kathystrick

My input on the "tools of the (whore) trade"...

I really prefer the realistic feeling ones. I find glass ones are too hard, as are most rubber ones. They get painful to me when I orgasm. Cyberskin is awesome, although it does require special care, it is well worth it to me.

Dh and I make a fun little habit of finding sex shops just about anytime we go out of town, be it on business or pleasure. There is nothing like shopping and getting to see the merchandise in person. Then we go back to our room and try out our new toys! It can be quite an adventure. There are sex shops in any major city, you just have to know where to look.

I am filled to 3.5 cc's at the moment and take a regular Multi-Vitamin, a B complex supplement, and an Effexor tablet every morning with no problems. And yes, my doctor does know and has no problem with it as long as I don't.

I'm 5'10" (used to be just over 5'11") and was very happy with my curves at 225/size 18, but would like to be under 200.

You know, that makes a lot of sense!:ohmy:I'll be 46 next month. I am peri-menopausal, and rather than have a hysterectomy, I underwent an endometrial ablation. Wow!:sneaky: Such WELCOMED relief! Haven't bought "the goods" for about 16 months now. {Sorry! I went off chasing rabbits there.} I wasn't aware of the estrogen/fat cell connection, but it does make sense. I've lost roughly 70 pounds since I started the LapBand process. Yeah, it makes A LOT of sense. Currently, I am taking Cymbalta 30mg/day, and I really don't seem to feel any different than I did before I went on it. I think I'll check up on Efffexor. Checking up on it couldn't hurt, right? Thanks again!

Glad I could help! If your current medication isn't working, you should definitely discuss it with your doctor. Finding the appropriate medication and dosage level is a trial and error process you should work through together. The only reason it was easy for me this time is because I had to go on something after my hysterectomy 2 years ago and it took 3 tries to settle on something then! Now my surgeon tells me because it has been 2 years since the hysterectomy, I could very well be going into early menopause even though they left an ovary. :thumbup: Just what a 38 y/o wants to hear!!:thumbup: Good luck!! If you have any questions or want to chat, feel free to PM me.

I just went to thegrocerygame.com and they are offering a 4 week trial for $1! During that time, you can get the weekly list for all of the stores on your list and the $1 covers it. For that cheap, I think I ma going to try it! I have been a coupon clipper for quite some time and I do try to match them up with the ads before I shop to get the best deals, but don't always have the time. With the price of groceries what it is today, I am willing to try anything to catch a break!

I have also experienced depression post-op. According to the PA at my surgeon's office, estrogen is stored in fat cells, so as you lose (especially rapidly like we tend to at first), your body gets flooded with estrogen, which can make you more emotional. If you are experiencing any menopause symptoms prior to surgery, it can be even worse for you. Currently, I am taking 75mg of Effexor a day and according to DH, I am "a different person". If it takes that in order to make me tolerable to live with while I'm on my way down, so be it.

Good luck and I hope you get to feeling better soon!!

I was browsing around online today and ran across this website: www.lightenupexpo.com. "Lighten Up Expo is a special conference for people with weight issues, Bariatric patients, people who are interested in Bariatrics, and how Weight Loss Surgery can enhance the quality of their lives." It is being held January 10, 2009, at the Georgia International Convention Center. After the 9:00 - 4:00 expo part, there is a black tie (optional) evening gown gala being held from 8:30 - 11:30 that night. Just thought I would share the info because I know some of us were going to have a hard time making it all the way to Dallas for the other convention.

I had a similar NSV last week, KiKi. I have a pile of pants in the back of my closet that are various sizes from 22-26 that I have pushed to the back as my weight went up. I noticed in the grocery store one day last week that I was "sagging" (as the kids say) and the only thing keeping my size 26 pants from hitting the floor was my hips. So when I got home, I started pulling out the 24s and they fit comfortably!! All the 26s are now in the Good Will bag!

Great news! Congratulations!!

Hi all! I am www.myspace.com/kathy70. Look forward to getting to know you!

So glad everything went well for you, Randall!! Your outlook is inspiring. Good luck for continued success. Keep us updated!

One of my surgeons suggestions for lapband living is NOT to drink wine, but drink beer instead because the carbination will fill you up quicker and you'll drink less and ingest fewer calories.

Had anybody else heard this?

Wendy

My doctor said the exact opposite about ANY carbonated drinks. They are a definite no-no because of the gas created by the carbonation.

I have had wine and a margarita since surgery and had no problems other than a noticeably lower tolerance than pre-op. I will proceed with caution after my fill though.

I haven't had my first fill yet, but my doctor put 1.5 cc in during surgery and with certain foods, I can definitely tell.

Any bread, french fries, and rice cause major pain. I try to avoid meats that tend to be dry when cooked like white chicken and pork, although I will try the chicken in small bites sometimes if it isn't obviously dry when I cut it. I absent mindedly plucked a piece of broccoli out of a plate of Chinese food and popped it into my mouth the other night and that was a mistake for sure. The top part went down fine, but the stalk had to come back up! My list is still growing and will continue to once I'm filled I'm sure.

Aw, so sorry about your daughter BBK. I hope she changes her mind about camp. No matter how awful she thinks her scrapes are, she will forget all about them once the giggling starts!

So glad things are finally getting better for you! I am envious of your exercise because I still have until 8/5 before I will be released for any. I'm going CRAZY!!

Congratulations and YAY for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:scared2:

Hello, it’s finished...and I am home from the hospital. (07/16/08) Things went very well. I did have to get one larger incision, that is not typical, but it's not too bad. (You can look at my post surgery photo I posted if you care to look at my incisions. I am very sore from the air used to extend your stomach during surgery. The only way that I can explain the pain is that it feels like I have done a couple hundred sit ups. I will post again next week after my post-op visit. Good luck to everyone. If you are waiting for the surgery..It’s worth the wait...I will continue to keep you all in my prayers, please do the same for me. God bless all my "bandster" buddies..

Randall

Congratulations Randall! Glad everything went well for you.

I answered this question on the other thread, but will post here too. Dr. Tribble does not require an all liquid pre-op diet. He only requires a 2 week Atkins diet.

:biggrin2: I too, am using Dr. Tribble. My pre-op appointment is July 23rd. Do you know what to expect next? Pre-op diet?

So, have you done all of your pre-op testing at the hospital, nutrition class, etc. already? If so, once you see him on the 23rd, you should be getting submitted to insurance and waiting approval and a surgery date! His pre-op diet is not bad at all - 2 weeks of Atkins, but that doesn't start until the 2 weeks prior to surgery. Good luck!! If you have anymore questions or want to chat, drop me a note!

Kathy,

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I too am seeing Dr. Tribble. I was just wondering, what was the time frame for you from seminar to surgery? I went to the seminar on May 19th and they couldn't fit me into the schedule again until June 23rd. Also, regarding the $500 program fee, does insurance cover that or did you pay out of pocket? Thanks a bunch!!

Sorry I haven't answered sooner. I haven't been around as much as I should be!

I wen to my seminar in February and didn't have surgery until June, but that was my choice because I work for the school system and didn't want to have surgery until school was out. It really depends on your insurance pre-op requirements how long it will take you to get to surgery. They try to schedule all of your hospital testing for the same day, so that simplifies that part of it. If your insurance requires a 6 month supervised diet or extra nurition classes, naturally that slows you down a bit. The insurance does not cover the program fee, so that kinda sucks, but it was worth the $500 to me to have Dr. Tribble as my surgeon. He is the BEST!

How are things going for you now?

Morning is all I've tried so far and it has been pain free! :tongue_smilie:

Congratulations!! You should be on liquids for a couple of weeks, so go slow with the food. Your body needs time to heal before you can handle anything solid. Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Hi Marsha!

You will definitely find all the information you need here on LBT. Good luck with your surgery and let us know if you have any questions!

Hi everyone! I am doing well too. I have been using Body Fortress powder from Walmart. It's pretty reasonable ($14 for 2 pounds) and has 26g Protein in one scoop. It comes in vanilla and chocolate, but the only one I have tried is vanilla. I add sugar free Chocolate Syrup, fruit, etc. to change the flavor when I get bored with vanilla. I just can't afford $35 - $40 for other brands!

Glad you are both doing well. Congratuations on the weight loss Randall. 12 pounds is a great start!!

I am the opposite of all you other long, naturally curly haired people. I had my hair short a few years ago after having it long for a while and found it much more toublesome short than long. With it long, I wash, put in anti-frizz stuff, let it air dry while I put on my make up and do the rest of my morning routine, then add a little finishing gel and go. With it short, I had to put in straightener, blow dry the curl out, spray and style. The whole routine added a good 30 minutes to my morning! So, I let it grow again after about 6 months of this.

When I decided to go short, I worked with my hairdresser and did it in stages as was suggested. I do think it would have freaked me out to go from mid back to ear length at one time. That's a lot of hair!!!

I waited about 2 weeks too, but no time frame was specifically given by my doctor. I have read on these threads where people have done it a lot sooner than that. There was even someone who did it the day after! I would definitely go by my doctor's orders though, if he addressed it. If not, play it by ear and see how you feel. There are ways to have sex without it putting too much stress on the abdominal area.