the best me

Happy Birthday Mouse!!! You are a sweet online friend. Hope your day has been lovely!

The tough news lately has shaken me, no doubt! I need the support here to move through the emotions of it and deal with it as best I can. I cannot apologize that I haven't been able to summarily dismiss the people who are going through these difficulties, nor the fact that any of this could very easily be my story. I need to deal with it too. Support isn't always about happy joyful sunshiney days. Sorry to dissappoint you. And, yes, I do have a bit of a 'tude! On the other hand, I love my band. I had a rough few weeks post-surgery, similar, but not as dramatic as Jonathans. So, yes, my ears perked easily for myself. The other situations have me concerned about my own band and the way I am losing my weight...slowly. And I'm self-pay with a doc in MX, so I don't have the luxury of insurance benefits to go along with these types of potential problems. It's scary. I'd do it again. I weigh less than I have in the past 8 years, and with some work, I'll weigh less than I did on my wedding day. I love the hope I have. I love my band. Should you decide this journey is for you, I would hope that you feel comfortable coming here and spilling your guts about anything and everything related to your band journey; The emotional issues, the money issues, the eating issues, the weight loss issues, the stories of success and wonderful things happening in your life brought on by your band, and, yes, the hard stuff too. Someday you might need the help and I would hope you don't hesitate to ask for it here. Even if others get discouraged or frustrated. It's part of the journey when you are involved n a support group. Online or not. Good luck. I know you and your doc will make the best, most informed decision about your health, and we are here for you.

Yep, she's speaking to me, then. Hey, don't be so hard on yourself! (((hugs))))

Kelly must be a better Christian than me if CRAP is all she needs to say!! Cyrstal, thanks for the update. So, it's not looking very leaky so far, that's good. WTG on getting them to listen to you. I know Michelle is talking to folks eating around the band, and I wouldn't put you in the category of having your head up your butt, OR eating around your band. I suppose I feel she's talking to me beacuse I have had to work so hard on the head issues and if I had it figured out, I'd be losing, right? I'm not losing so much! 191.6 pounds this morning. Same as usual. I'm having a hard time getting back my sunny disposition. Working on it, though! So, how can we lighten up? Kare! We need more levity!!!!!

VQ, waiting for your report!!! I feel the need to copy/paste what Michelle/La Madam posted on her "I'm eroded" thread...just for us slow losers so maybe we'll somehow find a way to help each other get our heads out of our asses. "A word of advice for those of you struggling..get your head out of your ass and use this tool the best you can. Get a grip on those mental demons.dont let head hunger get the best of you ..I am so fortunate to have had the success I had but other who are as far out post op as Iam may not have had such great success so I tell you from the bottom of my heart, lose as much weight as you can while you still have your band...dont mess around with this..Erosion can happen to any of you regardless if you follow the rules and are a perfect bandster at any time " Hell if I don't keep reading that in my head. All day. Since she posted it. How are you all dealing with this info lately? I'm reeling...I have to be honest. Sh*t Sh*t Sh*t. And I don't cuss much.

Honestly, I'm a bit sick about the bad news floating around. Here I sit with my sweet little band and can't get it all out of my head...the dark cloud looms. I keep thinking, I am down 50 pounds from my high weight, 30 of that has been since I was banded in April, so that's 10K for 30 pounds. That's about 335 bucks per pound. If I lose my band and haven't lost another ounce, that's prety pricey. BUT, add to that the cost of removal for me and the prices increase to an even heftier sum. SIGH. Shoulda just signed up for Nutrisystems. Right? On the other hand, if I can get another 30 pounds off it might be worth it, even if I lose my band. 160 is a dream to me. I just don't know. It's hard for me, at this place in time, to encourage you and be excited for you. You do, however, have insurance coverage so you will get the good follow-along. I am looking at 2 days away from my family and $6-700 buck in plane fare for a $250 endoscopy and if my band is eroded, thousands more for removal. Thank the good Lord everyday for your insurance benefits and don't look back with regret for one second that you took the energy to fight fight fight. I don't regret my band surgery, not for a second, but worst case scenario, it's a pretty expensive chance to take. I took it. I don't regret it. But it's a dark cloud and I understand how you feel. You have insurance. Move forward with confidence that no matter what happens, it won't put you in the poor house up to your ears in debt. Or with empty bank accounts. Do it. Not everyone erodes or slips. You just never know.

Cute thread...great pics. We have a beta fish named Dennis, named after the fish on the kid's show Stanley. I'm the only one who looks after poor Dennis. He's cute and sweet and quiet and manageable. Just my style since nothing else in my life is quiet. I'd love to get a cute fluffy small puppy dog, maybe a poodle? one day but right now...not really on the list. I like other people's cats. No cats for me. Karen, your hairlip dog is so cute...Elvis would have suited well for a name, too!

I have been checking in lots lately! I go through phases, but generally I'm able to check in often during the day in spurts. You caught me!!!! I'm an addict!!!! LOL Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! See you in Dec!!!

I'm pretty sure Muffinbirdie slipped and Ortiz repaired and replaced her band with an Inamed. She was banded in Europe somewhere, too. It seems unlikely that Inamed would not be sending the same bands to MX as are used in the States. It still reflects the quality of their product. They don't want just any old body placing bands...I doubt they'd let any old band out the door of the warehouse, either. Who knows. All I know is I want an endoscopy.

Here's what DrPleatman posted about the pars flaccida techniques...cut/paste When they first started placing these bands, they used the "perigastric" technique, whereby the path behind the stomach went directly along the wall of the stomach. This led to may band slippages of the back wall of the stomach. The pars flaccida technique was developed to prevent posterior slippage or prolapse. The band is placed higer up, actually above the peritoneum. This makes it almost impossible to get a posterior prolapse. This has nothing to do with the anterior sutures which are always placed to prevent anterior prolapse. Mark A Pleatman MD So it seems that the technique has more to do with preventing slips than preventing erosion. Still, I need to hit your link. I'll do that...don't worry!!!

That's my favorite!!! What's an Xbox anyway? Ya'll don't answer that...I don't need to know. We do have a Gameboy at our house and the kids love it. That's about as fancy as it gets. If I saw an Xbox I wouldn't know it. But I'll look out for one anyway! Good luck!

Good thought, but Michelle was banded what, a year and a half ago? And the other folks a bit longer, but certainly not 10 or so years ago when MX first started doing bands. I don't know. tomorrow's dream: are you sure stuff is getting removed from the board? That is just so odd around here, no kidding! Unless the person who started the thread also deletes the thread for some reason, the moderators certianly don't delete stuff. It has to be for some legal/ethical matter, not an opinion or question about Mx, for sure! Crapola. I hate this. Here are the strikes against me. 1)banded in MX 2)super-tight post-surgery with reflux and esophogitis, although resolved within the first 8 or so weeks 3)the smallest band there is. Could I have more against me but time? How many foks with the VG band have ever eroded that we know of?

I have BC/BS too and went to Mexico for my band. www.beliteweight.com for Dr Kuri. I am very pleased. I'd rather stay in the States, but it just wasn't affordable for self-pay, I liked that my surgeon was so experienced, and I'd be flying out of state anyway for surgery if I self-paid in the US. Look into lots and lots of docs. Read lots and lots and think long and hard before you bee-bop off the Mx. It isn't the right decision for everyone. Good luck!

Congratulations Big Paul! You did it! I wouldn't have made it through all the beginning stuff without this board either. Oh, and there's an old thread called "Burping and Farting". If I find it I'll bump it for you. Sip slow and walk! WTG!!!!

Hey Jenny, no offending with the Yank thing, really! Me being called a Yank by an Aussie is right on target! LOL Glad the yogurt went well. It's a great snack. I even notice if I eat too big a bite of it or eat two spoonfuls back to back, close together...I'll feel it piling up in the pouch. It doesn't hurt, but it makes me slow down. Yogurt is yummy!!

Scared here, too. The only reasoning that makes sense is that MX bandsters find out about MX docs on the boards, so they are tied into online support and that's what you see posting. US bandsters are not always on the boards...that makes no sense. We have a TON of US bandsters here. Is Inamed selling a substandard product to MX surgeons? Hmmmmm... Also, I do know that Kuri used the Pars Flaccida Approach on me for my surgery. This is apparently the way US docs are trained now, it lessens the chances of slippage. Dr Pleatman explained it but I couldn't repeat it without looking it up. The technique seems to be up to par. Perhaps the product isn't.

Yeah Baby! I saw it coming...my 6yo daughter was in the office and I'm soooo glad I didn't scroll down!! Sexy!!!!

I'm floored. I just do't know what to say, but you are right to put the word out to folks as you have. Lose as much as you can as quick as you can. Just tonight I said to myself...it's slow but I'll get there in my own time. But what if I erode? Your kick in my ass is right on time. I'm really sorry. Keep us posted on how everythng goes and you'd better be around here helping others! We need a "Former Bandsters" Forum now...it's official. SIGH.

My inspiration!!! Happy Happy Birthday Alex!!!

As someone who's band surgeon is thousands of miles away and in a different country, I couldn't agree more. I try to make up for my lack of surgeon follow-up, nutritionists, support group, etc. etc. with LBT and my recently formed local group of bandster...of which I am the "oldest" but, oh, what I wouldn't give for a local band doc who really followed my every move and gave me the excellent, insurance-covered care I desire. I knew I was lacking this going in and I'm making the best of it. Thank goodness I have a good Fill doc. After-care is soooo important. It can make or break a bandster!! Go get 'em, Crystal. The fill issues you have going on are fixable. ((((hugs)))

That is so sick. LMAO too!

Yes! I am stuck in the low 190's. On a good day, I'm 191.6. I even saw 190.4 one day (ONE day!) and a bad day is 193 or so. Anyhow, I have been up and down and up and down in this range for weeks and weeks. BUT! I have lost an inch from my fat belly, and about a 1/2 inch from my waist, another 1/2 inch from my big arse. So, I know I'm losing. I can even feel it in my belly. I can stand there and rub the buddha belly and I just feel my body slowly slowly shrinking. That gives me the oomph I need to keep at it. At some point I know I WILL make it into the 180's!!! It's slow, but I'm doing it.

How funny! Poor girl...that's a great trick for somone gullible like that. hahaha!!!

Stick to liquids and call your doc before Thanksgiving is upon you. You will regret it! Sip small and slow. Just like the first few days post-op. You may have some swelling from the fill and from the PBs. The swelling won't go down if you keep PBing so avoid it at all costs. Even hunger. Go get some Egg Drop Soup if you are starving. It goes down well and is full of nourishment. Forget weight loss right now. Get yourself off the PB downward spiral quick! It will be a long holiday weekend if you need a small unfill tomorrow and don't get one. Monday is a long way away.

jenny, if you are hungry between meals, you need to do one of two things...change what you are eating (if your last meal was too mushy/liquid you need more solid protiens to keep you satisfied for longer...or you need to add in healthy snacks. Most times a yogurt will do it. If it's a long time to the next meal (usually lunch to dinner for me) I'll also eat a 1/2 banana with peanut butter. Check out www.room42.com to see if your calorie intake is enough. Also click on this link to see if it's time for a fill. It has some great ideas for making sure you are following bandster eating rules and getting the most from your band. http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm My hunger goes up and down all the time. Some of it for me is "head-hunger" I suspect. I'm still working on it!! myband, Yank is not a bad term, BUT! Here in the States we have something called a Mason-Dixon Line. It came about at the Civil War between the North and the South. Over Slavery. Folks above the Mason-Dixon are Yankees. I'm a proud Southerner who is glad the South lost. Slavery Stinks. Anyhow. I'm no Yank means I live below the Mason-Dixon line and moving "up north" would put me in such another world, I fear I wouldn't fit in. I might be surprised, but at my age, I'm sticking it out in the warmer climates. Too cold up there!! Is being called an Aussie a bad thing? What does it insinuate? This is interesting. Anyhow, take care!