they keep you feeling a little more satisfied. I am one of those people that will stay hungry as a bear if I eat carbs. Also, it can be difficult to get all the protien you need when your in this stage if you don't do protein shakes. Good luck to you sweetie.

You know Ryan, I really believe that things happen as they should, or for a reason, as they say. One thing good has surely come of all this, you know that your surgeon is thorough and has your true interest in mind. That has to be a comfort. Don't worry too much about the chest x-ray. It has been my experience that they always overdiagnose problems on a conventional film. Twice in the last 10 years, I have been advised to get follow-up films because they thought they saw something, and it has turned out to artifacts in the film. I hope that it is the same for you. Chin up dude, keep us posted. Denise

I can read the excitement in your posts! I am so glad for you, the time will pass quickly. Congrats!

Happy birthday Lisa. I hope the coming year brings you happiness and health, oh and money would be nice, too! If I were the birthday fairy, I would grant all your wishes. Have a great one! Denise

Speakin' o Breaux Bridge, there is the absolute best little cajun restaurant/grocery store down there called "Poche's" The food is so good, it'll make you slap ya mama! They make boudin, hog head cheese, and alligator sausage. Every once in a while, we would make a "road trip" over there. It's about 100 miles from here to there. I don't know if it's worth it anymore since I can only eat a lil bit!

It is my understanding that glucosamine proved itself effective in the veterinary field first. I mean, have you ever heard of a bull having a total hip replacement? lol Veterinary docs are awesome! Marie, the Patches only work where you put them. Sounds like you have several areas that give you grief. I have large knots on some of my knuckles, but thankfully they don't hurt yet.

Donali, I am so glad for you both. Of course it will be an adjustment, but you are realistic, smart and in love. This combination makes for success. Best wishes for a life of happiness. Denise;)

I think you're doing great. I'm glad to hear you're on mushies, and you're right, it's hard not to eat carbs at this point. I'll bet if you really thought about it, you're eating so much less than you did pre-band. After you get adjusted, you'll find that your band is doing what it was meant to do. Don't freak out if you do show a little rise on the scale, it WILL come off. You are doing exactly what you are supposed to do right now, giving yourself time to heal. Hang in there!

Leatha, my grandparents and parents came from the Alexandria area. They lived in Mansura. Talk about po-dunk! That's some serious cajun country, mon cher!

Sounds like fun to me!! I'm up for a party! I'm disappointed that I can't make it to Las Vegas this year. I had a prior commitment with my hubby to go to Cruisin the Coast, a street rod party on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I know that ya'll will have a great time.

Sorry you are having so much trouble at work. Maybe it would help if you push it back a week or two after the doctor returns from vacation. Would that appease the powers that be? Doesn't sound like they would ever be understanding. Do they know that you are having surgery?

Hi Andrea, Isn't it wonderful how the weight just falls off at first! Your appetite is right on que. The first 6 weeks is the healing time for your stomach. You felt restriction initially because you were swollen, and as you heal that restriction begins to subside. You are about 3 weeks post-op, so I would think that you should be careful with solids at this point. Try to begin to eat much more slowly and chewing your food very thoroughly. It is good training for you when you get a fill. My fill doctor advised to chew each bite 30 times. That will slow you down! Eat your proteins first, then veggies. Force water before you eat, don't drink with your food. Low carbs will help you lose if you can hang with it. Good Luck!

Marie, I use a patch for arthritis. It is an over the counter patch. The active ingredient is Methyl salicylate which does have anti-inflamatory properties. I have never seen it listed in the same catagory as nsaids though. The patch is called Salonpas, and it works very well for me. I have 2 on my shoulder as I write. It works as well as anything I have taken by mouth. You can find it by the Ben Gay at Wal Mart. Do be careful if you are sensitive to tape, because it is a sticky patch.

Lisa, How are you feeling this afternoon? I hope that you are taking it easy and resting your injuries. Don't let some power crazed lunatic steal your joy. You're never going to encounter something like her again in all your bike riding days. Hope you are feeling better.

Yes Ma-am Ms. Sue, I am a Southun belle. You have to say Slidell as three syllables Sli-de-ell. It gets histerical when you throw in the cajun accent on top!

Good Luck to all of the folks who will be banded soon. There sure are alot of newbies coming up! I remember how excited I was when it got close to the big date. Try not to worry too much and be sure to follow the post-op instructions.

This motorcycle class sounds rough! I hope you are OK. Sounds like it is more stress than fun. We use a transdermal gel in the dental office where I work for TMJ pain. It has ketoprofen, lidocaine and a muscle relaxer. It is applied to the affected area and some moist heat over it for about 45 minutes. Works great. I order the supplies in our office, and there is a formulary pharmacy that sent a catalog to us and listed several medications that are supplied in this manner. I think it is going to become more and more popular. You may know that there are hormone patches now for time released replacement therapy, and for birth control as well.