Paula Bee

I AGREE

wow.. there are a ton of people reading this thread. Should we just move it to chat? Will, I agree.. there should be a moderator to filter out the negative comments. Not those that just express a difference of opinion, but the ones that are truely negative. sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I volunteer if any of our fearless leaders are reading this.

First of all, if I have been critical of anyone, I ask your forgiveness. It would never be my intention to hurt or frustrate anyone. Secondly, people just have bad days.. not that that excuses anything... but I have had students who were struggling with home issues that, on occasion, just lost it and blasted anyone they saw, including me. Yvette and Kittycat.. don't go.. please.. you both are valuable parts of this forum. I do think it is time for everyone to just let this go. If people left because they felt attacked in a public forum, we would have no senate or house of representatives..... (woah.. would that be a bad thing for our country? ) LOL Also, just because we CAN say something doesn't mean we should. Please, please, please let's not lose the family feel of this forum.

OMG.. you are KIDDING!

Honestly, I cannot believe you stocked up like that.. LOL.. I am one who will taste something at least one time before I buy a ton of it. Also, I also believe that we are hoarders.. the compulsion that there won't be anything to eat if the pantry is full. I did read and believe the theories in Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?" I had also heard this over and over at my hypnosis sessions a couple of years ago. Clutter all around you overwelms, and people turn to eating to alleviate the stress. Or, they are stressed and tired, and the clutter just piles up. Either way, you end up eating poorly and usually not exercising.

I have been using the Centrum Silver chewables... not bad at all.

Hi, Mona, I had an interesting and informative fillon Tuesday in TJ. First of all, I love Dr. Marco. He explained things more clearly than any of the other doctors. I will ask for him when I go back in 7 weeks. I had a 1.1 fill the first time, and like you, I had no restriction and was deeply disappointed. When I went in for my 2nd fill, Dr. Acosta did the fill, and I only increased to 1.5. I was very concerned to the point of anxiety.. He had me eat to test the band... nothing... ate supper... nothing... took my pills, unbroken, nothing. I went back yesterday, and Dr. MARCO saw me, tested my fill, and and left me at 1.5. He showed me on the screen that when he did more, the esophogas ballooned over the sides of the band, expanding my little stomach pouch. He said that if he left it like that, the ballooning would never go away, and I would continue to want more food than I should have with the band. He said they leave it at a level where the pouch doesnt balloon over the band, and leave it like that for 6-8 weeks while the esophogas shrinks down to normal. He said I have to do my part by following the rules EXACTLY with no deviation that would stretch the esophogas. He also said that coughing could be part of the problem, and if my sinuses were causing me to cough in the morning, to take some cough syrup. I had tears rolling down my face from disappointment, but a feeling of relief that I now knew and understood. He was so reassuring and promised me that it would work if I followed the rules. He told me to come back in 6-8 weeks and Ask for him in person and he would make sure I was progressing. I have to go, the van is here to take me to the airport, but I am much reassured and reconciled to my fill. I hope this helps.. Paula

Congratulations and welcome to the world of the banded. (ACK.. that almost sounds like the title of a horror flick, don't you think?)

PHAZYME is your friend!

YAY! (Pretending to do the happy dance because my legs hurt too dang bad from being squished up in airplane seats for 7 hours, but the thought is there.) When you get back to the hotel in the morning, give me a call if you need anything. I am in 619.

You guys were already in the back when I got my fill, so I didn't get to say hi. I am sure that everything went great because you are in great hands.

I am on my way to TJ via Baton Rouge>Memphis>San Diego on Tuesday. I travel light, so I will NOT have a laptop, but I will check in at the hotel computers and see what is going on. I have a full day and a half to work on getting my fill just right, so cross your fingers for me. Hmmm.. have to be at the airport in 4 hours for a 6:15 am flight.. probably ought to go to bed..

BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! American Airlines cancelled my flight tomorrow and then tried to book me on a crummier flight. I called and raised a ruckus, and the transfered me to a NWA flight that gets me to TJ on time to get my fill on Tuesday. Of course, all of this was happening during chat time. I think I am going to have a nervous breakdown.... have to leave for the airport in 3.5 hours.. BAHHHHHHH I am really glad you all had a good time. I am just envious.

I do? no kidding? honestly, I would never have thought. Thank you for adding to my list. Hugs!

Did you ask Dr. Ortiz to autograph them for you?

Don't you worry AT ALL about making comments about not having enough restriction. You and I have probably done more weight loss programs than the individuals who tell you to follow a careful food plan and exercise. While that is true, it is totally naive to think that is all it takes. I, too, just have to let those suggestions just roll off my back, because if those alone had worked, I wouldn't be trying to lose 100 pounds for the fourth time.. it would have "stuck" the first time I lost the weight. Restriction is important.. meal plan is important.. exercise is important. Like a three legged stool, if one leg is missing, the stool is useless. Telling someone in this group to follow the food plan and exercise is really repeating the obvious. Let us all assume, unless told otherwise, that the band directions are being followed. If someone is having trouble, support will help more than any advice anyone could give. We all have days we fall off the wagon. We just have to hop back on and go from there. (Even if we need someone to apply a bandaid.) >

WOOT! Doing the happy dance for you!! :girl_dance: That is just fantastic. (I still think it is unfair that men drop weight faster than women... damn)

I will be thinking of you on your big day!

I agree with everyone else about the contents for your suitcase. I LOVED the soup at the Lucerna, but it is 600 pesos a bowl. (Don't panic.. that is 6 bucks.) I also made use of the Special K protein powder. I LOVED my Birkies.. nuf said. Phazyme, not gas-x With regard to luggage, what I did last time (and will do tomorrow on my 2nd fill in TJ,) was just take my soft-sided leather computer case. I looked for a little backpack, but they were all too big or too little. The soft computer case worked fabulously. I put 3 changes of clothing in one of those vacuum bags, and it collapsed to a tiny packet, saving a LOT of space. I was also able to carry the tiny versions of toiletries and toothbrush, a book, magazine, and a puzzle book, in addition to the contents of my purse, which I didn't even take. I went to walmart before the trip and bought one of those collapsable sports bags, (it is about the size of a plate and about an inch thick.) EVERYTHING fit in my computer case. Mine has a shoulder strap, and it was very comfortable to put under the seat, carry in airports, etc. On the way back, I put my purchased loot into the expanded sports bag, and carried back the computer case and the sports bag, which fit in the overhead. With two of you, it shouldn't be too heavy with the weight evenly distributed between both bags. If you are feeling well enough to shop on Revolution, it will be NO problem for you to carry a light bag. Just for the record, I have a rolling suitcase and used it the first time, but my empty suitcase weighed more than my leather briefcase fully loaded. It really is up to each one to do what works best for them. Before you leave, you might even try packing a suitcase with sheets, dragging it around for a while then trying it again in a smaller carry-on. The smaller suitcase you can take, the better. About money... The hotel and nice restaurants take charge cards. We made the mistake of using our charge card on something on Revolution Ave. My husband had to follow the merchant (who didn't have a visa port,) to the shop of a friend of his brother's. Talk about make make us nervous!! It worked out okay, but we learned our lesson... cash only on Revolution Ave. Also, something that worked for us, was putting different denominations of money in different pockets. I had a five in one pocket and a couple of ones in the other. Hubby had a ten and a couple of ones in one pocket, and a twenty in the other. When we started to barter, it was convenient to pull a bill out of a pocket and act like that was all we had. It worked a number of times between all the pockets. Oh yeah, they prefer American money. If you want to use one of the vacuum bags for packing your clothes, either coming or going, you don't even have to use the vacuum cleaner. Just start rolling from the bottom compressing the air out as you go. Get your mom to zip the zipper and your stuff will be greatly compressed. I even took my down pillow to Italy this way, and recompressed it every time we moved to a new location. Whether you do this for TJ or not, it is a great tip and I have done this many, many times. (mmm.. wonder if I can fit my down pillow in my briefcase?) I will be there on the 10th, 11th, and til noon on the 12th. Looks like I will just miss you. Good luck, but you won't need luck.. they are excellent at the center. Lordee.. I wrote a book!

LMAO!!!! Those are my sentiments exactly!!

Denise, I will make it a point to come by to see you when I get my fill that day. Cathy, I will be thinking of you, too.

That is why we are missing you, then! >

Wwww wait... Dr. So and Dr. Romano are two different surgeons, so I am sooooooo confused. I am sure Yvette's 3rd fill was done by Dr. So, but the rest of it has me all confused. I know Dr. So was the night time doctor on call, and that Dr. Romano and Dr. Acosta alternated weeks, so I am unsure who has really had fills done by Dr. So.

Woot! Doing the happy dance for you!

Vous êtes un homme pur sang rouge, oui, mais normal ? Cela doit encore être vu.