coltonwade

I do not mean to start anything nor to be rude. But I find this kind of comment about people who are overweight from people who are overweight or use to be overweight just as bad . I find it just as judgemental . I think we all know that it takes a certain point when your overweight to say "Enough is enough " and get the gumption to do something about it. At least that how it was with me. Either with Surgery or exersise, i think you have to be at the right place at the right time in your life for it to work . I just do not think its productive for overweigt ppl or formally overweight ppl to judge others for what they are not doing , just because your doing it youself. Again Lisa, I do not mean to start anything, But i think there is enough ugliness towards overweight ppl out in the world and we need to stick together lol . Even if not everyone is overweight anymore. Just my thoughts Mindy

I like the response " So what if it is the easy way out " too . So many times i have found myself either with someone as that as their comment or I KNOW They are thinking it.Im usually pretty good with come backs but that was good. My mom didnt want me to tell my grand mother about having surgery ( I am not banded yet ) she said " I dont want to hear it from her " I told her YOU wont have to but im sure I will and frankly I can handle myself", turns out my dad told her i was having surgery at Christmas . So i was at my mom's house my mom was paying my 14 yr old son to rake her leaves. My grandma calls and my dad tells her what my son is doing . He puts me on the phone and she asks me " SO are YOU raking leaves " I said no why " She told me " THAT is a good way to loose weight , why dont you try gettnig out there and doing THAT Instead of surgery " . I told her " Grandma I love you but If i wanted YOUR opinoin I would have asked you for it , this is NONE Of your business and I would appreciate it if you would not even comment on it if you do not agree with it." People think they can just tell you what ever they want. UGHH H Mindy

I made some calls today about Laser Hair removal ... I found something quite interesting. At least here in Austin the Plastic surgeon's offices and the doctors offices were actually cheaper than those " Strip " mall center places that are around. About $100 a treatment cheaper for lip,chin and neck. So if your looking into it and you think its too expensive look into some docs offices, my ob's office does it as well HTH Mindy

PCOS Is symtpomatic, if you have the symptoms you have PCOS . The best thing to do is go to an endocronologist , they will have the best advice for you . Find one that either specialiazes in PCOS or knows alot about it. You can get on Glucephage ( a diabetes med) it might help with your weight loss. Also Low carb diets tend to help PCOS sister loose wt because eliminating the carbs helps to stabalize your insulin levels. Here are a few websites that might help out http://www.austinpcos.org/ This site has ALOT Of info on it http://www.soulcysters.com/weight_loss.html HTH Mindy

Thanks for the info , its interesting to me to see what might ( Most likely yes LOL) happen to me. As for the man , Let me tell you i have been there. I PMed you on that subject lol Mind y

I have had migraines for 20 yrs ( since i was 11) and mine are a combination of triggers. Sodium nitrate is also a name for MSG , MSG is one of the worse things for migraines. However its not just in meat, its in EVERYTHING. I try to stay away from anything processed . Fast food is almost not a part of my life , with a few exceptions like Arby's and Chick Fila . A full meal of Chinese food yrs ago when they contained "Full" amounts of MSG would put me in the hospital . NOW they say its MSG free, but its still in there just under a different name. Legaly they can get away with it. Soy can be a trigger because alot of soy produts contain some form of MSG. Soy is also a trigger for me as well as, tomatoes, and so many other things i would have to eat Cardboard to elimate them all from my diet Hormonal imbalances are another cause of my migraines. Off my preventative meds I get migraines 5-7 times a week and have since i was 11. on my meds 3-4 times a month. I also get migraines with aura which increases my likelyhood of a stroke . If you have elimated those 2 things and you no longer have migraines count yourself lucky. I have tried everything with the exception of cutting my left finger off ( and if i thought that would help I woudl do that ) and nothing has helped . Most ppl who have true migraines do not ever have them go away . I dont think loosing the weight will do anything for my migraines , Ive been overwt for 7 yrs , prior to that I was 110-140lbs and they were still the same. I wish for me it was as easy as eliminating a few things. Mine are dibilitating and if I wasnt a stay at home mom would probbaly have to be on disability due to them. Thanks for your input , im glad you had something that helped your migraines though . Mindy

WOW you have come a long way and you look amazing. Your tummy looks great already ! I love looking at and reading stories like yours it gives me the gumption i need to keep going and not get discouraged as i wait for the money for my surgery . I have a question for ya though . Your tube looks like its coming out of your "Vajayjay " ( as they say on greys anatomy ) LOL Do the tubes bother you ? How long do you have to keep them in and how many do you have ? Ok that was more then one question. LOL You look awesome puddin . And i saw SEND THE BIKINI PIC to the EX LOL BTW thanks for posting that I am sure that was not easy . If it makes you feel better its helpful to me , to see how far you have come , see how far I Can go and what I might have to go through . So thanks Mindy

I totally understand not wanting to post pics . I do want to see the " process pics " though lol I want to see how it looks , swelling and everything while your going through it . But i understand , i cant wait to see how great you look! mindy

I am so sorry you are feeling like you have to give up . I do understand your frustration. I was very frustrtated at first when i came on the boards when I was asking about self pay , everyone's answer( No offense to anyone everyone was trying to help ) was " Get it financed" . But we are a yr out of chapter 7 bankcrupcy so financing on our own was out of the question. Cosigners are not always helpful in that sitution as well. it seemed like every option someone gave me was something I couldnt do . Im getting the money now from a job my husband is doing ( we own our own company ) . this might be an idea for you though. I at first was cleaning houses to save up for the money , I live in Austin TX , an area where its in demand. I placed in ad in the local small town paper and in 3 days had 6 houses to clean. I was making about a$1500 a month. Had i taken on a few more i could have made about $3000 . So that might be something to look into even for weekends. Its rough work but I was willing to do it . HTH Mindy

Ok Puddin, I have been following this thread from the beginning. And I just cant take it anymore ... WHERE ARE THE PICS !!!!!!!!!! LOL I wanna see. Im pretty sure i'll need one after i get banded ( HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH) so i wanna see. Even the "Not so purdy pics lol ) Cant wait to see them Mindy

Ive jumped on my kids Big 15Ft trampoline before and MAN is it a work out . lol I use to have one of the mini tramps. I use to use it while i was watching tv. Let me know how you like it. I wonder if there are any work out tapes that goe with those. Mindy

Im self pay and my doc does require one as well as a meeting with a nutrionist and lab work, chest X ray EKG ..ect. Mindy

I also think alot of docs assume " PCOS means you always have cysts on your ovaries" that's not the case either. Like you i was diagnoed after a vaginal ultrasound from being in so much pain during a period. they thought I had a tubal pregnancy , the sono found 125-200 cysts on each ovary . the next time i had a sono there were no cysts , so the doc said its not PCOS. Sometimes its up to the patient to educate the doc Mindy

I use to shave but the hair kept coming back way too fast and corse after I did it . In fact I think that is a reason why its so bad on my chin now because i shave. I carry tweezers and a razor in my purse. If i can pluck one or 2 if im going out in public i do . But if its too bad and I look last mintue and think " THAT"S NASTY I will shave . do you ever wonder if others notice it as much as you do ? I know that i notice it on others but its I think because I have the hair on my face. My 14 yr old has been known to tell me " mom you need to shave " UGHH . I am going to see how much the laser treatment is. I think its around $900 . I think im going to start on it. I do know that between treatments you cant pluck you have to shave. Mindy

I was lucky and never had any acne or fertility issues. But as I sit here tonight and try to pluck my "Noticeable" Hairs on my chin and my neck I told my husband "I HAVE HAD IT , im going to look into laser treatments Monday" I cant take this anymore. Sometimes I feel like people think im a man lol Mindy

I would be ok with the slower hair growth too . Here is a tip though . Many people have told me If you have PCOS and get laser hair removal DO NOT Tell them you have it. If you do they wont gurantee the hair removal and you will have to keep paying when new hair pops up . From others with PCOS I have heard laser does work but it requires more treaments than "normal" So Just FYI . Mindy

I have learned that many docs do not even " believe " in PCOS . Espically male docs, they tend to over look it. It wasnt until i TOLD my doc " Im pretty sure I have PCOS " HIS (I now have a female doc) response was " What makes you think that " He was very condisending . After I told him my symtpoms he said " well I guess you could have it if you buy into that theory " Needless to say I switched docs . Some docs just do not either think to look at PCOS or dont want to . I think its better now than it was 10 yrs ago . Mindy

I too have PCOS and was hoping the band will help my symptoms. ( im not banded yet , hopefully next month) I do not have periods unless they are induced my provera. I cant take the pill because of migraines. The pill makes my migraines MUCH Worse. I was wanting to do the laser hair removal too, I was tryign to decide if i should do it now, start it now or wait until after surgery . It sounds like though surgery doesnt help the hair problem . I too have the nasty hair on my stomach ,the line of dark hair woman get when they are pregnant , mine never went away . Also I have "peach fuzz" On my breasts. Some of the hair is dark. My biggest problem from PCOS by far ( other than weight) is the hair. I get waxed every week on my chin. I have a WONDERFUL Aesthetician that does my waxing and if i have those hairs that pop up on my chin that are dark but do not need a full wax, she will sit there for 20 mintues and pluck every single one of those suckers. I have to go in for a eyebrow, chin and lip wax every 2 weeks then in between that i go in so they can "Pluck" me basically lol. It costs me about as much as it would to just start the laser treatment. So i need to do that. UGHH Lovely PCOS . For those of you who have the pcos , how has your weight LOSS been with the band ? Mindy

I am not banded yet but I plan on getting on once im banded . Mindy

There are some financing options for self pay . Best thing to do is to do a search for "Self Pay" and it should bring up all the options for you . The doc Im using ( self pay) does still require the nutrionist, psych exam , ect before surgery . however his price is resonable . Its $12,000 including the cost of fills for the first yr. The pre op testing and appts will run me about $750 I belive his BMI requirement is 35 with comorbidities . Here is his website . http://www.saweightlosscenter.com/ Im going to be self pay HOPEFULLY by the end of next month. Good luck Mindy

Good link Leatha. Not to leave out "regular" staph infections, bacterial infections and a variety of other infections that can be gotten from reuse of needles . Just makes me shutter. Mindy

What I do not like or agree with is : In Austin where I live there is a certain doc from Another town ( I wont name doc or town ) that has an INFORMERCIAL For lap band surgery on our local cable channel . Its on a " Video on Demand" Channel. I find that very tasteless as a doctor to advertise that way . Granted I'll give it this , for info on the lap band itself , it has good info in it, But I find it very distasteful . Mindy

I guess its just me from being in the medical field and it being DRILLED into my head from OSHA and EVERY SINGLE HOSPITAL and DOCTOR that I worked with. You DO NOT REUSE NEEDLES . I dont get why that is so hard or difficult to understand. I dont get why some do not see how the risk of infection can be spread , regardless if its reused on you or not . I find tha arragonce that some think they know more than doctors, the goverment, OSHA, CDC, and can tell or imply to others that this is even SLIGHTLY Ok to be VERY Worrisome. And I can gurantee you that if you informed any doc in the US that you are reusing a needle on yourself for something that has to do with a band they would either A, drop you as a patient or B make you sign a wavier that from that point forward they are no longer responsible if something happened in your care with your band. Im sorry , I do not mean to be rude , but I Just dont get this train of thought that this is ok , healthy , safe, .. Its just NOT . Mindy

My husband made a comment that when we "needed" for me to work I didnt but when I "Wanted" Something I went to work and the money went towards the band. Well ( background) before we couldnt afford to pay daycare for me to go back to work, it didnt make sense to do so . Now my youngest is in school , we can afford alot more things. Now im not even working for the money we will have it next week. But he made the comment it was "Selfish" . I reminded him that the previous choice for me NOT to work was a MUTAL desicsion. And that If he brought this selfishness crap up again about the band, I would just not have it , I explained to him again why i was getting the band( Im not banded yet) that it was a beneift to our children as well , and that IF he brought that he thought i was selfish up I would not have the surgery. We talked about it and I made SURE that he no longer felt this way . It might be a good time for ya'll to try counseling before things get out of hand ? I know the divorce rate after surgery can be high . This was something I explained to my husband as well, that we would BOTH go to counseling after surgery if there was any issues. We have not had any problems before, he's been very supportive before. But From what I have read on here things change with men. Like someone else said men are like big babies. LOL Hang in there, talk to him and think about counseling if you need it. HTH Mindy

http://www.bddiabetes.com/us/main.aspx?cat=1&id=266 Mindy