nanahanna

I meant to mention the straps being to far out when I started this thread. I am constantly pulling my straps up and I hate the padded straps only because they show at the neckline because whoever the dumb butt is that designs plus size clothes thinks we all have super humongous necks...so the neck holes are usually way too big. Thanks y'all for all the suggestions on comfy bras. NurseTeresa, I will check out the justmysize...doesn't Walmart sell them? I will also check out the Curvation bras at Walmart! Thanks for that tip! I would LOVE a bra that supports without underwires! And, someone else mentioned large cupped and large sized bras having too much material in them...AMEN! I can't stand that! If I were an E cup or even an DD or DDD or larger I would definitely have a reduction. My neighbor had one last year and she is sooooo happy.

Iknow Gina, I must have had a temporary mental breakdown when I threw my money away on two of 'em! Lets see...thats $144 plus tax. Makes me sick to think about it. I guess I could sell 'em on ebay to recoup a little money...only wore one of them twice and the other one once.

Yeah! Give us a link to the Queen Latifa bras! I hate it when my bra hikes up in the back. I actually measure for a 42D but I cannot stand a bra that is that snug around my ribs...guess it is the arthritis. They drive me absolutely nuts! I have tried the 18 hour, the Living Bra, Vassarette..you name it! They all are uncomfortable to me. I need underwires but cant stand the way they feel. I ordered the Bali bra from Avon in a 44D but the cups were way too big....so I sent it back and got a 44C...I am hoping it fits...it hasn't arrived yet....and while I am on the subject why in HEXX do they thing because we need a 44 that our boobs are two feet wide? At least mine arent...heh heh...they are two feet long! Girls who have "fried eggs" for boobs should be thankful. My DIL has small boobs and hates it. I tell her "don't knock it...you will be glad someday when you don't care if they are small if you can just be comfy". Don't get me wrong, I want to look nice but when your bra is pinching you, you won't look nice with a painful expression on your face.

Kim, you just made me spew my water all over the place! LOL. I may have to try that!

HarleyNana, did it cost $72? My DIL is selling Avon and I am trying a Bali that looks quite comfortable but I hate bras. I never used to be this way until I got fat. I just cannot find one that I can wear more than a couple hours. Its the first thing I take off when I come in the door and I NEVER wear one around the house!

My friend was having a hard time breaking up with her boyfriend,....he almost drank himself to death....she felt guilty and the doctor gave her Ambien. She went out to dinner, had a glass of wine, came home, put on her jammies and was going to bed when she remembered she left her purse in her car so she went out to get it and saw her ex-boyfriend drive by real slow looking really sad...She got in her car and followed him to his condo and she says she remembers nothing else. He told her they rode around until she nearly wrecked them several times...he took the wheel, took her home, put her to bed and walked back to his place. He is a local attorney, so he is no liar and is well respected. She says she will never take Ambien again! She could have killed herself and him, or someone else who got in her way! She is convinced that taking the Ambien after having one glass of wine did it. She was at a girlfriends house with several other ladies (in their 50s and 60s) when she drank the wine...so no one drugged her.

Way to go MVPO! My PCP mailed my letter of referral last week. I have my first consult with the surgeon on 5/10! This may happen sometime in the next couple of months! Yaaaaay!

MVPO....:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: . I have all my medical records except one I am waiting on and my referral letter from my PCP, and then I can make an appointment with the surgeon. I may be able to get this done this summer sometime! Hopefully before then, but according to how busy he is and how busy the nutritionist and psychologist are...I have to have my first appointment with the surgeon, appt with nutritionist and psychologist and then the doctor decides what other tests he wants....so I am hoping and praying to be done with this at the very latest by fall (except for all the followup and support group meetings.) :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I know about 10 people who have have RNY and none of them have had any kind of complication. At the seminar Tuesday night that I went to I don't remember one single person asking about mortality with the RNY. Most of us have done our homework for several months and now we are at the "choosing" stage. All of the questions (and there were about 20 people there) were about length of hospital stay, drain tubes or not, followup care, and me asking about how to choose. The doctor refuses to choose for you. He has no favorite. He also said that RNY was the gold standard but said they were both great tools. He has never had an erosion, slip or any complication from the band. He has never had a patient die after RNY. He did RNY for several years before doing lapband. His insurance coordinator has the band. One of his RNY patient's was in the audience. She was a hoot, about to turn 71 I think she said and is absolutely thrilled she had the surgery.

Alright! Way to go! I am pulling for you to get it done very, very soon!

Oh my God! Sounds like a bunch of incompetents! Well, I went to the seminar in Shreveport Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Merriman is really cute. I read a patient's testimonial on Obesity Help about him....said he looked like Richard Gere. He does...sort of...only he is cuter than Richard Gere! Great personality and he knows his stuff too. I was impressed. I am sticking with him come heck or high water. I hate to say it but I am leaning towards a RNY...just because it seems easier...you don't have to go back and forth for fills etc. But I am not sure yet. I will make up my mind by the time the Louisiana review committe meets on 5/2/06 fer sure! His insurance coordinator has had the band. She let me feel of her port. Didn't feel bad at all. She has lost 72 pounds in 15 months. She looked great. There was also a 71 y/o lady there who had had the RNY and she said it was a piece of cake. She has lost 90 pounds in 1 1/2 years. I am rootin' for you MVPO!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Rustyheart, I just sent you an email. I am from South Arkansas.

Hang in there MVPO! I go to Shreveport Tuesday for another seminar (required that I attend THIS surgeon's seminar). May 2nd or shortly thereafter should know if I am getting lapband or RNY...'cuz if LA denies lapband for medicare patients I am getting RNY and thats that.

Efrika! Eeeeeeeek! Were you sedated? About how long did it take? Well I am glad you told me the truth. When I was about to have my colonoscopy everyone said "you won't know a thing". NOT! I woke up a couple times and it hurt like hell! Won't EVER let anyone do that to me again! amourette, actually my case is looking great. I found a doctor who accepts assigment for medicare, operates in a Centers of Excellence Hospital 90 miles from my home and I should know whether the state of LA will approve lap band for medicare patients on or right after May 2! If they don't this same surgeon does RNY and I have decided if I can't get lapband then I getting RNY even if it is more invasive. I am going to die if I don't so I might as well take the chance of more invasive surgery. HANG IN BANDSTERS! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Aaaww amourette! I am so sorry! Don't give up. Give 'em heck. Appeal!

Efrica, I believe it is an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) that you will undergo. I will have to have one too. I know many many people who have had it done and said it is not bad at all. They anesthetize your throat and have you swallow a tiny little light that is attached to a tube and then they are able to push it down into your esophagus on into the duodenum which I think is right at the opening of your stomach to see if your esophagus and duodenum are healthy with no problems, strictures, ulcers etc. You are sedated so you barely are aware enough to "swallow" when they tell you to. Good luck....I know you can handle it!

Amourette, thanks! I may not get there with y'all in April but I have found another surgeon who accepts medicare patients in Louisiana and they will find out May 2 if their committee decides to approve medicare patients for lapband surgery. So....I may be in late May or June! I am going to another seminar next week and getting the ball rolling with the requirements his office has told me they need and I'll be ready when they get the word! Go bandsters!

You are welcome Darcy. Check ebay for sure....I remember seeing some on there that were brand new for under $20. Of course if you were a brittle diabetic I would suggest one of the very best ones, but my Walgreens brand freebie worked great for about 4 years! I still have it and use it from time to time but I have the newer one that gives results in 5 seconds.

Many blood sugar monitors are not expensive. When I was diagnosed as diabetic I got one free at Walgreens. I now have two or three of them. The last one my daughter got off ebay, band new with lancets (for sticking your finger and strips to put the blood on for about $30. I have seen them at Walmart for about $20. I think the last one I bought was about $37 at Walmart.

We have that law too. I always wear a seat belt because I want to be a good example for my kids and grandkids. My son doesn't wear one and it scares me to death. But....when we are making a trip of more than a half hour I slip my right arm over the part that goes over your left shoulder and leave the belt across my tummy. I am always on the lookout for police though and am ready to scoot my arm back under it! I wonder how our kids and we got grown not wearing them? I know ....there were probably millions who died because of not having seat belts. ...and I cannot understand why school buses are not required to have seat belts! My children never rode one because of that and my kids are smart enough not to let their ride one either. I guess if you had no choice that would be another question....but we have always been able to take ours to school. There are just too many school bus wrecks nowadays.

I hate seat belts that do that too! They always hit me on my neck! I bought one of those fancy things you do the same thing with and it never stayed on! I am going to try to twist tie thingy. Brilliant!

Yep, my feet hurt all the time too...except when I am sitting down or lying down. LOL. I have plantar fasciits of the left heel...my left leg is about 6 mm longer so I bear my weight on that foot most. Hurts like hades.

MVPO! I would love to visit with you and see your roses! I love cats and dogs too. My daughter has 3 dogs and 3 cats so I am used to them! I am still looking for a doctor who takes medicare patients and operates at a COE hospital! This is exasperating!

Hi MVPO! I called Christus Hospital and Doctors. Louisiana has not approved lap band for Medicare Pts yet...sigh...they said check back later. I have found a doc in Memphis who does accept medicare and operates at a COE there (St. Francis). They are sending me a info pack, but I am a little nervous. She has done hundreds of RNYs but only half a dozen Lap Bands. Not sure about that one. I am still researching my little fingers off looking for someone who is not too far from home. I may have to go to Dallas, or even Nashville. Dallas is just 4 or 5 hours away, not a bad drive, almost total interstate 20 but Nashville is 12 hours one way 8 hours of that interstate 40. I am kinda bummed, but if I can't find one who does lapband, I may try to go to Shreveport and do RNY if I am fat enough. LOL. I have a friend who had RNY but she weighed 300 lbs. I am 225 lbs! but have diabetes, hypetension, arthritis, maybe sleep apnea, and an extremely strong history of heart disease with premature death due to heart attack!

Well, dang it! I am back to square one since Medicare only covers the surgery at Centers of Excellence and the Hospital I was going to use is not approved for that status yet. I stayed up til 2:00a.m. this mornign researching Centers of Excellence and Drs who will operate on patients with medicare within 4 hours of me.