OK guy's,:clap2: lets have our Own thread and take about our bands and stuff..My name is Ted and I live in Oregon . I'm going to get my band Jan. 31st in TJ. Mexico with Doc. Kuri and his team..I was on the Jan. bandsters thread but I think I was the only guy there and felt left out.. A bit back, there was a few guy's that thought our Own thread would be fun, so here it is lets get started..Ted

Hey guys I have another stupid question. What about sex, do you have to wait a while to let the band heal? is there pain at the port area? etc..... HAs your sex lifes improved?

Most doctors say when you feel up to it is when you can have sex again.

Does it improve? Well, higher self-esteem, better physical condition and more stamina tends to improve sex for most people.

Thanks I thought it was drinking something to push the food threw.

HEy Wendall thanks alot for your fast reply. I get banded on the 23 OCT. I am getting a little nervous, but this site really helps a lot. It will be tough thru Thanksgiving and christmas being from an Italina house hold but I am determined this is it for me. I am on so many medications and have so many problems all weight related I told my wife and kids I have had it and I will be healthy. I am 53 and retiring in January 2008 so I want to be around. If I don't do something about my weight I won't be around and I am so fed up wtih myself. THIS IS IT!!!

I see that people talk about slime or sliming what the hell is that?

Here's a link to all the slang that is used here:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/abbreviations-what-they-mean-7959/

HEy Wendall thanks alot for your fast reply. I get banded on the 23 OCT. I am getting a little nervous, but this site really helps a lot. It will be tough thru Thanksgiving and christmas being from an Italina house hold but I am determined this is it for me. I am on so many medications and have so many problems all weight related I told my wife and kids I have had it and I will be healthy. I am 53 and retiring in January 2008 so I want to be around. If I don't do something about my weight I won't be around and I am so fed up wtih myself. THIS IS IT!!!

I hear ya!

NERVES are NORMAL!

Had a NSV today (and officially, down 70 lbs!)

Went to take my first flying lesson today, and part of the drill is setting the weight and balance for the plane. I tell the instructor I'm at 205 (throwing in clothes etc), and he just kinda stops for a second. He asks me if I'm sure, and I said "yes" (thinking -- damn, I'm still a fatass).

He looks again and says "Ok, but I had you pegged at 185"

Hurrah!

Great work!! How did your flying lesson go? Was this something you've always wanted to do before the banding or since?

Great Job!

And remember, there are old Pilots and bold Pilots. But there are no old bold pilots. I'm an old Navy Flyer myself, I can fit into my flight jacket again after a lot of years of just look at it in the closet. My wife thinks I'm crazy because I can wear "that old thing" again. Good luck and again great job on the weight loss, good luck on the flying.

Happy landings

BWD (call sign "Waldo")

Greg-I hear ya on the moving from "Morbid" to "Obese". Just the word "Morbid" scares the heck out of me. I never felt like I was "Morbidly Obese" but at a BMI of 43, I definitely was. I'm now at 30 BMI, and that puts me between "Obese" and "Overweight". My goal (like yours) is to be in the "Normal" range.

Has your doc OK'd the weightlifting? Mine said a month before lifting anything heavy. I did fudge a bit as I needed to get ready for lifting at work as busy season approached. It took patience, but I didn't want to mess it up. You will get stronger as time pass.

Bruce

Bruce, Doc was very clear. Go to the gym and do what you want at 2 weeks. I get a little vertigo sometimes and have to rest a little more between sets, but I really enjoy it. I spend an hour on the elliptical trainer every day, too, so I think I'm losing more inches than pounds for the moment. But I don't do many calories a day, maybe 800 or 900, and I feel good, so I'm just going to keep doing this. Doc also said 'eat anything you want' at 3 weeks. This is day 20 post-op, so things are okay. Doc has done 3,500 barriatric surgeries, including 600 lap bands, and his practice is very casual about the whole thing.

God Bless Us,

greg

Hello Guys,

I got my first fill last week. It feels just right. I am eating about a cup of food per meal. I am so happy about my band.

NSV- Took three large garbage bags of "large" clothes to goodwill. Got off of the CPAP machine. Got off of blood pressure meds!. Feeling great.

UNTIL TODAY - I got a bill from the hospital for $12,849.00 for the surgery. It seems even after jumping thru hoops from Jan to July and getting a written pre-approval from my insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield) they denied payment. I MAY HAVE TO GET BACK ON MY BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED.

Thanks for allowing me to vent!

Had a NSV today (and officially, down 70 lbs!)

Went to take my first flying lesson today, and part of the drill is setting the weight and balance for the plane. I tell the instructor I'm at 205 (throwing in clothes etc), and he just kinda stops for a second. He asks me if I'm sure, and I said "yes" (thinking -- damn, I'm still a fatass).

He looks again and says "Ok, but I had you pegged at 185"

Hurrah!

That is so cool! :clap2:

UNTIL TODAY - I got a bill from the hospital for $12,849.00 for the surgery. It seams even after jumping thru hoops from Jan to July and getting a written pre-approval from my insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield) they denied payment. I MAY HAVE TO GET BACK ON MY BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED.:peep:

To quote a famous philosopher... Don't let the bastards get you down!!

I'm self-pay also - it's going to be about another car payment a month through the Capital One financing. Somewhere close to $380/month to eventually pay off $17,500.

This, too, shall pass.

I'm considering just about everything to make enough money to afford this - including selling another car... getting another job... whatever. This will outweigh the financial stuff.

When my wife and I met we were about $45,000 in debt total. We chipped away at it and were debt-free in about 3 years. So, getting into a little more debt won't kill ya. Just cut up any additional credit cards, sell a couple of those old "fat" clothes at a consignment shop and do what you can.

One thing I found was (probably slightly illegal) to rip all of your CD's to your computer (if you have a big CD collection like me) and then sell your CD's to companies out on the Internet by the box. I've made about $500 so far. Newtownvideo.com - Buy & Sell Your Used CDs, DVDs, and Games For Cash was the place I used. Then there's DVD's that you never watch...

Anything you can sell on eBay. It's amazing what you can sell!!! There's some tubby guy out there probably just dying to get into those size 54 slacks that were just gently worn.

Anyway, don't worry about the money part. I know that's easier said than done, but wouldn't you totally do it all over again? SCREW the insurance companies!!!!!

All my best...

Hello Guys,

I got my first fill last week. It feels just right. I am eating about a cup of food per meal. I am so happy about my band.

NSV- Took three large garbage bags of "large" clothes to goodwill. Got off of the CPAP machine. Got off of blood pressure meds!. Feeling great.

UNTIL TODAY - I got a bill from the hospital for $12,849.00 for the surgery. It seems even after jumping thru hoops from Jan to July and getting a written pre-approval from my insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield) they denied payment. I MAY HAVE TO GET BACK ON MY BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED.

Thanks for allowing me to vent!

Chris,

I didn't want to spend 3 months fighting my insurance company. More important, I just wanted this done! So I paid out of pocket. My hospital was $8,000.00, up front (assuming I don't get a follow-up bill for some additions). Doc was $5,800, up-front. Anestisialogist was $1,000, up front. (All on credit cards, of course.)

I wonder how your hospital found its way up to almost $13K?

Congrats on your good health.

God Bless Us,

greg

Yup, it sure adds up. I had mine plus my wife's the next month. That's 26 grand from savings that we had earmarked for retirement. Oh well, we get a nice tax deduction this year!

And, yes, we'd do it all over again!

Bruce

Hello Guys,

I got my first fill last week. It feels just right. I am eating about a cup of food per meal. I am so happy about my band.

NSV- Took three large garbage bags of "large" clothes to goodwill. Got off of the CPAP machine. Got off of blood pressure meds!. Feeling great.

UNTIL TODAY - I got a bill from the hospital for $12,849.00 for the surgery. It seems even after jumping thru hoops from Jan to July and getting a written pre-approval from my insurance company (Blue Cross Blue Shield) they denied payment. I MAY HAVE TO GET BACK ON MY BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED.

Thanks for allowing me to vent!

Chris...me too! The Hopsital is probably just not using the right code to bill your insurance. Dont self pay call hospital and insurance and they will get it resolved. I have BCBS too and they cant seem to get anything coded right.