DonnaB

My understanding of the no carbonation rule is that the buildup of gas in the stomach, once the soda has passed the stoma, puts pressure on the band from below. The pressure could cause the band to slip but the real danger is from errosion. If your stomach below the band is swollen from the gas, it could cause a loss of blood supply to the stomach tissues where the band is which would cause errosion. Kinda like wrapping a rubberband around your finger - as more blood is trapped below the rubberband, your fingertip begins to swell putting more pressure on the area under the rubberband, causing more blood to be trapped in the fingertip, causing more pressure . . . see what I mean? When you have good restriction, the stoma is small enough that it keeps you from being able to burp out enough gas fast enough, to stop the pressure problem. Apparently, no matter how frequently you burp, you can't get all the gas back out. That's my understanding of the no carbonation rule. It sounds logical, but who really knows. What I DO know is that carbonated drinks aren't important enough to me to take that kind of chance. Best wishes on what YOU decide to do.

Hi all, My PM box is full. I'd like to move some of the mail to folders - assuming this will free up space to receive new PMs. How do you create the folders to move the mail to? Does anyone have a good system for moving and storing the mail they don't want to delete? Signed, Drowning in clutter I'm not ready to let go of !!!! Help me, help me I'm going down for the last time, glub, glug, sputter, cough!

Thanks everyone for your replies. Thanks for the definitive answer Alexandra. Since moving them to a folder doesn't open up more space I'll just move the ones I want to keep to my computer. I was hoping there would be a quick solution but, oh well.

I want to keep them because they are a journal of my banding experience. They remind me of where I was and what my goals were at the time. Some of them have information, like pictures, that I want to keep. I hope you don't end up wishing you'd kept some of yours.

Nothing? Oh come on - you know you've done this! Share the secret!

Hi all, Without going into full details (too tired and too long for right now) my husband and could not have kids of our own. We tried for several years to have kids (inutero, invitro, et al.) and only recently decided it was time to stop trying. I'm 44, he's almost 40. Some friends of ours' daughter (they had her when they were VERY young) just had her children taken from her by child protective services. Because of the circumstances, our friends (the biological grandparents) are not eligible to take custody of the children. My husband and I have been asked to adopt the youngest of the children (he's 15 months old.) We want to help them, but this is not a situation of fostering until the biological parents get their act together. This is going to be termination of parental rights and adoption. So . . . How old were you when you had your children? How old is too old to start a family? If you or someone you know had children later in life and could do it over again, would you? Do you think or have they said they would? Does anyone here have experience with adoption? Does anyone want to offer advice or perspective on this? My mind keeps going to the good parts like Christmas and Halloween and birthdays and school plays and it sounds really good. But then I have to remember it's the every day stuff that is the reality. Get up, get dressed, get to school, do the homework, clean your room, take a bath, getting the flu, breaking the china, spilling milk on the carpet, bla bla bla. I know there's a lot of work involved. That part I've got figured out. What I really need is some discussion of the pros and cons of having children. Is it worth it? I know every mom who loves her kids will say yes, it's definitely worth it but, would it be worth it if the kids weren't yours? Would it be worth it if you had to start from scratch at 44 years old? I need some perspective here.

Completely reprehensible. I wish I'd thought of it first. LOL

mysherrijo, there is a 10cm band which holds 4ccs and a larger band which holds 10ccs CM vs. CC's It'd be a lot easier if they'd just stick with one discription of the band - either CM or CC. Using both just makes the whole thing confusing.

Hi WA people! I live near Arlington . . . Texas! lol I guess I won't be making the supporting meetings! LittleBird, don't rule out insurance covering your fills. I had surgery in Mexico for the same reason - insurance wouldn't cover it. Guess what? They're covering my fills without any hesitation or explanation. Go figure.

DOUBLE (now triple) BACK TO BACK POSTS!!!!! THREAD KILLER EXTRORDINAIRE!!!!!!!

Something just occurred to me . . . Dawg and Photonut are probably sitting in the same room madly typing messages back and forth. I wonder if this is some kind of courting/mating ritual for the Geek genus. Is there an anthropologist in the house? *snicker*

Um, lint. Wait, was this a trick question? Maybe some psycological test? I hope I passed -- I knew I shoulda studied harder.

My DH and I are looking into either a laptop or a notebook to replace my PC. I'll hang on to it though, I mean, it's an antique, it's probably very valuable to a collector. I'm so jealous.

The thing that helps me most is my FitDay.com food journal. I log my food and I can see exactly what's going on. It's amazing how just a few extra calories here and there really add up without you realizing it. FitDay is what keeps me honest and when I stay within my goal parameters I steadily lose weight, when I don't lose weight I can look at my journal and see exactly why not. www.FitDay.com has a free version to see how you like it and the freebee works pretty well. The downloadable version is $20 and WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!! Give it a try and see if it helps you too.

Oooooh SciFi! Have you ever seen the one about that thing, with the guy, at the place? My husband loved it! I thought it was pretty non-descript.

I love CHEESEcake!

Brit? Did I call you a Brit? Sorry. I meant Limey! *hee hee hee*

Please follow your doctors' orders. You really don't want to lose your band or have complications because you couldn't wait for red meat.

If our plane goes down in the frozen tundra we'll be the last to be eaten. Of course that means WE'LL be the ones doin' the eating. Ladyfingers anyone?

I've actually been kind of worrying about this. I know doctors prefer you not vomit if you're banded, but what if you have the flu or food poisoning? It's not like you can keep yourself from vomitting. What are you supposed to do? Aren't you glad I posted such a useful reply?! Sorry! lol

Thank you EVERYONE for sharing your stories and expressing your feelings. I truly do appreciate your support and perspectives on a tough situation. I apologize if my misunderstanding has led to hard feelings and I'll just have to hope you forgive me if I react hypersensitively as I walk along this tightrope. I WOULD like to say that I didn't start this thread to hear only the good things that happen when people have children, either through nature or adoption. I wanted to start an open discussion about what I used to laughingly call "the parenthood bait and switch!" -- They tell you how great it is so you'll be lulled into joining the mommy club, because misery LOVES company! LOL Even my friend, who ADORES her two childred, halfway agrees with this assessment. I kind of want to hear the worst of it so I'll have a better understanding of what I'm getting myself into here! Of course the worry is that it will send me running in the opposite direction, right? :mad: But isn't it better to know now than later? Isn't it? ((cricket chirping in the silence)) lol

Yoda, I didn't use your name and I didn't misquote you or "mislead" anyone as to what you said. You 'outed' yourself here. I guess next time you should just post publicly or accept the recipients' interpretation of your message. The other alternative is to post your message in language which cannot be construed as anything other than intended. Your clearly insincere, smiling "Have a good one!" only reenforces my wary first impression of your initial PM.

Ooooooh! You're even meaner than ME! lol lisah, I'm telling your Momma on you.

Oh, oh! I got it! Take the clothes and SELL THEM ON EBAY! LOL OK, I know they're not worth anything unless they're designer or something but, the idea made me laugh. If you actually did sell them you could use the money to buy clothes that actually fit you! AND show her the receipts so she'll know how much money she made for you. lol I actually think Mandy and Edie have the best idea - give the clothes to charity - but make her take them there in her car, using her ga$. Unless you're itemizing your taxes that is! lol I know, I know.

Well, duh! And can I get a AMEN!