Sooverit!

Wow! Serena I'm with you too girl! This entire thread is the best I've ever read! Serena you have my admiration for being so insightful and clear headed about your disease ...you are an inspiration to all. Everyone here - is insightful and f u n n y! I am prebanded and have all these issues. It's good to read what's been on my mind. I agree too with what someone said about being on "auto-pilot" eating wise - great way to put it...that is exactly how I've eaten for 30 or so years and worry that will really be the challenge. Sometimes I don't even notice I've put something in my month until it's already down! And well I will surely miss my "PIMP" :think, but being forced to get over it and get healthy and "sexy" is good deal.

Renee: I was just wondering if you found your clothes were fitting better? I know my weight doesn't change lately but I'm pre banded but I do notice when I lose weight I feel smaller and clothes fit better even tho scale doesn't catch it. Are you getting restriction or are you hungry alot? thanks m

Way to go Pam! Congratulations! :clap2::whoo: :clap2: I've chatted with you before because I am the same BMI bordering 35-37 depending on the time of the month! I am not banded yet but am thinking about this most of the time and I think that ....how can you not lose weight? You will be eating portions that are European size now instead of the all American eat till you drop size portions that I know I eat. I think the best part is possibly that this "tool" will help with the yo yo dieting we all experience. I don't think you can put on that 20 so easily if you are eating smaller portions consistently. Of course liquid calories are counterproductive but I think even having an occasional latte or whatever can't make up for the portions you used to eat! I'm excited for you too! Keep us posted !

Oh Denise this sound just aweful~ How are you feeling now? I'm sorry to hear you were in so much discomfort. What did the doc say? Is this a normal reaction if something gets stuck? :cry Then to add insult to injury, are you're really not losing any weight or inches since you were banded in Dec? Atleast I hope at least your clothes fit better? Take care and feel better.

Thanks Denise great site!

I was given Lexapro shortly after my sister passed away and it was really amazing how well it worked on my depression. So much so that I was embarrassed that I seemed so happy when I should have been looking more down so soon after her death. Not a manic happy or anything like that just a really content relaxed jolly happy and speaking of jolly that's what I was becoming. I was never anxious so I fogot I need to go to the gym a lot and I started eating much more. Needless to say I packed on 15 lbs. Too bad because I felt great on them. I switched to Wellbutrin after reading about the weight loss possibilities (but later learned only in high doses) and have not had any side effects but it doesn't work as well on my blues and Lexzapro did.

The sleev huh...now I have to go and research that. Keep us posted on your progress. My BMI is 36 and I am started to doubt my insurance co will cover me as I am showing no signs of high blood pressure or diabetes. Does your insurance cover this?

Dear BB: Thanks for the info on Wellbutrin ..I do remember reading this. Lately I've been forgetting to take it in the evening anyway. The heat of summer always does something to my brain and I can't wait for fall. Wow, I saw your stats and you have some great weight loss!! You must feel like a million bucks losing all that weight. Good for you...

Dear BB: This is a late reply and I appologize...I was just wondering how many mgs of Wellbutrin did your doc prescribe to you for smokiing cessation? I felt like it worked really well for the first week or so and now I feel it's too mild and I had no side effects on 150 mg 2x a day. How are you doing by the way on the "lap band journey"?

Hi Soupgirl: Wow I have never read here anyone expressing/admitting what you just said! Thank you for being so honest and open! It was good to read it and you acknowledged my biggest fear. I know I will be mourning food BIGTME also. Food has been everything to me in my life and I know I've used it like a drug at times. I am so afraid of the "withdrawal" symptoms esp. since I'm going through menopause too or bad PMS either way I'm not exactly always on an even keel. Congratualtions on overcoming this hurldle....how did you do it...? Do you have any wisdom to share now that you are on the other side? I am a lower BMI 36/37 and haven't been banded but taking the steps toward getting there. ARe you a lower BMI also? It's not as easy I think if it's not a life or death choice at least not now. The closer I get to getting the band the more nervous I'm getting. It's great to read of your success....way to go! Anyway, thanks for all the comments on here. I'm back on the wagon now. I had a rough time emotionally adjusting to LB and I've been mourning food for the last 2 months. I'm OVER it now. This is a life changing experience and I'm going for it!!!!!

Sorry Bloo I 'm with your mom as well. This is a lifelong change...after a year if you are not down a few sizes I would worry but not now....now is the healing and adjustment phase...not a results focus time. Scales lie anyway....they don't just weight fat...they weigh organs, water, muscle of course and other mass. I go by how my clothes fit...I haven't weighed myself in a decade.

I am in the pre -banded limbo stage waiting for doc appts etc. and thinking way too much lately. Wondering if anyone feels incredibly frustrated during the adjustment stage?? Do you miss not eating like you used to? Do you ever feel deprived? the more I think of it the more I fear I would go nuts without my food rewards:cry With the focus off food now tho, do you have more time and energy? Too much energy. I just don't know where all that energy would go. I put alot of energy into eating and always have. any comments would greatly be appreciated. thank you at any time during the

Dear Ingio Girl: Thank you so much for your thougtful response! It gave me a lot to think about. I can get into that thin person's frame of mind when I am gun ho and going to the gym but that only lasts for 6 weeks. I am praying this device will prevent me from the yo yo syndrome. I don't think I'm fat so much because of the food I eat ....I eat very healthy most of the time....it's how much I eat. Hope that "head hunger" as you call it doesn't drive me nuts!! Big congradulations to you for your impressive weight loss ...and so soon! Way to go!! It would take me a year to lose 20 lbs. :clap2: You are healthier already! I see you are close to my age as well I am 48 and I know that as we enter our 50s the body tends to pack on more weight ...good for you for nipping it in the bud now! I once read that we will face heatlh issues if we are obese especially in the 50s. Good for you!

Oh my Gosh Vanessa...(one of my favorite names by the way) I am sorry I don't know why but I thought you were a male. I am relieved because I was starting to think that Cigna perferred men and I had a female discrimination if they didn't cover me! tHANKS again for all your generous guidance. How are you doing with your band!? It sounds like life back to normal for you? Fondly, Joan

I am so confused here and was hoping someone could forgive my ignorance as I have not been banded yet. I thought when you get the band your stomach is made much smaller so you feel full very quickly and with a very small amount of food. Do you still feel hungry even though your stomach "feels" full and you can't fit anymore into your now tiny stomach!?? This must be just terrible! Or do you not feel full and you can eat as much as before you were banded? Thanks in advance. Marg

Hi Col....so true who the heck cares....people are generally pretty wrapped up in themselves to give too much of a hoot anyhow. This is a very personal decision I feel and only I know if it's right. I do know tho that my 10 year old daughter will freak if I tell her....get worried ...start thinking she's too fat etc....I will cross that bridge when I get there I guess "who cares" ... nice to hear someone who has felt the same as me too )<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message -->

Hi Kat: I haven't been on the scale in a while I bet I'm about the same weight as you now too! The fact they measured you shorter is great!! I wonder if they may have done it as a favor to you...because you know that will increase your BMI and chances for insurance approval! yeah....I hope I'm shrinking but I don't think so...I'm going the other way up and out! :-) I feel that having every single paper in order and taking your time...is the best way to go. I'm actually writing sample letters for my doc ...he could copy them on to his letterhead if he wants ..hope I'm not being too controlling but I feel this is too important to not give it 150 percent! ant to be a dinky round old person. I want to be a glamazon! I, too, am worried that the ins will turn me down, but I'm going to do absolutely everything I can to make sure they have full info to maximize the possibility of approval. Oh, and I pray a lot! Good luck to you - sounds like we're on similar journeys, and I'll be rooting for you! ~kat<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message -->

Hi Pam: I just started developing High bp lately too...yikes...this is making my decision more of a no brainer every day! I think esp. for you being a teacher and on your feet all day...your joints and other body parts will thank you when you lose weight. Also I am now 48 and the body isn't as forgiving as it always was ...a few months ago when the warm weather came I decided once again to beat my body into submission and worked out hard, planted, biked, and walked my daughter to school up a giant hill...the next day I was confined to bed for 3 days because of a back problems which I NEVER had before. My Chiropractor thinks it is weight related. I think even tho to look at us we carry our weight well but it still is unhealthy to be this overweight. I will keep you in my positive thoughts ...keep us posted on your progress with the almighty insurance geeks:wacko: Marg woHi. PS> I'm with you I've only told a small handful of people....I hope I don't slip when I start losing weight....I'ts hard for me to keep a secret.. my secrets I mean....and I'm a talka as you can all see Ihaven't told tons of people and wonder how I will respond if and when I start to lose. I wonder how some people will react - like I'm not as good because I didn't just diet. I gess I really souldn't care, but in truth I do. I probably care too much what people think. When do you think you will get the ok? te gal at my doc's office said BCBS has been preety quick about responding, but it being summer it may be a little longer. Waiting is SO HARD - but not as much as trying to diet...

Trish....any word yet? We are all prayin for a quick and speedy approval from the almightly insurance geeks.

Yes I am "trying" to maintain a peace of mind but I do wake up thinking about this and go to sleep with it on my mind. I feel that once this "weight issue" is no long an issue I can get on with life....not a good way of thinking I know. On a positive note tho; since I have been thinking about this surgery I am feeling that this weight thing is only a temporary issue and it is not who I am and I haven't felt that way in a while ... I too do better under pressure just remember to take it slow.

It just boggles my mind to think about eating 3/4 of a cup of food at a meal. My entire life I ate like it was my last meal. Large portions were a way of life in my family growing up. We were always "big" irish people and "needed" more food. In my twenties however I ate very little and was a verythin person, only until I became preganant did I put on big pounds and the older I got the slower they came off. My question is ...do the banded miss food? Do you you/we experience withdrawal??? What a change in livestyle it must be. Food had to have been a big portion of your life and to carve it down to 3/4 of a cup per meal I just can't even imagine it right now. Of course I am prebanded and need to research everything to the rediculous but would appreciate any feedback.. thanks

Hi Maria: Thanks for checking in ....Yes I did call insurance co and they do cover it though they directed me to a doc only section that seemed from reading it that I would never get covered unless I was had a majorly serious heart condition....but I think that might be wall/road block number one they put up. Did your PCP get back from vacation yet? Yes! and I had the sleep apnia test waiting on results. Have a physcial scheduled for 8/20. I have the Nutritional appt. on the 30th ....have to have all my papers in order by then! . Divine intervention? Maybe.... Well, we WILL be banded, all in good time. Sometimes we make plans and God laughs, ya know? Keep in touch....I loved what you said Maria....you are right sometimes I forget and think I'm in charge at times! Keep in touch! :-)

Hi Gecco: I am in total agreement with Maria, I loved Dr. Huberman and he was so much nicer and more charming than I thought he'd be. He made me feel like I was making the right decision and I actually felt I didn't feel like he was testing me. He talked lap band talk in person and no one I know does that....I only get on line lap band talk, so it was good to talk in person about it. The questionaire was only about a 6 or 7 pages nothing too difficult. The only thing was the foot pain the next day when I sprinted from Penn Station to his office on 40th on the east side. I love power walking in the city though and miss doing it when I worked there. Now if I did that every day...I wouldn't need this!

Maria: I loved Dr. Huberman also...he really made me feel confident about this surgury. He didn't really seem like a "shrink" at all. I thought he'd be playing head games to see if I realy wanted the surgery but he was a great guy. Yes, I too am going to request Dr. F because of the scaring. This part is really nerve wrenching...waiting ..waiting and for me obsessing about being approved by insurance co.

Light how was your appt. with Dr. Ren? Was this your actual surgery date?? If it was congratulations ...and how are you doing now? Had a quick ? about insurance ...did you go thru insurance? Everything work out with that? Well take care of yourself. It only dawned on me after I started to write that you are probably newly post op...:notagree get your rest.