Butterfly Queen 111

Connie- I am very proud of you and reaching your goals and I think everyone here is too.However,be aware that becoming a shopaholic may be a "Transfer Addiction" .I am not trying to be mean or to make a joke,but I also quit smoking 3 years ago and was warned about Transfer Addicitons.What this means is this-A Transfer Addiction is one addiciton that replaces another.When I quit smoking I started eating more (Transfer Addiciton) and now I have a Lap Band.Be aware that this is very real and can hurt you financially.I wouldn't want anyone to get a Transfer Addicition becasue i did and this is how I gained about 58 lbs after quitting smoking. Here are my suggestions-Do physical excercise when you feel the need to shop.Shop at cheaper places and only take a set amount of money with you and no credit cards.Take a friend with you who will mind your budget.Get your old clothes to the tailor and have them taken in-(way cheaper than new) Arrange a clothing exchane at your support group locally.Set a limit for yourself-I outfit a month/every 3 months by the quarter of the year only- or attach a physical activity goal to it such as 1 outfit this month but only if I can complete a 5k ,etc... Just trying to help.Good luck & Hugs! :-)

Have you ever been checked for food alergies?Just a thought.I agree with the person who posted here about go back to basics and in addition to that choose only the most nutritious foods you can get and forgo the sodas/diet drinks-water only and see what happens.Also could you possibly have an allergy to the actual band?This is just another thought.Don't give up.We are all praying for you.:--)

Oh,BTW-The Jay Robb Chocolate is the best,and I am not getting any endorsement money for promoting this(I wish!) LOL!

Hi FeleciaDawn!I am totally with you in that I hate all things fake sugar.I stopped eating and drinking fake sugars 1 1/2 years ago and my arthritic joints work like they don't have arthritis now.I was a Diet Coke addict-I used to drink up to 7 cans a day,no Water and wondered why I felt sick all the time. My suggestion is this-Get Jay Robb Protein at the Vitamin Shoppe store or buy it online (Vitamin Shoppe is cheaper).This is 25 grams of protien per scoop-mix with soy or almoond milk-unsweetened.The mix is all natural and contains Stevia which is a natural herbal sweetener.I would also recommend getting Vitamin Shoppe Stevia Packs to add to tea or to Crystal ight Pure (contains stevia no fake sugars)and make your own ice pops with a plastic mold.I have been drinking the broth from soup-no pieces just the juice- when I go to restaurants or Trader Joe's Organic Free Range chicken Broth. You can also water down organic no sugar added juices and drink them or make ice pops.I also prefer Kosy Shack Smart Gels for Kids pre- made Jellos because they may contain a little sugar but no fake sweeteners or chemicals.Look for foods at health food stores and buy all natural organic unsweetened soy or almond milk.You can also make Soup broth/chicken stock and put it through a strainer yourself and then refridgerate it .Remember that your portion sizes will be extra small by the time you are post-op so you may want to freeze and thaw the broth as you need it in smaller batches. Good luck to you! :-)

Walk a lot,use Gas-X Thin strips and lay with a heating pad behind your back / on your shoulders whatever hurts.I was banded 8-31-11 and this is what I have ben doing and it works for me.Oh yeah,drink a lot of water too-this will help dissipate the anesthesia too.:-)

I have read that after being banded alcohol hits you harder than it did before so be careful.My surgeon's office recommended trying a first drink at home to see how it effects you before doing any public drinking.Well also alcohol could hit you harder after being banded becasue as your weight goes down your tolerence level will too-thinner people are ""cheap drunks'' and can get really buzzed on less alocohol.

Well,surgery is a shock to your body and although it causes some women to start early it is concievable that maybe some may start late.If I were you I would confirm with a drug store pregnancy test jsut to confirm becasue f you are pregnant you need to get more food/nutrition in -very importan to the baby's devalopment.

I am 42 ,female never married no kids.Pre op weight was 265,Liver Shrinking Diet,now I am 243 (-22 lbs since July 19th).I am 3 days post op with minimal pain.I listened to hypnosis CDs 1- for sucessful surgery each night 1 month prior to surgery and now I am listening to CD2 healing each night before bed.I think hypnosis has made a big difference for me.

To answer your question about IS it really worth it in the end?I am pre op,the same as you but I have spoken with other WLS patients at my support group and they all say they wish the surgery would have been available earlier in their lives and it was worth every penny.I am pretty sure I will feel the same way even though I am a self pay patient and I am financing $11,200.00 to get banding surgery.I think the most important thing I have learned from other WLS patients is that you will have more success and fewer complications if you follow the rules for your banding and surgery to the letter.I know most people won't do this but it will only benefit you if you do and save you from trouble like food getting ''stuck''.

Hi everyone! I am 42 years old and I weigh 258, down from 262 as of 7/19/11.I have a tentative surgery date of August 31st.I have already been through my initial consultation, and figured out my financing with Care Credit. I have also found out in my Quest for this surgery that you can take the surgery off on your taxes if the cost exceeds 7.5% of your total income. I encourage that anyone interested in this do their own research on the internet like I did. As a self pay patient I am going to utilize this tax savings. I am getting a Lap Band with plication/ imbrication. I have already been through an Ultra Sound with gallbladder imaging, 2 Chest X Rays, Upper GI, bloodwork and 2 psychological evaluations. I only have an appointment with the nutritionist left and my follow up appointment with my surgeon on either Tuesday August 23rd,or Thursday August 25 th . before surgery August 31st.I have sleep Apnea and Osteoarthritis in my knee and this is why I want the surgery. I have already started working out and eating better so the transition/adaptation after my surgery won’t be as big of a dramatic change. I am sort of nervous only because I am keeping my surgery a secret at my job. I am very excited at the prospect of losing my excess weight. My weight has been a big problem for most of my life and I haven’t liked the path I went down because of it. I am happy that now I have the ability to create a new beginning for myself and not spend my entire life fat.

Thank you! Yes we do have the same surgeon.I live in Raleigh so please feel free to PM me and I will give you my email address. :-) I would love to be supportive of other bandsters in the Raleigh/Triangle area. I am planning on attending the upcoming suport group at Rex Hospital on the third thursday of this month so you may see me there as well.Take care.

My surgeon is Dr.Paul Enochs in Cary also.I chose him because he runs 2 offices that are Bariatric Centers for Excellence and did the first gastric bypass surgery in Raleigh.He is absolutely phenomenal.IHe easily answers all of your questions and has a very likeable personality.Dr. Enochs truly cares abouthis patients and is very careful screening you for problems to minimize surgical complications.If you get the outpatient lap band surgery through his office that you can find on www.feelgoodaboutme.com you can get a great price for a limited time.This is wonderful for self pay patients. Dr. Enochs has so much experience that he has trained other doctors and is one of the only ones around the Raleigh area that does plication/imbrication and the SILS procedure.

My tip for self payers is this-You can take the surgery off on your taxes.I believe te rule is if your weight loss surgery expenses are more than 7.5% of your total income,then they can be included as a deduction.Keep all yo9ur receipts and learn more about this via web search or through your tax preparer.My Mom found out about this for me by looking in a 2011 Almanac.

My tentative surgery date is August 31.