Alexandra

Congratulations!! :(

Soooo heartbreaking. My little girls are the VERY reason I would never have considered bypass surgery. Obviously no one could have predicted the severe breast cancer that Jessica was struck with, but she had no resources to fight it with after the complications from bypass surgery. What a tragedy for all concerned, especially that little boy. I'm in tears. :(

Nykee, I've found that not drinking can actually make me tighter, and not in a good way. Dehydration acts to make your tissues retain water, which can add to constriction. So definitely take in MORE WATER and you may find that the swelling subsides more quickly.

I've had days like that, where nothing seems to fill me up. Then in a day or two the regular sensation of being full on not much is back. Just stay calm and relax, everything will be normal soon. And don't worry about your daughter! She'll be fine, and so will you.

Nancy, I'm sure this feels like a huge blow to you, but consider the alternative. If you HAD been banded, it's possibly (maybe even likely) that it could have led to a very serious health crisis. If that had happened your life may even have been in danger. Be glad you know NOW that you have a condition that makes you unfit for banding, rather than waking up banded and finding out the VERY hard way. Thank goodness you have a responsible doctor who knows that safety comes first. There will always be another way to lose weight.

Hi Deena, welcome to LBT!! :banana

Oh, Elizabeth, my thoughts are with you. {{{hugs}}} What I would do if I had a similar issue would be to go on liquids and STAY ON THEM for several weeks or at least until you meet with the doctor. While there may indeed be a slip or something wrong, when I had these symptoms I think it was just a matter of irritation not being allowed to heal and resolve. And eating just kept it all going and making it worse. I also think that for some people the OTC meds are less help rather than more. It seems to me that when I stopped taking them I felt instantly better.

Tropicana, I've seen that sort of thing before and it's a nice idea but VERY labor-intensive. It's also of dubious help because people don't understand that insurance varies from state to state, employer to employer, policy to policy. So when they see that someone in Florida was successfully covered by Cigna (for example) they might leap to a mistaken conclusion, and I don't think that's very helpful information. When anyone has an insurance question it's better if they post a question with their own details for responses. There are only a very few blanket assumptions that are helpful with regard to insurance.

Jen, I'm sorry but in our system large employers do have the right to pick and choose benefits. It's appalling, but there it is. Perhaps you can talk with your HR department and suggest that next year your company add a "buy-up" plan to your range of options. Have them put in place a plan with more benefits that employees can choose to buy up to--that they pay the additional premium for. Short of that, changing jobs may be your only option in terms of having insurance cover your surgery.

I waited almost a year to have insurance cover my banding, and I would have waited longer. All other things being equal, I'd want to have my medical care delivered to me in the States by doctors who are close by and answerable to the AMA. February is RIGHT around the corner. And obviously you want to heal up from your recent illness before even considering surgery. So that's what I would do.

Sleepyjean, I went through the exact same thing for almost 10 months. I have to say that I think all that time spent really thinking about what I was trying to accomplish has helped me in many ways after banding. I don't take anything for granted, and had no unrealistic expectations. It's hard, absolutely. But when you think back on this time you may find that it had a purpose after all.

The answer to your question is yes, fills can seem to "kick in" after some time. It can be a day or it can be three weeks--you never know until it's your turn. And scrambled eggs can be VERY problematic even if you're not very tight. They are TROUBLE for me, that's for sure.

Hey there, don't get cocky! You never know when you might swallow something a leeetle too quickly and *POOF,* you're indoctrinated. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Me too!! This sure seems to be the season for it. My cough was so bad I got the narcotic cough suppressant from the doctor just a couple of days ago. It seems to work, but I can't stand the way it makes me feel. I'm going back to Nyquil.

I have brown dress slacks I've been wearing with anything white, cream, yellow, or orange. My office is really cold so I have an array of cardigans, a couple of which have brown themes. Either of these look great with the brown slacks and a collared shirt in another color that's in the sweater. I don't know, maybe it's just me--when I try black with brown it NEVER works.

I just saw this morning that Caltrate comes in a chewable. That's calcium citrate, right?

Congratulations, and welcome to bandlandia!! It's wonderful that you're feeling great. Don't try to do too much too soon, though; you're still healing and there may be a down or two before you're recovered fully. Remember to be GOOD to yourself!! Healing is wonderful--it's so amazing to be feeling better each day than the last.

Sonjia, everyone is different. I've lost more than 120 lbs and I don't feel I need a tummy tuck. Now my arms are a different story! There's just no way to predict what your needs will be.

If the pain is below your navel it's not likely to be band-related. Maybe bowel-related? Have you been getting enough fiber lately? Fiber is very important--if things clog up down there it can get very uncomfortable!

Perfect sense. You are one wise woman.

Goooo, Ali!!! Congratulations!! :) :D :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

I take Synthroid for hypothyroidism. No problems, and there were no issues when I was researching either. As long as the condition is controlled it is not a contraindication for banding.

I can eat it, and I do eat it, and I love it.

I have lost significant ring sizes and have had to resize in order not to lose my rings. BE CAREFUL! You don't want to find out the hard way that your heirloom engagement ring is too big. My feet have not changed, much. I've always been a 10 and still am. I don't need a wide anymore, though.

Yogurt with an ounce of cheese on the side is a good one for me. Most days I go with a protein bar, Zone Perfect or Atkins. I like those because they have fiber, which the yogurt/cheese combo does not.