Alexandra

Priceless! I wuv wuv wuv little girls. :biggrin1:

I shocked myself recently while rubbing up against a door jamb to scratch an itch. (What, doesn't everyone do that? ) These two big hard things were getting stuck on the jamb every time I moved back and forth. I was laughing when I realized they were my own shoulder blades! Not bones I'm very familiar with, sad to say.

Hardest for me was eating too fast. Drinking with meals wasn't a problem at all, but learning how to put down my fork between bites was a HUGE hurdle. I still don't do it all the time.

I think we can all relate to that fear, Leenerbups. It's one of the most frequent questions asked in the preop meetings I attend. The good news is that just the other night the surgeons in our practice said they have NEVER had someone die on the table (which includes all their thousands of RNY patients), and have only had a couple of post-operative deaths. Those were related to serious conditions the patients already had, or (I think) in one case due to extreme postop noncompliance. They have never lost a band patient, and I'm sure you won't be the first. If they think you're too sick for surgery or have any other major risk factors, they'll let you know and possibly turn you down as a patient. You gotta have a little faith, but it is indeed scary. The question is what's scarier? Minor banding surgery? Or staying fat and getting fatter and even less healthy as time goes on? Only you can answer that for yourself.

Wheetsin, I've noticed the same thing! Although last night on 60 Minutes they had an opera singer who had bypass surgery, and I was thinking to myself "where are her collarbones"? I'm thinking she has a ways to go yet. But seriously, maybe we just are farther along above the waist? I don't know, but my collar bones were among the first things to emerge from my shell. It's really weird, but I love it!

Hi Sarah! I'd only caution you to consider carefully where you have your surgery done. Well that, and don't make your mind up so fast as to whether to have it at all! Two days is a very short time. Read, ask questions, and see if there are any reasons why you personally wouldn't be a good banding candidate. If there are, try to address those reasons before going under the knife. I don't know where you are, but if there's any way you can have local medical care it's VERY important to set that up. There is no question that easy access to medical attention is very important for banding success. Even the smoothest rides need adjustment from time to time, and almost all of us have had reason to contact the doctor from time to time outside of normal adjustments. So do try to get local care if you can. Welcome to LBT!!

No, your band has not slipped. This is an absolutely NORMAL phase, and it just means you're healing. The postop swelling is going down and your appetite and capacity will probably return to almost preop levels in another week or two. That just means it's time for a fill! The band is not designed to work without proper, personalized adjusment, and that's what you're experiencing. The hard part is now, when you have to wait another three weeks at least for a fill: Inamed's protocol, which most surgeons follow, is that the band shouldn't be adjusted until everything is fully healed, at least six weeks post-surgery. So relax! Welcome to bandland, and be calm in the knowledge that things are progressing perfectly normally. And that's a GOOD thing!!

Hey, A, great minds think alike. Check out the NJ section!

Due to popular demand, the wise folks at the offices of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeons have added another LapBand support group to their monthly schedule! Now we'll be meeting twice a month, on the second and last Wednesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is on the same floor as the office, and pre-bandsters are MORE than welcome! Modesty prohibits me from divulging the identity of one of the co-moderators :nervous , but the other one is our own Alexra!! Let's hear it for Alexra!! :clap2: :clap2: :whoo:

VQ, I remember when I was first diagnosed hypothyroid, I did the same thing. Reading the sob stories of people with the same condition totally freaked me out, until I took a deep breath and realized: Hey, I don't feel like that. That doesn't apply to me! And I went on my merry way. Nothing matters but the way YOU feel. You know that. You just have to believe it. And we know you will. :nod:

Don't worry; the doctor and the insurance coordinator will both be collecting all your health issues in your file. You'll be talking about everything at your consultation, and the doctor will note the pertinent details for the insurance coordinator. They're very good at what they do. They won't let any details pass by.

Oh, Erin, my heart goes out to you. A staph infection is nasty stuff, and must be dealt with. But there's no predicting who will get one, and from what I understand many of them are actually picked up in hospitals. Big hugs to you, mom. We are all pulling for you to heal up completely and move on.

Eileen, I just heard once again at a preop seminar this week that Medicare never denies for this surgery as long as it's medically necessary. As the insurance coordinator says, "it's the one thing Medicare does RIGHT." So if you're going with Advanced Laparoscopic, I know they are confident that Medicare pays for bariatric surgery.

Nope. "Too much" water would really mean like 200+ ounces or even more. It's really hard for a normal person to drink too much. The more you drink, the more your body loses through urination. Not to worry!!

Kathy, lol... TLBowe, there are all kinds of medical conditions that might preclude RNY surgery and make banding truly the medical preference. I'm wondering if that's standard language, though, because UHC is usually known to cover banding pretty readily. You should ask your doctor's office about this. If you have relevant medical issues it's your doctor's job to put that information in the request for precertification. I'm sure they've run across this before. But even if you are healthy, they should submit the request anyway if banding is the procedure YOU want. Just list all the reasons why it's right for YOU in your letter, and all the reasons why RNY is not. Psychological and emotional reasons are just as valid as medical ones.

I'm just curious. Does anyone think that banding is somehow more permissible than RNY, because it doesn't permanently change God's creation? Is that a reason someone seeking to follow God's will might choose it over bypass?

I don't feel it has changed ME inside, at all. Maybe that will come with even more time. Or maybe I'm just one of those people who has never let being overweight define who I am. It's certainly changed what I can DO, and how much I enjoy every day. But inside? I'm the same person I always was. And that's a good thing! I always liked myself--it was my weight that was the problem. So that's all I really wanted to change.

Apryl, you are not alone. This is the only thing that really got me ticked, and it's only happened once. My stepmother, of all people, is the ONLY one who came right out and asked how much I weigh NOW. I was so surprised, all I could do was gape at her. Lots of people ask how much I've lost, and I think that's an understandable question. My neighbor, whom I do not know well at all, just asked me this today--and she, like most who ask, said "if you don't mind my asking." But NO ONE else has EVER asked me either where I started or where I am now--that's just an appalling breach of etiquette and personal tact. Even my brother and husband have never asked me this, so I was really shocked when my stepmother did. A thought on your friend: maybe she didn't necessarily appreciate your frequent comments about her progress, and by staying silent about yours she thinks she's doing you a favor? If so, I'm like her--I'd much rather have people say nothing than bring it up frequently. My best friends know that I've never liked talking about my weight, and being smaller has not changed that.

ShavieLou, By that thinking, taking ANY steps to improve or even change one's life could be seen as circumventing God's timing. And if one takes that POV to an extreme, he or she would never get off the couch.

Was the friend's presence really medically necessary? Or could you have managed on your own? That's the acid test. If the friend was, say, an attendant you need to assist because of mobility issues, you might be able to make the medical necessity claim. Otherwise, no.

Jill, this is a real challenge for me too. I've found that Lee Riders (available at Wal-Mart) fit the best. I'm in a 16L and they are long enough in the legs while fitting perfectly at the top. Not to mention they're only $19.99! I love 'em.

Clearly your first step is to get a PCP and have a physical. What are you waiting for? There must be some primary care doctors in Bowling Green. Any one of them can order the tests you need and write a letter of recommendation supporting the surgery. Your WIC notes will support the fact that you've been overweight since a certain date, but you must have a doctor's notes as well, I'm sure. The sooner you get started the closer you'll be to surgery.

Time heals all, ladies. As for the clothing confusion, a friend of mine recommends shopping therapy. Go to the mall but leave your purse in the car. There's no pressure to buy, just go in and try, try, try! You will come out with a better understanding of your size and the way you look in the mirror. And yes, you can stop thinking about your weight if you want to. If you have real trouble, professional therapy can really help. Replacing one unhealthy behavior with another is no way to improve the situation.

Sounds like a great day indeed! As non-materialistic as I am, I gotta say I love a new car, too. It is a real rush, for some reason.

I think I saw this product in a CVS store not too long ago. Isn't it in OTC products now?