bwaydiva

Anyone struggling to find time to exercise, go to school and hold down a job? When do you all find the time to be a good bandster? Oh and still find time to sleep... :notagree Also thanks for the insight about all the drinks you can still have post banding. It seems like a stupid concern but drinking is such a big part of college weekends. You guys are such an inspiration. Thanks for fielding all of my questions. Sheila

This may seem stupid but do any other younger bandsters feel like they're missing out on the experiences of college or life because of the band? I guess I'm just scared about the surgery and having those last little doubts. I want to be able to experience LIFE in college and I'm worried that because of the band I won't be able to. Any thoughts?

Hey has anyone worked with or heard of Dr. Felix in Fresno, CA? I've submitted my insurance information and now I'm waiting.... So I thought I'd see if anyone could tell me about their experiences with him. It's so much money and if insurance doesn't approve I guess I just need to know that he's worth it. Thanks for your help. With love, Sheila

Okay beautiful January Bandsters, I've got a question for all of you. So it looks like I'll be banded in March... =( I'm wondering how long before you were able to get up and move around? I'm in a musical right now and we open in March and then run for 3 possibly 4 weeks. I sing a lot in the show (a lot of movement in the tummy area) and I have a solo tap number. If I have the surgery on a Monday morning, will I be ready to go on Thursday evening? I know I can "mark it" so to speak and not do everything full out but am I jeopardizing my band or my health? I'm 20 years old and I heal really fast but I'm still concerned. Your thoughts please. Thanks! Love, Sheila

Yeah!!! Congrats on the great 15 pound loss!! And to think, it's only the beginning... =) (I'm currently a HUGE fan of your husband.... I've been dying to know for days!) Keep up the great work! Love, Sheila

Shawn your rash might be a reaction to the band or the surgery. I would definitely recommend you get it checked out asap. Even if it is just an allergic reaction, you are WAY better safe than sorry. Not trying to be a downer.... just concerned. I'm not going to be banded in Jan. :mad: I'm still waiting for my insurance to come through. For those of you who are into praying, please say a little prayer that I will be approved. I'm a student who plans on going to med school in two years and I can't afford paying for school and the band. You January Bandsters have been a wonderful example of how great LBT can be. You all are such an inspiration. Very encouraging to see and to be a part of. Lots of love, Sheila

Huberslave, I know your sugery is today and I just wanted to let you know that we're all behind you. You are taking back your life and today is the first step!! How exciting. Hello, other young bandsters. I'm thinking we should keep updating this thread and make it our own. The issues that we face are sometimes very different from that of the older bandsters. It's great to think that there are other young men and women getting banded.... and the clothes. I'm sooooo excited about shopping at regular stores. Still waiting for insurance approval.... the not so patient student, Sheila

Sorry if I was too pedantic!! Good luck with everything! -Sheila

I had a BAD stomach virus and the drug that they gave me to stop vomiting actually dissolves under your tongue. It's called Zofran. Seriously, I should be a drug rep for them because I LOVE this medication. You definitely need a script to take it but I would ask your surgeon to have a few on hand... especially when you're only a few weeks post op. You feel better in 5 minutes!! It's seriously rockin'. With love and in love with Zofran, Sheila P.S. TOTALLY unrelated: Babygotback when are you going to weigh yourself.... I've been following your progress and I'm so excited for your first weigh in!!

First, here's my idea of how stress has affected you thus far in regards to your health. PLEASE forgive me if I'm being preachy. When we're under a lot of stress the body naturally goes into Fight or Flight mode. While this would work well if you were being chased by godzilla, stress causes numerous physiological responses. For the most part these are good but if you're under continuous stress the body isn't able to function as well over time. In the fight or flight response, the adrenal glands enlarge and spit out large amounts of adrenal cortical hormones. Cortisol, the name of the hormone, has been scientifically proven to cause weight gain because the body thinks that you're in a stressful situation and you may not get food for a while. So it holds onto every last calorie. Just a side note, when cortisol is released the body stops all healing processes and redirects energy to the vital organs. If you are healing from an injury or SURGERY, you need to be low stress to get better. Overtime, chronically elevated cortisol levels lead to abdominal fat, suppressed immunal function and even chronic fatigue syndrome. sleep plays a major role in stress reduction and weight loss. Grehlin a hormone in your stomach can cause you to feel VERY hungry and sleep deprivation raises levels of grehlin and cortisol. Both are released under stress and fatigue which probably significantly contributed to your weight gain thus far. However, I would think (I'm not a doctor yet, just studying medicine.... My mom's a nutritionist/dietician so I grew up with this stuff!) that with the band it will be easier to control your hunger but you might still have head hunger. For that, I would suggest seeing a therapist and getting some extra help for your mom. Also, if your stress continues to be a problem or you have trouble with being hungry after fills, there are all sorts of herbal remedies for helping with adrenal function. Ask your pcp for more information about what would be best for you. Hope this helps. Best of luck. With love, Sheila P.S. I know it's really tough... my grandparents are VERY resistent to change and caring for my grandfather's cancer and my grandmother's diabetes and alcoholism can be VERY stressful and tiring.

I hope that everything went well. As for saying goodbye to your friend, just take it one day at a time. My doctor told me not to gain weight (I'm still waiting for insurance approval) and to eat reasonable portions of healthy food. Honestly, it's been really tough. It's hard thinking I don't know how to be reasonable with food. You know, normal. You CAN do this. A good friend wouldn't hurt you the way food has. Take little steps. You're a rockstar and can do this!! With love, your cheerleader, Sheila

Hey! I'm so glad that you started this thread!! I'm currently waiting for insurance approval. Being obese is holding back my life.... why would I want to go 10 more years and then decide to LIVE? I have yet to hear anyone on LBT say "I wish I had waited until I was even more miserable and fat before I got the band." No, everyone says "I wish I had gotten it sooner" I might miss the whole college student thing, ya know beer and pizza at 4 am. I'm worried that I might be missing out on experiences because of the band. I sadly will never compete in a hot dog eating contest in Central Park. Yet, somehow, I think I'll survive. =) I want to ENJOY my 20s and not sit around watching my friends do the things that I'm too self conscious to do. I haven't the faintest idea how I could afford this if my insurance doesn't cover it... but I'll find a way. Paying for college and for fills is gonna be hard enough. Oh well, who needs college anyway?! (jk) Great thread. With love, Sheila

I had the same experience!! When I spoke with my individual surgeon he was more supportive. Honestly, I think that it's a very personal choice. The younger doctor who did my initial assessment said that if I had an addiction to food or had trouble following a diet, RNY was the best choice. Lol!! I don't know about the rest of you, but I have NEVER had ANY problems following a diet... Yup, I am morbidly obese because I only like healthy foods. Yeah right! My surgeon, the older and more experienced surgeon, laughed and commented that surgeons are cutters...that's what they like to do!! Lap band doesn't involve a whole lot of cutting! Also financially the RNY is significantly more expensive... people like money. For me I decided to go for the lap band (I'm waiting on insurance approval.) Ask questions. Get answers. Then follow your gut. Best of luck.

Aetna told me that I would have to do a three month doctor supervised diet prescribed by a nutritionist. It had to be documented in my chart and THEN they would approve the surgery. Currently, I am waiting on approval. Hope this helps. Sheila P.S. I have Chickering which is a sub-company of Aetna. Chickering is the student form of Aetna so maybe the reqs are tighter. Good luck.

Well, I am singer with the full intention to be a leading lady on Broadway some day.... =) So YES this soon-to-be-famous girl WILL be getting a lap band. (Waiting for insurance approval.) Lol. I love the 1:00 am discussions. You guys rock!! Love, Sheila

I have been on a lot of different meds for the last three years following the death of my Dad. Currently, I take 300 mg of Wellbutrin. But honestly the thing that has helped me the most with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder is....drum roll.... a rockin' therapist and a lot of self-examination. It is hard and painful but seriously rewarding. I'm really lucky to have a group of friends and some family that know my true potential and kick me in the butt when I'm doing falling back into old habits or ways of thinking. I'm hoping that with the band, I can feel better about my body. I would HIGHLY recommend a good therapist who will keep you honest. For me, I just didn't want to realize that, for the most part, I was in control of how my anxiety affected my life and the people around me and that I part of me actually liked being in crisis. Did I want to admit that? NO! But is it partially true. Yup. Final thought: I am NOT saying that depression and bipolar disorder are not medical illnesses. Both my parents have responded very well to medication... ironically the same medication and the same dosage. Obviously genetics plays a significant role! I am saying that WITH the right meds and a trained professional (a therapist, priest, social worker etc) real recovery and maintance of symptoms IS possible. Thanks for reading the long rant. I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted with your journey. 30 pounds is 30 pounds is 30 pounds. Go to the super market and pick up one pound of Crisco. Now multiply it by 30. It's great progress. You're doing great. With love, Sheila

I'm waiting on insurance approval but for me: I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!! I want to have a life. I want to wear tight jeans, keep up with my neices and nephews, quit my day job (it's related I swear!) and feel good about my body. I want to be healthy and happy. It's silly but I want to be normal. This camel's back has been broken a million times over and I'm ready to live my life!

Wootsie, I am only a year in recovery from bulimia and my doctor still said yes. For me, bulimia was my primary weight loss method for many years. And I actually knew better, the whole time. My mom is a nutritionist/dietician. I felt so desperate to get off the weight. I feel that learning, with the help of the lap band, how to lose weight in a healthy way by listening to my internal cues will be my final step in recovery. I'm one of the 20% of bulimics who are obese and for that sub group weight loss surgery has the best outcomes long term. Side note: When an anorexic girl weighing 80 pounds says that they are too fat, their rational mind still knows on some level that they are actually very thin and with therapy that rational voice becomes stronger... enough to combat the irrational, eating disorder voice. For me, it is very difficult to deal with the eating disorder, irrational voice because it's true in some areas. I AM morbidly obese. I AM a musician and performer that cannot get hired because of my weight. I AM dealing with health problems that shouldn't affect ANYONE my own age. My treatment team thinks that the lap band will be able to help me and eventually lead to full recovery from the eating disorder mentation. Anyway, long post but I hope it was helpful.

I thought it might be fun to start (or continue if one already exists) a bandster New Year's Resolution list. What do people resolve to do if they're skinny? Do ya'll even make resolutions? Or are all the skinny people at parties tonight, dancing the night away or with their spouses having some awesome.. :kiss2: ..anyway... :party: :clap2: Yeah for hope and change! Yeah for a new year! Yeah for making 2007 the year where I take my life back from obesity and chocolate! For me, I will be having my surgery (hopefully) within the next few weeks and all I can think about is that this time, next year I won't have to beg God to make chocolate a veggie!! I resolve that this year I will turn 21 (in July) and rock that dance floor while being proud of my body! Happy 2007 Everybody!!

I figured it out! Yippee! Very informative and inspirational. This is a great resource and I'm so grateful for all the time you must have spent. I really feel ready to get this procedure and, after reading your book, I feel like I've made the right choice. Happy New Year!!

I'd love to read it but the google ads on the left hand side cover up any menu including the downloads. Grrrr! I hate google ads sometimes!

Although I am new to the board and am not even banded, I have been in recovery from bulimia and compulsive over-eating for over a year. My first step began at the Renfrew Center in Philadelphia. It's an all-female, intensive in-patient facility for women with eating disorders. I can honestly say that it saved my life. The Renfrew Center also offers programs in other cities on the East Coast some in-patient, some out-patient. They teach you how to get your LIFE back from food. Last fall, my whole life was centered around binging and purging... then starting a diet.... then failing at the diet.... then binging.... then purging. I was so miserable but I didn't think it was that serious and I certainly didn't need an in-patient facility!! It was serious and I did need it. Binging has serious long term health consequences not to mention obesity. I do realize that I am preaching to the choir! Purging ie. throwing up, using laxatives, abusing exercise can have disasterous consequences. I will for the rest of my life have a heart problem due to a prolonged electrolyte balance. Anyway, back to the Renfrew Center as a treatment option. Am I crazy? Nope....okay a little. But only when I dance! Now, I'm in control of my binging and purging and I'm ready get rid of this weight. I sound like an infomercial but seriously, go to the website (google Renfrew Center) and look around. If this sounds like you, SEEK HELP!! Finally, I know some of you are looking at my age and asking what can a 20 year old really know about a life long addiction to food? My mom is a nutritionist/dietician, my dad is a doctor and I've been sneaking food since I was 4 years old. I'm an aspiring singer who was so committed to bulimia that I neglected the damage I was doing to my vocal folds by essentially pouring stomach acid on my throat. But, I didn't have a "problem." Nope. Other people had problems. I wasn't "depressed" and if I could just gather some gumption, I could stop by my own "will-power." I was lying to myself and was completely disconnected from reality. So I guess, I have a little plea. Please get help. Take back your life. This is a progressive disease that needs to be treated. Eating disorders affect men and women of ALL shapes and sizes. Don't wait until you pass out in the Union Square subway station because your heart isn't working right. That floor is NASTY! =) With love, Sheila

Hi everyone This is my first official post but I've been reading for about a month now. I'm so excited that my journey has begun!! :clap2: However, I'm a student so the idea of self pay is VERY daunting and nearly impossible. So, I was wondering if anyone has had any sucess with Aetna or Chickering. I get both through my school and I'm anxious about having my surgery covered! I've found a great doctor near my home who has done loads of bands and bypasses. He charges $15,800. Does that sound reasonable? Thanks for all your help and inspiration! With love, Sheila