New Hope

Quite a little bumper crop in April!!

Sounds like a Scott Peterson-type personality to me. Did he ever call you from any "exotic" places? Run, Megan, Run!

Ditto, Crystal! LOL

Kathy, you will come back from Mexico and with your little friend, the lapband! Your family will be waiting for you with open arms. Dodge those little knees and elbows! (((Hugs))) and prayers for a successful surgery and minimun pain recovery. Can't wait to hear your story!

Now that's some Life-Saving NSVs!!! Can't think of any better ones!

I guess you get what you pay for. Glad you got a good one now. Great loss!

Absolutely love my surgeon, his staff, and my band. I'd want another one, if I ever had to have this one removed. But planning on a long and happy life together...me and my original band.

No wonder Dr. Ortiz wants your pictures! You're the 2004 - 2005 Perfect Bandster Child! Congratulations and I hope you and your band live together in "harmony" for many, many years to come.

You've been able to do all of that and so much more! Congratulations! I hope you and your band have a very happy long-term relationship.

Paula, get rid of those "forever too big" clothes, girl! I couldn't wait to chunk all that stuff and gladly donated some really nice stuff to a rehab facility. Haven't you changed your tastes in clothing since you lost weight? And Foleys or Palais Royal is always having a great sale. I've met you, there's no way you'll be wearing a 26 again!

Best of Luck, Katie! You're one step closer to being banded!

Alexis, did you start documenting skin rashes with your plastic surgeon as soon as they started developing? And I guess they just keep reoccuring, don't they? You were banded 18 months when you got your TT, correct? And did you say that the insurance will cover a tt, depending on how the surgeon words it? A pannelectomy is just the very low abdominal area, correct? Is the TT done in one procedure? Did you have any lipo. done during this surgery also? Sorry so many ?? But you're so good to explain everything. And it's so encouraging to see someone loose their weight and look so beautiful! Thank's so much for sharing with us "wanna-bes".

Best of luck to you, Chris! Do you have your aftercare lined up now? Were you able to find out about the steriods and banding? Here's to a successful surgery and quick recovery.

Welcome, Brilee, and congratulations on your banding! Go to your "user cp" (at top of the page), then to "signature" and add the info. you'd like to share, click "save" at the bottom.

You have to do what's best for Tina, and not your mother, husband, etc. Anyone knowledgable about the band will tell you this is not easy. This journey is not just about losing weight. It's about regaining our health - physically and emotionally.

Have you tried some warm decaffienated tea w/ a little honey and lemon? If you really can't keep anything down, please contact your dr. You don't want to get dehydrated. Best of luck to you!

Grammi, Congratulations! I just went through this for some non-band related surgery. The loss of time was frustrating because I was dealing with a lot of pain. But in hindsight, I got a much more qualified surgeon who was able to do both procedures at once. So everything has a way of working out for the best. Best of luck to you!

Speech! Speech!

Kathy, I have never heard of "flyladies". But I need all the help I can get, so I'll be checking that site out. Thanks for the info.

No stopping you now, Jonathan! And you have done great so far.

Amber, are you using 4x4s because your incisions are draining? Paper tape or silk tape is much gentler to your skin than the regular sticky tape. You can find both types where bandaids are sold. If you're not having a problem with drainage, please check with your doctor about whether or not you need to continue wearing the 4x4s.

Tmarie, it's possible that you're not eating enough and putting your body in starvation mode. You should be eating 1200 - 1600 calories per day. Have you tried tracking yourself on www.fitday.com? This will give you a good idea of what types of food you're eating. Are you eating hard proteins first (lean, moist meats), followed with vegetables, and if still hungry, some carbs? Are you getting your full water load in daily (but not with meals or 1 hour afterwards? What are some of the average foods that you are eating? How long have you been banded and how much weight have you lost so far? You may be a lower BMI to begin with and just have less fat to lose. Hang in there and come "talk" to others that understand here on LBT. Best of luck to you!

Kathy's getting a band! Kathy's getting a band! Congratulations!

Wow, what a wonderful list of men and women regaining their lives! Best of luck to each and every one of you! May God guide the surgeon's hands and your recovery be quick and easy. Please come back and let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it. Congratulations to all of you bunch of LOSERS!!

You're going to need to check directly with your company's benefits coordinator to find out exactly what your insurance plan covers or excludes. Five companies can have BC/BS or United and each selects what they will and won't cover -- so none of them are going to be the same. Best of luck to you!