Anwyn

Wow - that must have felt great! Holy cow - I just saw your band date. No wonder she was so impressed! I think you can take Amoxocillin (the pink liquid stuff) for a urinary tract infection, unless it's been proven ineffectual for you in the past. You might want to run it by her if you're having trouble with your antibiotics. I've also heard apple sauce works well for crushed pills.

Thanks for posting Sallykotz! I knew there had to be another twin out there on this board. It's official - I'm the exact same weight as my sister now. We're kind of freaking our husbands out because we haven't looked this much alike in years. She's starting a new program this Thursday that I'm hoping will work well for her. We've set goals and we talk every day to try to keep each other going. Do you think your sister will consider getting banded once you're in a size 8?

That's not rambling at all - that's my inner dialogue talkin'! I feel guilty for having more money than my siblings, and I totally downplay when something good happens to me if I think it might make someone feel bad. I even downplay my weight loss so that my heavier friends don't feel bad! And if I say anything that people might perceive as bragging I obsess about it for weeks. Yup... we definitely need some counseling, or at least a good swift kick in the behind!

First of all Jessiebear, I am so excited for you because I KNOW you're going to break that 300 lb barrier soon. What an exciting milestone! I hope you plan on treating yourself to something great... I've thought long and hard about the whole "why do I sabotage myself" issue too, and I've come to the conclusion that on some level I DON'T THINK I DESERVE TO BE SKINNY. Wow - I've never written that down before. I have a great life in virtually every area except for my weight. For some reason, I've never felt like I should be able to have it all. I'm trying very hard to change my thinking, but it's definitely a struggle. I've never had one on one weight loss counseling. It's something I know I should do, and I've even gone so far as to find a place in the phonebook. Time to get off my butt and make the call!

I was told in my post-op instructions to wait 6 weeks before any baths, hot tubs, etc. after every surgery I've ever had (including the lapband). Better safe than sorry - you don't want to risk an infection. Sorry - I know that's not what you want to hear!

You may want to try LandsEnd.com. I was just at their site today, and they offer custom made clothing. They have jeans that start at $54. Relatively pricey compared to Walmart, but those Levi's make them look like a steal! I also ordered a pair of "trouser jeans" today. They're supposed to have some stretch, and they sit a little lower on the waist. Most jeans come up to a few inches below my bra, so I have high hopes that these will work better. If I really like them I'll post back and let you guys know.

Great thread Rene - thanks for the link. I used to work as a research assistant and I had to approach women (some of whom had just undergone a mastectomy hours before) to ask them to participate in a study. They were always so overwhelmed... Insurance companies should NOT be sending them home after a day.

The placement of the port can vary from doctor to doctor, but it's usually located a few inches to the left or right of your belly button. It's underneath your largest incision. In my case, it's on the bottom left side of my belly. Try laying down to feel. Mine is also under a considerable amount of blubber, so I can't feel much - just a slight hardness.

My scars are all horizontal too. Ive noticed them shrinking in width as the weight comes off, but they're still dark pink 3 months out.

Starting Weight: 255.5 9/19 weigh in: 252 9/26 weigh in: 250 10/3 weigh in: 250 10/10 weigh in: 246.5 10/17 weigh in: 243 Down 3.5 this week. Woo hoo!

Welcome home and congratulations! When I got home I had a new band and 11 pounds of water weight from the fluids they pumped in. It went away pretty quickly. Feel better soon!

Hang in there Carolyn! If they verbally approved the band it's possible that they just sent off the wrong form letter. That's what happened to me, and I was able to get a new letter pretty quickly. Good luck! If jumping through insurance hoops burned calories we wouldn't need surgery...

1. Bread - Yes 2. Pasta - Yes 3. Pop - No 4. Tortillas - Yes, if I eat them very, very slowly 5. Salad - Yes 6. Steak - Yes, in very tiny bites 7. Roast - Haven't tried yet 8. Cereal - Haven't tried yet 9. Hamburger - Half of the burger with the bottom bun only 10. Pizza - Yes, one piece without the crust 11. Apples - Haven't tried yet 12. Chips - No, I'm incapable of eating them slowly enough and they hurt my stomach 13. Cheese - Yes, I have cheese almost every day 14. Shrimp - I don't like shrimp 15. Pop corn - Surprisingly, I can eat a ton of popcorn with absolutely no restriction... a mystery 16. Pretzels - Haven't tried yet

Welcome Glitterqueen, and good luck with your surgery - it'll be here before you know it! Before you know it you'll be shopping for new bling-bling...

No regrets here either. It can certainly be a struggle at times as I try to find alternatives to emotional eating, but I wouldn't change a thing.

Hi Jodie, I'm sorry that you're not feeling well... For me, getting banded has been one of the most stressful and emotional experiences of my life. I've never been on an anti-depressant, but I would think that right after banding is NOT the time to stop taking them. Don't beat yourself up about this! You've taken a huge positive step, but you can't change everything overnight. Take care, and feel better soon!

Okay, here goes... - I want to be cremated - I want my organs donated - I want everyone to sit around reminiscing about how they couldn't believe how great I looked just before I died at the ripe old age of 99 while making love to my 24 year old boyfriend Carlos. Carlos of course will be inconsolable... If my family must have an open casket they can buy the biggest, fanciest silk lined casket they can find and put my band on the pillow... hehehehehehe

Just wanted to wish you both the best of luck on the 24th ladies!! That final countdown is so nerve-wracking and exciting, but it'll be here before you know it!

Hi Annie, The liquid diet leading up to the surgery is definitely one of the hardest part of getting banded. I wish I had some magic words of advice to tell you, but unfortunately you have to plug away one day at a time. I did find that Protein shakes helped to keep me full so that I didn't go too crazy. I used the low-carb slimfast... I didn't find the liquid diet as hard to take after surgery. I think it was because I had pretty good restriction even without a fill. And you'll never drop weight this fast again! Good luck with your surgery - it will be here before you know it!!

Candysmooch, you are too d**n funny... can't stop laughing... Dianechef, I left my car after a similar trip to McDonalds... oh, let's see, it was about 20 minutes ago now, and it feels soooo good to know that I'm not alone. Thanks for posting, and I'm really glad you're feeling better now! I'm sure I'll be glad I couldn't eat that whole Big Mac tomorrow, but right now I'm mourning the loss of that burger like it was a favorite pet...

Wow - you're doing great!! Keep up the activity and you'll be down to goal in no time.

That sounds awful! I'm so glad you're feeling better now and on the road to recovery.

I'm really restricted at lunch time. I know we're supposed to avoid Soup, but getting a cup of non-creamy soup with an appetizer will give you something to slurp on while everyone else is eating and help you feel more comfortable. Of course I'm talking about the vegetable soup, not the cream of potato... I'm still a recent bandee myself, and I feel funny sitting there for long periods of time while everyone else is chowing down. You could follow that with a salad with some Protein on it or a half sandwich. The nice thing about going out to lunch versus dinner is that there are usually a few lighter options on the menu so that you don't have a pile of food left over. Good luck with your new job!

Well, it is true that I have always had WAY over 40 lbs to lose, so I've never had to experience the frustration of trying to lose those last few pounds (but I hope to someday!). I just think it's more balanced than 85/15... I'll come up to 60/40... On the other hand, pre-band I could easily pack 2000 calories into one huge meal, so your argument stands that I wouldn't lose weight if I did that several times a week (which I often did), even if I exercised... Thank God for my band... Of course, like so many other things, metabolism varies greatly from person to person. I have to get my daughter to a doctor's appointment so I'll stop rambling now. Have a good day!

Not to be argumentative with you rorysmom (but I haven't had my coffee yet)... I completely disagree that food is 85 % of the food/exercise balance that helps us lose weight. I think (for me at least) it's more like 50/50. Yes, when you burn calories exercising you only burn a couple hundred calories. But, studies have shown that your metabolism is boosted for up to 24 hours after exercising so your total calories burned due to the exercise are much higher than that. Also, when you exercise you build muscle, and the more muscle you have the higher your resting metabolic rate. So, exercising gives you both a short-term and a long-term boost. Dang, I gotta get my butt on the treadmill today... Sorry Chichi - I'm not trying to hijack your thread. Must find coffee...