phyllser

Every one has been paid for in full by Medicare/Tricare. Go figure??!! Maybe because they're all done under fluroscopy so it's billed to radiology???? I don't know, but I'm not asking questions! :wink2::tt1::wub::tt1::tt1::tt1::tt1::tt1::tt1::tt1::tt1::tt1: Sorry, I was probably overreacting. Congrats on the shopping!! I've recently been able to buy some 1X & XL's and it is sure exciting! Packers??? GO SEAHAWKS!! I've been on disability since 2000, so they put me on Medicare in 2002. As soon as you go on Medicare, you are shifted to Tricare For Life. Wow! That's not a bad price!!

Gosh, wish you had something FUN planned for your vacation!! So sorry about Andrew's accident!! Glad to hear he's okay. Yes... too much traveling, too much eating out. No control over the sodium and no clue about the food preparation even when you order something like grilled fish, which was my choice Saturday night. My restriction is excellent, so can't overeat, absolutely CAN NOT do bread at all, rice is so so, pasta is best avoided. I pretty much have to stick to my protein, veggies, salad is okay, too. The liquid calories this weekend were bad. Glass of wine in the afternoon, then out to dinner... Cosmo, back to the lodge, out to the hot tub with another glass of wine, etc. Bad! I had four tiny chocolate creams and two bites of DD's chocolate covered apple! Oh, I had 4-5 guys up on a balcony flirting with me, but observation over the next couple of hours showed they were flirting with EVERYONE, AND they were very drunk! DD says, as we were passing by for about the 3rd time, "I think they might be drunk!" I said, "YA THINK!!! They were flirting with ME!!" And, Yes, I have been continuing to do my Wii whenever we're home, for at least 20-30 minutes.

I am Medicare primary, Tricare For Life secondary. My only out of pocket expenses to date... $200 that Tricare should be refunding because they are now paying for bariatric surgery retroactive to Feb. 2007. CONGRATS~!! I remember the day I passed that milestone!! It's an exciting day!! That's GREAT!! Fantastic!! Awesome!! CONGRATS!! I've been excercizing restraint keeping from commenting on the Biden/Obama posts. Let me just say I think it would be wise to keep politics out of the discussions on this site, please! Thanks!! 1. To find a bariatric surgeon in your area: http://www.asbs.org/html/about/membersearch2.html or http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/professionals/find-professional.php?type=46 I know there's a really good team in NYC: Christine Julie Ren, M.D. 530 First Ave, Suite 10S New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 263-3166 Fax: (212) 263-3757 She is one of the consulting docs in the book that Khaliah Ali wrote, FIGHTING WEIGHT. 2. Surgery is usually less than 1 hr. Some doctors require one night hospital stay. I had my surgery early in the morning and was discharged at 4pm. 3. Back to "normal".... a gradual process, and subjective, but I think 1-2 weeks for me. 4. Saggy skin?? Yeah, probably no way to avoid that.

I LIKE that... and will (TRY) to remember that.... HIGHLY EVOLVED!! Bad TOPS weigh in after our weekend in Whistler BC. I was up 1 lb! I do not have a good net loss (if any) for August. In fact, after a GREAT June, July & August have been pretty much a bust. I'm trying so hard to get below 240 and I just can't seem to make it. I made fairly good food choices this weekend, but you can order a nice healthy grilled fish and if you first have a Cosmo, it's a wash! Had a Cosmopolitan before dinner both nights, and way more than my usual small glass of wine. Liquid calories did me in. Next week is Labor Day, so no official weigh in for two weeks. DH still has almost 10 lb to lose. He bit the bullet and weighed in today. He chickened out last week. He has to lose 6 1/2 lb just to stay in "leeway". He only has two weeks to get it off or he gets "demoted" from a "KOPS" back to a "TOPS". But we did have a really good time. We rode the gondolas to the top of Mt. Whistler. Oh, yeah... the arrival wasn't too great. My scooter got hung up as I tried to back out of that thing..... and they don't STOP. You have to get out while it's still moving. So I'd pulled straight in with the scooter. GS & his GF were sitting on one side of me & DH on the other. I made the mistake of turning the speed dial way down so when I tried to back off it didn't have enough OMF to get over the threshhold & since the thing was still moving, it sort of was getting twisted & felt like it was going to tip over. :party::lol: DH grabbed it & yanked it straight & I was able to back off. But by then my heart was pounding, I was scared ----less, and I think my BP must have shot up through the roof because I had an instant headache and the back of my neck felt like it had been wrenched! Other than that, it was a GREAT ride!! :eek: On the ride back down I made DH ride the thing onto the gondola & off!! We rode back down with DD & SIL & she got so excited because we saw two little black bears on the way down. I got a really good photo of them because they were right below us. NO more partying or trips this summer!! Of course, in a month we'll be heading south! But that will sort of get things back to "normal" for us.

I know that is a GREAT relief to you!! Hope she will be able to find a more suitable med for you! The one year mark has been a significant time of reflection as well as celebration for all of us. And, as you may already know, some of us met at the Mall of America in Minneapolis for a wonderful three days of getting acquainted (in person) and SHOPPING for new clothes! It was GREAT FUN!! Ditto that! Very well put! As for true confessions, I've been od'ing on PAPAYA!! I've gotten in the habit of chewing a few after I eat, as insurance. But sometimes in the evening, I just can't seem to stop popping them. I went through a whole bottle in about 48 hours! Got to stop that. My BAD when I was a kid.... sneaking tuna fish out of the fridge. My Mom would mix a can of tuna for lunches & I'd be in there sneaking a dab. Got in trouble for that more than once. I guess I was always a fish nut!

My highest weight was at the beginning of my pre-op diet, about 2 months before surgery, so that is the weight that I use.

FANTASTIC!!! YOU LOOK GREAT!!! :cursing::wink2::party::tt2::Dancing_biggrin: :smile: :Dancing_wub::Dancing_wub:

I started in May of last year and had my surgery 7/20/07. But I had to bug them and bug them and bug them every step of the way. If it's a very busy office, it may be a matter of the "squeaky wheel gets the oil"! I'd probably still be waiting if I hadn't been persistent!! Once you've uploaded a picture for your profile, I think when you choose the "add avatar" option, that the picture will be there at the end of all their preloaded avatars. Then you just pick that picture that you uploaded and it should show up in your post. But, I have trouble figuring it out every time I try to change my picture.

So very sorry to hear about your cat! That's so sad. We've had a cat for a very long time. It's very hard every time we lose one. It's going to take some time to get your head in the right place.. dealing with the loss of the cat and missing your kids at school, etc. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Hi, Rosie, There are lots of us "Old Chicks" who are doing quite well and enjoying a lot of success! You will do fine!! Do you have any specific questions?? We're here to help. You might also check out the 60+ thread. Another good place to hang out for support and encouragement. WELCOME!!

I'm surprised your doctor said that about water aerobics. That's my preferred exercise as it's easy on the joints. We winter in Southern CA and I do water aerobics 4-5X a week. Only pain afterwards is sometimes in one foot that I broke years ago, and that often happens even without exercise. But your determination is obvious and I commend you for exploring different ways of getting in some exercise. You ARE going to do this and succeed!!

A couple of times I have, for no apparent reason, stopped getting notices also. Both times I have found that they were going in to my "junk mail" folder. Then I have to click on "NOT JUNK MAIL" and they start coming again. Just a suggestion as to one thing you might check on. I feel your pain!!! Only thing I drank prior to surgery was coffee, wine and Diet Coke!! I quit the Diet Coke about two months before surgery. I bought myself a couple of water bottles... I never go anywhere without one now, AND, I started drinking Crytal Lite (or a cheaper imitation of same). Now I"m a Crystal Lite addict. All the major grocery stores have their own brand name... Albertson's, Wal-Mart, etc. And I find the store brands don't taste as sweet as Crystal Lite. I'm quite content drinking that instead of Diet Coke now. Try very hard to practice a new habit... always carrying with you something to drink that is heathy. You can do this!! I promise!!

Will certainly keep you in my prayers. My husband served almost 22 yrs in the USAF including a tour in VietNam when we had three children 3 & under, so I understand deployment completely! And you have quite a few other things going on. God Bless You!!

I'm so sorry!! That's a LONG time to be on clear liquids! My doc says two days full liquids, one day mushy, then back to normal. Every doc is different.

Well, sweet would be my normal thing, but not so much since banding. I look for crunchy & salty. Last night it was a couple of small shrimp, Tostito's Queso & veggie crackers. I like the taste of popcorn, but not the texture.. the stuff that gets stuck in your teeth. I jut don't like that feeling, so I don't eat it. Whistler is about 200 miles... shouldn't take more than 4 hours but construction on that route is TERRIBLE because they're getting ready for the 2010 winter Olympics! It was bad last summer so I know it will be worse this time and no alternative route. The upside is that the scenery going up there is comparable to what you see on an Alaska cruise! Sounds like GS & his girl are still planning on coming... they went shopping today for clothes and Snacks to take with them.

I will remember that suggestion.. first time I've heard that one, but it makes sense. I've had very few Pbing/sliming episodes in the 13 months since my surgery, but just the past two weeks.. two of those "lasting stuck" episodes! Very miserable! Don't know if I ate too much or too fast or probably a combination. The first time it was an ear of corn followed by 1/2 a hamburger.. but it was very lean, dry meat and I made the mistake of eating the bun!! Second time it was just some leftover scallops and steamed veggies. Maybe ate too fast... but certainly didn't seem like too much. I don't know what the problem was.. seemed like maybe the broccoli did it!!??? Not fun, though. Good suggestion to file in my resource bank!

Hi, Pam, We lived in Edmond & OKC for 15 years..Moved back here to WA state last year. You've come to the right place with your concerns and questions. We're here to help. Has your doctor provided you with lots of pre-op education and instructions?? Some do, some don't! But, feel free to hit us with any questions you might have.

Hope you're somewhere that it's safe to be out & about by yourself at night! Let us know if the pineapple juice works for you. Maybe you can get some from room service?? Papaya tabs I know you can get at RiteAid or Wal-Mart.

I've had this happen several times since my last fill. Each fill is a new learning experience. Now I KNOW I MUST stop eating at the first sign of feeling full or I WILL PAY the price!! My suggestions: first I try some chewing some Papaya tablets... 4-6 of them. If that doesn't work... sip on a small can of pineapple juice. The acid and the texture of it seem to help. I sat up half the night last Friday with that problem, and it was the pineapple juice that finally enabled me to go back to bed.. but at first I went too soon and then I had reflux issues because of the acidity!! After sleeping in my recliner for about two hours I was able to go back to bed. But te pineapple juice really helps.

Welcome, Ellen! So glad you found us! I had my surgery almost exactly a year before you... 7/20/2007. Don't get discouraged... you probably haven't had a fill yet, have you?? It may take you several fills before you really feel some restriction and get some control over the hunger. The head hunger is something we all have to deal with, but it's easier when you have good restriction. It sounds like you have a FULL PLATE with all your family obligations, but you must try to find time for yourself as well! I know... easier said than done! I have arthritis issues that keep me from very vigorous exercise, but this spring we bought a Nintendo Wii & a Wii Fit, and for the time being, that's my exercise. A lot of the exercises I just can't do, but I do the ones I can just about every day for at least 20 minutes, often an hour. It gets me out of my chair and moving and working up a sweat. In the winter we go to an RV resort in Desert Hot Springs where I do water aerobics 4-5 mornings a week. So, bottom line, do what you can, when you can as far as exercise goes. Do you have a support group locally?? I don't, but my friends here on LapBandTalk are the best support group ever!

Wow! Lots going on with all of you this week! Good to hear from those who have been among the missing... Janet, Candice, Ruby, Jacki, etc. Sorry to hear of your school challenges, Karri! Hope you get things worked out! 45 is TOOOOO many kids! Too bad you can't clone yourself! You're a GOOD teacher!! They ALL want YOU!! Getting these new HOLES in my ears have started something.. too bad I waited until Buffalo to get the little pink flower at the top of my left ear!! Could've used the support I had when I got the other two new holes!! And Linda coaching the gal to get them in the right place!! This morning I got my nails done. That was nice. Haven't pampered myself like that in a long time. So this afternoon I went and had my eyebrows waxed!! AND, I made an appointment for a pedicure for later this week! DH knows NOTHING!! HAH! He won't notice until he sees the canceled check! We're going to Whistler BC this weekend with DD & SIL! Don't look forward to the drive, but it will be fun once we get there. GS & his girlfriend are supposed to be going, too, but DD doesn't think that will happen. Girlfriend is too shy to spend the whole weekend with us in the same suite, and, they are ALWAYS fighting, so she'll probably change her mind by Friday! Lots of wonderful little shops in Whistler Village... hope I can stay out of the ones that say "ice cream" and "chocolate"! Head hunger is awful this week!! I think even after menopause we still have those TOM hormones kick up from time to time that make your head do strange things... cravings that rear their ugly heads. UGH!! Found myself munching on beef Jerky and veggie crackers last night for no apparent reason... just compulsion to eat something!

Hi, Joann, Thanks! Anniversary was great. Space Needle menu was not exactly as on the internet, but I got grilled salmon & it was good. We went to Pike Place Market after lunch and then down to the waterfront. It was a fun day.

I think there might be one with chicken/apples that we sometimes buy at Costco. It's quite good, too. Had a great day in Seattle yesterday. Grilled salmon for lunch went well... two nibbles of a roll, no salad, a couple of bites of DH's clam chowder, and some steamed veggies, a little rice. Of course, then they brought us an "anniversary desert" with a candle in it... small bowl of ice cream with a little chocolate sauce, with two spoons.. so I just had a few bites. Oh, did I mention the bottle of merlot??? My bathroom scale still says I'm down 2 lb today!! I probably sweat it off... hot here! I'm NOT complaining, mind you!! Anyway, later in the evening, I decided to finish some leftovers from the day before... maybe 2 oz of scallops a the most, and some steamed broccoli & cauliflower. It got stuck and I had a miserable evening and very little sleep last night. I got up to sit in my recliner at 1:30 a.m. Then decided to try a small can of pineapple juice (since my papaya had already come back up). I sipped at it and took 1/2 hr to get it down. I started to feel better so went back to bed.. I think around 3 a.m. By 3:30 a.m. I was back in the recliner... refluxing on the pineapple juice. Slept two hours in my chair before going back to bed for another two hours. I'm not anxious to eat any meat or fish today!! I really don't want to get an unfill, so I'm going to have to be much more careful about what I eat, and SLOW down and smaller bites.

Tell me about it!! I had 2 jump through hoops 2 change my avatar! They don't make it easy!

Tomorrow will be an interesting challenge. It's our 44th wedding anniversary and we're going to the Space Needle for lunch. I looked at their lunch menu online and nothing is grabbing me! Looking for a seafood option. They have a $25 per person minimum, so won't work to try to share something. Unless they let us order off the dinner menu... I remember last time we were there I saw a seafood platter appetizer for about $50! If DH would agree, that might be a good option. Otherwise I'll probably be eating the inside of a sandwich. I'm way too tight to do bread these days at all. DH made me a tuna melt for lunch today... just one slice of 45 calorie Sara Lee bread and I was miserable for hours! Not able to eat much at all. I've already lost the 1.3 lb I gained on our 3 wk vacation in my first two days home.