newat52

Everything these days causes cancer, it seems. A study can be found to support almost any theory on anything. I really don't think using an electric blanket is any more dangerous than coffee, wine, hair color, chocolate, using cell phones or whatever the "caution of the day" is.

I guess for me I just don't give a rats ass about Sharon Osborne or Star Jones. I don't care what their reasons are for telling or not telling. It doesn't matter who you are or how famous or non famous you are. EVERYONE has their own life to live and telling or not telling doesn't make you a better or worse person. It just makes you you. I really don't care if someone says they stand on their head and rubs their belly while doing a yoga pose to lose weight. it REALLY, REALLY doesn't matter to me.
That said, I do think the cancer stories are just Karma waiting to bite someone in the a$$!
Live and let live but when you start messing with such a nasty thing, especially if you have watched someone live and die through it. You are just sick in the head.

I guess for me I just don't give a rats ass about Sharon Osborne or Star Jones. I don't care what their reasons are for telling or not telling. It doesn't matter who you are or how famous or non famous you are. EVERYONE has their own life to live and telling or not telling doesn't make you a better or worse person. It just makes you you. I really don't care if someone says they stand on their head and rubs their belly while doing a yoga pose to lose weight. it REALLY, REALLY doesn't matter to me.
That said, I do think the cancer stories are just Karma waiting to bite someone in the a$$!
Live and let live but when you start messing with such a nasty thing, especially if you have watched someone live and die through it. You are just sick in the head.

I totally understand! I am floored by what people think they have a right to ask. I was just raised to be private. It's who I am. Now when people ask a personal question such as salary I look them in the eye give a big smile and say " If you'll forgive me for not answering such a personal question, I'll forgive you for asking such a personal question." Most people will turn red and stammer If they persist, that is where my good graces end.

Amen brother!

I think that is bogus. I would personally not use a surgeon that requires me to buy Vitamins and food from their office. It is just another way to make money. If they have to rip you off by saying buy from us or we won't do the surgery, I would find another surgeon.
Part of the cost of doing business is they will do consults and not end up doing the surgery. That is just a fact. They should not make you pay for that.

I am having an awful time! I pay $333 for the platinum plan in covered CA. I have huge deductibles and copays. My lap-band leaked so I need to get it replaced. They approved the surgery and the surgeon, but none of his hospitals or the pre-op doctor. It's insane. So i've spent hours and hours on the phone with my insurance call center in INDIA (So thanks Obama for creating a lot of jobs in INDIA). And they don't care about me or my issues, they don't help, they keep saying "my supervisor will call you back in 10 min" or "This is an access to care issue and we will call you back in 24 hrs" they haven't called back at all. Thank goodness the ladies at my surgeons office are working tirelessly to help me. I was supposed to have surgery on Jan 27th 2014. Now I don't know when it will happen but I am so tired and frustrated! "President" Obama is a liar and a cheat. He certainly doesn't spend hours on the phone with India to get adequate health care that costs a lot more and provides nothing.

For me, other than I just have never talked about my medical history, year after year when yoyo dieting, losing and regaining the same 30 pounds, I just got tired about talking about it years ago. I realized that my weight, whatever it is, is NOT what I am about so it doesn't need to be the topic of conversation any longer. I do not tell people how much I have lost other than "a bunch." I do not discuss how I am losing it other than "I'm working very hard." This has been my response for years and it served well then and continues to. People can think whatever they want. I just am not going to discuss it any longer. Ever. Subject is burned out beyond belief. I think we can ALL relate to that!
People have their reasons for telling or not telling what or how they are doing it. I, for one, don't have an issue or annoyance of what other people say. If for them, they feel better saying they are losing weight by standing on one foot and rubbing their tummy, I'm not going to judge it and I don't think anyone else should either. They have their reasons and who am I to judge them on those reasons? Who really cares? Who is ANY of us to judge them?
Everyone's journey is hard enough without judgements from people who should understand the most.

You know. I don't even know. I guess with the majority of it being in the first week I just haven't gotten that same thrill. But you're right. 21 pounds in a month is good. Haven't done it before now.

So you have lost 21 pounds in a month and you are disappointed?
Hmmm….That's pretty darn good in my opinion.
How much were you expecting?

It's perfectly normal. Don't stress. You can search and come up with hundreds of threads on this topic.
Do yourself a favor and don't get on the scale for a couple more weeks. You will thank yourself later.
Your body has just gone through major surgery. Give it time to heal.
Just remember as long as you follow your plan, the weight has no choice but to come off. It didn't go on over night and it won't come off over night. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Hang in there! Be proud of what you have accomplished thus far!

It's perfectly normal. Don't stress. You can search and come up with hundreds of threads on this topic.
Do yourself a favor and don't get on the scale for a couple more weeks. You will thank yourself later.
Your body has just gone through major surgery. Give it time to heal.
Just remember as long as you follow your plan, the weight has no choice but to come off. It didn't go on over night and it won't come off over night. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Hang in there! Be proud of what you have accomplished thus far!

Sorry this is happening. Yes, that can happen at the boarder but for the service you are paying for, they should be making sure they are there 30 minutes before you! Even if it means leaving 2 hours earlier.
No excuse for that.

Mine did the leak test in the OR. As soon as I got back to my room I was given Ice chips. That was a blessing!

I'd like to know too!
Is there gonna be a test on all this stuff?

WTH??!!
Sheesh! You go on vacation and you miss all the goings on!
Please come back! We need you all!

I see a lot of post here about being discouraged, the scale wont move, I want to give up. Weight loss with or without surgery is a process. Some will lose fast others will lose slowly. If you have an ugly attitude towards your scale, you are setting yourself up for failure. Lap band patients can expect to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. If you lose more then that is a plus. You did not get to 300lbs over night but over years. It is work. Having a positive attitude in this process is everything. If you are constantly disappointed because the scale goes up or stays the same, then you will be the one who will give up and say to hell with it. Stop weighing yourself every day, get rid of your scale and get weighed on your post op visits. You will be surprised. Some of you that are starting out you will find that after a time your weight will stall. It may stall for a few weeks or a few months and these times you have to keep doing what you are doing. Everyone is not going to lose 100lbs in their first year. Some do but most don't. It took me three years to lose 120lbs. Stop cheating yourself by being upset about the scale. Get rid of it, have your husband hide it but in any case stop weighing yourself constantly. The scale is the root of all evil for us. I can weigh myself twice a day but not get upset about it. I know when I am retaining Water. There are things that keep you from losing weight. Not sleeping, not moving your bowels daily, Water retention, stress are just to name a few and if you are stressing over the scale then guess what? You are making your self at risk for slower weight loss. Do the right thing and in time you will get to where you want to be.

We teach people how to treat us. Your mom has taught you how to walk on eggshells and cater to her. When she get the reaction and attention she craves, she wins. You have taught her that is ok.
You need to reteach yourselves how she will treat you and how you will treat her. She will not like it one bit. At first. She will kick and scream and threaten. That is her choice. How you react to it is key. You are an adult, she can only meddle in your financial affairs if you give the the means to do so.
It will take patience and time. Take one issue at a time. Lay it out and stick to it. If you tell her nicely that she needs to call and make sure it's a good time to come over before she shows up stick to it. When she shows up unannounced, and she will, either answer the door and politely say its not a good time or don't answer the door. Do not let her in the door. You let her know the boundary and you need to stick to it. Then on to the next issue. Don't get upset or go off on her. It will be the reaction she is looking for. Its just like a kid throwing a tantrum, they are looking for the reaction, when they see they don't get it, it may get more intense but after a while when they see one is not coming, they stop. It's the same thing.
The most important thing is to be firm, keep it polite and follow through with what you say you will do. It won't be easy but it will be worth it.
Good luck, keep us informed!

Yes, fear of failing scares the crap out of us. Have we not all failed over and over again on every diet known to man? Yes. That is the truth. We all go into this hoping that we will succeed but fearing the fail. Again.
After surgery, little by little by little, thoughts of success starting creeping in more than assurance of failure. Say what? What the heck is this success thing? What is this total commitment thing? I have a collar bone? Hip bones? I can say no to crap that just makes me fat?
Yes. Is it hard. Hell yes! Is it worth it? Bigger Hell yes! If you are ready, the sleeve is an amazing tool to help us succeed!
You can do this.
You are not alone!
Best of luck to you!

I cannot get warm. I live in southern VA, I have the heat set at 74, the fireplace is on, I'm wearing a fleece sleeping bag like thing over my ski thermals and I'm freeeeeeeeeezing.
I think Mr. LL preferred my fat pjs (or lack thereof) better, but he'll deal.
I swear I've been cold since November. Sigh...

As a man who has had WLS, I just wanted to share that the confidence thing happens to men as well, and losing almost 70 pounds now has had a positive effect on my confidence when it comes to getting naked. I once read an article that said for every 35 pounds a man was overweight, he lost one inch of length down there. Having now lost almost 70 pounds, I am happy to report that losing the weight has the opposite effect, which has me feeling much more confident as we can get into other positions that my wife likes that we could not before.

Was wondering the same thing! lol!
I took a robe and slippers, 2 tubes of chapstick and toothbrush and hair brush. didn't need anything more.
I tend to pack light. I can pack for a 10 day trip in small carry on.

What are paper panties?

I eat at McDonalds all the time. Just because I eat there doesn't mean I am not eating healthy. I have the grilled chicken caesar salad. I know exactly what is in there. There will be 3 oz of grilled chicken. There will be .5 oz of parmesan cheese. There will be 4 cherry tomatoes. Not a thing wrong with that. Can find similar things at Wendy's or any other fast food. It's actually a great go to when I'm out and have not had time to plan better. Lots of sleevers utilize the fast food tool. Don't knock it till you know the facts. There may come a day when I crave a McDonalds cheese burger. If that happens, I will go have it. (or part of it) Not a thing wrong with it unless it becomes an everyday thing.
I one of those with a sleeve of steel. I CAN eat anything. There is not a thing I have tried to eat with an adverse reaction. In the 10 months since I have been sleeved, I have not vomited, slimed, dumped or any other ailments that many folks have experienced. The sleeve restricts the amount but not the type of food you can eat. What you eat is up to you. Most successful sleevers do indulge from time to time. It's called real life. Just because I can eat whatever I want, doesn't mean I do all the time. I do on occasion.
The hard work begins the further out you are. We all followed our surgeons and NUT instructions in the months post op. That was the easy part. You will find that out. I'll be curious to know your thoughts about then.
Good luck to you.

Yes. You will find posts like that all the time. It never ends well. It's dangerous, stupid and just foolhardy to do. Is whatever the temptation is worth causing a possible leak? Your stomach is still healing and you can cause major damage to it upto and including death.
Best case, most people reported it hurt like hell and they puked all over the place and generally felt like **** for the next few hours.
If you haven't done it, don't. If you have, don't do it again.
Don't mean to sound preachy but that would just be a dangerous thing to do!