coolcrystal

Omnipak??? interesting! Something for me to look up and research.. Never heard of it before!!

At first when I discussed the lap band with people they would ALWAYS confuse it with the bypass and say "you'll die" or "don't they cut off your stomach??!"... I have my speech down to a T.. I say: "No, you're thinking of the bypass... this is the lap band.. it's an in and out procedure and most people are back to work in 4-5 days.. with the bypass it's like a 3 week recovery and they cut you all up and remove stuff and re-hook stuff up.. this is just a band they put around your stomach and if I don't like it or have issues they can just remove it.. I can even get pregnant with this... you're thinking of something else". So, then they are like, "ohhh, okay..". This site is a great source for research... I have learned so much on here; my lap band doctor said I was one of the most well educated people he's ever met to come in for a consultation about the lap band.. I even knew what

I'm a big belcher now, so it wouldn't be much different for me. I'm more worried about the gas pains. I know some get those. About once every few months I have serious gas attacks that are so painful that I cry and have to soak in a hot tub.. I don't know what it's from, but I worry that it might get worse with this surgery. Dang, don't hiccups suck???

My dietician said the hairloss is from the anestesia.. and you get it about 3-4 months out... then another person said it's from lack of protein.. then another said it was from losing too quickly... and another said it's from the stress of the procedure.... I don't know who's right or who's wrong... but apparently you get it about 4 months out and it grows back... :clap2:

Just found out that my lap band doctor isn't as aggressive with his fills as other doctors are. My friend has lost about 110 pounds with this same doctor this past year, but she's had several fills.... but she says she's never puked/PB'ed or even slimed.. I thought it was because her band was a larger size (her liver didn't shrink enough for the surgery) but after reading somewhere that my doc goes slow with his fills I called and asked the lady at his office about it. She told me that he isn't as aggressive with the fills as some doctors are because he wants to take it slow so you don't vommit, PB, slip your band, etc. So, because of this, you don't lose as quickly as others, but he has fewer issues with his folks. In one way I'm glad that he's not as aggressive because I see how well my friend is doing and she never pb's, vomitts, or is so tight that she gets sick, and though she's lost a lot, she was a lot bigger than I am, so maybe that's why she's lost so much in a year. I'm curious how aggressive your doctors are and if you think its a good thing or a bad thing.

Woohoooo!!! :clap2: I loved being that size!! I still have a whole box of my 16's and 18's and can't wait to one day fit back into them!! I think 14/16 was my favorite size to be.. still had some meat on me, but felt really healthy. GO GIRL GO GIRL!! :eek:

I'm sort of dealing with something like this too.. I'm scared they won't submit everything they need to and will cause some issue with me not getting approved. Especially since they acted very non-challant about one important thing that needed to be sent to aetna... Well, now that they get all the information they need, lets hope you get approved!

Wombat - that's so cool!!! Another DFW'er!! WOOHOOOO! Which highschool did you go to? I went to Richland.. I'm so tempted to post my skinny picture on here! LOL. And, I was the same way.. when I was thinner I thought I was fat because I had some loose skin on my arms and thought it was fat. LOL. I was 120! I would be happy to be 200 now...

Wow, this is scary!! I'll be submitting to Aetna tomorrow and I'm like 290 and fear the same thing. Is there anyway you can appeal it or something?? I don't have diabetes or anything like that and though I have sleep apnea, my test was inconclusive because I never went to sleep.... so what if they say it's not a medical neccessity for me either?? BUT, their requirements say 40 BMI OR 35 and above with co-morbitities.. so, I still don't get why you were denied!! Unless you are like 6'3", but I doubt you are that tall. That's BS.

Everybody is so cute!! :clap2: We are already hotties and when we get banded we will be healthier and even more hottiesque!!

Juli - thanks for letting me know about the other DFW'ers out there. I would love to do the cycling, but I would probably need to lose a tinge of weight first.. those dang seats go right up my rear and are quite painful! Losingjusme - I sent you a private tell.... Hope ya got it! That's cool that you live in the DFW area!! we should all get together sometime! Mom - yay! another DFW'er!! We should have girl day out sometime and hit the movies or something! it would be a lot of fun. :clap2:

My friend Jayme, who is lapbanded, has lost over 100 pounds and she eats baked potatoes all the time. When me and my husband go to her house she has the best recipe.. She shreds grilled chicken into Cream of mushroom soup, and spreads it over a baked potatoe and mooshes it all together. She gets her protein in just as well and the chicken isn't dry.. it's one of the yummiest things I've ever had. Of course, since I'm not banded yet, I could eat an entire plate and she just had a tiny portion on a small plate, but she still eats them at least twice a week and has lost lots of weight! :eyebrows:

I'm Crystal and I'm from the D/FW, TX area! I'm 34 years old and I'm pursuing this lap band so I'll quit knocking shit off people's desks with my big arse. Also, so I can fit in a movie seat comfortably, but most importantly I don't have any kiddo's and want to have one. Me and my husband got pregnant in 11/05, but I had a miscarriage and lost the baby. I'm guessing it was because of my weight, though I've had friends that were 300 + deliver healthy babies, but I guess my body wasn't ready (I was like 260 then). Anyway... I'll find out in the next month if I get approved. All my stuff is done and now it's just the waiting game!!

I'm glad you described that in detail! I've had a few surgeries, and that's pretty much how it goes, but I don't think I've ever had the tube down my throat.. at least, not that I know of. Anyway, I'm glad everything went well!! :clap2:

Congrats girl!! You are a true inspiration!!!! :clap2:

When I went to my seminar it was a decent sized room with extra wide chairs, which were super comfy (I could actually put my purse next to me in it), and a presentation. I went with my friend who is also morbidly obese and I remember there was this really thin chick who started talking and me and my friend were like, "that chick better have had the lap band!" and sure enough she showed her before picture, and not like she was super big, but I think she was like 225 or so and now she's like 130 and 5'7"... anyway... there was nothing in that presentation I didn't already know from this group and another group I'm on. He compared the bypass and the band and then left it open to discussion then set up any appointments we wanted to set up. It was quick and easy. I wonder if all seminars have some chick who lost all their weight speaking.

Well, my waist is 13 inches smaller than my butt, so my waist is probably the smallest part of my body. Which, in my renn faire garb, its more figure flattering when I wear my bodices. Though, this last 20 pounds has actually made my belly pretty flabby! I was perfectly fine at 250, but once I got over like 270 it was just too much...

Here are a few photo's of me and my hubby.. lets see, first one I was about 250.... wedding pic I was about 275 and the one of us on the bench showing my rather large rear-end I'm about 285... I'm about 290 now. Since I'm fat everywhere I hide my weight pretty well I think :-) and when I mean fat everywhere, I mean.. I have the biggest calves in Texas. No shit. Matter of fact, I might have to do a calf challenge if anybody thinks thiers is bigger. Luckily, calves can be hidden... LOL

No, but I'm starting to regret having written a public blog to about 120 of all of my friends and telling my entire family that I'm pursuing it. I've only had about 2 people confuse it with the bypass and lecture me, and then I got back in their face and told them what I'm really having done and then they shut up, but now I'm starting to worry that if I'm not successful with the band and only lose like 30 pounds because I dont' follow the rules, how stupid I will feel later on. So, I did write a blog letting people know I'm pursuing it, but I've decided NOT to let people know when I've actually had it done. If I feel that I'm doing well on it, and after I've lost maybe about 40 pounds then I'll let my friends and family know. I just don't want all the dumb questions and people constantly asking me if I've lost weight yet, etc. I plan to try really hard and follow the rules, but shit, I am a compulsive eater and I have heard of people messing up their band cuz of not following the rules. :faint: As for your situation, do you see the people they tell on a regular basis? if so I can see the frustration of the betrayal, but if they are people you never see, or rarely see, I wouldn't bet too upset. Usually when you tell somebody something they will tell their spouse/better half.. its just something to expect no matter how much you tell them not to.

I'm glad you two are having good results with him. My dear friend Sally and her friend both got banded by Dr. Hamn in 2005 and they said it was done wrong and both had major issues and had to get the bypass. Maybe he's gotten more experience over the last few years, so it's good to hear you both had good experiences.

You're so right... I'm married too and it's not like I'm going to be ever wearing a bikini or showing my belly, except maybe on here for photo's to show my scars. My doctor says he uses a butterfly tape.. whatever that means... lol.

I have been trying different protein drinks to see if I like them and I loved this Isopure - Apple Melon! It tasted like an apple jolly rancher almost. Very refreshing!!! I'm going to try the Grape next. The guy at the GNC told me that they usually sell them in 12 bottle bulk too.

I'm in the same boat as you. I never thought that 6 months would ever end (of dr. visits) but it did. And, before we know it, we'll hopefully get approved and banded. Good Luck!! :bounce:

Faith, did you find out which turns out the "prettiest" after its all healed up. I know some people heal differently, but I'm thinking the way they are closed up also affects what the scars look like later. AKA: staples leave little dots on each side of the line, etc.

My doctor USE to require his patients to do the liquids before the surgery, but they found that most people couldn't stick to that.. he said, "hell, I couldn't even be on liquids for 2 days much less two weeks!", so he has everybody do Phase one of the South Beach diet. He says he gets the same results with that diet as he does by having people do a liquid diet and it shrinks the liver and you lose weight just the same. Of course, some will probably come on here and snap at me for posting this, and I'm sure you need to follow what your doctor tells you, but this is just what my doctor told me. In my opinion, I don't see why it's necessary to make people not eat food for 2-3 weeks when they can go on a south beach diet and get the same results. Granted, the South Beach diet is limited, but at least you can have grilled chicken... salad.. veggies.. and stuff like that. Obviously, no bad carbs like breads and such.