sleepyjean

It's just a jpeg that I made and my friend hosts it for me. It's nothing fancy. If you have photoshop or paintshop (or something similar) you could make one too. On the other hand, lots of people here use ticker factory and that sounds like it's pretty easy to use :eek:

Two of my favorites: 1) The only way out is through 2) From an old Indigo Girls song: Now I know a refuge never grows From a chin in a hand in a thoughtful pose Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose.

I guess it would depend on the program and your insurance. I have blue cross and they only look at the facts as they were at the time when I applied for approval. From what I understand many programs do ask people to lose some weight before the surgery. Mine didn't, but they did tell me that once a person is approved, they don't kick them out for managing to lose a few pounds before surgery.

I had my period about a week before surgery and didn't get it again for almost two months. Then again, I have never been regular, so you can't go by me.

I hate being sweaty. All I have to do is think about going outside and I start to perspire. It's not my underams, my hands, or my feet, just my face. It makes me feel dirty and gross and horribly embarrassed. I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem and if there are ways to deal with it. Mostly, I'm wondering if this is just because of my weight and will go away once I've lost it. anyone?

I've never heard of that.

Are those prices quoted for the entire 7 night cruise? Those are great rates! I didn't know you had to book so far in advance though. I love the idea of it, but I'm kind of scared to do it because I'd be traveling alone. I get so nervous with meeting new people and I'm always thinking they take one look at me and categorize me as the fat chick. But maybe this is what my shrink would call "facing my fears." Is the cruise already booked up? If not, would anyone be interested in sharing the outside double? If it is booked up, I'd be happy to help plan the next trip. I don't actually know any travel agents, but maybe we could use the same person. I went on a Carnival Cruise about five years ago and it was fun. I think I'd like to try it again, and this time really enjoy it. Last time, I was traveling with these three skinny pretty girls and one of the girl's boyfriend and was so embarrased to be around them. It was a clear case of "which one of these is not like the others?" I was too self-concious the whole time and couldn't relax and just have fun.

I didn't have a pre-op diet either.

I've been in kind of a dream world where I eat pretty much whatever I want. I wasn't measuring or anything because it's not like I could get that much down the hatch. I avoided the obvious dangers - fast food, Cookies, cake, etc. but beyond that I didn't have any rules. I am convinced that my weight loss will slow down any minute now and when that happens I'll probably wig out and figure that I need to start counting calories. What's everyone else's approach?

Last month, I had a week where my brain was locked on emptycarbsemptycarbsemptycarbs. Protein fell off the menu and I found myself pushing it and eating more than I could comfortably get down. I discovered the following week that all of that was likely hormonal, because the once Aunt Flo arrived, I was back to normal and following the rules with no problems. This week, I found myself thinking "screw the protein, I want some Pasta or some graham crackers instead." (Graham crackers + lite cool whip = bad idea.)It's making me a little mental because I've never been terribly regular when it comes to girly stuff. How do I know if this is a hormone thing that will pass in a few days, or if this is the beginning of a major backslide? I'm not bingeing, since that's no longer possible, but I can pack away an entire plateful of pasta and I'm making poor choices and so that really throws a wrench in my weight loss. I'm also freaking out a bit because I've been banded for over two months now and have been losing at a good pace and I know that sooner or later that will end. Probably sooner. I'm sure there's a huge plateau on the horizon and I'm dreading it, so every time I screw up with my eating, I find myself back in that same place I was before I got banded - hating myself for my lack of control. Does anyone else have to deal with it? And do you have any ideas or coping strategies?

I had to get a referral from my doctor and since I hadn't had a physical in over ten years, I'd never met her before. I put together a book with photos showing my weight change over the years, all of the different diets I've tried, all of the many many many diet books and workout videos I own, all of the pills I've tried, all of the diet food in my pantry and freezer, and the mountain of weight watchers materials I have from the four different times I joined - including the time I made lifetime. I also had an essay about how my weight has affected my life, what I expected to get out of the surgery, what research I'd done, etc. (The essay was required by a different program that I wound up not going with.) Basically, it showed that I've been there, done that, and that I'd really put a lot of thought into this. Maybe it was overkill, but in the face of all the evidence, I knew there was no way she was going to try to put me on a diet. She was very impressed by everything, but I think she would've referred me without it.

I had one shot of heparin before the surgery and that was it.

Yay! Awesome :-)

I saw it in someone's signature, but I don't know anything about it. It sounds like so much fun! But...I'm not used to fun. And new people. And stuff.

2 months out and no problems here

Wow, I'm surprised that it's almost even. I would've thought lots more people would've had it done stateside.

When you first get banded, your stomach may swell and cause you to have restriction. If you are taking small bites and chewing well, then swelling is a likely cause of your problem. As far as I know, the only fix for it is time. It's a good thing you're seeing your doc on Monday. Definitely discuss it with him because it sounds to me like it's too soon for you to get a fill.

I don't know about anyone else here, but for the past ten years, my weight has either been on the way up or on the way down. Buying nice clothes that fit well is luxury I can't afford. When "the size you are now" is unlikely to be the size you are next month, or two months from now, you just buy clothes with a lot of stretch and hope for the best. I truly hate the way I dress right now, but I've given up. Shopping for new stuff all the time is too depressing and too expensive.

In your shoes, I would be very angry as well. Unfortunately the cat's out of the bag and there's nothing to be done about it. Instead of letting it fester, talk to your mom. Don't expect her to apologize or anything because obviously she doesn't feel she's done anything wrong. But if I were you, I'd sit her down and let her know that her actions have hurt and disappointed you. Don't be accusatory,just let her know that you no longer feel comfortable sharing your most personal and sensitive information with her. You love her, but you won't be able confide in her the way you used to. And leave it at that. Don't argue, don't get upset, just let her know how her actions have affected you.

I didn't drive home after the surgery, but I did go out later to get my pain meds and didn't have a problem. Yes, I was in pain, but it was no different than driving with a stomachache or a headache.

I agree, research the new carrier. If there is a likelihood that they would approve your surgery, I'd consider waiting until the switchover happens so as not to worry about everything being covered.

In my opinion, parenting is just like everything in life: some people are into it and some people aren’t. I’m 31, child-free and plan to stay that way. I’ve known since the age of seven that children are not part of my life plan. For those of us who don’t want children, it can seem like children ruin relationships and lives, and it likely would – for us. But I think for people who DO have the desire or urge to be fruitful and multiply, children bring a special dimension to their lives that people like me will never relate to or understand. I’m an independent career girl. I do what I want, when I want. My sister is a stay at home mother of three. I would never want to live her life and she would never want to live mine.

That's awesome! Good for you :-)

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but if you're sensitive about it, why put it out there for the world to see? You could just as easily keep your thoughts and photos in a journal and no one else would ever have to know how much you weigh.

Same here. I was approved two days after the paperwork was submitted.