btrieger

I am not sure which tests my doctor required and which ones the insurance company required. Psych eval; sleep study and release from my cardiologist.

You are copying the wrong code. Copy it from the box that says bbCode Here's a step by step. You are about 3 steps from the end. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/#post1384706

Is the tail a side effect from the surgery or medication? :smile2:

Have you tried an antacid? It will give you some relief until you can figure if this is a problem.

It's probably an infection. Do you have a fever?

The "scab" was probably the glue they put over the dissolving stitches. I'm sure you'll be fine but definitely call and verify. Great weight loss for both of you!

Stay on topic? Sarah Palin has been a has-been since last November. She's a joke and we'll never see her running for national office again. What is there to say about her that matters?

It is a lifestyle change. Something that you can live with for the rest of your life. Can you live with hating yourself and feeling guilty for enjoying a little tasty food? I couldn't. DO NOT diet or allow yourself to have the dieting mentality. Diets have end dates and if you avoid foods that you love, you will only crave them more. There are no bad foods when eaten in moderation. Just cut your portions a little or substitute foods with something just as tasty but more healthy.

Bi-polar is more catchy than "manic deppressive" Diagnosed bi-polar about 10 years ago and was taking Wellbutrin and Lamactil up until 2 years ago when I moved and stopped taking all medication. Needless to say it wasn't a bright idea as far as my health goes. I am back on all health related meds and Wellbutrin but haven't seen a shrink so I never restarted the Lamactil. So far so good as far as being edgy of moody. The Lamactil is not an antidepressant. It is a mood stabilizer supposedly to keep you somewhere between manic and depressed. It worked wonders for me in traffic but I think I just grew out of going mad in traffic and learned to accept it. I can't help you with the PMS. Never been there, never will. :smile2:

I have my own goal of 100 miles a month. I guess I could dedicate some of them to Ashley and our troups.

This is far from a xtian nation!! Perhaps you've heard of a little doctrine about separation of church and state? In this day and age it makes me queasy to think that so-called intelligent adults still believe in the invisible man that sees all and knows all. I'll be damned if those crazies are going to think they run this country as well.

Hi and welcome. I can probably give even less advice than TN. I am about 30 pre-op but I saw your other post and I do have Aetna. My surgeon's office told me that Aetna approves almost all claims for Lapband that fall into their requires criteria and you have that covered. If there is a good chance you are going to have the surgery, it is best to get the ball rolling now. There will be a 3 month supervised diet/waiting period prior to surgery and that should give you sufficient time to complete the required testing and research the band further. You'll hate the word "tool" by the time you are done researching but it is true. The lapband is only a tool. YOU have to lose the weight yourself. The lapband just makes you feel full sooner. If you are not ready to change your lifestyle and follow the simple bandster rules, the lapband will NOT work for you. Good luck and get out there and start reading!

Definitely ask your surgeon for his advice. He may say wait 6 months. :smile2: But also realize that many mothers pick up their 20 pound children almost as soon as the get home from surgery.

A truck driver in one of the mandatory nutritional/behavioral classes asked the staff this last month. They replied that he should be able to lift everything he is currently lifting within a week or 2 following surgery. The 6 week restriction on lifting is usually for bypass patients. * A paramedic asked this same question yesterday in the short term disability thread.

I prefer two-thousand ten. No matter which is used, they will pronounce "ten" as "tin" down here and it drives me crazier. :smile2: I guess it beats what some will have to hear in 30 years for an entire decade. Two-thousand fahty through two-thousand fahty-nine

You will need a tummy tuck if your BMI is over 50 and you knock it down to under 30 and you want to have a flat abdomen. This of course if something in my ever so humble opinion should not even be considered until you near that point.

First off, congratulations on the weight you has lost! Changing your weight is all about calories. If you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. Unfortunately the opposite is true as well. Drink plenty of Water. No less than 64 ounces a day. Don't drink anything with calories in it! Do not skip breakfast! Exercise for 30 minutes 3 or 4 days a week. A walk if refreshing. Keep a log of every single thing that passes your gums. This will help you or your nutritionist see where you need help. Is it what you are eating that is slowing your loss or how much you are eating? If you are eating a lot of fatty and processed foods; you need to rethink and substitute them one at a time with something more healthy. I can't really help here. Not much of junk food eater. If you are just over-eating; try cutting your portions down just a little. For instance: If you usually eat 2 sandwiches for lunch. Try only 1 sandwich with twice as much in it. That way you cut out 2 slices of bread. If you have a steak and a baked potato for dinner. Cut off a quarter of the steak and toss it. And use nonfat sour cream on the potato instead of butter. Keep cutting the portions until you find that they don't satisfy you. Don't be afraid to have a low calorie snack once in a while like a 7/8 ounce bag of baked chips; a sugar free snack pack pudding or a weight watchers ice cream bar. Just don't over do it. These are examples of what I have done for the past 3 months and it is working. I am not banded yet and the weight is melting away.

It sounds like it is more will power than anything else. You know why the lapband is not working and you know you are eating too much. I'd suggest seeing a therapist and getting to the root of what is driving you to eat if it is not hunger.

What did you give the Bodybugg as a reason for not having it on during the photo shoot? :smile2: Congrats and as a man I am obliged to tell you that you are a hotty!!

Please call it "short term" and not "STD". I have a filthy mind and every time I see "STD" I start laughing. :smile2:

The OP is only 28 years old. A lot of us having been working longer than she has been alive. We get time off for stress. It is called vacation. I had a couple of heart attacks in September and underwent a coronary cath and stent placement. CIGNA, the STD considered this surgery but only allowed me 2 weeks. I probably could have used another week or 50 but they were right and I was ready to return to work. So, if 2 weeks is enough for heart attacks and a cath; 6 weeks is way out of line for a lapband.

Ask your surgeon what he thinks about you returning to work. We had a truck driver in one of my mandatory nutrition and behavior classes that had a similar question. The answer was that he shouldn't need more than a week or two off. The heavy lifting restrictions are usually for bypass patients.

WARNING: This is going to come across a lot worse than I mean it to. People that are not close to you probably could care less about your surgery one way or the other. Don't fret it and be yourself.

I get my date on either Wednesday or next Monday. I am on all sorts of meds. I hope it doesn't move the date out too much.

Lighten up!! Pizza and chips are not bad. Eating too many or too much is bad and it sounds like you knew your limit and logged them. Congrats! Good luck with the fill. I have yet to be banded and am not looking forward to fills. I am a big wimp when it comes to needles.