Betsyjane

Is there any way to put a picture in the text of a reply?

WOO HOO With that kind of persistence, you'll do well with the lap band. Congratulations on being fierce. Now lets all hold hands and sing a chorus of I Get By With A Little Help FRom My Friends!!!!!!

1. Tell your insurance company your story so they know that having one approved psych doesn't give you the access they are required to give you. They need more providers. 2. Ask your insurance co. to approve someone who is out of network since THEIR guy is a mess. (Recommend someone that your lap band surgeon likes.) 3. If all else fails, go to someone your lap band Dr. knows, who will work with you on a sliding scale or give you a bit of a discount.

May be no help now, but as you lose weight, the port will end up below your bra area and be fine.

I think that's normal for anyone to want you to pay your potion up front or finance it. Most Dr.s can direct you to a financing plan......

I understand. My weight alone made me feel powerless and out of energy, so I gave up and gave in! I don't have any way to convey this to you so you can feel it, but the energy and esteem come back as the weight drops. It's worth all the energy you can muster. If you have some left, think of it this way.... Assume that the ONly person this will be important to is you...not the insurance company or anyone else. Assume that you will have to persist, prod, and mildly harrass everyone every step of the way. If that turns out not to be true, that's nice....but assume each step will require your stamina and persistence. When it gets frustrating, come to this site and bitch, but then get back to it. If someone doesn't return your call, expect to have to call 5 times a day, or ask to speak with someone who can help, or a person's supervisor. If an insurance company won't talk to you and you try multiple avenues, ask your employer to get involved...the one who pays the bills to the insurance company, and find out why they won't talk to you. Whatever it takes. However long it takes. Whatever the outcome, you'll be proud of yourself.

Cow cow, you might want to read the rest of the thread.... Indigo-The band made it poossible for me to make good choices. I never could before. Things that were impossible are just hard work now. I can live with that. TNNurse: Regarding the protein-Think about this too. Solid Protein helps you feel fuller longer. So it's perfect for the band. My Dr said to eat the protein first, then the veges, and then if there's room, eat a carb or fruit. If you really hate meats, you might want to go to the vegetarian threads and ask them how they keep that full feeling with the band. It's funny....my sugar craving is only present when I don't follow the program. If I'm getting my calories at my protein rich meals, I don't crave. If I skip calories, I want to fill in with easy old ice cream.

Some of my cravings have come back lately, but they don't seem insurmountable like they used to.....

That was fun! See you guys again soon!

Ddi you copy your ticker into the bottom of your signature on this site?

You have to have protein, but protein comes in many forms. Protein shakes. Pure tasteless protein powder (Any Whey) that can be sprinkled on things. Dairy. Soy. Meat. Beans. If you hate all forms of protein, maybe the shakes and pwoders will help.

Do you have any problems with the estrogen in soy? My Dr said that too much will open you to the same side eefects as hormone replacement. Hmmm. I never asked how much is too much. Could be one of those "10 times your body weight consumed" studies....

Everybody really is different. I can't easily do shrimp but I can do crab and lobster. Go figure.

I've found that crisp works. I can't eat a flour tortilla, but I can eat corn, or totilla chips. Don't worry too much about grieving the loss of foods. Your preferences will probably change.....Some foods just turn out to be not worth the effort and lose their allure.

Lauren: My binging is still there occasionally, but it's so different! Most of the time I eat my 3 meals, sometimes a light snack or 2, and tons of Water. Occasionally I graze throughout the day and then get myself back on track...but now my grazing probably doesn't add 100 calories to my day! A binge now for me only happens with ice cream. Nothing else will slide down well enough. When I am eating my meals, I look at a normal plate of food...sometimes my eyes are still bigger than my stomach...and I'll eat maybe a fourth to a third of it and I am just plain full. What a novel experience for me. At first, my head played games and was sure I needed more...that I couldn't possibly be satisfied. But there's just no more room! And really no more urge. My eyes and head have caught up to the FACT that I just am not interested in more food! Now it didn't happen for me until I had enough fills to reach my sweet spot, but once that happened, I was amazed how everything just fell into place!

Please stop the "stupid" and "shut the hell up idiots" comments. This site is for encouragmeent and support, and this thread seems to be attracting folks who keep fanning the flames of hostility. You made some excellent points, But they get lost in the nastiness.

Ix there a link you could provide me that shows nutritional guidelines for vegetarians? No sure whether I want to go vegan. I love my egg white omlettes!

I haven't ever gained weight with the band, but I've hit plateaus. And I still have a sugar addiction. These days it is triggered by 2 things.... If I don't eat enough calories I'll want to supplement with something easy like ice cream. So I make sure to eat my meals! The other is that artificial sweeteners set off my craving...I'm OK if I eat a sugar free popsicle, but if I also have something else, like a Crystal Light, that's too much for me. Also makes me gassy!

Please let's stop picking apart the OP. She eventually got a slight unfill and is doing much better. That's worth celebrating and moving on!

Yeah. I only did it at first, but I really did develop the habit of checking for the bathroom anyway.....

PB, the productive burp, is misnamed. It is when something gets stuck and won't go through the banded area. First you might "slime", a somewhat fascinating thing the body does...producing a very thick saliva to try to get the food to go on through. Then if it doesn't, it might pop back out. It's not as gross as vomiting because you have no digestive juices coming back up so it isn't painful or bitter tasting. The food essentially pops back up looking pretty much the way it did when it goes in. It's a reminder to either chew more, eat more slowly, or something else. You'll find after you do it the first time, you'll forever more check where the bathroom is when you enter a restaurant, and try to sit close to it. After a while, you get educated about your finicky best friend the band, and hoepfully stop PBing.

Think of it this way. After surgery, for some people, there is no difference and they can eat pretty much what they want...until they get enough fill(s) to feel restriction. Then they start living as bandsters. For a very few, there is some weight gain during that time, known as "bandster hell". Then with restriction later, the fun begins..... Remember too that people who talk on this site are often looking for support for difficult times, so it appears that there are more problems with the lap band than therereally are. People who aren't haveing prolbems are less likely to post...they're just out living life. Believe me....I had cravings, binge eating, and grazing problems...and all the usual failed diets. For the first time in my life, with the band, I am losing and comfortable. When I screw up, I just stop losing..until I get back on the program. The band waits for me to get it together. I can live with that....

Go to tickerfactory.com

This may be muy imagination, but it seems like lately, I'lm losing weight everywhere except my stomach!

Mom broke her OTHER hip yesterday. The new ER at Northeast is fabulous. Poor girl....90 years old and having to have an operation and rehab. But she's in good spirits. I'll be at Hectors...Where on 1960 is it? I know I've seen it but don't know where....