ellendeette

I agree with you about the pregnancy test. Its "required" that the hospitals do it. I am 55 and it made me laugh when I saw it on my itemized list of services. I think its yet another cost that hospitals add to their huge bill so they can get insurance to pay. No wonder premiums for medical insurance is so high.

I was not comfortable using the baby spoon or fork. I tried them and the handles were too small. I usually use a ice tea spoon. It works for me. Its smaller than a regular teaspoon and I like the long handle. I sometimes use the small forks that came with my silverware set. Most of the time I use a regular fork. I use a steak knife to cut my meat, chicken or fish, into smaller pieces. I like to use my dessert plates. They are bigger than a plate for a cup and smaller than a dinner plate. I also use smaller size bowls. I keep a stack of the smaller bowls for easy use so I don't let myself choose another size. I use my china for every day now. I frequently switch back and forth between my dish sets (I have four sets of dishes). My glasses I use are on the small side anyway so I didn't have to change that. I also have two types of glass measuring cups on my counter. I measure everything routinely when I put put on my plate. Its become so part of my measuring out food that I don't even notice that I'm measuring things. Once I measure the food or drink, that is frequently all that works for me to eat. I know that is the correct amount and somehow it works that I feel satisfied with that amount.

You are right about the snuggies. They are not perfect. I love your idea of an eternity ring. They are so beautiful and when they spin, you won't miss their beauty. I guess the lapbanders who love jewelry will work around this side effect of losing weight. Its amazing the ideas we get from this site to help with our journey.

Congratulations on your marriage. Wishing you both lots of happiness together. It sounds like your new hubby not only gave you an incentive to have your rings re-sized in the future but something to look forward to. I like his style and encouragement.

Congratulations on your weight loss! My rings kept spinning and I'm not ready to have them re-sized with a jeweler until I lose more weight. Someone suggested those plastic huggies. I bought that in the jewelry section at WalMart last weekend. They really help. They feel weird for a few days and then you forget that they are there.

I was rebanded in November 2009. I had my first fill a few weeks ago. I had 4 cc's put in. I felt restriction for the first month after the band was put in but than I think I waited too long to have my first fill. Anway, I had my first fill now and feel I am on track again. I had some soft scrambled eggs this morning and they were getting stuck! I was so happy (I know I am weird). Its amazing how restriction can hit at any time. The eggs finally went down but I realize I need to be more careful once again with smaller bites and what I eat. I am delighted that I rebanded. I tried living without my band and I gained weight! It was awful. I felt so desperate. I used the same plan without the band. The band makes a HUGE difference. I am so grateful that my insurance paid to have my band put back in. Good luck with your surgery in a few weeks. I also found that the second time around having my band put in was a breeze. You know what to expect and its takes the fear away. Of course, you can always have complications which can make your recovery time longer. I had my surgery on a Thursday and returned to work the following Monday. I had no complications, no pain medications, etc.

Yes, I have advice. I have been there before. I had my first band put in on May 20, 2008. My band slipped in July 2009. You have to see a bariatric doctor ASAP. Otherwise, you could get terribly dehydrated. Your body needs fluids. You could become very weak. This is life threatening. When my band slipped, my saliva, Water, and food would not stay down. Everything came up. Even sucking on ice chips, the water would come up. I became very weak. I was on vacation in Kaui. I went to the ER and there were no bariatric surgeons there. They called my surgeon over the phone. They tried getting Fluid out of my band but it was so twisted they could not access the port. They gave me an X-ray and CAT-scan. They put me on an IV all day so I could get fluids. I flew home the next day and had all kinds of tests and they took my band out. I did not eat anything for almost a week. I had only the IV with salt in it. I had a new band put in in November 2009. I am relieved its back in but when my band slipped I was so discouraged. I thought it would never happen to me. This can be quite serious when your band slips. If you cannot reach your bariatric surgeon, go the emergency room and they will call your doctor. Its obviously best if you have the same doctor who put your band in to talk to but the symptoms you are describing might mean that your band has slipped and is cutting off food and water going down. Good luck! Please post again so me and others will know how you are doing.

Excellent! I am going to check it out. I am so afraid my rings are going to slip off my fingers and I don't want to have them resized until I drop more weight. I am shooting for getting under 200 pounds soon!

I know what you mean about shoes. I have so many. Some of the ones that are too big, I saved! I couldn't part with them. I don't know what I am thinking. I gave all almost all of my clothes that don't fit but my shoes are tough to give up. I just gave up two pairs of leather boots to my Mom and Sister. I bought my first pair of leather boots that go up to my knees! I am in heaven. I grew up in Michigan and could NEVER get boots to fit my calves. I live in California and it still tickled me to find boots that went over my calves since I have lost weight. The little surprises of weight loss are delightful!

That is so cool about the ring inserts at WalMart. I will check it out and get some. I don't have a WalMart near me but when I visit my Dad he has one by his house. Thanks for the tip! I love it.

Yes, my shoe size went down after losing weight. I used to wear size 9 wide and now I wear size 8 medium width. Its opened a new world for me with shoes because finding wide width was a challenge at times. I had to get rid of many of my shoes because it wasn't safe to walk in them. I even used thicker socks and inserts. It took me by surprise when my shoes didn't fit. Also, my rings spin around on my fingers. I haven't figured out when to go have my rings re-sized yet. It costs quite a bit to have them resized but probably worth it because I don't want them to slip off my fingers!

Yes, I was rebanded on November 5, 2009. My band slipped while I was on vacation in Hawaii in July 2009. I am so glad I had it put back in. I have no cravings and feel satisfied eating small amounts of food. I have lost the weight I gained between July and November 5. I have not had a fill yet. I am taking this all very slowly the second time around. I am wearing a size 14 and I am quite delighted! I feel and look so MUCH BETTER. My shoe size shrank. I went from a size 8 1/2-9 wide to a size 8 with medium width. I no longer take blood pressure medication and my arthritis knees love the extra weight being gone so my mobility has increased. Good luck with your new band. Keep us all posted on your surgery and how you are doing.

I want to join in on this thread. I used to measure 5'6 but because of getting older and arthritis over the years, I am now 5'4 (or so). I have always wanted to be tall. My aunt who is three years older than me is 5'11 and 1/2 and I always wanted to be that tall. Unfortunately, I don't think that is going to be happening for me. I have bone straight blond hair that I am always trying to bend or fluff up. I have blue eyes and I am quite fair. I have real problems trying to get a "tan" in the summer. I've always liked my teeth because they are pretty straight. So that the grey hair doesn't show up, I have my hair highlighted. My shoe size has shrunk since I've lost weight. I am from a size 9 wide to an 8 medium. My rings on my fingers spin around since I've lost weight. Some day soon I want to have them resized. The part of my body I am starting to like is that I have a pretty small waist and I'm actually considered "petite." I have been buying petite size dresses and pants. I have NEVER thought of being "petite" anything. Its a new way of thinking about myself. I think I ran out of adjectives. This was a challenging thread because you really have to think of yourself in a different way.

I go to support meetings regularly. Before I was banded, I read on the internet the reasons why certain people are successful with bariatric surgery and those who are not. I have read and have been told that the successful ones attend support groups. Having support groups is one of the main reasons I picked my surgeon. He currently has four support groups each month (every Wednesday). One is called "Eating Normally." Its run by a psychologist and deals with the issues behind eating problems. The other two meetings have either a nutritionist or psychologist who run the meetings. The meetings are combined with people who have had bypass, lap band, etc. We have speakers (other members, plastic surgeon, the bariatric surgeon who sponsors the group, etc) We also have a new lap band meeting run by a nutritionist. It deals with the issues related to lap band only. I would encourage you to go and check it out. I have met some pretty amazing people and you share the journey together.

I agree with your post. Eating does give you a pay off. If it didn't give us one, why would we do it? Support groups really help me, using this website, talking with others who are going through the same journey, etc. I am also going to therapy which really helps. There is a huge difference between surgeons. I picked my surgeon because of his fantastic aftercare program. It never ends. I can always go to the support group or call my bariatric surgeon or his nurses. I feel the band has been a powerful tool for me. I had it put in on May 20, 2008, and I lost 85 pounds. It slipped and I had it taken out in July. I started gaining weight and feeling miserable. I really thought I would do it without that piece of plastic inside me. But guess what? I am having it put back in this Thursday. Its the only thing that I know that helped me with my entire life of struggle of battling food.

That is absolutely awful! I can relate to the discomfort and pain. I felt so much better after it was out. I wouldn't even consider having another band but I am gaining some weight and I am determined not to gain back all the weight I worked so hard to lose and I want to lose more. I am having a new band put in next Thursday. I had my physical done today. I also wouldn't do it again if it cost me anything. Since I have met my $5,000 out of pocket expenses for 2009, Blue Cross covers the bill for my new band. I hope you are feeling better and please post again and give an update on how you are doing.

I am so sorry to read your post today. I lost 85 pounds and my band slipped last July and I had to have it removed. I have not been able to lose anything since July and have gained some weight. It is so very frustrating that words cannot adequately express. I feel for you. I still eat the same small amounts of food, exercise, go to support groups, continue to work with my therapist, watch my Protein, take small bites, etc. The only thing missing is my band. I have researched this subject and cannot find anything that supports my theory but I feel that there is almost a rebound effect your body goes through when your band is removed. When I told my Aunt about what I was going through she said said she thought maybe it takes a long time for your body to adjust to the band being out. I don't know but I made the decision I want my band back. This obviously may not be the answer for you but I am scheduled for surgery for November 5. I do not want to gain all the weight I worked so hard for and I want to continue to lose weight. I was only 6 pounds from my goal to go below 200 pounds. I truly think even if I only drank Protein drinks that I could not physically do it. I wish you well and to hang in there. Continue doing what you know works for you. I think we have to really watch what you eat even more than we did when we had the band and exercise more. I do not know the answer other than that. If anyone else is out there that is farther ahead than us, I would appreciate their advice. In the meantime, I am having a new band put in on November 5.

I guess I should also say and adjust my profile that 200 is my goal right now but my ultimate goal is lower than that. I started out getting under 250, then 240, then 230, etc. I made baby goals but my ultimate goal is to go BELOW 200. I am confident that I am going to reach that with my new band and will maintain the weight loss that I worked so hard to get.

Excellent question. My bariatric surgeon requires the two week of liquid so that the liver will shrink. He makes 5 or 6 holes in my stomach area and then he has to pick up my liver to attach the band to my stomach. The two weeks of liquid diet shrinks my liver so when he lifts it, it won't be harmed. If I wouldn't do the two week liquid diet than my liver would be difficult to lift up and may be hurt or he would have to open me up to give me the lap band. I have gained a few pounds since I had my band removed in July and I'm still over 200 pounds. I would ilke to get down to 150 or 160. My biggest reasons for getting a new replacement band is to maintain my weight loss and to lose more weight. I have not been able to lose any weight since July 2009. I seem to either maintain or gain. Many doctors vary on the liquid diet. Some require it. Some don't. I like it because it gets my mind set for the surgery and then I also repeat this same liquid routine after surgery. I also lose quite a bit of weight doing it before. Its always more difficult before surgery than after. After surgery, your stomach is swollen and you don't feel like eating.

I wanted to let you know that I have been approved for my new band through Blue Cross (PPO)! I am scheduled for surgery on November 8. I am really looking forward to having my band replaced. I start my two-week liquid diet tomorrow. Ellen :thumbup:

It is a million dollar question. I thought the same thing before I had my band put in on May 20, 2008. I did not realize prior to my having my band placed that it would take away my cravings for food. That I would actually feel full and satisfied for the first time in my life on a small portion. Unfortunately, my band slipped this past summer and I had to have it removed. My appetite has returned full force and so has my increased desire for food. I am in the process of requesting a new band. I really miss it. Its a powerful tool. I did not realize it until I unexpectedly lost it. The band helped me put food in perspective and in its place. For most of my life, food ruled me. To me it was heaven to eat absolutely anything I wanted with the band but with a very small portion and to feel satisfied afterwards. It was also amazing to me that after the band, I felt it was easy to make good food choices when you can eat only a very small portion. My taste and smell changed. Things that dazzled me, didn't any more. A Protein shake was something to look forward to. Probably one of the best parts of all is that I saved a ton of money by not overeating. I had to get a completely new wardrobe, new shoes (my shoe size shrank), etc., which probably offset the money spent on food. All in all it changed my life to a much higher plane with losing 85 pounds. I guess what I am trying to say is that its hard to imagine something like a belt wrapped around your stomach could help that much but for those of us who have suffered long and hard struggling with food and having it call out to us, its nice to know that there is something out there that cuts your appetite down to size and makes you enjoy your food with a smaller amount. It doesn't sound like much to someone who doesn' t have a problem with food but to me it was a tremendous gift and I want it BACK.

Thanks for your support and good luck with your new band. I should find out this week or next week about my new band approval from Blue Cross PPO. The band was a tremendous tool for my weight loss. I was wondering if you picked using the Realize band or your surgeon? I have read some really good advantages of the Realize band. My first band was Allergon (not sure of the spelling). Was your first band the Realize or another brand?

I am in a similar situation. I had my band placed in May 2008 and it slipped and twisted and I had to have it removed in July 2009. My stomach was too traumatized to put a new band in. I have lost 85 pounds. I have not lost any weight since my band was removed. My appetite has returned. Its a struggle to eat only the food I measure. The band was a powerful tool and I miss the restriction and the lack of appetite. My bariatric surgeon's office is in the process of submitting an application to Blue Cross PPO along with letters of recommendation from my therapist and internist/rheumatologist. I am hoping that I can have the new band put in 2009 rather than 2010. I met my out-of-pocket expenses in 2009 and it won't cost me anything if I have it put it now. I would have to go through the whole out-of-pocket expenses once again in 2010 and I really need the band's help now. Please let me know how long it takes you to get your approval. I am curious to see how long it will take. When I had the band initially put in, it only took a few weeks after my psych evaluation was submitted and then I had 60 days to have athe band put in after I received my approval from insurance. Good luck!!