MCCLB

Not to freak you out, but I woke up on the operating table with the tube still down my throat. So it definitely can happen. I had voiced my concerns with the anesthesiologist, because the only other surgery I had before lap band was my wisdom teeth, where they put me under general anesthesia. I woke up twice during my wisdom teeth surgery and it was very scary. When I woke up from my lap band surgery, I started freaking out-- they pulled the tube out of my throat which was AWFUL, and then I heard them count to 3 and then lifted me over to the stretcher to bring me to the recovery room. At the time, I thought that the surgery was still going on and I was apparently yelling at my surgeon and asking him why I was still awake during surgery (especially because it had been a huge concern of mine). I think most people wake up in the recovery room and already have some pain meds in them. I did not and I was in a LOT of pain. It finally subsided a bit when they got some meds in me. Again, I don't mean to freak you out, but it can happen. Good luck!

I have some great scale news and want to Celebrate. So, my highest weight ever was 299 lbs. Today, 2 big things happened. I have lost 100 lbs and I have also entered into ONDERLAND!! Funny that the numbers work out that way, but they do! It feels really good to have a 1 as the first digit in my weight! I hope everyone else is doing great, too!!

I recently completed the C25K and the app I used was "Get Running.". It keeps track of all your runs, tells you when to run and when to walk etc., and (at least I know on iPhone) you can listen to Pandora, iPod, etc while the app is running.. It will just lower the volume a little and tell you "one min left" or whatever else it tells you. It's great-- I highly recommend Get Running!

Also, I meant those were just the requirements for that particular hospital. Every hospital is different. But that webinar is great anyway.. I recommend you watch!

The first thing you should do is to contact your insurance company and see if they cover the surgery. If they do, then I would choose a primary care doctor and make an appointment. Actually, you should do that anyway, even if they don't cover the surgery because it sounds like you should get a physical. Talk to your doctor about the surgery and see what he says. Since he won't know you yet, he may ask to see you again before he will refer you to a surgeon. Mine did that because I had only been to her once about 2 years prior because I hurt my shoulder in a car accident. So she wanted to see me in 6 weeks, then 12 weeks, to see how I was doing and show that I was committed to life style changes (because you will be making a LOT of lifestyle changes with this surgery). The hospital my doc referred me to does seminars about the surgery and you must attend two before starting the process. You can watch the "webinar" that will count as one. There is some good info on it if you want to watch... www.bidmc.org/wls. Click on "webinar on weight loss surgery" on the left side bar. You should do as much research as you can before you decide this is the surgery for you. Good luck!

I'm sorry you are feeling down. I've been dealing with depression for over a year now and it's no fun. In November I finally sought counseling and in December I started taking anti-depressants. It might be something worth looking into for you. Maybe ask your doc for a referral or contact a counseling center that accepts your insurance. It sounds like you could use someone to talk to. Good luck!

I think most ORs are pretty strict with what they allow and don't allow. For example, you can't wear any jewelry or makeup and they have you shower with a special kind of soap before-hand. Honestly, I know you are modest as are a lot of people, but I think it is just something you'll have to deal with (I mean this in the nicest way possible). They have seen it ALL. They will cover you up with sheets. Also, did you need to have an EKG done pre-op? I had to have one pre-op and post-op in the hospital and you need to remove your top for that, too. Just wanted to prepare you.

I can totally relate! That was the thing I worried most about going into surgery. I'm very self-conscious and didn't want anyone seeing anything! You are, in fact, supposed to be naked under your gown. They are professionals and the OR team does a good job during surgery to maintain the dignity and privacy of patients and they cover up any areas that do not need to be exposed with sheets. They have seen it all. I also asked my surgeon about a catheter, because I did NOT want one. He said if I go to the bathroom before-hand, I would not need one. It worked out just fine. I understand your worry, but it is just something that has to be done. Trust me, after the surgery-- you won't give it a second thought. Good luck!!

This may sound awful, but when I'm skinny I would love to be able to attract a sugar daddy who will pay for any and all the plastic surgery I want... 'cause I sure has hell can't afford it! Then, I would love to go to a nude beach and be comfortable!

My understanding is that you should eat chewable, as opposed to gummy, because they will dissolve and not get stuck. A gummy vitamin can be like eating a gummy bear... may not go down easily. But everyone is different and it may also depend on your level of restriction. I personally use Flintstone vitamins. I like the taste and they go down just fine.

The Couch to 5K is a 9-week running program designed to get anyone from being a couch potato to being able to run a 5K, or run 30 min straight. The website is C25K.com I downloaded the Get Running app on my iPhone, which is a c25k app, and I love it. It keeps track of your runs and tells you when to run and when to walk. It also lets you play Pandora (or other music) and then lowers the volume when it tells you things. This morning I did day 2 of Week 4. The schedule is as follows: Always start with a 5-min walk to warm up and end with a 5-min walk to cool down. Week 1: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 8 min 8X: Run 1 minute. Between runs, walk 1.5 min. Week 2: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 9 min 6X: Run 1.5 min. Between runs, walk 2 min. Week 3: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 9 min 2X: Run 1.5 min, then walk 1.5 min. Run 3 min, then walk 3 min. Week 4: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 16 min 2X: Run 3 min, then walk 1.5 min. Run 5 min, then walk 2.5 min. Week 5: Run 1 Total Running: 15 min 3X: Run 5 min. Between runs, walk 3 min. Week 5: Run 2 Total Running: 16 min Run 8 min, then walk 5 min. Run 8 min. Week 5: Run 3 Total Running: 20 min Run 20 min. with no walking Week 6: Run 1 Total Running: 18 min Run 5 min, then walk 3 min. Run 8 min, then walk 3 min. Run 5 min. Week 6: Run 2 Total Running: 20 min Run 10 min, then walk 3 min. Run 10 min. Week 6: Run 3 Total Running: 25 min. Run 25 min with no walking. Week 7: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 25 min Run 25 min with no walking. Week 8: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 28 min Run 28 min with no walking. Week 9: Runs 1, 2, 3 Total Running: 30 min Run 30 min with no walking. You can repeat weeks as necessary. I repeated week 1, but I've been smooth-sailing ever since. Hope this helps and good luck!

Hi Dani bee, The first thing you should do is contact your insurance company to see if they cover weight loss surgery and if they do, ask about the requirements to have it. Then you should make an appointment with your primary care doctor to discuss it. Your doc may know of some great surgeons and can refer you. You should definitely go to a seminar. My surgeon also has a "webinar" if you want to check it out. It is pretty informative and you can check it out at www.bidmc.org/wls. Keep doing your research so you can be prepared and make a well-informed decision. Good luck!!

Okay, so I just had them. And they're really not bad as a zero cal zero carb replacement for Pasta. So it's true that they are rather tasteless, but take on the taste of the sauce. I made a meat sauce, mixed in the pasta and put it in a casserole dish. Then I topped it with mozzarella cheese and put it in the oven on 350 for about 18 min. One thing I will say is that since I was really hungry and hadn't eaten that much earlier, I ate them a bit too fast and didn't chew enough.... so they came back up. But I'm not saying they're not band-friendly. I think if I chewed properly they would've stayed down. I might try them with Philly cooking cream soon.. Also, I was thinking about doing a Ramen noodle type dish with them. There are a lot of recipes out there, so I think I can have some good variety.