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New Chicago Friends Thread.....



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When is the next lunch get together thingie? We need to plan our Nov time, so I can get a sitter. ~Mandy

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I just took a part time job at the movie theater on 59. i dont know my schedule yet but since i will probly be the only there w/o a curfew i'm sure i'll be working in the evenings. as soon as i know my schedule i will let ya know.

Hey Mandy, i just went "shopping" in a bag of your size 16 pants! It was like Christmas playing dress up!! Jay took my 1 year pics so i will post them in the before and afters. i finally am actually following the "rules' and the ice cream induced plateau is over!

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We are still sitting quietly waiting for those pictures that you promised on 10-26....... ~Mandy

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finally put it in the before and after pics thread!

met with the new development director this weekend at 2 alumni events for my college. i SSOOO want to be their new alumni relations director. I would have to live in Dubuque for awhile without the hubby but....

Keep your fingers crossed for me please!!

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Hey Kim! thursday will be here before you know it!!

if you have any questions or need anything just hollar!

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Kim, keep in touch with us, we are a great source of information. ~Mandy

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When are we going to get together again? I'm working during the day mon-fri. So weekends are still good for me. ~Mandy

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Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone is willing to meet up and work out. Maybe just walk or jog around the lake? Let me know if anyones interested. I know its cold, but I love this weather =)

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Hi, I live on the southside of Chicago and I'm interested in getting the lap-band. My insurance had it as an exclusion, so I will be going under my husband's insurance beginning in January.

I've only seen one presentation here in Chicago regarding lap-band. Who was your surgeon? Did they help you get approved through insurance?

Any advice would be helpful!:glasses

Thanks!

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Hi, I live on the southside of Chicago and I'm interested in getting the lap-band. My insurance had it as an exclusion, so I will be going under my husband's insurance beginning in January.

I've only seen one presentation here in Chicago regarding lap-band. Who was your surgeon? Did they help you get approved through insurance?

Any advice would be helpful!:glasses

Thanks!

Dr. Lahmann (silver Cross Hospital, Joliet) does my aftercare. My surgeon is no longer in the area. Most places will help you fight the insurance company. After all that's how they get paid. If they don't help people get approved, they can't do surgery. A great place to start is Welcome to LAP-BAND.com they will send you a list of surgeons in the area. Then you have to call around and see who takes your insurance, go to a seminar, and finally meet with a surgeon. They will do an initial consultation, submit to your insurance for pre-approval. Then you get to wait. If you are denied make sure they will be willing to appeal with/for you. That was one of my first questions before I even made the seminar appointment. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. ~Mandy

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Hi, I live on the southside of Chicago and I'm interested in getting the lap-band. My insurance had it as an exclusion, so I will be going under my husband's insurance beginning in January.

I've only seen one presentation here in Chicago regarding lap-band. Who was your surgeon? Did they help you get approved through insurance?

Any advice would be helpful!:glasses

Thanks!

I would recommend Dr. Vafa Shayani from Day One Health. My experiences with him have all been wonderful. He is a really caring surgeon and he helped me a lot to get insurance approval and PCP approval (long story if you want to know i can tell you). Here's the information if your interested:

Day One Health

Dr. Vafa Shayani

60 E. Delaware Place (15th Floor)

Chicago, Illinois 60611

(312)-255-1900

Good luck with your journey.. Can't wait to have you in Bandland!!!:clap2:

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    • Doughgurl

      2 days until I fly out to San Diego to have my Bypass Surg. in Tiajuana Mexico. Not gonna lie, the nerves are starting to surface. I don't fear the surgery itself, or the fact that I'm traveling alone, but its the aftermath that I'm stressing about the most, after this 8 week wait. I'm excited to finally be here, but I am really dreading the post surgical chapter. I know its going to be tough, real tough and I think I'm just in my head to much now that the day i here. Wish me luck, Hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones, and everything goes smoothly. Cant wait to give an exciting update,. If there is anyone else have a June bypass or even a recent one, Id love to have someone to compare war stories with. Also, anyone near San Antonio Tx? See ya soon with the future me. 💜
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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