DeLarla

Oh, wait, while I'm at it, I may as well tell you about one of my eating disorder therapists. Mind you, these people go to school to learn about what we've lived with our entire lives, and I stopped looking for a qualified one after going through about 10 different ones. They know SQUAT. They look at me as if I'm a museum exhibit while I tell them my eating escapades and insanity. But one woman took the prize. First of all, this may sound mean, but she had one of those wandering eyes. So one eye was focusing on me, while the other kept looking at the clock. I was becoming increasingly anxious because even though her lazy eye couldn't help it, it made me think she was watching the clock hoping time would pass. But her other eye looked at me in sheer amazement as I told her I garbage disposed all the food in the house again. "Again?" She said, as if I'm nuts (duh, that's why I'm here.) Then when I told her I'd walk down the street to throw leftovers in neighbor's trash cans to prevent myself from eating them, she actually said, "WAIT." She went inside her drawer and pulled out a bag of Gummy Bears, then kicked back and started munching on them and continued listening to me like I was the Movie of the Week. I should have charged her admission!

No, Puddin, you haven't told me you love me in days! Just seeing your face gets me all warm and fuzzy. XOXOX winky love hugs smoochy kiss kiss (getting cavities?)

I dig this thread. My mom, sister & I have always been receptive to "ghosts" or whatever you want to call the unexplained. I grew up with my mother reading every book on the subject because this kind of thing happens a lot in my family. My mother made us hold a seance and took us to get our cards read before we even knew what those things mean (gives me the creeps now.) Once my friend and I were stopped at a red light, and something passed through my body so fast that I lost my breath for a couple seconds. The hair on my arms was standing straight up, so I turned to tell Jill (she was driving) what I just felt, but she looked like she just got shot with a bolt of lightening. As we sat at the light, she freaked and told me "something weird just zipped through my body!" Whatever it was, it zipped into my right side, out my left side, then through Jill the same way. We both started laughing and crying at the same time, so she dropped me off at home and she ran home. We didn't go out that night - too creeped out. Nothing ever came of it, but we still talk about it. Another time, I jolted out of a dead sleep and sat upright. My fiance' at the time asked me what was wrong. I was crying and told him something was wrong, so I tried calling my mother. But he said it was just a nightmare and made me wait till the next day. When I called, my mother told me my grandmother had a stroke and was in a coma. She died before I saw her again. I think she's one of my guardian angels. By the way, I'm totally not into all the metaphysical stuff. I love the candles, books, stories, etc., and I do get my tarrot cards read from time to time, but I'm not one that sits around trying to convince people this stuff is true. Even my non-believer husband now knows something "else" is out there.

I only told one attorney at my work about my surgery, so it's been a secret from my office. I've lost 47 pounds in 3 months, yet not one single co-worker (other than Jon who gives me constant praise) has noticed. We've been eating lunch together every day going on three years. I went from Super-Sizing fast food dunked in gallons of ranch with Guzzler's of Pepsi every single day to snacking on 1/2 can of tuna. I used to have a jug of candy bars on my desk that we all ate from, now there's just water on my desk. Still, no comments, no questions. Plus, two people from our San Diego office flew in last week. I figured they might say something since they don't see me every day. Nothing. Zippo. Then I went to California a couple weeks ago and had dinner with my brother, sister & 4 friends. The only comment was from my little brother, who said, "wow, you're tan." Maybe it doesn't show cause I'm so tall. But Bright's comments just make me wonder. Go figure.

Here's another ghost story because I'm just seeing this post for the first time today. Monday I was 266.

You made my eyes tear... if you post a picture in your wedding dress I'll surely bawl like a baby. What an incredible post - thanks for sharing.

My husband was horribly sad on the 6 month anniversary of his mom's death, so we went to bed early. I got up at 2 a.m. to find our sliding glass door wide open with the wind blowing the curtains inside. Our Cockatiel, Max, was gone, with just a few feathers in a trail out the door. As I walked by his empty cage crying, I got Goosebumps and heard myself say out loud, "Carol loved that bird." Max was a very mean bird that bit everyone, but my mother-in-law loved him and always held him and talked to him when she visited. I woke up Chris crying. I didn't mention my goosebumps or feelings I had about his mom. After he searched the neighborhood, we wondered how both of us could go to sleep with our door wide open. We lived in a bad neighborhood and were overly cautious about locking up at night. We both recalled locking up that night. Later, we took a nap together, and Chris woke up white as a ghost. He said, "I talked to my mom for the first time since she died!" He said in his dream, she acted like everything was normal. He asked how she was and she matter of factly said, "fine Honey, how are you?" He said, "Not so good, Mom, Max is gone." She said, "Oh, I know, he's here with me." He was convinced she came and got Max. When he told me that I had goosebumps for a week. The image of the opened door, curtains flying inside the house, the words that came out of my mouth that, "Carol loved that bird" and his dream really helped Chris deal with his mom's death, and there was something comforting about losing Max. Now you know why he just bought me 4 new Cockatiels? And the one that looks like Max is just as mean and sounds exactly like our other Max. But I call him Eddie -another Max would be too weird. I've had a lot of experiences - there's no doubt "something else" is out there.

What are bones?

I'm not sure about all the insurance language so I'm just sharing information I've come across. I do know that a lot of insurance companies that cover the band will require you to first exhaust other means of weight loss. Some require you to document a diet for 6 months or so. If your HMO covers your surgery, you don't have to worry about all the separate charges. But if you have a PPO or end up self-paying, I just wanted to warn you of hidden charges. When my doctor said he wouldn't charge me to remove my port, he accidentally left out the part that I'd have to pay the hospital and anesthesiologist around $2 grand.

Blossom, you should call your insurance company. The letter says they'll cover "bariatric surgery" but it doesn't specifically say they'll cover the LapBand. My insurance covers bariatric surgery, but only a gastric bypass. Better to call them to make sure the Band is covered, and if it is, they should be able to tell you the maximum they'll cover. Then call your doctor and find out how much the surgery is. Make sure to ask you doctor for the "total" costs since the doctor has a separate fee, the hospital has a separate fee, and the anesthesiologist has a separate fee. My doctor in Mexico charged a flat rate (he paid the hospital & anethesiologist out of the money I gave him) but other people had to pay the doctor and hospital separately. I required a second surgery to remove my port, which cost me about a grand. I'll need a third surgery to replace my port, which will cost me about $2 grand, and I'm a self-pay, and I still owe my doc $800 for the 2nd surgery, which means I certainly don't have the money for the third surgery. So if money is a big issue, make sure to ask your insurance if they cover aftercare, and don't forget to ask specifically about the LapBand. If they say YES, then rock on girl and go get banded!

I've heard that it's pretty common for a port to move. Once you lose weight, everything adjusts. Then again, maybe the port just seems to be moving because our bodies are shifting in so many ways. The reason I say this is because my scars have all moved. Right after surgery I had five incisions spread all over my belly. Now that I've lost 45 pounds, all my scars are really close together. My husband asked me if I was melting!

Oops, I didn't mean to worry anyone! It's just that we have a foreign device in our bodies, and an ounce of prevention is worth pound$ of cure.

How did I miss this post? Ghost post? Penni, give me the outfit, NOW. You know it's mine. Actually, you can give it to me at the October bash since by then it will be falling off you. Way to go, Spotty!

There's no way I could get Voodoo to the groomers, so we just drag him in the pool (counts for a week's worth of exercise) then rinse him off (in the summer he gets shower torture.) He hides behind the palm trees for 2 hours afterwards, as if we're having fun and would try a 2nd round. Silly fur babies!

Zoe, I had my band done in Mexico. I've been through hell and back. I had a second surgery to have my port removed. I'll need a 3rd surgery to replace my port. It's costing me a fortune, and it's been a nightmare. But guess what? I'd do it all over again in a heart beat without giving it a second thought. I'd get another band in a New York minute! I've only heard great things about Dr. Rumbaut as well as the facility. The surgery in Las Vegas is about $12,000.00 more than in Mexico. If it was only $3,000.00 more, I'd have done it locally because of aftercare issues.

I'm an expert on problem ports. I don't even have one. I was banded 5/5/05, but my port area never healed. It's normal to have some discomfort, but if the area is hot, tender, swollen, or badly painful, make sure to see your doctor. My port incision became infected a week after my surgery, but my doctor blew me off and told me it was normal. This went on for several weeks, and they kept telling me, "Just give it time." But eventually it got so bad that the tubing popped out of my belly. By the time I got to my doctors office, there was an entire 1 inch loop of tube sticking out of my skin. They had to remove my port. Your problem is probably normal, but ports are nothing to mess around with. Donali had to have her port fixed after reaching too far (she kinda bounced to give herself the extra push to reach something.) Just like if you have breast implants, you'd want to be a little more careful. Same thing here - be careful reaching, lifting, exercising. Love your port and your port should love you (even though though mine didn't love me.)

I have proof ports move! My port moved and the tubing slipped right out of the incision. I'm the famous one that walked around for a week with an open incision with a loop sticking out, so yes, it can move around. They had to remove my port 6/17 but I'm not healed yet. It's going to be many months before I can get a new port, so I can't have another fill till then. They gave me a 1.8 fill right before removing my port, so I'm milking it to death!

I gotta hijack this thread for two seconds, because Marie, you amaze me. You have taken off running with this band and nothing can stop you! I remember your first (very sad) screen name and that frustrated Marge Simpson avatar. Now look at you go! Bravo!!! Now, back you your regularly scheduled thread.

Check out this motivation: I had zero desire to exercise today. I had no intentions. But I had to walk next door to my neighbors for a quick minute, and when I was outside, the weather was amazing, so I got a sudden urge to walk. I ended up walking about an hour then coming home & doing arms & drinking extra Water. Point here is maybe we just need to walk out the front door in our underwear and let the sun & sky work its magic... hey, it worked for me! I thought I was the only one that struggled with dishes! My exact thoughts!

Sexy hottie! You were a darling little kitten before. But the look in your eyes now shows how amazing you must feel. If you don't have a HOTTIE t-shirt, go get one!

Great thread. Prior to banding I asked my surgeon about the flu. They apparently gave me bogus info, cause they said occasional vomitting from a stomach flu won't cause slippage, but if you're vomitting every day for a week from eating wrong is when you run into problems. I've had a pretty nasty stomach bug before, and you'd think one violent episode could blow the band, right? Sorry for neglecting the boards lately. I obsessed on these boards from before getting my band, which has really put me behind at work. I'll try to get here at night - if not you guys gotta call me cuz what if I'm in the evil room where the fridge is instead of in here reading your posts? Kelly, great hair! Lots of new cute faces around here, too!

My scale is not my friend. I should chuck it, but I'm obsessed. I never keep weight off. Three pounds down, two pounds up. Just a big tease. Laughed at you trying to push Sissy Dog into car. Good one! I have the same 100 pound sissy boy dog. I was walking them and my girl dog pooped, so I had to tie them to the pole at the park to clean up, and my sissy boy dog thought I was leaving him there so he bucking bronco'd his neck out of his collar and skuttled to my side... all 2 feet away. Poor thing - got him badly abused at 4 months old, and whatever they did to him will be with him for life. Glad he found me : ) I just got back from late walk and for the first time added an entire new subdivision in addition to my normal 45 minutes. And I ran! It nearly killed me, but I ran the distance of three entire houses (wonder what that registered on the Richter scale.) Considering I didn't even run when I was a teenager, that was quite a haul. Then did arms on the total gym. The best part of today's exercising is that I had zero intentions. I never walk at night - if I don't do it in the morning, it doesn't happen, so I'm not sure what got me off my butt. But Michelle, I met your water and downed 2 huge glasses just now. Fun to see everyone here.

My nutritionalist is fat. Not sure why I had to throw that in.

I nominate Marie as this week's winner of the challenge! I think I started this thread, yet I didn't even stick to my own challenge! But I did much, much better than last week so at least the challenge helped me. Today I didn't have my protein shake since I ate ice cream last night; lunch was 1/2 can Clam Chowder and 5 Ritz. Decaf with cream & sugar for b-fast; 2 quarts of water. It's been many moons since I've lost a few pounds at a time. I've lost about 3 pounds this month and hope to lose at least one more. If I could lose 4 pounds a month, that's 48 a year, which would make me rock star skinny in 2 years... nothing to complain about at all! Especially cause I can't have a fill. It sucks not being able to have a fill, but not having a port is really nice even though it feels like I still have one.

I've been keeping really busy and neglecting my posts, but I wanted to post my good deed for yesterday: My husband has been bothered by his large belly lately (the rest of him is skinny) so last night I finished all the ice cream in the house. I tried getting rid of the bottle of fudge in the fridge but might have to do that in small increments. Now poor hubby doesn't have to eat it. Ergo my 2 pound increase. D'OH!