*susan*

18 pounds already, wow, you are doing fabulous!

Have you contacted your doctor? That is probably what I would do. He might be able to call you in a prescription for something that will knock it out in a hurry. When I was 18, I was scheduled to get my tonsils out. Three days before the surgery, I came down with a nasty cold. I went to my doctor, who was an ear, nose and throat doctor. This is gross, but he suctioned all the "stuff" out of my nose, gave me a shot and I was better in time for my surgery.

Hi Charity, glad to have you join us. As a former bandster, I will attest to how much happier I am with my sleeve. Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-band by any means. And for those it works well for, I couldn't be happier for them. I had many problems with my band. And in terms of after care, you are looking at fills and unfills, etc. for the rest of your life. With the sleeve, you get it and you are done. You have perfect restriction. I love it.

Lizabe, welcome! We are glad you decided to join us. I am curious about what you said regarding having to live in the treatment facility for two months after getting your sleeve. I have never heard of that before. Why do they require that?

I love burgers, but I very seldom eat the bun either. The bun just fills me up too quickly. I would rather have the protein.

Chancie, that is a great NSV! Those kind are the best.

I always add cheese and either chicken or turkey to my salads. I love them that way.

Oh my gosh, I am the same way. It is especially noticable when we go out for dinner. I will be done eating and it hardly looks like I touched my plate. Then, I look around at everyone else's plates and they are virtually empty. I am shocked to think I used to eat that much too!

That is great news, Dr. Pleatman. Thank you so much for letting our members know!

I found that for people who see me every day, it isn't super noticable. They actually didn't notice much until I went out and bought a bunch of new clothes a couple of weeks ago that actually fit. Then, everyone started commenting. Now, if I run into someone I haven't seen in a couple of months, the first thing they do is comment on how much weight I have lost.

Hi TinyTummy, and welcome to VST! We are so happy to have you join us. You will find lots of wonderful people here. I am still fairly new into my journey, and right now, I do have quite a bit of loose skin. However, I am told to give it a year once you reach goal weight before having any work done, as the skin may tighten up during that time period. I am truly hoping that will be the case for me. Do you have a date set yet? Who is your doctor? Let us know if you have any questions, we are always happy to help.

Ditto that on the drain removal. I think my hubby agreed too, he said they just kept pulling and pulling and he didn't think it was ever going to end!

Nana, I had never thought of doing something like that. I am far enough out now, that I don't have any problems taking my pills. But, that would have been great four or five months ago. I dissolved mine in water, held my nose and took them that way. Needless to say, it wasn't a very pleasant experience.

It definitely is!!

Hey Judy, glad you made it home safely. Get some rest and update us when you are rested up.

Sorry, Fab, no grays yet, and I bet we are close to the same age. I am 42. I occassionally watch Extreme Makeover, but not real often. Lately, the hubby and I have been seriously into the Food Network. Fanny, beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing them!

Cristine, welcome to our forums! We are thrilled to have you join us. I also had my surgery by Dr. Aceves, as many of us here have. I don't have much to add to what Cajun has already posted. I can just testify to the fact that he and has staff are wonderful and you will receive wonderful care if you decide to go with them.

Nana, congrats on deciding to move forward with the revision. Your doctor should remove the band and do the sleeve all at the same time. It is a good idea to have a complete unfill a couple of weeks prior to getting your sleeve. That way, if you have any swelling or irritation from the band, it has time to go down prior to your surgery.

That is interesting, Vegas. I have no idea how you can lose inches and grow a cup size. I have been thinking about having a professional sizing done. I might have to run by Lane Bryant after work today.

Hi Geeky, and welcome to our forums. We are happy to have you join us. I did Curves for about a month and really didn't like it at all. Like you said, I didn't care for the music at all. Not only that, I just never felt like I got a good workout there. I never even broke a sweat. I joined a regular gym and do like you suggested. I like taking the cycling classes and then follow it up with the weights. I really feel like I have gotten a good workout then. Keep us posted on how things are going and let us know if you have any questions.

Hi Debbie and welcome. The post-op diet is tough, and even tougher once the swelling in your tummy goes down and you begin to feel hungry. However, it is so important you stick to what your doctor has prescribed, in order to make sure you heal properly. Be strong, I know you can do this!!

Hi and welcome to LBT! Did you check out our local forums for people living near you?

Hi Cortney, we have a clothing exchange in our social groups located here: LAP-BAND