want2bmeagain

oh my gosh...poor little thing! She will seem like such a big girl when the baby arrives, but they are still so little, and sometimes change is hard! Can you take the side rail off of the crib (on some you can, so it's like a toddler bed) and have her sleep there for a while? Then it would be her crib, but transition to a big girl's bed. If it is too high up if she falls, maybe you could put her new mattress on the floor next to it. If she rolls onto it, then she is doing a double transition! Just a thought...she sounds like a sweetie!

Gosh, Nic ~ I hope this fun happens to everyone! Some day you will walk into a shock collar happening and can share directly in the fun! Call me on my cell even on Thur afternoon, and we can figure out when to get together before I leave Denver on Fri. Mare, I will miss you at RR...I hope that sometime the meeting falls when I need to be in CO Springs so that I can just hop up there. Otherwise, when I know I am in town, I will post and maybe we can do another meeting! I am going to be there Thursday night, but have so much going on that I didn't want to post about it, cuz it would be really stupid if I was the only one that couldn't make it!! It is amazing that the 4 of you lost 161 lbs total! way cool....The biggest problem getting there is that it is over a 5 hour drive..but I know at some point, it will work for me to hop in there. Purplelady..have you had your surgery...ok, it probably shows on the regular posts, and I can't see it from this window..I will check. How have you been doing? how are you feeling? wrkl8 ~ we are still waiting to hear about the Protein bar..the suspense is difficult!! I get so hungry, then eat, and it aint fun like it used to be! After my food is iced cold, I usually give up! I have enough restriction to be REALLY careful how big my bites are, but hope I can handle more to cut back how often I get hungry. It takes a fraction of what I used to eat to fill me up now, but I am puzzled that some folks eat half a cup and are done...does that mean I overeat??? Dunno...will talk to Dr. K about it, but would love to hear what others think or how much you all eat. Munchkin ~ Having someone with you will be REALLY important. I wished I lived in the area and could keep an eye on you. I will say that Dr. K is not happy with someone being there alone. It can be too dangerous. I don't even think he has ever had a complication, but if for some reason you have an emergency and are at the hotel alone, that would be awful. Plus, you need someone to get you back to the hotel after surgery. On the day of my surgery, there were 4 of us. One of the guys traveled alone but had given the doc the impression he had someone there to help him. When Dr.K figured out what was going on, he was not a happy camper....and it was for the guy's safety. Keep your surgery date, and maybe all of us on here will have ideas for you. Please keep us updated on what is happening. Where are you traveling from?

oops Rosey... I meant "the swelling is going down around the band"

Hi everyone! Shelbi~ (is your name Shelbi?!!) You will ALL love this So, last night I am meeting with a client in her house. We get inside and I keep hearing this beeping...she's ignoring it, and something keeps beeping. Finally, it was driving me crazy, because I was trying to not look all over, and I was pretty sure I wasn't hearing things! So, I asked her if she needed to check her voicemails or a text or something. She said..nah, we're fine, it's just my dog's shock collar, only it beeps instead of shocks him. I almost choked on my own spit, but trying to be professional, just kind of nodded my head. She took it off of him and kind of dropped on the table so it would stop beeping. #1 I was internally freaking out because I had decided the band was a flipping shock collar and the timing couldn't have been better! #2 I had never even heard the dog bark. I got to thinking that if my shock collar beeped EVERY time I thought of eating, or daydreamed about french bread and butter that people would be looking all over for the backing up delivery truck! Could you imagine a BEEPING lapband!! OMG #3 I sweartogod that for a nanosecond (I am not kidding here!), just like in the movies when someone is doing something, and the other person literally sees something else....that I pictured a lapband, port and all, on her table!!!!! I was DYING inside Taynuh LOVED the description of the origin of your nickname. I was cracking myself up, saying it outloud at my computer, in my version of a southern drawl!!! I didn't do too bad! Any news on when your baby boy will arrive?? NICNAK Hello! How have you been feeling? When are you going in for your first fill? I didnt have enough fun last time, so I am going back for more on Friday! Rosey Totally agree with Tina on the band...at that stage of the game, I wondered if I even had a band in there! After pre and post op, I felt like a pig cuz I could eat anything...! Don't let it alarm you, the swelling is going on around the band, and there isn't enough of a squeeze at this point for much restriction. I just tried to stay away from the junk, eat when I was hungry, and watch my portions, but not obsess about them. you WILL see a HUGE difference after your fill. I blew off the teeny bites, not drinking with meals, and chewing down to applesauce because I didn't need to...well....it was harder work to change after my fill...Each time I didn't do it right, my band let out a flippin jolt like a dog's shock collar! So, you might want to be more intelligent than I was, and practice the small bites now! I am envious that you are close enough to go to the support group! Do report back and tell us what it was like. Tina...have you ever been to one? the next book I write on here, I will try and tell ya about me! hugs to all!

Hi Girls~ I haven't really posted on here since Kat introduced me...I do read (lurk!)when I have a chance, but damn,ladies, it would take me hours to completely catch up!!! Great bunch, here! I am actually prompted tonight to write to : TRACY I was reading with interest what you are experiencing with your dss...My thoughts went where Terri's went also. My 16 yr. old son also has bipolar disorder. He was treated, after many docs, at the age of 8. His was early onset, fierce and young. What caught my attention is how smart you describe your dss, in addition to the TROUBLE! I would also agree with getting a Psychiatrist on board. It is not easy, teens are often non complient, docs are sometimes arrogent and misguided, etc. BUT, you could start reading about "mood disorders", and hey, for grins and giggles, read about adolescents and bipolar. The best book, that covers kids in general, is The Bipolar Child by Dimitri and Janice Papalos...superb. At least if you started to sort out the puzzle, you can be an incredible advocate for him. My son is brilliant (right now at a speech competition out of town), honor roll, all that stuff. Because he is so smart,he can have verbal responses that leave me speechless...we have our "disagreements", but are close, and he is incredible. Wow, I could go on forever, our journey has been intense and thorough. If ya ever want to chat, PM me. I will say, that I have one disagreement with Terri (am I allowed to disagree being an honorary Violet??). I have never heard of, or researched, that someone with bipolar disorder should ever consider or be told they can some day go off of meds....the death rate is HIGHER (suicide) than if our kids had leukemia. Meds may be tweaked, or a female who is pregnant may temporarily go off of meds with doc supervision.... Danielle Steele (the prolific novelist) wrote a book called "His Bright Light". I won't say much about it...but a great reality check. My son knows that his meds are for LIFE...and that if he had diabetes, it would be the same story...I can only hope and pray that as an adult, he will continually respect his the bipolar giant...one that gives him his brilliance, but also lurks to share its madness. I applaud Terri for bringing up the potential psychiatric aspect . Could not be the issue, but if so, you don't want to miss it..it's too costly! So, there were other congrats, hellos, etc I was going to say...but bipolar is such a part of our story, my sharing heart took over!

A new Dr. K thread is being born! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join in! The current thread is great, but I have heard from a few people who have been intimidated from the length and tightness of it. I have never been able to read every page myself, but have learned a lot from being there! This new thread has NOTHING to do with undermining the current thread, but it seems if the car feels too small, get a bigger one....so, I am going to put my head on the chopping block and try it out...I just hope that no one reaches for the cleaver. It would be great to discuss how you found out about Dr. K, what your experiences have been, when you were, or are, banded, where you're from, fears and excitements you've had, etc. I am hoping that if this thread is meant to survive, it will. If you are more comfortable jumping into this new place, please post. Without input, this ain't going nowhere! Please, don't anyone grab the meat cleaver, this is not an attack, for I have found support on the other thread. There is more than enough room for all of us! I am just hoping to meet needs that might not be getting met. C'mon folks, post!

What size is the Acti Trainer? Can anyone take a picture of one next to you and post it? I was looking into the Body Bugg, then read about this and like the heart monitor and sleep features...so I am soooo confused! i can buy a Body Bugg from someone, brand new for $200. But, really, is the Acti Trainer better? Aaaaakkkk! Help me!!!

Hi Stephanie! Hey girls, I was wondering if the actitrainer is comfortable to wear? I read about it and I like the heart moniter thing feature. I looks so boxy compared to the Body Bugg,..so, just wondering if you like the comfort level thanks!

Hello love reading this thread and seeing how much the Body Bugg has done for everyone...even if there are some days you don't like its honesty:D !! I thought I had read somewhere on here, but don't have time to reread every post, that after the first of the year, they are coming out with a new design... is this true?? I may be able to buy a used one now, and wonder if I should wait please let me know what you all think! thanks so much!

Good to see a Colorado group! I am on the western slope like steph is. STEPH ~ I was going to PM you, but you don't have it set up...can you pm me...i think it would be fun to see if we are near eachother!

I was banded 8 days before Shelbicallie by Dr. K in Denver. I also have all the positives to say about him that she does! I was in the process of going ahead with Mexico, then decided to go with Dr. K. An important thing that changed my mind is the price of fills if I could find a doc near me to do them. I have read anywhere from $200-$500+ from an aftercare doc. For the first 3 months, Dr. Kirshenbaum does not charge, then after that, he charges $15 per fill. Many of his patients fly back to him if they live near a large airport and can get a reasonably priced ticket. Sometimes just the ticket can be less than the fills! I am a 6 hour drive away, so it actually takes me longer to get there and back than most who fly in. I, too, worry about an emergency. But, it looks like most common, have to get taken care of now, emergencies involve getting an unfill. I did talk to a local surgeon here and asked him if I were in enough of an emergency and couldn't get to Denver for an unfill, would he help me. He's a great guy, and said "Sure! and if I have trouble, we'll call Denver!". I don't know if you could talk to a local surgeon that would help...if not, I have read over and over that any nurse who does chemo should be able to access our ports. Of course port flipping, slippage, erosion, etc would just about always be handled by a persons surgoeon who did the banding...And if we were in a dire emergency because of those, we'd have to figure out how to get to our surgeon anyway...does that make sense? I once posted asking opinions if I HAD to get to the local ER because I was blocked or whatever, what would insurance do (since it wouldn't cover the band)??? Someone responded that he believed insurance would cover a true emergency because of the liability. But, something like slippage, they wouldn't. Makes sense to me. Everyone's policy is different, but if I were in a TRUE emergency and ins. didn't cover, there is a huge open door with appeals. So much of this is a leap of faith. There are a lot of long term unknowns since this is a relatively new procedure. I hope nothing horid ever happens with my band, but feel great with the leap of faith I took and have never looked back! You will LOVE Dr. K oh, he has also been GREAT financially in handling any problems with people. He is a fair, honest, skilled surgeon!

I had my first fill a couple of weeks ago and had liquids for a couple of days. Since then, any liquid goes down fine, Soups and the well cooked ingredients work, as does fish and refried Beans. I have had a couple of pb's, and many, many times of food getting stuck (ESPECIALLY meat)~ my eyes want to cross, my mouth waters, and it hurts until the culprit goes down. I notice that the worst stuck episodes are, of course, when I don't chew enough or my bites arent small enough...I am retraining, it is just taking time to smack myself enough to remember. Then, there are times I chew good (at least I think I am), and still feel "stuck". So, my question is...what does a proper fill feel like to you? I am learning to eat "right", but my big concern is that I don't want my "stuck" episodes to hurt the band.... Am I the only one on the learning curve with small bites? If you forget, does your food usually get stuck? Am I overfilled, or just stupid when I forget the bite guidelines? Please respond...I need help from other bandsters!

I really like Jarrow protein powders...no artificial sweetners. I buy it at Buy Discount Vitamins, Supplements, Low Carb and More at www.Vitacost.com about half the price of the health food stores! It isn't as strong/sweet tasting as others , but delicious and even has a yummy smell...check out the web page. Also, Nature's plus liquid vitamins/minerals, and chewable calcium hearts are great!

I agree with Shelbi ~ Dr. Kirshenbaum is wonderful! Surgery went well, first fill went well...the man is compassionate and brilliant. I would choose him all over again! The day of my surgery, there were 4 of us getting banded the same day...from Calif, NY, Colorado, and KY ! Way cool!

Man, you guys are an awesome bunch! Now that I have been introduced, I read when I can and have to catch up a lot if I miss a couple of days! There is definitely a kinship here:) Kat~ any news?? I want to write more to specific posts and such, but my mom is having surgery today and I have to get ready to go.... Hey, do any of you live in Colorado?? Cheers!

I am taking Nature's Plus liquit vitamin/mineral supplement. It also has whole food concentrate that probably helps give it the lovely spirulina/chlorophill color! It has a tropical flavor and really isn't too bad. It sure beats the taste of kids liquid Advil! I also get their chewable calcium hearts, chewable C, and chewable Zinc. The best prices I have found are on Buy Discount Vitamins, Supplements, Low Carb and More at www.Vitacost.com . Oh, I also purchase my protein powder, made by Jarrow, there. It is $10 less per tub than at the health food store. I don't take Flinstones or Centrum. I once saw a great demonstration...put one in vinegar and see how long it takes to dissolve! Cured me!

Kat, haven't I seen you somewhere before?? :car: Wow, a first real pic of me on the boards...I have been initiated~ yep, I look like a midget standing next to Kat...I would be 5'4"...not 5'3", or 5'2"...got to squeeze in every inch I can! We had a wonderful time! The lapband not only gives us our life back, but we then get to give our lives to building new friendships.... :car:

I shop at Buy Discount Vitamins, supplements, Low Carb and More at www.Vitacost.com and have found some great stuff! Nature's Plus makes a very good-for-you liquid Vitamin and mineral supplement with tropical flavor. Compared to other liquid supplements, it tastes good, but is a vitamin. It is a high quality, well absorbed, vitamin/mineral complex. Flinstone/Centrum type products are like comparing bleached white bread to a hearty multi-grain product~incomparible health wise. I also bought Nature's Plus chewable calcium hearts, which are GOOD! Kind of a malt flavor. I also bought their Vit C and Zinc, all chewable. They ship any number of products for around five bucks. good luck!

I have read many posts about having to get to the ER for an unfill (or trying to find someone capable enough to do an unfill!), complication, slippage, etc. during a true emergency when there is no way to get to our original surgeon fast enough. I, like many folks, have health insurance with a complete exclusion for obesity related surgery, thus, was self pay. Does insurance cover an emergency that is due to an originally excluded procedure??? Scary thought, knowing what it costs to even walk into an ER. I know the ulimate answer for each of us is to check with our providers, but I have learned so much by other's experiences, and wanted thoughts and advice before I call my ins. company to find the answer. I want to get your thoughts and hear your experiences on this one! It truly is something to think about. thanks!

Sunshine~ where will you be going for a fill? My first is scheduled for Oct 15th, and I know that 3 of the 4 that Dr. K banded on the 11th are having their fills that day....I think Dr. K does them about a month or so out. Let me know how you are...hop onto Dr. K thread or PM me!

Patty can you put it on a credit card or something so you can proceed?

Big Medicine is truly an inspriation! The episode with Garth's sister is actually what prompted me to investigate, learn, and book my lapband surgery. I went racing to the computer after the show and was lit on fire about the procedure. Of course, I freaked about what happened to her, and since I live at least 6 hours from a band surgeon, it took a lot of learning to see how uncommon her situation was and how to try and prevent it. It also showed how a competent doc can fix a blockage, and fix it fast. IMO, her doc should be fired! That said, I contacted Garth about the band, got his rates, but got held up on how long he'd want me in town after surgery, and that they would not do the surgery unless I could commit to returning once a month for 6 months. EXCELLENT followup, but impossible for me to travel from CO to Texas that often. At that point, my hunt began. I will credit that show for my banding decision! I will say that I think they should talk more (for the watching public) about the extreme risks of bypass..they make it look so easy! It's awesome! Can't wait till next season!

Rumpid~ I would highly recommend that you consider Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver. He has chosen to have costs be comparable to Mexico, but to have surgery available in the states. He is a VERY experienced surgeon, who has done thousands of laproscopic surgeries. I am also self pay, and on the low BMI end. I was going to go to Mexico because they have done more bands, but it became very complicated for me to find a fill doctor that didn't cost a fortune and was willing to fill another surgeons band...And, if I ran into problems, having to go out of the country sounded a little daunting. Dr. K has done about 200 bands, but has done wonderful work, is warm and inviting, has a reputation for being a top notch surgeon. He charges $9950. When I had my surgery done, it was me (I am from CO, but a 6 hr. drive), a man from NYC (they charge $27k there), and a man from KY. They were all quite happy to spend a couple hundred bucks on a plane ticket to save on banding costs, AND have an excellent surgeon. I know for sure he has banded folks from Alaska, Canada, KY, Florida, NY and other places. His fills are free for the first 3 months, then $15 from there on. I have seen fill prices from $200-$500. If you have questions about him, feel free to post here or PM me!

wierd, I don't know why the link I typed went crazy up there! just click the link I made on the bottom, by my ticker!

Hello~ I am also self pay. I ended up putting mine on a credit card with a pretty low interest rate, then playing the balance transfer game to get even lower interest. It was somewhat of a difficult decision, because I do have some sizable bills to pay off. But, I don't have a car payment, and I figured many people spend more than $10k on a car, and I needed the surgery. Once I committed, the rest was easy for me! There are also medical loans if you put that in a search engine, but you have to watch the interest rates. That said, I was going to go to Mexico because there are fabulous surgeons, but I hit road blocks when it came to fills. I did research and ended up choosing Dr. Kirshenbaum at Lap Band Surgery in Denver Colorado | Lap Band Surgeon in Denver | Gastric Band Surgery Denver | Bariatric Surgery in Denver. He is INCREDIBLE!! TOP NOTCH surgeon, wonderful personality, and I can't say enough about him. He is doing the LapBand for $9950, as he wants an alternative to the Mexico doctors for his self pay patients. His price does NOT mean lower quality or care! I had my surgery last week. I am a 6 hour drive from him, then there was a gentleman from NYC ($27k there!), and one from Kentucky. He has had patients from Alaska, Canada, and more. His first 3 months of fills are free, then $15 from then on. Many folks get a plane ticket to come back for fills, because that is often cheaper than a local doc (if you can find one who will do a fill!) Let me know how the journedy goes!! good luck!