MacMadame

Let us know how it goes!

So soon? How exciting! I'm happy for you.

And this is why, when you mentioned having a slip, I was completely taken aback and started rethinking my decision to have a bad. I figured: if *Susan* can have a slip, then ANYONE can and that includes me.

Oh and I forgot to introduce everyone... Susan and Elizabeth are moderators here who just got their bands taken out and revised to a sleeve at the beginning of the month. OregonDaisy is a moderator who is getting revised to a sleeve next month. Wasa is a long-time LBT member who was revised months ago... it's coming up on a year for you, isn't it, Wasa? I never had a band. I went right to a sleeve and mostly because of Susan's experience with slippage. For some reason her story really brought me up short and made me realize that even rule followers have trouble with the band. Then I started looking for an alternative and found the sleeve.

Have you found your insurance company's bariatric policy yet? It should list what their criteria is for revisions. Some policies are kind of buttheads about it -- won't pay if your weight is below 35 BMI, for example. But most of them will pay if the revision is medically necessary. With your band problems, you should easily qualify on that score.

Have you appealed? Because you meet the NIH qualifications and I don't know of any insurance whose guidelines you don't meet. But I do know of people who met the qualifications who were denied anyway and won on appeal.

I agree! //

My surgeon's sleeve patients lose as much weight as his bypass patients but with less complications. Plus the surgery cost less. So, as a self-pay, getting the sleeve was a no-brainer for me. :smile2: If you want to know more about the sleeve, come by the VSG subforum and we'll talk your ear off. There are a ton of band-to-sleeve revisions there.

No one knows what causes erosion. It's something that "just happens" to a small percentage of people. If a doctor has a higher than average erosion rate, then maybe it's something about his technique, but if he doesn't, then it's just one of those things.

Oh, FFs. I was at McDonald's today and Mini-Mac and Mr. Mac ordered french fries. I was thinking I'd have ONE. But I couldn't find one that looked right. So I didn't have any. I think an alien has taken over my body?

For me, it's laziness combined with not really buying into societal mores on this one. (There really is nothing wrong with body hair when you look at it objectively. We are meant to have it and it often serves a useful purpose.) I really only shave because I feel like I have to conform not to be labeled as something that I don't want to be labeled as. IOW, shaving is the lesser of two evils for me. :thumbup: :crying: This is why I have rule that only Monday's weigh in counts. It makes life simpler.

I wish I could do this. I live 20 miles away from my work! I'm thinking about doing it once a week anyway, maybe on Friday so I could go home early and get home before dark. I'm definitely going to bike to work on Bike to Work Day though. Who else is going to do that?

I wish I could do this. I live 20 miles away from my work! I'm thinking about doing it once a week anyway, maybe on Friday so I could go home early and get home before dark. I'm definitely going to bike to work on Bike to Work Day though. Who else is going to do that?

Heh. I never know what to think when people post about exercising 2-4 hours at a time -- during the week! Should I admire them or think they are lunatics? Can't decide. Anyway, I decided to see how long I could run in 45 min. It was about 4 miles and I did it on 5.2 and my heart rate didn't go over 160 once! Which means that was a slow pace for me. I remember when I couldn't do 5.2 the whole way and now it's SLOW. Woot, woot! This means that I think I'll be okay at the Olympic triathlon next weekend.

Of course, as soon as I said that, my iPod didn't work for my run this afternoon. So no credit for the Nike+ challenge. Pout. Can I steal that? Congrats to everyone making their way through this program. I'm so proud of you all!

My goal is to be the oldest woman to do Kona. But, of course, I didn't start out with that goal. I was happy with going to the gym a few days a week. A friend of mine who had bypass and does triathlons posts his goals on his web site. Right now his goal is to do an Ironman and he plans to do that next year. But his first list of goals, which is also up there, including things like being able drive his truck without his belly rubbing the steering wheel and being able to bend over to tie his shoes. Oh and to be able to run for 1 mile. We all start somewhere, IMO. That's why it's important for people at all levels and at all different stages in their journey to post in the Exercise forum!

I always tell people that I didn't have WLS to lose weight. I had it to keep it off! If you have to have your band removed, of course you need something to replace it. Too bad your insurance won't cover a sleeve - I love mine!

Have you tried water aerobics?

re: the gym... we have a free one at work. That makes a difference. :thumbup:

The only thing that bugged me, for sure, was milk. I ate cheese and yogurt like crazy. I could also have milk in things -- baked and cooked. I did suspect that some of the 100% whey shakes were not helping but I could get them down. I eventually switched to a shake that was a whey/soy mix and that never gives me a tummy ache.

You can also get swings in your weight due to Water weight loss and gain related to exercise. There is a long technical explanation for it that I can go into if people are interested. Alcohol also slows your weight loss down because it inhibits fat loss. Bottom line: if you lose or gain a couple of pounds in *one day* water had something to do with it. :rolleyes2:

I didn't do anything today. So there. :rolleyes2: And I think running for 30 min. at a time is great! I've only been able to do that for a month or so. For a while there, I thought I'd never get there. It's a amazing accomplishment, IMO.

I think it's great that you guys want to post too. I remember when I was posting my "30 min. on stationary bike" 3x a week and feeling SO intimidated by people doing hours a day. But I think you guys should infiltrate the regular threads as well. It will help the pre-ops and newbies to see that you can exercise at all different levels. Otherwise, the triathlon and marathon people will seem like the norm!

You should walk right away. It lowers your chance of getting blood clots! I was cleared to go back to the gym at 2 weeks but had lifting restrictions for the first two months that precluded doing a lot of ab and core work.

Watch out everyone... I've decided to train for a half marathon so my miles will be going up in the challenges!