Barb

Best wishes weightshaker. Who is your surgeon?

I got my Inamed book from my doctor with all my band information on it (Size, Ref #, and seriel number) I have an 11.0 cm. band that holds 9cc. according to my book BioEnterics Inamed Adjustable Gastric Banding Systems come in 4 sizes. 9.75 cm. maximum fill volume is 4cc. 10 cm. maximum fill volume is 4cc. 11 cm. maximum fill volume is 9cc. and the Vanguard maximum fill volume is 10cc. It doesn't say how big the Vangaurd band is at least on the systems components page where I got the rest of the information. It gives the access port features but doesn't mention there being more than one size, but I know I have heard of a mini port before. It could be there the book has 97 pages and I didn't look at all of them. It also says the port has been tested to over 200 hundred punctures with a 20-guage non-coring needle. I hope I don't need more than 200 fills .

porcindoll, I too had the Lasik and I was home in 30 minutes. Absolutely no pain. I have had no probelms and have 20/20 in my right eye and 20/40 in my left eye. I love not having to mess with contacts anymore. I think 2K is a good price. I paid $3,500 cash. My insurance wouldn't cover that either. The price has probablky gone down some now. I had it done 18 months ago.

Kare, You are beautiful! I love your smile.

I love the pictures everyone!!

I think the Billy Joel song is the one ReneBean posted. You have me stumped on the second one.....I am clueless.

I got home from Mexico this evening. I got my band on Thursday afternoon and I am feeling great, but I was a little tired after being on the planes and in airports and going through customs today so I took a nap when I got home. When I woke up in recovery from the surgery I was in pain (mostly my shoulder), but it subsided by that evening and was gone by the time I was released from he hospital Friday morning. My stomach is swelled though, in fact I look pregnant. My incisions look really good. I haven't needed any pain medication and get full with just a little liquid. I don't think I can get 64oz. of Water down in a day right now. I will try and do better on the water tomorrow. I got the Inamed 11cm. band. The whole process was very easy and the doctor and the nurses took really good care of me. They did laugh at me when I hid my face under the covers before they drew my blood and put the IV in. They probably hadn't ever seen an adult as scared of needles as I am. I did appreciate their humor instead of being agitated with me though. Thanks everyone for all the support and information you provided to me pre-band. The information I received from you all played a bigger part in my decision to get the band than any other research I did.

Good luck to all the August bandsters who have their day coming!! I wish you the best. Zoe, congratulations on year one year "bandaversary." I hope I am as successful as you have been this time next year.

La Madam, Wow, I had no idea that Paxil would do that. I was never diagnosed woth OCD so never took medication. I did go through a bad weight gain with steroids though. I always thought that they were kidding me about being OCD, but I actually think they may be right. I am glad I am going back to work soon.

It is a Billy Joel song, is it "You Mayve Right" or "I just might be the Lunitic You're Looking for?" Gosh, I don't think I have heard that song in a long time. Sorry if my typing is bad. I am using a PDA. Ok, here is another. This one always makes me happy! Some things in life are bad They can really make you mad Other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chewing on life's gristle Don't grumble, give a whistle And this'll help things turn out for the best...

Trish, That would be great if we did live closer together. I haven't found a single lap-band person around here.

This post makes me think of the Monty Python song. It is good to see you'll looking at the Bright Things........All those NSV's are BRIGHT THINGS IN LIFE Some things in life are bad They can really make you mad Other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chewing on life's gristle Don't grumble, give a whistle And this'll help things turn out for the best... And...always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the light side of life... If life seems jolly rotten There's something you've forgotten And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing. When you're feeling in the dumps Don't be silly chumps Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing. And...always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the light side of life... For life is quite absurd And death's the final word You must always face the curtain with a bow. Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow. So always look on the bright side of death Just before you draw your terminal breath Life's a piece of shit When you look at it Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true. You'll see it's all a show Keep 'em laughing as you go Just remember that the last laugh is on you. And always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the right side of life... (Come on guys, cheer up!) Always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the bright side of life... (Worse things happen at sea, you know.) Always look on the bright side of life... (I mean - what have you got to lose?) (You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing. What have you lost? Nothing!) Always look on the right side of life...

Can't give any information on the Dr. but others will. Welcome you have found a great site.

That would be Santana - Everything's Coming Our Way. Open your eyes, Let it begin with me.Brand new day,Fresh new way to live,The mornin' is callin' Walk with me into the sun. Everything is comin' our way Everything is comin' our way. Everything is comin' our way. Here's my hand Reaching out to you Take it, darlin' And lead me on, yeah. Everything is comin' our way Everything is comin' our way Everything is comin' our way. Ah. Okay here is mine. I chose this one becasue I just heard it. Love hurts love scares love wounds and mares any heart Not tough nor strong enough to take a lot of pain Take a lot of pain love is like a cloud holds a lot of rain.

Not in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I would be stuggling to get enough down. lol I am still on liquids but I haven't gotten down more than 400 calories a day yet. I have no idea if I am losing any weight because I don't have a scale. I thought about going and getting one but I decided there was no big hurry. SInce I am off work right now and bored to tears I would probably weigh myself every hour if I got one. I will just weigh in once a week, we have Dr.'s scales at work and my Mom has some.

Congratulations to you both. Keep up the good progress.

That seems like an awfully long time to be on liquids (3 weeks post-op) but I know it varies by the Dr. I think the best advice is to always do what your Dr. tells you. You need time to heal, but I would be honest with my Dr. They are there to help you but it is hard for them if you don't tell them the truth, and I don't see that it would benefit you in any way. It is my understanding that once the swelling in the stomach goes down from the surgery you will not really have restriction until you get a fill(s). Good Luck! Barbara

I used Dr. Artuto Rodriguez in Monterrey. Here is his website link http://www.thebariatric.com. As far as locating patients on the forums LBT is Lap Band Talk the one we are currently one. This has been the absolute best forum I could find. I also used yahoo.com I just searched for Lap Band Forums and also found a few patients in the Yahoo WLS (Weight Loss Surgery) forums.

Hi Cindy, I can't offer any information on either Dr., I went to Monterrey but my two cents worth is do lots of research, contact as many patients directly as you can find, and don't use the costs only as the basis for your decision. I think that it is very important that you feel very comfortable with the surgeon you choose. I delayed my surgery for a month and did more research by contacting the surgeons patients directly. I didn't ask for contact names from the Dr.'s offices I used LBT and the Yahoo boards to locate people who had used the surgeons I was looking into. Best wishes, Barbara

I will add to that my doctor did not say that any medications were off limits. He did tell me to cut large pills in half, and he gave me a card to give other Dr.'s that states I need medication that will work with the band. I don't have it in front of me but if I recall correctly it is referring to size. He gave me two Rx when I was discharged. He had me open them and look at the size. He told me the small one (pain killer) was okay to take as is. For the larger one (antibiotic) he told me it must be broke in half. It is also my understanding that many Drs. are recommending Aleve and the such (Anaprox) to be taken only on occassion. I understood this from my OBGYN and and the band wasn't even in the picture at that time. He said they are looking at the effects of long term and excessive use.

I had very bad pain in my shoulder immedietly after I woke up from surgery. My Dr. said it was from the gas. It subsided by later that evening and was completly gone by the following morning before I was discharged. I agree that everyone seems to have a little different experience with it. All I can say is that I am glad mine didn't last to long because I never imagined everyone meant gas pain that bad! It made me cry, but then I was up and walking within a few hours of surgery I think that probably helped. I had a patio outside of my room so I would walk out there and enjoy the fresh air.

down Scuba Dive or Sky Dive?

Thanks everyone. I got a 1 oz. medicine cup and am now working on the Water one ounce at a time and I am getting more down today than yesterday but not close to the 64 oz. yet. I will just work up to it over the next few days. The good thing is that I am so full from the water I have absolutely no desire to eat food so that is making the liquid diet very easy for now. There seems to be only two things going on during my day, drinking water and peeing :laugh that seems to be consuming all of my day. I am through day 4.

Margo, It is possible to get rid of the infection by Wednesday. Take the antibiotics and drink fluids constantly Water and cranapple juice to keep the kidneys and bladder flushed. Best wishes.

To me the thing that gives this forum so much credibility is that members can post whatever their issue, question, success story, etc. is. Personally I don't want to see anything about it change. I found it to be the best site on the Internet when I was doing my research, and I would not have felt it was credible if people didn't have the ability to post their experiences beit good, bad or ugly. I am thankful for LBT and in the fashion that it exists and plan on using it as my primary support now that I am headed down the journey of being banded. I appreciate ALL the posts. Prettone, I am glad you posted your feelings on this to allow others to share their feelings and information with you. I am glad you had a good experience and I wish that for everyone.