JRT Mom

Wow, you've lost a lot of weight already! I'll bet you do great with the lap band!

I was on phen-fen years ago and lost 80 lbs, but then they pulled it off the market and I gained it all back plus the usual 20 more..... Now since I was on it my surgeon wants me to have an echocardiogram. Any of y'all had to do this also?

I got a lot of letters from lawyers wanting me to sue them, and one of them had the free echo offer, which I took them up on. When everything was normal, I figured "no harm, no foul" and wouldn't sue them--especially since I figured by the time the lawyers took their cut there wouldn't be much left....if I had known it would have been worth 2 grand I might've taken them up on it!:w00t:

Wow, I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I'm glad I have documented sleep apnea so I won't have to have a sleep study--it's one less hoop I have to jump through to make the insurance folks happy! :biggrin2:

The new look of the website is amazing! I was very afraid of the stern apple lady...:confused:

Add to the list--Not peeing on myself every time I sneeze!

Headhunter-if your claims are real I wish the very best for you and hope you recover your health. If they aren't, I STILL wish the very best for you!

Count me in with the feeling that the psych eval is gonna be the scariest thing! I cured myself of bulimia about 20 years ago and I'm afraid that they will hold that against me. I want to be truthful, but find a way to "sugarcoat" it so they won't "flunk" me...

Let me guess, the actress playing the character weighs 150 lbs?

I had my first evaluation meeting Monday with the dietitian and the clinic coordinator, and the coordinator said she'd contact me on Thursday to let me know the next step. Well, Thursday has come and gone without a word. I'm trying to decide if I should call her Friday afternoon to show my dedication to being banded, but on the other hand, someone here said their coordinator was concerned that she seemed too desperate, and I don't want to come across that way (although I am a bit!:sad_smile:) Do you all have any suggestions?? Thanks!

You might want to call the office of the MD who's doing the study--some give the patient a sleeping pill if the patient is concerned that they can't sleep. Also if you explain to them that you are a night owl, they may let you start the study later in the evening--I work nights, so they let me do my sleep study during the day.

The surgeons I'm seeing use the Lap Band, but the J&J are coming to their office next week to do an inservice on the Realize band..hopefully by the time I get a band I'll have a choice--a smaller flatter port sounds good to me!

I get those rashes, too, and since I am a lab technician I have the opportunity to swab the rash and make a slide and stain it to see what the cause is....on mine it was two different types of bacteria, but no yeast. I started using over-the-counter triple antibiotic ointment on it and it cleared right up. I agree that it is annoying but a good thing since my insurance will pay for surgery after I lose my weight! ps I LOVE seeing y'all's weight loss tickers--they are such an inspiration to me and I can't wait to get banded!

My fat compresses very well so I can cram my butt into the seat and the belt fastens OK. The last time I flew I was just trying the find the other end of the belt and the flight attendant walks by me and says in a very loud voice, "Do you need an extender??" Kinda ticked me off.....

Thanks SO much! It was gonna be a deal breaker if I couldn't dive any more.....

Ah, my life saving torture device. Have you flown with yours? The TSA people act like they think it's a bomb..... And it would be wonderful to be able to go to work without strap marks all over my face. I'm convinced my coworkers think I'm into some sort of kinky bondage.....:smile:

Have any of you with sleep apnea been able to lose your CPAP entirely? I have a love/hate relationship with mine (love the sleep quality but hate sleeping with it) and would love to be able to ditch it once I lose enough weight.

Hi all- I am getting my evaluation done this Monday (April 7) and I was researching the Internet for lap band info and discovered this site. I must say I didn't know there were so many people out there on the "band" wagon! And everyone here is so knowledgeable and friendly--it's comforting to know that I'll have scads of instant friends to help me get through the rough spots--Bless you all!:thumbup:

I am so sorry you invested 6 months to be denied! Doncha just hate the hoops you have to jump through because of insurance? I am in an HMO and have to get referrals to go to a specialist like a bariatric MD. I kind of got lucky--I called my PCP's office and asked to speak to the referral nurse and explained I had been to a seminar and met the preliminary criteria to get a lap band and now I needed a referral from my PCP for insurance purposes, and she sent it right through without making me come see my PCP first! I'm afraid that if I saw my PCP first he also wouldn't want to send me to a bariatric surgeon...they don't even recommend diet pills there!

I'm not worried about the anesthesia itself, but the after affects--every time I've had general anesthesia I've gotten sick afterwards--you know the kind of vomiting that you're afraid you're gonna see your toenails come out...won't that be bad for my newly banded stomach?

I think the two hardest things are going to be giving up carbonated diet drinks, and not drinking while I eat. Giving up the carbonation will probably not be so bad, but not drinking will--I wash everything down when I eat!

Hi All- I've been lurking on the boards reading and enjoying y'all's helpful posts. I have my evaluation for a lap band this monday and have a question I hope someone will have some insight on... About 30 years ago I went though about a 5 year fight with bulimia. I finally beat it, but now weight 240. One of the questions on my questionaire asks "have you ever vomited or used laxatives for weight control?" Do you suppose if I say yes I won't be able to get approved for a lap band? I want to be truthful, but I also don't want to jeopardize my chance for getting one.....any opinions? Thanks!

Thanks for the non-judgemental replies! It's interesting that there are so many people with weight problems that have been bulimia--I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!

Doesn't a woman ALWAYS have a right to be annoyed with her spouse??:cursing: