paula

Mike and I have been married for 15 loooong years. We were 19 when were married. We came from different religions, different cultures, different backgrounds - my mother said it would only last 1 year, 2 at the most! I confessed to him later in life that at 19 I only married him to get out of my abusive alcoholic dad's home.... he understood. Weve been though the normal events that stress a marriage; job loss, the raising of 3 kids, numorous surgeries, moving, the near death experience of our 9yr old (that was at the hands of Mike), and of coarse, always being broke...... Lastnight we were able to "get away" and go to a restaurant - ALONE :eek ! At the restaurant he kept looking at me and telling me how good I looked. After a couple of times, I knew he was sincere (lol). But, IT happened on our way home... holding my hands and looking at me he told me something that made me cry (still does).... he told me that he was more 'in-love' with me at that moment then any other time in our lives together. Isnt that beautiful? So I want to send words of warning out... Caution: I share this moment with LBT to warn you of the results of Adjustable Gastric Banding - MORE love and romance in marriages are linked to this surgery!!!!

LOL - ya'll are ALL so full of it !!! It was time for a new avator... and thanks to Penni I have one. The other one was taken pre-band. This one is kinda dark - cant see my face much (actually thats a good thing). I didnt realize how dark it was until I added it as the avator. Hopefully I can get a better one soon. Penni - that one picture was the best out of like 4 family photos that were taken in a sequence. Each one had a kid acting silly. So by the 4th picture Mike's patience was GONE, he was having a major stressed out moment!!! Did you notice that baby's pants were unsnapped??? My sister took one of just the two of us lastnight, maybe it will be a better one. If so, I will post it. Thanks everyone. Thanks again Penni!

The kindness/love that comes from this place is unbelievable. Thank you all so much for being such a big part of my life. I love you.

A suggestion..... Have you tried a shake yet? I HATE to recommed a McDonalds shake due to the calories, but its a quick fix, and it may settle your tummy. But for the long haul, you may want to try the high protien shakes. I remember this same feeling being first banded, and it seemed better after I got something with substance (other then liquids) in there.

ha! He tried! But since we still share our bed with "others", he was unsuccessful. Nothing more romantic then having this wonderful dinner and time together, only to go home to a bunch of WILD animals!!!!!! Kinda kills the moment, you know?

Hi Frank. Here is a site that may help you answer the 'golden question'... http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm Your delima seems very commen. I have tons of restriction in the morning time, but once I hit 2pm, anything AND everything seems to go down well.

That IS strange. After a slippage, I can only IMAGINE how paranoid I would be. Did you have anything strong for supper? like spicy or greasy foods???

Yeaahhh blossom! Hang on, its only just begun!!! BTW - where's your avator???? You are SO MUCH prettier then a cartoon!!!!!

This is a humorous memory that I think some of us can relate to... when my son was in kindergarden their assignment for "Grandparents Day" was to write something that they enjoyed doing with their grandparents, then draw a picture of it. Then the teacher posted these things on the bulletin board for ALL to see. Several of the kids wrote that they enjoyed playing board games, going to the movies, working in their garden, reading books together - with their grandparents. But, MY son wrote (the only kid to write THIS) that the ONE thing that he enjoyed doing with the Grand's is..... "We cook and eat together!"

I agree with Megan and Michelle! Just going though this with my second fill, I feel "experienced" now! After my second fill, it has taken me awhile to get adjusted. I would PB, swell, then reflux at night. Vicious cycle! Sometimes I would even PB on cold Water. Now Ive trained myself to drink my water at room temp. My suggestion is to hang in there and see if you can handle getting used to this new restriction. Its been 6 weeks since my 2nd fill, and just NOW am I getting a REAL sense of what this band is supposed to be doing. I got scared at first, but now Im glad I mulled through it and (hopefully) overcame it. Good luck.

Just asking... have you read the sticky that Donali wrote: 'A Tool for Dealing With Emotional Hunger'? If you havent, I encourage you to. She gives wonderful insight on what to do for emotional hunger INSTEAD of eat. Ive re-read it dozens of times and find somthing new each time I read it. Until I read Donali's article (and what you just wrote) I never realized how big my problem was and most of all, that it was even considered a problem. Wow! Good luck!

Penni, this one's for you! I went to JC Penny's and asked the sales lady how did they measure for a bra, specifically the cup size. She had the word "supervisor" under her name, so I was assuming that she knew what to do. Her response was "by looking. I can just look at someone and tell them what cup size they need." Now you have to understand - Lake Charles is not known for real educated folks here (myself included). So I tell her my story, that Ive just lost some weight and I need a new bra cause Ive lost in THAT area and that the bra I WAS wearing was a size DD cup. So she says (picture this small framed, eldery woman wearing horn-rimmed glasses with coffee breath ) "yeah Honey, youre STILL a DD cup." Thats it! Thats all she says. I walk away thinking that this woman MUST be tired of looking at boobs - if she can just look at someone and give them their cup size. Probably seen'em all.... didnt see MINE though! Anyway Penni, just to let you know... I had no luck with getting information on a "proper fit" today. I may try again tomorow.

Ok Penni, since it seems like we're "boobie sisters", I need to ask... does THAT suit top hold the girls up and keep them in the right place??? If so, Im on my way to Target!

Hi Nancy...YES, I have. My first fill was 1.6. When I went for my second fill he pulled out 1.2..... where did .4cc's go??? He said the same as your doc, it happens occasionally. Could be error (that he actually put in 1.2 - and wrote 1.6 on my chart), or it could be air in the tube..... who knows? But like you, I left disturbed!

Betty... BEWARE!!! He's expecting something now!!!!!!

I dont even know who she is and I'M proud of her. Goodness..... she IS special!

I would suggest talking to your pharmacist about brand vs generic on this particular drug. There are LOTS of times that the pharmacist recommeds buying the brand name over the generic version. In MOST cases there is no difference, but on SOME things the brand is preferred.

great GREAT idea about scrapbooking your journey. What do you have left to do to gain approval?

LMAO, Penni! You are cracking me up. Im with you on the accuracy part. I bet Leatha would know... She used to work for a bra company. Leatha...... yewwwwhhhhoooo?????

Zoe, whats funny is that I even posted something in that thread. Completely forgot it until you just mentined it.

I agree with Blossom! I wish I would have more pictures of me preband. This was a great idea Trish. Are you still waiting on ins.?

That is exactly what I was wondering.

Ive been thinking alot about this. I wasnt a BIG eater preband... I just ate ALL of the time. And for me, the hardest thing about this band is to get scheduled and eat 3 decent meals - not graze all day. My sister is a B I G eater. She will have 3 plate fulls at one meal. I would have 1/2 of her one plate at mealtime, but graze like a damn cow while cleaning the kitchen (she and I totaling the same caloric intake). Ive often wondered if the band is as effective for people like me that would eat all of the time (pre-band) compared to the bandster that inhaled tons of food at every meal (like my sister). Wouldnt her tummy be MORE stretched out, causing the band to be more restricted on her? For me I would just eat so often that my tummy didnt get stretched out and it just trained my body to be hungry all of the time, resulting in little restriction. Does any of this make any sense to anyone else?

Blossom, you make me laugh with your fill stories! Believe me, if it wouldnt be for this reflux crap, Id be on my 3rd fill too or maybe the 4th by now. Hope this is the fill that does it!

ANY man that developes a bra NEEDS to have the crap beat out of him. Ryan...a thimble? pooooor Patti ! Michelle, I thought that V.S. only went up to a 38DD too, I think thats what size I will need though.... hmmmm who knows. Like you said, I want something that definately holds me up, comfy AND pretty.