~Trixie~

An Oreo McFlurry (not including extra crunchies) has 560 calories;16 grams of fat; 50 mg of cholesterol; 88 carbs; 71 grams of sugar; and 14 grams of Protein. A good website that you can use to find out nutritional info and to log your daily intake/physical activity is dailyplate.com. Is there a way to politely decline your customers treats because you'll really defeat the purpose of the band eating that...not only due to nutritional info alone, but also the sheer volume of food. Did your surgeon/dietitian give you any dietary guidelines to follow? BTW, how did you get a fill two weeks out? You should only be on liquids at that point, so you won't necessarily feel any restriction. Something smells fishy, and I don't think it's the "fish and veggies" you plan on eating when you aren't consuming McFlurries. :eek:

How come all PETA supporters refer to this same exact CCF angle whenever PETA is under fire for something? The bottom line is that PETA DOES kill animals. This isn't the first instance that they have been caught. It has happened before and the media, not associated with CCF, has reported on it. Sure PETA has done a great job raising awareness, but like all good causes, when an organization gets too large (and greedy), corruption ensues.

My husband read that article to me last night. It really is sickening.

So what tips did they give you (if of course you don't mind sharing trade secrets :welldoneclap:)?

I'm 5'2, so of course according to the BMI chart I should weigh between 100 and 135 pounds. HA! I have always been quite muscular from years of horseback riding and dancing. So when I weighed 160 pounds in high school, I was a solid 160. I can't imagine what I would look like weighing 100 pounds. My "goal" according to the BMI chart is 115 pounds, somewhere in the middle of the healthy range for my height. It's a major stretch. I would be happy teetering on overweight at 135. I just want to look, and more importantly, feel healthy...only 122-142 pounds to go...HA!

No problem! When you make your decision, please share!

I hope that your decision will be one that you will feel at peace with. It's a hard enough decision when one is considering having WLS in general, so I could imagine that deciding between LB and GB is a thousand times more difficult. A while ago I came across a post by a very successful bandster, Wasabubblebutt. She had shared a link for a website that gives a side by side comparison of four WLS. I hope this information helps making an educated decision easier for you: Weight-Loss Surgeries Compared

I have PCOS and the hair growth under my chin is ridiculously mortifying to me. The last time that I saw my OBGYN was in August, and I asked about Vaniqa to inhibit the hair growth. She said that she hadn't seen any positive results from it and that the side effects were probably worse than the hair. Not to mention that it is crazy expensive and insurance companies generally don't cover it. In turn, she referred me to the esthetician in the office for a laser hair removal consultation. At the beginning of the consult, the esthetician was very helpful and positive, and explained that there was some sort of guarantee that if there were any hairs that regrew after the sessions were complete, she would remove them at no additional charge. I mentioned that I had PCOS and her story and demeanor completely changed. She became more than reluctant to take on my case, and told me that she wasn't sure that she would be able to do the treatments on me. I thanked her for her time and left. When I had gotten home, I received a phone call from her. She said that she could do the treatments, but she would not guarantee any success, and that it most likely wouldn't take even after a full course of treatments. Needless to say, I did not take her up on her offer, and I continue to shave off the new growth every day. Which brings me to a question... Are there any successful bandsters who have PCOS that have seen a the reversal of their symptoms, including the hair growth?

This is 26 days after my surgery. The two larger incisions still have some glue that just doesn't want to flake off. You can see one of my scars from the gallbladder surgery that I had in July '06 (closest one to the top scar). Enjoy looking at my flabby tummy!

I don't know that I completely agree with this. I think it really depends on the individual's personal discipline level and how much they want to lose weight. Sure we ALL want to lose weight, but there is a point that some, not all, reach where they will do anything to reach their goal (regardless of whether or not they are self pay). If your above statement is true, does that mean that because my insurance company (the same insurance company that my husband and I pay hefty premiums to each week) paid for my surgery, I won't be as successful as someone who had to take out a loan to pay for their banding? My sore ass and hunger-panged stomach do not think so. Along the same lines, does a person who has to pay for college do better in their studies than someone who has their parents pay for it? I can attest first hand to the contrary. The first time I attempted school, I had to take out loans and I did so poorly! I really didn't care that I had to borrow against my future to pay for something that I was simply giving a half-assed attempt at. Sure, I wanted to get good grades, but I didn't want to work for them. The second attempt, I still had to take out loans, but the difference was this time I wanted to do well and get the best education that I could, and I was willing to do everything possible to make sure that happened. As was the case with my education, WLS boils down to one thing: maturity. That is something that comes from personal experience and can't necessarily be taught. You should be commended for trying to save people from themselves, but I just don't think you can. Not because I don't believe that you are a capable and persuasive person, but because that is something that people need to learn for themselves. Like teenagers, they must learn from their mistakes. Unfortunately it's an expensive mistake to have to learn from, not only monetarily, but also health wise.

You hit ONEDERLAND!!!! Congratulations, Steph!!!

1. Hollyberries...........298.............295..............285.........10 2. TxArcher..............360.............357..............345.........12 3. Longhorn..............211.............209..............199.........10 4. Momto1(Wendy)....241.............242...............229........13 5. Steph..................203.5..........200...............188.5......11. 5 6. Hungryforchange...227.5..........225...............215.5.......10 7. shortgal Goal for challenge lose 6 ........ 5.5 to go. 8. Trixie..................264.............257.5............244.........13.5

Cool, thanks for letting me know!

Obama is my number two.

It must be something in the air. Yesterday I was starving for the first time since surgery. It took a lot of self control not to indulge. I have PCOS, so my periods are quite erratic. Maybe my time of the month is coming? I hope that is the reason.

I'm surprised that your doctor would give you a fill in your fourth week after surgery. That seems really quick. Usually fills aren't given until at least the sixth week after surgery for healing purposes. I don't get my first fill until some time in February. That's only because my surgeon is only doing them one day a month under flouro. He said that it would be too soon for me to do it on the January date (the 24th -- five weeks out). Please let us know how your fill goes!

I fixed the starting weights because a few people gave their weight at the beginning of their journey and not at the beginning of the NNVDC. Please use this list to update! Otherwise some people will be knocked off! Name Starting # Current # Goal # To Go # Hollyberries...........298.............298..............285...........13 Momto1(Wendy).....241.............241..............229...........12 Hungryforchange....227.............227..............215...........12 Cagstorm (Craig)....360.............357..............345...........12 Teresajo...............212..............212..............205............7 Skinny_Jill............195..............195..............180...........15 Foofy ..................249..............248..............237...........11 want2lose.............236.8...........236.8............225...........11.8 sades...................199.7..........199.7............189............10.7 chiqui...................231.............231...............220.......... 11 MarieGabrielle.......268.............268...............256...........12 Trixie...................264.............257.5............244...........13.5 Firebolt.................224.............224...............212...........12 Kristin1031............256.............256...............240...........16 Longhorn...............211.............211...............199...........12 BarbBee................284.............284...............272...........12 Jen......................264..............264...............249...........15 Steph...................203.5...........203.5............188.5.........15 Goldie1109............228.............228................213...........15 Shalee04/Kelly.......218.............218................206...........12 Pattypoo1.............202..............202...............192............10 Shortgal ..............198..............198...............192.............6 Cindyg.................218..............218...............208............10 Suedoenimm.........204.............204...............192.............12 plump_princess.....237..............237...............227............10

Thanks Pattypoo! I didn't know that!

Thanks for the quick feedback, Ashley! It's just a bit unnerving because the port area was finally starting to feel pretty good.

I was changing my clothes an hour ago and I twisted my mid-section a little funny. Now it kills in my port area! How do you know if you've flipped your port? I would imagine I would feel something tear. Am I wrong? If the pain isn't gone by tomorrow morning I'll call my doctor, but it would be nice to know the signs of a flipped port tonight. Thanks in advance for your help!

I have been feeling the same exact way the past few days...just so drained! My port area was finally starting to feel a lot better, and last night when I twisted funny (not even that jolting of a movement), it started to kill again. I wonder if it's just part of the healing process. BTW, I saw your "before" picture and WOW! How cool of a calling do you have! A fire eater and training to be a contortionist! Frickin' awesome!

Thanks Smatyas! Question (sorry, I'm channelling my inner Dwight Schrute): You say that the info you shared with us is "Pulled directly out of their book." How did you get the book? Was it given to you after surgery?

There is absolutely no need to be so condescending, BJean. BTW, I never stated that I was a Libertarian, just that out of all of the candidates vying for office, Ron Paul best portrays my views. And I stand behind my statement that he is "the man." Green, it's people with mindsets like BJean who are keeping the control of the United States out of the hands of the people. It's really sad that those of an older generation have become so disillusioned with politics that they are willing to roll over and play dead, while the younger generation has to worry about living in a country, and by extension, a world that has a very bleak future due to the impotent nature of said older generation. It's sickening to know that as people age they feel the need to maintain the status quo at the detriment of future generations. Of course, I mean no offense to you, Green, being that you yourself are middle aged, but the political climate here in the US is frustrating to put it mildly.

Like many of you, I also have the APS. According to members of the support group that I attend, my surgeon has always been quite conservative with fills. However, he has recently brought a new surgeon on board who has a drastically different approach to fills that my surgeon is adopting. Instead of the "blind" fill, he will be conducting all fills under flouro. He will insert enough saline to completely inflate the band, and then he will draw a little back to make sure there is a proper opening. Once that is complete, he will conduct some sort of swallow test (not the same dreaded liquid from the day after surgery, thankfully) to make sure that all things are flowing properly...then it's back to liquids for two weeks. I would be interested in reading ANY info on the APS. I haven't been able to dig much up about it.

Oh my gosh! That's really horrible and I am so sorry! I am really glad that you are OK. That is the most important thing! When you see the doctor tomorrow, maybe you could ask about a partial refund or if they could do a RNY or sleeve when you are all healed...and pro bono at that! I really wish you a speedy recovery, both physically and mentally. Please know that we are all here for you!