chocolettebelle

Trish, Thanks for the support.
Sanction-- I didnt call right away, because I had nothing to tell. Everything has been fine, I hadnt eaten anything to be stuck. It hadnt been long enough for me to become dehydrated. I continued sipping Water after I posted this and guess what?! It started going through just fine. Matter of fact, I even ate a late lunch! So, all is well. Possibly I was just a too tight this morning due to swelling (I tend to be tighter in the AM-just not so tight I cant drink Water. So, it was a kinda of freak thing... But all is good now! I have every intention of bring this up to my surgeon, but dont feel the need to call him on a Saturday when there is NOTHING wrong.
So while I appreciate you taking the time to respond, you could have left the condescending comment out of that. A simple "Maybe, you should call your surgeon, I worry that you may be becoming dehydrated...." would have sufficed. Next time you feel the need to comment in that tone, please restrain yourself. Thank you.

I have 7 tattoos and they all but 1 look way better on my skinny body. They seem bigger now. Lol! But the four leaf clover near my heart on top of breast is not in good shape. Lol!

I have a butterfly above my ankle so I doubt it will change much. Although it is a barometer for shaving my legs when it turns into a moth.

Yesterday I went to a surprise birthday brunch for a close friend. Her husband generously paid for everyone. It was held at i. Cugini in Santa Monica, we sat on the patio where we could see the sun glistening on the ocean. It was beautiful!
I had only had my Breakfast Protein Shake so by the time most of the people had arrived (12:30 p.m.) I was ...hmmm... ready to EAT! I checked the menu online on Saturday so I could decide what I would eat in advance. It's a buffet so there's a ton of things to choose from. I decided that I would take one spoonful of whatever I liked and, if it took all afternoon, I would eat it. So, that's what I did. I sat down and started eating; everything tasted soooo good. I took my time, but still I was getting full REALLY fast. I excused myself to the ladies room. On my way back I ran into some people I knew so I stopped to chat. When I got back to my seat MY PLATE WAS GONE!!!! The look on my place was so classic that someone took a picture. While I was gone, the waiter came by and asked if I was done with my plate, my best friend (she was sitting next to me) told the waiter "yes", she thought I was done. So, he took my plate. I was like WTHECK!!?? My friend apologized profusely; I told her not to worry. I could, of course, have gone back to the buffet line and refilled my plate, but the truth is -- and I knew it -- I wasn't hungry and was in fact, full. I told my friend that she had done me a favor because I would have eaten till I was sick if I had finished the food I had left on my plate.
I laugh everytime I think about the feeling of ... I don't know ... dismay, sadness, surprise ... I really don't know how to describe it because it was like an old habit coming back. My food/friend/comforter was GONE, and for a minute I forgot that I don't "need" food like that anymore. I laugh because it felt soooo good NOT to return to the buffet line and to be perfectly SATISFIED with what I had already eaten (which wasn't much -- but it was ENOUGH). I may have to post the pic that was taken of me when it is sent to me ... maybe.
On a side note, there were many people at the brunch that I hadn't seen in a while. Before I left home I looked in the mirror and saw myself as "short and dumpy" (which is hard to do when you're 5'8" ... but the mind plays tricks sometimes). Anyway, I was showered with compliments by friends and loved ones about how great I was looking these days. This was a really great bonus since I was feeling "fat". The mind, the mind plays such tricks ... my pants were loose fitting because they are getting too big, but my head couldn't accept that. I am so thankful for my lap band because no matter what my "head" says, my band just keeps doing its thing and I keep doing mine. LOL
Thanks for reading!
~Fran

You are not alone in this financial situation. I am also a self pay. My insurance nor my husbands will cover it. I will have a hernia repaired which ins will cover and my doctor will place the band at the same time. I will pay the difference. I placed more on my annual health care flex and the rest will be a loan on my 401K. I have had to be a little creative but I feel that it is what I must do.