demsvmejm

I have BCBS of Michigan, They covered my surgery with no problems. All I had to pay was my deductable ($100) and my co-pay ($500) I met almost all of this with my pre-surgery testing costs. All they required was a letter from PCP and a BMI of 40. The surgeons office took care of the insurance billing with no problems at all.

Where did the summer go? Probably took our final camping trip of the year this last weekend. Had a great time, got in some bike riding, swam in Lake Michigan, what a blast! The kids are ready for school tomorrow and the household is back into it's routine. My band is still showing restriction, which I know is what everyone wishes for. I can eat around 1/2-3/4 cup of food at a time. It's the stuff that goes down easy (junk-food) that I need to stay away from. I'll keep my eye on the prize and try to do my very best this month.

Hey nikki, yes I tried this for a few days. Thought it would calm down my band. But I'm still super tight in the am can't even drink coffee without sipping. I was eating egg beaters and 1/2 slice of whole wheat toast for bkfst, but not anymore after this last fill. I usually have to watch it during lunch also. I take it slow, chew a lot and about 5 minutes after I eat I get the chest tightness. I'm only getting in around 3/4 of food in all. I was so excited last night, 3 oz. of salmon & 2 tbsp of hummus with 5 wheat thins for dinner! And no chest pain. Took me 30 minutes to eat. Juli, I guess I usually don't reference that area of my body often, so woo-hoo was the best i could do without sounding crude. Have a great weekend everybody!

Finally got back into my exercise routine and back to tracking my food on fitday...It had been a few weeks! Biked 8 miles last night and loved it. Walked 1.5 on the treadmill this a.m. and felt really good about myself. It's just getting my lazy ass up out of bed that is the hard part, like I have to psych myself into it. Have been having a terrible stabbing pain on right lower side between belly button and hip bone. Ruled out my appendix, ruled out gas, so I had an ultrasound today they are thinking maybe ovary. (did you know they put the thing up your woo-hoo to see the ovaries?!?%#*&) Looked like a really cool vibrator! Perhaps I'm talking out of turn. Anyway, the pain is still there when I walk should find out something soon. Have a good day everyone!

Okay, hold your right hand up, palm facing you. That's Lower Michigan. I'm a quarter of the way down your ring finger. Kalkaska, Michigan. Beautiful Northern Michigan!

Janine..Hello! did we already discuss this? I'm from Northern MI too, Kalkaska, near Traverse City. I don't mind the winter, I'm okay with shoveling and snowblowing I really want to get back into x-country skiing. I used to do it when younger and loved the cardio. I am finding myself just getting by also. Not sure this my sweet spot. Sooo tight in the a.m. I can slowly eat lunch and dinner is a little better. With this said, I'm finding that eating junk is easier and I really need to get a handle on this. I'm addicted to M&M's. I'll put up a before and during if everybody else will. OMG time for bed!

I told my mom, sister and DH & kids. My co-workers think I had a cyst removed. I've lost 41 lbs and ppl have been asking what I've been doing..I just say "my bike and treadmill are my best friends!" I also tell them I try to stay around 1400 calories a day. They seem to accept that and probably haven't put 2 & 2 together about the surgery and the weight loss. I few in my office have made their opinions about WLS very clear and I just didn't want to have to deal with all that on a daily basis.

I see moms all around me that stay at home with their kids, and I wonder...how do they afford that? What does their DH do for a living to be able to live/afford 1 income? I'm sure some of it is necessity, I mean I pay $176.00 a week for daycare in the summer. I have to work because DH owns his own business and my job offers the health insurance. So basically I work for the insurance (paid for 90% of my LB) and enough $ left over to pay for daycare and to put gas in the cars & a groceries. I'm sure a lot also depends on how you manage your money and how much debt you have. If I had the opportunity to stay home with my children I probably would have. They are both in school soon so the daycare bill will go way down! Yippie! Extra $ to pay off the mortgage faster. If circumstances were different, and it would benefit the family, my DH wouldn't have any problem with staying home and raising the kids.

Spinning class! I want to do that soooo bad! I live in a little town with no real gym and driving 35-40 minutes for a class seems silly. But I hope you try it and tell us what you think, I'm jealous! I know, maybe on a Saturday I could go try one out just for the fun of it! I probably couldn't keep up and there would be a bunch of skinny-minnies there in their spandex bike shorts and halter bras...perhaps I should "just do it!" and not worry what others think. Glad your fill went well Juli. I had to have flouro before I was dismissed from the hospital after my LB was placed. I had to drink this thick strawberry type stuff while I stood in front of the machine, it was cool watching it go down! Doing okay, just had a reduced fat string cheese for some protein...went down fine, I ate really slow.

Thanks for the input on my restricton. I've always been kinda tight in the a.m. Now with this last .50 fill it really is tight in the a.m. Yesterday I was so hungry and it was my birthday party at work (birthday girl!!) I had to eat something. So some refried beans/cheese/sour cream/guacomle dip went down really well. I had no problems eating mushies the rest of the day. So for now, I'm going to hang out with my band and not get an unfill. Juli.....hope your fill goes well today! I'm a huge needle-phobic and I've never had any discomfort with my fills. It hurts more taking the band-aid off! School starts here Sept 4th. Michigan passed a law that school has to start after Labor day. My DD will be in 5th grade and my DS will be a big kindergardner! He adjusted so well last year in preschool that I'm sure he'll do well. It's mom that has the issues with her baby boy growing up! My step-son will be a Senior this year....boy do I feel old! He has lived with us since my DH got custody 7 years ago. He takes classes at a local career-tech center and is hoping to become a chef. Everyone have a great weekend!

I asked eariler but didn't get an answer. How do I know I'm too tight? I'm on mushies today and I can barely get down yogurt, I mean I can feel everything going all the way down, water, protein shakes, and it sits there for a few minutes before I can drink more. OR is this what restriction is really supposed to be like? Perhaps I should give it another few days. Eating solids again will probably be the big test. I don't want to call the DR. for a slight un-fill unless I really need it. I'm at 2.50cc in 4cc band. **regarding above posts....losing and keeping off any amount of weight is an accomplishment in my eyes. Keep up the good work!

no, not a test tube....20 oz glass bottles. Isopure ready-to-drink bottles... Apple Melon, Grape Frost, Passion Fruit, Orange, Alpine Punch, pineapple Orange banana, Mango Peach, and Blue Raspberry - No sugar, No preservatives, No fat, No carbs, No lactose... Just 40 grams of the purest, lightest, healthiest Protein with a fresh, clean, fruity taste. Excellent kool-aide type flavors. Keep a bottle of Isopure in the refrigerator and pour small amounts to sip throughout your day. Many surgeons recommend this product to their patients. They sell it at Bariatric Eating - Protein, Vitamins, Gastric Bypass & Lap Band Info, Post-op recipes, and Help. I get mine at GNC. Like I said, they are expensive around 3.50 a bottle. I can't afford to drink them regularly, but I had a fill yesterday and am on full liquids today so I thought I'd treat myself.

I purchase the Isopure drinks at my local GNC. They are kind of expensive. They have different flavors, grape frost, blue raspberry, mango, fruit punch. Grape is my favorite. If you've never had Whey protein isolate, it goes down good, and then gets "dry" It comes in a glass bottle.

We all have each other for suppport and thats great. It's nice to just get some of our fears and hopes out there. I also don't feel like I have my eating under control. The band hasn't changed that. Some foods go down easier than others and we don't have to think when I eat them. Had a .5 fill yesterday because I only lost 2 lbs in 4 weeks. I have been able to eat more food lately. Dr. wanted to put in 1cc and I said no way, I only have a 4cc band (so, 2.5cc fill right now) So, Clear liquids yesterday, full liquids today and mushies tomorrow which SUCKS! because my office birthday party is tomorrow and there will be Snacks and food. I'm making mexican roll-ups that are low-fat and I can't have any! I'll muddle through. The hard part is no one in my office knows I have the band and it can get kinda hard when everyone else is eating an your not. Drinking my Isopure grape frost drink. 40 Protein in 20 oz. Not too bad in taste, like grape kool-aid. So, how long should I give my band to settle down? I mean when should I say enough is enough and that I'm too tight? I'm asking because it took me a good 45 minutes to drink my Protein shake this a.m. and my medication really was stuck also. I've never been this tight drinking liquids, I feel every drop going down. ......perhaps this what restriction should really feel like?

Okay, I'll confess too! I've been good the last week and will try really hard today, but........ I have to stay away from the candy! My weakness...maple bun candy bars. Last week I ate a small package of snackwells sandwich cookies, a bag of m&m's and a bag of white chedder popcorn (all in 1 day) not to mention the taco salad from Taco Bell and the cinnamon sugar twisters. I've got to stay away from this crap but it goes down so easy. Maybe if I was a little tighter it wouldn't?? Gonna eat right this weekend while camping. Salmon in tin foil over the campfire with some summer squash will be yummy. Packed my soy crisps and pretzels, protein bars and soy milk. DH made me some turkey and reduced fat cheese roll-ups and fresh fruit salad. It looks like most ppl here have a problem with the junk food. How do we stop it????????????

I'm really frustrated with my exercise routine, or lack of it. This last week I haven't done much. some strength training and riding my bike to work today. I can't seem to get my a$$ on the treadmill in the a.m. My pants are getting bigger, I guess that's good.

jmcambra! that's a lot of calories! GOOD JOB! I did strength training this a.m. arreellady...where do you find the time to get in so much riding? Perhaps I need to hire a babysitter in the evenings to get in more riding. It's too dark out in the a.m. now to ride before my DH leaves for work.

Well I'm down 2.5 lbs. from Sunday. I'll be honest and I have cheated. I couldn't stand it any longer and had 5 reduced fat wheat thins last night! I'm sure glad I didn't have a pre-op diet to follow before surgery, not sure I could have made it.

I started this diet yesterday. Had to eat out last night so I thought the cabbage soup from Big Boy would be pretty close. Ate fruit and soup. Today is harder, ate 1/3 cup of soup for bkfst. (i'm tight in the a.m.) eating canned carrots cause the raw ones go down a little harder. I didn't read the instructions well enough and I ate 1/2 a banana last night. OOps! I'm worried about my protein, any suggestions?

Have a great time Juli! What an exciting and relaxing time you will have. I'm really looking forward to our vacation next weekend. Rented a cabin in the Upper Peninsula, MI for 4 days, doing the tourist thing and being a "troll" (that's what UP people call people that live south of the mackinaw bridge!) I'm kinda stuck with weight too. I've gained and lost the same 5 lbs. for about 3 weeks. I've increased my exercise a little bit, been tracking my eating & activities on fitday. But August is another month and today is a brand new day! **I've wrode my bike to work every day this week. Everyone have a great weekend probably won't sight back on til Monday

No bread for me either. Tortilla shell wraps, donuts, cake and any type of pasta do not go down well at all. I can do crackers with no problems. (Rosemary & Olive Oil Triskits...Yum!)

Walked 1 mile on treadmill 3.5 mph .....when it was light enough outside, rode 20 minutes on bike at around 12 mph in 5th gear...I have no idea how far I went. but my legs loved it!

<p>jmcambra.....great exercise ticker! </p> <p> </p> <p>I can never seem to get those to work for me, when I do, I can't figure out how to go back and change stuff without it taking me a half hour.</p>

Welcome robink! It looks like your doing well with your weight loss. Where are you from? How many cc in your band? I have to admit, my love of junk food hasn't changed with the band, I just need to commit myself to "once in a while is okay" not daily. I have increased my exercise quite a bit and that has kept me in check for the most part. I'm a slow loser at less than 1 lb a week on average. Tomorrow we will be " "Marchies in August!" Just look how far we've all come!

That jump rope looks fun, but a bit expensive.