DonnaB

And what about Paul Hogan - isn't that the name of the "Crocodile Dundee" guy? Man I bet Aussies are as tired of that national identity as Americans are of ignorant rednecks and fat housewives! lol

I met with several doctors before going to Mexico to be sure I had aftercare and fills available locally. In reality, I didn't talk to one who wouldn't do aftercare for Mexico patients. My surgeon was Dr. Roberto Rumbaut and he proctored lots and lots of doctors here in the U.S. as they learned the procedure. He told me if I needed help locating an aftercare/fill doctor he could locate a few places for me - had I realized he was going to offer this service I probably wouldn't have done so much calling around before I went to Mexico!!! lol Oh well, he was pleased with me that I had shown the forethought and initiative to find my own aftercare here in the states! Not like I need his approval but it WAS nice of him to pay the compliment. Try calling your Mexican surgeon and asking him to help you locate a U.S. doctor near you. He may not be able to help you, but then again, he may. Best wishes.

Follow your doctors' orders of course, but my surgeon says 3 days of liquids then 3 days of mushies following a fill to give the stomach time to unswell. My fill doctor here in the states say 7 days of liquids following a fill for the same reason. Eggs are a pretty solid form of protein so be careful there - maybe add a tiny bit of Mayo (fat free if you can handle it - blech I'd rather count the extra calories myself LOL) to "lube the tube" as they say! My only PB felt like a flaming throbbing golfball in my chest being kicked around by a raging elephant! Just a touch of drama there - but only just. It sucked BIG TIME. I have had the really uncomfortable golfball feeling a couple of times (no PB), then the food would pass through the band (very strange sensation) followed by immediate relief. It's pretty scary though, huh? Here's to chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing. Then when we're too bored to care about it anymore, a couple of more chews then a swallow! LOL

Wow, talk about timing! Two in quick succession. Congratulations grandma!

Don't worry - we all get hoppin' mad sometimes. That's when the uglies come out. Fortunately, most people can tell the difference between a sincere prayer for your wellbeing and a slap in the face out of self-importance --- which, by the way, I agree is despicable. Now if we could all learn a little more patience and throw in a nice big dollop 'just-walk-away' life would be so much more pleasant. Easier said than done, and to be congratulated in those who have mastered it. I know I'm still a work in progress. (Note to self: must go get a look at Bettina's journal rant!) (Just kidding!)

Double DAWG dare you Leatha!!!!!! Or should that be more like QUADRUPLE dog dare ya?

I saw that too. Horrible. Too bad he didn't throw himself in front of a train BEFORE he abducted her and ruined a big chunk of her life and the lives of her family. Creep.

You GOTTA love PhotoShop!

I'm so glad someone brought up the mental aspects of being banded. Having your ACTUAL hunger suppressed or reduced by the band is only part of the journey. That's why you'll see so much on LBT about the band being a tool, not a miracle. You'll also have to deal with HEAD hunger and, unfortunately, they haven't yet figured out how to make a band for the brain! LOL Do a lot of research, a lot of soul searching, and be sure you understand that the only way the band will work for you is if you're willing to WORK for it. Best wishes on your decision and your weight loss journey.

I'm curious as to why they'd call in ANYONE from this thread. We can't even manage to kill our own thread much less anyone elses. Hmmmm. Must be some kind of subversive reverse psychology. Which means it WILL be our downfall. Nah.

Ahhhhhh! The difference is how much further away from my goal than you two. Nanny2Trey, you're down 45 pounds - - how far are you from your goal?

Hi Sally, I didn't have a problem with constipation for a WHILE after surgery - in fact, like lots of others here, I had the exact opposite problem until I was able to go back on more solid foods. Shredded Wheat or Fiber One cereal is really good for constipation. Benefiber doesn't seem to do much good for me. The best thing I've found for constipation is 1/4 cup of raw almonds daily. Sounds weird, but it works. The cereal works too but being carbohydrate it makes me hungry all day so I'm going with the almonds. You have to be careful with either choice though, both solutions are high in calories. I measure my almonds out into snack sized ziploc baggies as soon as I get them home from the store - that way there's no mistaking how much I've had. Besides, its really easy to grab a baggie on the go and get out the door!

Dawg, cottage cheese is a good source of protein. Do you like cottage cheese? Just think, instead of feeling like a shark, you'll feel like a Supermodel. Oh wait, in order to feel like a Supermodel you'd have to just push the cottage cheese around on your plate.

Wait. That didn't sound right did it? I should have KNOWN a bird flippin' gnome trumps a head up your ass any day! Carry on.

Whew! What a relief! I was afraid the head-up-the-ass poster was going to finally kill the killer thread.

My doctor told me a 4cc band can actually hold up to 5cc's. Makes ya wonder why it's called a 4cc band though, huh? Wish I could tell you more. Maybe you should contact Inamed and ask them. If you do, come back and tell us! lol Are they sure they're getting your fill into your band and that your band doesn't have a leak? I know everyone is different, but I couldn't swallow my own spit at 1.9cc in my 4cc band!

AND FEET! I'm scared to look too closely for any more similarities! Yikes! IS it a sculpture P'nut?

I swear Paul, I'm not stalking you. SLAP

OH MY GOD!!!!! I don't know WHERE that picture came from but it's HORRIFYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope I don't have nightmares about it. Last night I dreamt that I was being chased from place to place, and everytime the chasers arrived, the place was closed down. Hmmmmm. Can you say 'too much time spent on LBT?' But you notice I'm back again today. Glutton for . . . well, everything apparently! Thank goodness school starts next week. I can use the distraction! LOL

It's your band and your decision, but if I were you, I wouldn't get another fill until I could manage solid Protein like chicken and fish. 3 weeks on soft foods doesn't sound productive to me, and I know from experience that being overfilled is miserable and can set back your weight loss for months waiting for recovery. Think long and hard about what you're eating, and about getting another fill.

Hi Jachut, I didn't write it or isolate it - it was forwarded to me. Do you have a copy of the entire speech? I'd love to read it. I'm not suggesting that religious intolerance is the way to go. I am agreeing with this 'snippet' that religious fanatics who believe their religion gives them the right to attack, kill, and maim others should not be tolerated. If religious leaders can't control their followers, they should be deported. For what it's worth, Australia sounds fabulous. I like having my guns, but if no one else had guns, I'd be more likely to be comfortable without mine. What a vicious circle, huh?

Yay! Yay for you! I can't wait for you to come back and post about your families' reaction! Family, familys, family's, families. Plural possessive. Hm. This one has me stumped. I really need to download the spellchecker. lol Anyway - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

I said "turning out to be all about god." I guess I should have said "turning out to be ALL about god." Once again, inflection or the lack thereof . . .

My doctor said be careful of caffeine - that it's a stomach irritant. I took that to mean, have caffeine as tolerated, leave it alone if it's not important to you. I was never a big coffee drinker but I do go through spurts of coffee overconsumption! I haven't figured out if there's a pattern to it or anything but every 2 or 3 months I go on a coffee jag. After my esophagus was irritated I decided NO coffee. Just in case. Since my esophagus is back to normal I've had a few cups without incident. Here's my latest observation . . . decaf coffee gives me WAY worse coffee breath than caffeinated. Anyone else notice this? Maybe I'm just too hyper and busy to NOTICE my coffee breath after the caffeinated stuff! LOL Who knows.

Anything fruit with a 'leathery' skin can do that. I cut up plums into small pieces and chew the crud out of them to avoid the skin getting caught.