SueFromMichigan

Welcome Mereme-9. I'm sure you will find the forum useful. Regarding salads, I love them also, and eat them frequently without problem, as long as I chew well. Just wish there was more nutritional value to iceberg lettuce, because that seems to be the basis of so many of them, especially when eating out.

Hi, I continue to take a baby aspirin daily. My LB doc has no problem with it. I do take the coated 81mg aspirin (the cheap ones from Dollar General). I expect they reach the stomach before beginning to dissolve. Were you taking a whole 325 mg aspirin or the 81mg baby aspirin size?

Congratulations to you, Don, on finally getting started on your Lap-band journey. Sounds like you are really doing well. Pati, you are doing great, too. I lost quite a bit prior to my first fill. The surgery was the impetus for me to really watch what I was eating and control it. I think using one of the sites like MyDailyPlate or FitDay helps a lot.

Justmeuknow - Facebook is a social networking website. You go to www.facebook.com and set up your own facebook page. It is useful for posting pictures for others to see and, if you can get enough of your friends and relatives on it, you can kinda keep up with what is going on in their lives. You can find old friends, etc. In my case, all of my six children or their spouses have Facebook pages, and 7 out of 8 grandchildren do, too. So when they say something about their status, it shows up on my "Home" page. If you want to try it, once you get your page set up you can look for Susan Crane in the Northern IN network. Phyllser is also on there - we are now Facebook friends. Doddie63 - thanks for asking about the fill. I did get a fill up to 8cc, but it was too much. I don't really want to be in pain after eating a couple egg beaters. So I went back and he took 1/2 cc out. I had not really stopped losing, just was feeling unsatisfied after eating 1-2 cups of food. We'll see how this works..... so far, so good. Just had 2 bowls (about 1.75 cups) of turkey chili and was satisfied.

JoannMarie & others looking for Wii............. WalMart has the Wii console on their website for $249.24 + shipping. (You cannot ship to store for free.) They also allow you to check to see if any local stores have them (at the same price, of course). I looked late last night and was going to order one, but checked and found that a store about 7 miles from me had them. I called the store this AM and they had one left, so I went over and got it. They also had the WiiFit for $89.74, which I thought was a good price, so I got it also. :Dancing_biggrin: Now to figure out how to hook the durn thing up! Hey, kids!!!!

We eat venison a lot. It is lower in fat content, even after the processor adds suet to the ground venison to help hold it together. I like my venison cooked in a crock pot. It is a relatively dry meat, and this keeps it moist. In fact, except for the ground meat, that's the only way I will eat it. Any recipe suitable for beef in a crock pot will be even better with venison, and healthier, too. One of the easiest recipes, suitable for deer steak, chops or tenderloin, is to just put it in the crockpot with half a packet of onion Soup mix and Water to cover. Let it cook for 7-8 hours on low. If you like pot roast, you can add potatoes, onions, and carrots, but if you do they should be put in at the same time and below the meat. If you don't have a crock pot - get one! They are a lapbander's best friend because they keep the meat moist and thus easier to eat. Ground venison makes good burgers, meatloaf, chili, sloppy Joes, etc.

JoannMarie, regarding the Wii and WiiFit, it's the same around here. Both Circuit City and Best Buy had them in their ads this week for $250, but limited quantities. And that means those teenagers are going to be waiting outside the store.....I'm too old for that! Hopefully as Black Friday draws near the prices will continue to come down. I have checked eBay regularily, but found no bargains yet. Maggiehpp, congratulations on getting your surgery out of the way. It will get better, and quickly. Meanwhile, not eating = losing pounds. And if you're like me, my appetite was gone there for a while, too. I see you're in Lansing. My daughter lives there in the Colonial Village area. She works at MSU. She could also benefit from Lap Band, but I haven't convinced her yet. Trying to lead by example.

Welcome Roxie, I'm sure you will find this site a great source of support and ideas as you proceed to a slimmer, better you! Anyone know where I can get a Wii and a WiiFit cheap???

I just read through the entire "Where are all the Michigan people at?" thread and only found a couple of people from my part of the state. (They were both from Kazoo.) Surely some others from Benton Harbor/St. Joe/Niles/Sturgis/Dowagiac/Allegan or the Sunset Coast are here. I had my surgery May 16th in Detroit - necessary to go there because Medicare requires a Center of Excellence. But I found a great doctor in Niles for follow-up and fills, so I haven't had to go back to Detroit. He is Dr. Michael Schuhknecht - you can read about him here: Niles Michigan - The Niles Star He also does the surgery in Niles & St. Joe, but was happy to take me on for just fills & f/u. Would be interested in comparing notes with other Bandsters from this area.

For other Facebookers who want to post a link to their page - just go to your Facebook page (not home), copy the page url at the top using highlight then control-c, then return to LapBandTalk, write your message and when you are ready for the link, hit control-v.

Hi Phyl, Are you back down south yet? I am eagerly looking forward to our return to Texas after Christmas. No, I don't play Parking Wars, but it sound interesting. I play Mob Wars, Elven Blood, and Wordplay. All of my kids (or their spouses) are on Facebook, as well as 7 of 8 grandchildren, so its a way to find out what they're up to. Send me a friend request! My Facebook link is Susan Crane | Facebook Any other lapbanders are also welcome to do so. Just Put "Lap Band" in the message section of the friend request so I know who you are. Freezer coleslaw is basically a sweet & sour slaw. You can find a recipe by googling it or there is one on The Daily Plate that seems to use Splenda. I plan to buy a cabbage & try it this week.

Hi Guys, Haven't been on for a while - got too involved with Facebook. Just read the last few pages to catch up. So glad to hear that Don has a surgery date and the rest of you are making progress. Five months post-op, I have now lost 50 lbs (a milestone). I don't know how much the band has to do with it, but my counting and controlling calories seems to help. I can still eat a large quantity of healthy food at a time. I just must be careful to chew and not eat too fast. And, especially, choose the right foods. We were at a football get-together (Go ND!) yesterday with a carry in. There were several good salads there, a mixed veggie salad (made by a diabetic lady), freezer coleslaw, and kidney bean salad. I ate at least a cup of each, plus a couple chicken wings sans skin. I never did get a full feeling, but then, I never do. I plan to see my doctor next week. I am at 6 cc in an AP large band. Perhaps I need a fill. I want to feel full sooner. Do you think that would help? I will admit it is nice to be able to go to events and eat something. And to be able to go out for dinner with others and not call attention to myself.

Jachut, Here in the US we call it Apple Crisp or Apple Brown Betty. Very good, especially with Cool Whip or Ice Cream on top.

I, too, feel bad for those of you who have such a long wait and all those requirements. I probably set a record for getting my band quickly. We didn't get home from Texas till April 4th. Thus I didn't make my first inquiry about lap band till mid April. I went thru Beliteweight, and got everything done in one month. My surgery was 5/16. My Medicare insurance is through Humana Gold Choice. It was an option offered to us when we signed up for Medicare part D, but it's really a complete insurance plan (Advantage plan?). They just take our Medicare premiums, nothing additional, and the insurance is better than straight Medicare, especially for preventative care. I had been on Medifast at one time, but that was over 10 years ago. My primary doc wrote a nice letter about my need to lose weight and inability to do so. She also sent info about the stress echocardiogram I had about 9 months before. I had a psych consult locally and that was it. Humana has a special Bariatrics division, they approved the surgery in 2 days after they got the letters. I still had to go to a Center of Excellence and stay overnight, which they said was the Medicare requirement. I went to Detroit, about 200 miles away. This was arranged promptly by Beliteweight . As for Medicare paying less, I'm not so sure that is true. Beliteweight offered the surgery for self-pay people in Detroit for $11,000, including accomodations one night before & one night after. My Humana Gold Choice Medicare paid the hospital over $23,500, plus the anesthesia and some lab and pathology I needed at 100%. I never received a separate bill or EOB from the physician - I think his fee was included. As the surgery was inpatient, my only expense has been $625. Needless to say, I am very satisfied with both the speed and cost. I don't know if I'd have had the resolve to persevere if I had to wait so long. I admire all of you for doing so, but I wish things could be speeded up for you all, also.

Jazzey, Guess that is the very reason most of us got the band - no success loosing weight before. Do you have to lose that final few pounds before you can have the surgery? Max'sMom, This is a very active support group, but most of the action is in the "New 60+ thread". Feel free to join us there.