DeLarla

I'm a bad CPAP girl cuz I've never washed my machine! GROSS. Then again, I don't drool all over the thing like Lauri! Lauri, I'm your personal band stalker! I woke up 40 times an hour during my testing and was a Level 9. I had to stop wearing it a couple months ago because the air pressure was too harsh on my throat, which means I needed the level lowered, so I just put it away. When my apnea was bad, I'd wake up choking, and I haven't done that in a few months. If you don't have your machine, do NOT sleep on your back. Elevate yourself and sleep on your side, and sometimes Vicks Vapor Rub under your nose helps a little. Keep them pipes open! The only decent sleep I ever got without the machine was on the couch. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't able to sleep in bed without the machine, so I wonder if it's the shape of the couch.

Now that I'm not terrified by my motorcycle I have withdrawls when I'm not on it. It's another disease that I didn't need! Now I can't ride for 3 days cause I'm lending my gloves & helmet to a good friend who bought a bike cause of me & Chris, and he's taking the class tomorrow. It's infectious. Send help!

I gotta jump on here cuz my Cpap has been in the closet for a few months. Jack, you mentioned you feel great on 4-5 hours sleep. Is that normal? Cause that's all I can sleep any more. I don't feel too bad, either. I was having a hellofa time getting out of bed before. Now I'm wide awake. Hubby can sleep more than twice what I get. I learned to love my Cpap. I'd wake up with a big red welt around my nose. It itched. I think I was allergic to the gel. I didn't know I was supposed to change the mask, but I figure it out when the gel around the nose started to disintegrate. I was a level 9. Now I sleep without it. I wonder if I still snore.

Betty, you're kicking butt! When can you ride your scooter again? Lauri, I'm counting on you to sweat tonight. I'm walking three times a week, so tomorrow I'm on!

Lauri, Quit-cher-bitchen and get yer ass movin! WOOF.

If I post a picture of my butt, will you cheer up? Listen, Ms. Georgia, food has been my best friend my entire life, so yes, yes, yes, it is aggravating, depressing, and frustrating saying goodbye. I'm having a hard time letting go of my old friend. It's hard as hell to say goodbye, but we have no choice. We got the band to help us say goodbye, and if I can do it, anybody can do it. I've lost 60 pounds, but I have 100 more to lose. I'm afraid I won't lose any more either. I'm afraid I'm stretching my pouch every day. I don't know what the future holds, all I know is that today I'm wearing smaller clothes that are baggy on me because food is not my friend. It's the enemy. How does that saying go???? Look away from your friends but keep a tight watch over your enemy? Grrrr, kick it's ass, girl! By the way, you're normal.

The psyche eval is nothing to worry about. If you say something like "I'll keep eating till I burst right through the band" then yes, that's a problem. They just want to make sure you're mentally ready, and that you 100% realize that you'll be making lifetime changes. A lot of people think the band is a magic tool. It's not, so that's why they evaluate your thinking, just to be sure you're not going to work against the band. I have dual insurance (one through my work and another through my husband's.) I had enough stress and heartache already, so I didn't bother fighting with them. A lot of people fight and win, but it takes them a long time and a lot of frustration, but it's almost always worth it in the end. Most people will say they can't afford the surgery if they self-pay. I say that's bullshit. If I can afford Super-sizing 10 times a week, midnight runs to convenience stores, massive grocery bills, paying hired help to mow my lawn & clean my house since I'm too fat, shopping only in high-priced specialty stores, etc., then I can afford the band. I put it on a credit card with payments around $100 a month. My grocery bill has dramatically decreased, and 7-11 hasn't seen any of my junk food money in months, so my band pays for itself in about 2 years. As far as your BMI not being high enough, do you have weight related health issues? If you have diabetes, sleep apnea, or any other dangerous health problem caused directly by your obesity, the insurance company probably won't require a BMI of 40. Last, a lot of insurance companies want you to try one more supervised diet as a last chance before they pay for a band. The band is worth waiting 12 weeks - just get the diet plan and do your best. Nobody expects you to be able to stay on a diet (duh, they've never worked before, why would they now?) but they want to document your file to show you really are at your rope's end. Good luck to you. Go get 'em!

I knew somebody would show up with with a suggestion. Now that I read Michelle's post, I'm sure I've read the same thing about slippage.

I got my band in Mexico, land of Habaneros and Jalepenos. If hot sauce was bad for the band, you'd think the pros in Mexico would have warned us. Ole'. Please pass the peppers.

I was eating the extra spicy sauce on my refris w/ cheese during my mushy stages. Slides right down with no problem and doesn't bother my belly like coffee does.

Penni, if you had to gain 3 pounds, you should have eaten one of those damn goblins! And thanks for the subliminal "Cheetohs" messages. Yep, got into Babs' cupboards last night. She's got Flamin' Hots, on my top 10 list of favorite crap!

Scott, hang in there because someone around here will have input. I wish I could help. Hang in there, the answers are coming!

Coffee makes me queazy now. I used to have a cup of 1/2 regular mixed with 1/2 decaf. Since banded, I only have decaf, and that even makes me a little queazy if I make it too strong. I wish booze made me sick! Slides right down, no problemo. And I can eat the hottest salsa and jalepenos - they make my head sweat but don't bother my belly at all. Funny little band.

Hiya Sweetness! Glad to see your shining face around here. And WOW to that list of pre-op tests they put you through! I got the Mexican discount band treatment and only had an EKG, nutritional consult (30 min) and bloodwork. Maybe you can ask them to get rid of your stones during your band surgery? Good luck to you!

I work in a really cool firm. We defend insurance companies, so there's no client contact. I walk around in socks with my music cranked too high. It's really casual and comfortable, so I'm not gonna make a stink about the smell (pun pun pun.) They did create a "no perfume" rule over me last year. I never complained, but my boss was sick of seeing me holding wet rags over my burning red eyes so he finally asked what's wrong, and I said one word: "Perfume." The microwave is used throughout the day for lunches. "Normal" people eat whenever they're hungry, so it's not reasonable to request a ban on the microwave. Like Michelle, it's just something I have to deal with (and bitch about!) The smell of coffee is strong in almost every office around the world, and I adore coffee but I'm allergic to caffeine. The smell is torture, but I can't ask them to ban coffee, either. Would you find a new attorney if you smelled rich coffee brewing?

"Thank you. As I said in a PM to someone: On a day like this, when everything in my life sucks (but the vacuum, it's broken)..." O M G... I tried laughing over this line but sad tears came out the same time, but the kind of sad that's so pathetic that it's actually funny. Ryan, this line goes down in the books! Now buck up, Buckaroo, you're just a kid like the rest of us, so you deserve to laugh and be happy.

Jack, the attorney I work closest too is the one that pulled me aside to discuss Erin after he noticed her huge eating habits. He was worried that she'd start to influence me after he watched me transform. He's been my biggest band supporter since Day One (next to hubby.) He is totally on my side and keeps an eye out for me, so we both said something to Erin, and she was really cool and apologetic. But I don't think anyone is going to forbid her to use the microwave, so the smell of bacon and pancakes is something I have to overcome.

I, for one, vote YES ON PICTURES.

What I wrote explains why I stay at my firm instead of getting a higher paying job. I already turned down an offer for more money elsewhere because I refuse to work for a big company. The more people, the more back-stabbing, malicious, life-destroying gossip there is (been there, done that.) I'm in a cozy old office now with only 9 co-workers, and none of them bug me (except Erin constantly parading food around me.) But there are nasty people around every corner that don't want you to succeed. Careful, a lot of them are in-laws! I learned a secret a long time ago. Anytime somebody hurts you, or there's somebody you really think you hate, try praying for them for a week. Ask for them to receive all the love, support, happiness, money, etc. that you'd want for yourself. It gags you at first, but within a couple days you tend to rise above the nonsense.

Regarding Erin: First thing this morning she walked into my office with a plate of Breakfast. We work in an office, so I can totally understand a muffin, or hell, even a bagel with cream cheese. But she walked in (not lying either) with eggs, sausage and a muffin PLUS those pancake sandwiches that are rolled around a sausage. She actually has the family-size bottle of syrup in our work fridge. So the entire office smelled like International House of pancakes. 3 hours later she had had a huge sandwich with a soda, large bag of Cheetos, a bag of pistachios, a bowl of grapes and Halloween candy. It's so sad, because she reminds me of myself - completly out of control. But I had a talk with her, so she's leaving me out of it. I feel bad because even John noticed she's put on weight since starting just a couple months ago. I decided to bring fruit in case I had candy cravings. I just cut an apple and gave half to John. I could only get down 1/4 of the apple and threw the rest away. Funny how candy slides right down but fruit jams up the whole highway!

My "little friend" definitely affects me every single month. First I lose restriction for a couple days while aliens in my belly want to eat live creatures and all food not locked up, but then I bloat up and get good restriction.

Lainie, this too shall pass, but take it easy just in case. Many of us started feeling better after a few days, but then we ended up feeling worse later. I'm not trying to scare you, I just don't want you to worry if you have a few more days of not feeling on top of the world. Good luck and keep us posted.

Ryan, I laugh in her face! Don't be mad at her or hurt, because it's obvious she's the weak one. She lashed out at you to cover her own jealousy and insecurities. People that are ignorant, weak and lack confidence always tend to cut down those of us who are making improvements. It's intimidating to see someone else's success when you have no growth of your own. Turn the conversation around and take it as a huge compliment, because what she was really trying to say is, "you have what I want, and I'm jealous of you." She's an ignorant woman that knows nothing of addiction... she shouldn't be working around criminals since many suffer addictive personalites. We eat knowing we'll get fat, they commit crimes knowing they'll go to jail. Nobody wants to be fat, and nobody wants to go to jail.

Hi Elbell, nice to see your smiling face! Welcome!

I can't keep up with the new posts any more! So many new band babies. We're growing like weeds. Soon the procedure will be just like getting braces. Good luck, Denise!