LindaO

It has been just over a year for me and I have only lost 50 lbs. Believe me, I am very happy with that but I too thought I would have lost more by now. So I am learning to be patient and keep going and hopefully I will drop at least another 30 lbs this year if I am lucky.

Congratulations Jeff...keep us posted!

congrats on onederland!

Haven't blogged here for a long time...and it has been a long time since I began this journey back in April, but I finally have a surgery date. December 11, 2009. I start the pre-op diet next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving....which will be my last big pigout!

Wow, I just found you and you are already gone! WTF? Well, good luck.

The hunger moster is a bastard!

It will be a very busy May with all the appointments I have coming up. This is good because I guess it means thing are rolling along. Last week I met with my PCP who is going to try to get enough weight loss documentation together to sumbit to my insuance co in order to waive the 6 month waiting period. Next on the list is the appointment with the exercise psysiologist and the dietian. The following week I have my Psych evaluation. :wink: And I also need to schedule my stress test. Until I know whether I can get the PCP approval, I won't know when I can have the surgery. I am looking at anywhere between 2 to 5 more months. But I figure it will happen when it is supposed to happen.

Hey Carrie, I have been meaning to email you. I am going to a Lap Band support group meeting on 5/6 at 6:00 in SCS at a church on Little Mack. Will email you with details if you are interested. Let me know. What kind of protein are you using? If it is HMR brands those are pretty good just as they are. Especially the HMR 70 chocolate. Otherwise I really have a hard time with them. Good luck, you can do it. Linda (Royal Oak)

It will be a very busy May with all the appointments I have coming up. This is good because I guess it means thing are rolling along. Last week I met with my PCP who is going to try to get enough weight loss documentation together to sumbit to my insuance co in order to waive the 6 month waiting period. Next on the list is the appointment with the exercise psysiologist and the dietian. The following week I have my Psych evaluation. :wink: And I also need to schedule my stress test. Until I know whether I can get the PCP approval, I won't know when I can have the surgery. I am looking at anywhere between 2 to 5 more months. But I figure it will happen when it is supposed to happen.

Good Luck and keep the faith! And, try to get some rest if you can.

So glad you are OK. I was worried about you. Fell better soon and don't over due it this weekend.

Hope you are OK! Please write when you can to up date us. Or have DH do it so we know you are OK! Saying a prayer for you to get home and better soon.

I just read your entire blog after seeing your dramatic pictures. You look amazing and have done a remarkable job. I am sorry you are feeling down right now. I do hope this passes and you feel in better spirits soon. Being depressed is the worst. Just keep pushing yourself out of it and try to keep busy. Keep posting and showing pictures. . . you are an inspiration! Linda

You DID IT!!!! Yeah!! Thanks for writing us and keeping us posted. Feel better soon!

OMG. You need to patent this and make some temp tattoos for everyone to buy from you and put on themselves before surgery. Good Luck on your band day!

Well, I started the program at Beaumont Hospital yesterday and met with the physician. They did lots of blood work, like 6 vials, and an EKG. My BMI IS 44 and I weighed in at a whopping 263. :thumbup: I have appointments scheduled next month with the dietition, the exercise physiologist, a psycologist for my psyc evaluation, and again with the doc for appointment #2. My insurance requires 6 months of documentation in a medically supervised WL program. Unless I get my PCP to sign off. Anyway, the ball is rolling so that is the good part. I made the leap so to speak. That evening I went to the hospital's Club Bariatrix support group meeting where one of the 2 surgeons in the program were speaking. He is an accomplished RnY surgeon but has not started doing the Lap Band in his practice yet. He has assisted the other surgeon with the procedure. He is getting started and needs to set up 3 people in one day to get his certification. Anyway, all the people in this meeting were RnY patients and not one Lab Bander. (just my luck) Everyone there looked like they had lost a lot of weight and I really can't say anyone looked "healthy". Everyone had a drawn out saggy, thinning hair look about them.:thumbdown: It was really disheartening. I really need to get intouch with some other Lap Banders. As far as the surgeon goes. . . I am signed up with the other surgeon in the practice who has done about 150 LapBands. But I may end up going with the other surgeon because he happens to be my long lost second cousin, and I figure I can call him up and drive him nuts with any problems or questions I have. :thumbup:

It isn't bad enough that I celebrate traditional Easter Sunday with my husband and his family only to be followed this year, one week later with Greek Easter! For those of you that don't know, it is a day filled with eating literally tons of delicious home made Greek foods. Roasted Lamb, done outside on a spit just like in my Big Fat Greek Wedding, except we do ours in the back yard in stead of on the front lawn like the movie! Our side dishes include: Pastitsio (Greek version of Lasagna made with cream sauce)Spanakopita (Spinach Pie), roasted potatoes, rice, stewed green eans in tomato sauce, cooked and marinated fresh beets, a huge Greek Salad with feta cheese, dyed red easter eggs, breads, cheeses, and I am sure other stuff I am forgeting about. And you have to taste it all, because it is all just soooo good. So this year I am sure I will be stuffing myself silly, cause I still can. But next year if all goes well and I am banded, it will be a whole different story. But I hopefully won't be as fat as I am this year either!!!

Well, I started looking into the lap band proces about a month ago. I have gone to 2 free seminars at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak MI. I took my husband to the second one with me. He is very supportive in this decision and is helping me through the thought process. I am really lucky to have him. :thumbdown: I on the otherhand am still not 100% convinced. I need to lose 100 pounds. That is a fact. Can I lose it on my own (again) and keep it off? Most likely not. Do I need a tool to help me get the weight off? Yes, for sure. Do I want to go through bariatric surgery and have my insides re-plumbed.? Not really. So, the Lap Band even with its downfalls (nothing is perfect) seems like the best route to go. So I made my medical exam appointment for April 20, 2009 and I am giving myself til then to make up my mind. I just ordered 3 books from Amazon about the Lap Band which should be a help. That and all the great things I am reading on this very helpful site. I am not hearing a lot of negative, which is a good thing. So that is where I am today.

By the way these are the books I ordered:

"Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery"

Jessie H. Ahroni Ph.D. A. R. N. P.

"LAP-BAND Companion"

Mark J. Watson;

"Lap-Band for Life"

Ariel Ortiz Lagardere

Congrats! What is a NSAID for Migrains? I take Frova for them once a month. Can't we take regular migraine medication with the LAP BAND??? I didn't think it was a problem, only a problem with the RNY surgery.

I hear what you are saying. I told my sister I am considering the surgery and all she could say was. . " well you know it is MAJOR surgery. . .and sounded disapproving. And this is someone who is also overweight by about 60 lbs! It did make me say WTF!!! Thanks for bringing it up. I am not sure if I will tell many people.