Madeline's mom

Kathy, I am so happy for you that eveything went better than expected! Take care of yourself and keep us posted!

That is great news that you don't have any erosion! Usually the bacteria that causes a peptic ulcer is Helicobacter pylori. I have been treated for this condition two previous times. The best way to eradicate the bacteria is by using "triple therapy" which is a combination of a proton pump inhibitor like Prevacid or Prilosec the Amoxicillin and Biaxin. Flagyl and tetracycline can be used also but it requires adding Pepto Bismol to the regimen. These medications are usually give for 2 weeks to kill of all the H. Pylori organisms and usually once the organism is gone the ulcer will heal!

That is really wild! I am glad what all the buzz was about!

Thanks for sharing those pictures with all of us! I hope that it is now smooth sailing for you with your new band!

Jamie, I am equally thrilled and I can't wait for Madeline and Kayla to meet each other! I think it is really neat to get to actually get to know someone from this site. Can you believe that we have been posting on the same board for the last 4 months and never new we lived in the same neck of the woods!

What a wonderful blessing!

Leatha, That is a great article I really enjoyed reading it especiallly the part where it states that obese patients are one of the few populations that are descriminated by the healthcare system-- so true!

That lyrics were fabulous and I was laughing outloud!

My band surgeon advised me to avoid all rice, pasta, white bread and red meat for one month. However, I attempted to eat a tuna fish salad sandwich and it got stuck after only 2 bites and all I could do was stand in front of the sink with tears streaming down my face. The people at work did not know what was wrong with me. I think you experienced that as well. It hurt so bad that I probably will never eat at sandwich again!

Jenna, It does sound like your urine is "over concentrated". I can always tell when I am not drinking enought fluids because the urine is much darker and smellier than when I am properly hydrated. Try increasing your water or fluid intake and see if that resolves the issue.

Congratulations on your new job! Hope that it is a great fit for you.

Corgi, Was your surgery on the 15th of March? Because that was my surgery date also. I have not weighed this week but last week I had lost 12 pounds. Isn't this great! Congratulations to you on your weight loss also!

I was just banded 2 weeks ago and can honestly say I had very little discomfort from the surgery. So I would not worry too much about post-op pain too much and I am sure that you surgeon will provide you adequate pain control meds as well. Most everyone I have talked to said starting the IV was the worst part. Best of luck and keep us posted

I never tried this but when I was in Europe I kept seeing "orange juice and buttermilk" I think this would be terrible!

Michelle, Super Congratulations to you on your weight loss AND on you being chosen as a model! I definetely think you will be a great inspiration to all that see the infomercial.

I told my 4 year old daughter that I was going to have surgery to "get skinny" like her. I think when she first saw me at the airport she was wondering why I wasn't skinny. But I told her it would take a little while for the surgery to work.

Hope your bithday is absolutely great!

JENNA, I am so very glad that everthing went well! Get plenty of rest but try to walk a little it helps get rid of the excess gas! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you can!

I was recently banded in Belgium buy an excellent surgeon named Dr. Chris DeBruyne. I felt I received excellent care in the hospital there and could not have asked for a more positive "banding" experience. Most everyone in the hospital spoke much better English than I expected and I was treated with the utmost care while in the hospital. The cost for my surgery was 4,000 Euros about $5,500 US dollars. I can't say enough about how wonderful my care was in this particular hospital and how happy I am to have Dr. DeBruyne as my surgeon. I had very little postop pain, very little gas pain and was walking around Brussels the next day with my husband. I was amazed at how quickly I recovered from this surgery.

We had a wonderful time there and am really glad I did it. Even after the surgery I was able to walk around Brussels without much discomfort.

Kirsten, Most of the band doctors will allow you one "refill" if you feel you don't get restriction. I would suggest calling him or her and asking him about that. Also let the Doctor know that you would prefer the area to be numbed with a freezing agent so it does not hurt as much. You deserve to be treated with respect. I also remember someone saying that they sometimes will have a delayed restriction from their fills. You may find that in a couple of days you feel more restriction but having only 1 cc in your band may not be enough. Hope that information helps!

Sure hope that you are feeling better. I had DNC back in October and I thought that it was more painful than having my band placed. So I am wishing you a speedy recovery from your health issues and I really hope you feel better really soon!

The airfare was completely seperate. The cost of the surgery included one or two nights in the AZ Jan Portaals Hospital. I was given IV Paracetamol every 6 hours and was given fraxiparin ( lovenox shots) to prevent DVT. The band I was fitted with was the 11cc Ionamed band and was also given 3cc of saline during surgery. I was also supplied all the necessary dressing supplies and oral pain medications for the trip home. But I have to say I experienced very little pain and I am usally a sissy about pain. Try this link http://www.zyworld.com/acr/surgeons.htm chris.debruyne@advalvas.be (personal email) Also he is a very experienced surgeon performing over 1,200 lap band placements.

I just returned from Belgium and am sporting the 11cc Ionamed band. My husband is sporting a hernia from carrying my luggage across Europe. Just wanted to let everyone know it went well. Thanks

The pain you are describing sounds very similiar to the ulcer pain I had about a year ago. I had a peptic ulcer in my stomach and when my stomach was empty it hurt after I ate It would temporaraily feel better. I would suggest getting your PCP to do a h. Pylori breath test(culprit for ulcers). You may also want to start taking Pepcid or Prilosec which are both Over the Counter now for relief until you see your Dr.