Windus

I don't know if any of you having to self-pay have considered Mexico but I paid $5900 there. I went a few days early, had a wonderful vacation and then got banded and came home. It wa a great experience all the way around and all total, including my vacation, hotel, airfare and surgery was less than $7000

When I went in for my third fill last week the nurse "yelled" at me for wearing clothes that were too baggy - said she could not measure me properly and that it was time to get some clothes that fit. So, today I got out the box of clothes that I had packed up early this year to take to goodwill but never got around to taking and what fun that was - most everything in there fits me now! The only thing better than shopping is shopping in your own closet and not spending any money. Sometimes procrastination is a good thing! :confused:

Not quite sure what that is supposed to mean but I am quite happy with my loss so far. It isn't a contest or a race and I am quite happy with my average loss of 2.8 lbs per week. I don't need to compare myself with others to make myself feel good. I am doing this for myself and no one else. Perhaps your "friendly advice" should be reserved for those who ask for your advice.

I had the tube tie and ablation surgery a couple of years ago so I know what you mean about the periods. Every 3-4 months I might have a "real" one but mostly just a little spotting around that time. I don't get PMS but I do retain a lot of Water around that time and get intense cravings for cashews!

I am with everyone who says this is not a diet. Diets don't work! We are all living proof of that. I also refuse to count calories, journal, etc. I have no intention of doing that for the rest of my life so I see no reason to start out that way.

I will say it does not hurt at all. My doctor does not give me a shot to numb the area, they have a can of something that they spray the area with, it is really cold for a second and then the area goes numb. After that I don't feel a thing!

Why have you only had 1 fill? I was banded 4/23 and just had my third fill last week and am scheduled for another in 2 weeks. I think I am just about there for my sweet spot and am ready for it!

Absolutely. If you were having to have some personal female surgery done would you feel compelled to tell everyone? This is no different and none of anyone's business if you ask me!

I am addicted to Lipton diet green tea - I can drink up to a gallon of it a day! Just can't seem to drink plain water - I need some flavor in it.

Unless you are in serious pain I would highly doubt that the dog jumping on you hurt anything -your stomach and the band itself are protected by your ribcage

And in that dream I was THIN. I was looking in a mirror and noticed that my face did not have a double chin or any fat on it. I don't remember anything else about the dream but that one scene but it made quite an impression on me. I have never had a dream in which I was not my overweight self. I am a big believer in the power of your unconscious mind and the fact that it is seeing me as becoming thin is really great and a harbinger of good things to come. You know that old saying "If you can dream it you can be it!"

Me too on the wearing more makeup. I had gotten to a point where I really did not give a crap and thought there was no point in makeup but now am back to my old self who refuses to go anywhere without putting makeup on. I think that is a good thing.

I have walked 33 miles in the last 2 weeks and done 45 minutes of toning exercises in the pool after walking every night and guess what - I gained 3 lbs! Geeze - hoping it is all just muscle and nothing else. My legs and arms feel different, I can feel muscle in them now where it was all flab before but I really want to see the number on the scale go down. Go in for another fill on Tuesday - hopefully that will help with the scale!

The problem with relying solely on the number on the scale is that it is easy to get discouraged and think nothing is happening when you may just be adding muscle which is heavier than the fat it is replacing.

I have to wonder about someone who comes on a Lapband forum just to spread negativity. Profile says they had surgery in 1969! Smells like a troll to me...

Wow, I cannot believe all the issues people are having. I would never let anyone try to fill me unless they were using a fluoroscope. My surgeon in Mexico was very adamant that I do that. The day I was there 2 other people were there having repair surgery after people doing a fill in the US without it poked the tubing instead of the port and made them leak. I go in for my third fill on Tuesday - they just find the port with the xray, spray with numbing spray and one poke and that is it. Never had any pain from it or problem locating the port. I love being able to watch on the fluoroscope screen while I swallow the barium so I can see exactly how much restriction I am getting and they even print out pictures of it.

It is more about tracking a trend and seeing that you are making changes to your body than thinking it is 100% accurate.

I have been doing a 45 min of toning exercises in my pool after I get home from walking my 3 miles every night. I can already see a big difference in the skin on my arms and legs so I am hoping that lots of toning while losing the weight will stop some of the saggy skin issues. The only part that sucks about the exercise is that your scale does not budge much while you are building muscle which is discouraging.

I had the opposite issue - I was very constipated for several days. It was a big relief when that issue finally "passed" :tt1:

Does sound like a panic attack. I can get a little panicky sometimes if I start to feel claustrophobic. I have to concentrate on breathing and sometimes I have to just get out of the situation. If you concentrate on in and out breathing it can take your mind off what is happening. If you can't control it on your own then you should seek professional help before it gets worse.

They had me shower the next morning after surgery before I was released. I was told to leave the strips on but take off any gauze covering and leave that off after the shower.

I just ordered a new scale which will be here tomorrow. It is called a Withings Scale and it is wifi connected. It takes not only your weight but it also measures your fat and lean body mass and your BMI. It then uploads it all to the RunKeeper website and you can see exactly what is happening every day. I also have an app on my Droid Incredible phone that tracks me with GPS when I am out walking and it uploads how far you went, how fast and how many calories. You can then see even when you are not losing pounds when you are losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass which I think will help with motivation when the scale is not going down like we like. It is all very cool and the first time I ever could not wait to get a scale! :tt1:

On the chips here is what I do. I take the small corn tortillas and cut them into 4 wedges for each tortilla. Then I spray a cookie sheet with olive oil spray and put them in a single layer, then spray the top and sprinkle them with sea salt. Put them in the oven at 450 until they get browned and crispy. They are really good and don't have the oil calories! Never had a problem with them getting stuck either. This won't help you in a restaurant but they are good to make at home.

I make enchilada casserole with corn tortillas and it is great. I put more enchilada sauce in it so the tortillas turn to mush pretty much but since it is a casserole it does not matter - it still tastes the same and I have never had an issue with eating it or after. I agree though, sounds more like food poisoning than any issue with the band itself. If there is something bad in the food it usually presents itself pretty quickly. I would not cut out the enchiladas but I would definitely cut out the restaurant you ate them at!

Wow, I am very glad I did not have this issue. I had an ablation about 3 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did - besides having my tubes tied at the same time! I was banded April 23 and have only had one tiny period since - it only lasted a couple of days and was nothing. Last month it was extremely light spotting for 2 days although I did retain a lot of Water that week - the next week was great as I was dropping nearly a pound a day when my body released the water. If your doctor mentions ablation and you are no longer interested in getting pregnant than jump on it!