JRT Mom

Dang--SOMEBODY is gettin' rich offa these things....:confused_smile:

Terriann- I would also recommend coming to both meetings--you'll be a bit ahead of the curve, and I also think I learned more about living with a band in the support meeting than I did at the intro seminar which was more about the surgery itself. My psych tests were a snap--I only had one that had fill in bubbles, the other three were multiple choice, It only took me about 15 minutes to do all of them. Dr Hamilton was so easy to talk to--the time flew by and I wasn't uncomfortable with a single thing he asked me.

I am from Christiansburg and work at the NRVMC where Dr Chavis and Bissell practice. I am halfway through the process (I think!) and hope to be banded in June. I will also be at the support group on the 27th. Kim-I think I remember seeing you at the last meeting--I was the one worried about the psych consult--weren't you the one telling me how nice Dr Hamilton is? I had my consult last week and he really is a very nice person. Looking forward to seeing y'all again!

I used to be a runner in my younger days. I remember running in a 10K race and being dead last. I had an ambulance trailing me--not a confidence booster!:cryin: The worst thing is it had these squealing brakes, and since I am slow the driver had to ride them a lot...and that godawful diesel engine with the fumes....so I ran choking on fumes hearing roomaroomaroomaSKWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEroomaroomaroomaSKWEEEEEEEEEEE for almost six freakin' miles! Thank God the last half mile was on a one way street through town so the ambulance didn't follow me and I finally got some peace!! Thanks lipara for giving me this WONDERFUL flashback......:cursing:

I have GOT to visit Australia some day....

My surgeon said don't lift anything heavier than 15 lbs for six weeks--he's worried about slippage until everything heals in there.

Anthem will cover it provided your company has the special obesity rider--check with your benefits department. I have heard that if you have this rider the hoops you have to jump through are minimal as long as you have a BMI of 40 (35 with comorbidities) and at least 100 lbs to lose.

:leaving::sneaky::sad:

What's stopping you now? I am a HUGE hippie chick that still dances my ass off! Even belly dancing, I figure I got the belly for it.....:biggrin2: Give it a try!

I'm looking forward to not starting a fire between my thighs everytime I walk while wearing pantyhose ! :thumbup:

At least they are using better fabrics now--I can remember not that long ago if you bought something plus-sized it was made out of purple, brown or black 100% polyester....yuck!

I remember reading about this on an old thread--they suggesting drinking vegetable oil--it might soften the gum and allow it to slide through...

I've been lucky so far--I work night shifts for 13 hrs so I only work three days a week and haven't had to miss work to get all the testing done. But I had to warn them that I might have to take six weeks off (lifting requirements in my job description) right in the middle of summer--now THAT was scary!

I asked my coordinator about why some people end up on preop diets and some don't....according to her it has nothing to do with the amount you are overweight--it has more to do with age! The older a person is the more likely they are to have a fatty liver.....so I guess I'm gonna be stuck with one....:party:

One nice thing about the endoscopy is that you don't end up pooping out little white bricks......:biggrin2:

Angel P- It may be annoying or embarrassing to have to get more counseling, but you'll be a stronger person for it, and your banding should go much more smoothly for it! I would be happy to have a counselor that cares enough to want you to be as healthy as you can be rather than just "sending you down the assembly line" to get a band as fast as you can. Good luck!

Shush--you're making me HUNGRY!!!:biggrin2: PS good luck with your banding!

Thanks--I need a new one soon--I'll check into those!

I also have sleep apnea and suspected I did, but it was confirmed after sharing a hotel room with a woman who happened to be a nurse practioner. She said she was up all night listening to me struggle to breathe and stop breathing. So I had the study as a formality--it only took two hours to document it. Sleeping on a BiPap is a love-hate relationship--I do sleep more soundly, but waking up with strap marks all over your face is the pits! But having sleep apnea will make it easier to get approved by your insurance company, so in this case it's a good thing. And I'm really hoping that if I lose the weight the apnea will go away!

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great--you have a great attitude. It's downhill from here for you!:party:

It's amazing some of the preop work some of us need to get. I almost wonder if some of the other docs are in cahoots with the lap band surgeons to get their piece of the pie!:smile2:

Dang--you're a tough ol' gal!

I had my pysch eval today and for some reason I was dreading it more than anything. The guy was very nice, and as I expected asked lots of questions about my relationship with food and my eating habits, and asked questions to test my understanding about what a lap band entailed. But then he pulled out some of the "shrinky" stuff.....he asked me if I found a stamped sealed addressed envelope what would I do with it? The flip side of me wanted to answer "it depends on who it was from or where it was going" but of course I immediately gave the safe answer "put it in a mailbox". He then asked me to spell the word "world" and I was tempted to spell it "whirled" as in spun around, or maybe "whorled" as in fingerprints but again I played it safe. Then he asked me to spell it backwards! I SUCK at backwards stuff, and spelled it d-r-l-o-w and he smiled and said "try again" and then I got it right. I told him "wow, that was tough....I'm glad you didn't ask me to try 'antidisestablishmentarianism'" But the longer I was there I coudn't help myself as the "class clown" side of me emerged..... He asked me if I ever heard voices in my head and I looked to the side as if there as a imaginary person there and asked it "I dunno--do I?" When we were done he said I had to come back for a personality test and I asked him "was that when he was finally going to pull out the inkblots--he wasn't a real shrink until he pulled out the inkblots...." He laughed but had that "omigod get her outta here" look on his face also......so maybe I'll pass, or maybe not.....

I have a husband, but I am one of those people that when I am under the weather I want everyone to leave me the hell alone. So hubby can drop me off and pick me up, but I want him outta my hair while I'm in the hospital overnight. Maybe I can send him to you??:biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:

I love hearing the excitement in everyone's posts as they actually get dates and have their surgery! I know "bandster hell" is the period after surgery and before fills, but I want to propose another "bandster hell"...the kind where you know you want a band but you are still jumping through the hoops anxiously awaiting news....maybe we can call that "pre-bandster hell?" Anyone else out there with me???