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Blog 89703
 

Help with a surgeon

I seeking a qualified, reputable surgeon to perform my lapband surgery. I am a 37 year old woman, 5'4 and 200 pounds. I am 24 pounds short of the necessary weight for surgery. My weight effects my every waking moment, to the point where I do not want to leave my house. I am tired, sluggish and uncomfortable moving around. If anyone could help with a referral I would greatly appreciate it. I'm located in NYC but am willing to travel within the states. Thank you and congratulations to all who have changed their lives and happiness factor for the better with this proceudre.
Past2present

Past2present

4
LoseIt!'s Blog
 

April is going to be a fun month!

The crazy bloating I had on Monday that gave me a 1/2 pound gain for the week is gone, so YAY! I have two more weeks before my next fill, and I would really like to lose 5 pounds by then. That should be doable.   I've been in a scheduling frenzy lately. I have two musicals, Nascar race weekend at TMS, a friend's wedding in South Texas, a support group meeting, a few dinners with friends, & my fill all scheduled in the next three weeks. May has two more musicals, a trip to Six Flags, a support group meeting, more dinners with friends, & a trip to Florida to see my parents. I love doing stuff!!   I used to hate staying in at lunch, but now I'm learning to enjoy the post-workout feeling. I have a two workout day today, so wish me luck on accomplishing that! My trainer kicked my butt yesterday, but I know that I can still get the 2nd workout in today if I really push myself. Then tomorrow is my full day off from exercise! Plus, my office closes early tomorrow. What a way to start the weekend!   I felt so down on Monday, so I'm glad to be back in fighting form! I hope all my fellow bandsters are having a great week!
LoseIt!

LoseIt!

2
Blog 64737
 

Some times I really hate that scale!!!!

I said I would not panic when my year started to approach and I was not at my goal of 100 pounds loss (I am an 77 loss) I said I would be grateful for how healthy I am now and that I have lost several sizes. I have lost 40 inches on my body, between 3-4 clothing sizes, off all blood pressure meds, no longer borderline diabetic, no longer have high cholesterol etc. but here I am the scale will not move and I am feeling a little down. I cant recall the last week or even month the little sucker moved. Not even a pound. Please dont think me not grateful. I am so blessed I just want this other 27 pounds off do you hear me OFF AND GONE!!! I am walking 2 miles a day, eating healthy, feeling like I am doing all the right things but the body is a funny thing. My year is May 28. I REALLY want to be at my goal by then. Besides a fast, (lol) any suggestions?
NewMechelle

NewMechelle

4
Blog 79623
 

Dreams

What dreams I had last night. I'm still on clear liquids, but I hope to start pureed food tomorrow. Anyway, last night I had a couple crazy dreams. The first one was about a seafood chowder or soup that I was watching somebody make. They were using all kinds of odd creatures from under the ocean. Even though the soup looked strange, all I was thinking was that I really wanted to eat some of it. Later, I had a dream that I worked in Krispy Kreme donut shop. I was putting the icing on the donuts. I woke up with a smile on my face. Food is now creeping into my dreams. Not sure about that seafood soup, but I really enjoyed the Krispy Kreme dream!
matilda01

matilda01

4
enjoylife's Journal
 

A New Fill - A New Resolve

Yesterday was a fill day. I am going to make this my last fill. This is the fill that will get me to Onderland. I weighed in this morning at 232.8 and I know for a fact that my scale is two pounds off so I am actually 230.8. So this fill has to help me lose at least 31.8 pounds. My goal was to be in Onderland by July 4, 2010. That’s 10 lbs a month including this month. I really tried to be 220-something by March 24, 2010 (my two year bandiversary). Well, obviously I was not successful with that. That’s okay though. I still have my main goal and I am still determined to get there. I am kicking up my physical activity. Every day I have to do something (walk, exercise video, clean up, cut the grass, play Wii – I don’t care… as long as it’s something). I want to join the gym, but I’m waiting for EKG results. Since my blood work and chest x-rays came back great I am almost sure that my EKG results will allow me to begin working out. I really just want to be able to master the elliptical machine; use the abductor and inductor equipment; and use some sort of arm machine to try to tighten up my flabby upper arms. I’m praying that the elliptical machine will not only help me build cardio strength, but will also lift my sagging thighs. I love losing weight, but I hate that I allowed myself to get so fat that my skin is loose. I saw a woman at the hospital the other day. She was wearing short sleeves and her arms led me to believe that she has lost quite a bit of weight. Her skin was loose and covered with shrunken stretch marks. But she was wearing those short sleeves with confidence. Who could blame her, aside from her arms, she looked great (fully covered in her shirt and long pants) but great. So, I’m increasing my activity so that even if I end up with “loose meat” I can still look decent in clothes. I’m also doing it because I’ve had a few weird episodes of chest pains and burning sensations from my jaw line down to my chest. That’s why I had all those tests done. Heart disease runs in my family. I need to everything I can to avoid any kind of heart disease. So this morning I am drinking my protein shake – very slowly because I am very tight. Usually after a band it is recommended that I do liquids for 24 hours. I think I may do 48 hours. We’ll see it may be longer, I really am tight. All I can do is sip. But that’s the norm for me right after a fill. Anything more and I’m asking for trouble. So I’ll be checking in later to record how I’m doing.
enjoylife

enjoylife

3
Blog 1107
 

50 lbs

Since January, I have lost 50 lbs. I still can't believe it. I would like to lose about 40 more, but 30 would be okay. I can't believe that in less than 10 lbs from now, I will be in the 160's! Crazy!
excited2lose

excited2lose

1
Blog 82799
 

Dear Insurance Co...You Stink! 4/7/10

I logged in to check on the status of my claims & authorizations today.   24 hours after the request for surgery popped up on the screen, it now says "not approved" and "does not meet requirements".   I'd like to know exactly what requirements I don't meet. According to my surgeon, pcm, and my own knowledge of my body, I surely do meet requirements.   My friend who has the same insurance and went to the same surgeon for a band in February, was 1/4" taller than me and 3lbs heavier with the same BMI & same co-morbidities and she had approval in less than a week.   I must just be "special". I get that a lot.   I bet my "Spidey Sense" about rocking the boat with the request going in earlier than the surgeon usually sends it must have been right. One time I would've liked to have been wrong!   I wish the woman I spoke with at the surgeon's office would not have sent it over when she did. I didn't ask her to - she said she'd do it. I thought I was completely approved & I called because I wanted to try & schedule some of the excessive pre-op appointments.   I reeeeallly don't get it - the insurance company approved the consultation, the endoscopy I have coming up in a couple of weeks, and multiple follow-up visits (when I first saw that those things were approved, I mistakenly thought that the extra visits included surgery & follow-up to that too).   Why would they say that I do meet requirements for those things & agree to pay for 'em, then say "oh no, you can't go any further". Puh-lease. They know darn good & well that the ultimate goal of a consult, etc w/ a bariatric surgeon is...surgery!   Sooo, that whole emotional yo-yo thing I mentioned recently...yoooooo down we go.   Great. Got tons of super news today. Yep, my DH is trying to have some R&R before the upcoming deployment (along with about half the members of the crew), but people from his work still manage to call him about whatever crisis is going on. The latest one will most likely have them deploying a few days/a week early. Dandy.   (My DH is one of the senior officers in his command, that's why he gets pestered, at home, when he's supposed to have a day off, if we go out of town, etc.)   I finally tracked down a Psychiatrist to do my consult with. I spoke with him for a few minutes this morning. Of course, he can't fit me in while my DH has time off & can watch our child. Even though I planned on paying out of pocket, he wants me to call the insurance company to see if they'll pick up the tab.   I really don't want to, especially in light of what happened today. I'm one of those honest types who just can't fib to him & say that I did it when I didn't. For all I know, if I said I just didn't want to call 'em, that might somehow reflect negatively on me. :wub:   On a side note, I gave him the list of the *five* things Dr. Oh requires from a psych consult and he said he was going to call & talk with them about it, because he thought it was "a bit excessive"! A-ha! So do I. So. Do. I.   I feel like I've got a soup sandwich on my hands here. Two steps forward, three steps back. Terribly afraid that the meager amount of progress I've made in this whole process is going to slip away.   The scale has finally started to move in the right direction towards that 10% weight loss that the surgeon requires. What happens now? If I continue trying to lose for Dr. Oh, then everything really does go down the tubes and I have to start over (who the heck knows how or with what doctor), I might actually have to gain to get back up to where I need to be.   Good grief. This is messing with my head so much. Why can't it be somewhat straightforward. Give me a plan or a list & I'm all over it. String me along & keep secrets from me & I'm more apt to fail and walk away PEEVED! :scared2:   P.S. Big mean insurance company, I despise you right now.   love, me
desperate4aband

desperate4aband

1
Blog 75574
 

Keeping Busy~Great Restiction since Last Fill! Tight!

:scared2:WELL I ASKED FOR IT AND I GOT IT, I HAD COMPLAINED TO MY NURSE AND SHE TOLD MY DR. I WANTED MORE FILL THIS TIME! WELL I GOT IT, AND IT IS TIGHT! I WOULD THINK THAT I WOULD BE DROPPING THE LBS, BUT I AM NOT. YET ANYWAY. EASTER BLEW A WHOLE IN MY DIET STRATEGY. A LITTLE TASTE OF THIS AND A LITTLE TASTE OF THAT, ONE CHOCOLATE EASTER EGG, THEN ANOTHER, THEN CANDY WITH THE GRANDBABIES, THEN A LITTLE SODA, WHICH I HAVE NOT TOUCHED IN 8 MOS, WHAT GOT INTO ME? WTH WAS I THINKING? I DO HATE TO GET OFF A GOOD PLAN WHEN IT IS WORKING. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? LIFE HAPPENS! I HAVE ABOUT DECIDED NOT TO WEIGH EVERY DAY, (BUT I CAN'T HELP MYSELF) I AM ADDICTED TO THAT PRACTICE. I AM NOT GOING TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE RESULTS THOUGH. I HAVE BEEN HOLDING FLUIDS, CAUSE MY FEET HAVE BEEN SWELLED THAT PAST FEW DAYS AND I HAVE BEEN GETTING IN MORE WATER AND WENT TO THE GYM TODAY FOR EXERCISE, WHICH I HAVE SLACKED ON TOO, IT SEEMS LATELY THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY FOR "ME":angry: AND I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT. WORK, TAKING CARE OF MY MOM, (SHE IS ALZHEIMERS AND JUST PUT IN AN ASSISTED LIVING WHICH IS VERY POSH AND SHE IS COMPLAINING:ohmy:WHAT TO DO? I SPEND LOTS OF TIME THERE, I WANT TO RUN BY SEE HER AND THEN HIT THE GYM, SHE WANTS ME TO STAY, SHE IS 79 YEARS OLD, SO I STAY. I HAVE LOST TWO REALLY SWEET FRIENDS TO HEART ATTACKS IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS, AGE 56 AND 62! TOO YOUNG! YOU THINK WE HAVE BEEN EATING RIGHT? NO WAY, ALL OUR LIVES WE HAVE NOT, AND NOW WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND WE MUST KEEP UP THE EFFORTS AND USE THIS TOOL, THE LAPBAND TO ITS BEST POTENTIAL TO HELP US STAY ALIVE AND LIVE OUR LIVES TO THE FULLEST. AND JUST THIS PAST MONDAY, A 33 YEAR OLD GIRL I HAVE KNOWN HER WHOLE LIFE HAS PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER! HER FUNERAL IS THIS COMING SATURDAY. I DON'T WANT TO EAT OR DO ANYTHING, I THINK THAT COULD BE PART OF MY PROBLEM, I AM NOT EATING ENOUGH, THE DESIRE FOR FOOD IS NOT HERE, I DON'T WANT TO COOK ANYTHING, I AM GRIEVING AND WANT TO BE SICK, I DON'T WANT TO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT AS I DID BEFORE BECAUSE MY HAPPINESS LEVEL IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. I AM STILL TRYING AND I WILLGET BACK ON TRACK, I JUST HAVE TO HAVE SOME TIME NOW. A LITTLE BREAK. DO YOU EVER GET LIKE THIS ANYONE? I FEEL LIKE I AM GETTING BEHIND IN MY WEIGHT LOSS AND NOT KEEPING UP LIKE OTHERS ON HERE ARE ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER GAINED AT A WEIGH IN SINCE MY SURGERY, MY LOSS IS SLOWING DOWN TO 3-4 LBS PER MONTH. I SO WANT THAT OTHER 23-24 LBS BY JULY! ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET A JUMP AND GET IT GOING DOWN AGAIN TO MORE PER MONTH? HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU!
janetsjourneytoslim

janetsjourneytoslim

6
Blog 50043
 

eating too much? not taking enough time? a question for you all!

my utensils from Portion Control Concepts (http://www.portioncontrolconcepts.vpweb.com/Products.html) arrived today. hubby bought them for me. :wub: i chose the sleek set. theyre beautiful, very well made and an absolute joy to use! shipping was also very cheap (less than $3) and quick (arrived in just 3 business days!). what more can you ask for? i highly recommend them. normally im not a fan of advertising for companies but im really impressed with these folks.   im eating slowly and eating smaller portions and for the most part, making smart choices but i think im still overeating. ive got 4ccs in a 10cc band and ive got a fair amount of restriction. i could probably do with an additional 1cc.   im eating roughly 3/4 of a cup to 1 cup of food per meal and stopping when i feel full but a few minutes after i stop, i feel even fuller. i dont like the sensation at all. im going to cut my meals down to a half cup or so and see how that goes.   my surgeon asked me how long im taking to eat each meal. i told him about 30 minutes and he told me i should be taking an hour. try as i might, i cant drag a meal out for that long. its difficult to make a meal last 30-40 minutes. an hour seems way too long! at that point, my pouch would be emptying, wouldnt it?   im curious to know how many ccs you guys have in your bands! also, about how much food do you eat? and how long are you taking to eat your meals?   i welcome any and all input!:scared2:
harliquinn

harliquinn

5
Blog 44378
 

Just had maitance appointment - almost cancelled

Ok so this is what is up now On easter sunday i hit my 80 lbs mark - wow pants seem to be growing while i am wearing them - even my skinny pants are now too big i now prefer wearing tighter fitting clothing as i feel i look better i started running - ha did youjust read that I STARTED RUNNING i am a fat girl i look in the mirror and I dont even know who i am - I actually enjoy running now keep in mind i walk most of the route but the down hills and when ia m bored i actually like the running - is nuts this august will be my 2 year bandiversary - seems crazy that it was that long ago - my weight loss journey has been slow but steady - i may have said this once or twice before but i feel like i am breaking up with my best boyfriend ever- food - For me I have a real challenge feeling let down. Even though i am a dependable person and a go to girl ALOT of people in my life have left me well less than satisfied. My family - MY mom - My education - My career - boyfriends but food never let me down chocolate cake has never dissapointed me ( or i probably wuld not have made it up to 273 lbs ) people see me out in town i am a hairstylist so they know who i am and they cant believe it's me - I have even had people who have know me a long time not recognize me and i hardly recognize myself. And now with my food fetish breakup i realize how important food was to me in my life - both my mom and gram have recently passed away that is hard for me as they were the only other women in my family and my daughters they are having a tough time with the deaths especially the younger one. At night she was whimpering when i asked her what was wrong she asked me if i was going to die cause all they women in our family have been dying - scary when i 4 year old comprehends this - so now my journey to become healthy is even more intense. I almost cancelled my maitanance appointment for monday cause i know i am losing weight and not hungry - can get sick if i eat too much so i feel at a good point. But I went was glad to see i have lost 18 lbs in the last 2 months - right on target with where the dr wants me to be. Learning things about my diet everyday - for instance - took my kids to mc donalds - i wte a cheeseburger no bread ate slow chewed well - man that burger sat in my stomach and hurt me for hours - was like my body saying no not todaymy friend. I feel better when i am eating veggies fruits not processed foods - i am partial to peanut butter - wish my local market sold cashew butter i think i like that too - hm m mm mm well is great to have a ittle ice cream and not eat the entire carton - learning a little more each day - so isnt that what life is all about '? check in soon Losing in Braintree
tigerlilyhair

tigerlilyhair

2
Blog 89666
 

5 days post op

Just wanted to say hello my name is Robin . I just had my surgery last Friday April 2,2010. I was held over night ( my doctor said I looked too green). I was glad he was being careful. I have a history of vomiting after surgery. I was given a seasick patch behind my ear,seabands and I still was green. I didn't vomit. YEAH! Post op I had the left shoulder pain. That was a 8-9 at times. I had so much gas. Unfortunatly the other problem I had was a IBS attack. Although it doesn't take much to bring one on . Shoulder pain is gone, diarrhea as well. The surgery itself wasn't a problem. BUT.... the port is on my right side at my waistline and because I was having extreme diarrhea for three days the port location is SORE!!! Hopefully this to shall pass. Especially when the belly folds of fat decrease. Time for rest. Robin:blushing:
Robin825

Robin825

5
Angela's Blog
 

A good day...down 2

I weighed myself today and I am down another 2 lbs. for a total of 10 lbs. I feel good about that. The biggest change has been no soft drinks. I drink flavored water only. I am making more healthy choices. Not always but mostly. I was really craving tacos. Well taco meat that I put on baked scoops. I finally made it tonight and it was ALOT. I am stuffed and miserable but my craving is gone. I had a protein shake for breakfast and smoked chicken for lunch. I still haven't gotten this whole eating without drinking. That I guess is my next task to master. It's hard to imagine not drinking while I eat. I get so thirsty. I try to have one protein shake per day instead of a meal. Breakfast is the easiest for me. I do trade off and occasionally have an egg for breakfast. Protein, protein, protein. Protein and low carb. Got to get into the habit now. I found a food journal on bariatriceating.com and a few good recipes but was confused. Some of the recipes had 12g of FAT per serving. I expected it to be less fattening. I started a binder for my food journals and recipes collections. Getting it together a little a time. BAND DATE 5-12-10:thumbup:
anglov

anglov

4
Debbydo's Journal
 

The pictures

The first one was taken right before I was banded and the second one was at about 9 months out. I have the band replaced in April of 09 the tubing disconnected from the band so there was no restriction and hence the bad habits were already well underway:(:scared2:
Debbydo

Debbydo

1
Blog 88874
 

Routine out of Wack!

Its school holidays at the moment so i'm home all day and my routine is completely out of wack! I'm finding it hard to stay focused! I spent the last couple of days obsessing over food. My nurse has put me back on a liquid diet and its killing me! Whilst I'm teaching I'm too busy to think of food and would handle a liquid diet much more easily. But being at home all day surrounded by the 'real' food in the fridge, .........oh man, its certainly a challenge!!!!!! However on a positive note I haven't strayed YET!!!!!
millymolly04

millymolly04

1
Blog 85448
 

Good Info & Good Eats

As anyone who reads my blog can guess, I love to read. Working my way through Before & After by Susan Maria Leach. When you get past some of her waxing poetic about her wonderful life and how magic everything is now that she's lost weight, there's some substantially good info - like how to figure out your protein needs. There are also some great recipes. Someone in my local support group recommended BariatricEating.com which is Ms. Leach's company. I got the book when I ordered some product samples. Here's a shameless plug - the IsoPure Grape Frost is great as is the Believe Italian Cappuccino!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
Blog 52574
 

Goodbye Fat Clothes, Round 1

Yesterday I packed up a whole bunch of too big clothes to donate. I didn't start out planning to do this, but was getting annoyed that everytime I go in my closet lately, I have to rummage through my closet to try to find something that doesn't look sloppy on me. I've always worn stuff (especially shirts) on the loose side so even though I haven't lost a ton of weight yet, I had a lot of stuff that was looking ridiculously large.   Then, I went into my two 'Stage 1' boxes to see what I could get out of there that fits now. Let me explain... last year when I was waiting and waiting and waiting for insurance approval, a friend of mine came over and we went through ALL my old clothes. I had tons of different sizes. And, we got rid of everything that I wouldn't want to wear again. And, sorted the rest into 'Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3' boxes. Stage 1 is sizes 14-18 and 1X, Stage 2 is 12-14 and XL, and Stage 3 is 10-12 and L. OK, so I went through the Stage 1 stuff and got out a few things that work now. Woohoo! Its like free clothes!!! :scared2:   But, I found that I have very few t-shirts that are my current size. So, when I was out today I bought three new t-shirts. Nothing fancy, but it feels good to have some new items that fit. I wore a new t-shirt to Jazzercise yesterday and got lots of compliments on my weightloss. I think its hard for people to see it if you don't wear clothes that fit. So for any of you that are feeling like people aren't noticing or you don't feel any different, I highly recommend some t-shirt therapy. Only $10 each and made me feel great!
adagray

adagray

3
Blog 87104
 

Liquid Clarity

It's now one week after my first appointment with the doctor. The appointment was actually short, at least shorter than I imagined it would be for that much money! The doc didn't ask too much, just basic stuff about me and what to expect with the two different bands and surgery. Apparently I have the worst insurance possible so even though I'm relatively healthy, I need every clearance!   He also told me to start on the liquid diet, since my stomach is "a little hard". Whatever that means. He also said he thought the surgery could happen within 30 days, since I've done a 6 month diet with weight watchers last summer.   A month of liquid diet is crazy to me right now, but I'm trying. Since the weekend after the appointment was Easter, I decided not to go cold turkey onto the liquid diet. I eased into it, just doing breakfast, then added lunch on Monday. It's been easier each day, but I'm still having dinner. It's less than I would have eaten before, I know. So, today is day 5 for me and I'm doing fine, but I will still eat dinner. I'm giving myself until Friday to quit hard food entirely.   I'd like to keep this whole thing to myself right now, but my mom has been telling family members here and there. Gee, thanks! I'm absolutely keep my co-workers in the dark, hopefully even the HR lady won't know either. I'm not comfortable with telling them, most of them are uhm.... well.... jerks..... no nice way for me to say it right now.   Two co-workers have the same weight issues as I do and I'm using them more as my gauge for what not to do. They have that "nasty fat" attitude sometimes. And I can see when they are upset/angry that they run to fatty or sweet foods immediately. The past three days have been interesting. I think my mood is actually better, rather than up and down. I see them and I think may it is the food that controls your emotions!   I hope this journey fills me with strength, health, and a more positive life.
thefuzzytongue

thefuzzytongue

1

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