lynns

> Hi: I had my band since May 2005 and it hurts from time to time. The surgeon said it will get a "charlie horse" like pain from time to time. I found by stretching the left arm up and over my head, that's helps. Liquid Tylenol is great. Warm showers and baths help, too. I'm not sure what to tell you about the rest of the pain, accept it may be refective pain. Also, if I wear slacks that have a firm or tight waistband, the port will hurt. Hang in there, everyone is different. I would try to find a Lap Band specialist in your area. Take care, Lynn

> Hi: I get upset with my band, too. However, I noticed that I have to make sure I eat smaller portions and chew. One thing that finally helped, was writing down everything I eat. It brings everything back into prespective. I lost 30 pounds right after surgery in 2005. Then not a whole lot happened. I have had 4 fills since since surgery. Each time I would lose a few pounds and gain a few. My frustration level was bad because I thought the Band was the cure. This last July I took a stand against myself, since I am my own worst enemy. I started entering everything I ate and made a decision not to go over a certain amount of calories each day. I am happy to report that I have lost a total of 34.5 pounds since mid July, or a total of 56 pounds since surgery. Since I felt better about myself, I slacked off and regained 5 pounds in a month. So now I am back on track. So you can see, you must be ever watchful and take control. Take care, Lynn