coolcrystal

My doctor doesn't make us do the liquid diet before surgery. He says he's had the same results with the first stage of the South Beach Diet. So, he requires his patients to do that 7-10 days prior to surgery. He did say that if you come back for surgery and haven't lost any weight then he won't give you the lap band. Because he said EVERYBODY loses at least SOME weight doing that properly for 7-10 days and if you come back the same weight then that means you didn't do it properly and he won't perform it. So, he didn't give a strict amount, but I'm guessing most people lose about 10 pounds on that diet.

OH man, after reading that, I'm starting to regret having told all my friends, family and boss. LOL. I've probably made it more public than any normal person would, of course.. I always say "if I get approved" so, they will never know WHEN I get it or if I even get it. Perhaps I won't tell anybody if I get it that way they won't have expectations of me!! My biggest fear about this thing is not losing any weight and hearing my mother in law's words replay over and over in my head - "I had a friend who had that and only lost 30 pounds.. she never lost anything else after that". Trying to discourage me!!

I can sympathize with you. In just a year I've gone from 250 to almost 300. I'm like 290'ish. I could get around pretty okay at 250, but this being almost 300, I hurt so bad. My fingers are so swelled up that my wedding ring is like digging into my finger and causing rashes... Just walking up the three flights of stairs I have to go up everyday kills me. The tendons in my knees snap and creek... then, what do I go and do??? This morning I stopped by Chic-fil-A and got a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit!! With a small sweet tea!! As I ate it I was telling myself "WHYYYY???".. but, I ate it with pleasure anyway. I think I'm eating even more because maybe I'm pre-mourning food that I won't be able to have later if I get the lap band. I say "if" because until I get approved, you never know what could happen.

Oh yeah, Moonlight is totally awesome!!! Isn't he the hottest vampire you've ever seen??? I totally agree with you, if that show gets cancelled all because of their selfish asses I'd be ticked off too!

There are a few ladies on obesityhelp.com forum for the sleeve that went from a band to a sleeve. Perhaps check out that site..

Does everybody have to use those supossitories?? OUCH. LOL

Oh man, did somebody have to say poptarts???? I haven't eaten since that tuna sandwhich at lunch and my stomach is grumbling... pop tartss...... toasted with a tinge of butter on top... oh man... I never crave sweet stuff, but for some reason, those just sound so dang good to me. LOL

I'm fiscally Republican and socially Democrat. It's odd that many would want Hilary... considering she is pushing this whole government health crap.... to be like Canada. From what I hear, they don't give two cents about obese people and trying to get a lap band from them would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Surgeries are pushed back for months and many people die due to that sort of healthcare! I wish I could vote LIBERTARIAN! More people are libertarian and they don't even realize it!! Folks, why get the government even more involved in our damned lives??? They never even fire anybody.. which means no matter what they do, they never get fired... I know two people who work for the government and one is a complete drunkard (even drinks on her lunchbreak) and the other has serious mental issues and is suicidal and we want these people telling us what to do?? (no offense to any government people who are perfectly fine..), but come on.....

I'm an overeater!! weird thing is, I don't really eat sweets - actually, a small piece of cake will usually make me feel sick and I have to take off all the frosting.. So, I'm definitely not a sweet tooth. And, I'm not a snacker either. Occassionally I'll eat some chips during a movie at home, but not often. But, what I do bad is eat huge meals for dinner. For Breakfast it's usually something small, but for lunch, I was eating like two fajitas and tons of chips and salsa, though lately I've been eating tuna on wheat with lettuce and a cup of fruit. But, the dinner is where it gets bad. Like last night I had a can of tomato soup and almost an entire sleeve of crackers dipped in there! Then, I had a salami sandwhich on wheat!! Then I had about 8 baked doritos! I should have stopped with the tomato soup and only eaten half those crackers... but, no.. something in my head said, "this won't fill you up, you need more", even though I was already full from the soup!!! So, I'm hoping this band will help me get this little issue under control. I also think I'm a bored eater! At work I'm never hungry because I'm busy, but when I get home and I have nothing to do, I eat because its so much fun! food tastes so dang good, doesn't it?? LOL :eek:

I'm curious how your obese friend who couldn't get the surgery felt knowing that you will get it and she can't? Was she supportive? Jealous? is she going to pay for one herself? The reason I ask is because I'm in a situation right now where me and two other friends are all obese and me and one of them are going for the lap band, but the third one can't. I'm not sure how the third one will feel when/if we get ours and start losing. It's always been us three chubbies everywhere, going out to eat, etc, and now she might feel left out or something....

Cool, thanks for all the advice! After watching my friend go through the TT, I didn't want to get one. She was hunched over for three weeks and had drains and crap in... and her belly looked fine before, but it was her choice about it, but now she regrets it because her scar line is really bad, she had issues with it and she's tried covering it up with tatoos and has tattoos all over her hips and lower belly and it looks really bad.. So, if I can avoid it, I will.

I have Aetna POS and will be sumbitting my stuff in January. I have my last 6 month dr. visit this week on the 13th, then I have to get a psych eval and have one visit with a dietician.. I'm like 49 BMI, so, hopefully I will get approved. i don't have diabetes or anything like that, but according to their requirements, you just have to have over 40 BMI or 35 with the co-morbidities. I did that stupid sleep apnea test, and didn't get a wink of sleep. So, they just put on there that I had nothing, but, when I lay on my back my fat chokes me, so I have to sleep on my side. But, she said it probably doesn't matter anyway since I'm over 40 BMI. I'm curious, I haven't lost any weight on my 6 months visits. I wonder if they will deny me for not losing any weight.

Ick.. I couldn't have a hot guy doctor, especially one that was looking at me down there or naked. LOL. No way... Good luck with your crush!

I haven't had any babies yet, so my belly is chubby of course, but its not sticking out or too flabby. I just wanted to see if its possible to avoid it. It seems many get a tummy tuck afterwards. But, I do want to have kids, so I dont I can get a TT if I want to have kids right away.. or maybe that's a myth.

Curious, has anybody here lost over 100 pounds and not needed plastic surgery aka, tummy tuck ? Has their bellies gone back down? Even though I'm 295, my body is shaped very oddly. Most people think I'm about 225 and they say I carry my weight well. It's so evenly distributed, but my waist is 13 inches tinier than my butt. So, I'm just curious if I did get the lap band, and lost over 100 pounds, if it is possible that I may not need a tummy tuck. Can anybody on here who's lost more than 100 pounds share what their bellies look like now if they haven't gotten a tummy tuck? I know it probably depends on the elasticity of ones skin, etc... but, I'm still curious. Thanks!

I have noticed that a lot of people seem to be embarrassed about getting banded in Mexico and don't want their friends and family to know that part until after they get it done and have lost weight. But, there is no shame in going to Mexico to get it done. I know there are a lot of great doctors out there. But, last year when I had thought about going to Mexico I mentioned it to two people and they flipped out! "no, you'll die" and, "they are dirty there". So, I can understand why you are hesitant to tell people you are going there.

I might be a February bandster too! I'll be submitting my paperwork early january (I finish my 6 months visits next week) and there should be no reason why I don't get approved, but, never count your chickens till they've hatched, right? I meet all the requirements, but insurance companies aren't always fair, right? lol.

My friend gets fills all the time, because she got the largest band at the time because she didn't follow the pre-diet properly and her liver was too hard, etc, so they had to give her a bigger band. So, now that she's lost 100 pounds she has to get more fills that others. I think she told me 9 fills in a year...

I don't eat when I'm depressed, and eat when I'm happy and being social eating out all the time with my friends. So, not eating is probably a pretty normal thing when something tragic happens. Sorry about your Uncle passing... :cry

Yeah, my two friends who had it done didn't have any major pain at all. They said they were a little sore at the port site, but other than that, felt great.

Yummmm, ribs are so yummy. i hope I can eat them if I get my lap band.

Fresh Fruit monster? LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Ya'll crack me up!!

Yikes this is scaring me.. I wonder if everybody goes through those headaches. Well, in the long run, a few headaches is nothing right? LOL. You are getting something put inside of you and making a HUGE life changing decision.

I think my dad has become more sentimental in his older age or something, because 10 years ago he never would have written that either. I think he was just so dang happy I'm giong through with it soon. Your profile says you are 230 something.. OOh, I looked so awesome at that weight! I met my hubby at 240 and I walked right up to him with the most confidence you've ever seen and we haven't had a day apart since. He said he didn't see my weight cuz I was confident. But at 295 its so dang painful now. Just walking up stairs I can feel the tendons in my knees straining and pulling and hurting... chairs hurt.. sleeping hurts... I know I complain about this a lot, but I still have one more dr. appointment left in December...

Ditto what Ang said.. lots of fish and tuna for me.. OOh, I love Sushi too.. if I can still eat sushi I'd be SOOOO happy.