the best me

Angie, you are such a trooper! You sure looked tired at going home time. No rugrats for me at IHOP!! Aren't ya'll happy?! Yep, and I need to prep hubby for duty as well. So, the 27th it is? Whoa Nellie! You know what I just remembered? Dianne in Waxhaw! Let's don't make her drive all the way to Gastonia. What's off the loop? She's on a mission trip so maybe we can wait to hear from her about the date. If she can come, we'll know better about the location. Cammie's in the Concord area?

Check out you! You are right, it would have to be cm if it's the circumference... Also, I have heard that they hold 5cc of saline, but they found out 5cc is usually too much for the normal person and is unsafe? so they reduced it to marketing it as a 4cc band? Hope I'm right about that. Also, do you know if there are 2 larger bands? One that holds 10cc and one that holds 11cc? I'll have to do a search, it's posted in here somewhere... So he started with 2cc for me also, but I was too tight!! Could only take samll sip of liquids after 5 days. That .4cc unfill made a huge difference! ooooooo, it makes me cringe to think about a needle digging around for a port...OUCH again!!!

KatieA, Inamed has two bands that both hold 4cc of saline, the 9.75mm and the 10mm bands. They also make a larger band that holds 10cc of saline, so you are comparing apples and oranges, really. And I'm pretty sure it's mm and not cm, 10 centimeters is BIG! So it has to be mm. Anyhow, congrats on your fill Michelle! I'm sorry he had to burrow around...ouch!!! I had my first fill last week and it was pretty painless, although my port area was very sore! I had to go back for a small unfill (he only took out .4cc of a 2cc fill, big difference!) and this time he didn't wait very long for the Lidocaine numbing stuff to take effect...rushing through!!!! and it hurt a bit more. It's all fine now though, and I'm on liquids, too. I have had a Boost, about a pint of egg drop Soup, and a yogurt so far today. Plus my Water. Okay, I guess that's a bit thicker than liquid, but it went down fine and took away the hungries. Happy weight loss!!

Oh Yeah!!! Use those pain meds, but get off them as quick as you can, they can cause constipation and if you get nauseus taking them, stop! Everyday gets a little bit better. Take it slow, listen to your body, don't push it just because you think it ought to be better than it is, based on the "norm". Take it easy, walk, rest, and walk some more. Heating pad. Sip sip sip till ya can't sip no mo'. Welcome to bandland!!!!

How in the world could Darren leave the best last bite on his plate? Is he crazy? That sounds like something my hubby would do. Doesn't he look ahead and plan to be sure to get that last yummy bite in? How can you not be aiming for it?! I just don't understand!!!!!!! I'm with you Delarla. I'd shamelessly eat it, too. So there! Now, my guess is that Darren isn't obese? Neither is my hubby...hmmmm

They HAVE changed it! It's not the Secret my Nana used. She's the one who got me hooked on it. I'll gladly give it up, though. Improved, my foot! A&H is on my grocery list...I'll keep you posted!

Yay Vera! 177.1 is looking SO good! My thoughts and prayers are with you for a successful surgery!

I had the armpit BO alot pre-surgery, one of the reasons I had the surgery! I was sweating ALL the time, even minutes out of the shower! Gross! I use Secret, maybe I'll switch to A&H, although losing weight has helped this alot. I haven't noticed the foulness in a while, so mine has all been weight related. I think gypj is right on about it being hormonal and chemical. Especially since it's more than just the armpits. My bet is it will get better as your diet changes to something a bit more regular. Are you back on your Vitamins? Maybe drop to one EAS a day? If you can get your protien in without it? Another thought that your Protien drinks may be the culprit, I hear of people doing High Protien/Low Carb diets complaining of yucky breath...Compare your diet pre-band to what it is now and THAT is what's doing it, I'll bet. I wonder if the GNC has some type of herbal supplement? Some kind of "flora" balancing herb to get into your digestive system? Surely someone here knows what to look for so you don't have to go into the store and explain it all We love you Nita, even if your are a little smelly these days

Wow Corinne, aren't you adorable! You look like a young college girl standing there in your cute jeans!!! Okay, everyone...BE CHALLENGED!!!!! this morning, thanks to my post-fill liquid diet that lasted a week....I weighed... 199.8! And since this is a challenge, I had to take a moment to gloat. It may be short-lived once I start on mushies again. Yay Me!!!! ________________________editing___________ Okay, I'm going through this thread and I posted 202 yesterday...and today I am 199.8? All 5 times I stepped on the scale this morning to be sure it was true?! That'd be 2.2 pounds in a day...yep, I fear this is short-lived. sigh.

Yay! I got my unfill!! Today is Tuesday and I slept until 10am, aren't I the Queen of Everything?!!! Hubby has the day off today. So my morning Boost went down fine, although I did feel a bit of tightness. Not discomfort or pain, just your regular morning tightness. liquids today and tomorrow will be good, I can tell. I swell easily, so I guess it DOES need a bit of liquid rest. The Good side of the liquid rest is what I saw on the scale this morning, are you ready?! 199.8 I simply can't believe it!!!! The last time I saw that was in 1997, I think, except for about a day on Jenny Craig in 1998. It may very well be short lived, I am certain I will pop back up and down, so don't welcome me to Onederland yet! Let's get off the liquid diet first and see how things go for the next week. It's happening though! Man, it was good to see 199 this morning!!! I'm gonna go post this on the Summer Weight Loss Challenge since I can get away with a tad bit of "neener-neener" today

Mary, I had a pic that seemed to do nothing but, really, it was so big it was taking forEVER! It did better when I edited the pic and pressed the 75% or 50% reduction, saved the edit, then chose the smaller one when I browsed. Cropping it didn't help, I had to reduce it too. Maybe that will help?

Good for you on the earring! Get a pretty diamond stud in there...good for you! Now, the tatoo, I dunno. I'd be willing to do something very small like a butterfly but I don't want it so much that I would actually DO IT! More power to ya! Yep, pics please!!!!!!

Me-shell! Me-shell!!! You can do it!!! You go girl!!!!!!

Don't despair Melissa. Next thing you know you'll be posting "I have a band date!!" then "I'm banded!!" It will fly, I promise!!! The 6th is better than the 27th, but only because of the back to schooltime...heck, the 27th is great, too!! So will we be doing IHOP for August, then seeing what the office does with the mailing for our next one? I'm in! Yippee!!

Barb, I had my surgery with Dr Kuri in MX and they took MC/Visa and I guess other credit cards. However, they discourage your using them. It apparently costs the doc alot in fees to run the charge (several hundred dollars for a $8950.00 surgery) so the doc DOES charge that back to the customer. I guess he adds it to the bill? If that's the case, it would all go on the card. Anyhow, check with your Mx surgeon to find out their policy on accepting credit cards. You may have to find a way through/around it and still bill your Medical account somehow? Good luck!

Neato! I like that they dissolve. I'll look for those...thanks!

Whoa, Nellie!!! You guys are doing great! Well done everyone!!! Tina, your 300's are behind you forEVER!!!! Good job! Angie, getting closer and closer, girl! I know you can't wait to see the 100's...SOON!

What FUN!!!! I wanna go, tooo!!!!!!!! You two look gorgeous, I'm so glad you had a blast! Thanks for the pics...You both look GREAT!!!!

Yeah, Paula, the crunch thing was news to me, but it made sense and it worked! It wouldn't draw up into the needle so he had me crunch and there it came. ??? I hate it costs another 200, and the other guy that came in for his unfill was unhappy about it. I figured they had heard enough. The 200 covers the office visit and suppplies. The needles themselves are expensive, I'm sure. They are the non-coring type so you don't ruin your port by putting holes in it. Anyhow, when you go to Mexico, you either need to be able to get back or you budget the cash needed for fills and any other problems, so I was prepared, I guess. Plus, in this neck of the woods, it's hard to find a fill doc for Mx patients so I'm grateful. I'd be more frustrated if I needed fill after fill after fill. I'll make this work! Elizabeth, I'm so glad you were able to be seen today, too! Give it all a well-deserved rest. Don't let yourself get too out of hand on eating!!! I'm glad you were unfilled. The longer you suffer with being too tight the higher your risk of erosion, right? This was one of the reasons I didn't want to just buck up and live through it until I lost enough to lower my restriction. Thankfully, I didn't have any reflux problems with this fill. I'm glad you are getting relief from that! Mary..."Stalker Kathy" hehe! Thanks for the encouragement. Have a great fill Friday!!

I KNEW it! When I saw the thread, I knew you PB'd and laughed my butt off! You go girl!!! Isn't it just awful?!!! Oh, puleeeze avoid that! I know you will. Congrats? Well, congrats for handling like a real woman and getting through it!

I officailly weigh just .4cc less than I did several hours ago, but AHHHHHH the relief!!!! I ate egg drop Soup (about a pint) for supper and feel comfortably full and totally NOT stuck! yippeee!! And I drank almost an entire 24 ounce bottle of Water on the way home. It's only an hour and a half drive and I had to make a potty stop!!! I also downed my Boost right there in the doc's office after my fill. hehe! As the doc was leaving the room, I was sitting there drinking my Boost with a big sigh of relief and the doc said "water for 3 days". "Water?" I replied? He said with a smile "Liquids" I must have had this huge grin of relief on my face because the nurse asked me if I didn't like water, I said, "No, water's great. I'm just HUNGRY!" She laughed. So on to Boost, Egg Drop Soup, broth, Water, Crystal Light, Adkins shakes, etc. for 3 days. I can deal with this. So today for the unfill, he tried to pull out the 2cc he put in and had me do a crunch on the table, to push my stomach against the band and push the saline out into the tubing so he could pull it. Interesting! Then he had me sit up, WITH the needle in!, and down a cup of water. He pushed the saline in until I said "Ooooo, stuck!" then drew it out until I said "Ahhhh, unstuck!" and the final dose was a 1.6cc fill, so a .4cc Unfill. What a day! Oh, and the unfill was the same price as the fill...200 smackeroos. shucks. US docs sure ain't MX docs! I gratefully paid. Now I'll just make this one last! As long as I can drink, I'll make it through. It will be interesting to see what my restriction is like on soft mushies. Guacamole, here I come! I just LOVE to eat!!!! I don't need alot, like I did pre-band, just let me enjoy some food! Just a little bit!!! Thanks for all your support everyone. It's fun to come here and give my report. you know, it's like journaling. It's great when at least a few folks read what you have written and are following you with encouragement, but getting it out of my head and "on paper" if you will, is very therapeutic! Now I can quit thinking about it and move along sort of...LOL

So I call the Doc's office this morning first thing and he's in surgery on Monday and Tuesday, they will fit me in at 2pm on Wednesday...augghh!! I take my daughter to her God's Kids Vacation Bible School thing she attends every Monday this summer, and get back, and the doc's office has called...wahooo! Doc can see me at 2pm today!!!! I jumped for joy! Okay, not very high but I did a little skip down the hallway that made my hubby laugh...great! He's not supposed to see those things! Me? Skipping?! Anyhow, appparently, a guy called the Doc over the weekend who was also overfilled, and the office didn't know yet that the doc made arrangements to see him at 2pm today. When they found out, the nurse called me and I'll be surprising the doc with my presence today. I'm so relieved I don't have to wait until Wednesday! So, now it's time for a shower and I'll be scooting out of here at 12:30. Hubby is home today, so it's works out great! ta-ta for now!! Can you just see the happiness oozing through the screen?!!!!! LOL

Here's there to help! I see him at 2pm today...yay! Thanks! Jenn, I was banded in TJ, Mexico by Dr Kuri. Since I live in North Carolina, I'm getting fills here at $200 a pop for non-flouro. My surgery includes free fills for life, but I have to fly to TJ and pay $70 hospital fee for the flouro. So I save on airfare and time by seeing a local doc for fills. AND like a good little Mexican Bandster I had my follow-along lined up BEFORE I went to Mexico...yay me! Anyhow, that's what all that is about.

So that's 3 pounds this week! Was it worth the tight fill I got last Wed? At this moment, yes, but I'm getting an small unfill today so I can put up with just about anything!! LOL Wahooo!! Onederland, here I come!

Good for you!!! Well done! Children ARE a gift from God. What an exciting time! Remember, now is not the time to diet, so make sure you gain SOME weight! Okay, maybe not 80 pounds! I hope you will allow us to follow you through your pregnancy and keep us posted throughout. There are lots of great pray-ers here on LBT, so you will be up on our list! God Bless you!!!