*susan*

Sarah, mashed potatoes and ice cream?? I had to laugh, that sounds like an awesome combination!

Hi Wendy and Desiree, welcome to LBT. My son hasn't heard of the fat gene either. He takes after his dad's side in that respect. They all eat, and eat...and then eat some more and never gain a pound. My poor daughter takes after me though, and has to watch everything that goes in her mouth. The good thing about my band though is that I have changed the way I eat and my activity level. She is 15, eats what I eat and enjoys working out with me. She is learning good habits at a young age that will hopefully last her a lifetime.

The chocolate lab, my Max is a chocolate too. They are awesome dogs! We also have a long-haired doxy, nice dog, but dumber than all get out. His name is Winston and he is our daughter's baby.

Laura, that commercial is great, it is one of the few that I actually laugh at. The male enhancement commercials drive me insane. My dh always gets a kick out of them. He says if he had an erection that lasted longer than 4 hours he wouldn't be calling the doctor, he would be calling all his friends and bragging about his awesome stamina.

I can't say I found any of them to be really bad this week. The first guy wasn't overly exciting though. But, they were definitely better than last week. The girls have a tough act to follow tomorrow night.

Guys, this subject came up on here about a year and a half ago. I remember someone posting pictures of those "long ropes" that they pulled off a web site that sells the stuff. I was completely grossed out. I had never seen anything so disgusting and can't imagine that I would actually have goop like that built up inside me. I think I will stick to veges and high fiber foods to keep my colon cleansed.

Thanks for making me feel better about the belt extenders. I am truly hoping I won't need one, but I feel so much better knowing if I do they will be discreet about it. Kat, maybe I can just take a couple of those sleeping pills an hour or so before the flight and have my hubby wheel me onto the plane. Then, maybe I won't wake up until we are in Vegas and will have missed the whole terrifying experience!

Am watching it now, I definitely do not think Danny is even close to being the best (David is imo), but....you gotta love his flippant attitude! He puts Simon in his place and I think even Simon enjoys it.

My understanding is that it is just a decision that is made once you are in surgery. It is based purely on anatomy, the size of your stomach, etc.

I take all of my pills whole and have never crushed them up. I did switch to chewable vitamins because I couldn't even begin to imagine swallowing something the size of a normal vitamin whole.

Ok, I know you said you don't want anyone to talk you out of anything, but I would just like to point out a few things, please don't get upset with me. First off, of course you are hungry right now. You are probably on a liquid diet. Once the initial swelling goes down from the surgery, many of us get hungry. This is because there is no fill in our band yet and it is like we don't even have the band. But, we have to give it the time to heal. Have you talked to your doctor and asked if you can move on to the next stage? As far as soda, I was a diet coke addict. I had it for Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack and everything in between. I thought I would die without soda. But, now I can't stand the taste of it. It tastes thick, syrupy and I can't stand the tingly feel. With that being said, I do know some doctors allow their patients to have soda, as long as they let it sit out and get a bit flat first. As for the rest of the food, I honestly can say that I have not given up any foods that I ate pre-band. Yes, I try to make healthier choices. But, there are still foods that I just love. I got this band to lose weight, live longer, enjoy life and be a normal person. Normal people like the same foods we do and eat them. I still eat them, yes, not as often, but I do eat them. And, when I do my band is there to make sure it is in moderation and I do not overdo it. Therefore, I have no guilt.

I got it for my 17 year old son and it worked great for him. There was a drastic difference in him in less than a week. It didn't work quite so well for my daughter though. I ended up taking her to a dermatologist and she got put on some prescriptions that have cleared her up. It actually ended up being cheaper for me than the proactiv because the insurance covered it.

luluc, not to go off topic, but I love the picture of your dog! He looks like my baby Max!

I love the new 100 calorie snacks microwaveable popcorn, they are a perfect snack and go down without any problem.

I would also suggest talking to your doctor. I am not sure how willing a doctor is going to be to take your band out after only having had it a week though. Exactly what type of stress is it causing you?

Hi and welcome. I love your ticker!

Not weird at all. I never really paid much attention until this thread popped up. I kind of think it looks like she is saying eating healthier foods such as apples helps you lose weight and she is holding her hand over her heart as if saying that makes for a happy, healthy heart. Or, she could just be really lonely and, well, you know........

Milk of Magnesia is my friend.

My port flipped 4 months after I had my band. It was a very simple procedure to have it fixed, I was in and out of the hospital in a couple of hours. Mine was left in it's original location.

Hi and congrats on getting your band! We are glad to have you join us. How are you feeling thus far? Let us know if you have any questions, we are glad to help.

wjbluv, I am so sorry about all you have gone through. It truly sounds like life has been a struggle for you of late. I cannot even begin to imagine suffering the losses you have in such a short period of time. I am surprised that having a complete unfill did not resolve your problems with the band. You said you are in "physical discomfort" from it. I apologize if you already mentioned this, but there are so many posts in this thread I may have missed it... Have you had a doctor check to see if your band and port have been placed properly or if there is some other problem with it? Perhaps a simple procedure could end the physical discomfort and that way you could leave your band unfilled until a time when you are better able to begin using the tool again. I am sorry I am not able to offer more help. But, I am glad that you felt comfortable to share your concerns with us, as we are here to offer support and advice in whatever way we can. The band is a great tool, but I do understand that it is not for everyone and due to life changes, etc., while we may have thought it would be great at one time, that may change later. The fact that the band is 100% reversible is definitely one of the advantages of it over other wls options. I hope you find the answers you are looking for and wish you all the best.

Queen, go to the following link for instructions on how to add a ticker to your signature: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/

Hi Jeannie, and welcome! We are glad to have you join us. Definitely keep us posted on your status and if you have any questions, ask away.

Hi and welcome to LBT! I am glad you decided to post after lurking for so long, we look forward to getting to know you. Let us know if you have any questions.

Mine was $16,000.00 and included everything for the first year.