sistasassy

Oh, I like The Powder Room.... or The Ladies Lounge.

If you are eating mainly Protein and very very few carbs it may be that you are in ketosis. That will cause a change in your breath. The good thing about it is that it does pass in a few months. That is my opinion from reading a post on another board. That is not fact though. I would keep the mouthwash handy for a while.

July Butterflies is cute.

Thank the Lord! I was so scared Mexican food would be taboo. It is my favorite. I have been evaluating their menu to see what higher protein/lower "junkish" type food they offer. I am glad to know I can still go. I will just be eating a different and better and smaller way when I do! :thumbup::thumbup::smile::thumbup:

What about Jiggin' Julys. (Not Jigglin' Julys - although cute too). Everyone is gonna be doin' a jig when they start losin'! I am hopeful that I will be a July as well. Working my way through the hoops right now.

I have not been banded yet but I have read the others say that warm liquids go down easier. I would try to sip some hot tea.

If you do not want to switch to a new surgeon, I would call back and "befriend" one of the nurses. Then only ask to speak to her when you call. Get to know them by name and use their name in conversation with them. This helps to build that "friendship" sort of thing and makes you a real person to them rather than potential surgery. Let them know you are there and wanting to get moving and are ready to do anything to make the process move faster. Ask lots of questions (valid and good ones). All of that will sort of put you on their "radar" and they will be more apt to move things along. Be sincere and honest with them and hopefully you will see some progress.

Read Read Read! That is what I did and that is how I made my decision. I am in the same weight range that you are and I am very unhealthy and unhappy. I just had my consultation with my surgeon and then took about 24 hours to REALLY decide between the RNY and the Lap Band and finally opted for the band. I have five children and at this point I am not ready to go for the more "dangerous" surgery. I would prefer to give the band a chance to help me. Remember, the thing I have read over and over is that the band will be a tool to help you lose. You play a big part in that process. Good luck on your decision!

My guess is that it is an internal suture working its way out. I had them doing that for months after I had surgery on my leg. Your body "should" continue to work it out. Some come out. Some don't.

My doc says I will need to be on Optifast before surgery. Will I get that from him or is there somewhere to buy it?

My mom didn't say much until she did her own research on it. Now she is totally onboard. My grandfather, on the other hand, said "Well, someone just needs to tie you up so you will stop eating." Flat broke my heart. I cried and cried after he left the room. My grandma, who has never been overly nurturing came over, hugged me, and told me to just forget about what my grandpa said. That made me feel better but I was still pretty upset for a while. Some people just don't understand it because they have never battled and I mean LITERALLY battled their weight.

Too funny! My son said the same thing to me today. :thumbup:

Yeah! I am underway! I had my consult yesterday. All went well. I see my shrink next Wednesday for my psych evaluation which I am sure will be fine and the nurse is setting up my nutritionist appointment as I type! I had this horrible moment where I almost swayed over to the RNY but I was sick about it all night and called first thing this morning to announce that I was definately ready to be a bandster. I am ready for the hard work. I am ready to get my tool. I feel sooooo much better about this decision than the other. Yeah for me!!!! p.s. I also checked out the RNY forum at another site and they were not NEARLY as supportive or kind as the people at this site. It was a factor in my decision. I want to be able have others to share with and who can sort of help me along the way.

I am so glad there are others out there that were as freaked out as I am. I am soooo looking forward to getting my band. I want to see weight move off of me. I know there will be bumps in the road. I am also glad that I filled out all the pre-appointment paper work a week ago instead of waiting till today. I think that would have added to the anxiety. I got a nice hot cup of coffee (decaf only for me) and I am calming down some. Thank you so much for the encouragement.

Okay, I have been on here asking questions. Reading alot. Getting a good feel for everything. All has been fine and dandy cuz I have been ultra busy for the past couple of weeks. No time to really really concentrate on my consult date. Well, it is tomorrow morning and it is all reality now. I have been up and moving alot today to get the stress out but still it remains. Am not taking any extra Xanax as I do not want to use it anymore than needed. (yes, we all had this talk one day) Was anyone else this nervous before just their little old consult appointment? I think it is excitement that I am feeling. REALLY looking forward to getting this ball rolling. Think I may take a long warm bath. That seems to take the edge off. Pray for me! :smile2::w00t::scared2:

I take Cymbalta (60 mg) everynight before bed. I take Xanax (.25 mg) every four hours to keep relatively new and wild panic attacks at bay. (Sigh....why do I set myself up for attack?) I have not gained from either of those. I did gain while they were trying Zoloft, Ativan, Klonapin, and Abilify (that medicine HATED me, probably cuz I am not bipolar).

I was wondering what preferences were to ice vs. heat post op. I am addicted to my heating pads and have a hard time putting ice on places of pain. Is ice good for the first few days and then move to heat or what? Wondering if I need to get a few hot/ cold packs in the freezer before I have surgery.

Thanks Brandy. I need all the encouragement I can get. I have been working very hard on not being so committed all the time. My wonderful worldclass hubby has played a big role in that too. He has begun really taking on a lot of what I do and he has been delegating out to the kids as well. People at church (staff over me) have tried to do the same with some of the load I carry there as well. I also have dealt with a brother who was horribly injured in a motorcyle accident for the past two years. He is Type 1 diabetic as well. He needed a lot of round the clock care and my mother and I were there for him all the time. Then, last summer, I went to work for the employer from Hell. She was the owner of the business(es) that I was managing and demanded 200% of my time. My family truly suffered during that time. I was always working. I left there in December and took a much better and happier job. It was a about a month into it my new job that my panic attacks started. That is why my docs feel that they will be short lived. They think it is sort of residue from the past couple of years. I will be sooooo glad to have them gone but will learn to cope if they decide they are here to stay.

Well, I am guessing that if it is purely positional and which definition you chose, you truly could do it right there in the hospital! :cursing:

LOL @ home from the hospital! :cursing:

Awesome. My hot hubby will be whining after a couple of days so I was hoping the wait would be short. :cursing:

How soon after surgery can you have sex? I would think there would be no restriction on this but am asking just to make sure. :cursing:

See, I don't have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). I really don't have much depression either. These were out of the blue AFTER a number of years of high stress. I was finally in a good place in my life and then BAM, I was at work one day and everything began to go black. My heart started to race, my blood pressure went through the roof, I was freezing cold but sweating like a maniac. I honestly thought I was dying. My employer called an ambulance and my hubby. I was wisked off to the hospital and it was there, after hours and hours of testing, that it was diagnosed as a panic attack. The drug parade began that night. Over the next five days I was in the ER by ambulance 6 times. No one ever took the time to talk to me about what was actually happening. Finally, on the last ride, a paramedic explained how a panic attack works. I began to get a grip on them then but the drugs I was on were not working in various forms and fashions. Some made me shaky all over. Some made me sick. Some made me hyper. Some totally zoned me out. My life is too busy to be a mess. I have five teenagers, a husband, a dog, a household to run, a business to run, and a ministry. Screwed up is not an option for me. My PCP finally switched me to Cymbalta. The shakes went away within days. My shrink switched me to Xanax (at my request) from Ativan and my mind cleared and I was no longer a grouch. I am a normal functioning person again. My family smiles at me again instead of hiding in their rooms. My "comforter" son is no longer spending his time sitting by my side trying to comfort me and dote on me. He is off being a kid again. My dog is not clinging to me anymore (she would not leave my side and would howl if I had to leave -- not normal behavior for her at all). I am not drugged or loopy or zoned out. I am me again. Could I type clearly on mega drugs? No. I can type and think this is pretty well done and pretty well explained. I felt more of a relaxed sensation after nursing my sons that I get from the Xanax. After nursing I was wiped out from the nursing hormone. On Xanax, I just keep on going with no pause in the day. I take .25 mg of Xanax every 4 hours and have a prescription for it. I am closely monitored by my docs and pharmacist. I do not feel guilty or embarrassed by taking this medication and often joke about it to those who know and love me. I will feel the same about my Lap Band. Like I said before. I just wanted to know if I would be able to take my medication after midnight on the night before surgery. If I were a drug addict, I don't think I would be being cleared for surgery. The Cymbalta is being used to settle my system down. The Xanax is to stop the panic attacks. You have to understand that they are not just once a month or so. They will come 5+ times per day if I am not taking the Xanax like I am supposed to be doing. I have also seen every ER doc at our hospital and am assured each time that my meds are right on target for my disorder. That many doctors cannot be wrong. :cursing:

Sue, I believe that if you gained the weight (or carried the weight or whatever) that you would have a good chance. The only kicker would be if you insurance company were to say that you had to be at that weight for a certain length of time before approval.

doglvr, I figure I will believe the same thing. My panic attacks (the big ones) usually result in all the heart attack testing cuz it is so hard to tell the difference -- other than the fact that I live through the panic attacks.