K@t

humm...you know im not sure, i read the policy that is for teachers and its not excluded, so i assumed that it ment it was included. But we will have to see...they may consider it a pre existing condition? I dunno, but at least they do take it in case it is covered. How much is a fill with no insurance?

Thanks for the site Terrilen, I'll have to check that out.

Okay, sign up is closed. I will be sending confirmation pm's out today. Please make sure to reply. If you don't I will assume that you no longer want to participate. Thanks!

Well this was my little weekend project I did while I was recouperating from port revision. Its a cross stitch kit from DMC. Quick and fun.

.......because what fun is it to have a nasty slit on your stomach....if ya can't gross people out with it!!??? Man the people at work are getting tired of me!:guess

Great! We are seeing more Florida people every day! I haven't moved back to Florida yet, so I'm not sure what support groups are available, but congrats on 50lbs down! Thats wonderful!

yeah, i planned on getting all my records, i should also have them translated! That might help hehe.... Do you know if they take blue cross blue shield? Thats the insurance that I will have.

I have not gotten any answers or responses from my doctor or his staff -and I know longer try with them - that is why I am starting my search for my own answers - i want to be armed with as much info as i can before i go as I don't think docs are the end all be all -

I never suggested that doctors are the end all to be all.....however they are the only ones qualified to tell you what tests you should take.

Jack gave very good advice, that would be my course of action.

Its all a mystery! The case of the appearing restriction......some one call scooby-doo and the mystery machine!:biggrin1:

Okay, serious face now.... no one really knows about restriction, it comes and goes and some people get it easy and others have a harder time finding it (me!) Who knows why, our bodies are all different. Just be happy that it happened!

I was banded April 26th. So far I haven't had great success but I'm hoping for that to change soon. I have had 2 fills and I only recently had my 2nd fill. I also had port revision and I'm recouperating from that. It was last Thursday. My doc is a bit stingy with the fills and I haven't hit good restriction yet, I'm hoping that with this 2nd fill I will get some better restriction. And as soon as I'm healed I'm gonna hit the gym again.

Hey there,

You were NOT wrong to introduce yourself here. This was fine. Sometimes we're just really slow around here :guess .

Right now I'm about the same as you I'm around 5´5 and 230. I was banded 6 months ago, but I've had some complications and I haven't hit that "sweet spot" good restriction yet.

There is a lot of good information and helpful people around here if you stick around. Read some of the post and lurk around for awhile, you will find some really helpful information.

Good luck with your decision!

The only person who can really help with this is a doctor. If money isn't an issue then you should make an appointment with a doctor to explore the possibilities. There are a million reasons why you could have lost so little. Have you spoken to the doctor that banded you? What does he have to say about such little weight loss?

Okay everyone....last chance...if any one else wants to join, pm me before midnight tonight!!

Thanks guys, it only hurts when I move.... It was fun letting the 2 surgeons shove their hands around my abdomen all afternoon.....:tired

Well hopefully the worst is over. And I guess the fill must be working...yesterday all I had was 2 cups of Soup and 2 liquid yougerts and that was it....and of course today it's all coming out....liquids and mushies for a week should give my weight loss a little kick...I hope.

I'm supposed to go back on Thursday to get the stitches out, I hope it doesn't look horrible because right now its a huge mass under the bandage.

Ok so the doctors painless quick 10 min surgery.....not so quick...about an hour...not so painless about a 5 (on a 1 to 10 scale) Not in horrific pain, but certianly not painless.

I guess some tissue had already grown around the port so he had a hard time getting it out and he actually burned ...yes I said burned, some of my flesh with a laser to get it out...then, when he was stitching me up..it flipped AGAIN! Can you believe it...he had to cut his stitches and flip it back and stitch me back up again.:tired

I love my doctor I think he's very competent but geezzzzzz......

needless to say i'm pretty sore. back to the couch for me.

Hi everyone! I live in Apopka which is part of Orlando and I love it here. I had my band done by Dr Lee J Grossbard in Dade City near Tampa and I cannot rave enough about him or his staff! He is one of the pioneer surgeons of the Lap Band and has one himself. As for Dr Beltre here in Altamonte Springs...all I can tell you is I had one of the worst experiences EVER in a Dr's office..I still cannot believe how rude his staff was to a prospective new patient! To be fair, I never saw the Dr..I was too upset after dealing with his staff! Just for you info. Good luck to all the Florida Bandsters..nice to hear from everyone! Take care.

I'm glad you posted this. The doctor near Tampa will probably be perfect for me since I'll be in Polk County which is in the middle of Tampa and Orlando. I'll give his office a call closer to my move date. It's nice to know that there are some polite doctors out there! I haven't had much luck with my doctor here in Portugal either!

We are going to be really close to each other as well, I'll have to look you up when I get there.

As for everyone else, we should do like a florida banster lunch some where some time and we can all come up together and met for lunch some place!

hummmm.....3 things I like.....

Cats

Cross stitch

Stuffed Animals

Thats a great idea La Madam! What about everyone else???

Make SURE to PM me with your address if you want in...and any one else who wants in please PM me before the 25th, thats Saturday!!

Happy Turkey day too guys, I'll be having my port revision that day....:sick

Make sure to PM me your info. J.S. I don't think I got anything from you.

Ok, I dunno if this is exercise..I mean I know it is, but I dunno if it counts for 35 min. I parked my car up by my in-laws yesterday morning because we were having lunch with them and their house is about 5 blocks from the school I teach at, so I walked down hill to work, and then up hill back to their house when I got off work....I'm not sure it's 35 min worth, but I was huff'n and puff'n when I got to their house (25 steps up to their building too!):eek:

Hi Kat! :biggrin1:

Hubby says...bah humbug back at'cha too..... He's getting coal...or stones, or whatever it is u put in badboys stockings.....:guess

Thanks guys, it's nice to know it's appreciated....all those hours sending pm's :biggrin1: Well, I'll start the list up as soon as I get home from work today, and I'll send you all a pm to let you know that I got your pm's so don't worry....I'm on it!

That is exactly why I am being banded.....i am done college in 3 semesters. It is so wrong to descriminate, but it happens. I don't want to be a heavy teacher.....i hear how the kids talk about their teachers: gotta be pretty and thin. I applaud you for leaving...do the parents know why you left??

I don't agree with this....I have always been big, and bigger then I am now, and my students love me. And I teach middle school. 12/13 year olds. They never snicker or laugh, they think I'm a "cool" teacher and I have students who beg to be in my class because their brother/sister/cousin told them that I was so cool. It's all in the attitude, if you feel confident in yourself, the students will too.

Jojo, glad you posted and glad you complained and way to go on the gift certificate. I have fortunatly never had some one say something like that to me, not even in Portugal. If I'm shopping for myself I usually ask straight away what is the largest size they carry. If I'm shopping for some one else...I don't talk to them until I want their help or until they come to me.

Also TOM, the change thing is soooooooo on the spot. My grandfather made me learn to count back change and my employees can't even do it with a calculator, if the computer is down they are lost. Also, I'm sick of calling customer service and talking to some one who's accent is so heavy I can't understand it. A LOT of companies have moved their customer service reps to Pakistan and India. My aunt lost her job of 12 years because of that with a major telecom company in Dallas.

Okay people, you know the drill. For newbies, this is how it works:

Send me a pm with your name and address. Also mention a few things about yourself, any thing that might help your SS (Secret Santa) pick a gift for you. And for those of you that have been around for awhile please mention if you would be interested in being a substitute should the need arise.

On November 25th, sign up is closed, and I will then send a confirmation pm to you verifying your address, and that you are still interested in the exchange. You have until November 30th to respond and then on December 1st, the names will go out. If you don't respond to me by the 30th I will assume you no longer want to participate.

The guidelines are around $25 including shipping, but as we all know it's the thought that counts. Some of the most beautiful gifts have been hand made and some of the most thoughtful gifts have been less then $10.

You can send your gifts at any time once you have your name, early gifts are always welcome, but please make sure your gift arrives no later then the 25th of December and as we all know, mail is a lot slower at this time of year so please plan accordingly.

Please, Please, Please ONLY sign up if you intend to stick around and see it through. A lot of people sign up and just never come back to LBT, and there is an actual person on the other end of this thing who doesn't get a gift because of that. Please remember we are all real people here, not just faceless computers.

Merry Christmas and let the exchange begin!

Ok I know by now I should have done something....I joined the challenge to motivate me, but really I'm just tired. I'm still waiting for the doc to call me back and tell me my new date for the revision. I figure I'll give him a call on monday since he hasn't called me...doctors...ahh well.

Teaching is going fine, I can't wait for it to be June so I can leave. I'm excited about coming back to the states. First thing I have to do though is find a band doctor there in florida and get that all settled. I would hate to have problems because I had my band surgery here in Portugal.

Christmas is just around the corner, so I'm busy with christmas shopping and christmas cross stitches. I wanted to go ahead and put up our tree but hubby won't let me. There isn't a Thanksgiving here so I figured I might as well get it all up. Dec 1st he says...so I wait...:tired men.

well, my revision was canceled for today, the surgen called this morning and said that he had an emergency and that we would have to postpone until next week, so another week of waiting. :phanvan

It's getting closer to port revision day, I know I should have done some exercise today but I've just been so tired...I'm trying to kick a cold as well. Well, I hope the port revision is as simple as everyone says it is cuz tuesday is the day!

Everyone else sounds like their doing great...I just checked out the weight thread and its amazing how much people have lost since April. I hope after my revision I'll get some restriction and I'll be on my way as well!

Why is everyone copying and pasting the list? We can start a new thread and just always update the 1st post, I think it would be a lot easier that way. What do u guys think??