I would like to hear from some Texarkana Bandsters about their experiences. re: doctors, pre and post surgery, and how things are going for them now. I am considering the lap band.

Just wanted this to be on this page also. Support meeting 7:00 Monday April 9th, at the YWCA, located 3410 Magnolia St. Texarkana, TX Right behind Legends GYM which is located on State Line AVe. I had to hunt last month. In the phone book it gave two addresses for YWCA. I don't live in T-Town so I had to figure that out. I told Ms. Betty that and she said she would mention it to Dr. Heicker. Anyway it isn't hard to find, even for the out of towners. I plan to be there. See ya there......

The YWCA is also where Weight Wacthers use to meet to. I figure some of us have been to those meeting too!

I haven't been for a check up or anything yet. I was told I had to pay up front for everything.

I'm going to call and apply for two loans this evening and when I chose one and get all the paperwork taken care of, I'm going to call PS and schedule everything I need to do and hopefully have surgery on or around the first week of June.

I just thought of another question...

How are y'all doing at taking pills? I have to take a meduim sized BP pill and a large allergy pill in the mornings. I've read about cutting them and dissolving them in water, but can you guys take pills?

Of course I can only speak for myself, but I don't have any trouble. I have one that looks like a horse pill and I cut it in half. Everything else I take isn't a problem. Now, as I get more and more restricted that could change. I am just not that far along yet. I did cut my BP in half at first, but not now. You have to check with your pharmacy about crushing. Some can not be crushed. I took Toprol XL and found out it is time released and could not be crushed. I tried the crushing with the others and my gosh! It is so bitter!! Good luck in getting everything going.

Hey everyone, sooo ready for the cold weather to go away....

CONGRATS, Sugarbear...24lbs is a great loss...don't brow beat yourself on losing "only 7 since surgery"... that figures to be about 2 lbs a week and that is what you want to set your goal at.... remember your "tool", it is not a miracle worker, so don't set a goal that you know is hard to meet...aim for the 2 lbs and be proud of every goal you accomplish...even if it does seem slow, those 2 lbs will eventually add up to 10, then 20, then 30 and so on...I know, cuz I did the same thing...Lots of love to you and very proud of your loss...

lo2us...hope to hear you have a date soon...the only pills I take are very small, so I don't have any problems with them...Tylenol is about the biggest I take and it doesn't cause me any problems either...I appreciate the dedication you have in trying to get this done, regardless of the financial obstacles you have run into...it will be the best money you have ever spent...I keep trying to tell my sister this, but she has gotten discouraged and pretty much given up on any other alternatives...she is 32 and probably weighs a good 300 lbs...I really worry about her a lot, but there is no way I can pay for her to have it done...(I would if I could)...Please don't stop trying...

Hello Lisa, Hippmom, Hopefulchurch, and anyone else I may have forgotten...(there are so many, I can't remember all the names)...Wishing all of you the best of luck this week on your weight loss...

We should set a group goal to try to lose a certain amount, or exercise a certain amount, or something that we can all work toward a common goal and "cheer each other to success" (this is one of the expectations in my classroom that my students have to recite everyday)...

Talk to you guys later...

Hi,

I am getting banded on April 20. Today was my first day on the liquid diet. It was a long day. I hate the taste of Slim Fast. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Priss

Welcome priss! I've been doing the liquid diet for a few weeks now, and I pour the slim fast on ice and that seems to help. I'm not banded yet, just trying to prove to myself that I can stick to the diet...and hey, why not try to lose as much as possible while I'm financial limbo for the cost of surgery.

Neither of the loan's APRs were acceptable, so I'm still looking. It may take me a while, but I MEAN to do this! I'm trying to be patient...trying. Maybe, a whole pile of $ will drop from the sky and help me out!

I see why folks go to MX to get this done now. I really like Drs. H & K, though and I just know I will figure out how to use them.

Y'all keep hanging in there, I'm rootin' for ya!

Hello and welcome Priss! I hope you can work out details for the loan too. Have you talked to PS about financial details? I think they have some suggestions for all that but I did not do that so I don't know about the APR's for what they might suggest . Have you looked into cosemeticsurgery.com? Someone mentioned that site about getting financing, there again I don't know their rates. Hope you find something soon.

Is anybody going to the support meeting Monday night? I plan to if nothing comes up.

Thanks for the encouragement Vlynn. Now I am beginning to more of a variety of food, with the exception of meat. I will be to that point Wed. Don't know if I will feel ready or not. The thought of getting something "stuck" is very scary to me right now. I really don't miss meat any way. Only time I think of it is in a hamburger, or when I smell a good crisp piece of bacon to go with breakfast. Like this morning, I met my husband for breakfast and it smelled sooooooo good. I did try a piece of dry wheat toast and had no problem with it. First bread I have had since surgery. I am scared of that too. I think I mentioned that I got a fill last Wed. 2nd fill apt. is in 6 weeks. I forgot to ask how much they put in. I have a 10cc band. It is the med. size band. I seems like the second fill is more successful for most. We'll see. At least I am on the road to finding out what will work for me. Doesn't seem like anytime ago I was getting nervous waiting for the surgery date to get here, now I am nearly 5 weeks post op.

Everybody have a wonderful Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Priss try the sugarfree drinks, like crystal light, or the walmart brand, or any other to help give you a variety of taste. Sugarfree hot chocolate is good in the morning or late at night when you need a something special. Use fatfree milk milk and I think there are a few sf chocolates. I used Hersheys syrup. Oh, you can also have sf popcicles, sf jello. The popcicles were pretty good. I used these right after surgery too. Also if you find a protein drink that is the same calories and protein or better than slimfast you can use that. Someone was allergic to milk and had to go to GNC and find something else comparable and it was okayed. Hang in there and think of the long run. I had lots of encouragement from here. I am here to tell you that I don't know if I could have made it through the pre-op without my "family" here. I was a weenie. I had to have daily encouragement. This will pass, believe me. You can do this.

Thanks to all of you for your response! Today is day 3 of the liquid diet and it is getting easier. I even went to in-laws after church and sat there while they all ate! I did eat jello. Happy Easter!

Hi Priss. You sat through Easter dinner, without a bite except Jello! Hurray for you!! It does get easier, but at the same time it is still tough. Only someone on the liquid diet would understand that. I believe after the fourth day you can have a garden salad, only veggies added, fat free dressing. That might be nice for a change too. I am glad this is the only holiday you will have to go through while on liquids. Hope everyone was supportive. It got easier about the fourth day for me. Until then it sucked. I will have to admit it never got "really easy." But as my friends told me every day on here, keep thinking about the long run. On top of that, one of the best things is I weighed the day I started and I have NEVER seen that number on the scale again. That is a good feeling Pris. I try to remember that every day, especially when I get a little discouraged and think I should be losing more. This is the first day of the rest of your life. A healthier life. Hang in there. There is a support meeting tomorrow night at the YWCA 7:00 People that aren't banded yet are welcome too if you want to come. I am going too. Keep us posted.

Hi all...Happy Easter!!

Sugarbear, don't be afraid of your band...you are going to be fine...just eat slowly and chew a lot and you won't get anything stuck...those are the only two reasons that can cause this, so if you work on it enough, you shouldn't have any problems...I was sceptical to start eating solids too, but that quickly went away when I figured out that I could eat just about anything I wanted...

Good luck to you Priss, my husband is on the liquid diet now and will be having the band on April 18th. He did the diet with me when I had to do it, and now he is having to do it again...I am trying to be on the liquid with him, but it is difficult...I am going to do this for him, though, because he did it for me...

Hi Sugarbear, if you got the medium size band, it is a 10CM band. Centimeters is length. CC's is the same is ML's or the amount of liquid you get. If the 10cm band is the one you got, that's the same size I have.

Dr. K told me they put 1.7cc in for the first fill. (standard amount for the 9.75 cm and the 10 cm band) Your band will hold approx 4cc. Just thought you might like to know...

Have a good day everyone.

lisa

First off....is anybody going to the support meeting tonight???????? I am.

Hi Lisa, thanks for the info, I did want to know that. Guess I was using the wrong terms. haha.

Vlynnfogg, I think that is so great you are doing that with your husband. If my husband ever decides to do it maybe I'll try it with him too. That was the fastest weight I ever lost! I think it was 17 or 18 pounds in two weeks. Don't know that it was particularly healthy to lose that much that quick but for two weeks only I guess it was okay. I only drank 2 Slimfast a day most days. I go back in a little over 5 weeks for the second fill. I really just start solids Wed. So this first fill may be more effective than I think it is when I venture out to more of the solid food. I have stayed close to things like soft cooked veggies, ect. I did have a little cherry cobbler yesterday. First dessert I have had since I started this journey. Old habit, just couldn't pass it up. Can anybody eat a hamburger? I have a friend that can and it doesn't bother her, not the meat or the bread. But she only eats a small portion of it. I think she said 1/2 or less.

Let your husband know I am rootin for him.

Hi everyone. Went to the support meeting last night, may have seen some of you there but of vourse don't know anyone by name. They had a couple of speakers from the psyc. eval. office. There were some people that got pins for there weight loss. Two had lost 100 lbs!!!!!! That is encouraging, huh!? I meant to get there a little earlier so I could visit a little more but just couldn't seem to get away from the house early enough. I'll try and do better next time. Hope everyone is doing well with whatever stage they are in. Hope we get some new people on soon. I told Dr. K about this thread and if she remembers she will tell others and possibly send out a broadcast email to everyone. Take care everyone and keep posting. I was going to go back to March bandsters for a visit but don't remember how to get there?