SanDiegoSusan

Updated July Butterflies 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 1 rdk211 1 Mrs J.J 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 3 dazzle1 3 kandyss 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 7 clusk 7 boxerlover7 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 8 Dtobe175ish 8 colacoca 8 Mommy,ArmyWife 8 caybachman 8 LibbyS 8 sallen21 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 9 AliNSanDiego 9 j holm07 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 10 77Shell 10 wstone 10 mac281 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 11 debbles 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 15 azoreangal 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 16 aclubb 16 GBear 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 17 ocbreeze4u 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 18 PDXBandster 18 Livingwell 18 MyMeshelle 18 debsta 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 21 g p anderson (and dad) 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 22 moocatschade 22 Maudie 22 lmbmkm 22 thatDEgirl 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 23 Tadpole 23 SLIM SLY 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 24 getthin 24 Lisa B 24 MeganMatters 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 25 losing it! 25 countrygirl0767 25 afw 25 new2me 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 28 vonnegutk 28 Dalene 28 BeverlyDiane 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 29 zillyanne 29 mickey123 30 orea15 30 angie61 30 mich 30 ebvillal 31 healthysue 31 skinnyme52 31 Banditmel

Check out your local community college and take some of their classes. I've taken tennis through them and it's a great workout and tons of fun (not that I ever got very good.) If funds are an issue they may be able to provide financial aid or an employer might. There's also lots of ways to exercise and do good. I volunteer as a dog walker at the local humane shelter. Two - three hours of walking a variety of dogs is a great workout without feeling like one. If you don't have a shelter nearby how about looking for dogs in your neighborhood that don't get out much (elderly or lazy owners) and ask if you can walk them. If your not an animal person what about forming a walking club in your neighborhood and getting others to help keep you motivated. (I'm big on walking because the one time I really lost weight in my life was in Europe when I was walking 10 miles a day and my body was so strong!) Also, think about checking out Craig's List for an old playstation or one of those gamesets and getting "Dance Dance Dance Revolution." Lots of fun to dance to that. Or just pick ten 3-minute songs a day, lock your self in a private room and just dance! It's a great workout and if you can't dance (and I can't) just make sure no one sees you! (Regardless of what the song says.) What is fun for you? There has to be a way to make that into exercise!

I find that two regular bras work far better than a sports bra. Just put one on top of the other and you will be amazed at how solid the support is.:thumbs_down:

Joiful - I'm a little concerned about your post. Are you already eating food only four days after surgery? :smile: My surgeon has a four day clear liquid diet then a 10-day full liquid, 2 weeks of mushies then soft foods and finally about week 6 experimenting with all foods. This gives the body time to heal from the shock of surgery then helps the body to heal and get the band "locked" into place with the scar tissue. My understanding is that digesting food at this time will defer energy from healing and possibly cause movement or slippage of the band. I'm not a medical person so don't quote me on this, but the people that seems to be the most successful have had surgeons that have some pretty strict requirements to give everything time to heal and work. If I misread your post and you're not on solids yet please forgive me. If you are unhappy with your surgical team and don't have support maybe we could talk and I could at least give you the instructions my surgeon gives out. Since I have had little pain and no complications I am really trusting my surgeon at this point and very happy I did the 2-week liquid diet pre-op, etc. Are you feeling ok now? If you still feel like you need an emergency room are you finding the support you need? Hugs, Susan

Updated July Butterflies 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 1 rdk211 1 Mrs J.J 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 3 dazzle1 3 kandyss 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 7 clusk 7 boxerlover7 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 8 Dtobe175ish 8 colacoca 8 Mommy,ArmyWife 8 caybachman 8 LibbyS 8 sallen21 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 9 AliNSanDiego 9 j holm07 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 10 77Shell 10 wstone 10 mac281 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 11 debbles 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 15 azoreangal 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 16 aclubb 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 18 PDXBandster 18 Livingwell 18 MyMeshelle 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 22 moocatschade 22 Maudie 22 lmbmkm 22 thatDEgirl 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 24 getthin 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 25 losing it! 25 countrygirl0767 25 afw 25 new2me 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 28 vonnegutk 28 Dalene 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 29 zillyanne 29 mickey123 30 orea15 30 angie61 30 mich 31 healthysue 31 skinnyme52

Hi GDC - there's a whole sticky thread on this topic at: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/scar-stages-share-yours-6117/ Lots of photos of scars at various stages. Hope this helps.

What about the calories? :wink2::ohmy: I mean, is it listed on dailyplate.com? :biggrin2:

Misty - it is your body and your decision. If you want to stay where you are for awhile tell your surgeon you have decided not to fill until you feel like you need it. As long as you are still losing weight all is good. Surgeons are human and yours may want extraordinary results to feed his/her ego, but if you are losing 2 pounds a week you are doing great, are losing weight in a healthy manner and should stick to your guns. I respect my surgeon but ultimately all decisions about my health and my body are mine. Doen't be afraid to stand up for yourself - you should never be pressed into something that makes you uncomfortable.

Sounds like you have made the decision never to allow food to control you again and the lap band is a great tool for this. This is half the battle and you are making a great start! Congrats.

Finally posted my surgery day story if you want more details: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/surgery-day-stories-64287/index5.html#post910052

My Surgery Day I was banded on Wednesday, July 2nd, but the story starts the day before when I received a call to be in pre-op at 8:05am. My original schedule was 9:10 and my ride has small kids and even the 9am was going to be tough so the 8am was impossible. I called back to clarify that my surgery time was 11 and my check-in was 9 and was told. “Oh, a surgery was cancelled and they moved your surgery up.” Ok, I know I can be a little picky but shouldn’t they have told ME about this development? I told her that with my ride I couldn’t be there at 8am although I could probably be there at 8:30. (I live about 45 minutes from the hospital.) She replied that she would let them know but they may have to cancel my surgery. WTF?!?! She called back later and left a message stating she let them know and they may call me later if there was a problem. Needless to say I didn’t sleep that well that night wondering if my surgery would be cancelled so the staff could get a head start on the holiday weekend. My friend driving me in got the three young kids moving and we left early and hit almost no traffic so I ended up checking in at 8:25am. And then sat there until 9:20am. (Mostly I felt bad for my friend who had to kill an extra 40 minutes with the kids before the Water park opened up at 10. Turns out for nothing as they moved me back to my original time.) However, other than this added stress and lack of communication everything else went beautifully that day and I am extremely happy with Dr. Horgan’s team and UCSD! Sue, the pre-op nurse, came and got me about 9:20 and took me to a small, private room where I changed into a hospital gown that wrapped around me almost twice which was great as my fanny was never on public display. I was also given socks to keep my feet warm but not the kind that work to avoid clots. And yes, you had to be fully naked under the gown. Heavy sigh. Sue came back and asked me several questions that I would be asked a few times that day then gave me a heparin shot allowing me to choose between thigh or stomach – I picked thigh. (Yes, it burns but totally manageable), And she put the IV in – this was my only setback area. She couldn’t quite make it work in my left hand, bad vein I guess, and had to finally put it into my right hand where it went on the first try. Interestingly, the bruise on my left hand is worse than the one on my right showing how hard it must have been to get in. Several extremely nice and caring people came and talked to me – surgical nurse, anesthesiologist, an intern working on part of a study and a doctor who needed fat samples for a study they were doing on fat cells and diabetes. I told her she could take all the fat she wanted, far more than the two tiny pieces she was requesting. Unfortunately, free liposuction was not to be included this round. I also gave Sue my POA for healthcare with my healthcare directives. Then I was ready for surgery but there was a slight delay as they had to get the permission form for me to sign for them to take the fat samples. Finally, all was signed and explained and Sue walked me down to the operating room. The anesthesiologist and surgical nurse were in there but not yet Dr. Horgan. They had me lie down on the operating table and covered me with a warm blanket because it was freezing in there then asked me some general questions to make sure it was me and they were doing the right procedure. (Which is good because I would have been a bit miffed if I had woken up with a gastric bypass.) I remember them fitting the mask over my face then I was gone until I woke up in recovery! Just a note: If you are going in alone like I did and don’t have a spouse or family member/friend staying all day, you can still bring stuff and they will put it into a safe place for you. I hid some money in my stuff because I knew I would have to pick up a prescription later as well as my driver’s license for check-in, but nothing was touched and Sue took good care of my stuff and locked it away for me. I woke up freezing! I mean teeth chatting, body shaking cold. :eek: The nurses covered me with warm blankets and I warmed quickly and dozed on and off for about the next 2 hours. (Time is blurry so this is just an estimation.) I didn’t really sleep because of all the machines beeping around me which was annoying but I guess they felt it was kind of important to know if my heart stopped beating or some silly thing. :biggrin2: After a couple hours they sent me down the hall for a barium swallow (for the life of me I can’t remember how I got there – walked or wheeled?) and showed me my band saying everything looked good. I laid back down and about 3pm my ride home, Paul, showed up a little early so he went and took care of my prescription while I got dressed and used the bathroom. I felt odd, but no pain or nausea and Paul kept remarking how great I looked considering what I just went through. (Granted a biased opinion but I didn’t look like death warmed over which was what he was expecting.) The lack of nausea may have been due to my letting the doctors know I am very prone to motion sicknesses and them using a preventative. I saw the surgery marks in the mirror and although I usually have a cast Iron stomach I didn’t spend much time looking at them as they were swollen and painful looking. The nurses helped me pack up and Paul went to get the car and pull it up to the front of the hospital. They wheeled me all the way to the car and we drove home. The drive was long (although I got lucky on traffic again) and I was a tiny bit queasy by the time I got home, but not too bad and I shuffled in the house and sat in my overstuffed recliner while Paul brought in my water bottles, feed the pets and fussed about my welfare. He had to leave soon after as his dog was being boarded and I was glad for the chance to take a long hard nap. I did take a couple of doses of Tylenol with codeine that night and the next day but haven’t needed it since. I dozed and watched TV all evening, went for a 12 minute walk, and finally decided to try sleeping in my bed about 9pm. I had a body pillow that I am still using, sleeping on my side with my left leg over the pillow, and it has worked really, really well.:tt2: I have had a remarkable recovery, in my opinion, and am amazed at how easy the process has been. Very little gas pain and usually relieved by sipping water and burping, almost no pain except for the ongoing feeling like I had a rough session with a personal trainer who likes the stomach crunches too much. My brain was a little fuzzy the first couple of days and this is really the first time I felt like I could write this all down, but that is clearing up. (Since I keep finding typos in this obviously is not totally cleared up.) I started taking 12 minutes walks the first day (one), did three the next two days, and am now walking about an hour plus a day. I don’t walk too fast because the port wound hurts if I do and I hold it while walking or getting up but that may be more to do with paranoia then actually needing to hold it. I think the six-week diet and the two-week liquid diet helped tremendously. I lost 28 pounds in the two months before surgery and I think all that room left less space for gas. Today is my first day of full liquids after 4 days of Clear Liquids and I am being very careful about following directions exactly. I know I have a lot of healing left even though I feel fantastic and I am usually so active and independent that I am going to have to force myself to have a friend come over to change my 3-gallon water bottle and remember not to roughhouse with my dogs. But I feel great. I am extremely happy with my decision. I am thrilled with how well my wounds are healing and I think Dr. Horgan’s skill and his program combined will make this a very successful outcome! Again, I am very happy with the UCSD program and the “very strict” Dr. Horgan and the wonderful staff who took such good care of me.:thumbup: But now it’s time for a nap!

Updated July Butterflies 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 1 rdk211 1 Mrs J.J 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 3 dazzle1 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 7 clusk 7 boxerlover7 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 8 Dtobe175ish 8 colacoca 8 Mommy,ArmyWife 8 caybachman 8 LibbyS 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 9 AliNSanDiego 9 j holm07 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 10 77Shell 10 wstone 10 mac281 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 15 azoreangal 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 16 aclubb 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 18 PDXBandster 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 22 moocatschade 22 Maudie 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 24 getthin 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 25 losing it! 25 countrygirl0767 25 afw 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 28 vonnegutk 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 29 zillyanne 29 mickey123 30 orea15 30 angie61 30 mich 31 healthysue 31 skinnyme52

First of all your medical condition NEVER should have been discussed as it is a private matter. But if that isn't bothering you then let the rest of it go. Some people are just negative and the suggestion of a horrifying event with no details is just crass in my opinion. Who cares if she is going to pray for you? Who cares if SHE'S worried? It's your body, your life, your decision and you don't need to have that kind of energy around. Can it be dangerous? Yes of course, all surgery is. Can it fail? Of course, it does about half the time. But only you know your level of commitment and how well you will stick to the program which is 90% of the fight. Am I biased because I was just banded Wednesday and I feel annoyingly great? :biggrin2: Yep. And you will find people here who were banded Wednesday who are still in pain. Whatever happened to those two mysterious people she knew is their story. Yours will be different. All of us are different. If you are looking for an excuse to become fearful or back out you need to look carefully at that (and it is OK to feel that way!) as you might not be ready for this huge lifestyle change. But if you are just upset by the conversation just realize that she is rude and insensitive (in my opinion), ignorant and full of negative energy. You don't need that and go read some success stories to decide what YOU want. Best of luck!

I was banded Wednesday - checked in at 9:15am left about 3:30pm. I would have hated staying overnight because I do not believe you can rest in a hospital. I also live alone but had friends close by to call in case of any emergencies. Been extremely lucky so far and no gas, no serious pain, no problems whatsoever. I was also self pay and didn't want to pay for a night. Plus, I am ridiculously healthy for my size which I think helped a lot.

I hope you get some good responses because I have the same problem. I know there some ok results with lasers but I'm not sure anything gets rid of the real 'die hard' stretch marks.:thumbup: But drink lots of Water while losing weight so you don't get new ones and the fresher old ones may fade. Also, almost everyone's surgery scars (except for the port site) seem to go away completely - try the cream mentioned above. If anyone has advice - please give it!

Get PADI certified. (Ok, could do it now but would be too embarassed to be seen in a bathing suit for all the classes.)

What about just pouring the juice into a cup and having a glass of fresh watermelon juice? Then you don't have to worry about the pulp but still get to enjoy the taste.

Sounds like July is a good month to have your surgery since those of us who have posted updates are all having very good experiences with little pain! Day 3 after surgery for me and while I'm a bit sore and still kindof feel like I was hit by a VW Bug (vs. a bus) am amazed at how well I'm recovering. First day I'm actually thirsty and my brain is a little more functional. Haven't yet posted my surgery day story but will eventually. Hapy 4th all! Updated July Butterflies 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 1 rdk211 1 Mrs J.J 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 3 dazzle1 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 7 clusk 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 8 Dtobe175ish 8 colacoca 8 Mommy,ArmyWife 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 9 AliNSanDiego 9 j holm07 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 10 77Shell 10 wstone 10 mac281 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 15 azoreangal 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 16 aclubb 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 18 PDXBandster 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 22 moocatschade 22 Maudie 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 24 getthin 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 25 losing it! 25 countrygirl0767 25 afw 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 29 zillyanne 29 mickey123 30 orea15 30 angie61 30 mich 31 healthysue 31 skinnyme52

Hi Guys: So sorry I couldn't update a day or two before surgery - was so busy trying to get ready I had no time! Here's the most recent list. No one got dropped, but some of the cut and pastes other people do are from old lists and they don't add all the new people. If you are not on this list please let me know. I had sugery yesterday. Feel so good it's amazing. Very little pain, able to sleep in my bed last night (strongly recommend a body pillow!), walked 12 minutes this morning and will a couple more times today which is good considering they are happy with 11 minutes the second day on several walks. I will be writing up the whole experience and posting it on the sticky thread "Surgery Day Stories" (or something like that) later today. Willl try to remember to post the URL here for anyone who hasn't found the thread yet. Surgery went great, recovery is great so far. Stick to the liquid diet, breath a lot, burb as much as possible (it really works) and just be very kind to your body and it all helps! July Butterflies 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 1 rdk211 1 Mrs J.J 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 3 dazzle1 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 8 Dtobe175ish 8 colacoca 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 9 AliNSanDiego 9 j holm07 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 10 77Shell 10 wstone 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 15 azoreangal 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 16 aclubb 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 18 PDXBandster 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 22 moocatschade 22 Maudie 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 24 getthin 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 25 losing it! 25 countrygirl0767 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 29 zillyanne 30 orea15 30 angie61 30 mich 31 healthysue 31 skinnyme52

Hi Kaytie: I self-pay for all my meds so I was very hip to try the generic Synthroid. It just did not work for me. I felt odd and my levels never seemed to be quite right. Later I had a doctor who was pro-generic except for Synthroid. I now use only Synthroid - the extra cost is worth it to me. I am just careful to make sure it is not more than 6 months old, again because of things this doctor said. You may want to try going non-generic a couple months to see if things level out. Plus Synthroid is tiny and sweet so you can chew it after banding which will make it easier to take. (I'm not sure if you should chew it, but I usually do and have for years - check with your doctor.) Good luck and let us know what happens! Susan

This is a very simple blood test and, if you have it, a lifetime of a pretty mellow medication like Synthroid. I've been on it for years and it's just not a big deal but it can really screw up weight loss attempts. I once went on a very strict diet and was walking about 4 miles a day but was gaining weight! After a month the pharmacy called to say they screwed up my prescription and it was only 10% of what it should have been. Grrrr.:wink_smile: But other than that, as far as chronic conditions go, this is a very mild one. Your THS levels should have been tested in your preliminary blood work and if you haven't had the blood test you need to go today and get it. There's a tiny chance all your weight is thyroid related and you may not need banding once the meds kick in. (Very little chance of this - I stopped gaining for no reason but never lost anything thanks to the meds.) But in any case you need to find out about the hypothyroidism before anything else. I hoipe this helped and best of luck! Please don't worry about hypothyroidism - it isn't a big deal.

Thanks for the nice words about the list - unfortunately the only way I can remember anything anymore is with lists!:thumbs_up: July Butterflies - It's after midnight on Sunday and therefore officially Monday. Can you believe the first of us goes in TOMORROW! Good luck to all the July 1st'ers! We look forward to hearing your stories. 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 1 rdk211 1 Mrs J.J 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 8 Dtobe175ish 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 11 wstone 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 18 PDXBandster 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 22 moocatschade 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 25 losing it! 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 29 zillyanne 30 orea15 30 angie61 31 healthysue

Thanks so much for posting the pic of all the skin and solids they took from you. I'm on the pre-surgery liquid diet and the photos killed my appetite for the first time in 10 days!:biggrin2: In all seriousness thank you for sharing this with us - very helpful if we are planning PS at a later date. Can hardly wait to see the before and after pics!

July Butterflies - 3 more days and counting down 1 wsw27 1 tillydog 1 doedoe1961 1 staylucid 1 mygirlayanna 1 eisermanr7 2 minidriver 2 slim2be 2 BethO 2 mrsgriffin2u 2 trudeip 2 Barbiek 2 annabella 2 SanDiegoSusan 2 anita reyna 2 jjenkins2411 2 Hollins2003 3 BigBander 3 scoutmama 3 2GoodDogs 3 kimlam 4 joiful 7 ginnyc 7 AmyWA 7 Redheada 7 Busybee 7 Barb12590 8 blaze 21 8 Louisville Lesa 8 zeama 8 cinda 8 JaJeanne 8 innwtitdtity 8 knd 9 Sarv 9 MarylandMommy 9 siouxsie Sioux 9 Rivieramaya05 9 lalaredd 9 flowers 9 kmorrow27 10 sallen21 10 Goobe 10 2Blite4life 10 melmel 10 Fancy Nancy 10 vannie 11 wstone 11 falloons 11 melallot 11 lbevilacqua 13 OvrLvl 14 MaidMarion 14 Chellets 14 pbpunisher 14 mrsjones0728 15 Fearless55 15 Flowerpurr 15 lynlynkr 15 pschmolle 15 perfectforme 16 eyespy 16 lisainbohemia 16 lotzasunshine 16 SciTeach 16 lynlynkr 16 michkor 16 jomomma 16 Charlene K 16 nanaislosingit 17 3m’smom 17 tnag86 18 toogoode4u 18 CapitolChick 18 azbanded 21 clayverde 21 PennyLane 22 zillyanne 22 TeriVA 22 kimaly 22 lleighton5 22 Choromom 22 annesan 23 BABOOMER 23 shellbell99 23 Ellie’s mom 24 nyllrap 24 linksmom 24 lisadental 24 frypan 25 Kiki220 25 Nachtigall 28 splfrd 28 mamanmidwife 29 Cherub 29 Jersey Boy 30 orea15 30 angie61 31 healthysue

Absolutely! Medical expenses are deducted on your Schedule A (which you will file this year even if you normally don't.) Medical expenses must be higher than 7.5% of your income in order to be deducted. A simple example is: Your surgery cost $17,500. You make $100,000. The first 7.5% of expenses are ignored so your deduction is $17,500 minus $7,500 (7.5% of $100,000) for a $10,000 deduction. If you make less your deduction is greater, i.e. a $50,000 income only ignores the first $3,750 and $13,750 is written off. If you make more your income is higher and the 7.5% disallowed is higher. Keep track of all medical expenses including co-pays for visits before the surgery and prescriptions unrelated to the surgery as all of this will be deductible. Don't forget mileage, travel expenses (limited - see your preparer) and non-surgery related expenses such as glasses and dental work are also included here. Because you will be doing itemized deductions this year instead of the standard deductions there are other things to keep in mind. Keep track of all your charitable deductions. If you give away a bunch of clothes that are now too big :thumbs_up: - photograph what you are giving, itemize each item, and use an online calculator like "It's Deductible" (http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-preparation/itsdeductible.jhtml ) to figure out your write off. (You will probably underestimate the value of your used items so this is handy, and a printout will let the IRS know how you figured out the value in the event of an audit. And remember, an audit is nothing to fear if you are honest and have the receipts you need.) Also keep track of all your cash donations and don't give cash! You must have a cancelled check to take a write-off now, so if you feed the red bucket for the Salvation Army during the holidays write a check instead of throwing in bills. If you live in a non-income tax state (WA, NV, Alaska, Montana, FL and one or two I always forget) keep track of your sales tax paid, especially if you have a big purchase like a car. Part of your auto-reg fees are a write-off, property taxes and mortgage interest are no-brainers if now a very small amount that means you usually no longer itemize. And unreimbursed employee expenses (mileage to a seminar, lunch with the boss, uniform dry cleaning, supplies you purchase) have a 2% threshold (like the 7.5% above) but may be worth keeping track of. Also a safety deposit box used to hold investments (like silver, jewelry or stock certificates), investment expenses, and tax prep fees (including the cost of Turbo Tax the year before), all fall under this 2% threshold. If your taxes are usually very simple this may be the year to hire a professional to maximize your deductions. (But don't let them make some up! Yes, I have seen that and the taxpayer gets punished, not the preparer!) Ask friends for a recommendation and ask for a fee range before you hire the preparer. (My guess: a simplified return with a Schedule A is $125 to $250 but if they spend more time with you and try to find every deduction including the ones I haven't listed here they may be worth a bit more.) (The CYA:biggrin2:) Disclaimer: This is very general tax information and may or may not apply to your situation. Please see a tax professional to determine your own situation. Also, I am uncertain as to the ability to write off international expenses. I just haven't had this question come up. So you may be limited to US expenses but I don't think so. Hope this helps! (And yes, I copied from a reply I did earlier if it seems a little deja vu. Not the most fascinating subject to write about over and over again.:biggrin2:)