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This sounds very promising! Your doc must be Dr. Ren? I have a few blogging friends who went to that practice. I look forward to hearing how you do with this new procedure! I am just like you - the slightest bit loose and I will start to regain. For me it is all about the hunger. I need to have the band somewhat tight to keep the hunger at bay.

That is really interesting, I read a little about the plication. Is your practice doing this with most lapbands now? I hope it does the trick for you!

Hey, great to hear from you! So sorry about the problems you have had. I hope you are feeling better! I totally worry about a slip or some other complication. What do you mean your practice sees a zillion of these? How bad was your heartburn? I get this at night sometimes. I have been plateaued for nearly a year, going up and down within a 10 pound range. Right now I am at about 53 pounds lost - my original goal was to lose 80, but now I'm just hoping for 70. I feel great though, I'm working out with a trainer and feel strong and healthy. I am wearing a size 12 easily, and I finally fit into designer jeans! I would love to hear from everyone else too!

That is awesome! I am in slow motion here with the scale....but I have made peace with slow and steady (mostly). We need progress pics!

Amanda, I am in exactly the same place!!! I have lost 6 pounds in the last 3 MONTHS and have been battling the 185-188 range for weeks. Something about hitting this point, I guess. I also fit into some 12s now, which is great...but I have 30 to go too! I don't know if I should get a fill or not. I have one scheduled for next week, but I just had a fill 3 weeks ago and some days it seems good, other days...well, I can eat pizza too! Let me know how it goes. I hope we figure it out! :thumbup:

Hi Julie! I did not realize Dr. Metz was gone. I never even met him. I really like Dr. Brown - he is quiet and has a dry sense of humor, but nice guy, not full of himself like some doctors are! How is the latest fill? I am not sure if I am going back at the end of this month or not...my bad fill is getting better. If I do, I will let you know!

I am very happy with Dr. Brown's office. I was self-pay and chose Dr. Brown for a few reasons: 1) I liked that they do pre-and post-op psychologist and nutritionist consultations. Both the nutritionists and the psychs. are great. 2) I like the location of Dr. Brown's office right in downtown Denver rather than Aurora because I come from out of town and like to shop while I am there! ; 3) it was much easier to get an appointment with Dr. Brown than Dr. K. From my first phone call to the office till I was banded was less than 1 month 4) the pre-op diet is only 3 days and the post-op diet is totally reasonable, with full liquids allowed from Day 1; 5) Dr. Brown's office is generous with fills -- you get a good fill right from the beginning and every fill afterward. No Baby Fills! That said, I am sure I would have loved Dr. K as well. The end result is the same which ever doctor you choose! So think about which pre-op diet you want to do, which office you want to travel to, which office can give you the best surgery date. BTW I totally skipped the seminar phase. I knew what I wanted so they said it was not necessary. Good luck! :thumbup:

Hello Girlfriends! I have not been here lately - for some reason I do not get updates to the threads anymore so I forget to check in. I spend a fair amount of time on my blog and reading and commenting on other lap band blogs. Amanda you should totally do a blog! It is easy, fun, and there is a wonderful community of band bloggers who support each other. I have found it to be incredibly helpful. Visit my blog! And to start one, anybody, just go to Blogger.com and set one up, it is totally easy, the template is right there for you. I am still trying to reach 50 lbs., I am at about 48 down right now. I have been off the exercise wagon since my gallbladder surgery, but now it is time to get going! I also had a vacation in Mexico and inhaled guacamole and pina coladas...luckily I only gained 2 lbs and finally got that 2 back off. I went in for my 5th (I think) fill and they took everything out, saw that I was at 7.2 instead of 7.4, and brought me back to 7.4. I am feeling pretty good, not hungry. I have some recent posts on my blog about not cheating the band, and trying to work with the band. It is a learning process, isn't it? I will try to post some pics. I have some Mexico and bathing suit shots! Hope you are all well. Dee, have a fab time on your vacay!

I lost 40 pounds in the first 4 months. Now it is going slower - at 6 months out I am 2 pounds away from 50 pounds lost! I do not weigh or measure food, but I do try to exercise regularly. I started with about 75 pounds to lose total, so I am about 2/3 of the way there! You can absolutely reach your goal.

Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone. I am feeling better and will be able to get to the gym when I return from my vacation on th 14th. We are going to a resort outside of Puerto Vallarta, near Punta Mita. Leaving this weekend, yay! Cozumel is awesome, that would be a great choice. The snorkeling is incredible. So I have a bunch of new bathing suits and cute sundresses for my trip! I am going to model them on my blog later today, feel free to take a look :w00t:. Everything is size 14 or L and....I even got one size M top! (Okay, its Old Navy, but still!) On the gallstone issue - This was the result of rapid weight loss, according to the doc. (It did not feel all that rapid to me, but in the beginning it really was I suppose). What happens is when you eat much less, your gallbladder does not have as much opportunity to move the bile out of the gallbladder, and so stones form. Your gallbladder only works after you eat a meal, so if you are not eating much, it is working much less! It really sucked having surgery again so soon, let me tell you. And the scars are not as bad as that big lapband one, but the one near my belly button is pretty ugly. My belly is such a wreck right now! Thank goodness for tankinis! I have lost pretty much nothing this past month, mostly because of the GB surgery and no exercise. My eating is fine, I feel like I am at my Sweet spot, but I probably need to pay more attention to stuff like the occasional tortilla chip and chocolate! Hope everyone is doing well! :smile2:

OMG that is amazing. I am in the opposite position - had gallbladder surgery 2.5 weeks ago and cannot exercise. So I have maintained at 186-187. At least I did not gain! Watch out for gallbladder problems Ladies! Congrats Amanda! You really have this thing figured out!:smile2:

Real vomit? No, never? Slime coming up? YES! This is just like saliva, it is nothing like actual vomiting. I have found that if I feel stuck I can always wait it out with a little sliming - rather than vomiting the food up. I am 6 months out with excellent restriction, 7.4 ccs in a 10 cc band. If the slime thing wigs you out, you might want to go some other route rather than the band. It will almost certainly happen at some point. But really, it is not that big of a deal, and nothing like vomiting - which I really hate too! Good luck with your decision. I am 100% thrilled with the band. :smile2:

Amanda, you are doing so well!!!! How much fill do you have now? I find that I can eat plenty of some things - the stuff we are not really supposed to have, like cereal, crackers. But last night I tried some chicken and could only manage 2 bites! I have 7.4 ccs in my 10 cc band. Also, a little update: I ended up having surgery to remove my gallbladder this week. Apparently gallstones are common after WLS/rapid weight loss. What a drag. Five new scars to add to my collection on my belly! Laprascopic surgery again - of course they could not use the incisions already there! The worst is no exercise for 3 weeks - and I am leaving for spring break in Mexico in 2.5 weeks! I was on a roll with Pilates and exercising about 5 days a week. Ugh. Hope you are all doing well.

Hello friends, just checking in. I had surgery to remove my gallbladder this week. Apparently gallstones are common after WLS/rapid weight loss? Anyway, it sucks having 5 MORE incisions on my belly. I am surviving with the Lortab. This surgery was easier than lap band in terms of gas pains - I had none this time - but the cut near my belly button hurts more.... Hope you are all doing well. Gen

Hi Ladies, I am happy to report I reached 45 lbs lost and out of the 190s today! I am totally at my sweet spot again. This is perfect. No problems eating, but not hungry, not thinking about food at all. Hope it sticks for a while! Is everyone doing well? I need to go back and read the old threads! By the way, is the other September thread active or is this the main one?

What a drag! Hope this tiny fill helps!

Yay! Welcome to town, so happy to see you here! :wink:

Thank you so much, you are so sweet! The tummy...mine really went down a BUNCH...From 39" waist to 33". But I think this is just because my weight was never meant to be stored there - I have always had a pear/hourglass shape. If you lost 6 inches in your waist that is the same as me! Now my thighs and hips...another story! So no secrets - I just lose weight around my middle easier than anywhere else. I bet you look great. Pilates helps a whole lot - keep doing it! Do you have a blog?

Congratulations that is awesome!!!!:biggrin:

Hi Dee - Hope this restriction lasts for a while! My last fill kept me in the sweet zone for about 5-6 weeks. Hopefully this next little bit will last longer!

The third fill was great for me, totally hit the sweet spot. But it only lasted 6 weeks...back for another fill!

Hi Amanda, sorry about the plateau, it hit me too! I have not lost anything in 3+ weeks. I am no longer at my sweet spot, though I do have restriction...just going in for a tiny bit more next week. Good luck, and MOVE IT scale!!!:biggrin:

Hey Jess I'm right about where you are in terms of weight and total losses - I am thrilled and you should be too! You are doing great! Happy New Year!

OMG you made it! Welcome to Onederland!!!!

Awesome Deb! That is incredible! Happy New Year!