Sherry 87 down 15 to go

Just a thought, but why not go to one of the Dept stores and look, there are some (walmart) that still have those cotton type sun dresses that can be stepped in to. They are roomy enough that you could sleep in them. Good Luck!!!! I can't wait till I figure out what I will do about all my excess!

Congrats!!! I am struggling with my decision on this.

Vanilla Sky, did your insurance pay for yours?

I can't eat chicken at all. It was a staple in my diet before. I was banded by Dr. Groves in March 2009 and am at a standstill. :thumbup: I have a weigh-in on Monday, possible fill. I hate those days. I am always disappointed.

Hi, Congrats on your decision to have your lapband done. Also on choosing to use Britt & Groves, they are the best. I know that there has to be a six month pre-op diet for most insurance companies to approve. This diet has to be monitored by your reg. doctor. My husband is doing this now and will hopefully have his surgery scheduled about the time you have your first appointment. We are excited. It has been a year since I had mine. I haven't lost it as fast as I thought I would, but I am still losing and that is what counts. (my ticker is correct now :scared2: The pre-op diet could be one of two different diets. Similar to the Atkins, w/protein being your main goal. Or counting calories w/protein still being the main part of the meal. I personally couldn't do Atkins and had to do the calorie counting. Good Luck!! You found a wonderful site to get your questions answered. Feel free to email me at anytime at the same user name as here, but at hot mail instead. Have a great day, Sherry French

Hi, Congrats on your accomplishments already! RE: your steamed bags. What kind of fish do you cook? For how long? and are there special bags for that or do you just buy ziploc bags? Thanks for any answers.

I also had one, but didn't know it. It was removed in surgery during the LapBand procedure. It didn't add that much time either. Good Luck, God Bless! p.s. my ticker isn't correct... I do need to fix it, lol if I could remember how I did it the first time.

The nutrition visit is basically you going to Guntersville right past the walmart there and sitting in with others to listen to a nutritionist talk about how you should be eating afterward. There is a question/answer time and it took about an hour. Beware, there is an $80 fee for this. My hospital stay was done on outpatient basis. The surgery took about an hour. I did go home that evening and arrived at home around six, with my surgery being at noon. Good Luck! God Bless! btw, my ticker isn't correct any longer. :sneaky:

Thank you. Peaceful is great, except I miss my husband and son so much. I usually have one or the other, but right now, w/neither home and my adult children so busy in their lives (ages 24 and 19) and living out of the house, I just feel ... well.... you know... 'lost', I guess. But I will be good. I know. Thanks for the comment.

One Week...and I am still here. It is not at all the way I expected it to be. Having the surgery on March 10, 2009 I expected to be in absolute pain now from hunger. I have yet to feel the hunger. Today I realized I felt full before dinner, then understood it was the muscle pain in my stomach that I was feeling, not a fullness. I also discovered something to add to my diet. Since Chicken Broth was the staple of my diet up to date, not liking beef, however, "Better than Bullion" Beef is absolutely the best. It taste like it came straight from a Beef Roast. I don't put as much as suggested, of course, but oh my goodness! It is wonderful! So great! I have had a good week, except for the shoulder pain from the gas. I do not like pain pills and have not taken as many as suggested. My husband left for Germany on Saturday, my son left to spend a week at his Dad's on Sunday. I am alone. I am slowly working my way into all the small chores around the house and laundry being one of them, I have become inventive in not having to bend over. (Long story) Being alone, though, is lonely, but a bliss at the same time. I come home from work and get ready for bed. I did look funny tonight in my gown, w/tennis shoes on while walking on the T-mill for my 30 minutes of exercise. :thumbup: At any rate, my incisions are healing well. Not knowing I had the Hiatal (sp?) Hernia didn't make things better after having it removed. :ohmy: I have found I am finding it hard to sit up straight, I find myself slouching more and therefore my stomach muscles and back muscles get sore. My beef dinner is waiting, it is cool now and I am ready for it, so I can go back to crocheting my daughters Birthday present. :thumbup: God Bless Sherry

One Week...and I am still here. It is not at all the way I expected it to be. Having the surgery on March 10, 2009 I expected to be in absolute pain now from hunger. I have yet to feel the hunger. Today I realized I felt full before dinner, then understood it was the muscle pain in my stomach that I was feeling, not a fullness. I also discovered something to add to my diet. Since Chicken Broth was the staple of my diet up to date, not liking beef, however, "Better than Bullion" Beef is absolutely the best. It taste like it came straight from a Beef Roast. I don't put as much as suggested, of course, but oh my goodness! It is wonderful! So great! I have had a good week, except for the shoulder pain from the gas. I do not like pain pills and have not taken as many as suggested. My husband left for Germany on Saturday, my son left to spend a week at his Dad's on Sunday. I am alone. I am slowly working my way into all the small chores around the house and laundry being one of them, I have become inventive in not having to bend over. (Long story) Being alone, though, is lonely, but a bliss at the same time. I come home from work and get ready for bed. I did look funny tonight in my gown, w/tennis shoes on while walking on the T-mill for my 30 minutes of exercise. :thumbup: At any rate, my incisions are healing well. Not knowing I had the Hiatal (sp?) Hernia didn't make things better after having it removed. :ohmy: I have found I am finding it hard to sit up straight, I find myself slouching more and therefore my stomach muscles and back muscles get sore. My beef dinner is waiting, it is cool now and I am ready for it, so I can go back to crocheting my daughters Birthday present. God Bless Sherry

My son had almost the same pains, of course he doesn't have a band. However, he stopped all caffiene and it went away. He went back on it after a month and it all came back until he quit it again. Just a thought. Get well soon.

:w00t: Baggy Panties... sure that will be great, I am in a nine now. However, I really am anxious about buying CUTE panties! My daughter got lots when she was in a five and six, lol I loved buying cute ones for her, even though she was out of the house. It is my turn now!! She told me she would buy me my first pair of CUTE PANTIES! LOL

March 10, 2009. As cliche' as it may sound, I am looking on today as the first day of the rest of my life. I have been overweight for 31 years and have had some form of pain or medical problem since I was 22. My youngest is twelve yrs old, almost thirteen. He is pretty much self sufficient and I have decided...it is my turn. I absolutely love my husband, my children, and my family. I have done what I can do for others most of my life. Now is my time. It is almost 8:00 a.m. and my surgery isn't scheduled until noon. I miss my coffee, even though I have been on decaf (coffee, tea, & other drinks) since the end of January. I still crave the taste of coffee. It is my soothing moment in the mornings. I am thirsty. I was told I could take my Blood Pressure pill and I am waiting about taking it as long as I can because they said I could have one sip of water with that. When my throat is so dry, I can't stant it, I will take my pill with that one blessed sip allowed. I am 43. Haha. It seems funny because on the inside, I do not feel 43 at all. I have never really felt my age, even through the pain and troubles with arthritis. I have always thought ... am I really really that old? I remember when my mom was 43, :wink_smile: My daughter was three. I was pregnant with my second child, Kurt. Not even planning on Kyle, yet. Every year seemed to add weight to my history that I am glancing back at now. I worked so many hours, trying to give my children a better life. Being the wife of a man that was disabled and didn't care about himself much anymore, much less the well-being of his family. I was married to him for seventeen years and was the sole wage earner and provider for the family during that time. He was diagnosed and put on disability right after we were married. Yes, I knew he had a seizure disorder, but you know what they say about Love being Blind? Well, we were both blind. I was already overweight at the time, not as bad as now, of course. He had seizures. We were in love and got married when I was 17. I was working two jobs by the time I was 19, and did so for many many years. Not able to breast feed my children and create that bond, I always had to return back to work as soon as possible after giving birth. I still have, what I consider, and absolutely amazing bond with all three of my children. My oldest two have become friends as well as grown children. :thumbup: My mom and I have a great relationship, also. Everyone is behind me on this, they all want me healthy. I hope this works out well and it is not a bumpy road. I think I have the will power to do this. CORRECTION: I KNOW I HAVE THE WILL POWER TO DO THIS. Today is the day. Just 4 short hours away. One hour till shower time. :smile: I am counting now...counting down. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, ......... 1 last chance to save my life. I hope I can keep this journal of my journey active, along with my lifestyle.

March 10, 2009. As cliche' as it may sound, I am looking on today as the first day of the rest of my life. I have been overweight for 31 years and have had some form of pain or medical problem since I was 22. My youngest is twelve yrs old, almost thirteen. He is pretty much self sufficient and I have decided...it is my turn. I absolutely love my husband, my children, and my family. I have done what I can do for others most of my life. Now is my time. It is almost 8:00 a.m. and my surgery isn't scheduled until noon. I miss my coffee, even though I have been on decaf (coffee, tea, & other drinks) since the end of January. I still crave the taste of coffee. It is my soothing moment in the mornings. I am thirsty. I was told I could take my Blood Pressure pill and I am waiting about taking it as long as I can because they said I could have one sip of water with that. When my throat is so dry, I can't stant it, I will take my pill with that one blessed sip allowed. I am 43. Haha. It seems funny because on the inside, I do not feel 43 at all. I have never really felt my age, even through the pain and troubles with arthritis. I have always thought ... am I really really that old? I remember when my mom was 43, :confused: My daughter was three. I was pregnant with my second child, Kurt. Not even planning on Kyle, yet. Every year seemed to add weight to my history that I am glancing back at now. I worked so many hours, trying to give my children a better life. Being the wife of a man that was disabled and didn't care about himself much anymore, much less the well-being of his family. I was married to him for seventeen years and was the sole wage earner and provider for the family during that time. He was diagnosed and put on disability right after we were married. Yes, I knew he had a seizure disorder, but you know what they say about Love being Blind? Well, we were both blind. I was already overweight at the time, not as bad as now, of course. He had seizures. We were in love and got married when I was 17. I was working two jobs by the time I was 19, and did so for many many years. Not able to breast feed my children and create that bond, I always had to return back to work as soon as possible after giving birth. I still have, what I consider, and absolutely amazing bond with all three of my children. My oldest two have become friends as well as grown children. :thumbup: My mom and I have a great relationship, also. Everyone is behind me on this, they all want me healthy. I hope this works out well and it is not a bumpy road. I think I have the will power to do this. CORRECTION: I KNOW I HAVE THE WILL POWER TO DO THIS. Today is the day. Just 4 short hours away. One hour till shower time. :smile: I am counting now...counting down. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, ......... 1 last chance to save my life. I hope I can keep this journal of my journey active, along with my lifestyle.

I read. Thank you for posting. I don't have a date yet. Seems the Doc's ofc has had my info for more than two weeks and still hasn't submitted it yet as of yesterday. Good luck on your journey!

Glad you are doing so well! Good Luck, God Bless

Thank you so much for sharing. I am awaiting approval from insurance, but will keep watching for recipes for future use.

Good Luck, God Bless!

Congratulations!!! I know you must be so proud! Get well soon, so you can celebrate in style!

I have this problem on a regular basis and is one of the reasons I am ready to try lap band. Sound silly? Yes, I know. But if I can get my weight down, my digestive problems might go away. I am currently mixing a powdered substance that was an RX from my Specialist that did my colonoscopy. I mix it with a drink in the morning. It works really well w/keeping me normal. You might want to ask your doc about that. I have to take it twice in the morning, actually for me to stay normal, but three days? Heck, that isn't long at all for me. I would love a great big ol' poo every three days... lol Good Luck, though. I hope you feel better soon.

I cannot give you advice, but I am wishing you well. I have yet to be banded and I kind of find it hard to believe that it will work for me, also. I have no issues with eating all the chocolate, chips, breads, etc. I don't eat them most of the time anyway. I eat six small meals a day with the last one not being after six. If I am this strict w/myself, why can't I lose it on my own and what is going to make a difference with the band? I think we all have our doubts before being banded. I hope you find your "sweet spot" where the band is just right and is restrictive enough that you don't get sick, but you can't eat too much either. It seems to be a difficult part of the process...finding that right amount of fluid in the band. At any rate, don't beat yourself up too bad, and start today, like it is the beginning of the rest of you life. The life that will be healthier, happier and a whole lot thinner. *virtual hug* You can do it!

I buy mine at Lane Bryant, as well. However, I have purchased one lately from Catherine's. It is one for summer and I haven't worn it yet. Anyone else looking to have a reduction after the weight loss? I want to due to back pain and such. A C size sounds wonderful. Heck, a B size sounds wonderful to me. The physician that did my first appointment about a reduction told me that I have no fat tissue in my breasts, therefore when I lose weight, I will not lose boobs. :confused: I guess they will just keep sagging till all the weight is gone. lol Lane Bryant last lots longer than anything I have ever worn. /me

UPDATE: I waited most of the morning waiting on the phone to ring and ended up finally going to lunch at home. I did not even check the answering machine at home because I didn't want to push it..thinking they had called when I specified they call my cell. LOL So, watching Design on a Dime, I popped a piece of celery in my mouth and the phone rings and it is Dr. Groves office! I have an appt for Jan. 28th. I have to go to the seminar on the 15th! I just need that five years of documentation. I am working on that now. I happened to think about visiting Med Assist in 2004. Just don't remember if they weighed me or not. Wish me luck! Thanks to everyone who has replied. Sherry

Cheryl, I did not take it as you being rude, but being honest. I do want this enough to fight for it. I do not mind going beyond a few phone calls to get it either. Before my doctor's appt today, I called the insurance and got the requirements, then got the date of my first appt with my doc. So, finding out it was in Nov of 2005, I knew that wasn't enough. I called my Dr. from back home. I saw him for three years. He had me on a diet even, but no where in those three years worth of papers was anything about how much I weighed! Nothing. I was amazed, to say the least. My OBGYN that delivered my youngest in 1996 had retired, but the doc that didn't keep records told me all his patients were transferred to another doc and she gave me the name. So, I called his office. No, I was told they did not have my records. I didn't "pay" to have them transferred, therefore they were probably destroyed. Okay.... So, I called the surgeon I thought of when I was on hold with the OBGYN. This Dr. did my hystorectomy in 2000. SO, I looked that number up, and was ready to call when the OBGYN told me that they couldn't help. So, I called that doctor. :wink_smile: Yes, they did have my record. Yes, they had my weight on the first page of my form, Yes they would not have any issues with faxing it to me. And she did. I took it with me. Funny thing is, I weighed five lbs less than I did today at the doctor's office. Okay, that isn't funny, since that was 9 years ago. But my Doc says he doesn't see an issue w/me getting approved with all my medical problems. I do not mind writing a letter. I can do that. I wouldn't really know where to begin, but I can do that. I have never been thin, I have never wanted to be skinny. I want to be healthy now. I hate having to take meds, I hate having the meds not touch what is wrong with me. Doc says the weight loss is well documented in his office and he knows this is the right step for me. He said he was going to push to get it done quickly so that I won't change my mind. He says he is afraid I am giving up. I have shown disappointment in myself. I know I have. I am very disappointed in me. SO, here I am. I have called Dr. Groves office. I do not mind waiting on her to call me back. :thumbup: Gives me more time to think about it. Which is what my doc didn't want me to do. Maybe it won't be long before I hear something. My fingers are crossed that whatever happens is the right thing for me. I will fight it till there is nothing left to do if they turn me down. I need it. I want it. Yes, I am ready for a change. Thanks for your replies.