Wheetsin

I hate being the one left scratching my head after the punchline is shared, but the quote doesn't bother me. It's spot on. Good diet usually makes for a healthy body, and the mind (self control) takes care of the rest. Or is it not the quote itself so much as - someone sending a bandster a "motivational" quote that's related to dieting? Sorry I'm daft today.

It was enough for 100 other people.

Kat gave you some good information. Definitely call your insurance provider and ask them for specific qualifications around BMI, comorbidities, etc. IME, it was very easy to go through insurance, and definitely worth it. Even if it had been more of a struggle, my total surgery bill including psych visits was something like $80. So yeah, if you don't have exclusions, it's stupid to not try. I had a morbidly obese BMI, but did not have any comorbidities. Ok, so I have a torn ligament in my knee and could have claimed knee pain, but I didn't (I'm one of those honest types). Cholesterol was good, BP was good, no unfounded aches or pains, no mobility issues, etc. I *assumed* I would have to do a supervised diet or some other tests, but nope. Basically, I filled out my surgeon's paperwork, provided 5 years' worth of medical history (which amounted to 6 visits: 5 annual physicals and one visit not related to weight), and that was it. I expected to have this long drawn-out battle, but 3 weeks later my surgeon's office called me and told me I was approved, and the letter came from my provider the next day.

Well - what are you curious/wondering about? That's the best to ask your surgeon, since that will provide answers to *your* questions. If we tell you what to ask, it just provides answers to *our* questions. Trying to remember back to my consult... I asked about his complication rates, about which bands he used, about port placement, about which band he thought I would get, about his thoughts on band vs other procedures, about his personal preferences, and a few specific questions related to activities I like and their down time, etc.

Sounds like classic acid reflux. Some easy treatments include antiacids, sleeping propped up, not eating or drinking a few hours before bed, etc. But if you're banded, and this is new, do mention it to your surgeon, even just as a better safe than sorry kind of thing. Onset of acid reflux post-op is one of the signs of a slipped band (no, that doesn't mean you have a slipped band, it just means that many people who have slips also had sudden onset acid reflux as a symptom).

It took me between 40 & 50 lbs, if I remember correctly. And then, as Wasa said, it was like I was down a size every other week. Think of your body as a roll of paper towels. Or an onion, your choice. When you peel of the few layers, it doesn't look that much smaller. But when you only have 15 layers left, and peel off ten, it's a huge difference in size. It's a matter of percentage of excess external fat, versus overall body size. If you weigh 300 lbs and lose 10 lbs, you can't even tell. That's because you've lost such a small percentage of your excess weight. Now take someone who weighs 180 and take away 10 lbs, and they might very well be down a size.

I had to take steroids and a muscle relaxer for an attack of sciatica. I learned the art of taking pills without having to taste them. Fill a spoon about halfway with drinkable yogurt, sprinkle on some of the crushed meds, top with yogurt, insert spoon to back of throat, tip and pour. It works most of the time. Pre-op I would dry swallow pills if I didn't have water (unlike some of my friends who willc hew them up), so I had no idea how to take a crushed pill. The first time I tried to take Tylenol post-op I crushed it and stirred it into some applesauce. My, did I feel stupid that day. :mad:

Oneof my favorites & staples. If you want to try the raw bean, mix it in just enough olive oil to lightly coat, sprinkle on a little bit of garlic salt, and roast at around 350 for 10 minutes, stir, continue, stir, etc. until the beans are just starting to go golden.

It's probably 80% surgeon preference, which would include preference for your size & obesity, and 20% patient request. Give or take. On lower BMI patients my surgeon put them closer to the rib cage, but on higher BMI patients, unless they specifically requested otherwise, he put them just to the right of center about 2" down from the bra band. If you take someone who's 350 lbs, that's a much easier area to palpitate & access than a fleshier side or lower abdomen.

Uh... no. I cut a pill the size of a Tylenol into 4 pieces, and had one of my worst PBs on one of the pieces. 1/4 the size of a regular pill. Over a year post-op. "It worked for me" and "You'll be fine" -- totally different statements. It's weird - DH can't stand the taste of the Rapid Blast (that's the name of the adult strength liquid Tylenol), but I don't mind it. I don't crave it, but it doesn't bother me. The chew tabs - no way. And even the adult strength liquid Tylenol PM makes me cringe.

I had in the neighborhood of 200 lbs to lose, plus or minus 10 lbs. I weighed 382 for surgery and am currently around 230. I'd like to lose 50 more lbs, docs say between 30 and 70, depending on which I ask. :cool:

I don't follow the Atkins plan because of its extraordinarly high fat intake, I personally don't believe it's healthy. (Neither did my former gallbladder, which first went awry while I was following the induction phase for about 18 months). But I do count my carbs. Most days I stick to around 20 - 50. I don't limit myself, if I want something I have it, but I keep it in the back of my head. You can eliminate anything from your diet, and lose weight. Carbs, fats, sugars, Proteins... you name it. For me, it's about what's sustainable. I could easily lose weight on Atkins. I could never maintain it. That's why I focus mostly on a well-balanced diet, and if I stress over anything, it's calories.

If it were me, I would start with a personal loan. I *think* they generally have lower interest rates and fewer special fees that medical loans. I would do it first because it's a set payment and I could set it up on my bank's auto pay and forget about it. My second choice, before a medical loan, would be to put it on a credit card. And then I would xfer that credit balance to a different card that had set interest xfer specials (e.g. many will offer between 3 - 5 percent until the balance is paid in full when you xfer from a different account). I can't imagine a medical loan - or possibly even a personal loan, depending on loaning factors - having that low of an interest rate.

No restrictions before a fill for me, though I usualle opt not to eat so I can get a more accurate scale reading. The only advice they give is to finish the day with mushy foods when your fill is done.

Yah I freeze all the time too. Used to always be the hot one (uh, perhaps "overheated" one is more accurate). Now, when I'm lounging at home, no matter what I have on, I'm also wearing a super thick bathrobe, and if I'm sitting I have a throw on my legs. I hate lounging in pants - same reason I hate sleeping in something with sleeves -- I feel like if I move, it binds me up. The one exception is knot gauchos. Those are great to lounge in because they feel like you're not wearing anything. But they definitely aren't warm. :cool:

I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "X company" -- do you mean ANY loan company, or a specific loan company? If I take it to mean any loan company, then you don't know anyone who has had a loan with any company? Search for their names. I'm sure there's a ton of information on them. That's the best way to know about them.

The only place I have found the regular liquid Tylenol (Rapid Blast) is at Wal-Mart. It is kept in the same place as regular Tylenol. I have found the PM version at a local grocery store, but never at Wal-Mart. Tylenol also makes chewable tablets (Go Tabs). I've seen these many places. They work well, but taste awful. You don't need the liquid. If you have a headache, and want it gone, just crush regular Tylenol. It won't taste nice, but will beat the pants off having a headache.

Ayup, they are full of fat, and they too can fall victim to fat loss. I've gone up a cup size. My actual boob size hasn't changed, but there's a lot more of them visible now that my abdomen has reduced, enough so that I needed a larger cup. That DEFINITELY seems to be the exception rather than the rule. (This is the same phenomenon that makes men think their penii are getting larger because they lost weight... hah!)

I'm in MO, but I don't drive a truck. :cool: Waiting a few days after a fill is a wise suggestion, but the window for problems isn't limited by a few days, weeks, years... :eek: Problems can strike at any time. I would suggest you speak with your surgeon about the possibility of needing an emergency unfill (it won't guarateeably be needed, but everyone I know has needed one at some point), and make sure that you have his/her contact information to give to whatever ER or physician you're able to see on the road. Also, just because I assume you will do a large portion of your eating in the truck, or be in the truck shortly after eating, make sure you have some containers/lids handy. I've had two close calls in my car (felt fine at the restaurant, but problems struck on the way home), and one in a service limo to the airport. All three times I could pull over or have the driver pull over, but it may be more difficult in a semi on an interstate, especially one without much shoulder, or a long bridge, etc. I do travel frequently by plane, and have a few "rules" for travel days. Most of them probably won't apply to you (e.g. being extra tight while in the air), but I also just try to be generally smart about when I eat in relation to when I fly. If my flight is at noon, I'll just have liquids that day. If my flight is in the evening, I will eat, but generally not within 3 - 4 hours of my scheduled departure time. (Once upon a time I missed a flight because I was yakking in the bathroom for two hours, and not about to board knowing I wasn't done yakking). If there are times on the road where you're kinda screwed if something happens, just be aware of it and consider it when you plan out your day.

What did the psych who did your referral/evaluation reccommend? Behaviors take a while to change, even cognitive/behavioral behaviors. Say the next time you do something and want a cookie, you drive yourself to the jewelry store instead, or go buy something nice for the house. Chances that you will completely 100% truly overcome this aren't great. You may well find other outlets, or you may stay an emotional eater, at which point it's up to you and your band to moderate what you're eating. There's nothing terribly and horribly wrong with having a sundae after an extremely productive week (yeah, I could argue that, but let's face it...), but having one every time you do something moderately OK, and using your actions to justify the eating... not so ok. :cool:<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to gain excessive amounts of weight. I know a bandster due February 7th and she has gained 19 lbs, which is just a few pounds shy of her target for someone who is overweight. Most of that 19 lbs is accounted for by the baby, the extra blood, Fluid, etc. We are trying to get pregnant, but I'm nearly 2 years out. My surgeon would've killed me if I got pregnant 3 mos out, and pregnancy would have no longer been an issue. (We had to sign documents including one stating that we would use reasonable means of birth control for the first 12 months we were banded).

Just a suggestion, but what about knit dresses? They're fine for company, and terribly comfortable for lounging. I don't know the exact name of what I'm thinking of, but it's basically a knit dress with an empire waist and ties in the back. This is what I wore post-banding and post-cholocystectomy, and it was perfect. I few days post-op I could get into track suits (and wore them the rest of the time), but for the first few days I couldn't wear them because the waist band hit exactly where I had two rows of staples. BTW, the dresses won't go to waste once they're too big like the track suits. I still have mine, now many sizes too big, and they're perfect for Sunday morning house cleaning.

I had a big long response to this, and then the direct issues hit with the board and I had to delete it. THe list is a good thing because it's comprehensive. No one should take it as a "buy lots of this" rule. Most everyone has used something on the list. The things that were most beneficial for me post-op were: Had hubby move a recliner from his home theater room to the great room (where I was staying). I lived in that recliner for 2 days, would have been lost without it. Had hubby bring down a laptop tray, which not only housed my laptop but gave me a reachable place to keep the phone, remotes, food/drink, medication, etc. "Koosh" type pillow. I brought it to the hospital and used it to support my abdomen on the drive home, and in the car for the next 3 - 4 days. I also used it at home to help support when I had to cough or sneeze. Knit "house dresses" - not sure what you'd call them really. Empire waist with a tie in the back. Cheap, comfortable, and best of all didn't require any bending or real moving to get in and out of, I just had to lift my arms. It also hung loose, away from my incisions, which was very nice. Calamine lotion and Bendaryll cream. Incisions get *itchy* and these two things brought my only relief. Liquid Tylenol, once I no longer needed the Lortab elixir. That's about it, and most of it was for convenience. Gas-x will do nothing for surgical gas, BUT if you happen to be a gassy person, it may help with gastrointenstinal gas post-op. Post-op gas is usually CO2 pumped into your abdomen - long story short - until you look pregnant to separate what's inside of you so s/he can see and access without stuff laying all over other stuff. Not the same thing as digestive gas. Digestive gas is confined to your gastrointestinal tract. Surgery gas is "free floating" in your abdomen (hence why it can migrate into other areas of your body, while gastrointestinal gas stays within the tract). Taking a pill that stays inside of your gastrointestinal tract, and only works on the gas in it, isn't going to do much to disspate or relieve gas in, say, your shoulder or collar bone area.

Yeah it was a known issue for a while. I tried to post in the board ques area, but of course it send my post over to like "December 07" forum, and then dropped my message. :cool: I logged what was happening and sent it on to Alex & the other mods. Either he fixed it, or it fixed itself... knock on wood.

I get pain between my shoulderblades when something is stuck or when there is too much pressure in my esophagus (e.g. something is not stuck, but I've swallowed too much at once). It subsides as the food passes/esophagus clears. It grows in intensity if the stuck does not clear itself.