clickersister

Hello there! I'm not banded yet, but I'm seeing the surgeon, dietician and psychiatrist tomorrow (Lord willing and weather permitting) then it will be waiting on insurance approval. Superdaddy, I will be here for you, if you'll be here for me. I, too, have a huge load to carry right now and I've been worried about getting the band and being successful. I have a saying on my computer at work that I can look at all the time.......it says, "Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big YOUR GOD is!" And the God who gives me strength to do all things is infinitely bigger that anything the devil can throw in our path. Satan's been trying to be a bully lately, and I've dusted off my pointy-toed devil-kickin' boots and I'm ready for battle. This is a great place to get encouragement. Thanks to all.

Do they have anything that tastes like buttered popcorn? I don't usually like sweet drinks/foods at all (except a little ice cream now and then), and the idea of protein drinks for the liquid stage is yucky to me, although I will do it if I have to. What other options for liquid protein are there for someone who likes savory flavors best?

I agree with many of the above peeves. The one I agree with the most is the music blaring from cars. When I'm stopped at a red light and one of those thump, thump, thumping cars pulls up beside me, I rest my hand on my horn.........out of sight of the offending car, of course. I could (I don't, but I could) look over in complete shock at the noise coming from under my hood!!!!!! They don't want to hear my horn any more than I want to hear their music. I think we should become a nation of retaliators to those who have no respect for other people! (I'm just kidding of course, but it sure gives me a power surge to think I COULD do it!) My husband has always been in a band of some kind, and when neighbors would play their music too loud, I always wanted to get out the professional equipment that the band used and just BLOW THEM AWAY!!! :clap2: That would've made my day! (People using of instead of the contraction for have, as in would of instead of would've, also drive me nuts!) Thanks for letting me vent!

Do doctors normally refuse to do surgery on someone with a bad hiatal hernia, or do they take the patient and repair the hernia along with placing the lapband? I go see the surgeon next week and I'd like to hear from someone that might have had this experience. Thanks.

Shirley, I read your journal. You've sure been through a lot! But great job on your weight loss so far. There's no telling what you'll be able to do with a new knee, too. Keep up the good work and best wishes on your knee surgery.

Wow, that's great. I hope he'll do both at the same time on me. I go see him next week so I'll let you all know. I don't have enough time off work to have two surgeries. I wonder if there is a better chance of insurance approval with the hernia surgery added? Hmmmmmm.......

All of the above....except that I have to buy tall size clothes so it's easier to order them that to try to find them in stores. Plus, I want to play basketball with my grandkids (I've asked for a hoop for mother's day) and I want to be able to set on the ground and work with my plants, and then be able to GET UP AGAIN!

I will be getting banded when my insurance is approved, but I was wondering about something. I am a caregiver. I take care of my mom and everything in her life....although there is nothing physically wrong with her except some arthritis, back pain, and a little bit of high blood sugar. (Very little). She is able to live alone but mentally can't handle anything. (She DOESN'T have Alzheimers but her mental function would suggest otherwise) She doesn't drive or do anything else except let her dog out, eat, and watch TV. I take care of everything else.....and I mean everything (well, she does have home health care for her bath). She is extremely dependant and getting more so as she gets older. She also refuses to make any changes; just suggesting them makes her go off the deep end. It is constant stress in my life and getting worse. If I get banded in the next month or so, how will my stress level affect my recovery and subsequent dieting/eating plans? (What do you thing the stress level has caused to my health and weight up to now?) Thanks.

Actually, you described me and my life perfectly. I spent about 5 years with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and I'm a horrible sleeper. It's not the quantity, it's the quality. At one time, about 25 years ago, I think I was anorexic, but somehow overcame it on my own, and now I'm scared to take that much control over my eating habits again. I have considered therapy, too. I really want to become healthy, but it seems like if I take 5 minutes to focus on myself, then all my family members have things that need addressed first. Oh, did I forget to mention that I have twin granddaughters (age 3) that I watch 4 times a week while their mom is in college? Plus, I pay for their childcare (while I'm working) and make the payment on their trailer. (Her husband works long, long hours trying to get a new business up and going, and they just don't have any money right now...they do pay when they have the money) I know, I'm a walking doormat. My mom is supportive (as much as she's capable of) of me getting the band, and I don't think she'll be a big problem while I'm recovering, it's just the general stress following recovery, (real life) that I was getting concerned about. My husband is a great help when it gets too much for me to handle, but he just can't see the need to help out until I'm right on the edge. (We've been in therapy, too. He's passive-aggressive and I deal with that, too.) Oh, and I also deal with a 58-year-old brother with down's syndrome. He lives in assisted living and I'm the contact person. There aren't frequent problems, but when there are, I'm the one who has to deal with them. I can get some extra help for mom, and did that once when I went on vacation. Mom even pays for it. I will look into that again....soon. Thanks a lot!

Wow, that first post could have been written by me! I also panic eat, but have been putting into practice some of the advise in post 2 before I get banded. I've been trying to take smaller bites and chew, chew, chew.....it's hard to do!!! BUT, it has made me aware of the giant bites I generally take, and the fact that they are almost swallowed whole. I figure if I notice it now and try to make changes, then I (possibly) won't have so much adjustment after banding. I'm glad you all have responded to this topic; at least I know I'm not the only one (and I'm not nuts!). Thanks.

I agree with the posts above that there are many, many people walking around with artificial parts inside, but I also look at the fact that about the worse thing that can happen in the future is having the band removed. Step 1-get the band. Step 2-lose the weight. Step 3-live happily ever after. If something gets in the way of step 3, like a complication that requires band removal....OK, I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is the extra 100 pounds (and the resulting health problems) for the rest of my life, and the fact that, if I chose another WLS method, I don't even have any options left. The malabsorption features of the other methods terrify me.........I can't imagine a healthy 90-year-old RNY person, but with lapband or even band removal I can envision a healthy older person. I want to be a healthy grandma and great-grandma. The potential risks of the lapband are so minor when compared to what my life might be like without it. (And I'm not even banded yet.)

For me the decision to have the band or not was based on the answer to one question........do I want to look back ten years from now and wish I'd done it? I have already battled excess weight for 10 years or more, and I'm ready for a healthy weight and lifestyle. I've chosen the band as my tool to get there, as I didn't want my God-given body chopped out and thrown away as in other methods. Right now I'm waiting to see if insurance will approve.

I am not banded yet but will be if my insurance approves it. The only significant weight loss I have ever had (30 lbs in 4 months) required a two hour workout every day and 1000 calorie a day diet with extreme limited fats. It also required about 2 hours a day of logging calories, planning low-fat meals, and cooking them. Count 'em.......4 hours per day. I called it my part-time job. Then I got pneumonia and a full-time job and it all screeched to a halt; the weight came back on plus 20 pounds, and here I am. I look at this surgery as a tool to help keep me from hitting a wall and reversing all the work I had done before. I would rather be a slow loser and be able to maintain a lifestyle of eating less and exercising moderately (or more as I lose weight and have the energy) if I can bounce back after an illness and still lose weight. From all of my reading and research, this seems to be the perfect place for me to be. Is it?

I haven't even had the surgery yet and I'm already worried about dieting after the band..........sheeeeesh, I act like my mom!!! At any rate, I wondered if anyone had used support system like Weight Watchers to help them be accountable and to track their weight loss after the surgery. When I was going before they would work with me on the diet plan that my doctor had put me on, and I'm sure they would do it again. Does that sound like a dumb idea?

About 70 miles north of Indianapolis. I went to my MD this morning and he is giving me the referral to the lapband surgeon! Yay!!!!! So next is the seminar and the consult w/surgeon, then on to see if surgery is approved through insurance. A bit of a wait, I'm sure. Any Dr. McEwen patients here?

Thanks, I guess it just confused me when I saw people questioning on other boards if they knew of a fill DR and they'd been banded for awhile. I'm really looking forward to getting this done and getting on my weight loss journey. I go to my medical DR tomorrow to get a referral. Wish me luck!

It looks like Indiana's been fading out.......let's bring it back to life! It was so great to hear of someone who's had Dr. McEwen for their surgeon....that's where I'm going to go. I'm in north central Indiana and will be going to Indianapolis area for the surgery if and when it gets approved. Can anyone answer this question........why do so many people travel out of the country for the lapband and then come back into the U.S. looking for a fill doctor AFTER their surgery? It seems like that's a big topic on some of the other forums out there. Later!!!!