Devana

Alisha, hi, I'm glad you found us. Just hang in there, try and keep to your holding pattern. Be sure and post if you're having problems (post anyway, not just with problems!), we're all here to support each other.

Welcome Lisa. I have been banded only from June, but I don't regret it for a minute. Good luck with it all and keep us posted.

Hi Alison, congratulations on your upcoming surgery date. It sounds like you're well researched! I'm glad you found someone you feel so good about. Keep us posted, ok?

Welcome Tawnda, I'm glad you found us. The best way to get your questions answered is to do lots of reading, then ask more questions. There are threads about every aspect of banding. As far as how to finance the surgery, I guess if you don't have the cash in your pocket and can't get it covered by insurance, getting some financing is the only option. Unless you have a rich relative or something. I took out a new low interest credit card. It was the best financing deal for me. Good luck with all this.

Hello there Pennie and welcome!!!!!!! That's a really good price for banding. You might want to look on the Regional USA threads for people in your area. In any event, keep reading and posting. We're all here to help each other.

A big welcome to you both!! I know it may seem discouraging ottertail, but you've still lost 5 lbs per month and they're gone for good. Good work! You may be ready for another fill. Sometimes it takes a few to find the "sweet spot". You both should check out the May and October bandster sites, too, and connect with people who were banded around the same time. Keep reading, keep posting, we're all here to help and support each other.

I am leery of Deet. Health Canada has banned from sale all products with over 30% deet concentration. It does get into the bloodstream and it can have central nervous system effects. The ingredient in catnip, however, has not yet been found to have any dangers, and it's supposed to be 10 times more effective than deet. I have never seen it for sale in a store either, but I have bought it online. How I use it is this: I put some in a small pump spray bottle with some Water and give a good shake and squirt when I need it.

Hi Eva and welcome. I think we all had some level of anxiety before banding. The recovery time varies from person to person. I went back to work to a fairly physical job in just under a week. Others have been off for only 2 or 3 days. For me, day to day life with my family is not much different. I cook all the same things, I just eat much less of it. The incidence of erosion is quite small. Remember that you will hear more of the complications on this site than you will of the people just doing alright with their bands. The best thing to do is just read everything you can here and ask lots of questions. You won't find a more supportive bunch anywhere.

I think those are called cadiz shells.

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome Sue. You may want to try the Regional USA threads to find other bandsters in your area. Good luck with it.

Welcome Jim. I'm glad you found us. I'm hoping I can keep my band for life.

Here's a better one....... What's your favourite first line of a song?

How's this for number 10? What song would you like played at your funeral?

Hi Mary and welcome. There certainly are some long term bandsters here, however I think that sometimes when someone is humming along successfully they may not post as much. It's definitely possible to not have success if the "lap band rules" are not followed. We are all capable of sabotaging ourselves if we try hard enough. Also check out the threads in the Canadian forum. You'll get a chance to others who chose TLBC. I'm from the west coast and chose Mexico. Good luck with your searching.

Welcome Heatherblossom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Jessica and welcome to LBT. I'm glad you found us. So many of us have stories similar to yours. If you explore different threads you'll read of how people became so desperate and discouraged after years of being fat and the discrimination and feelings of not fitting in that goes with it. Read everything you can here. Check out the Regional USA threads for information about your own area, maybe local doctors etc. But most of all, keep posting. We're a friendly and supportive lot and most of us have been where you are right now. All the best Devana

My normal breakfast is a cold processed whey powder drink. Not all whey is the same. If you use the cold processed stuff and take it with selenium you get elevated glutathione production, and glutathione is a major antioxidant. So anyway, I add to the drink some powdered greens and a couple of teaspoons of some healthy omega oil and take some selenium with that. I also make it for my son, but I hide it in an insulated coffee mug with a lid so he doesn't see the colour. Adding powdered greens to strawberry whey can be pretty ugly. He wouldn't drink it if he saw the colour.

Welcome Eva and congratulations on your banding approval. Someone has just begun a December bandsters thread in the General Lap Band Discussion forum. You might want to check that out.

Welcome Hotpink!!!!!! You might want to also try the USA regional threads here. I'm sure they have Michigan information.

Hi Karen, welcome to LBT. I'm glad you found us, and I'm so glad you have an upcoming surgery date. I'm so sorry about your father and I hope your daughter is alright now. I know that kind of stress and even the post trauma stress that follows it can sure pile on the weight for some people. My son was ill for a long time and I spent the best part of a year in the hospital with him. I went from extremely obese to very morbidly obese during that time. It was like living in the twilight zone. By the way, I'm Canadian, but was married in Woking. Keep us updated on how you're doing.

Catnip oil. Crushed catnip leaves rubbed on the skin will even work. You can buy it online.

Sounds good Carlene. I'll rent it. I love personal movie recommendations.

I'm an accordion nerd.

Thanks for the sympathy, guys. Nah, there's no way I'd go and spend a few hours in emergency. I just taped it up with butterfly bandages. An eraser is a great idea, Lila.