New Hope

Amy, now's the time to start practising your Bandster habits -- drinking tons of water (but not w/ meals), walking regularly, and getting all your old clothes sorted by size (so you'll have numerous "new" clothes to wear as you drop weight. You better start wearing anything that you like A LOT, because pretty soon you'll have to put them in the "donate" pile. Congratulations and best of luck to you!

What's that noise? Do I hear wedding bells?

Hi, Katie, Congratulations on getting your band! Please take care of yourself and don't "overdo". We look forward to getting to know you!

A fill may take up to 2 weeks before you feel it. It may have to be fine-tuned by your fill dr. I had my 2nd fill last week. It felt perfect. But the last 2 days, I've been pbing on water. I had .2 removed today. Recently, I've had some sinus problems and was told that can affect your fill. I had no problems with my first fill. Go figure!

Andrea, you've lost 14 lbs. in 10 days! Wow! It does slow down. I just got off of a 3 week plateau. I gained 2 lbs, held even, and finally went down last week. Yes, It's aggravating! Are you getting your water load in? Are you trying to only weigh once a week? That challenge really has helped me. I was getting on it every time I went to the bathroom. LOL

Lisa, please be careful and give yourself plenty of time to learn this machine and all of it's quirks! If you're in a confrontation with a 4 wheeled vehicle, they're going to win! I have friends that were just backing out of a driveway in a quiet residential area. A truck (going 25 mph) hit them, threw her onto a concrete culvert, cracked her helmet. (She was a big gal.) She would have been killed, if she hadn't had a helmet on. They were both in the hospital for MONTHS, both had broken arms, legs, surgeries w/ pins, traction, corrective surgeries. They still have lingering problems from this freak accident. It was really scary to see something like that happened at such a slow speed.

Babs, please don't be hard on yourself! You have done remarkably well in a very short length of time! And this party sounds like the ultimate tempation! All that great, unhealthy food - everywhere! I guess they wouldn't have thought of having a salad bar. Well, it will be a year before she has another birthday. But, other than too much foods, I know you had a great time and it meant the world to her that you came!

I love Breaux Bridge, LA! Crawfish etoufee and boudain!

It seems strange that your dr. is unavailable Oct. 6, but is available for Oct. 5 or 7. What kind of vacation can he get in one mid-week day? Oh, well, he gets to set the rules. I'm sorry this is causing problems. Do you have a neighbor or someone from your church that could be with you the day of surgery? Hang in there! After you get your band and start feeling better, it will all be worthwhile. Do you have sick time that you can take off from work? You will probably need a few days to recoup. Best of luck to you!

Neicy, I'm really interested in these patches. I'm just wondering, do they only work where they are placed? And they are available in prescription strength? My arthritis is throughout several joints throughout my body. When it flares up, my finger joints draw up and have visible red "hot" spots on them. (They never completely straighten out.) I hobble when the knees act up.

Paula, I take Celebrex as needed for arthritis. Some days it means the difference of being able to move or not. But my Band Surgeon advised taking a Prevacid before taking the Celebrex each time. Isn't that supposed to protect the stomach and its lining? Celebrex is supposed to be gentler than Vioxx, and have less other bad effects.

Becky, who cares if your dr. is ticked off at you! You can't live on liquids indefinitely! Please stay on top of this and find out what is going on. I hope you get some answers soon, and that they're all good! Please take care!

Please don't chew your arm off! That would be cheating to get your weight down! And you might need it later for those great hobbies you'll be pursuing!

Pam, where are you? Your surgery was 9/21. Please let us know how you are doing. Hope all is well.

Kim, this is a hard time, but remember it's temporary! Try to find something to do that's not food-related. Avoid those t.v. commercials - they're all about food! Maybe a leisurely walk at lunch, or check out those clearance sales for those smaller clothes that you're going to need VERY SOON. Do you have a great book that you can enjoy? When you get home, try a nice leisurely soak in the tub. How about a nice cup of hot tea anytime (and it counts toward your water load)? Get a variety of flavors, add honey and lemon, put in a pretty cup and enjoy. Sometimes just something warm helps. Have you tried refried beans? You will survive! Hang in there, girl!

Nancy, Congratulations! It really does get better day by day. Those little aches and pains will lessen and your energy level will increae. You're a Bandster Now, go drink some water! !

Kari, it's not over until it's over! Your insurance has definitely NOT ruled it out. That's wonderful! Now start writing down everything that you can think of to show why you need this. Don't forget your family health history, too. It will probably take time to jump through all their hoops. But getting healthier will definitely be worth it (for you AND the insurance co.) Best of luck to you!

Dan, there are several Bandsters here who have dealt directly w/ their Mexican drs. Please "Search" for specific drs. that you have in mind. Please do your research before banding, including your after-care. A well-informed patient has a better chance of being a successful Bandster. Some are finding it very difficult to get an American dr. to take them on. Please check directly with any drs. that you plan on working with - to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Best of luck to you!

4 lbs., total loss -44 lbs. Michelle, almost 53 lbs! Did you (in your wildest dreams) ever think you'd lose this quickly when you got your band? Great job! Darcy, 40 lbs! Wow, I'm going to have to pedal a little faster! You're going to "blow my doors off"! Fantastic! You're becoming a "lean, mean fighting machine"! Hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy, Losing week!

Terry, I'm so sorry that you got that crummy email from a mystery bandster! You have done remarkably well with your weight loss! Hang in there, girl!

Neicy, do they make those patches for arthritis? Arthritis affects several joints throughout your body. Would one patch work for all those areas? Do you know any particiular med. name patches used for arthritis? Thanks for the info.!

Ditto to what Neicy said! Find something else to occupy your time when you get the "snacking" syndrome going. I still have to fight that one. Congratulations on your banding! I'm so happy for you!

Have you tried the "Search" for Dr. Deol? There are bandsters here that used her.

Kari, your best bet is going to be calling your insurance company direct. They should be able to answer your ?? There are other bandsters here that have used Dr. Deol. Try the "Search" for her name. We'll be waiting to hear what you find out. I'm crossing my fingers, eyes, and toes for you -- that it will be good news!

Once you can start eating real foods again, that will really help. Plus you'll realise that you can still eat just about anything you want, just not as much as prebanding. It's also amazing (how most of the time) you'll choose to make healthy choices. I would have never thought that I would prefer eating tuna salad over a Snickers (because now I know that it will keep me "full" feeling longer.) I'm a "Closet Bandster" also. I just spent a weekend with another couple and was worried about it. But I guess people really don't pay as much attention to us as we think they do. If you're having a major problem with allergies, you can take liquid benadryl. It will also help you sleep. Tylenol PM is just tylenol and benadryl. Work on getting that water load in (but not with meals). That helps fill you up too. Hey, we all have "Head work" to do! Every day.