jenrobbar951

That is AWESOME!! What a great idea! I think I may have to borrow your "inspiration" idea.....sorry, guess I am too lame to think of one on my own. HAHAHAHA! No really, I think I may dig out a cute shirt that is a few sizes smaller as inspiration. Or perhaps, I will buy something inexpensive, but really, really cute. Something that I normally wouldnt think twice about buying because I was "too fat" and hang it up in my room as a reminder of the cause. I really like that idea! Of course.....I still gotta wait until I am approved by the insurance company before I do anything. :thumbup: Hope you have a great Saturday!!!

You pretty much described me to a "T"......only, I tend to over eat, have no self control, and cant cook very well. HAHA! I am not looking at LapBand as a quick fix. I know that it takes work and time, but I see it as a push in the right direction. It forces you to change the amount of food you eat and the type of foods you eat. If you dont follow the regimen, you will pay for it in pain....or atleast that is what I have been told. I am not banded yet, but hope to hear from the insurance company by the end of the month! BEST OF LUCK WITH EVERYTHING!!!!!!! Hang in there and congrats for starting on the journey to the "NEW" you!:thumbup:

That is great about the jeans!!! I, like a closet case hoarder, have kept all of my "skinny" jeans that I wore nearly 10 years ago. LOL. Can you believe that? I cry when I look at them, so they are put away in a box in my closet....somewhere amongst the "I wish I could wear these" clothes. I bet it is a great feeling to put those jeans on!! I cant wait to be able to slide into a "normal" size of jeans and not these size 24 "stretchy" Walmart jeans. And besides, what your Mom doesnt know (in this case....), wont hurt her. :thumbup:

I am not about to judge your marriage, but I would definitely tell your husband. And if need be, tell him the day before the surgery. It is already going to happen, so he can either jump on board and be supportive, or he can choose to be selfish and not support your decision. Mine doesnt like the idea of the surgery, infact, he uses the "you are perfect the way you are" excuse, but that simply doesnt cut it for ME. People have to understand that you want this to be a happier, healthier you. If they cant understand it, or choose to be ignorant, then they arent worth having around. I have told most of my friends, my husband, my sister and my Mom. My Mom was supportive at first, but changed her mind quickly when she read something somewhere about some program that could speed up my metabolism. Everyone else has been supportive. They just want me to be ME again. I havent told my Dad because in the past few years he has started to really judge me because of my weight gain. He categorizes me as "lazy" and "weak." Perhaps I am those, perhaps he is mistaken. I just dont want to surround myself with people who are going to put me down and not be supportive. I think you should tell your husband because he is your husband, and in case something happens (NOT THAT IT IS GOING TO). You need all the support you can get. And if he doesnt want to give it, sorry, but to hell with him! If he does, then that is fantastic!! BEST OF LUCK and let us know how things go!

I had the same problem with our scale at home. It is a square glass one and from time to time, it messes up too. Infact, one time I got on it and it said I weight like 164 pounds......I just about died.......but then I realized, there was no possible way that I went from 260+ pounds to 164 overnight. HAHA! That is a horrible feeling to look at it and have it lie to you! ERR! Sounds like you may need to invest in a new scale (may be one that is the same model so that your parents dont realize it broke?).......or try it again another time and perhaps it will "magically" work......or, take it as a sign that you just werent meant to be getting on a scale at this point in time, although people like to monitor their progress. It is only natural. Good luck with the scale!!!:thumbup:

WOW!! Congrats on the early approval! I would have loved to have had my file sent in without my knowledge and get a call. That way I wasnt playing the "waiting" game like I am now. To be honest, I dont even know if they sent in my file. They were supposed to do it last week. Best of luck on your journey to the "new" you!!!! Keep us updated on your progress!!:thumbup:

Welcome Monica!! I love the way you think! I am sure that you will be very successful with your band. And congrats on your REBIRTH! I cant wait to join those of you who have begun the journey to the "new" you!!!! :thumbup:

I too was worried about my psych evaluation....mainly because I admitted myself to a Mental Hospital a year after my first daughter was born. (Severe postpartum depression). But unlike most people on here, my Psychiatrist didnt ask me to fill out any questionnaire. She just asked about my family history. If there was any drug abuse/alcohol abuse, obesity, mental disorders. Then she asked why I wanted the surgery and how much I was REALISTICALLY looking to lose. I guess I got an easy Psychiatrist who didnt really do these types of evaluations too often. (And that showed later when they faxed the eval the first time to the surgeon and forgot to put my last name on it.....and then it took them a month to fax the FINAL eval because the Psychiatrist didnt release me and did not NOT release me). So far, I seem to be the only one who didnt endure any lengthy visit. Mine was like 20 mins tops. I spent more time in the waiting room than I did in with the Psychiatrist. What I am trying to say is, dont freak out. Just be honest and dont forget to stop and breathe in between parts of the eval. Good luck and hang in there!! Let us know how it goes...:thumbup:

Hello EVERYONE!!!! My name is Jennifer and I am currently living in Hemet, Ca. (Inland Empire) I have lived here for just over three years and HATE THE HEAT! Havent been banded just yet. Infact, my file just was sent to Blue Shield of California this week....or so I hope. :confused:

Congrats and the best of luck tomorrow!!!!! Keep us updated on the road to the "new" you!!

I agree. Search for another surgeon. Obviously you have done some research that has made you lean towards one procedure and not the other. All and all, it is YOUR decision. But I would definitely go to another surgeon and see what he/she has to say. If they say the same thing as this particular surgeon, then there may be some truth to it.....but ultimately, it is your choice. It is your body and it is your money. No one can make the choice for you. Best of luck and let us know how the second surgeon's meeting works out and what you decide to do!

Welcome!! I have to say that I too, am a newbie. I have yet to have a surgery date set (my file was just sent to the insurance company this week....), but cannot wait to start my "new life." I give you credit for sticking with the specialist. Perhaps you could start putting serving sizes/amounts in your diary and talk to the specialist on how to cut it down? Just a suggestion. Best of luck with everything!!!!! I am sure that you will be extremely successful!

Hi everyone!!! I am new to this forum and sooo jazzed to have found one specifically for the LAPBAND!! YAY! I am also a member of Thinnertimes.com and have been ridiculed for having chosen the LAPBAND over GASTRIC BYPASS. It is really an annoyance to be told that I am wrong on my own personal decision......but anyway. HAha! I am currently waiting for the Psychiatrist that did my Psych eval to respond to my phone calls about my evaluation. She didnt bother to "clear" me or not clear me for the surgery. The whole purpose of my $250 eval. DUH! Aside from that, all other requirements have been covered. That is the hold up. I cant wait to be able to post that I have been approved (or denied.....heaven forbide!!). Just wanted to say "HI!!!!" Also cant wait to read more of the posts in this forum.......

Hi! I am new here and I am sure that this has been answered many times, but please, bear with me. :thumbup: Okay, so I told my Mom that I had looked into LapBand and was going through the approval process for the surgery. At first she was supportive, but as time went on, she became angry at my decision to "take the easy road." Whatever...one of her main concerns that triggered a concern in my mind, is loose skin. I was just wondering how many of you have had problems with loose skin, or with your skin not being so resilient. I was told that because of my age, as long as I work out, my skin SHOULD bounce back.....just wanted to hear everyone elses experience on the subject. Thank you for taking the time to reply!!!! I appreciate it! :laugh:

I have a Blue Shield PPO in California and hope that my insurance comes back with a response as quickly as most of all yours......it has taken a MONTH for my Psychiatrist to finalize my psych eval. (First her office faxed the eval without my last name, then as my file was getting ready to be sent to the insurance company, they notice that she didnt release me for the surgery....she hadnt NOT released me either). Just got a message that my eval is ready to go to the Surgeon tomorrow....YAY! Onto the insurance. CONGRATS ON YOUR ALMOST APPROVAL and best of luck for those of you waiting for approval!!!:cool:

AMEN!!! With that sort of attitude, you will be VERY successful with your surgery and everything thereafter! I too have been the FAT girl of my friends. I wasnt always the fat one, but the past 10 years I have been. In 2000 I was the skinnier one getting all the attention from guys. Now, if I walk into a store and patiently wait for a clerk to finish with their current customer and a pretty, skinny girl walks up with a question (even though I had been standing there for 10 mins), I get ignored while that girl gets help. It is annoying!! But, I look forward to the day that I turn heads again, particularly my husbands.....lol. Best of luck with everything!!! You will be just great!:cool:

I havent had my surgery yet, but the area you are describing is the area that remains numb from my C-section. (That I had just over TWO years ago....) I dont know how normal it is, or abnormal. My OBGYN didnt seem too concerned about it the last time I saw him after my C-section. If you have a concern, I would certainly call your surgeon and talk to him/her about it. No harm in asking!! :cool: Best of luck!!!

My surgeon had me watch an informational video about the surgery and it said that I could have UP TO 9 incisions total. Depends on how much they need to get around for the actual surgery. Not sure how noticeable they will be, but I am assuming that they wouldnt be any more or less noticeable than any other scar. I wouldnt know though. Havent had my surgery yet......lol. Just wanted to let you know that that is why my video told me. Best of luck and try not to worry about things like that!:cool:

Thank you everyone who has taken the time to respond!! I know that each person's body is different, so some people will have loose skin and other's wont. I guess I will find out which I am......if I get to that point. Going to call the Psychiatrist's office tomorrow and give them the fax number to my Surgeon. Then my file goes off to the insurance for approval or denial. Crossing my fingers for the best, but not holding my breath. :cool:

WOW! Two hours of computerized tests? I am wondering if my Psychiatrist didnt quite know what she was doing.....lol. Infact, I am STILL waiting for her to clear (or not clear) me for the surgery....a month later.

I dont know about anyone else, but my psych eval and my meeting with the Nutritionist was about half an hour each in length. The Psychiatrist just asked about my mental health, if there was any drug/alcohol abuse in my family, why I wanted to have the surgery, what my expectations for the surgery were (mainly how much weight am I looking to lose...is that realistic?), and in the end, she gave me two prescriptions. One for sleeplessness. Weird, huh? It was pretty painless. The meeting with the Nutritionist was also about half an hour for me. He had this list of discussion topics to cover with me and it included my eating habits (good and bad), what Vitamins to take, how much Protein I would be expected to eat after surgery, what I could drink (no cafeinated drinks...however, sodas are okay if they are flat...lol, my exercising program and what I needed to be doing after the surgery. Take notes if you need to. I found it beneficial to take notes as we spoke. I guess it all depends on who you see, what to expect. I am sure you will be just fine. Just be honest and it will all be okay. :scared2: Best of luck!!!!!!!!:tt1:

I love the way you think!!! You are such an optimist! Best of luck today with your surgery. Will think good thoughts for you!! Look forward to an update when you are able to return to the computer! :scared2:

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU AUGUST BANDERS!!!!!! Best of luck to each and every one of you!!!:wink2:

I am sorry to hear that you have a set back, but it is only a month. That may seem like forever, but imagine how horrible you would feel if they postponed it for another 6 months! I havent had the same problem....yet. My Psychiatrist did my psych eval on July 2nd and was specifically told it was for LAPBAND CLEARANCE. It is now August 7th and she failed to clear or not clear me for the surgery. I have made numerous phone calls to the office, but each time I get the same answer. "It will get done when it gets done." These people dont realize that I paid $250 in cash just for this to be done and they failed to follow through on their part. It really aggravates me. I mean, how long does it take to look over a chart (of a patient who has only been seen twice at that office....so there arent many notes), and either okay the clearance or not? Hang in there! These added appointments may prove to be more beneficial than you think. :wink2: