Legallyblonde

I'm in. I feel like I went on an internet date with Penni and enjoyed it! It was really great to talk to someone who has shared my experience. Unfortunatly I was so excited about our meeting that I forgot to ask some of my questions. Next time. 90% of my internet dating has not had such positive results. As the saying on the old t.v show goes, "yes Chuck, I would like to date Penni again." The valley is fine by me. Christine

I can only speak for myself but I had my surgery in a small surgicenter and they would have welcomed my mom staying with me! I just didn't want that. I wanted mom back in her nice hotel room, come see me in the morning after her coffee, and after I shower and appeared more human. God bless my mom but she would have wanted all the attention. I sort of looked at my one night stay as a vacation. When I originally planned on having it done at the (oh man I forgot the name...fancy all natural spa like place) they had mother in a bed right next to me. Please dont make the same mistake I made and pack light! Less that 15 hours after my surgery, I was lugging an enormous amount of crap over the border and then walking the 15 mins to our parking spot. I was supposed to stay 2 nights but wanted to be back on US soil so bad I escaped! Good luck to you!

Wednesday at 11. Mimis. I look forward to it. I'll wait outside. I have blonde hair. Christine

I would love that! I was at the mall last night and need to go back for more of my beloved Proactiv. Just give me a time and place. The only time I have talked to anyone else with a band is when I went to T.J for a fill. How neat it would be to talk about it more. Christine

Got my band Last November a few days before Thanksgiving. Have only lost 45 lbs so far but am over all very happy about the whole thing. Once I got a little unfill and figured out my reflux problem, I have felt like a new person. The scary thing about reflux for me was that because I was not sleeping at all, I made some crazy decessions and couldn"t take care of myself properly. Now I am back to normal. Started working out and gained 5lbs of bulk back and have hit a plato. My boobs have shrunk like 2 deflated tires. I am saving for a boob job now. Your saying, "Wow, I didn't ask." I ramble. I don't feel comfy giving my email due to a crazy stalker from my past. WOuld love to meet anytime.

Vicki, I had my surgery in T.J with Dr Lopez and I go to him for all fills etc... I was just saying that if anyone uses Billy, since I live in Ventura, we could get together. Wish I had health insurance. I would be the first one through his doors. Heard great things about him. It is nice to know that he is close. Are the meetings for his pts only? I guess they would be. Christine P.S Just wanted to add that since I feel so great about my weight lose, I have taken up surfing! I am having a blast. Who would have thought! Bought a size 10 wetsuit. It looks like my 14 year old size 1 could wear it. I am beyond thrilled.

I would love to meet with anyone. I am good about making time for what's important to me.....so, if anyone wants to meet up......Ventura, Van Nuys, Valencia or somewhere in between......just say the word. Christine

A word of advice....what I thought was going to a short term thing, could have turned into a long term thing if I hadn't blown it. No pun intended! I lied about the scar and reasons for strange eatting.....was such a stupid lie that there was no going back.....can't start a relationship based on lies. Now I'm screwed. Or screwed no more I guess.P.S I say show your vagina to whoever wants to see it! Keep yourself safe and emotionally healthy and do your thing. I always used to say "if I was skinny, I would run around naked!" Now I do.

Im in Ventura if anyone sees Dr Billy and wants to get together.

That is what I love about this place, I will read something and realize I am not alone. Burnsun said my story. I think it is diferent for everyone. I think we are all at diferent places with our fills. Some of what people wrote about what they eat will surely kill me. Or I would never loose a pound. Before my band, I had no idea what a left-over was. Now, I eat a single meal 3 times. I still miss burittos. I dream of them. Bread is a memory. On a similar note.......I went off the wagon 3 days ago and started drinking Diet Pepsi again. I feel pretty bad and will try to refrain.

Please take your sleep apnea seriously. My father was one of those rare men who was the picture of fittness. Rode his bike everyday 16 miles and never missed his 2 mile walk after dinner. Not an drop of body fat. Ate nothing but Protein,fruit, and veggies. However, the man could suck the wallpaper off the walls with his snores! Used a cpap for 20 years. Last Feb, he went in for routine knee replacment surgery. His sleep apnea had weakened his heart and lungs to the point where he couldn't wake up. Long story short, he had used his cpap alright, he just had the settings to low. Never went back for adjustments and further sleep studies. Point to my story....people dont realize that sleep apnea can kill you. Snoring is not just annoying, it can be deadly. Please take care of your self. P.S I broke up with my last boyfriend due to his snoring. Think about it, you prevent me from getting proper rest, I become a danger to my patients at work, crashed my car while driving home, fall asleep everywhere I go, was sick all the time, NO THANKS!

Tough one. I am dating a new guy. We have done the naked time thing. He never asked about my scars but is freaked about what I do and don't eat. Jeez, I never make a big production out of eatting but other people seem to be so concerned. It reminds me very much of when I was a vegetarian. Didn't eat meat or anything animal for over 15 years. I never talked about it or made a big to do. When someone found out.....man, what a nightmare. THEIR nightmare! I'm not going to be responsible for other peoples dramas. Especially unfounded drama. I have found that it is too complicated to talk about my surgery and I am very laid back and don't like conflict. If I hear one more person say, "Oh, you had weightloss surgery. By pass?" No, not by pass. It's called the lapband. It's a band around............Oh God!!!!! I just can't!! "Yeah, by pass. I have an aunt who blah blah blah..... AAHHHHH!!

Very interesting thought. I try to live a prescription free life but may need to go back on wellbutrin to get my OCD's under control again. It worked once. Had a great date tonight. Made out with a super hot guy and didn't burp/gurgle/growl or worry about my breath that much. I ate liquids only today and drank tons of Water. Now having a hard time with how to tell him why I eat so funny. Gives me a hard time about eatting slow and small portions. I don't want to tell him or anyone else about my band. It is just not sexy. Thanks for the advice. Christine

Like I said, Because I struggle with obsessive complusive disorder, I brush my teeth as many times as 10 times a day or more. Always have gum with me. I havent heard about not chewing gum? Mouthwash is always in my purse, car and backback. Kinda a funny sidenote, a few people have asked me if I am an alcoholic because I am always concerned about my breath. ALcoholics are always using mouthwash and gum and use tons of visine. Sorry, I could only handle one addiction at a time. But now that I got the weight thing figured out, maybe I'll look into either excessive drinking, drugs, or random sexual acts with strange men. Have tried therabreath,breathassure, and herbal tablets. Chlorophyl tablets and much more. My next move is trying to drink even more Water than I do already. c

I am so glad when somebody posts about a topic that I am dealing with. I have been banded for 8 months now and my breath is out of control! I have dealt with OCD's my whole life and it has been a common practice for me to brush my teeth as many as 10 times a day. I carry a toothbrush everywhere. I have beautiful white teeth and am very proud of them. My bad breath has to be due to my band, my diet, digestion, etc. I am horrified by this situation. I take Breathassure everyday. Nothing works. Along the same lines, the breath combined with the uncontrollable burping make my dating life complicated. I live in fear that I am going to open my mouth to kiss some guy and a weird stomach gurgle/burp comes flying out. Christine

Absolutly love proactiv! I had fought acne for 10 years. Started when I was 20 years old. Was on antibiotics for the entire 10 years! Tried every topical cream, lotion, gel, you name it, I did it. I stick to a program and really give it a chance before I opt out. In the end, my dermatologist had to inject my spots to get them to calm down. It was crazy! I was fat and had zits! I was depressed to say the least. Tried Proactiv and now am normal sized and have clear skin. Happy girl. You have to do it everyday and stick to it. For me, it works! Also, I had tried Serious Skin Care line, Murad, and every over the counter thing I could find. All crap.

I date often and find myself in drinking situations alot. I can drink beer if I do it slow. I refuse to eliminate alcohol. I already gave up my beloved Diet Pepsi for this thing. Yeah, yeah, calories, carbonation, whatever. I drink about 2 beers a month and maybe 2 glasses of wine a month. Tried a sip of Diet Pepsi and didn't care for the taste anymore. Who would have thought? Down 40lbs since November. Size 10 jeans. (lots of stretch) Heartburn free! Christine

Forgot to say I was proud to learn I have lost a total of 35lbs since November. Down another 1 lbs today so 36lbs gone. Started at a size 16 and was a 12 for a minute and now need to figure out what comes before a size 12? 10? I wouldn't know since I went from kids sizes to a size 14. Ha! Clothes baggy is a good feeling. I tell you, now that my head is clear....if anyone is suffering from reflux, get help! Life wasn't worth living like that. It was so neat to speak to other band people in the waiting room. I don't get a chance to get personal feedback from anyone around here. Christine

Went to TJ yesterday and had my fill lightened. I had 2.4cc and they took out .4cc. So I have 2cc. The dr was super nice and I had a very nice experience. I ate well yesterday and slept great last night. The lack of sleep was effecting my mental health. I was seriously doing/thinking crazy stuff. I asked why the other doctor told me some weird story about how they take a part of of stomach (like some kind of acid branch) and anchor it around your band which prevents acid reflux. I swear! Her words not mine! And the Dr just stared at me and said, "What?" So, whos to say? Like I said before, I work in the medical field, I know anotomy and I know of no little branch off my stomach. P.S I just wanted to say that I travel to Mexico by myself and if there is anyone who questions their safety, yeah, question your safety, but don't let that stop you from going on your own. I got stopped at the border coming back and searched but I think it is only because I looked tired and was clutching my new Coach purse for dear life. Thank you Paula for all the nice words. How sweet you are. Christine

Can someone please answer why the reflux thread was locked? I dont get it. Here is the deal with me...I had NEVER had any sort of reflux prior to surgery. Am almost 4 months into my 1st fill and just about 3 weeks ago developed this HORRIBLE reflux! Waking in the middle of the night choking on this hot lava spew. I am afraid, my heart is pounding, I have a major coughing fit. Worst thing I have ever experienced! Have reflux almost all day after noon. YES LEMONADE is a trigger for me!!!!!! Since I was a major Diet Pepsi drinker (8-10 a day) and have since replaced that addiction with lemonade, there you go. I did all the GERD stuff, meds,bed elevated,no eat, no drink 6 hours before bed, etc....nothing works. Going down to T.J on wednesday for a bit of an unfill. Hope that resolves it. Here is what I find interesting....when I went down in April for my 1st fill, the friend I took with me asked the Dr. point blank, "Will she suffer from acid reflux?" I guess he asked because he has had it for sometime, and was just curious. I would never have thought to ask about acid reflux. The Dr looks at us and says,"It is impossible to have reflux after surgery since the way we do it prevents it." I swear to God this is what she said! Now, my friend and I are both paramedics and know something about anatomy but I guess I just wasn't thinking straight. Everytime I wake up choking on hot acid, I think of this curious statement. I can't even tell you how exhausted I have become due to lack of sleep! I will pray that after Wednesday I will be better.

Thanks for the concern. That was sweet. I truely wanted to be a part of an educated forum where people could share their ups and downs with their bands. What I found when I first posted was such negetivity regarding Dr. Lopez that I just didn't want any part of it. It is hard enough when you go through the surgery, the new lifestyle, the emotions that go along, blah blah blah....the last thing I needed was a group of angry woman who reminded me of every high school click I avoided. Don't get me wrong, I am no Dr. Lopez advocate. No, I don't secretly work at his office. I just had a pretty good experience. It was MY OWN personal experience. To those who had a bad one, I feel your pain. I both believe you and feel badly that it happened. I was saddened to see people post oppinions about a doctor they have never personally seen. Having said all that....heres the deal, this happens to be the easiest site to access. I have checked it almost weekly since my surgery. I have gotten some good tips from it. I would have loved to feel a part of a community. I guess I'll give it another go. My GERD. Ode to my GERD. GERD oh GERD, how I have grown to hate thee, you wake my in the night, to remind me of my fright, burn my little throat, many TUMS I take to coat....etc. My bed is so elivated that I woke this AM all scrunched at the bottom. Perhaps seat belts are in order? I will go see Lopez next week if he can fit me in. I promise. I ate a chicken salad last night and I was so happy that I called friends and family. I HATE chicken! Ice cream goes down without problem. Too bad. Thanks again for the nice words. Maybe me and K.C.G cold go see Lopez together. Two miserable bastards in one visit. Christine.

I was banded Nov 2004. I lost only 12 lbs before I had my first fill in April. Since then I have lost a total of 35 lbs. I think my band is too tight because I can't hardly eat anything. The mornings are the worst. Might as well not try. I can recount every piece of food I have sucessfully eaten since April. Success equals no throwing up. Today my hair started falling out in drastic ammounts! Scary to say the least. The worst part is the Acid reflux. I had never experienced anything like it before surgery. I wake in the night with lava in my throat. I have molten lava in my throat all morning and I am sometimes lucky enough to have it all day long. I live on Prilosec and tums. I have followed all the GERD precution lists. Trust me, I have tried it all. On a diferent note, I can't believe the diference in the way people treat non-overweight people. I wasn't that big to begin with but man what a change. It disgusts me. Superficial world. I am sick of trying to explain what a lapband is. If anyone is reading this and is considering having this surgery.....please think long and hard. I wouldn't wish this on anyone I love but would do it again for me. I realize it doesn't make sense but it does to me. Just be an informed patient. I wasn't. P.S. I tried reaching Diane Beck last week and then read something about her having complications? Is she o.k? Yeah, I am a Dr. Lopez pt. Try and refrain from your tired rants ladies. You know who you are and your negitivity is distructive. Not only would I have the surgery again, I would have the same doctor. So there. Try letting everyone have their own opinion. This is only my perspective on MY own experience. A very hungry and depressed, Christine.

It takes a conversation about my former best friend Diet Pepsi to bring me out of the woodwork. I drank up to 14 a day. I drank my last one the night before my surgery. I checked myself out of the surgi-center the AM after my surgery and drove the 7 hours home. The pain was NOTHING compared to the withdrawl! I was dying. I haven't had any soda since however I have recently cheated and had a few energy drinks (Monster, Red Bull, Etc.) They are lightly carbonated and full of caffene. My dad was in the hospital and I was trying to burn the candle at both ends. I didn't feel any problems with my band. I do however feel guilty. It's an addiction and I am working on it. Lesson learned....quit before surgery. I have saved so much money on fast food and drive thru diet soda. I have only lost 15 lbs since my surgery in November. I go for my first fill next week. I am late on my fill due to a multitude of bad events that have happened since my surgery. Lost my job (insurance), mid terms, fathers major illness, new boyfriend, etc... I can't say that I have fully figured out my eatting routine yet. The fill sort of scares me. I will update after I get a fill.

I am due for my first fill and have had a bunch of stupid personal problems. My car and cell phone were stolen, my key to storage was on my key ring, blah blah blah....anyways, can someone please help with Dr Lopez's phone number? I could find it myself but it will take some serious doing. Any help would be appreciated. Or email? Have lost 15 pounds since my surgery on Nov. 19th and have only had a few problems. I am looking forward to my first fill!!!! Thanks! Christine:)

I was just wondering, who are these people? They work for Lopez? Why have I not heard of them before? I have called Lopezs office 4 times in the last two weeks. I leave messages in both english and spainish. Kind of bothers me. I never said this before due to the attitude I recieved by just being a Lopez patient but I too went through Belighter. The only thing I can say is that I did not spend on extra cent on my surgery either way. They neither helped or hurt me. I did not need them but they made me feel better before my surgery. God sorts those situations out. I let it go. I wish people who used or will use Lopez could feel more comfortable posting here since it is easier than other sites. The last thing I wanted after surgery was the sarcasim I recieved by a few certain people here. Thanks in advance. Christine