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Hi Angelica, I just replied to your other thread about individual insurance, and now that I know you're in NJ I can tell you that you absolutely are NOT eligible for individual insurance as long as you are eligible for your group plan. That said, let me ask this: are you in a large-group plan? I'm in NJ and have not heard that BC/BS has that requirement here. Maybe it's being levied by your employer in an effort to make the plan more restrictive? In any event, it's worth a call indeed. Good luck!!

I belonged to the CPC (Clean Plate Club) for over 50 years, so I consider myself something of an expert on it (and I am, after all, The World’s Greatest Living Expert on Everything). I thought it was a lifetime membership, but my bariatric surgeon rescued me from the CPC Cult – oh, excuse me, Club - and deprogrammed me so that I’m able to function more or less like a normal person now. Here’s my story. I was inducted to the CPC as a child, when I was too young to realize that the promise of going to heaven if I always cleaned my plate was a bit more complicated than it sounded at the time. All I wanted to do at the time was to please the cult leaders: my mother and my grandmother. I have reason to believe that my grandmother, whom I called Dranny, was the original founder of the CPC. Orphaned as a small child, she was passed around the family like a piece of unwanted furniture, and she raised her own children during the Great Depression. Through the combination of those circumstances and her own peculiar (and wonderful) character, Dranny was a pack rat. She didn’t live in filth and disorder (just the opposite, actually), but she couldn’t bear to throw anything away, especially not food. If three green peas were leftover from a meal and she hadn’t been able to persuade someone to eat them, she would lovingly place them in a custard cup covered with a shower-cap style cover (this was in the days before Glad Wrap), and store them in the fridge, where they would remain until someone ate them (or my mother threw them out while Dranny was in another room). I’m a lot like my grandmother in various ways, and also something of a pack rat. So after eating my way through hundreds of childhood meals with Dranny and my mom (who was not a pack rat, but who was offended by the idea of wasting food that she’d worked so hard to procure and prepare), I emerged into adolescence with warring impulses – part of me still wanted to clean my plate, and part of me wanted to starve so that I could lose weight and be as skinny as the British supermodel, Twiggy. 101 WAYS TO CLEAN YOUR PLATE One of my problems with meal planning and storage is that it's hard for me to predict how much food I'll be able to eat at a future meal. Often I don't know that until I've eaten several bites. My basic strategy for dealing with this unpredictability is to keep my plate clean from the very start so that the food I leave behind doesn't overwhelm me or provoke an attack of guilt that could bring down Dranny's loving wrath upon me. A simple way to keep your plate clean is to prepare smaller batches of food so you won't be tempted by serving dishes overflowing with food or burdened with an excess of leftovers. I can't speak to recipes for baked goods (not my department), but most other recipes can be easily cut in half, thirds, or even quarters through the use of simple arithmetic. Sometimes I prepare the whole recipe, subdivide into 2 or 3 batches, serve one batch immediately and freeze the other 2 for future use. When we lived in the northeast, the elderly widow who lived next door was delighted when we shared excess food with her. Sharing food with family, friends, and coworkers can yield multiple benefits. When I'm craving a food or recipe whose leftovers would be a problem for me to store (or resist), I prepare a big batch of it for whatever social event is on the horizon and keep only one or two portions of it at home so that we get to enjoy it without having to worry about to do with all that food. I use cheap, recycled, throw-away packaging so that no one can insist that I take my corning ware, Pyrex or Tupperware container of leftovers home with me. You can also keep your plate clean by using the portioning technique I recommend for bandsters who are still learning their band eating skills, food portion sizes, and stop signals. Here's how it works for me. When planning my day's food (which I commit to my food log and my accountability partner every morning), I might decide that I'll eat 4 ounces (by weight) of chicken thigh and 1/2 cup of barley and veggy salad for dinner. Come dinner time, I grab my small plate (a salad plate) and put half of my planned meal on it: 2 ounces of chicken and ¼ cup of the salad. If I'm able to finish that, great. If I'm still physically hungry when I'm done with it, I go back to the kitchen and dish up the remaining 2 ounces of chicken and ¼ cup of salad. At the end of the meal, I'll probably have only 1 or 2 tablespoons worth of food to save or throw out instead of a plateful of food, therefore much less guilt to deal with. When I do have a plateful of food leftover, I usually scrape it into a small plastic container that I can quickly grab and stick in my lunch bag when I go to work the next day. Fortunately, we actually like leftovers at our house, and arguments occasionally break out over unauthorized consumption of leftover food ("Who ate the rest of the eggplant Parmesan?!?"). The same approach works with restaurant meals. We're happy to take leftovers home in what used to be called a doggy bag (as if I'd share my Maryland crab cakes with a dog!). My sister-in-law used to scrape leftover food into a bucket to add to her garden compost pile. I have no idea if that's a good practice. We'd have to have a 40' high electrified fence dug 20' into the ground and topped with razor wire in order to keep dogs, cats, deer, rats, raccoons, and other critters out of that kind of compost pile. I've also known people (including my mother) who fed leftover food to their 4-footed garbage disposals (dogs & cats), another practice that we avoid because why would you want to cultivate a fussy eater? Our pets have survived eating (stolen) candies (complete with foil wrappers), latex paint, and kip tails (fishing flies), and at our house, a fussy eater will end up starving because someone else is always willing to clean your plate for you, sometimes long before you've decided you're finished with it. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STARVING CHILDREN? After over 6 years of post-WLS life, I'm now better able to detach myself from my emotional attachment to the food on my plate enough to throw out what's left. If it didn't taste right because my tummy was in an odd mood, if it caused me eating problems, if it wouldn't reheat or store well, I let it go. I haven't been struck by lightning for doing that, nor has God punished me with plagues, floods, or infestations (apart from the dog infestation, that is). Like many, I was raised to eat every meal while listening to a chorus singing the Children Are Starving in (fill in the blank) hymn. I agree that in world where so many children (and adults, and animals) go hungry, it is just plain wrong for an overfed middle-class person like me to waste or throw out food. But the fact is that me eating more food than my body needs (rather than throwing out) is not the solution to the problem of world hunger. The solution to world hunger, and to diminishing global food resources, is far, far more complicated than that. Working in your community (be it a village, a city, a country, or a planet) to solve that problem is a worthwhile effort, but you taking personal responsibility for causing the death of a starving, unknown child in India or Appalachia because you threw out a chicken wing and 5 green beans last night is (in my opinion) a misguided and foolish use of your energy. And you eating that extra bite of food just because you can't bear the thought of throwing it away is also foolish from a medical standpoint. If that extra bite causes you to PB, get stuck, or over-pack your pouch, it could lead to messy and expensive medical complications like esophageal or pouch dilation and/or band slips, especially if you eat that way on a regular basis. Finally, as long as overeating endangers your health through co-morbidities and through disrespecting your band, you may never be able to help deal with the hunger problem, whether on an individual, local, or global basis. So, first things first: make a top priority of eating sensibly for your own sake before you tackle the rest of the world.

Hi everyone! hoping for your help! I am one day away from being four weeks postop (VSG Dec 16, 2019) and I made myself some hummus today but the consistency was very grainy and I only had a couple of teaspoons but then I got super scared that The grains or the skin of the chickpeas might get stuck in my stitches and cause a leak or something...so I stopped eating....but now I’m freaking out!! Help!! Thoughts? Should I call my nurse tomorrow? Thanks! Neda Vancouver, BC

Have you asked your doc about anti nausea meds? Sometimes I get the nausea feeling at night bc I feel like I ate/drank too much throughout the day even though Im only at like 500 calories....but I take ondansetron disintegrating tablets and it knocks it right out within 15 minutes. Maybe that would be an option to talk to your doc about?

:smile:Hello , my name is samantha I am a 24 year old mother of 5 . I am just starting my journey to getting the lap band .And wanted to share my story . I was not over weight until I was 5 or so and after that I have always been over weight . My family called me count snackula , pie girl , and man cow instead of samantha . When I was eight I weighed close to 90 pounds ,when I was 14 I was 130 pounds ,and at 18 I weighed about 230 and now I weigh 310 . So I have tried many diets along the way and nothing works for long periods of time I would loose 10 to 15 pounds and then gain it right back. I am fed up with being this big and I am ready to make a change. I already went to the seminar for Dr. coirin , and have a consult apt with his office on feb. 7 I just can not wait to get things realy moving along !!! Thanks for reading this and good luck and god bless everyone on their journey !!!

Hello, I am desperately in need of some help. My husband had the sleeve gastrectomy in October. He's lost 115 pounds and looks amazing! In the beginning he was very strict and followed his diet. Now in the past month I've noticed him cheating more. He will take 1 bite of everything he's not supposed to eat, and sometimes more. I mentioned it to the nutritionist and she said it's okay as long as it's only 1 bite to satisfy his craving. It's starting to be more than one bite, and if I say something or give him a look it starts a huge fight! The other night I came home and saw a dirty ice cream bowl in the sink. I told him how worried I am bc my old boss regained ALL her weight from alcohol and ice cream. He fixed his body but not his brain. I'm 100% sure he's going to regain the weight if he's already cheating 5 months out. We have a baby now and I want him to be alive to see it grow up! He refuses to go to counseling. Please give me some advice on how to be supportive!

He got that suit in college >20 years ago and never wore it bc he quickly outgrew it. He was ecstatic to wear it, but I agree it's too big He's still struggling with wearing smaller clothes. It's all mental and I admit it took me a while too.

These are all terrific ideas, I should get my notebook our and take note bc this is one of my concerns as well!!

I burp much more than I ever did and my stomach growls when I haven't fed it in about 4-5 hours. I am a little over 2 weeks post band and eat very little and what I do eat is all protein. The doctor says I am doing great but when I eat too fast I do get the chest tightness especially if I am full (5 bites).

10/2009 Take a good look. This is what Morbid Obesity looks like. Let me preface this by saying that at first I was going to keep it all a hush-hush big super secret squirrel secret. But I figured blogging would not only help me chronicle my journey, but serve as a sounding board. Of course I run the risk of opening myself up to criticism and negativity. But I figured…they talked about Jesus they’ll talk about me too. And what’s more is – I really don’t give a rat’s sweaty nads. *shrug* With that said… I’ve never had a problem with being full-figured. In fact, I’ve embraced it. It’s a part of the me that I’ve been proud to be. Even flaunted my curves. And its not like I’ve been starved for attention. Most…well, a lot (only basing on what I’ve been told) of men (women too) think that I’m (are you ready for this?) SEXY. I’m not bragging at all…but can you imagine? Me, at 298lbs…on a 5′3″ frame. What doctors frown at in disapproval. What some people in public look at in disgust…but yet others…desire. To this day. As recently as an hour ago. 8/2008 *smh kinda confused* Admittedly, I’ve thought the same thing for a long time. My self esteem has remained in its proper sometimes over-elevated place. The men folk (husband included) never seemed to have had a problem with it, so I never had a problem with it… Until now. I’m at my biggest ever. Almost 30lbs more than I weighed when I was 9 months pregnant (2 years ago). I’m uncomfortable. I don’t like what I see in the mirror any more. My feet hurt. My knees ache. (ironically enough, the VERY reason why working out has been such a chore – that aside from time: 9-5 job, jewelry biz, almost 2 year old daughter, and a hubby that works nights/weekends). And now, my once high (sometimes too high) self esteem has taken a nosedive. So what to do?? 9/2002 I’ve done the diets, the shakes, the cleanses, the “lifestyle change”, the pills, the work-out regimen, etc… Something has to be done. NOW. So after about 6 months of mulling it over, I’ve opted to have the LAP-BAND®®® surgery. In fact, that’s the entire reason for this blog. My goal is 75-100lbs. Realistically, at 200lbs, I’ll still be +size…but ALOT better off than I am now. I’m making a decision to better my life, and thereby, my family’s life. I will learn healthier habits to pass on to my daughter and share with my husband, as well as actually be around a lot longer to see her grow up, and grow into the olden golden years with her daddy. This vixen, is about to change her game up, for good. I have my physical exam and initial info session at the Bariatric Surgeon’s office on Monday. Then comes the consult to chart the path forward, counseling, etc. I will join the Million Pound Challlenge to help get me started on the right track. But that’s Monday – and it’s going to be a life-changing day. So this weekend, I’m gettin it in. *lol* I’m gonna eat what I want…probably for the last time (at least for a long time); Celebrate my 35th bday (late, bc of all the snow) and celebrate in anticipation of a new life and a new, even sexier, healthier me… I’m excited. I can only pray that by sharing this journey, it will garner some support & encouragement from friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. But even if it doesn’t, it’s no skin off my teeth. I’m CERTAIN that my words will touch or encourage SOMEONE out there. 1/2010 Beauty can be found at ANY size. From a size 6 to 26. However, HEALTH cannot. And that’s all its about for me. Taking off some pounds to add some years to my life. Phine, re-defined… *sexy grin*

:frown:Hey a loss is a loss! Down 1.3 lbs this morning! Yeah! When you have taken off over 80 bs, the losses slow down some, well lets face it, I have lost a great percentage of my excess body fat, so you have to realize things will slow down, that is why on EVERY DIET there is the last 20 lbs or so is soooooo harrrrrd to lose!:mad: Working hard for the next 10 lbs, hope for it in two months! That is the plan anyway. Was going to walk today, but it is 100 degrees and the lake I walk around is exactly 1 mile and perfectly round, just beautiful, but the Newspaper reported Snakes :mad2:(Moccosins) a lot of them crawling there, so me and snakes don't mix, here I come treadmill. Still Walkin the LapBand Walk! Here's to us Bandsters.:tt1:

Here is what I did on my last surgeons visit day 6 days before surgery. --I met with the before surgery nurse, She checked my meds, went over the steps I would have to take to get to the surgery. Talked about the self injected blood thinner I would have to take for a while and gave me some booklets on how to inject myself and the lists and maps of where I would have to go during the day and the day of surgery. --a "fellow" (Dr intern), went over the consent form contract for the surgery and had me sign it. Got my copy. Asked him if the center ever did sleeves... he said yes, that he had assisted on 5 himself and there were many other interns that were assisting at other times. He said that the bypass takes a ton of skill, and not just anyone can do it, they do a bunch of bypasses and have for years, he said the sleeve just needs someone who knows how to do it. I asked if I could have a copy of my surgery recording... and he said no, it was a liability for them. I asked him what Bougie size the Dr used and he said of all the questions anyone has ever asked, no one has ever asked that one. He said they use a 36 and staple it loose. He said they hand stitch the staple line or sometimes us a robot to stitch. There is no advantage they have found to one or the other. The surgery is 3 1/2 -4 hours long. I said that seemed long, and he said Teaching Universities are in no hurry. There is plenty of time taken for surgery, no need to rush. The hand stitching takes a long time. I asked him why I heard so little about the sleeve before my first meeting with a Dr. He said that California is way behind the east coast as far as sleeves go, not because the Drs skill or desire, but the insurance here is so screwed up that it has been excluded until recently by most insurance companies. He said he worked doing sleeves for three years on the east coast before coming here to California. --a research representative, asked me to agree to be part of an ongoing study of WLS as part of them keeping their "Center of Excellence" status. The want to do followups for 5+ years if possible. I signed that. --the during and after surgery head nurse, Anne. She went over much of the same stuff as the before surgery nurse, and we chatted about travel, and how 50 is the new 40. She wrote me a note to give to my work saying I need 6 WEEKS! off to recover. Ouch, I have sick pay/time saved up for 3 weeks, and one staff at work is going to try and give me some of hers... well see....She said the Dr (Ali) was at a meeting and couldn't see me that day, but he would see me on the day of the surgery. She decided what my med schedule would be before and after the surgery. She put a list into the pharmacy for the dissolvable meds I would need. She did a short physical to access my state for surgery, checked my heart, reflexes, flexibility and asked questions about arthritis and such. -- the Lab for blood work and a pregnancy test, and then I went next door and got my blood and urine done. They need a pregnancy test. I told the lab tech that if I was pregnant then she was witness to a miracle. (being menopausal) They took about 6 tubes for testing. --the surgeon I went back to the office to pick up my letter for work, and the after surgery nurse grabbed me and said the Dr was back and wanted to talk to me. I went in and had a nice 20 minute visit with him. He was really nice, and personable. I asked him about the bougie size and he asked me why I wanted to know, and i told him about wanting good restriction and not to leave much of the stomach that stretches out more. He said all the parts are stretchy. He said they use a 36. I asked them about the loose cut, and he said it has to be loose because they stitch the whole thing and the extra room is to do that. He also leaves a little bit extra by the pylorus end to avoid complications that sometime happen there. He said that even people that have a 60 bougie lose weight, that the main reason for people gaining weight is their own actions, not the size of the bougie. You have to make changes in how and what you eat for the surgery to be a success. He also warned that it is his opinion that more people will gain weight back from the sleeve than RNY. Even though the long term results are not in yet. I asked him if he thought the people who gain back weight do it more because they eat around the sleeve, or because the sleeve stretches out, and he said they are related, and the people who gain weight back are more likely to look for some outside reason for it than how they eat and exercise. Those who follow the plan and exercise into the future lose the weight and keep most of it off. He talked about leaks, and nausea. He said that nausea is the most common complication. It can last one day to months. In the case of months, some people need to be fed by IV. 20% of his patients have some amount of nausea. There are meds for nausea. He said he thought I would be a good candidate and believed I could find success with the sleeve. I asked him why I didn't see or hear anything about the sleeve in his lecture or literature, and he said that until recently the sleeve was not covered by insurance in California and so he didn't bring it up as a choice. --the anesthesiology offices. They checked my meds, asked again about allergies and such. About a 5 hour day. They will call me friday to let me know when I need to go in for surgery on tuesday. The day of surgery will be about 8 hours of check in, wait, surgery, recovery and to the room. They expect I will be in over night, there will be a leak test the next day. If all looks well, I can go home the next day. They want to see that I don't have a lot of nausea before I go home and will keep me an extra day if need be. There ya go. The rundown as well as I remember it. More later!

Well everything has been going pretty good since i had my sugery (june 2). I have been having a hard time with my brain...It keeps telling me that im not eating enough and i want something realllllly bad to eat. I have not cheated tho and i dont plan on it. My body needs to heal itself and im not going to get it its way. So i went to see my dr yesterday and i have been having really bad diarhea and he gave me a recipe and tells me if you cook cauliflower till its really mushy and then put it in the blender ...it tastes like mashed potatos. Well i had to come home and try it....It tastes like light mashed potatos lol It was the weirdest thing i have ever heard of but it was pretty good. I didnt believe the doctor when he told me bc i am from the south and southern home cooked mashed potatos is what i am used to...so it was pretty good compared to my southern mashed potatos. Life is pretty good, but im really bored since i cant eat very much anymore lol! Mandi Jo

Just changing what you eat and how much you eat will help you lose weight even if you can't start exercising. But you have to want it! I'm the first to say that if it's a hug you need that's not me but if it's get off your couch motivation you want that I can give you. They need you to lose weight for a couple reasons, one reason is to see how serious you are and two because if you don't start changing the way you eat now you are in for a rude awakening because the band alone will not get you to goal you have to do your part by exercising and eating healthy and being carefull about slider foods. Foods like cookies, chips, ice cream will just slide through no matter how tight your band is and that will sabotage your weight loss. I went on my pre op diet at 374 lbs and lost 30 lbs in 3 weeks, went into surgery at 344 lbs, almost 4 months out and I am at 293. My husband is doing it without surgery and started the same time as me and has lost at least 50 lbs ,not exactly sure because our scale only goes to 500 and he didn't register the first month. He started out walking half a mile a day and now he can do a mile, mile and a half. So to get to my point you just have to get fed up with watching life pass you by and truly force yourself to make out an exercise schedule and stick with it. Good luck and feel free to send me a messege anytime.

Hi, Im just about to sign up to get the lap band done. I have struggled with my weight pretty much all my life and am fed up, i dont want to go through my twenties feeling like this- i want to live my life!! Anyway I want to know from people who have had it done, how successful was it for you? Are you really full up..or are you still hungry when you have it done? Does it stop you from feeling sooo hungry? I guess im still a bit skeptic! Would love to have some feedback ! Thanks...also Im in Dubai so would like to know if anyone has had this done through Roger Batrouni??? :tongue_smilie:

I tell myself mind over matter since my two week liquid pre op diet I have baked cakes home cooked every meal anywhere from meatloaf mashed potatoes gravy and corn to home made beef veggie Soup home made pot pie. U name it. I sit at the table with my family like tonight I ate cottage cheese while they ate they're dinner. I tell myself I was the one who decided this surgery not them and I can't punish them for it. This weekend I baked Cookies with my kids for xmas cookies just bc I'm not eating them doesn't mean it's not an important time of the year for my family. They look forward to this. Do I really want them well heck yea. But I know I want to be healthy even more. Just write a list of all the things u want to do when u loose weight this is what I do and when I crave or want the bad things I look at that list which I hang on my fridge for reminders. I have not cheated once during pre op diet or since surgery on 11/22 and I'm down 40 lbs since pre op diet. Best of luck to u and keep ur chin up it gets easier. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks SVM10 it's pretty painful I'm bummed bc I'm 3 wks out & still on Vicodin. My pcp says the pain from the sutures should diminish by 3-4 day though. I pray that to be true!

My aunt is selling them. So are the clerks at both UPS and Fed Ex, where I go almost daily. And now, apparently, one of the salespeople at a community I work for is selling them for her DD as well. I'm surrounded and not sure where to hide! I actually asked my aunt if I could just donate $5 and not have to have the Cookies at home, so we gave them to her hubby!

I am the same. Mirena and have had it for 3 years. I haven't had children and was just fine to have it placed. It's great bc it makes your periods light and might even make then go away. I haven't had a period in over a year!!

@@tera1982 thank God I'm not having any issues with my intake but I tell you this sleeve is like a baby.....it wants to be fed and burped (walking). I was awake at 3am feeding on some sugar free jello which helped calm the growling. I'm just praying and hoping that we are free of all complications. Not to mention I have a drain that won't get removed until next Wednesday and that area is causing me discomfort. I believe after I get the drain removed I will feel like a new woman. Are you taking your pain meds?

My surgery was jan. 29th... Postponed from the 27th bc of the snow.. Slow and steady now.. Hard to sip anything bc of pain but I hope that gets easier with time!

Well I will tell you the process is horrible. Now that it is after June 1st I would recommend calling UHC and requesting a Care Cord. My Care Cord was Kathy Sweeny and her # is 1-866-534-7209 ex. 67391. I would may recommend contacting her if you do not get assigned to a cord. I also advise you to ask them to go thru everything with you about what will need to be done to get approved. I know I had to have a doctor recommend a weight-loss program bc you have to do one for 6 months. I did Jenny Craig. After the 6 month plan, the psych eval, nutrition class it took about 8 months. I didnt go to my consult with Dr. T until my last week of my 6 month program. That way everything was quick. I hope this does help. If anything else let me know! Good Luck!

Im almost 5 weeks post op....and man ive thrown up maybe 4 times...i even woke last night dry heaving dont kno what that was about and it was a inky taste in my throat that wouldnt come up BUT.....IM LOOKING AT MY DINNER....its 4oz of talapia...smh and I never thought id ever say this but dayum ...its so much its looks like too much I only had 3 small bites and im like done...I started late today so I havent ate or drank much and I had an intense workout today smh so I need to get this fish down and my protien shot but im so full (never thought id say that either) I dont think its gonna happen. ...upside im really starting to love the mirror lol accept this week bc im on my monthly and extremely bloated tmi I kno sorry!!!!!!!

Hi!! I have the EXACT same situation going on! I have BCBS FEd and scince my bmi is less than 40 i have to do a 3 month supervised diet. I was pretty bummed ..but after reading on here that my DR. can start it from the initial weigh-in..( is this really true??) that makes thinks so much better. I have been waiting 2 weeks to hear from insurance and i just did today. So actually in 2 and a half months i could be having surgery.!!! I am so excited and thankful for all the help and support i get on these forums.

I'm not sure there is one. My doctor allows both immediately following surgery--and he is super strict about things (ie, no yogurt or pudding allowed during full liquid, strict rules about drinking calories, had to strain (not just puree) soups during full liquids--etc). I would always follow what your own surgeon says, but this was my experience. Before surgery, I only drank coffee on weekends bc sometimes it would give me diarrhea (TMI?) but now I am soooo grateful for it bc it helps keep me regular.