DeLarla

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!

Celery, corn & asparagus are some of my favorites... I don't have any trouble digesting. Although I peel the string off the celery.

I hereby claim Michelle free of all good deeds for at least two weeks, since she's given me about 2 weeks of outfits to wear. Just got back from Harley lesson number 3. It's so weird cuz I can't type after I ride cuz I keep trying to squeeze a clutch. I did much better today... making left u-turns but petrified of right turns. I'm not good at food challenges, but I did meet three challenges today: I finished an 8 page legal response regarding a family legal issue that I've been working on all month; I finished a sewing project, and I rode the Harley (a daily goal that I get to about once a week due to FEAR OF DEATH.)

Hey, LaMadam, you out there? If so, I'm wearing those cute red flower drawstring capris you sent. I'm wearing the brown jeans Monday. LaMadam rocks... she sent me a huge box of clothes that fit!

What's boudon? I skipped b-fast and had greasy fried food for lunch! 2 chicken fingers, small cole slaw & 1/2 order kid fries dipped in little bit of ranch.

Chris brought home some Construction Crud (cold, cough, etc.) and I shoulda stayed away from him, but nooooooooooo, I got the bug now. Damn, I was sick in May during my banding. Yesterday I was almost really good... then this huge ice cream cone fell in my mouth. I wish they'd stop inventing new junk foods cuz this was a whopper of a good one. But the scale was down this morning... Damn Teresa, you GO girl with your skinny ol' self! Yesterday B: 1/2 Protein shake (blender blew up and 1/2 went flying everywhere.) L: 2/3 chicken breast, 1 cup popcorn D: bowl of chili & cheese... but I stopped at one bowl! King size Cherry Bomb coated in dark choco chunks - D'OHHHH! Today: decaf w/ cream & real sugar B: skipping Protein Drink cuz it's Friday (don't ask how that works cuz I don't know)

Hey, Chris said it, I didn't: BRUTE FORCE AND IGNORANCE And as far as the Zip-Locks, I've tried that but he can't figure out how to use them. Why, oh why, oh why is our fridge filled with crusty cheese and lunch meat with the zipper left wide open?

Darcy, to lose one pound is the best feeling, but a few all at once? That's so cool. And you need to publish that part regarding smarts vs. testosterone, cuz you hit that nail right on the head. I tend to go for the testosterone, too. My husband can fix anything... problem is he also breaks a lot of stuff. He always grunts, "square hole, round peg, brute force and ignorance" and he manages to make stuff fit (breaks it, but it fits.) Once I found mismatched Tupperware in the fridge, and the top was all contorted. I asked why the hell he ruined my good Tupperwear, and he said, "the top wouldn't fit so I took it in the garage." Now I'm not exactly sure what he did, but he made the round hole/square peg fit.

Marie, are you PBing like that a lot? Till this day I've only had one incident. I still get "golf ball" in throat. I seem to always have something stuck in my throat.

Got up & went for a long walk with pooches. Then did abs on my Total Gym. B - Protein drink L - picked at chicken & a couple handfuls popcorn D - Mushy veggies & tough steak And a Hagan Daz bar. But that's okay in my book. Even if I ate one every single night, it's the binge eating that scares me. For example, my pouch is stuffed full, but my brain keeps calling me towards the kitchen, so I came here to chat with someone sensible. But nobody is logged on... hello out there, hellloooo?? Penni, if you're there, my armpits hurt from the Total Gym. I don't recall ever having muscle soreness there, but I'll take any pain I can get. Pain is good. Why is that? Yummy things are bad, stinky Vitamins are good, pain is good, and love stinks. What a whacky world. Teresa, you cracked me up with "Dumb & Dumber." I HATE complaining about the man I love, but he's dumb as a box of rocks so I can't help myself.