BJean

Edie: I have already had champagne. I had not eaten at all though. But I had absolutely no problem. However I just remembered that I had very little restriction. It was practically non-existent. So that may have allowed the champagne go down easily with no repercussions. And I must say it was a very pleasant buzz. (no hangover either!)

Eleebanna2: Sounds like we share many of the same emotions about our current leaders. They have us in one heckofa mess. We have to put up with Bush for another 2 years. I hope we survive it. When you said you had trouble even typing Thatcher's name, I had to giggle. Many people at this site have the same problem with Bush. They are so incensed by his actions that they (we) call him all manner of silly names. It offends the Republicans, and they think it is an affront to the entire country, but when you have lost all respect for someone it is difficult not to demonstrate your disgust. The fact that they use the born again Christian label to justify their dirty deeds is especially upsetting. I've never been able to understand the right wing's war mongering stance. They want the whole world to be afraid of us and the whole world seems to think we are crazy. Who will take Blair's place? Any hope there? BJean P.S. You are right on about the Bush's connections to the Bin Ladens. Sure makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Lynn Band: Once you've been here awhile you'll see how everyone who's new asks this question. PB stands for productive burp. It isn't your normal burp, it's one where you actually spit up something you've eaten. It is usually preceeded by a bout of "slime-ing". I've read some posts that say they actually PB'd at the dinner table without warning. I've only PB'd once. And just after a couple of very small bites of a bran muffin. I got a terrible pain, like a golf ball is stuck, went to the restroom of the restaurant, started developing lots of slime, and then PB'd. Afterwards the golf ball pain went away, but I wasn't interested in eating breakfast. Small bites, chew thoroughly and take lots of time eating and you'll probably be able to avoid a PB episode.

laurigee: I have lost 31 lbs. too! And most of it just like you did. I have 2.1 ccs in my band and I have another 50 lbs. to lose too! We sure have a lot in common. Or maybe this is normal outcome for the first 3 months after getting banded. I'm trying to get back on the band wagon and after Thanksgiving, it's hard. I can't believe I made it through Halloween without any candy and then Thanksgiving threw me off. Anyway I'm going to take one day at a time and try to not beat myself up if I goof up. My dietitician said that after about 6 months we will stop worrying so much about regaining the weight. I sure hope she's right! Best of luck to you on your journey to a slender you.

Eleebana2: Brings up an interesting point. How do you explain why your Tony Blair is such a proponent of the war in Iraq? Why has he commited British troops to it? Do most British people support your Prime Minister?From your post, it sounds as if you feel about this war as many of us in the U.S. do. We may not have a picture of a couple of rednecks sitting on a fence outside Liverpool, talking about kicking some unknown Iraqi's ass, but you all seem to be just as committed to the war. Especially after hearing some of the remarks from your Prime Minister yesterday. And believe me, I've known some nice Englishmen too.

Oooh I'm mad at myself for not getting Korn, Cranberries or cake! Korn opened for my son's band at the Whiskey in LA. And Cake is one of my all time favs. Besides, they're all food names, something I'm REALLY good at. This was fun. I'm going to try to send it to my son and see how many he gets.

My golf ball experiences are only about 5 minutes also. You gotta get relief, one way or another. I can't imagine having one for hours. I've only PB'd once - in a restaurant restroom. But today for the first time I've read where people have actually spit up at the table!! OMG, I would surely die. I'm going to be very careful not to eat too fast after hearing about people having a reaction that caused a PB that fast. I haven't figured out how many lbs I need to lose to reach the Christmas goal. Guess I ought to do that. But I hate to find out that at this point it's impossible. Yeah like you said, this is the season for miracles! I believe!!

Yeah! Do It!

want2lose: I've never heard that before about the push back on the syringe. Makes sense. I'll ask my doc about it. Be nice to know that he has some indication of where we are with fills. I just had my 3 mo. anniversary and have lost 30. I hope you learn that you have too! I had my 3rd fill on Tuesday. I am not having the golf ball or PBs, but I'm feeling like I am satiated much sooner. That might not be ideal or as good as having the "sweet spot" but it's definitely an improvement over not feeling any restriction and being hungry a lot. Anyway it sounds like you're doing very well! I'm concerned about the Christmas challenge, but I hope this fill will help me reach that 25 lb. goal. Keep up the good work!

Amen to both of you sisters!

Thanks for the specific info Carlene. Baker and others called me for my opinion recently and thankfully they listened. Now if we can just get Bush to get real. :bandit

Political correctness is causing people to be shocked by Bush's decisions? Political correctness is the reason people are furious about Americans being killed everyday? Political correctness is what's making Americans look bad to other countries? Political correctness makes Americans not stand for anything? Poppycock. Using that tired old "political correctness" argument means absolutely nothing and it is not correct! We are losing in Iraq because of the way we are operating there and the way that the insurgents are operating there. We are not winning the war in Iraq because it can't be won by us in the way our administration has decided we should go in there. We are losing people everyday and we are not winning. We are not a "paper tiger" country. We have lots of might. We've certainly proven our willingness to show up and fight! But we have not been smart about our actions in Iraq. We did not have enough support from other countries, especially the countries surrounding Iraq, so we look like we are weak because of our lack of proper planning and our approach there. We look weak because we didn't use our intelligence. We look weak because we went in like a dumb big bully without regard for anybody else. If you think we went in there to make that country a democracy, the American powers that be hoped you'd believe that. We're there because of greed and we fought we way we have because of stupidity. There's not one iota of political incorrectness or correctness in that fact. We are never going to agree about Iraq or President Bush, because we see them from completely opposing viewpoints. But I ask you to not read what people are writing here. Watch your television. Listen to the news and read the newspaper. We have lost in Iraq and we throwing good Americans to the wolves everyday that we make them stay there. Let's all hope that someone uses all that we've learned over these years of involvment in Iraq to find a solution that will HELP the Iraq people, whatever their religious beliefs. And let's care enough about our own flesh and blood family of American military not to condone the loss of one more life for such a fruitless cause.

Thanks for helping the rest of us learn more about the mini-gastric bypass. I would not be interested in anyone tampering with my intestines. I met a woman in the hospital when my mom was there who had been in the hospital for a month and didn't know how much longer she would have to be there. She was skinny after having had a gastric bypass, and as a result, almost died. She had gone through tremendous pain and it was touch and go for a long time for her. Just because someone terms it "mini" doesn't mean it is an insignificant procedure. Maybe they call it "mini" only because it is not as complicated as the original gastric bypass surgery. I had my 3rd fill today and I have high hopes that this is just what I needed!

Julier: I'm back from the doctor and seeing the dietician. He put in .3 ccs. That takes me to 2.1 ccs total. I am in a program where they do not use fluroscopes for the fill. They err on the side of being very cautious and very slow. They have decided that it is better for us to go slow and change our eating habits very gradually. They also don't want to have to do unfills. They will do a fill every 2 weeks until you've found the right restriction for you. We also see a dietician every 2 weeks and an exercise physiologist every 4 weeks. It's all included in the initial surgery fees. We pay about $18,000 out of pocket. He does not participate in any insurance programs. Also, once a month we have meetings with other bandsters and get tips about how to eat and exchange recipes and ideas. Also, every month there is a psychologist who lectures about some facet of regaining our physical and mental health as it relates to food. I found out most of this info about the fills today. It explains a lot why my experience has been so different from many of the bandsters here at LBT. The neatest thing I learned was that since my last visit - 3 weeks ago - I had not gained like I was sure I had. I came away feeling better about myself and the program. And I'm going to try to not be so impatient and I am going to not feel so bad about myself when I don't lose several pounds every week. I will be happy with 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Your posts have been good for me and I appreciate it. You helped me get through a very hard couple of days without throwing in the towel. Thanks!

julier: It must be a real challenge to figure out just the right amount for our bands. I shouldn't be so impatient. I can't help right now but be jealous that eating isn't that much fun for you. Besides, I love soup. Hmmm. Maybe I wouldn't love it if it was the only thing comfortable to eat. Hope things settle down for you soon and you achieve that "sweet spot" that works perfectly for you. I'm headed out for my 3rd fill and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the 3rd time is the charm for me.

CoryW: Way to go!! Keep up the good work. So glad you shared your success with us. That was a great thing to have thanked your friends for their support on Thanksgiving. Wish I had spent more time thinking of that instead of Pumpkin Pie. I am sure your friends are very thankful to have you in their lives too. Congratulations to you and here's to your good health!

Thanks so much for all your encouragement. I had no idea that the average number of fills to get to the right restriction was 6! That's encouraging. I admit I'm getting anxious and frustrated. But you're right.. at least I'm finally doing something and even if I gain a little, over the long haul I'll still be ahead of the game. I do want fast results and I guess that's not reasonable. The doc told me from the beginning that this is a 2 year plan. I may be guilty of thinking of this as being like the gastric bypass surgery, and it is not. It's way more healthy and takes some work on my part. Thanks again for the reality check. I really appreciate it!

Kathi: People in America are scared. The morning of 9/11 is imprinted on their brains. It was such a horrific sight and it was replayed over and over in the press. I'm not saying that was a bad thing. We needed to know what happened and understand what we were up against. But this administration has used the devastation of that morning to keep Americans frightened. We are no longer in our homes cowering, thinking we are surely under imminent attack, but this administration has made sure that we stay so afraid that we have been willing to allow them to do whatever those handful of people decide to do to answer the actions of 9/11. We've given up some of our basic freedoms and we've allowed our people to commit unspeakable acts because of this fear. We know now that 9/11 was the work of people who wanted it to have the effect that it has had. They were not only successful in bringing down the Twin Towers and killing thousands of people, they were successful in making Americans so paranoid that we aren't using our intelligence and our hearts to deal with the problem of terrorists. We're using our military strength and using it in a misdirected fashion, and we are a country in turmoil over the actions of our leaders. It is sickening to see how America has responded to 9/11. We were all ready to wave our flags and salute our military in responding to the evil that set upon us that morning. But now we're embarrassed. We are embarrassed and sickened to learn that as a nation we have made those terrorists and the people in the mideast who hate us look like their outrageous claims against us are true. I just don't understand why we have put up with such stupid actions and self-serving decisions from our leaders. I pray that good, honest people will emerge to take the reins and that they will be able to unify this country in dealing with "evildoers" instead of tearing this country apart.

Itsgotta go: Well that's what I thought! Where can it go? Unless you have sprung a leak or something, it has nowhere to go. I think there's a better chance that the loss of lbs or swelling could be the reason for no restriction. Otherwise, it's gotta be a scary proposition. Thanks for your input!

Thanks Donna. It is good to hear from someone who needs help too. I hope you get it and things get right with the band for you. I'm not giving up yet!!

You know there will be no buck passing with this administration. The buck has got to stop squarely on Bush's desk. They've told him what to do and he agreed to do it, he's done it and he won't stop doing it. I never in a million years thought I would see Congress give the power to the President to take our troops and go bomb another country. Even if Iraq had declared war on us, that move was unbelievable. And when you think about all the infractions on people's civil liberties during this administration, it is quite shocking to put it mildly. We really should be marching on Washington. I'm not sure that we wouldn't be shot down in the streets though. And Americans who believe that it's okay that we've tortured prisoners and ignored the Geneva Convention should be ashamed. Americans yelled, "what about the Geneva Convention" when our men were tortured in Viet Nam and in WWII. How can we possibly justify our actions? Nothing, nothing, nothing justifies the torture of prisoners. We expect our soldiers to kill the enemy in combat. But to torture them, with this administration's blessing, is surreal to me. It surely can't be happening. I saw a very young man on the news tonight who had sustained injuries in Iraq - shrapnel in his arm, which was misshapen, but healed. He was being sent back to Iraq... for the 3rd time! Surely this can't be happening.

I am down 2 - the two that I gained over Thanksgiving, I guess. At least I am not still gaining! I think I had enjoyed the lack of hunger and restriction from the swelling after surgery and I am waiting to feel that way again. Maybe it never will be that easy again. But I've heard about the "sweet spot" and I'm looking for it tomorrow. My doc doesn't use a flouro and as far as I know doesn't remove your previous fill(s) to see how much you actually have in there. So I'm trusting that the stuff isn't leaking although I'm sure wondering...

GeezerSue: You had the last say here and for damned good reason. Good job!

DonnaGT: I just read your post and it worries me. I am sorry it hasn't worked out for you and I'm worried that I will have a similar result. I don't feel any restriction after 2 fills. I had very little restriction after the swelling from surgery. Then I had my first fill and felt a tiny bit of restriction at first. Not long after that I felt none so I got a second fill. After that I have been hungry and have felt no restriction at all. I'm scheduled for a 3rd fill tomorrow. I am really worried that this "tool" just isn't going to be the tool I need to get the job done. I realize that we have to work at this and that we really have to concentrate on eating correctly in order to lose weight. But without the band I would have to do the same thing. So why get the band if it isn't going to help with my resolve and with hunger? I hope things get better for both of us. I was incredibly excited when I began to lose weight after surgery. I will be incredibly disappointed if I can't get it to work for me and lose all the weight I need to get rid of. Good luck to you!

Randi: I was very concerned about my port placement too. I didn't know it was going to be so high. I was banded in September. It was bothersome at first. Then I lost 30 lbs and it has been a lot better. The only time it bothers me now is when I overeat or eat something that causes a lot of bloating. There have been times that it bulges out and causes some discomfort - enough that I have to put pressure on it until it feels better - like for a half hour or so. I am not in enough discomfort on a regular basis to consider having it relocated. I am sure that when I lose another 30 lbs. it won't cause any problems. Good luck. I hope the good doctor agrees that after your initial swelling, it really won't be a problem!