lizrbit

Argon! you are in my neck of the woods in real life. I live in Northern Maine (presque isle). Im down here in houston to be banded and i took a job down here for three months to accomadate that, and to escape the snow. I love New Brunswick. I do a lot of business in Moncton. im learning french kinda.

hey thanks SO MUCH for mushy food tips!!! My family has all migrated here to where i am now and ive noticed that the biggest activitity in my family is "lets go get something to eat!". Its really opened my eyes to how MUCH my family LOVES THIS activity. Ive done well, i havent got off mushies, but one can only eat so much smashed guts of a potato. My mother just doesnt understand, and keeps trying to get me to eat bread or giant bay scallops...lol.. i havent caved. I had an episode yesterday morning with scrambled eggs. I was very hungry and was taking too big of bites. and had the a) stuck :myscared: slimmmmmme and then c) up she goes! on a BITE of scrambled eggs! so im back to serious squishies. My doctor has explained to me that right now its not about weight loss. For five weeks after surgery, its all about healing, and SCAR TISSUE. they want the band to form a firm scar on the outside of your stomach, so that when they do a fill it will be effective, and also have less problems later on. Some examples of foods ive been chowing on: a) tofu (its firm but the consistency of cooked egg whites) marinated in balsamic vinegar and sauteed in extra virgin olive oil. :Banane32: tofu marinated in terriaki sauce and wrapped in foil and baked in oven c) scrambled eggs d) insides of baked potato e) bean soup (yum) f) pea soup (eh) g) small can of beans n franks (beaten to a pulp and eaten with small spoon) h) tomato soup! (yum!) i ) mashed bananas j) yogurt with cereal (stir well to coat the cereal and let set for a while to get less crispy) k) and for a treat, PUDDIN! woohoo! so..with all that and the occassional protien drink, im getting by. oh.. im riding the bike outside for about an hour and a half every morning at sunrise. I take my ipod, put on my bike ridin outfit and take off. I have literally been so happy doing this that ive cried. i know that sounds really mushy. :Banane32:

thats the best answer ive ever read. which would you rather have? I completely agree.

it kills me how different doctors are. Im three weeks out and im JUST now on mushies. My doctor explained that the stages are very important because they want your band to scar firmly in place and the only way to do that is to eat CLEAR LIQUIDS for a week, then slowly introduce creamy soups, then slowly introduce mushies about a week after that. the day before my two week check up i sliced an apple into very thin strips and chewed on those till i got them down and they were HEAVEN..but he then explained that you gotta give the incisions and stiches time to heal and the scar tissue to form so that you will have proper fit later. I know that sounds like it sucks but broiled fish is fantastic and all in all its really not so bad. it just kills me to read about people a day or two or even a week out of surgery and eating solids! theres no way you could have healed in that kind of time?

you mean sex..with another person right? there should be a class somewhere we could take for those of us who have likely grown shut... since its been soooo long. they...dont grow shut, REALLY.. i think.... to answer the question for myself, ive only been banded three weeks and i am a solitary practitioner, but the IDEA of it has definitely increased. ideas...plural...

I LOVE cycling! Just since the middle of January (2007) ive rediscovered them after 12 years!~ even when im less of me i have a build that has a lotta junk in the trunk too. and now its quite amplified! I get 'squished delicates syndrome' after riding about forty minutes or so or if im riding a longer distance than normal. I have NO idea what to do about it, sometimes ill get off the bike and walk it a ways until i decide im going to survive it. i agree with you all though that the scenery, the exhiliration of being outside in a beautiful climate, and just the idea that i can go to a destination, with music, is a wonderful thing im totally diggin. i go riding RIGHT when i get up (around 6am) and im usually out until 8am. i like riding at night too but i cant do it as much since i have company. in the early mornings they arent here so that part is easier.

Luv2blab, i was banded on the same day. im struggling with mushies but i cant complain, i love them. i have to be very careful i eat the right things. My brother and mom have come down for vacation and im finding it difficult to eat the right things. SO far so good, but do you know what i mean? im finding it difficult to get away to go walk or ride bikes anymore. Im trying, and will still try. how are you doing? I hope well. I am finding i have restriction when i eat eggs or fish. (the sort of solids im allowed). i will get a feeling in my chest which says "push the plate away" and i do, and sure enough in a few minutes of just letting it settle, im stuffed and done with dinner. Later, when i can drink a sip of fluids, i feel and hear the 'gurgling' but i kind of like that. It usually relieves the stuck or full feeling. i dont usually feel uncomfortable. i havent 'bp'd yet or even come close. i usually still will eat soup or marinated tofu for dinner. I just recently started eating fish. I did so well for excercising at first, i miss my rides and hope i can readd them soon. write and let me know how you are doing?

a!!!!!! thats AWESOME!!!! i JUST hit twoterville this week and i could totally relate to your progress. You DID IT!!! smatter o fact you ARE less than your one hundred lb goal!!!! your where i wished i was right now!

man this stuff was a life saver post op. I didnt recieve the same 'band rules' as a matterofact, i was told no protien shakes for four to seven days! Dr said i COULD drink these since they are clear liquids. i still love them. i take them wtih me on bike rides and pretty much do at least three of these a day.

synicalchick! CONGRATULATIONS. we started out at the same place. My stats are way similar. Ironicly it ties in with Christies post too for me because i arrived here with a bmi of 53 and my insurance required i get it down to 50, so my surgeon, who i absolutely adore and think hes BRILLIANT put me on a liquid diet and walk till you drop routine and it WORKED. id NEVER been on a liquid diet before, and now im crusing along finally on mushies but had been liquid dieting since Feb 8! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT that you could survive on liquids! but you can...amazing. I live in Maine, but had my surgery in Houston with Dr St Laurent. My husband is researching us possibly relocating here and its very possible. there are many other factors, one being how much warmer it is here. anyway, i digress.... its just neat to find other people who start out at the same point and are journeying right alongside you. Congratulations on your entrance into bandland.

i was banded on feb 13 2007, and im scheduled for my first fill Feb 19th. Its as a favor to me though because i have to fly back to maine on Feb 21. My surgeon prefers to wait six weeks for everything to heal. my first post op however was at two weeks...and im glad too because i was starting to try some solids way too early and was quickly put on the right path. i digress. i think most surgeons will wait six weeks for all your wonderful delicate insides to heal before attempting a fill.

Wait! i didnt get to put my two cents in... I agree with you, that right now you have to focus on you and you cant be burdened with other peoples stuff right now...but you know its a two way street.... and you gotta be prepared for that. I dont know when selfish got to be a bad word.

snoochie boochies

hi guys... i saw this and had to chime in. I used to LOVE coffee. Two years ago i went from smoking three packs a day to none. ive been smoke free since feb 26 2005. I had smoked for 23 years, and this heavy for 19. The correlation was my coffee. My first pack of smokes was in between five am and nine am. I also drank around two pots of coffee a day. When i quit, i didnt quit my coffee cause i loved it, but my intake naturally just went way down. I averaged then about 1 to 2 cups per day and i was happy with that. I had horrible acid reflux though, and couldnt shake it. When i decided to get the surgery, i knew that there would be times of liquid diet. I also knew you could practicly live on tea, and used to drink earl grey in the mornings when my dad was alive, so i just switched. I dropped thirty lbs like it was nothing and my acid reflux...GONE. i dont even really miss it. would the dr's issue be because of the stomach problems itcauses, and not so much the caffiene? Try tea, for a week and see if it makes any difference? I love earl grey (oil of bergemont smells so outrageously good) but sometimes go for the decaffinated green tea with orange. maybe its worth a shot?

:::rolling on the floor laughin:::::: sign me up for one, this clear belly thing. lmao... can we get our serial numbers embossed on the top front, like a fancy tatoo? we could change our names to them! we could start our own colonies!! Banderland. the land of clear banded bellies. This is E613460, let me guide you through our community!

man there is a horrible virus going around and i mean really going around. I have family in maine sick, my brother in nyc sick, people around here in south texas sick, its quite amazing how far this spreads. If you get it you get it, but id take extra vitamin c, only drink bottled water, and dont be around anyone! I was alone during my surgery too. i hired a cabbie to wait for me in the waiting room (mandatory) then drive me back to the cottage on the island (around 60 miles from the surgical center). I was by myself after that and i did fine. set things up for yourself beforehand, like, get your chicken broth cans all lined up in the cupboard, protien waters (special k, yum) and protien shakes too. your liquid tylenol and liquid vitamin, heating pad by a comfy chair or couch with lots of pillows, get that netflix subscription kicked in so youve got a lot of movies to watch for the next three or four days and youll be even better than fine. oh..gas x pepermint creme chewables ROCK.

im newly banded, but i voted mixed feelings too. when im an old woman, i wont care so much maybe. I would like to keep it as long as possible.

update: hey! i was banded on the 13, went very smooth. i had used the same cab for my tests and got to know the cabbie a bit. I was able to use him, he waited for me in the waiting room as required, took me by the drug store drive through to get my perscripts and even helped me up the stairs and insde the cottage im staying at. I had done much to prepare ahead of time and i gotta tell you, it went really smooth. I paid highly for the privlidge. 480 dollars. I figure i would have probably spent that in groceries or something. still. if you are alone, and wind up having to go this route, you will be okay. It felt a bit lonely for a day or two and i had a full out pity party the third day out but no horrible things happened.

Hey there! Im nine days post op. I havent weighed but i have a feeling that ive put back some on since i started adding the high level protein drink and...the peanut butter. Its a new weakness. I dont know though. Im doing okay. NurseCEO..im totally addicted to pepermint creme gas x chewables. Love em and they do seem to help the constant burping. Have you had the gurgling yet when you drink a protien drink? i havent had it in a day or two but it was kinda funny when it did happen. Feels like the plumbing has been rerouted. I dont have any big news to report. My followup isnt until the 27th (when i was originally scheduled for surgery ironicly). Im hoping i can get a fill before i leave to go back home. I know it might be a lot to ask, but im finding i am holding more each day, and hungry afterwards quickly too. egads.

Hey Katy! I know the writing is so tiny on there. Yes it takes fine in water, and its not thick at all so it goes through pretty easy. I do one serving a day in water blended, then some yogurt or cottage cheese around noon for lunch, and creamy soup of some sort for dinner. Im in the creamy stage moving into mushy slooooowly. (Nine days post op) I do the kellogs protien water through the day too. Hey..did you see on the isopure container about it not being for wieght loss? i wonder what that is about? Still though, i have to say that adding it has REALLY helped me not feel so weak! im feeling good. OH..i gotta tell you too, i have found a new weakness. I read someone who was in the same stage as me saying they had a couple of spoonfulls of peanut butter and how great it was, so when i was at the grocery getting more waters, i went to the peanut butter section and found SMUCKERS NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER all it has in it is peanuts, honey, sugar and salt. the oil seperates on the top but i stir it up good, and OH MY GOSH its the best stuff. a couple of spoonfulls and im good! i never liked peanut butter before. if you get a chance, try it out!

I think thats the key for a significantly easier approval, to stay in network. My plan is Maine (where i live). They offer lapband surgery in Maine but its a very new proceedure there. I found my surgeon online through a couple of searches. I liked his stats and the fact that hes licensed by the manufacturers of my lap band, to teach the proceedure to other drs helped on top of his stats. I contacted his office, and found them extremely helpful. Your surgeons office staff includes people who handle insurance exclusively. They interact with them. They will tell you what the insurance will require as well as what the surgeon requires. I had an exhaustive history of medically supervised diets and programs extending years, as well as obesity related injuries and surgeries. It was my surgeons office who submitted my claims. The first denial was because the results for the tests i took that the insurance required had not come in yet. The surgeons office resubmitted my claim for me, then i was denied a second time but...i wasnt denied the surgery, i was denied the out of network referral because the surgery is offered in maine. My surgeons office resubmitted with the reasons i chose them, and it was approved. My office visits are likely out of pocket, and I have to tell you, to me, this is worth it. I found the best surgeon for me, im GRATEFUL to have this system in place, Im hopeful for a chance at living a life that didnt revolve around my obesity. I was banded Feb 13, i had no bruising and very little pain. The first day it felt like i swollowed a football, but im one week and one day post op and im walking twice a day, riding a bicycle everywhere i go in town, im working on the job i contracted so that i could be here during the time to obtain the surgery, and i love it. Ive lost around thirty lbs pre op and still going. This is an investment in yourself. Ive bought cars for more that i was less invested in. Im not done yet either. if i get the weight off and sustain a year, i plan on cosmetic surgery as well. I freaked on the insurance initially too, i called repeatedly and even requested a case manager and even though i think quite highly of my insurance plan, the surgeons office you go to, will definitely help you get through the red tape. They are used to dealing with insurance and they know what each specific insurance is looking for. They help with the entire process. I would advise you to call your surgeons office if youve chosen one, if not, you can google "lap band surgery" in your state or area and find a service like JourneyLite to contact. It really does help sort it out. If you go to your insurances website, you can download the policy specificly to find what their requirements for lap band surgery are. I would not recommend self pay if you have insurance. One thing they will ask you to do, is to find out if your insurance policy has a exclusion policy regarding gastric banding surgery. IF YOUR POLICY DOES, then you cant do anything about that and neither can the insurance company because that is the way the policy was set up through your employer! IF that is the case, then the surgeons office will have literature for self pay in terms of financing programs through loan companies and credit services, and ive even heard of people changing insurance in order to do it. If my insurance would not have covered this, i would have exhausted any avenue possible. Im very hopeful this will work for me.

thank you SO MUCH! thats going to be very helpful! i put the entire contents into a large bowl and using a pair of tongs went through it and it just didnt have a scoop! i have a half cup measuring scoop in the kitchen though and that will work just fine! Thanks again! also..your using milk? so far ive just used water. Do you use it daily?

hi! ive got anthem blue cross blue shield too. My policy covered the surgery 100 percent, but i had trouble with the out of network reference for the office visits. Ive paid only about 200 dollars so far during the testing process (one for nutritionalist and abill from the sleep study) and i dont know how much of the office visits ill owe, but you know it might help to think of it like buying a car. Im looking at it like that, like i have a new volkswagen beetle around my stomach!

Mookie you are hillarious!!! Ive wondered what to say to someone fiddling around with a mysterious port during an intricate proceedure. I learned during my second delivery that some surgeons have no sense of humor... still, its your port! you rock it! hehehe. I wouldnt worry about meeting capacity. I could be nieve but i think you will have constriction just fine all the way down the road.

I was fine until this stage. I think that because im starting to heal that ive started having intense cravings that I KNOW wont do anyone any good.. ive been great on the liquids so far, but now i want a tbone. I read that someone did a soft boiled egg in the full liquid stage, and while i wouldnt make it a habit, i scrambled one in milk tonight and WOW what a perfect food. For the record, i cant look at carrot juice anymore. it was a good idea once, but thats all i had in me. Im cool with creamy soups, even a little fortified, and my isopure powder, but i seriously cant wait until i can get a steak.