tattoomommy

Dec 4 here....good luck.

NOT ON THE 30TH BUT GOT MY DATE TODAY FOR DEC 12TH,,, IM A WRECK LOL,,, VERY EXCITED I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PRACTICE ON CHEWING AND HAVE NOT DONE WELL AT ALL,,, NOW I HAVE 2 WEEKS TO PRACTICE,, SO IM GONNA WORK REAL HARD ON CHEW CHEW CHEW CHEW LOL,,,, GOOD LUCK TO YOU

Hi. Me too!!!! Mines in the afternoon i think i would prefer early to get it out of the way!!! Good luck

good luck to u.... I'm sure you'll do great ~_~

Good luck! If you really have tattoos, I hope you picked ones that will shrink down with you! LOL.
You will do fine!

Congratulations on starting the steps to a healthier you. It sounds like you are putting a lot of thought into this decision which will help you as you move into your new life. I had Lapband 8 months ago and I haven't regretted it yet. I am down over a hundred pounds and feel so much better.
1) Does your port show thru your skin a lot? No. I have the low-profile port and although I can feel it, it doesn't show through at this point in my weight loss journey.
2) Does it hurt to get the fills? No. Just a small stick. The same as getting a vaccination.
3) Do you feel the band will continue to give you restriction for life as long as you eat healthy & exercise and get your fills? I think so. As long as you stay away from slippery foods your band will stop you from overeating.
4) How many fills do you usually need a year? I have only had 1 fill so far. I have 4 ccs in a 14cc band and have been in the green zone for 4 months.
5) Did most of you lose your hair? Did it come back? I didn't lose any hair, but I did pay careful attention to my Protein intake.
6) What are the worst side effects, things getting stuck, gas, etc???? I have only been stuck once and it was really not a good feeling. Immediately after surgery the worst side effect was watching others eat my favorite fatty and or slippery foods. Now that I am used to my new diet, it doesn't bother me to see others eat things that I used to crave.
Good luck to you as you make your decision. I too looked at other surgery options and decided lapband would be the best for me. I have several friends that had by-pass or sleeve and I saw the number of complications they had and decided for the least invasive option.

I am getting my band on November 8th, and what an emotional roller coaster I have been on for the last couple of weeks! I just want to get this done already. As sure as I am that this is the right decision for me, it has not been an easy one to make. I am so excited for all the changes to come, but I am so scared of giving up my security blanket (food). Just sitting here writing this has brought up feelings of excitement, fear, sadness, nervousness...these feelings are wearing me out. Thursday cannot some soon enough!!!

interesting situation, I guess if it were me it would depend on how much weight ZI had to loss if it was over 100 lbs I would want the help of the band...so you have got some thinking to do.

I agree. If you think the medication will help you lose weight then wait. It can't hurt only be an added benefit if you have surgery but the choice is yours.

All depends on how much you want to lose. You can always put of the surgery for a while to see if the weight loss continues.

TattoMommy, Only an opinion but if I were you I would discuss my hesitation with my WLS or with the psychologist who did my prescreening for WLS. I know you realize this is a big step and you want to be well prepared mentally and physically. Banded living comes with its own set of challenges, and it is a life style change that you must embrace full heartedly. Good luck with your decision and I wish you continued success.

Down 170 lbs no loose skin.

i got mine at Walmart (extreme whey) that dr approved
its delish and i have one now every morning...14.99 tub
sometimes, i put mine into freezer and freeze til slush (or whatever texture you like)
enjoy

You'll never look sexier!....ha! I took a pic too, all hooked up. I now have no dignity left! Ha!

There will always be negative people. I put off surgery a year because I let people get to me. My nutritionist told me I could get sick being over weight or make a change to try and improve my health. I was banded 2/1/12 and have lost 90lbs. I'm not going to lie and say its a breeze. But I feel so much better now. I'm off all my medications and can actually run. Lol huge personal accomplishment

I have Anthem BC PPO also. They approved my band on the first submitted auth request and approved it very quickly; about 5 workdays. I think my BMI was about 38-ish and my only comorbidity was sleep apnea.
If for some reason you are not happy with the dr at your seminar, I have been VERY please with my doctor(s) from LapBand VIP. There are 3 doctors there, all of which are WONDERFUL! I started with another lapband company and was not happy, switched to LapBand VIP, had surgery November 2011, and have lost 64 pounds. My docs have been very responsible with my fills & I have had NO problems, no over-fills, no vomiting, no sliming and have follow-up appointments every 4-6 weeks (more often if I feel the need). Their main office (& surgery center) is in Tarzana.
Make sure you are able to contact your docs anytime you need to (I have al my docs cell phone #s). Ask how they do their adjustments (fills), I think these should be done on an individual basis; I have heard some docs do "routine" adjustments, giving everyone the same amount. Ask if you will have available to you a nutritionist at no cost to you; this will be very helpful to you should you ever have a plateau or just need some advice. A nutritionist familiar with the lapband is additionally helpful, so if the office offers this, it is a BIG plus (mine does). Can't think of any other questions to ask at the moment. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime. I recommend the band to anyone who is willing to put in the work...the band is a tool & does not do all the work for you. It was the best decision I made for my life!!!

When someone doesn't want to see the truth others are telling them, they think they are being bullied. Everyone else is wrong. At this point it is obvious you don't recognize how offensive you are. Nothing said here is going to change that. So be it. I will continue respect and appreciate all posts given in a manner of helping and always be grateful for those who have gone before, been successful and are willing to share.

Yeah... you did. Sorry, sometimes the truth ain't pretty, but it is still the truth!

Try using the manners I am sure your parents taught you.
If someone takes the time and effort to give a heartfelt response, to frankly what was an obvious answer, then someone with class should accept it.
If it is not the answer you are looking for well by alk means let me give you the answer you obviously were fishing for.....gaining 5 lbs while on a doctor directed diet GREAT job, I am sure your liver thinks you are awesome. Now seesawing and losing 7lbs, you are a legend. Keep asking questions, now we knoe how you want them answered. CG, no go deed......

Yep. Carolina Girl was just being honest with you, and she was even very kind about the way she said it to you. No need to act so hostile towards someone giving you the truth.

Everyone is different none of us can say. I had no preop diet. You were attacking Carolina Girl and no need for that. We don't know how much any given person could lose. It really is individual. I think it was rude what you said. She told you what she thought. Normally I would like post made but that was unnecessary completely