*susan*

Donna, I am surprised to hear that. I am not having any problems at all.

My band slipped last year. I had a complete unfill for over a month. The first week my surgeon also had me do liquids only. When I went back in after a month, he did a flouroscopy and my band was back in place. Mine slipped after I was too tight and let it go for way too long. I was pb'ing constantly, which probably caused the slip.

Wow, it sounds like you have really been through it. I am so sorry and hope your sermoa clears up and you get to feeling better quickly.

My port flipped 3 1/2 months after banding. I had port revision surgery and have not had any problems with my port since.

I have your social group set up under the social groups now. It is the very last one listed in social groups.

Aww, Georgia Girl, I love the new pic too, you look great! Will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you that you don't have a leak.

BBK, I agree, the photos are absolutely gorgeous!

Why am I still trying to get those people to understand? Apparently, when one trys and states the facts and what kind of damage they may do long-term to their band, that is rude. I refuse to be an enabler. My goal in life is to stop people from eating waffles, cereal and big macs 4 days post-op. Yes, that is my new personal mission. Or should I say, "mission impossible."

I honestly don't believe it was rude. I think she was truly shocked and concerned that someone would be eating waffles, cereal and a big mac 4 days post op. So many newly banded people are coming on here looking to be validated in their desire to cheat, and many others are enabling them further with their statements of how they did it and they were OK, or how their doctors don't have them on the same diet, so they don't have to do what their own personal surgeon suggests. I have seen too many people try and be sweet, but it just doesn't seem to be getting through to people. It seems like some tough love is needed. Otherwise, I am concerned that the band is going to get a really bad rep. as a result of too many people moving to mushy and solid food stages too soon, resulting in a slippage down the road. The trend seems to be that as long as people are enabling them and validating their cheating, everyone is happy. But, the minute someone says, "lets get real people, you are putting your band and your health at risk" people get angry and we are accused of being rude. We are not rude, we just want people to realize what they are doing and what the long term effects can be. Don't be angry with us for stating the facts.

Hi there and welcome. Congrats on getting the band. Let us know if you have any questions, we are happy to help.

Well, you are now an official member of "the pb club". Lets hope you don't experience them too often though, lol.

Hi and welcome to LBT. Did the dietician give you a plan to help you lose the 20 pounds? You might want to check out the local forums. California has a forum there where you may find someone from Simi Valley. We look forward to getting to know you.

I am just curious... This is your first post ever to LBT. You didn't introduce yourself in the introductions forum or anything. Instead, you had to have specifically searched for a thread on this doc, because this particular thread that you have responded to is over 1 1/2 years old and no one has responded to it in as long. Then you chastise the original poster. Why?

Unbelievable. Today, at 11:30 a.m. my doorbell rings. It is FedEx with a package from Countrywide. The letter inside is dated June 25th. It says my loan modification has been approved contingent upon my completing all the enclosed and requested documents and return them by a certain date. Failure to do so will null and void the modification and they will place my home up for auction. They want all kinds of copies of stuff that I have sent them a million times in the past few months. Then, both my husband and myself have to sign all the documents they have enclosed and have them notarized. Lastly, we also have to send them a certified check for $980.00. OK, to save my home I am willing to do all this. However, I got this via FedEx today, July 11th. The due date for everthing...July 11th. WTF? It is impossible for me to get everything in their hands by close of business on 7/11 when I didn't get it until 7/11. Needless to say, I have been on the phone on and off with them ever since trying to get an extension. They are willing to admit they made a mistake, but are arguing the extension. I hate Countrywide.

I don't know, it ticked me off. I am tired of all the people coming here looking for and getting the validation to cheat. I find it hard to believe people do not know what they are getting into prior to being banded. Then, when a long time bandster such as LJM speaks up, she gets slammed for caring. I am so over it. And, LJM, because I pointed out that thread, I did go in there and post because I felt bad about the slamming you were taking in there.

OK, I was trying to steer clear of this thread, but as I am the one that called attention to the thread to others, I feel compelled to post now. Joiful, I can assure you that losingjusme's intent was not to make you cry. She has been on these forums for a long time, is a moderator and more importantly, one of the most supportive people I have ever seen on LBT. However, you have to understand her frustration, my frustration and the frustrations of many other long time bandsters. Please understand, as you pointed out about LJM, none of us are perfect. Sure, we have all had foods that aren't perfect for us. But, not four days out of surgery. You were four days out and had a waffle, Cereal and part of a big mac. And then someone else comes along and says, "oh, its OK, I ate food before I was supposed to and it didn't hurt me." That doesn't make it right. What we are seeing lately is an influx of new bandsters who have cheated or want to cheat on their doctor recommended post-op diets who are looking for validation from others to do so. And, they are getting that validation from people who are saying the infamous, "I cheated, I ate such-and-such and it didn't hurt me, so you will be fine." "I have been banded for a month, it didn't hurt me, listen to me, not those who have been banded for a year or longer, what do they know?" The thing is, this type of mentality and advice is the reason why band slippages are increasing. People are not doing what their doctors tell them. I may not be perfect, but I did follow my doctor's post-op diet. When I found that after two weeks of liquids I was so hungry I was about ready to gnaw off my own big toe, I didn't come on LBT and ask permission here to eat something. I called my doctor. I told him what I was feeling and asked him what I could do. After all, he is the expert, he is the one I paid thousands of dollars to and he is the one I need to trust in what is best for me. He offered me advice on what I could eat to feel fuller and it worked. And because of his advice, I still have my band two years later. Newbies just don't seem to get how important the post-op diet is. It is not there to make you miserable, speed up your weight loss or anything else. It is there because your band needs time to form scar tissue and heal into place. If it is busy having to work to churn and digest solid food, it can't do that. And you know what, sure, someone may have had some pizza or whatever at two weeks and said, "it didn't hurt me, you will be fine." Sure, they may have taken small bites, chewed slow and to them it went down without any problems. But, that is not the point. The point is that by making their stomach do all that extra work to digest that piece of pizza, they may have risked their band by not allowing it to heal properly. It may not show up today, next week or next month. It may be a year from now before they realize that one silly piece of pizza caused their band to slip and possibly result in their losing their band. After all you have gone through to get the band, is that piece of pizza, big mac or whatever your trigger food really worth it. I am not saying the post-op diet isn't tough. It is hard as hell, especially after having been on a liquid diet pre-op as well. But, you know what, everyone who is getting banded should know what they are getting into prior to surgery. They should not be going into this with blinders on. I find it very difficult to believe there is a bandster out there whose surgeon did not clearly explain what would be expected of them pre-op and post-op. I find it hard to believe there are very many bandsters out there that have not researched the band and found out a great deal of this information on their own. Yes, we all have food issues and that is why we are fat and that is why we need the band to begin with. But come on people, you know what you are getting into when you make the commitment to get the band. You know it is not going to be easy and it will probably be the toughest couple of months of your life. But, it is just that, a few weeks out of your life, that is all. For the sake of your health, your life and your band, as someone else said previously, put on your big girl panties and suck it up, do what is required and get on with your new, healthier, happier life. Is this tough love, yeah, it is. But 93 pounds later and feeling better than I have felt in years, I want everyone else to feel as good as I do. I want all the new bandsters to feel better and have success. That is what we all want here. So, if you have had a moment of weakness and strayed from your post-op diet, please, what is important is to get back on the diet and not stray again. If you haven't strayed and are tempted, don't look for validation to do so here. Either seek advice from people here on how they dealt with the temptations, or call your doctor and/or nutritionist, tell them what you are feeling and ask them what you can or cannot have. Just please, do not put your health and your band at risk because someone else at LBT did so and they don't believe it hurt them and therefore shouldn't hurt you.

This person says she was banded in Mexico and the doctor didn't tell her anything about a post-op diet. I just find it hard to believe that she was discharged without being told what diet she should follow.

Oh good grief, I just can't even bring myself to post in this thread. A waffle, Cereal and a big mac all within a few days of being banded. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/post-operation-lap-band-surgery-questions-answers-new/68920-when-did-you-start-solids.html

Actually, my port flipped and I did not have a clue. No pain, no pulling, nothing. So, it is very possible to have a flipped port and not realize it until they attempt to access it for a fill.

No LBT problems here today, so far.

I so would have loved to have said it was easy, but like others, this was a difficult question to answer. In all honesty, I could not answer that it is easy. The first year, it was, everything was perfect and the weight was literally melting off. Unfortunately, since then I have become one of those people who is really having difficulty reaching proper restriction. I have been so over restricted that I slipped my band and had to be completely unfilled. Since then, I am either over restricted or not restricted enough. Usually the latter because I am so afraid of having too much restriction again. In the past year, what I have lost has been due to pure willpower more than anything. But, since I have learned that a small amount of fill can make a huge difference for me, I am trying to slowly work my way back up to my sweet spot. Hopefully, once I get there again, things will start working better for me and I can get the rest of my weight off. With all that being said, I still love my band and know that if not for it, I would probably weigh well over 400 pounds by now. I am truly thankful for the near 90 pounds it has helped me lose thus far, and am confident I will not regain those pounds ever again.

Posting. Oh, and what was the purpose???

Libra, I hear you. I love our neighborhood. My daughter has a ton of friends here. Everyone knows each other and everyone looks out for everyone else's kids. It is safe and it is home. I don't want to take her away from that. I thought about selling my rings as well, unfortunately, that is not enough. I can make my monthly payments. The problem is I can't catch up what got behind, and the stupid mortgage company just keeps adding more and more late charges to it. It is just beyond what we can handle. We were served papers last week stating we have 20 days to respond. I have been working with Countrywide since October trying to get this straightened out. When I called them on the day we were served, I was told not to worry, that is just something that is automatically done and they have on file that we are working on a loan modification. Well, how can you not worry when these are official papers, filed with the courthouse and we now have every vulture in the county knocking on our door offering to buy our house and "save us from foreclosure". I am actually planning on spending most of tomorrow on the phone with them and bug them to see if it can't be resolved within the next few days, because this is just eating me up. To be honest, I am now at the point where I just want to know, are you going to work with me or not. If not, then I think I may sell to one of the "vultures" in order to avoid the foreclosure on my credit report. Either way, I just want it to be done. BBK, I am so sorry to hear about your husband and the circumstances that have brought you to where you are as well. Just like with Libra, these are all unforeseen circumstances that none of us could ever have predicted would happen. I hope your check comes in soon and will keep my fingers crossed for you.

You guys have all given me some great suggestions, thanks so much. We have been doing the knee one. When she goes to jump on us, we gently push her back with our knee, then we turn and walk away and do not give her any attention. If she comes to us and sits nicely, then we are loading her up with attention and telling her what a good dog she is. This seems to be working as the amount of jumping is definitely getting less and less.