MacMadame

The seminars vary but usually there is a presentation of some sort about the different surgery options, how the program works, etc. and a question and answer session. Some have power point and some have handouts and some are very informal. Sometimes the surgeon runs it and at some you never even see the surgeon, and everything in between. Sometimes there will be post-op people there to answer questions too. Then they'll tell you what the next step is.

Did I mention my car had FROST on it this morning?

This morning I had frost all over my car. Then got caught in killer traffic. Was 25 minutes late to my meeting. That started at 8 am. They are lucky I showed up at all.

The VBG procedure is not commonly done any more. It had poor results and lots of complications. Where are you that people are still doing it?

You have to take Vitamins with all the surgeries, forever, even the band. It's not as critical with the sleeve, but osteoporosis is a common complication with partial gastrectomies if you don't take extra Calcium. For the sleeve and the band, the problem is that we aren't eating a lot of food and so its easy to miss a micronutrient. For the RnY and DS, you have that issue *and* you have malabsorption. Gas is one of those things that's very variable. I have less gas since I stopped drinking diet soda. The surgery didn't change my gas, really. Some people get more though, sometimes because they aren't getting enough Fiber, or because of what they eat. Some people get lactose intolerant after WLS and so drinking milk or Protein shakes makes them gassy.

These are SO EASY to make and they are a nice treat. They are low in sugar, okay in carbs and ... unlike most muffins ... actually have Protein in them! Mix 1.5 cups of Reduced Sugar Cake Mix 1.5 cups of Protein powder 1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin -- not pumpkin pie filling, but plain pumpkin It will seem like it will never mix, but all of a sudden, the mix will turn into a sticky mess. When that happens, spoon into mini-muffin pans that have been pre-treated with PAM or some other cooking spray. Bake at 385 for at least 9 minutes or until done in the middle. You use different cake mix and protein powder to get different flavored muffins. So far I've made: chocolate Muffins - Devil's food Reduced Sugar Cake Mix and Chocolate Protein Powder banana Muffins - Yellow Reduced Sugar Cake Mix and Banana Protein Powder. The Banana muffins, in particular, were to DIE FOR.

I definitely want to be on Team Fatty! It goes with my blog name. :ohmy:

Insurance companies are bureaucracies that don't want to spend any money?? Well, that's my theory and I'm sticking too it. :ohmy:

Two things helped me: 1) I didn't think of it as being on a diet, but as preparing for surgery. I.E., I had medical necessary dietary restrictions. 2) I pretended I'd already had surgery and tried to eat like I had restriction.

I have heard of the band being put in too high. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. If your insurance has no WLS exclusion, they should cover a revision. Most insurances will cover revisions when there is a medical problem with the original surgery like you have. Of course they are all different and it depends on your policy too. But it's worth at least looking into.

I am very good at knowing what little things weigh. People not so much. I was very disappointed that Heba won any money. I think she was the power behind the throne and, in some ways, just as bad as Vicky. I was also surprised the Colleen didn't lose more. I was a tad disappointed, in fact. Colleen started lower than me but I started watching the show when we were around the same weight and so I had this little competition going with her every week when she'd weigh in. (Until she got eliminated and I stopped watching.)

M&M stands for Magenstrasse and Mill. It's a lot like the sleeve in that they staple up the stomach against a 32f boughie. But they start at the top and then don't go all the way down. Here's a picture: http://www.amiciobesi.it/RISORSE/IMG/magenstrasse.jpg I would think one advantage is that it's reversible but one disadvantage is that the pieces of the stomach could grow back together. Also, the part that makes ghrelin is still there.

M&M stands for Magenstrasse and Mill. I tried to find a picture of it but can't. I've seen them online though. It's a lot like the sleeve in that they staple up the stomach against a 32f boughie. But they start at the top and then don't go all the way down. Here's a picture: http://www.amiciobesi.it/RISORSE/IMG/magenstrasse.jpg I would think one advantage is that it's reversible but one disadvantage is that the pieces of the stomach could grow back together. Also, the part that makes ghrelin is still there.

No, you don't have to do that. Thank goodness! :shades_smile: They want you to get up every couple of hours while you are awake and walk around. Some people react to surgery by wanting to curl up in bed and not do anything and that's what they want you to avoid.

At least where I live, they never cover a tummy tuck. They cover a pannilectomy and if you want to pay the difference between that and a TT, some surgeons will work it out. (Since removing the pannus is part of a TT too.) That's probably what I'll do.

Oh she makes me mad too. But I was talking about Kirstie Alley. You can't open a WL Center if you are a yo-yo dieter! She has no credibility. She has more to answer for than just dissing WLS. I think the easy way out is liposuction. :biggrin: WLS is the hard way out. :smile2: Dieting is the temporary way out. At least for 99.9% of the people.

If you have insurance, you can see which ones they cover too.

I figured the best way to send a message that we don't like these kinds of casts is to not vote. If tons of people vote, even if they are voting against a contestant, it's saying that we're into the drama. And I'm not.

If you were really nice, you'd draw her a map. :thumbup: Aw, that's so sweet. Is today Tues? I'm confused.

Welcome to LapBandTalk! Those 6 months will be over before you know it. I think having pre-op testing throughout that time might keep my more motivated though I ended up doing all my pre-op testing at once.

Welcome to LapBandTalk!

Welcome to LapBandTalk. I did a lot of yogurt during my puree stage. I didn't actually puree anything; that just never appealed to me.

Welcome to LapBandTalk! It's good to hear from people who were banded a long time ago.

The only thing I've heard them denying people for when they did the 6 month supervised diet was for not documenting things properly and for not going exactly every month for 6 months.

I didn't know that about her but I did know she was planning to open her own WL center and when I heard that, I laughed and laughed. Does that make me mean? :blushing: