New Hope

Lauren, you really need to try and follow your surgeon's post-op rules. It's important so that band anchors securely and you avoid future problems. But you're not a failure! My surgeon advised that once I got to mushies, I could blend regular foods very well before eating. This really helped because I could eat whatever the family was having.

Lisa, I'm certainly not a med. professional. But a lot of meds. are affected by weight/hormone changes.

I have merged "Light Has Been Shed" with this thread to avoid duplication.

I've merged "Fills In Dallas After Surgery Elsewhere" w/this thread as they're asking the same ??. The important thing is to contact your fill doctor before you are banded and be sure that he/she will accept you. Find out now so you won't be frantically looking for someone to treat you after you're banded. Best of luck to you!

I personally don't enjoy carbonated drinks since banding. The bubbles are very uncomfortable. It's believed carbonated drinks can cause band erosion. I just don't feel they're worth taking the risk of losing my band. If you're really serious about banding, you may want to start weaning yourself off of the cokes now. Get those withdrawal headaches out of the way. It is doable.

Mr. Alex, LBT board owner, has advised that Google Spider is a bot that's sent out by Google.com to index pages so users can pull them up when they search on Google.com. So, Ms. Alexandra is on her toes and was the only one that knew what was going on.

Yeah, I need simple and it also helps if I have it already made...before I get to the starving point.

Glori, 40 pounds!! That's wonderful! Do you take any prescription meds...ex. thyroid, etc.? If so, you might want to contact your dr. and see if you need to adjust your dosage since your weight loss. Also, you might want to have a CBC (blood work) done to see if all is well. Do you take a multi-Vitamin supplement? Are you eating good foods...proteins, veggies? Too many carbs make you feel bad. Do you have consistent exercise? Do you feel like you're grieving for your old preband ways of eating? I know for me, this yukky weather is depressing. When the sun comes out, it makes all the difference in the world. Spring is just around the corner! How about buying yourself something new to wear...celebrate your weight loss. Spring clothes are coming out in gorgeous colors. Of course, don't buy too much because they'll be too big very shortly. Or just a cute, cheap little bangle bracelet or something fun that you can wear as your personal award. (((Hugs))) girl. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

Alex, that's how I usually fix mine. Sometimes I'll add a chopped boiled egg.

I've added chopped apples, chopped walnuts, chopped celery, and mayo.

Sip, sip, sip it.

Please do a lot of research. The old posts have tons of info. You're certainly not alone! We've all struggled w/ our weight. I was banded 5/04. You can click on the ticker tape by our names to go to that website. Then copy and paste it on LBT. There's a thread here about it. If you do a search, it should pull that up for you.

Heidi, best of luck to you! I'm so sorry to hear about this. 70 pounds - that is a wonderful loss! Have you tried the "search" feature at the top of the page? There are several posts here about erosions (not all of them are Dr. Lopez' patients). There are also several posts about Dr. Lopez. Where will you be having your band removed at?

Good luck, Debby! How much weight would you like to lose?

Adding sweet Vera... Betty 54 Paula 43 Kelly 65 Becky 77 Carol 102 Alex 110 Nana~49 Rich 20 Larae 22 Maureen 73 Marie 56 Wyld Blu 73 Penni 54 Vera 60 Total 858 <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Blossom, you need to take your meds! You can dissolve them in a large spoon of water first, if you're unable to take pills right now.

Betty 54 Paula 43 Kelly 65 Becky 77 Carol 102 Alex 110 Nana~49 Rich 20 Larae 22 Maureen 73 Marie 56 Total 671 Lost

My scars are just very, very tiny lines - the biggest (port) is 1". My doctor doesn't numb first, just a slight pressure and it's in. That area doesn't really have much feeling in it. Removing the band-aid later is the worst part.

Rachel, you've been gearing up for this day for a long time! You have a wonderful life waiting for you...happier, healthier. Sending prayers for a non-eventful surgery and rapid recovery. Please let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it. P. S. Do you think there might be a "rekindling of the flame" between your Mom and Dad? That's really sweet that they put their differences aside for you!

Estela, bless your heart! I think seeing the counselors would be an excellent first step for you...whether your husband will go or not. They may also be very helpful to let you know what your options are. Why don't you print out your posts here and take w/you? Sometimes it's so much easier to write our feelings down than it is to actually talk about them. Of course, don't leave them lying out where your DH can see them. Best of luck to you! (((Hugs)))

It means ...... (dramatic pause)....You're heading to goal, girl!!!

Mr. Alex, board owner, has answered our questions about that upper right hand corner. Here's what he said: The "user reputation" was a waste and he removed it. Join date: is the date the user joined LBT. Posts: (ex. 57) is the total number of posts the user has made. Send a message via: Send an instant message by AIM, MSN, Yahoo, or ICQ... (if the user has this option enabled).

Mr. Alex, board owner, has answered our questions about that upper right hand corner. Here's what he said: The "user reputation" was a waste and he removed it. Join date: is the date the user joined LBT. Posts: (ex. 57) is the total number of posts the user has made. Send a message via: Send an instant message by AIM, MSN, Yahoo, or ICQ...(if the user has this option enabled.)

Kelly, it sometimes takes Mr. Alex a few days to get back to us. We'll let you know what we find out. Meanwhile like Alexandra said, "Practice safe repping". LOL

Donali, go for the 14.28 cups of diced watermelon. You'll be so busy running to the bathroom, you won't have time to eat anything else.