smilin_apple

BarBee, I feel the same way. I am excited but I don't know what I will do if it fails. I feel like this is my last chance. I take comfort in reading all of the success stories on this board and I soon feel better. If you are feeling doubtful, just read some stories and you will feel better. Promise! BarbBee - I know how you feel , oh how I know. You are the first person to say what I have been trying to but afraid to say since I made the decision to go through with this surgery. I am so very afraid of failure. Michiganer - I find this site to be the only comfort I have. Even though I have family that backs me it's not the same when they are not going through this journey like me. And for my best girl friends they are all here for me but still the same feelings. My best guy friend is there to back me but at the same time really wants me to "lose it on my own" not with he surgery. So I find great peace when I come here to read others' stories.

Have fun Chrispy!!!

First of all WELCOME to both of you!!! I think you both will really enjoy the support given here on LapBandTalk, I know I have. The Watcher - It really does depend on your insurance. I live in Cali and my insurance is Kaiser. They require the psych eval., meetings with the doctor and surgeons, meet w/ a nutrtionist one on one, classes for information, and support meetings. They did require me to lose some weight first. I started with a BMI over 63 myself and they had me lose about 30 lbs to shrink my liver so they can get to my stomach easier. So it really does all depend. Just as a side note there are alot of great threads on here and I found one called ... A thread for super-sized bandsters - starting BMI over 50? and I have really enjoyed their advise as well, you might want to check that one out too. The great thing is you can choose as many as you want, I currently have about 10 that I follow. I have not been banded yet and will hopefully get a date for November if all goes well according to my doctors office. But I wish you luck and great success! Feel free to ask me any questions. April

Hi all - As far as my Doctors' office is saying I should be scheduled for the beginning of November. I have been going through th program at my hospital for almost 1 year now. But I use Kaiser Insurance in California and they have a rigerous program to go through that includes psych appoint., nutritionist, head doctor, surgeon (at least 2x's), 4 - 6 "Lifestyle" classes (depending on how much "work" they feel you need before surgery), and a goal to lose a certain amount of weight before surgery. My original goal was to lose about 50-60 lbs before they would do my surgery, but then I asked for a follow up with my surgeon. When I went to see him a couple of weeks ago he saw that I have lost over 30 lbs and went ahead and put through my approval for sugery. The downfall was he is backed up 2-3 months for surgeries. That is why I am suppossed to be in November but will get confirmation of this around October 1st, which is when they open up November for scheduling. All this work and I never thought I would make it, but I have!!! He did mention to me it would be better to maintain if not lose another 10 lbs if possible before surgery. I will try!?!? Well enough of my ranting - Hope you all are having a wonderful week and I look forward to getting to know all of you and supporting each other. By the way if anyone has questions on how to do the tickers I can help. Just a hint when you do finish it and you go to copy the tickers code, use the "bb code" and only copy between the brackets not including them. Then you paste them in your signature area, where you complete your permanent signature. Then when you type response on the thread all you do is check the box "Show you Signature" ...Wait I think I am saying this right, I will double check.

That is AWESOME JC!!! I knew you could do it! I am so happy for you, keep up the great work. ~April

Chrispy - It looks good on you, I agree with Denis822 you are adorable. Maybe one day when I get some confidence I will get my pic up on here to show what mine looks like too. JC- How is everything going for you lately with the exercise and all?

Thank for the support Cindy - I am so anxiuos, but very happy. I will keep posting any updates as I get my actual surgery date. Does you have any suggesstions on different things to prepare for surgery such as foods for after that taste good but ar nutritious. I do have a lot of medical support at my doctors office since it was a year long program I went through just to have the surgery but, they just started doing LapBands. They used to only do RNY Bypass before February. So I feel like the information I am being given applies totally to me only some of he rules are the same. Any suggesstons???

I am praying for you! Don't worry all will be fine. I haven't heard of one employer that dopesn't cover it yet. As far as I know all that changes is co-pays, not what is covered but I could be wrong. What am I saying don't worry!!!! Have a great day!

Hello Cindy - I have been on LapBandTalk for about 2 months now. I wanted to CONGRATS on the almost 30 lbs lost already. I myself have a long journey ahead. I started at a need to lose 246lbs to reach my initial goal of 170. I am feeling somewhat discourage but I hope I will feel more ocnfident after my surgery. I am having my band done in November. I can't wait. I have lost 30 lbs since April on my own and my doc approved surgery last week. But he is so far booked it won't be for another month and a half. But that's ok! I will have approx. 216lbs to lose after I get my band done. Keep up the good work!!! ~April~

WOW!!! JulieNYC - I was just looking at your ticker on your signature line, CONGRATS on all that weight loss!!! I myself had/have a total of 246 lbs to lose to get to my goal. I haven't seen my goal weight since 7th Grade. How did you do it so fast. Everyone makes it seem like it will take me 2+ years to lose the weight. I have lost 30 so far and I am looking at having surgery in November, I won't have my exact date until around the first week of October. I am ok with the length of time that it will take as a matter of fact my hospital ins. covered both Gastric Bypass and LapBand, but they just started doing the banding about 6 months ago. I almost opted for Bypass but decided against it since I wanted to lose the weight a lot slower. Did you excercise? Alot? Right in the beginning? I am looking for all the advice I can get since my surgery will be soon and most of the people in my Hospital are Bypass patients so not many people to get the specialized support from that know more of what I am going through. ~April~

Hello... I am new to this thread. I stumbled upon this topic when I was looking for something else. I, fortunately, have never had to deal with infidelity, at least that I know of. I am currently seperated and trying to divorce my husband. We were together for 9 years married for less than 3 of those years and have been seperated, officially since 9/2001. He was a very bad GAMBLER, and I tried everything to make the relationship work besides becoming homeless due to his addiction and was NOT going to do that to my daughter. Even though she still doesn't like the fact the her father and I are not together I know one day she will understand, she is still young (12 1/2). And it made it worse because she was always a Daddy's little girl, and after the seperation he has not been there for her at all. Even though he only lives 6 blocks away and has always had our number, he NEVER calls. Matter of fact if she is missing him she tracks him down and calls him to see if she can come over to see him, which I am the one who takes her there and picks her up. I HATE DOING THIS!! I feel so responsible sometimes for her lack of relationship w/ her dad. But then I remember that he is the one that broke up the relationship due to his addiction. I just wish he cared more to even call and say hi baby girl how are you doing, or daddy loves you...she gets nothing!!! This is the reason I HATE DIVORCE, but I know sometimes it has to be done. I just don't like what it does to the children. So I have vowed that I will make sure my next serious relationship will be as close to perfect as it can be, as far as all that her father did wrong. Sorry for venting so much...back to what I was going to say when I started typing........ I really do agree with you on the whole revenge thing, I have never taken action when it comes to revenge...I can't say how many times I have thought about things to do but I don't follow through. What I wish is that I could just let things like that go easier and not even think about it in the first place I think it relieve some of my pain if I could. I hope you all have a great evening and just remember to ALWAYS keep your head up Zannie...NO MATTER WHAT happens.

Ok I got a question for anyone who would like to run with this one... Has anyone ever had a relationship with someone, fallen in love with them, then it is decided that he/she wants to remain friends since things just aren't working out with eachother dating one another? I know it is an odd and loaded question but I am struggling with a situation. And to make things worse there is more to it than that... he is still living with me as my roomate, we share a room literally. Has anyone ever been in something like this or maybe just have some friendly advice. By the way I think I am still in love with him. He says he doesn't love me that way but I know we care about eachother deeply, we have been through more together than what I went through with my ex-husband during our 9 year relationship. Any advice????

Congrats on your first day with the personal trainer. How are you feeling now today?

I hear you there Denise... I am a chicken too!!! I do not have any tattoo's and my nose ring was easy. The guy used an earring gun and so it was quick. The whole right side of my face got real warm and my eye started watering like I was crying but it was cool after that. I do have to admit though it was an ear peircing type stud in my nose at first so it was a gold ball and that was very noticeable. And it hurt like hell to move it, (I had to turn it a couple of times a day to keep it from getting stuck to the peirced skin) He told me to wait 6 weeks before I changed it but I went to a different tattoo parlor after two weeks because I couldn't take theat huge ball on the side of my nose anylonger. And they took a straight flat head diamond and bent the stem into a "J or U" shape sort of and put that in. This way it sat on the side of my nose inside of it, and there was no stem poking me. I loved it.

I thought I saw something like that on another thread too, but I haven't been able to find it again. I know my book that they give you at orientation gives you a similar list but I would have to look at it again. But I do not think it has all the different tips in it that the one list had about different ways to make yourself comfortable after surgery. If you find that list on here let me know. As far as the "pre-op" diet everyone is required to go on the diet plan they give to teach us to eat better, but the amount of weight; if any; that is required to lose is different for everyone. So they would still show you the foods they want you to each vs. what you shouldn't eat at the orientation and the nutrition appointments. So as a suggesstion after the orientation you should try and follow the meal plan they give because more than likely you will lose at least 10lbs before you see Dr.Stiles or the surgeon, just doing that. And they look at your beginning weight at orientation vs. what you are when they see you and they take that into consideration of whether or not you are ready for surgery. Also they will tell you it is not the BMI that makes a difference it is where you carry your weight. I knew someone with a smaller BMI that still had to lose 20 lbs because it makes your liver smaller for the surgery. Also if your weight is in your stomach it makes a difference to them as well. I carry most of my weight in my hips and thighs and I still had to lose some in my stomach to make the surgery easier on them to manuver around. Ok I am rambling now, but it is just so much info. I wish you luck at your orientation and hopefully your road ahead will not be long!

Tonight I went with my friend who got a tattoo to commemorate her mom who recently passed away and while I was there, I got a nose ring! Yep. I've wanted one since I was 18 and for some reason, it took me until I was 33 to bite the bullet and do it. Guess I'm really starting to come out of my shell. I'm afraid about how work is going to react but heck, who cares? Life is too short! lol. Who cares what your work thinks...I have one too. I got mine about 6 months after my ex-husband and I seperated. That was in Feb of 2002, so I have had it quite a while now. I rememeber when my parents saw it they were wondering if I was going through some kind of crisis or something since I was 25 years old when I got it. But I just laughed at them and told them I just wanted one. I had one when I was 16 but got rid of it after my daughter was born right before my 18th b-day. But I love mine now and don't know if I will ever get rid of it. I have a very small diamond in mine and I really do love it. It is barely even noticeable now to most people I have been to many jobs and interviews and because it is do petite most people say they don't even notice it until I point it out to them. I would like to get a new diamond soon since I have had this one since March 2002. But I think you will definitley enjoy it Chrispy!!! Especially when all the soreness is gone. To be honest I didn't get rid of the soreness completely until about 2 months later. I made sure I cleaned it EVERY day with the cleaner that the tattoo parlor gave me. Now I just use Rubbing Alcohol 2-3 times a week.

CONGRATS JC!!!! I am so happy for you! I prayed everything would be ok, and I am so glad it is. I bet you are just ecstatic about it all. How are you feeling today since being filled? Do you feel full?

It is all so surreal.... I am still inshock because I really wasn't expecting him to go through with it this time around, since I only lost 30 lbs so far (even though I was praying he would) I was actually waiting for him to say well keep working on it and I will see you back in a few weeks, but no he gave the go ahead and I feel great but still so surreal! I will really feel the excitement when they call me to schedule the date.

Thanks JC, I am happy to finally be able to see the top of the mountain coming in sight.

Thanks!!! Yeah even though I have lost 30 lbs the Doc said he would like me to keep up that losing streak to make the surgery easier. I told him my goal is 10-15 more lbs lost by surgery and he said that sounds great.

Thanks!!! I have been doing a happy dance all day but only in my head since I was in the car for 2 and half hours after my appointment and now I am at work.

I am so happy today. The surgeon went ahead and cleared me for surgery! I thought he was going to make me lose the additional 25 lbs. He originally wanted me to lose 56 lbs or so and when I saw him today I had lost about 30 so he went ahead and gave the paperwork to his medical assistant and she said they will call me when the November surgery calendar opens up (I think it is 4-6 weeks prior to November) to schedule me for surgery. SO I should be hearing from them in the next 3 weeks or so to get a date set, hopefully for November. I am so excited!!!

I am so happy today. The surgeon went ahead and cleared me for surgery! I thought he was going to make me lose the additional 25 lbs. He originally wanted me to shoot for 56 lbs or so and when I saw him today I had lost over 30 so he said that was enough for me and went ahead and gave the paperwork to his medical assistant and she said they will call me when the November surgery calendar opens up (I think it is 4-6 weeks prior to November) to schedule me for surgery. SO I should be hearing from them in the next 3 weeks or so to get a date set, hopefully for November. I am so excited!!!

I am so happy today. The surgeon went ahead and cleared me for surgery! I thought he was going to make me lose the additional 25 lbs. He originally wanted me to lose 56 lbs or so and when I saw him today I had lost about 30 so he went ahead and gave the paperwork to his medical assistant and she said they will call me when the November surgery calendar opens up (I think it is 4-6 weeks prior to November) to schedule me for surgery. SO I should be hearing from them in the next 3 weeks or so to get a date set, hopefully for November. I am so excited!!!

WELCOME!!! You will love it here. I just joined myself a little over 1 month ago and have met some great people. They are great to turn to when you want to share some good news with people and even better when you just need to talk about things that might be not-so-great. I myself have not been banded yet but am seeing my surgeon tomorrow for a follow up and am hoping to get some good news on my upcoming surgery. Hopefully he will schedule me soon??? I am keeping my fingers crossed! I look forward to chatting with you and hearing about all your weight loss. Have a great day!