New Hope

Have them buy you your own bed and breakfast! How's your back, Teresa?

Mine doesn't use fluro. No problems at all.

Hey, girl, you leave for Belgium this Friday, 3/11, and get your band on 3/15! Just wanted to wish you the very, very best and can't wait to hear about your banding journey and your European vacation, all in one. That is so cool! May God guide the surgeon's hands and your recovery be quick and as painfree as absolutely possible. Please let us know how you're doing when you can.(((Hugs)))

Well, Mike, only you can make the final decision. If you don't have any co-morbidities, it's doubtful your insurance company will approve you. And there is the possibility of having to wait while you jump through all their hoops. But if you think you have a chance, then perhaps you could check w/a local band dr. (covered by your ins. co.) and get some facts. It would definitely save you $$ and be more convenient if it was doable. If you go to Mexico, you've chosen a good band dr. w/ a solid reputation. Do you have your aftercare lined up? A local band dr. in the event of an emergency (that you've double-checked about accepting you) or for fills? If you're returning to Mexico for your fills, are you budgeting for the trip...time off work, hotel, food, travel, fill costs (if any). There's a lot to think about. Best of luck to you! Please let us know what you decide. P. S. Did you ever find out about "taking a punch" to the port area?

I'm with Bigmom, anything you fix the family can be well blended and enjoyed.

Ann, that seems right. I have 0.5cc and have no trouble drinking any liquids.

Hi, Jan and welcome! We have quite a few Aussies here. How much weight would you like to lose? Please keep us posted when you get a surgery date.

I Pledge Not To Be Involved In Any Open Forum Threads That Violate The Guidelines Set By The Owner Of This Board.

Congratulations, girl, on becoming a LBT moderator! I can't think of a better person.

Ryan, I hope Scott makes you a beautiful birthday cake and you enjoy a nice sized piece w/no pbs. I'm so sorry to hear that Patty is having more problems. You've been in my thoughts and prayers. You'll continue to be. Let's hope the neurologist can give you some good workable answers. Take care of yourself. And don't forget, you're not getting older, you're getting better! (((Hugs)))

Post #44 and #45 should bring you up to par. Just for the record (as discussed in the moderators meeting tonight)..posts are not being deleted, undeleted, pms are not being read and/or edited, threads are not being removed. Only the writers are doing this. However, we did have some multiple personalities for a while. These rumors have been proved just that...empty rumors. Hopefully, bandsters will resume posting without fear now.

Oh, Jenna, my heart breaks for you and Jeter. Aren't our fur babies amazing? They never complain, no matter how bad they feel. You had no way of knowing that he was so sick. You're doing the very best that you can right now. He knows that you love him just as much as he loves you. Yes, I agree, I would be there w/him also. This is part of the closure you need. Jeter will always be with you, in a special corner of your heart. (((Hugs))) Please come back and "talk" when you feel up to it.

O.K., Crystal, slow deep breaths, you don't need an asthma attack right now! There's a lot going through your mind right now...fear of the unknown future, sadness for the loss of your old ways, hope for a wonderful future, and thinking you're going to be the first one to fail w/your band. But your future is going to be so wonderful. You're going to get rid of (or greatly reduce) these horrible health problems, find that you'll be eating and enjoying better foods, seeing that there really is a life out there that doesn't revolve around food, and succeed with your band. Now, please get out there and have fun on your horseback lessons tomorrow. Then study for that Math test and pass it w/flying colors. We'll be here for you. (((Hugs)))

Ryan, wishing you the happiest of birthdays. Hope that Patty is feeling well enough to celebrate it with you. (((Hugs)))

What an interesting report! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to see your pics. Hope you feel better every day.

Sounds good to me, Katie. How's that good looking boyfriend of yours? Congrats on the 38 pound loss!

Sounds like you're doing great! Tomorrow is a brand new start.

Hi, Jeffy, best of luck to you! We do have some canadians here. "Iamcanadian", and "~C~" come to mind. But I know there are others. Please keep us posted how things are going. Get together as much stuff as you can find to document your need for banding...health problems (yours and your family's), current prescriptions, limitations being caused by your weight, any weight loss programs you've tried...meds., dr. supervised, liquid diets, weight watchers (group support plans), etc. I know my surgeon (name posted under mine) has a very thorough pre-op questionnaire on his website. You might want to check that for more info.

Sharon brings up a lot of good points. If you plan on going to Mexico, then you need to consider what your aftercare plan will be. Will you be returning to Mexico for fills? Then you'll need to budget for your planefare, hotel, food each time. If you plan on local aftercare, you need to confirm BEFORE being banding that the fill dr. you choose will actually accept you as a patient. Call the fill dr. direct, don't take anyone's word for it. Please research everything you can get your hands on. The more you know the better. Avoid any unexpected nasty surprises. Best of luck to you. A "search" will pull up tons of old threads and posts --full of information. Best of luck to you!

Bright, I'm so proud of you!! You're already beautiful, so I can't wait to see you "all dolled up!" Sounds like you got a lot of well-deserved attention. What fun! And I think you've got a best seller in that future book.

Debbie, that would be a wonderful wedding anniversary for both of you! Sounds like everything is falling into place. So happy for you. I've chosen to be a closet bandster too. No spell check, but we're not worrying about each other's spelling anyway. LOL

Shamrock, glad that went well and no serious problems were found. Take it easy for a bit and let the family spoil you.

I have a sternal port...dead center, just below the bottom of my bra band. It's a comfortable place to be, high enough not to rub on my pants' waistline, the seat belt doesn't aggravate it. Almost -60 pounds and it's still hiding.

Best of luck on your upcoming banding!! 1. Not all bandsters have these problems. I do not have any more problems with gas and/or burping than I did pre-band. When I was tighter, I occasionally had a little gurgling sound in my esophagus while eating. But others didn't notice it. I have not suffered the hair loss that others have reported either. 2. Once I healed, I have not been aware of my band. 3. I have not done rigorous abdominal exercises. But I have done heavy-duty bicycling, hiking, and walking with no problems. I wouldn't think jumping up and down should affect anything, once you are healed. 4.If I eat too big a bite and/or too fast, it gets "stuck" and that is painful. If I chew my food very well, no problems. I can not feel the food passing through. 5. No! I love my band! It's given me control of my life and helped me get out in the world.

173. ...finally back down again. Been juggling those 3 pounds back and forth for weeks.