Zoe

Hi Hillary -- There's an older thread here somewhere called something like "How many would do it over again?" I think Jack started it. Lots of bandsters weigh in (no pun intended, honest) with their feelings and opinions. I second what everyone else has said. Yes, there's some pain right after the surgery, but it doesn't last long. I got my band about three months ago, and I feel better than I have in years.

Wow, 66 pounds down, with no port. Fantastic! And you even managed to get a call from the mysterious Dr. Lopez. That's downright miraculous. You will find a way to get to Mexico; maybe we could have an on-line boa and hat auction. I'm so happy that you finally heard from Dr. L, that he's helping you get a break on the hospital fees, and that you got some straight answers about your port. May your wound stay closed and your spirits high. We're all rooting for you. :banana

Brilliant story, Lauri! Hey, we have to take our admirers where we find them. Yesterday I had an enchilada and a whole lot of guacamole and chips (funny how they just slip right past the band) with a friend who's heard some of my better pre-band noises. We stopped at a florist's and I was almost out the door when a huge avocado-flavored belch roared out of my mouth. I was sure the windows would shatter! My friend just turned around and said, "I haven't heard one of those for a long, long time." The cashier's eyes were on me, and several customers', but I just closed the door behind me with a weak little smile.

Wow, Leatha, that's wonderful! :banana You must feel great, especially since you assembled the *&$^% bike yourself. BTW, I'll try to post a better picture soon, one that isn't all forehead -- although it does make my face look thinner than it really is! I was walking through the park this morning, feeling very proud of myself for getting my heart rate going. My crazy dog took advantage of my inattention and ran through the mud to pick up a dead squirrel, which she then pretended to kill herself, shaking it in her jaws. When I finally got it away from her, she had to give me a slobbery puppy kiss. That's what I get for not being more particular in my choice of exercise partner.

Good luck with the radiologist, Elizabeth. I wonder if we bandsters are more inclined than the average person to try to recreate our work and personal lives. We wouldn't have opted for the band in the first place if we didn't believe we could change for the better; the band then shows us that, yes, change is possible.

Congratulations, Fran! The shoulder and gas pains are pretty common after banding. Some of us find that a heating pad helps. Hang in there -- you'll probably feel a lot better in another day or two.

Alex, I think I know what you're going through. I worked in the nonprofit world for many years, then started a publications agency for nonprofits. But suddenly I needed to make some serious money to pay off bills, so off to the corporate world I went, six years ago, thinking it would be temporary. I'm still there. I have a great boss, good pay, good benefits -- and a job that doesn't suit me at all. If you were childless it might be easier to walk away from the money, but paying huge bills for insurance isn't a choice most of us would, or could, willingly make. Keep looking: a better job will come along. And you're right to watch the calendar; the years can pass all too quickly. Me, I'm waiting for the board of directors to sell off the company I work for so I can collect my (very modest) pay-out and start a new life doing something I love. If there's a nonprofit alliance in your area, you might check it for job postings. Good luck!

Come on now, ladies (and gents, if you're out there) -- isn't there anyone else who does most of their Christmas shopping on Dec. 24? It's an aerobic experience! Not to mention the adrenaline rush that comes from doing everything at the last minute. By the way, where did I put that bag of cranberries I was going to use for Thanksgiving?

I hadn't thought of that, Nancy, but you're absolutely right! I put a couple of packs of Kleenex in the car because it's not bursting with paper napkins anymore. Hey, Burger King's loss is Kimberly-Clark's gain.

Penni, you deserve credit for your latest post. I think some of us who were not even Lopez patients rushed to judgment against Margret. I'd like to wish Margret well in her band journey, then I'll take a deep breath and walk away from this thread.

I haven't tried to call Dr. Rumbaut's cell phone lately; if you're having trouble, you might want to try his office. I spoke to him on the cell phone months ago, but he may have switched carriers since then. Glad you got unfilled -- hope you feel a lot better soon.

Glad to hear that so many people are already interested! Momhappe, that's a great offer on the hotels. Let's see if there's more comments over the next few weeks, then we can start thinking about a date.

Fran, good luck to you! If you want, and if I can get away from work, I'll stop by tomorrow to say hello at the U of I. (Send me a PM or e-mail.) Your new life is about to begin!

DeLarla, I promise not to go to Numero Uno pizzeria without you! There, I've just saved myself from one of many food temptations. Let me think about this Chicago bash for awhile. . . I guess there are enough of us in the area to pull it off, and there are relatively cheap flights available to O'Hare and Midway for any durn foreigners. We'd have to do it when the weather's better, or all those Texas roses would freeze! Maybe next summer? OK, I'll start a new thread so this one can get back to the scale challenge.

I'd recommend a Midwestern bandster gathering in Chicago -- but how could we pass up all those famous pizza joints? Including the place that calls itself the original Numero Uno. Thin crust, stuffed, double crust, we've got it all, and believe me I've tried 'em. I suppose we could order one small pizza to divide among 12 people. . .

I like your idea, Michelle. How about making this less work for you, though, and more work for Inamed? If you post an Inamed e-mail address for reporting, each of us with an Inamed band, whether we've had trouble or not, can write directly to the company, listing our surgeon's name, surgery date, and any complications.

I should be working, but instead I'm lurking, grateful that I didn't choose Dr. Lopez; even the new, supposedly improved version surely must have his patients (even the currently satisfied ones) worrying if or when they're going to have problems. About Inamed's Black and Decker analogy: DeLarla's right. Yeah, if you wanted to exchange or replace the tool, you'd go to Home Depot. But it's Black & Decker, not the store, that issues the warranty on its products. The analogy can only go so far, since Home Depot is just a place where you pick up the tool. I'd think a manufacturer of any equipment who conferred "authorized installer" status on certain people would want to know if one of those installers routinely had customer complaints, not to mention lawsuits, because its equipment caused serious damage. Any prospective bandster may give Margret the benefit of the doubt, but should take heed of the many serious, documented complaints that Lopez has left unanswered. You'd think the least he could do is call up his injured patients and apologize. But, malpractice insurance and liability issues being what they are, I doubt he'll publicly acknowledge that he was at fault. Even if he wakes up in the middle of the night regretting his mistakes, and gives an earful to his confessor on a regular basis, he's probably been advised by legal counsel to admit nothing. But would it kill him just to call or send a routine e-mail to ask how his patients are doing?

Aww, DeLarla, I'm sorry to hear that. This is a hell of a time to get stuck in "diet mind," with all that yummy holiday food around. Hope you feel better. Hey, we'll have another challenge in the new year, and you'll be putting us all to shame. Congrats, everyone, on your progress, even if you're like Penni and me -- exactly the same weight as last Monday. That's a big achievement, considering how much I've eaten in the last seven days! I've been walking fiendishly every day, the only thing that has stopped me from gaining. No parties this week, so I'll try to behave myself, or at least stay away from desserts. Greg, did you get my e-mail and PM?

That's great, Ryan! And tomorrow you'll feel even better. Are you still on liquids, or have you started mushy food? See ya in Twonesia. . .

Thank you, Nancy, for your eloquent and inspiring message. It sounds as if you are just beginning a new life at 50: you've lost over 60 pounds, and you've gained strength and confidence. May the new year bring you even more insight, health, and happiness.

Wow, Melanie, your band date is almost here! Congratulations. If you find yourself obsessing about all things Lap-Band in the next 48 hours, that's normal. Just pack light (including flip-flops, clogs, or some other shoes that you can just slide into), have lots of good liquids already in your pantry so you & your partner won't have to rush to the grocery store when you return home, and keep thinking about next Thanksgiving! Good luck. Let us know how your surgery goes.

What a wonderful message, Carmen. Your transformation, inside and out, is inspiring!

Figs stuffed with chocolate, pumpkin pie, chocolate cheesecake. . . OK, I didn't each huge slabs of the stuff, but eat it I did, and not just itsy-bitsy morsels either. Nary a complaint from the band, which instead graced me with a multiple PB at noon, hours before the real dinner started, for not chewing enough on a teeny piece of roast beef. Oh well. I walked the dog for an hour today, and over an hour through the Indiana dunes with friends yesterday... I'm not looking forward to the Monday weigh-in (especially since I'm going to yet another dinner tonight, and tomorrow), but I can say -- like a lot of us, I bet -- that I'm not eating as much as I used to. At least we're having fun over Thanksgiving, instead of trying to stay on an insane diet or else gorging ourselves beyond full. So let's hold our heads high on Monday morning and look at that nasty scale. We're living, not dieting, and we'll get through the holidays no matter what.

Way to go, Penni! I'm satisfied . . . for the moment. No lollygagging, maggots! I'm signing off for Thanksgiving; hope everyone has a safe, sane, and fun weekend. I started off with a big food bang when I went to a carnitas (roast pig) restaurant for lunch with some co-workers and had three small tortillas. Almost PBd on the last one -- luckily everyone else was doing shots of tequila so they didn't notice. Teresa, that chocolate dessert sounds heavenly -- sometimes "too rich" can be just right. Isn't it great to have things like that as a special treat and not a staple? I made a chocolate cake last night and was amazed to find I only wanted one tiny section of the bittersweet bar that went in it. Who is this person? I used to buy double whatever the recipe called for so I could OD on chocolate. I promise to keep exercising over the weekend, pumpkin pie and all; I know that a working body, however flawed, is one of the greatest gifts I have among the many many things for which I'm thankful. Let's knock each other out with our post-holiday reports! Happy Thanksgiving.

Lauri, I loved your story, horrible though it was -- glad you're still able to laugh about it! Meanwhile, in the land of the shrinking gazongas, I threw on a blazer at the last minute this morning when I caught myself in the mirror and realized you could see the excess fabric of my bra cups flattened under my turtleneck. Not the best look, but maybe everyone will be wearing it on the Paris runways next spring.