Cocoabean

Hi Everyone! Karen! I am so sorry you are going through this. I had a similar situation last December. I got the call back from scheduling. I was told I had to come back. When I asked why, I was told the normal girl was at lunch and I had to call back. When I did, the normal girl told me she could not discuss it. It's against the rules. It protects my privacy, doncha know! Would not tell me if it was suspicious or a smudge or blur. So, after I had a sh*t fit at her and insisted that I speak with the radiologist--which she refused to allow. I asked, well, WHO can tell me what was seen? That they suggested MAYBE my PCP's office could, but this being Friday afternoon, maybe not today. They were soooooo non-challant about it. My PCP's office was great. But I complained about the schedulers. They didn't care that they were scaring the tar out of me. No one word about how many women get called back for more views. Nothing. Sheesh. Anyway, turns out that all it was was overlapping skin from the weight loss! Whew! I got the results immediately. You will be in my prayers that yours turns out the same!!

I appealed my insurance co's 6 month requirement with WW's records and won the appeal. I could not even see the surgeon without completing a 6 month program. I won the appeal and got the consult. It still took over 6 months to get my surgery with all the other tests and things, but at least I didn't have to wait that much longer. Good luck!

As to height/weight...my surgeon measured my height. There was no lying for me. Some are now asking for proof of weight history, so gaining quickly to qualify may or may not work. I think that is more a function of insurance companies than surgeons, though. I only know a little bit about the military requirements, but if you have a comorbidity, they'll accept 100 lbs overweight. Do you? 1. The patient is 100 pounds over the ideal weight for height and bone structure and has one of these associated medical conditions: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome (and other severe respiratory diseases), hypothalamic disorders and severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints.

I was told no gum by my surgeon. He said if it gets swallowed, accidentally or on purpose, it can get stucked and have to be removed via scope. Not interested in that, thanks :thumbup:

Hi Everyone, so is it just the time of year, except for Christie? Cause I have been wanting to eat everything in sight! Dang, I have been HUNGRY! Even DH said yesterday I might be in need of a fill. Now I haven't had one in months and months, so it might indeed be time. I'll wait until after DC and our vacation in Sedona before deciding. And since I am pondering the idea, that means I am due for a monster stuck episode! :thumbup:

Ain't it just a pip? There's no explaining it sometimes! Sometimes a meal holds me for 5 hours, sometimes for 2. There is just NO figuring it out! Anne, congrats on your date! Yay!! I am doing pretty well. About over the latest bug. Except my blood pressure is still pretty low sometimes. Oh well. The doc said it was going to take a while to come back up. Next week I got to Washington D.C. for work. I am going to go a day early so I can do some sight seeing. Otherwise, it's the same old stuff around here! Hope everyone else is doing well!!

Hi Katie, Last Supper Syndrome is a common event around here. But please know that the band doesn't mean good-bye to food. You can still eat all your favorites, just in smaller amounts, and less often on the treat type of foods. This statement, of course, doesn't address the addiction issue. There are surgeons who will not do the surgery if you have gained during the pre-op phase. Mine is one of them. You might ask around O.A. if there are any sponsors who've had WLS. Keep working the steps. Keep working with your sponsor. That should help you with last supper sydrome! It truly isn't your last supper. Try not to think of it as such.

Your life will be forever changed. Not that this is a bad thing. The hard work is that you have to make the proper choices of food. Take your Vitamins. You can never eat brainlessly again, you have to chew, chew, chew, and be aware of every bite that you put in your mouth. You must exercise. There are some foods to which you will say goodbye forever. For me, white meat chicken, bagels, high fat content ground beef...not a big deal. Other foods will continue to go down very easily. Highly processed junk goes down GREAT. Dorritos, chips, Cookies, etc. go down very nicely. Whole foods take more effort, but these are the foods we need to choose. You have to do the work, the band does not make the choices for you. It helps tremendously, don't get me wrong. I'd have never lost this amount of weight and kept it off this long without it. But I make the choice of what goes in my mouth. I cut it up small enough, and chew it well enough that it won't get stuck. Weight loss and new eating habits affect not only you but those around you. Your relationships will change and grow, some may deteriorate and even end. Some people will support your decision, others you thought would support you will turn very negative. Eating with people you don't know well can be stressful. I was on a jury. I went out with my fellow jurors. Ordered my food and got stuck a few bites in. I had to excuse myself and could not finish my meal. Of course there were questions of "are you OK?" I am very open, so I told them, but for someone who prefers to not tell the world their business, this can be a tough situation. I had another episode during that trial where I was stuck and sliming in the jury box. It was a high profile case here, lots of people in the courtroom, including TV cameras, no they didn't show the jurors, but still. I felt like the eyes of San Diego were on me. I've had other issues like this in public settings. It's not always moonbeams and roses. I guess I sort of drifted off the "hard work" part of it, but these are things that I did not consider, because I didn't know of them. Would I do it again in a heartbeat? You betcha. I am off high blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, and my pre-diabetes hasn't progressed. If I have problems with my band and need to have it removed what would I do? I'd want another band or a revision to a different procedure. I'd never want to go back to my previous state. And I have no doubt that I would return to my previous state without surgical intervention. Ok, enough rambling, I hope this answers your question! :biggrin:

So glad you are feeling better. After things heal up, you can go back and get another fill. As I said before, I was back a month after my unfill getting a refill. Go figure. :biggrin: That's the level I am now, and have been for several months.

Let us know what he said. That is very worrisome!

I had one of my worst stuck episodes with ground beef. Even though it is ground, it still has gristle in it, and we don't always chew it well. I do very well with dark meat chicken and beef. But I do get bored with chewing!

All the tests you had run should still be valid, along with any pre-op diets. What else are they requiring, and who is requiring it? I could understand the surgeon wanting to meet with you, and perhaps he might want you to meet with people on his team. But how could it take months?

No, it doesn't sound right. I think you should go see your surgeon. Best wishes.

Hey everyone!! Happy Tuesday. My blood pressure has joined the world of the living! Mostly. Anne, congrats on an almost surgery date!! Yay!! Bobbie, best wishes on the interview. If he offers, take it and keep looking, at least it's work. Or, tell him to shove it! So, we just had a mallard duck land in our pool. Butters was NOT happy! Stacie, congrats on weighing the same as hubby. When I got close to my DH's weight, he decided to "show me" how to diet and lost 7 lbs just like that. He's never had a weight problem. It was a control issue. We had a near knock down, drag out over it and all is right with the world now, but he was a pip at the time! To you and Shadst8, for me...sweet spot means I can go 3-4 hours between meals without obsessing over food. I don't weigh and measure my meals, but I do about 3-4 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup-ish of veggies, and prolly 1/4 cup of starch at dinner. lunch is often half a sandwich or half a deli salad and some crackers. Breakfast, Protein shake or bar, or some graham crackers with Peanut Butter. I do generally have a cheese stick after work and a banana thrown in somewhere. Some days I can eat more, some less. I try not to freak on the hungrier days. I just try to make healthy choices. I don't always succeed, but I do my best.

Thanks :ohmy: Hopefully we'll never have a need of them!

Hi Everyone, Happy Monday..blah! Bree, way to go! Congrats on 50!! Woohoo!! Betsy, I am always interested in medical stuff, but prolly would not understand the cellular stuff of potassium and hearts. But suffice it to say, I experienced enough of it to last me! Pressure of 85/51 and pulse of 120...I don't EVER want to feel again. I am actually a crocheter. I can knit, but not very well. I'd do lessons, if I had to do it over. I am self-taught, but it wasn't easy. But, I do enjoy it.

Well done, Jacki! Way more calories burned than my sitting here on my bootie crocheting! But, I found this froggy hat pattern: Am making it in bright green with an afghan to match. Plus a sweater with froggy buttons. Fun fun!!!

Not sure about the average in the first year. But yes, once you find your 'sweet spot' fills don't come near as often. I haven't had one in about 8 or 9 months now.

Leigha, my money's on you to make it to goal first. I am not working at it much, I just keep getting sick Karen, you are due for a big loss! That's the way it went for me. Weeks without anything, then all of a sudden, 3 lbs gone! I hope the fill kick starts it for you! I got the neighbor's baby sweater done last night, so cute! Found out she is having a boy, also. Is anyone having girls these days? Ok, back to looking for patterns for the grand-nephew!

I'd take it very slow. Maybe try very thin protien shake or a protien Water to get some nutrition in. I know when I've had baaad stuck episodes I'll take it easy for a few days. I just go by how my stomach is feeling. Take a sip of shake and give it a bit, see how it goes. The less you put in, the less that will want to come up if it isn't good. The less trauma. I've found a stuck pill is VERY irritating. I am not sure if it is that it starts to disolve while jammed in the stoma or what, but things can stay tender for a few days. When I was overfilled once, I went back and had half the fill removed, it was instant relief. A month later I was back for a fill. I had the unfill and then some put in. Strange how it works out that way sometimes!

Good morning Anne! You are doing GREAT!! 10% gone already? Wow. That makes such a big difference to your health. Keep up the walking habit, way to go! You can add me to the list of overeaters yesterday. My GI tract was finally tolerating food! I will not say what I ate, but suffice it to say, my surgeon and PCP would not approve It was junk, and it was yummy. The last 5-6 lbs I've lost have been to illness. I'll take it, but it sure isn't the best way to do it! Have a great day, everyone!!

Adagray, I also have a necklace. When I don't feel like wearing my bracelet, I wear that. I just tuck it under my shirt. It is a 'dogtag' style that was an inexpensive add on to my bracelet order. They have some nice charm style ones these days that are still noticable as medical alert tags. The chain on my necklace is quite strong. I found I can use it for double duty and clip my work ID to it and skip the lanyard. Traditional CPR pumps a lot of air into the stomach. But the trainer at the CPR class I went to said they are cutting down the number of breaths for each pump, and that you can even just do the chest compressions with no breaths if you do not have a mouth barrier. But, I think I'd chose a slipped band over no CPR. I got mine from American Medical ID.

Roxy, If you can't keep liquids down, you'll need to call your surgeon's office soon for instruction on whether they can meet you or you need to go to the ER. Dehydration is nothing to mess with. If you can get Water down it can wait, but if not, CALL. I've gotten pills stuck before, and it sux. They can very much irritate the stoma. I hope you are feeling better soon!

Mine says "Gastric Lap-Band with Abdominal Port, No NG W/O Scope" and has my ICE contact. In CPR training I went through recently I spoke with the paramedic. My port is located where it could potentially interfere with an AED, so it is good for them to know it is there. Also, I figure that emergency folk might wonder what the tumor under my skin is if not explained easily, even with the scar. In a recent visit to Urgent Care and a separate conversation with an ER doctor, none had seen a band patient before. The more info they have, the better, in my book.

I have decided anti-biotics are EVIL! After taking them in March for a sinus infection, I am now fighting a C. Diff. infection, thus am back on them. Not to mention the yeast infection I get every time I take them. Yep, gotta love them!