Bettina

You don't need her support you have ours!!!!!!! I am the middle of three girls....my lil sis had GB 4 yrs ago...older sis poo-nickied it from the start....it was awful. (I totally supported lil sis!!) So now when I decided to get banded ...I naturally called lil sis to get info but told her not to tell anyone...i didn't even tell my hubby at that point. I told him just before the appt...I told mom after the appt. My kids knew the day I decided (very supportive too!). My mom was surprisingly supportive -she trusts no one. (lol) Back when I took Phen-Phen and only had 25lbs to lose.....I was at my big sis's house and she was talking and about an hour after I got there she said to me........"I lost 5 lbs and you didn't even notice".....with that I turned to her and said "I lost 30 lbs and you didn't notice!!!" she was shocked and told me she couldn't tell.....omg I was a stick....how could she not tell! So i decided not to tell her about lap banding...but I did tell her finally last week because of my diagnosis of sleep apnea and knew nothing about it--her husband has it so i called to ask questions ---and then she (nicely-oddly) mentioned losing weight...and that was my que...i told her ...she was shocked and claimed to never have heard of lapband...yeah right....she left for vacation the next day so i got away with the "downer" i expected...lol. None of my other relatives know...I have no trouble telling perfect strangers....but friends and relatives...umm no. My plan is to "flaunt" later. LOL. We are here for you!!!!!! p.s. I forgot to mention that big sis could benefit from a band herself!! Best Wishes!!

People have died from the effect Stacker 2 has done to them, don't even think about it!! I am certified in Sports Nutrition and thought I knew it all, even researched it.....what I didn't know was...Proprietary Blend!!! Proprietary blend...is the ingredients and how they are blended...what they dont' tell you is that you may get a pill with 3 mils of caffeine and the next one might have 11 mils of caffeine.......I learned this the hard way (passing out driving on the Parkway in the rain).............I took diet pills many times in the past, but knowing what I know now, it totally is not worth it!!! Please don't take them...I want you to live.

I ditto on the healthy diet issue. Processed foods can really set a person off...it can be totally evil. hat is something you can control and watch and see if it makes a difference or not, that would be my first step. Then a specialist. General Practicioners just don't have the background in psychological issues. I had this very discussion with my cousin the other night, his deal is stress, and she needed to be more understanding. He had walked out in a fit, even called their 3-yr old a piece of shit..ugh.....but she took my advise and everything ended up okay. (I am not a doctor but my degree is Psychology, and I think just talking made her feel better!-just got lucky I guess) I wish you and hubby all the best...your not alone...take care!

Mutual Concensus......hmm sort of. When we first got married...I wanted colors all over...he didn't he wanted eggshell. (for that "clean" look)...So we painted colors, then 10 years later it all went to eggshell and by then I didn't really care as long as it was painted...lol. Tomorrow I am painting the bathroom, he doesn't know, I don't think he will care either..anything has to be better than what it looks now! But generally we do come to agreements on what the house should look like, we listen to what each other has to say...its all good.

Welcome Suzie, I am with you on wanting to feel better at 50!..hang in their your not alone! And, we are twins the hard way...I'll be 43 on August 7th..LOL Take care!

Def a trend!!!! I am August 7th!!

That furniture is beautiful!!!! When you wake up in the mornings you are gonna say "ahhhhh". Hmmmmm makes me want new furniture!! ha ha and I see the cat took right to it.......it can't be wrong now!!! (what are the cat's names?) editing again...i see you have one cat that matches the furniture and one that matches the carpet!!!! how cool is that!!!

Hello...that is 2.25 lbs a week and lap banders are only expected to lose 1-2 lbs per week...so you are ahead of the game...this is good! Keep up the excellent work!!!!

This might set your mind at ease.....after her GP my sis no longer has sleep apnea....and the sleep technicians tell me that a lot of people who lose weight also lose the apnea.....lol i am a light sleeper too.....i wake up if it suddenly get too quiet in the neighborhood...LOL

At the risk of sounding like a "know-it-all" and at my sister's insistence (I just called her (she lost her hair from WLS- and insists I set the record straight) Hair loss is from the depletion of Protein from your body's storage system..after weightloss, especially when we are restricted and not getting the adequate protein we need. Below are three medical articles and the links where they can be found. http://weightloss.upmc.com/Chats/SurgeryFeb00.htm Guest12: Why does hair loss sometimes occur with rapid weight loss? Dr. Courcoulas: This is a follow-up question about hair loss. Many patients will experience this in the first three to six months after surgery. We believe the reason for this is rapid turn over of the hair follicles and rapid weight loss may deplete them of their ability to turn over in the short term. This problem can be limited if Vitamins are taken on a daily basis, and patients are careful that they are eating protein at least once a day. http://www.obesityconsult.org/html/faqs.htm Q: Is there hair loss following the bypass? A: While not all patients lose some hair after the bypass, many do. The reason has to do with weight loss and not surgery. Anyone who experiences a rapid, sustained weight loss will frequently also experience some temporary hair loss as well. This usually occurs between the fourth and the eighth month after surgery. Consistent intake of protein at mealtime is the most important prevention method. Also recommended are a daily zinc supplement and a good daily volume of Fluid intake. Almost all patients will experience natural hair re-growth after the initial period of loss. http://thinforlife.med.nyu.edu/postsurgery/sideeffects.html Transient Hair-Loss Hair-loss and -thinning are common side-effects which occurs in almost everyone during the first 6 months. It is very alarming, however it will not lead to baldness and it is reversible. Once your weight stabilizes and you take in more protein, the hair will grow back. Hair treatments and permanents should be avoided. Be sure to take in an adequate amount of protein

I am totally into astrology too! Have you read the witches almanac....i have never (and i mean never)seen it wrong yet...which actually freaks me sometimes. I didn't buy this year's because last year had my health issues right on the money (and hubby's too!)......but.......I did check it out friday night in the book store and looked up my sign....and no health problems this year ....so I now think the band is gonna be a "go" with insurance...yay!!!

That makes total sense!! :bananapartyhat:

cool, but what did you have to promise hubby in return?......ha ha ha!

Hi...sorry to say there is nothing you can do to prevent the hair thinning...its from a sudden dip in Protein...it takes about 3-4 months after surgery for your body to realize you don't have protein stored anymore...hair loss is temporary and a lot of the time it grows back even nicer!! Vitamins before won't help. And sad to say those expensive Lap band vitamins are a waste too. Just make sure you get your protein first in your meals then worry about the carbs, but don't go protein free! My sis had to wear hair pieces post surgery, but now her hair is back and really nice!!! (someone mentioned the doc and the nutritionist didn't know about it? I can kind of understand the doc but not the nutritionist..its sorta common knowledge) Take care and good luck....I too will be a member of the Bandana club.:bananapartyhat:

Hi Shirley, I was just on ObesityHelp.com and looked at the list of medical insurances that were used for surgery.....Medicare --looks like they were all approved after only on request...it does have to be a medical necessity though. There were many people who used Medicare. Sometimes diseases can be a hinderance...they are looking for co-morbidities. Like: Sleep Apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, things of that nature. I think its things that can be improved thru weight loss. Something like Allergies wouldn't apply. But your doc will give you a list of things you need to be tested for. I had to do a Psych Evaluation, Nutrition Consult, Upper GI, Ekg, Pft, ultrasound (heart) , loads of blood studies, and then pulmonary (sleep apnea)..I didn't have to have a pap or mamo because they were within a year of my 1st lap visit. Because of my age, i don't have to have a colonoscopy (hmmm spelling?)..thank goodness for that.....but i have to say (ewww sorry) that he did do a rectal (looking for blood)...ugh how undignified...it was the first meeting!!! LOL Let me know how you do!!

No one here buys the quads anymore we have had an alarming amount of deaths in the last few years. (a couple a week..ugh it was awful!) Its sad cause they look fun.

Dody, That is the one I am getting!! I tried the air pillow one...but the part that went up over your nose was too heavy and it kept slipping off..so I am getting the tube with the nostril things too...so lightweight! And yes I can wear my glasses too which is important...lol, if i want to relax before falling asleep!

Yay Emiliee..that is awsome! We have the same color on our toes! I love the tat...did I hurt? I want to get a star on my foot, but I was afraid it might be unbearable...was it?

Have you tried a different "mask"? I was freaking when i first put it on, but i talked myself into because I have to do it for surgery...that and I really don't want to get heart disease if I can possibly prevent it. (it took me a good 20 mins to calm down to put the mask on.....funny thing, when you become aclimated to it, it feels like no air at all....which i find odd..but oh well! LOL For your health's sake, I'd look into other face pieces. Best Wishes!!!

Don't get me wrong my DH is a nice guy however, he totally doesn't undertand what sleep apnea is or the fact that I didn't consiously choose to be fat!! He thinks I am tired because I am fat...and if I got up and got moving, fat would go away and I would not be tired. Okay and while I agree to this theory, it's just not that easy. He def doesn't want me banded. Too bad... I don't want to be fat anymore. He totally doesn't believe that sleep apnea makes you stop breathing..it does..hence the fact I am not tired because your body wakes up each time you stop breathing. When I sat down to write this, I was very upset, but now I have decided to fight fire with fire. I am gonna wear the apnea mask (as soon as I get it), I am going to have the lap banding......and I am going to lose all the weight and sleep at night, and then...............................I am gonna run him ragged. OMG I will never sit down and I will drag him with me so I can say "what do you think now?" maybe then, he will believe me!!!

Don't get me wrong my DH is a nice guy however, he totally doesn't undertand what sleep apnea is or the fact that I didn't consiously choose to be fat!! He thinks I am tired because I am fat...and if I got up and got moving, fat would go away and I would not be tired. Okay and while I agree to this theory, it's just not that easy. He def doesn't want me banded. Too bad... I don't want to be fat anymore. He totally doesn't believe that sleep apnea makes you stop breathing..it does..hence the fact I am not tired because your body wakes up each time you stop breathing. When I sat down to write this, I was very upset, but now I have decided to fight fire with fire. I am gonna wear the apnea mask (as soon as I get it), I am going to have the lap banding......and I am going to lose all the weight and sleep at night, and then...............................I am gonna run him ragged. OMG I will never sit down and I will drag him with me so I can say "what do you think now?" maybe then, he will believe me!!!

November 22, you are a Sagittarius no doubt about it. Oh and today is a good day for you!!! (I am a Leo!!)

Hi Anniemay! Oh boy the doc had a lot to say about wearing the cpap for 2 weeks prior to surgery! Because you stop breathing with sleep apnea...it puts a stress on your heart.....and I would not have believed this myself except for the fact that I had a heart ultrasound last year and everything was fine...and now its not (per the new pre-op ultrasound). My general practicioner says she things the change may just be due to the fact that my blood pressure was up a few times this year. But, it was up because of the apnea, so that is another point toward why you should wear it. The doctors told me (pulmonary and lap band doc's) that 2 weeks will allow my breathing to regulate itself and gives the heart a rest --you know, just so risk of not breathing while still under in recovery is lessened. But how can you sleep if you are not wearing the mask??? I can't wait to get mine to finally get a goods night sleep...I hadn't slept in a few days...so I called the apnea clinic yesterday at 5:20am...to see if I could take Tylenol PM to get to sleep..yay they said yes and I did take it. For the last few months...I couldn't figure out why I was sooo tired all the time...it was awful. I would practically OD on the coffee and soda just to stay awake...but that only lead to chest pains...ugh. I am actually really glad I found out what the problem is and it can be treated. My brother-in-law has it too, so now I have family support. I wish my husband understood, he thinks it just my weight making me tired..ugh!!! August 7th huh? That was the date I wanted...it's my birthday. But since I don't have the mask yet, i have to wait...oh well! Take care, and I'll be thinking about how your doing on that day!!!!

Hi Karen, I didn't say you said they can eat whatever they want...I was asking if that was what you meant. I wasn't sure by your wording..lol....thanks for clearing it up for me. I agree with you....they will never lose if they eat what they want. ....sorry you misunderstood what I was asking

You won't die, your surgeon will make sure that everything runs smoothly..you will have a lot of pre-op testing also! You're doing it for the right reasons...your daughter and yourself. You are gonna be awesome!!!! Take care!