princess_n_thep

E,

Soooooo glad you are doing wonderful.

But I have to ask what everyone else is wondering I am sure... where are the pictures????

Everything is a fear in the beginning. It is all trial and error. There are some things I just NEVER would try. Carbonation is one of them.

After a fill, life is different. Foods that you could eat before are a BIG no-no after.

Vines is right. What works today may not work tomorrow. The band is a finicky little bitch.

There is definitely a list of "suspect" foods that many have problems with. I will try and find my "list". It isn't absolute and may or may not be a problem for you. It just will give you an idea/clue about what foods are "suspects".

Beginning Bandster Trial and Error Method for "suspect" foods: Cut into small piece. Place gently into mouth while listening intently and concentrating. Chew chew chew as much as you can and gain the courage to swallow. Sit for a second motionless and try and listen, feel and hear if anything is going to go wrong. Breathe a sigh of relief after about 30 seconds that nothing has happened. Repeat above steps.

Yep, Karma is a bitch that will bite her in the ass! Just take solice in knowing that!

Hmmmmmmmmm, one post and this is it? Fishy to me folks.

I think maybe you should try and introduce yourself before diving into the 1/2 full swimming pool head first. Just a suggestion.

Dr. Ortiz did my band and I have a happy healthy smiling band today!

Ok, I am going to take a poloroid and send it to Lisa, then you guys have to take me everywhere you go!!!

Man, why cant you be my neighbor? Geez, my neighbors SUCK! Can I come live with you?????

I went to Mexico for my band. Many people here go to other countries to get their bands because the self pay is more expensive here. The costs vary somewhere between $7,000-$10,000 in a different country. A LOT of us have gone to Mexico. I saved and paid 1/2 of my band cash and the other 1/2 my mom paid/ i borrowed. I have 2 years to pay it back. Much cheaper than the credit card rate. It was scary going to another country at first, but I do have a happy healthy band so it was all worth it.

Me too. I thought the same thing. Are you a spokesperson for a doctor?

I use it and have used it for about a year. For me: Yes, It does work but you MUST use it every day. If you stop using it you have to start all over again and deal with a breakout. It only works if you use it on a STRICT schedule. So no "skip a day" or "didn't have time". It is a must to get it in.

I have also used Miriad (available at ULTA) and that works as well but is $35 a bottle! At least with ProActiv you can get in their "club" for deals and specials.

Wooo hoooo! I was wondering how she was! I sent her a couple emails but never got a response. Started to get worried. Thanks Penni for letting us know!

Ummmmmmmm, I can't top that personally but I do know a friend who was forced to scrub her gentalia for YEARS (age 13-16) with bleach because her mother and father insisted she was "unclean" when she was caught kissing a boy at school. She was removed from her parents custody and sent to a foster home (where she was raped by another foster brother repeatedly). Her mother and father served NO jail time. Only probation. She is now 37, very successful in life but still has genatalia issues and intimacy issues (she is married now but a bit wierd sexually). She has never spoken to her parents again. She changed her name when she became 18 (first and last name) to remain anonymous to her natural parents if they ever tried to find her.

I guess that is probably the craziest and sickest thing I have ever heard.

However the midnight showers are fairly crazy too.

My family was just "basic" dysfunctional. Not really crazy.

I found liquid Protein here

http://www.doctorstrust.com/

LMAO Tina.... Are you sure you aren't just looking at page 1 of the post? There are 5 pages of posts. Last ones I see are June.

Anyways.... I must tell everyone. I can not go to Vegas in Sept. Sorry, I have to work and can't get the time off. Everyone have a GREAT time though! Someone drink a Margarita for me!

I have run the entire course. I started with Dial up. Then went to a "higher speed dial up". Then I went to DSL. Then I went to cable. I WOULD NEVER HAVE ANYTHING BUT CABLE EVER AGAIN. SOOOO FAST. I am spoiled now.

Same as LivinNY for me. Good luck on the smoking stop!!!

Hmmmmm, I surfed around GNC website to no luck. Let me know where you find them. I wonder how many "drops" you have to use. Thanks for getting back to me.

P.S. If you find a bottle of "the perfect pre teen" let me know!!!

Okay, gonna take this literally for a moment and say that the only side effect I have had has been socially. Big dinner functions are not as enjoyable to me as I am not centered around food really anymore. Last week we all met at a chinese buffet. I felt like I wasn't getting my moneys worth out of it. After dinner drinks are a problem too. A lot of times the girls want to stay and drink socially but I can't for like 45-60 minutes and it isn't very fun at all.

One more that I am worried about is vacations. I LOVE TO CRUISE! I love cruises to anywhere the ship goes. I have been on a ton of them. However, I am worried that it won't be as much of a "deal" anymore without the food. Anyone who has cruised knows that a cruise centers A LOT around food. From the constant buffets, to the midnight buffets, to the dessert buffets, to the fine dining. I also like the "all inclusive" resorts. But I am thinking that I won't be getting "my moneys worth" from all inclusive packages anymore.

Physically, the only side effect I have felt is what I call the "Turkey Syndrome". When I get full my port seems to feel like it is popping out like a pop up turkey thermometer. And it is a bit sore.

Someone had posted information about the fill center. I couldn't find the post again so I am starting a new one. I checked it out a bit and this is the response I got, thought I would share it with you.......

Hi Jenna,

Glad you wrote it's always good to hear from patients and get there feelings and feedback.

Anyway we are not open to the public yet. We will be opening in late September with 90-100 Centers through out the US. We're not sure where these locations will be yet (I do believe that we will have one in the Phoenix area). But keep checking back to our website www.fillcentersusa.com as it will be updated closer to time. We will be offering a web based database so that any of our providers that you go to after visiting our center will have access to your information. For example if your on vacation in Florida and have an emergency you can visit our nearest center and receive care and they will have all your records, history, allergies etc..! You will also be able to track your weight loss, exercise, food nutrient intake and many other things via our database and communicate this with your aftercare provider via a message center within the database. And we will be offering monthly payment plans ex. 1 year programs including fills and monthly consultations that has been proven successful for excess weight loss after lap band surgery in actual practices. And for those that just want a fill, those will be starting at just $100.

Again thank you for your inquiry, if you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to email or give me a call! Out of country patients are welcome to join.

Hope to help you in the near future,

I posted somewhere in here on my starting weight was 187 but I am not listed yet. Here it is again, just in case.

Ummmmmm, peanut M&M's seem to go down well. (oops, did I just tell bandland that?)

Well, I have officially made the entire switch to Mary Kay products. I will let you know how it all works out in about a month.

As for department stores or stores like ULTA. The girls working at those counters have absolutely noooooo training. I should know, I was one of those girls. We are told to "pretend like your putting it on yourself, if they like yours, then will like what you do".

The whole Mary Kay experience has been quite pleasant so far. and very private (she did it in my own house) I like "light" make up with neutral colors. She did exactly that. Light and airy and neutral tones. Felt good.

I must admit though, it is a lot more pricey than when I could just go to Walmart and get a powder. ((sigh))

When you get the answer, will you share it please? thanks.

Very sore, but not painful.

Felt like crampy like when I got my tubes tied. Pain scale about a 2.5 the first week. Then a 1 for 2 weeks. Then nothing.

((sigh)) well, my traffic duty is over. Just wanna say... why is it everyone forgets how to drive after a fireworks display?????

Some say it doesn't hurt.... for me (and I am a big baby) it stung a bit. Kinda like a bee sting. Enough to have me suck in a deep breath but not enough for me to make a noise in pain.

This is how the fill thing goes for me:

1. I lay down flat and he sticks a long needle in me (stings a bit)

2. he sucks out any air/fluid and gives me a queasy feeling (but not sickly feeling or anything) Kinda feels like a quick dip in an airplane

3. he has me sit up a bit in bed as the needle is still in there and boings around a bit (doesn't hurt though just wierd)

4. He has me drink the barium as he slowly fills me up to the point I should be

5. Takes out the needle (again a slight sting)

6. Sip sip sip Water in the waiting room for the next 30 minutes to make sure all is good.

7. Go home good as new!

For me... it changed EVERYTHING. I was one of those people that ate like a cow before filled. After the fill it was MUCH different. I never had a PB until I was filled. Then it hit me. It became less and less as I learned the "signs" and how to eat with the band.