Meredith2424

The first thing I can tell you is not to worry! Not only has your diet dramatically changed, but you must remember that your body has just undergone surgery. I have noticed with many of my clients (I'm a hairstylist) that after they have surgery and have been put under anesthesia sometimes their hair begins to thin. Just like pregnancy does to a woman after she gives birth. Concentrate on getting lots of Protein into your diet. This is the most important. Also, don't be afraid to touch your hair. The most important thing you can do now is stimulate your hair follicles. Make sure you scrub your scalp with the PADS of your fingers in a vigorous circular motion. This should stimulate blood circulation to the follicle. Might I also recommend that you get a shampoo such as Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo, or a shampoo called Nioxin. Nioxin is not like Rogain, but it does help stimulate hair growth. I hope this helps. Take care, Meredith

Hello everyone! Anyhow, as I was trying to all tell of you in my last post......tomorrow I am going to a lap band support group meeting, then Thursday I am going to the surgeon (finally!) to set up my date for surgery. I am shooting for four weeks from now. I gues that is the usual amount of time between this appointment and the actual surgery at this office. I feel like I've been talking about this appointment for months! I cannot wait to find out when! I'm sure all of you understand the anticipation. Sorry that I haven't been on in so long. I was up north all weekend at my parents cabin. My dad was already up there turkey hunting, so Andrew and I went to relax for the weekend. It felt really good to have no cell phones or computers and just enjoy the outdoors. I don't get very much time here in the city to do that. It was especially enjoyable because last Tuesday was my last day of class for this semester! Whew! Now I get a few weeks off before summer classes begin. Laura~ I've been wanting to tell you that my Grandfathers name was Nelson. He was such a wonderful man and I've always loved his name. If I ever have children I have always planned to name the first born Nelson. Boy or girl! I love it that much! How did you decide on that name? I also wanted to thank everyone for all of their kind words and support on here. It has been so helpful to me! I feel like I am better prepared than most people that go into this. What a wonderful resource! Thank you! Best, Meredith

Hi everyone! I just wrote the longest post and I lost it!!!!! So annoying! Anyhow, I was up north with my dad and boyfriend all weekend long and had the best, most relaxing time. Oprah is on now, and I want to watch, so I will fill you in on everything that I wrote in my lost post later on tonite! Have a great afternoon! ~Meredith

Hi Lyndsay, Are you a hairstylist? When I logged on today, I saw pics of you and saw a station. I'm a hairstylist and have my first appointment with the surgeon on May 7th. I have all of the paperwork together and have talked to the insurance company. If all goes well, banding should take place anywhere between the end of May and beginning of June. Looks like we are going to go through this around the same time! Take care, Meredith

Claudine, You are doing so awesome! You should be so pround of yourself! It appears that you are only 2.5 lbs away from onederland! Fantastic. Take care, Meredith

MRose, I have found that in the past I have worn clothes and they have stretched to fit my body over time as I got fatter. Then when it comes time to go down sizes, it seems like you didn't go down in size because the "fat pants" that you've worn for so long aren't the correct size anymore anyways! I know that I have squeezed into pants that aren't the right size for far too long because I couldn't justify buying BIGGER. It was too depressing. I have reached the last straw and I refuse to buy bigger. That is one of the reasons why I knew that I needed help via the band. So, don't worry, you have gotten smaller, keep it up, you should be so proud of yourself! Also, what about re-sale. Here in metro Detroit we have some great resale shops with some designer labels that have never even been worn! The prices are cheap and if you look you can find some great clothes! Target has cute clothes too, in all sizes. Idk if you have these stores near you, just an idea. Have a nice evening everyone, I'm just enjoying this crazy Michigan weather! Off to Celebrate my dad's birthday! Cheers! Meredith

Linda, What wonderful words of wisdom and inspiration! Thank you very much for your insight. I know that all of us pre-banders really appreciate all that you have to offer. Thank you!!!!! Cheers, Meredith

Hi everyone. Looks like all of us are having strange weather! Some good, some nasty like all of this rain that we are getting here in SE Michigan! Anyhow, I've been reading all of your posts everyday, but havent really contributed anything. Sorry. I went to my psych appt today. All went well. He is sending the letter out to me tomorrow so i will be able to have copies and have it on hand for all of the rest of my appointments. Hope everyone has a wonderful evening! -Meredith

Hello everyone! Just stopping in to say "hi". My doctor called me yesterday and told me that my blood work came back and everything looks good. So, one more thing down. Psych appt on monday. I just keep plugging along waiting for my day to come too! I'm not very patient. Here in MI it is BEAUTIFUL today! The bf and I have begun walking everyday at the park. We have a beautiful city park with a marina and a great view of lake st. clair. This is what I have looked forward to! I'm not a fan of the short sleeves now though. In a few months i probably will love them! It's always been hard to wear the short sleeves for the first few days of the warmer season. Hopefully this will be the last year I feel that way. I have another question, has anyone asked their doctor what we can expect from our bands in 10, 15, or 20+ years? I know that people that get breast implants need to replace them every 10 or so years, what about our bands? Just curious. Hope everyone has a wonderful day! Meredith

Julie, Boy, it sounds like you have really gone through a tough time since I have joined this thread! I hope that you are feeling better soon! Janet, Really idk what I would do without all of this knowledge you and everyone else is providing me with? I am just so glad to find people that keep me level and provide another point of view. I always looked at my sister my whole life and blamed in on genes. She got the skinny ones, I got the fat ones. When we were in high school, I would really watch what I ate and ran 10 miles a day! I played lacrosse and ice hockey. She would cheerlead and eat a bag of doritos in one sitting. Once adulthood arrived, you're right! She has to exercise and doesn't have that same food addict personality that I have. Thanks for taking me out of the past and putting me in real-time! -Meredith

Janet, Haha!!! Preach on sister!!! Only fat chicks would understand. So true! Sometimes idk why I even eat? I'm not hungry, but I eat. I know its like i wont ever eat again, but fat chicks get one another, its like a death. A death of the fat me. I eat when I'm happy, sad, or indifferent. It doesn't make sense! What really bothers me is that my sister does the same, and she is 5'4" and weighs only 118lbs! She eats what ever she wants, whenever she wants. My boyfriend does the same thing. I am lucky that he loves me for me and not for how I look. He is behind me 100% and even understands a little. He loves sweets! I really need to do this, not just for me, but for everyone else that I will help in the future as a P.A.

Long, I really do have a problem with the Diet Coke/Pepsi too! It will be hard for me to give up, but it is totally worth it! 100%! It's like going to rehab or something! I find it interesting that all of the people who drink diet pop are never thin so giving that up is a good thing! I have already lost 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks just preparing for the task ahead. I have read what all of you have posted and begun to implement it in my life. The problem is, I know that if I don't get banded, that weight will just come right back before I know it. Thank you for your encouragement. Janet, It is so wonderful that you started this thread. It has helped me so much already! I cannot imagine how much help it will bring me after surgery. What a great feeling it is to have others that completely understand the obesity that all of us have battled. Phyl, Your insight and knowledge about the health care field is a wonderful asset to all of us. I begin the physicians assistant program next summer and want to work in bariatrics. I think that "being there before" will help patients immensely! -Meredith

Having a positive attitude and not giving up on yourself are two important steps to making sure that you are successful in any area of life. Some times are tough, but you will prevail! I went to my general practitioner today to make sure that I am able to tolerate surgery. She seems to think that this will work well for me! I hope she's right! I got some blood drawn and she is preparing my letter to get me ready. One thing I find interesting is that everyone has different menus for themselves when figuring out what will and will not work with their band. Trial and error at it's finest! Have a wonderful day everyone! Meredith

Hello everyone! I hope all had a wonderful Easter. Since I am a few weeks away from surgery, I considered this to be my "last meal". Did anyone else look at food like this before their banding? Since I looked at it this way, should I question my choice? I don't think so, since I have battled this food addiction for so long. I was happy when it was over because now there aren't any "eating" holidays for awhile now, thank goodness! I go to the doctor tomorrow to get my letter to submit to my insurance company. I am excited for that, and thankful to have completed yet another task in preparation for my banding. I have my psych appointment next week as well. I just cannot tell all of you how helpful you have been, and how thankful I am for all of your postings. It means a great deal to see that people care about and support one another so much. This would be hard to do if I had to do this without this thread and all of you. No one really understands unless they have been through all of this. For the last few nights, I have found myself dreaming about my banding. I wake up very excited and am finding it so difficult to wait! That is how I know I am ready. The food journaling is such a great way of keeping track of what you put into your mouth. A few years ago, I lost forty pounds on the MMR liquid protein diet which included one real meal a day. I journaled every day for a month and lost weight. As soon as I stopped, the weight crept back on. At first, it really helped me to weigh EVERYTHING so I knew exact amounts. I found that if I didn't weigh what I was eating, I would underestimate calories. What do all of you think about whole wheat tortillas or wraps? Do you have problems with those? Thanks again everyone! Meredith

Thanks so much! Those are great words of advice! That was just what I needed to reassure myself that this is what I need to do to transform into the new healthier me. I guess that I needed to know that other people went through the same emotions that I am going through. For me, it is important to remember that this is not just a physical journey, but most importantly a mental and emotional one as well. I will keep you updated. Everyone sounds so wonderful here and I am happy for all of the positive feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful Easter everyone! -Meredith

Hello everyone. I am fairly new to this site and this support group is exactly what I was looking for and hoping to find. I am getting banded at the end of may, or beginning of june depending on my surgeons schedule. I will find out the date for sure on may 7th when I meet with him to go over my paperwork. Anyhow, I am finding that I am not nervous about surgery, but rather more nervous about this not helping me! I too am a "food addict" am I am terrified that I will be the exception to the weight loss that everyone else is experiencing. I am 5'6" and am 275 lbs.! Disgusting! I am 26 years old, a hairstylist and full-time college student. I have struggled with my weight since I was about 16 years old. I am READY for this change and I know that this is definately the right move for me. I have done a lot of research and I know what to expect. Since so many other diets of mine have failed, I am terrified that this one will too. I feel like this is my only hope for getting control of my life and my eating habits. Can anyone offer me any words of wisdom? Thank you, Meredith

Hi, I see that these posts are from a few years ago. What was your experience with BCBS MESSA? I have just begun my process and am nervous about providing 6 mos. documentation.

Thank you so much everyone! I hope that with all of my insurance stuff I will be able to be banded by the end of May or early June! I am so excited to become the new me!

Hello! I am also new to this site, and to this process. I am meeting with doctors and will soon set my surgery date. Also, I am from the Detrot area as well (scs), and I am going to be having my surgery at St. John Hospital Detroit on Moross. Dr. Hawasli will be doing it for me. Is there anything that I should know about before setting up my surgery? Meredith

Hello everyone, I have just begun my journey to a healthier me! I went to a seminar with the surgeon that I am going to have do my surgery and made an appointment with him to have a consult and set my surgery date. I thought that it would be helpful for me to begin my journey here with others that have experienced the same things that I have and am about to experience. I am just looking for some guidance and support from others. I want to learn what to expect and the basics of what I need to know to be successful in this endeavor. Thanks everyone! I am looking forward to conversing with all of you. -Meredith