*susan*

I finally figured it out and placed my vote for you BBK, you are way ahead!!

Dawn, that is great news. It sounds like you are well under way in the process to getting banded. Keep us posted on how things are progressing and let us know if you have any questions along the way.

Hi Rena, that particular message you are seeing is usually associated with tickerfactory.com. Did you have a ticker in your signature from them? If so, you have to update it periodically or that message turns up.

Froggi, I am sorry to hear about your hamster. It is ok to cry about it, no matter whether it is a dog, cat, hamster, or whatever, we all get attached to our pets and love them. Denise, I hope everything goes well today. I believe you said she is an attorney. As such, you think she of all people would understand the importance of having this person tested and how important a drug free workplace is. Please keep us posted. BBK, all I can do is send lots and lots of hugs your way girl!

Awww, I'm sorry Plain!!!

Brandy, girl, I went through that in 1999 with my ex. I feel your pain and know how difficult it is. Is there a nearby friend or family member that can come over so you are not alone right now?

That is great news. And, I love that you and dh are doing this together, what an awesome support system!

Welcome, we are glad to have you join us. You have definitely come to the right place for information and support. Let us know if you have any questions.

Hi Debbie and welcome to LBT! We are always glad to have new, experienced bandsters join us and share their success with everyone.

Froggi, that is just beyond disgusting!! Can we all give a collective "EEWWWWWWWWW"!

Wow, you guys are out there today, lol. Denise, I can't believe management doesn't know, don't they do drug testing? Long story short, I quit my job because the ahole director of accounting inappropriately accused me of stealing money from our fundraiser, when I hadn't touched any money at the event. She did this in front of numerous other staff. It wasn't the first time. She also accused me of this in March when we had our golf tournament. Funny thing is, her and her department were responsible for handling the money. I went to load stuff up in my car, came back and they had all gone home and left the darn cash boxes sitting there on a table. So, I took responsibility for them because they dropped the ball. Anyways, the day ended up with numerous coworkers and volunteers approaching my boss and and our CEO in shock that anyone would accuse me of trying to steal money from our kids. I only put in 70 hours a week to try and raise money for them!!! The day ended up with my CEO calling me telling me how everyone had my back, how inappropriate the finance director was and that it is being addressed with her and he assured me it will never happen again. He said I am a part of the "family", invaluable to the team and he knows I have too much integrity to ever steal from the company and that he hoped I would reconsider. So, I told him as long as I am assured she will not attack me in any such manner again, I would return. He promised he would personally make sure it doesn't happen again. Drama over.....for today.

Hmmm, Denise, what is up with that. I happen to be home right now because I just quit my job!

At the top of a thread, you see the tab "thread tools". Click on it to open up the drop down box. There, you will see "ignore this thread" and that should take care of it for you.

When your doctor does your fill, is she first removing all the fill to verify there is the same amount in there as the last time she gave you a fill? If not, she should just to verify that you do not have a leak.

Chubby, that sounds like a great idea. Please let us know how everything goes. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you.

I am truly sorry to hear about the problems you have had. I really have to wonder why you would have allowed yourself to suffer for three long years though? If you were having those kinds of problems, and your doctor was unresponsive, the best thing to have done would have been to seek a second opinion. How experienced was your doctor in band placement? What type of post-op diet did he have you on? I have had my band for 2 1/2 years. The first year was a dream. The second year, I had problems. I spent too long being too tight and throwing up every meal. I understand about ice cream, it does go down very well when nothing else does. The reason it went on too long was my own personal fault, because I did not go visit my surgeon. Once I did, he was very responsive to my problems and immediately set out to resolve the issues I had. Basically, by not going to see him after being so tight for so long and constantly throwing up, I caused my band to slip. So, I had to have a complete unfill. Then, again, due to my own silly fears of getting too tight again, it was a long time before I was ready to get filled again. In fact, I finally did because he called me and told me to come in. He gave me the kick in the butt I needed. He gave me a fill and told me I was not going to be happy with him because it was aggressive and it was going to force me to relearn all the bandster rules of eating, which I had abandoned. And, he was right. For the first couple of days, I hated him and my band again. I threw up everything. Finally, I took responsibility for myself. I started cutting my food in tiny, tiny bites again. I started chewing to mush again. I waited a bit between bites to make sure everything was going down well and to see if I got my stop sign. It was amazing, once I took responsibility and started following the bandster rules again, everything was beautiful. I am able to eat anything I want as long as I remember those rules. I am able to dine out with coworkers, family and friends without problems. And, I am losing weight. The people you quoted were people who were having problems. However, everyone in this forum is having problems, that is why they are posting in here. How about quoting some of the hundreds and hundreds of members we have here on LBT who have been successful and love their bands? There are many, many who we also do not see here very often anymore. We miss them, but are happy for them because they have succeeded with their weight loss goals and are out living their wonderfully happy, healthier lives. Gastric bypass surgery is not for everyone. DS is not for everyone. Lapband is not for everyone. Plain old dieting without wls is not for everyone as many have tried and tried but do not succeed. Everyone has to follow their own path and choose what is best for them. The most important thing is that we research, research and research some more to make sure we know what we are getting in to, understand what is going to be expected of us in order to be successful and are honest with ourselves about our willingness and ability to make the commitment to do what is required with whatever weight loss method we choose. And, if you have problems, as a patient, it is our right to receive proper and competent medical care and we should demand it from our doctors. If we do not receive the care we need from them, then it is our responsibility to seek a new doctor who will ensure we are successful and healthy. Best of luck to you.

drstan1, I am not sure what getting addicted to the treadmill and staying away from doritos is going to do, she really didn't state exercise or doritos was a problem. Chubbydiva, I am curious as to why your surgeon isn't trying a complete unfill as well. I had a pretty bad slip last year. My doctor did a complete unfill for about two months. I spent two weeks on liquids only after the unfill. The band was able to reposition itself via this method. I have read of numerous bandsters who were also successful with slipped bands via this method. Did your doc even consider trying this as an option first?

I echo everyone's thoughts in that I hope everyone is ok. We went through Fay two weeks ago, but she was nothing compared to Gustav.

I know, that is so weird. My shoes were the first part of me to drop down a size. I didn't know our feet would lose weight too.

Wow, two great new features, I love it!!

Alex, this is awesome!

Hello, everyone! Just peeking in to see what I have been missing. I have been so busy at work, and have one more week of it until our biggest fundraiser of the year. SNT, I get your new avatar. But, Plain??????

I have never been sure who is more nervous on the first day of school, me or my kids. Gloucester, I am sure she will be fine.

Hey everyone! Sounds like everyone weathered the storm pretty well. We weren't near the tornado's, were any of you? Around here, we had about the same as Kelly, standing water and a bunch of tree limbs down. Our biggest annoyance was we were without power from Wednesday night until Friday night, with the exception of a couple of hours here and there.