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4,946 topics in this forum

I've been waiting years to be able to get this surgery and I finally got the call yesterday that it was approved! I couldn't believe it. I have my pre-op at 11am today and I'm freaking out. My dr is Dr Julius Gee. I've been researching him online and don't find anything on him. I've read that 1800 get thin drs have had their license revoked or suspended and that some of their patients have died. I've also heard of them scamming the insurance companies with outrageous bills and that part is true. They've charged over $79,000 to mine for only pre op things. I've seen a final bill for the surgery and it's over $149,000 when it should only be between 20-25k. I'm having mixed…

is it just me or does being single for Valentines day SERIOUSLY SUCK?!?!?!?!?!? LOL

I have researched this entire forum and have not found the answer to this question. I am having a laparoscopic sleeve procedure. I understand the holes they punch in me will be very small. So how does the surgeon remove the excised portion of the stomach through these small holes?

I have dark facial hair as a lovely side symptom of PCOS, and I wondered if It will go away after I lose the weight with my sleeve? Anyone else have or had this?

That there were 2 maybe 3 skinny people inside of me just screamin' to get out. Now I'm down to 1 1/4!

No that's not my weight, that's my reputation score. Still trying to figure out how I got to the top of the "leaderboard" ahead of people like Jack who has been here for ever and always gives such wonderful advice. It's probably a case of I just post too much, according to my Mother( and others) I never could keep my mouth shut! Maybe it's time I kept quiet and let some other people get a word in.............. Thanks guys for appreciating some of my comments, it feels good to know that I may have helped others even if only in a small way.

OK Since my Raiders, Tebow, and the 49ers are all out I am going to root for the Giants. I love NYC one of my favorite cities, so yeah there it is. I really, really, really hope they win. Go Giants!!!

Hi everyone: Please can you help me out? I had my surgery 10 days ago and I'm supposed to be on a liquid/mushies diet right now. Unfortunately I experienced no restriction in the band I started to get worried thinking the band may have slipped...I ate 6 glasses of soft desert, two large[!] chocolate bar and, sushi rolls, 4 slices of cheese and felt absolutely no restriction at all. I know I shouldn't have eaten all these things, but I can't believe that with 5cc restriction in my band I can eat this much. Please give me advice. I'm "only" BMI 30 and feel like I'm on the track to gain weight. Should I get a fill now? Please help as soon as possible!

I too was like you while at the research stage. It took me two years to finally go for lap band surgery in 2008. I tried getting cigna to pay that was a nightmare. I eventually found a low BMI study thay accepted me and price was lower; 12,ooo. You know nothing In Life is free. There will be benefits to gain and costs not $ to pay. Greatest benefit for me; the freedom from a constant obsession over my weight and fear of gaining beyond my control. . The most I gwill gain during holidays etc is 5 lbs this is an enormous plus that allows me to relax. I lost. 40 lbs at age 50 going thru meno pause. I now practice yoga extensively walk with puppy daily and ha…

Well 2011 will soon be history. It's been a real roller coaster ride for me, physically, emotionally and spiritually. What are some of your highlights from the past year? Here's mine: Sleeved 12/6 2010 I lost a majority of my weight in 2011. Went from size 52 pants, 3 X tops to size 34 pants and LARGE tops (medium almost fits but is almost always too short in the sleeves and body). ~375 to about 205 now. Started to get in shape. I am now in better shape than ever (sounds like a Bowfelx commercial doesn't it ). Our city has a fantastic senior center with a pool and I've swam away many a pound of fat and added a LOT of muscle mass. It's so cool to see the side…

I wanted to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!! Good tidings to all, enjoy the day with your family and friends. Peace!!

Hey everyone who knows me I cant access chat on my mobile or at the library so Ill let everyone know here. I am OFFICIALLY a grandma now. My grandson was born Sunday, December 18, 2011 @ 5:20 am PST via C-section. He was 8 lbs 14 ozs and 20 inches. This is my 1st grandchild and I am so happy I get to be a healthy grandma. I am now 136 pounds Ive lost a total of 118 from my heaviest weight. I went from size 24 womens jeans to a size 5 and 4x shirts to a small/medium. My bad cholesteral is now at a whopping 88 LOL. I feel good I look good and am very happy I made the descion to get the band. Merry Christmas or whatever Holiday YOU celebrate.

I was looking through this thread and didn't find anything similar. I'm fairly new to the forum and I wanted to get to know the lot of you! I'll start. I act/perform in plays, I play World of Warcraft, and I run an improvisation troupe at my college. You?

Hi all, my operation was cncelled coz my relative said it is not good to do gastric sleeve in a stomach full of polyps , what if u did the sleeve and u had one polyp in that small tube leading to obstruction. So i want to take time searshing and asking poeple who may have had same problem or if a doctor can give me clue about what to do. I am so depressed coz i thought my problem with this huge body will end and start my new lisf with new body, my polypswere hyperplastic. Thanx for help .

I thought I'd motivate myself to do some housecleaning by cranking up the tunes. My sugar-free Jello (I am on my pre-op liquid diet). The plastic container I traditionally use sprouted a leak and began spraying boiling hot liquid jello everywhere. Since Katy Perry's "Firework" was blaring I had been transported to a state of invincibility and it took me a few seconds to realize the bowl had the audacity to hemorrhage on a Super-hero like me. After salvaging about a cup of the liquid (will that stop up the kitchen drain?) I took an inventory of the damage. Spurts of red dye #40 had catapulted a good six feet from the kitchen sink. The floor looke…

I just had my lap band surgery sep 24th. I made it back home on the 27th and started taking walks right away. I'd have to 'recover' from my walks for a couple of hours. Just went back to work today, did my elliptical for twenty minutes in the morning and barely made it through the day. Is this normal? When will I get my energy back?? My dr said I needed to exercise an hour everyday.

I had my lap band surgery 2 week ago. I went to help my husband fix one of our bedrooms. I was putting primer on the walls. Omg I'm so sore. I guess I shouldn't have helped out. Other than that I'm on mushy foods an it's kinda sore at time. Should I notify my doctor ? Also my whole body aches. Feels like the flu but I'm not sure. My stomach is sore. What should I do? I need feed back please if anyone is experiencing something like this . Thanks guys xoxoxo

I wanted to wish ALL OF YOU a wonderful Thanksgiving. I love this Holiday, and this year I'm thankful I won't sleep half the day away by eating too much!! I will have more time for the true meaning of the day, which is to spend quality time with my loved ones.

My ears are enormous!!! Without the big pads of fat on my cheeks and around my ears to "hide" them my ears look huge! Like Carl Fredricksen in the Disney move UP. It's also cool that my sun and eye glasses don't plow a groove into my temples either, I actually have space between them and the ear pieces. This sleeve is the bomb!

Thought all y'all'd find this interesting: Hans Rueffert, Chef Without Stomach, Recovers From Cancer And Writes Cookbook (VIDEO) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/28/hans-rueffert-chef-stomach-cookbook_n_1011680.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

So a close friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago. Her husband has this gorgeous pink fire truck that is on the Cabelas website being voted on for raising money. They are auctioning off a gift card that will be given to a woman who is struggling with breast cancer. We are in 4th place right now but would love more than anything to raise to #1. I know this is off topic but I know that some people may have had breast cancer or some form of cancer or have had loved ones diagnosed. Just looking for support from this wonderful site to vote on this pink beauty. You can vote every day up to the 10/31. If you have facebook or twitter please share on your …

We're looking to get new cell phones and get the hell away from Nextel. We have 4 phones on our plan. Any suggestions from you good people on what company is good and has a great family plan? :help: Any info would be much appreciated.

I am serious love this show and its only been on twice.. I think its awesome that they profile people who are hard workers and also have serious shruggles in their lives. Being one of Hardworker that seems to never get noticed its awesome to see other hardworkers get noticed :confused: Anyone watched the show?

Is there any lapbanders from huntsville,al I need a buddy........

One of my favorite authors, Terry Goodkind, is releasing a new book in a couple of weeks. His publishers have designed a couple of contests for his fan base. Well, I entered of course. Tonight, I received a phone call from one of the people that works with Terry and was informed that I was one of 3 second place winners in today's drawing! The prize package included an Amazon Kindle and couple of e-books. Well, I already had a kindle, so instead they are giving me a "store credit" to get some other merchandise from the Terry Goodkind store! I can't believe I won! I'm so excited!

Looking for just a few people who know how to write and are willing to write about something they feel strong about.....The Lap-Band. If you feel strong about the process you went through and think that you would be able to write a few dozen 500-1000 word articles (topics will be provided) I would be interested in hearing from you via a private message. Thanks Joe (5 year Lap-Band Patient lost over 73 lbs)

mine has said "neutral" since the beginning... what gives?

My elderly parents have agreed to sell their home in IL by Fairview Heights and move in with me in AL. Does anyone know of a good moving company. I am trying to organize this long distance and want to move them Thanksgiving weekend. Thanks for any suggestions.

So, not really related to WLS, but for me, it kinda is. The night before my surgery, I was a bit jittery so I took a generic Tylenol PM to help me sleep. I slept a while, but then woke up with what my husband calls "jimmy legs" or restless leg syndrome. Yesterday, I had a rough day, felt a headache coming on, so I decided to take a few more & just collapse. Again, jimmy legs. Only this time, I'm still having them today. Ugh! I did some research on Bing and found that others have had the same reaction & it can last a few days. Definitely not taking that again! It's driving me nuts. I can't concentrate - I've taken a few walks around the ofice, but nothing is he…

ok i just had my 2nd or 3rd fill,,, cause i dont know if the first one was real or not,,, i now have 2.8cc in band i just got it on sep, 15th and i had surgery on aug 1st, what in the world am i suppose to do.... ?? is this pain gonna stop soon or am i doing something wrong

Hello everyone, I'm scheduled to see a bariatric surgeon coming up in 2 weeks and I'm starting to get excited about having surgery. I was looking around to see if there was anything out there to help me stay on track with portion sizes after surgery. I found a couple of things out there, but the one I like the most is something called the BariBowl. Has anyone heard of this? I'm interested to see what other people think. I found it at www.Bariware.com Please help!!!

G'day all. Ok this is new to me, I am now having major whole body sweat after eating anything, I had 3 oz of salmon and within 10 minutes I am socked through my T-shirt almost like I had stepped out of the shower fully clothed. Anyone else have this happening. Also we went out for dinner and I had a mouthful of white wine out of my wife's glass and it caused extreme stomach pain/ache, I had my operation back in April so it can't be wound healing issues. Ideas and others with similar issues please Cheers Malcolm

It can be any movie, new old - whtever!!! Please though... try not to give away too much of the movie!! No one likes a spoiler.

K... June 30th 2011 was surgery and 3 weeks ago went for my six weeks check up and had no refill( 2cc) where already injected day of surgery... Therefore did the white chalky liquid + ex-ray and no injection.... Unfortunately I do not feel like im full after my.1 Cup of food. Hungry 1 hr later????? Anyone else like this??? What did u do??? Jewls

Has anyone had problems with their lap band due to large fibroids? I am having a very hard time regulating fills and vomitting a lot! I am wondering if a really large fibroid could be pressing on GI structures and stomach and making the passage of food difficult.

Hi my wife had the surgery done three years ago she lost weight but now alcohol has replaced the food she was never a big drinker before it has gotten so bad that when i come home from work at 600 she is allready drunk i try talking to her about now she snneks it and lies about it so i called her lap band nurse and nothin changed she kind of blew me off so now when she is not drinking she is real unhappy she yells at the kids the more i look around the house the more bottles i find it killing our marriage i dont know where to go next for help

I have been trying to low carb it (REALLY low carb) and, while I am still having a hard time hitting "the mark", I noticed a vast improvement in my IBS symptoms. However, 3 days ago and day b4 yesterday,we had to haul our hineys up north to rescue my mom and grandma who were stranded on the side of the road in this heat (both of which have heart conditions) then again the next day to rescue my mom's van (tow it home) and those were days were horrible nutritionally speaking. We had to eat what was available. I made the best decision with my options but they were still very carb heavy days (for example I got chicken strips, no fries, and a yogurt.... but the strips were bre…

Now that you have accomplished your weight loss goals and maintaining your new body mass. What's your feeling about folks who are obese or overweight. What goes through your mind when you see a 350 pound lady in the super marker line, or you notice a nice young man that happens to be a double plus size standing at the bus stop. Do you see the world differently now that you don't have to shop at Lane Bryant or The XL Shop for Men. What going on between your ears? Should you advise others who are morbidly obese to the avenues of successful weight management. Or should you preserve your personal privacy and keep your individual achievements only to your immediate …

Hi there everybody! Just wanted to say hello and that I'm joining the board. I signed up with the LapBandTalk board last year, but I'm starting to lean toward the sleeve, instead. I'll be around a lot! - Christina

Okay, I'm sorry for this post but I seriously need help. I have genital warts and I admit it's my fault. I'm now trying to get rid of them the easiest and fastest way possible. Can you guys suggest treatments and how to do it. I read on different forums that creams are easy to use and painless. I've been researching about Zerowarts. Is this a good product? How can I avail of this? Please help. Thanks!

I went to my dr and i found out i have lost a total of 16 lbs. i am one week post op. I am so happy.

Has any one cheated during the.first week of post op

So, my younger brother has had really bad acne for a few years now. After trying every option available to him, his doctors came to the conclusion that the only option he had left was to start taking Accutane. This Friday he will have been taking it for two weeks. Since he started taking it, his skin has become extremely dry and flaky. He's tried a number of moisturizers and all of them cause his face to burn so badly that he has to wash them off. So, what I'm asking is if anyone has any suggestions of a moisturizer he could use that won't cause his skin to burn? I've read a little bit about jojoba oil, but I can't find enough information about it online to know if it…

I quit smoking and haven't picked up a cigarette in 23 days......I started out with the patch but had reactions to it...the chantix pill is not for me lol anyways ...then i used tobacco pouches but missed the hand to mouth thing we smokers are so used too.........Then i found the electronic cigarette......and that did it for me........u don't smoke u vape... water....just like the patch u still get nicotine for the addiction but not all the other 4000 harmful things that are in the cigarette....no smell either., no harmful additives.....and u can wean urself of the nicotine all together if u like......If u are interested just check out the ecig forum www.e-cigarette-f…

So this morning I came into work after being off sick yesterday to some fantastic news....we've won a major project that I had been very involved in. It's the biggest single deal in our company's history and I managed our bid team. It's a million dollar deal and I reckon that the adrenalin of the win more than compensated for the thin slice of cake I had with the team as we celebrated. (Although I think I shall still hit the elliptical trainer when I get home tonight.) It's not related to WLS, but gee, it was a fabulous feeling!

So, I went on a cruise at the end of May. I totally enjoyed it and didn't really watch what I was eating. Came back and was 128.8 pounds. 0.8 pounds above my "allowed bounce amounts". No big deal - I actually expected worse from all the indulging I allowed myself. Back to normal life & the "world would be good again". The following week was TOM and spiked up to 131.6. Wasn't worried since I am a daily weigher and often see a spike like that when TOM is here. In mid-June, bounced around between 126 and 128.8. Not really worried, but wondered why I was going above 128. Well ... now it is July 14th. I've been bouncing around 128 to 129.8. Last night I …

This weekend, my family went to Winthrop, WA - it is set up as an Old West Town. We decided to do the old antique pictures. We've done these every 3 or 4 years since the boys were young. Normally, I have to wear some old dowdy thing to either fit me or not show all my rolls. And, the strings in the back never tied very well - left my butt hanging out the back. This year, I wore a Saloon Girl Bustiere and fishnet stocking with high heels. And get this ... the strings wouldn't tie again. But, not because I was so fat. The strings couldn't get the outfit tight enough. They had to use clamps in the back to keep it on me. It was amazing! I just gr…

I don't think I have ever seen anyone post anything even remotely related to horses, owning, riding, etc. I am a bit of a horsenut myself. I own 4 horses, 2 are retired- 1 trail horse and 1 show horse (Arabian). Just curious if there are any other horse "nuts" like myself.

I'm hoping someone on here can help me. I am a junior in college, majoring in Entrepreneurship. I currently am only taking 9 hours because I just started my own business. I own a ladies shoe boutique. I am considering next semester maybe finishing my degree online. The university I'm at doesn't offer it. Have any of you gotten your degree online??

HI all, I've read so much about how the divorce rate goes up after having weight loss surgery, esp within the first 3 years. And with divorce statistics as high as what they are already it makes me wonder. I didn't want to attempt a survey but I am aching to ask those who have been banded for a while if you have experienced this - divorce after being banded & what do you think the reasons were that caused the divorce. OR did the surgery help your relationship with your SO? I've been banded for 6 months now (wow, time flies!) & in some ways I feel closer to my DH then ever but it hasn't always been so. And those reasons haven't gone away but are lurking in the ba…