Constance

Hey all. I'm in Denver. Tom and Drew, you know me already. Hi!

ok, um, just to bring this back around full circle... I was just watching Matt Lauer interview SHaron on TODAY and he said "you also talked about your gastric bypass surgery (in your book) and you are thinking of reversing that surgery", and Sharon nods and says '"yes". What is the deal? DID she have bypass -- why didn't she correct him? So weird and annoying. They are totally different surgeries and people seem to lump it all together. She needs to represent her bandster brethren a bit better.

Cjay, I have to echo the sentiments on Dr. Ortiz. It was a wonderful experience and I have zero regrets. PM me if you have any questions.

Breakfast: coffee with a yummy creamer or milk and sugar-- then I wait awhile before I eat 1/2 c. cereal with milk or a Balance bar. Lunch: dinner leftovers usually, Some type of protien and veggie. (today it is Salmon, 3-4 oz, about 3 oz of green Beans and 1/4 cup brown rice) Snack: 1/2 c. sottage cheese and 1/2 banana or small handfull chips or crackers Dinner: I shoot for a palm size of Protein and the same of a veggie. Dessert: I try not to have one every night. But maybe pudding (made from the box) or ice cream.

Telly, I love your attitude. So how was the decision made to reamin awake for surgery? I think it would be fascinating to watch, but not on my own body. You obviously have a strong stomach. Both figuratively and literally!

Yesterday, I saw Dr. Holloway for a fill. He works out hospitals in Scottsbluff and Kimball, Nebraska. (Western Surgical Group) This is about 40 minutes from Cheyenne and about 2.5 - 3 hours from Denver. He was very nice and knowledegable and I would reccomend him to anyone in the area! Fills are $ 150ish for the first visit and $50ish after that. I say 'ish' because they will try to bill my insurance and I don't know the exact amount. Hope this helps!

You can contact the main office in Scottsbluff and they have all his Kimball contact info. He prefers to do the first fill in Scottsbluff as he has access to flouro should he need it. With me, I sort of slipped through that rule and had it done in Kimball. No flouro for me. He just felt the port and inserted the needle in the first try. I think he goe sto Kimball a few times a month. Also, he is out of town right now --- he'll be back the first week in November I think.

I haven't invested in any creams for sagging skin. I have however, invested in mederma which I've been using on the band scars and stretch marks. No change so far. But I guess it takes a few months. Who knows if it even works...if ANY of it works. But I still want to give it a try.

Telly I'm so excited for you! When you can, will you post a totally in depth blow-by-blow? Take care of yourself and heal. I know you already had a rockin' bod before. This is just icing on the cake! You've worked so hard and totally inspire me!

I tried so many. Pretty much anything with whey was really gross and bitter. Zero carb stuff just tasted like chemicals. My favorite is the GNC brand soy Protein (sometimes labeled "pro performance 95"). Great flavors are Cookies n Cream and Vanilla. Excellent taste, high protein, low carb! http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2133648&cp=2167077.2168524.2169548&parentPage=family

Kate that sucks! Is there any way you could make an appointment and just talk to the doctor about it? Sometimes the front desk staff are instructed to repeat the rules. But maybe your doctor could be more understanding if you were there to discuss it. Could you go to a different doctor for fills? 8 weeks seems really excessive. My fill doctor said if you aren't feeling anythjing after TWO weeks then you should come back. In 8 weeks time, with no real restriction, you could potentially gain weight. Why would a surgeon want to set you up for that?

Don't worry! The healing phase was a bit tricky for my husband. He would want to go out for Mexican and I'd say "do you think they have chicken broth?" But once you progress to mushy and soft foods you can find things on the menu at a restaurant. Take that vacation! At one month I was doing great! If anything, at one month I had lost ALL of the post surgery restriction and felt like I could eat a horse! Don't stress about the food. She will still be able to enjoy a wide variety of foods...just in smaller quantities and at a slower pace. Yes, she may have difficulty with bread or Pasta but that is different for everyone. For me, bread and things that are too doughy aren't that tempting when you know the consequences. What is worse, it having treats like ice cream, Cookies and other yummies around. They go down TOO easy!

Well said Jachut. Can we just be honest? OF COURSE health is my number one priority. But what if looking/feeling food is a close second? So what? Am I somehow less deserving of the band? I haven't "earned" it because I have not been suffering with multiple illnesses? Is it not enough to be discriminated against in love, work, wages, and personal relationships to warrant being banded? I think not. Come on people, let's be real. There are many reasons to want to be a normal and healthy weight. Medical, personal..etc. There is nothing wrong with that!

pebbles, take care of yourself for sure. we'll be ready with support when you get that first fill! faybie, sorry to hear about the stuckness. I et with liquids you'll be back to normal in a snap. I had a wee bit o' the golfball at lunch today. I was eating a little bit fast and a little too much and it was like "BAM" and I immediately put the fork down. It subsided pretty quickly. But i twas really the first time I had a strong painful sign that said "STOP!" I'm learning that there is a delay (duh) and I need to stop eating even if it feels like it hasn't been much food or much time. Usually, if I can just wait a few minutes it all catches up.

Drews, is the port replacement an inpatient thing? Under a local?

I COMPLETELY agree with you. Geezer comments kind of rubbed me the wrong way as I re-read them in your post. Everyone has the right to feel good about themselves, period. I would love to think we could all feel great with affirmations and positive self-talk...but that isn't the world we live in. There is nothing wrong with making an informed, intelligent choice to alter your body to feel better about yourself.

As my doctor said 'there is no such thing as a healthy morbidly obese person'. Despite fitting into 'healthy' criteria temporarily, you will NOT stay that way for long with a BMI over 40.

I just read on the Inamed webiste that for every .4 cc that is put in the band, the diameter decreases by .5 mm. I thought that was interesting.

hunny, I know what you mean. I have struggled with why, philosophically, I can't accept my size. I'm not talking about health issues. For the sake of the argument, let's assume Hunny is referring to being overweight but still maintaining average health. I think I fall into that category. Aside from being embarrassed and feeling mental anguish over my weight, I am healthy. Now, if I continue to have a BMI of 41 would I stay healthy? Probably not. Hunny, I do think there is a societal pressure to conform to certain standards. Body hair, clothing, hygeine...it's more than just weight. There are so many thinsg we do to fit in to society that we don't even think about. It is unfortunate that weight can be such a huge consuming struggle. Whereas, shaving your legs is not. Make sense? I do think we should accept people AND ourselves at a normal naturally healthy weight and not rely on charts and size numbers. But yeah, it is screwed up and I have to remind myself that there are many benefits to losing weight that are personal and not attached to the outside world.

Ok, I didn't really make much of a point. I think it is tough sometimes, to navigate in the world and be sensitive to racial and ethnic differences, and yet also be able to IGNORE those differences. When I approached that producer, I thought I was doing the good thing -- trying NOT to pretend like I was keyed in to my target audience. Turns out, that is part of what is keeping my fellow producer from working on a variety of projects -- my assumption that surely she would know what to write. Anyway Pebbles, you seem very cool to me. I think you should totally do the dance thing! Who cares who usually does it? If you want to do it or think it would be fun, go for it.

Poodles, good question! I think one of the coolest things about the internet is that you can find common ground with so many different people. Different classes, races, religious backgrounds...they all come together to surf, or chat or learn. It can be touchy at times and we have to tread lightly. But overall, I think it is the best thing for us as a culture. In person, i.e. the real world, has much changed? Probably a little but not much. It's hard for me to know. I am totally a white-bread dork. I use 'urban slang' (which by the way, I hate how we say 'urban' when it refers to Black culture) a lot at work and I know the black girls think I'm an idiot. I say stuff like " I need a toothpick, my lunch is all up in my grill" and I sing "Ridin' Dirty" and generally pretend I'm being culturally relevant by referencing things from a world that is not my own. But who cares? Let's bust out of the stereotypes and just enjoy music and slang or movies or people -- regardless of race. But sometimes I think, am I offending the black girls who sit next to me? Do they think I am insensitive? Interesting story that totally relates to what you're talking about. I work in TV and I had to produce a piece for a black audience. It is usually written very over-the-top...as in Chris Rock or old Eddie Murphy. So I went to another producer, who is Black. I saw that she produced the last piece and I asked her to look at my script and see what she thought. She was obviously annoyed. She said she was no more 'connected' to the black viewer than I was, and she was tired of being to 'go-to' person for anything selling to a Black audience. So, yeah, I felt like a douchebag. But then I made my case that I only came to her because she was the last person to work on the project. She said 'yeah, they pretty much only give me the Black projects, it sucks".

I like that she is a 20, because it is such a dramtic contrast. Yet, I think it could also be interpreted as mockery or shock factor. And really, if we want more size acceptance, I would say it would be better the show a 14/16 woman...someone slighty more 'average'. I mean this in the sense that if we truly want to integrate NORMAL size models, it is best accomplished with an element of subtlety. "Velvet" is far from subtle. But she looks like she is having a blast! You never see those size 0 freaks crack a smile. Velvet is workin' it!

Puddin', thanks for that word of encouragment. Sounds like it is sort of a rite of passage so I will try to roll with it and not flip out if it happens.

Kirsten, I'm pretty new to band, but no PBs for me. It really scares me, too! Yet, I'm also a wee bit curious - just so I know what to expect. This fill I had yesterday is pretty tight and I'm taking it really slow. I think that is the key.

Mangojoy, we have really similar stats. I weigh more, but I'm 5'3". I too, am in very good health, aside from lugging all this weight around. I was self-pay, too. (Although I did make a try at insurance coverage.) I, too, exercise and feel that for my weight I am in decent shape. But where would I be in 10 years without the lap-band ? That was really the question I considered. Assuming that I will continue to gain as my metabolism slows with age (I'm 30), coupled with the fact that I have steadily gained over the last 6 years -- how could I NOT get the surgery! I did a lot of research. I know diets don't work. I know that unfortunately, I require far less calories to survive than my skinny friends. I see the band as a way to bridge the gap. I need to eat less, but I don't want to feel starved or deprived. So far, the band has been a really good fit for my life! I know there are risks. I know there are people who are unhappy with heir results or who have complications. But I have to try! Statistically, there are many many succesfull people. I look forward to being one of them - and if I'm not, well, then I tried. The statistics for losing weight and maintaining with diet and exercise are terrible. I know from my own expereince that if I could have done it 'on my own' I would've by now! Why continue to gain and fight the battle when there is a tool designed to help us? I don't want to be ashamed of my body anymore. I don't want to dread summer time because it means I have to show some skin. I want to go swimming and dancing and LIVING with confidence and comfort! As for self-pay, don't let that discourage you. You can find excellent surgeons with fair prices. I was super skeptical about the Mexican surgeons. I did a lot of research before I went across the border. But I couldn't be more pleased with my surgeon and the after-care here in the US. Please feel free to PM me if you want to. I was in your shoes!