MINI-Me

That is precious! Are you keeping a journal of your weightloss journey? If so, you should print that out & put it in there. If not, what are you waiting for??? LOL

I guess I'll put a question back to you ... why are you considering WLS? It doesn't sound like it's for size or self-esteem concerns. Are you doing it for your health? If so, focus on that. Focus on reducing risk factors for disease and such. Hopefully that helps.

WOW! I have found 3 ways to measure my success - the scale, measurements, and the way my clothes look. I too weigh everyday since I track it to see patterns. But, I try not to lose heart and little ups and downs since I have other things to measure against. Last night, I tried on a new pair of shorts I bought. I could not believe the thin woman looking back at me in the mirror. It was like seeing me in high school again (well, minus the gray hairs and the facial wrinkles LOL). WOW! What a great feeling. I'm sure you were the same seeing your t-shirt being lose. Isn't it AWESOME?!?!?!?

It's nice to know that I am helping others. This site was a life-line to me when I was researching and getting ready for my surgery. Just keep reading and asking questions. We are all here for you.:thumbup:

Sorry - I didn't have a revision so I don't know the guidelines for a revision. I was also self-pay since my insurance policy does not cover any WLS. Hopefully my response will bump this & someone with insurance experience can chime in.

Anna - That means so much coming from you. You are an amazing person & I so appreciate your sweet spirit. This has been an amazing journey. These last pounds are definitely coming off slower, but they are coming off. I'm headed to the East Coast to see my mom and family next week. I've told them that I've lost weight (finally broke down and told mom about the surgery) ... cannot wait to show off the new me. I now weigh less than I did when I got married. Yahoo!

I was told to wait until at least 3 months.

Sounds like you are well on your way to a healthy recovery. And yes, WWIII happened in most of our new tummies.

For Dr. Umbach, you can go to Lap Band Las Vegas - Gastric Bypass Nevada - Weight Loss Surgery to get additional information. I met Dr. Umbach through Medical Tourism and was quoted $10,900 for the procedure which included pretty much everything except flight costs, pre-op testing and pysch eval (insurance covered these) and my nutritional counseling. Worth every penny to me! Sorry - I don't know more on other doctors in Vegas, but other may chime in.

I could have written this myself. Someone I knew with a band actually had the fill taken out so she could "gorge" on a cruise. I wanted something permanent that would not allow me to fall back into old habits and continue the yo-yo of weight loss/weight gain. None of my Band friends have made goal. AND - none have maintained to the level where they stopped losing. All have gained back. And, they have all had complications such as pb'ing, swollen esphogus, stretching of the upper pouch, etc. While I am only 5 months into this, I can definitely say it's been a life changer for me. I love the restriction and the ability to eat anything I want - just much smaller proportions. Good luck with your research. We are here to help if you have specific questions.

Congratulations! I remember talking with your dad at our post-op visits. He was such an inspiration. Glad to hear that you are doing so well.

I think we've all had similiar thoughts. But the above poster is right ... you are doing this for you and your family. Setting a good example of how to take control of your health and making sure that you can be around for many years to come. Let us know how you progress ... looking forward to hearing of your success on the Loser's Bench!

LOL - my niece would have done the same thing!

How exciting! I remember those pre-surgery gitters, excitement, and all the questions running through my head. Best of luck for a great surgery and uneventful recovery. Let us know how you are doing!

I also voted "lost it after surgery and never had it return" ... However, I often do get a weak "empty" feeling if I go too long. Somedays, I can go a long time. A few weeks ago, we got up and had Breakfast around 8:30 ... Got busy with the day & went shopping with my 8 year old. At one point, he stopped, dropped his packages (very dramatically, like only an 8 year old can do) and said "Are we ever going to have lunch?" I looked at my watch and realized it was 3:30 in the afternoon!!!! I immediately took him to the food court & filled him up. Can't believe he didn't complain before that. He told me "I figured you'd remember me eventually." Oh! The drama of the 2nd grader!

LOL!!!!! :lol0: :thumbup1: :lol0: :thumbup: :lol0:

I have been attending this group for several months & have found it to be a great group. :thumbup1: If you live in the Puget Sound area of Washington, we'd love for you to come join us. (Our regular facilitator is on vacation this week, so I am leading the group. Normally, our conversations go off in many different tangents, but our main topic will be surviving the 4th of July BBQ's and making healthy choices.) YOU ARE INVITED! Monthly Support Group for patients interested in a positive, safe environment to discuss issues, ask questions, share stories, and Celebrate victories with weight loss surgery (all types welcome). Whether you are a current patient, are scheduled for surgery, or are just gathering information about weight-loss surgery then this is the place for you! Important Details: First Thursday of each month 6:30-8 pm Grandview Village * 5800 64th ST NE (near the Marysville YMCA) Marysville WA 98270 *when you enter the lobby the staff will direct you to the meeting room

I am 5'6". I want to be 135 so I'll be 5 pounds more than you guys at 130. I picked that weight for 2 reasons: (1) That is about mid-way on the healthy BMI & sounded good to me and (2) I weighed that when I graduated from high school. Of course, at the time I thought I was "fat" ... but looking back at pictures, I looked goooooood! As of this morning's weigh in, I am 12.8 pounds from goal & smiling as each pound melts away. On a positive note, the good thing about stalls (just coming out of one) is that you see quite a bit of movement on the scales after one is done. Mommydog14 ... you are just over a month out of surgery. Your body is still healing and adjusting. I wouldn't consider yourself losing slowly. Pre-surgery, wouldn't you have loved to see a consistent 1.5 pounds a week? You are doing fine. Soon you will be able to exercise and up those calories. The weight WILL come off!

I think your surgeon was using the 60% rule. You have 67 pounds to hit your (let's call that excess weight). 40 pounds would be 60% of that excess weight (total weight loss) which is considered a success in the bariatric world. I definitely feel that goal is in reach - for lightweights, mid-weights, and anything beyond. Just follow your plan and YOU WILL SUCCEED!

This is a way out there idea, but maybe worth sharing ... I wonder if it's just the surgical blues??? Since you feel better with food, I wonder if it's your body's way of saying "Yes, this is what I want. I'm tired of trying to survive on so little". Like I said, only a guess ... but I know I had the blues after surgery & it was difficult to get past them. I was dealing with a lot of issues with my "comfort food" loss and didn't really know it. Hope things get better soon.

No one likes to think about the "what-ifs", but it is a good gift to give your family in the unlikely event that we need our loved ones to make decisions for us. Thank you for your post.

I am so happy for you DeeDee. What a great accomplishment - you should feel very proud of your hard work.

People really amaze me with their self-imposed "right" to tell us how to live our lives. If it were me, I would tell her straight off when she approaches you that this is your life, your decision, and that you are not willing to have further discussion about your eating decisions with her. If she keeps going, politely excuse yourself and walk away. Good luck!

I have 3 friends with bands. I have watched them all struggle with complications and none have made goal in 2+ years. I have 2 friends with VSG - no issues and 1 made goal in 6 months and the other is well on her way. I am so happy with my choice - in 5 months, I am close to what I weighed in high school. My health has improved, I get around better, I feel comfortable in my own skin ... VSG was definitely the right choice for me!

How can such competent and great surgeons have such incompetent people working for them? It drives me CRAZY!!!!!! Sorry that you are going through all of this. Since they've already reviewed your case, it should be faster this time. Do you have the name of your case worker at your insurance company? If so, once the paperwork is submitted, you may want to give them a call - sometimes a call will magically make your paperwork go to the top of the stack. Good luck!