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I was self pay and my Dr. treats me just like everyone else. I paid $12,999 and that included a year worth of fills and all office visits for that year. I put mine on a credit card and am just paying it off monthly. My husband is from Mexico and I have spent many, many days down there and I would never consider going there for surgery things are just so different than here in the US. Even though it would be half-price sometimes you get what you pay for. I know it is hard but spend the extra money and have it done here in the States. Cheri

I live in Hitchcock so we are really close. I am 10 months out and have lost 65 lbs, been stuck at that weight for about a month. My Dr. was Dr Spivak in Houston. I love everything about him and his staff. I will be 50 in November and would like to lose another 40 lbs by them but time will tell. I would love to talk to you anytime. I have met some really nice people on these boards a few of us have started our own support group and meet once a month if you are interested I will let you know what day it will be this month. We usually meet in League City or Friendswood. Cheri

Just my opinion . . . but you must not truly have a relationship with God or you could not or would not want to use those words. God gives us free will to do as we want but if you love God you would not take His name in vain. Do you believe in a Heaven and hell?

Not cheating, it is not like we just get to lay there and watch the weight fall off. Would be nice huh? Cheri

MOM is great no cramps or pain either!! Cheri

I tried at a Support Group meeting it was good so was the other one they make chocolate Peanut Butter. Cheri

When you are “Born Again” then you should have a relationship with God where you are in constant contact with Him. It is not that we are pushy we are just Happy about that relationship and all that comes with it that you can't help but talk about it. I like to think that I do not have to be pushy but just live my life and hope people can see Jesus' love in me by the way I treat people and the choices I make. But remember us “Born Again” people are just human like everyone else and we make mistakes and do things that are wrong too, but we believe if we repent then we are forgiven. So if someone goes around bragging about their good deeds and how perfect they are keep looking for another example of a Christian - “Born Again person” Also keep us the up the good writing Patty!!!! Cheri

I have had a great experience. I am 10 months out and have lost 65 lbs, would have like it to be a bit more. but I am working on it. Walking is the best exercise of all times. But the first couple of months for sure! Cheri

I have Omnipaque in my band. Just looking to talk to someone also with omnipaque instead of Saline? Thanks Cheri

I have a 10cc AP band. But my friend has a 14cc Realize band I see no differece between our experences.

I have to disagree with this. My Dr says hot or warm liquids help to loosen the band. I have to have coffee every morning just to get my pills down. But that is just my opinion and experience. Also sometime when you have been stuck for a while and then it goes down you can still feel some of the sensation of where it was stuck for a few hours or a couple of days if you have irritated that area. Go on just liquids for a couple of days. Cheri

Reading all this made me hungry for Ice Cream!! I think once a month or so is okay, but in moderation and then up your exercise for a couple of days. I have learn that some food like that are trigger foods for me and and start a whole day of craving sugar or carbs. But I have learn to always be prepare with something with protien in it with you at all time or you will slip up. Cheri

I have to have sleep pills to sleep. People who do not sleep good do not lose weight as fast as people who get 8 hours of sleep. I only sleep about 3 hours a night and none during the day. I have taken Simply Sleep since before my surgery and still lose weight. So like you say everyone is different. Please post and let us know if your weight loss picks up when you stop. I have tried prescription sleep drugs but I walk in to walls during the night and fell out of the shower once during the night, plus it is very expensive. Cheri

I am 10 months out and about a month and half ago, I was throwing up and then went and sat down and ten minutes later I had to throw up again and this time it was blood. Went back and sat down again and then about 10 more minutes I was in the restroom throwing up blood clots. We were out to eat and I got a very small piece of chicken stuck, even though I was eating baby size bites. Anyway my friend rushed me to the car and was going to the ER, but I wanted to call my DR. Got his answering service as it was a Saturday afternoon. He called me back in 10 minutes and I explained it all to him. He said he would meet me at the office in an hour for a complete unfill, but to try something first. He told me to sip Water slowly and if it did not pass through in 30 minutes to head to his office. The first drink I took I threw up water and blood. My friend said take very small sips like the Dr said. So I started doing that and in about 15 minutes it went through. Dr. put me on liquids for 4 days, no unfill. He said I had busted a blood vessel by throwing up. That was a month and a half ago and I just went in for a small fill and he always uses floro he check everything and all was in the right place and fine. I do not slime when I get stuck and it never passes through, it always comes up real easy. I have C-pack(?) in my band instead of saline because Dr says it is thicker so some people have said that is why it always comes up instead of passing through because the c-pack it not as flexable or soft as the saline. My friend banded at the same amount as me have never throws up but slimes sometimes at first bite and can not continue to eat. I throw it up or spit it up and then go back and eat. Not sure if it is true about C-pack but that is what I was told. Busting a blood vessal was because of me eating the wrong thing and had nothing to do with the band. I knew I could not do chicken but ate it anyway. But you should always call your Dr when there is blood, but sounds like you did what I did you not to the extreme. Cheri

Try some “Muscle Milk Light” it is only 100 calories ready to drink and pretty light not heavy texture. I get it at Target, HEB, or Vitamin Shoppe. Can you have protien bar instead? Power Crunch Peanut Butter from Vitamin Shoppe are really good. You can order on internet, they are wafer like and almost melt in your mouth.

Too big a deal. Don't let is bother you.

I think you will be fine. I have learned to try to chew better now. But for some reason if I get stuck it always has to come up, it will not go through. Only one time did I get stuck and it go through and I was stuck about 10 hours before it went down. Some people get stuck and slime and slime but not me it just comes up. I do not have to make myself throwup it just comes up. But my friend who was banded 2 days after me is the opposite she has never thrownup she just slimes and slimes until somehow it goes through. Not sure why we are so different but we are. Cheri

I have been banded for 10 months. I would suggest some counseling for emotional eating. I think you need to stop looking for the full feeling. In 10 months I have probably only felt full a couple of times and that is when I think I ate too much. Counseling is so great and everybody could use it. The band does work faster for some than others. Maybe you are like me and a slow loser 65 lbs in 10 months. But slow is better than staying the same or gaining. I eat 3/4 cup of waterever I am eating and that is it full or not. Also make sure you are working out and drinking all your Water. Since you already have the band look at what you can change to make it work with you. You can change Drs. anytime and work with someone else. Also do you go to any support meetings? It makes all the difference to be around people going through what you are. I am going to add one more thing. I went to seminar on a Saturday and had an appointment with Dr right after seminar. He looked at my records and asked when I wanted to have surgery and I asked for Monday. So I had my surgery 1½ days after meeting with Dr. so I would not judge the Dr on that. Cheri

What a wonderful mother you had and what great daughter she had! Follow your dream!! Cheri

When you throw up blood that is too much!! I threw up blood after getting stuck on a small piece of chicken. Then about 10 minutes later threw up blood clots. Called my Dr he told me I busted a blood vessel. Not the fault of the band. But put me on liquids for 5 days. It was my fault for eating what I knew I have trouble with. If you are throwing up it is usually our own fault. Not chewing well enough or eating too much or too fast or you are way too tight! Don't risk it chew little bites and do not eat stuff you know you should not. If it keeps up you should see your Dr. Throwing up all the time is not normal or fun!! Cheri

Hang in there sounds like you are doing great. My husband is very supportive but like yours he has weighed the same since we got married 29 years ago. Feel free to private message me anytime. Cheri

Those posts are written by people who are to tight and choose to be so. I was too tight at my last fill and just stuck it out till it loosened some it took about a month. I will never do that again but now I know what too tight is and never want to do that again. My experience with the band has been great except when I was too tight. I would do it again in a minute! Being too tight is not good for the band or your body. Cheri

If I can do it anyone can!!! No cokes of any kind for 9½ months. You will get use to it!! Cheri

As the wife of someone who immigrated to this country from Mexico, I do not like the new law. My husband is now an American Citizen and why should he or I have to carry around proof we are citizens. Because that is what they want proof of citizenship like a passport not driver's license, I do not want to carry my passport around. Plus how many US Citizens have even purchase a passport. My husband is very white and you would only know he is Mexican because of his accent. He worked very hard to learn to read and write English and learn all bout the US government in order to get his citizenship. Many people who work in this county and are not legal have been paying Federal Income Taxes for years and not claiming any refund at the end of the year so some do pay taxes. If you are arrested for a crime I think then you should have to prove your status. But for a traffic ticket it is just wrong. If you are a criminal then you have put yourself in a situation where you should be looked at more closely. Everyone who lives in the United states should count their blessing because life in these other countries is so terrible, if I lived in some of them I would sneak in too. Cheri

Janice, I am so proud of you! You have worked hard to achieve this goal. The best is yet to come when we will meet all of our goals. Thank you for all the support and wonderful advice you have given me over the past 9½ months. This is a journey none of us need to do alone, it had been so much fun meeting you and going to support meetings with you and just knowing you are only a phone call away. You have been there when I have been stuck, been gurgling, been too tight or throwing up blood! Always an inspiration and full of advice that we can not read in a book. My journey has been fun and made much easier by having you as my friend. To everyone . . . if you are just starting or have been on this journey for a while. Find you a friend who is going through what you are and befriend them. Their support is priceless. We met on this board and Janice has proven what it to be suppotive, encouraging and true to herself and all she meets. She has worked hard and worked along with her band. She deserves as great big YAHOO!!!!!!