I've been spending a lot of time in Rants & Raves since I joined LBT, partly because it's fun, but also because for the most part it's very GLBT friendly. Unless I haven't looked in the right place, I don't think there's a support thread for us, so I decided to start one!

A little about me. I'm Eddie & I'm a 42-year-old Gay man. I have a partner of just over nine years (henceforth referred to as DH), a 17-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. DH and I are stupid. Don't believe me, just ask our kids. DH has hypothyroidism and had not been able to lose any weight after his thyroid "went nuts" several years ago. I've just been overweight all my life. He was banded on 2/21/07 and I'm getting mine next Wednesday (5/16). I can't wait!

Anyway, I would love to hear from all the GLBT folks out there. Hopefully this can be a place for us to freely discuss our unique issues and get support we may not be able to get elsewhere.

thanks, juli. i'll keep an eye out for any all nyc-based bandsters. and if any of y'all come to the big bad city, please feel free to drop a line.

This is terrific! I am so glad to have a group of GLBT supporters. I am just starting the process and am in month 2 of the 6 month waiting period-ugh! I have CIGNA and I know they are really hard to deal with, so I am doing all I can to keep in their guidelines. My BMI is 36 so I am treading the thin line of following their rules, but not dropping too much weight before the surgery so I disqualify. My partner and I are both going to be banded and I know this will pose its own special challenges, but I hope we can motivate each other. Anyone else deal with CIGNA? What responses have you had from friends? I am trying to decide what ( if anything) to tell people. The eating out thing with others is what I am worrying about already. Let me hear from you!:biggrin:

Mary

Don't worry about eating out with other people. Most people don't care what or how you eat.

I didn't have CIGNA but I did have to do a huge process for my insurance. Just dig your heels in and jump through the hoops. It is so worth the effort.

Welcome!

Good luck with everything Mary, I know its a long process, but you can do it. Happy Journey

I know what you mean about head hungry-hungry. The first week or two people asked me if I was hungry and I said, well, no I'm not hungry, but my mouth is hungry. Its hard to explain to people I think

Thanks for the words of encouragement and welcome. I am just so glad that there is a community here to help in the process. I know I will need all the advice and help I can get. It is a huge decison for me and I don't want to do it alone .:biggrin:

Mary

:wink2: Just wanted to say hello............

I'm from Western New York & will be banded on March 31st.

Best wishes to everyone!

Sorry it has taken way too long to continue on my post. But I have been so down and out since my first fill. But I can say the weight loss has stopped and we have figured out one of my problems. On March 20, 2008 I went to see my Doctor. Who tried 6 times to fill my band....Needless to say there was a big problem. She kept hitting metal and soon realized that my port had completely flipped all the way around and was facing completely backwards. So I have an appointment in the morning to flip it back and reset it and fill the bad boy. I actually suspected this anyway because of the pain that I had been feeling. But I was hoping my suspicions were wrong and they weren't. But she said it would be a simple procedure and I would be able to pick myself right back up and start over again and this time maybe I would get some where with the band. my lowest weight has been 247 pounds. But as of today I am 259. Once I get this fill and get the port back in the right place I will pick up and dust off and continue on the band wagon.....Hope all is doing well I will try now to keep the blog going now that I have faced my demons and am feeling better about life again. I am sorry if I let any of you down and I pray you all are doing well...Much Love Banders

Penny- I am glad they were able to find the problem and it isn't a huge delimia to fix it. I'm sorry it happened, but I am glad you are taking steps to correct it.

Penney

I hope all is well with your port now! Let us know.

Pamela,

Where the heck are you????

I am so sorry to hear about your problem, but you have the right attitude. Just keep going . You CAN do it, as can we all.

Good luck. I am sure those pounds will come off now.

Mary

hi penny, am glad to hear fixing your port wasn't too serious an affair. still, i'm sorry you had to go through that tho. am wondering however, how did you know that it flipped? do you recall the sensation when you think it happened or was it just a general soreness/inflammation?

hope you're recovering well.

Hey Ya'll the little port thing didn't go as planned. The whole point was to flip it back over but as we got in there they realized that it didn't want to go back to the way it was so we turned it side ways and it slid kinda into a rib socket (very comfortably) I might add. can't even tell its there now. I am bruised up pretty bad but I was awake during the procedure. They gave me lots of ladocaine....Felt good. The this new doctor gave me a huge fill and as of today my eating habits have changed dramatically. I am just now able to swallow liquids and its a cup of sugar free hot chocolate. I tried to eat mushy and I had several dates with Mr. Toilet man this afternoon and through out the day. Even ice ceam came back to haunt me...Thats a messed up feeling. Cold but messed up.....So seeing as I finally got a fill that is doing as it is supposed to do I should start dropping the weight. I am starting the excercise thing dramatically in the morning. I am going to meet goal weight by December....I am back ya'll and I am bad now....No more mean doctors and no more port flippin.....:sneaky: As far as knowing when the port flipped....Oh Yes!!! I knew it, but I prayed that I had just felt a pull and not a flip..The pain is a grabbing pain and you can not stand straight up until you fiddle around with the port and move it back into a certain place. The one thing that I know that was the wrong thing to do was try to flip it back on my own. By doing that I made it flip back the wrong way and caused my own problem on top of the fact that I had already torn the stictches out. I suggest one thing to all. When they say don't lift more than a certain weight TRUST THEM!!!!!!! Now I have a side ways ports even though it is not bothering me being turned and set up in a rib I am still going to be a hard person to fill in the future. She has to stick the needle in from bottom up to get the port hole. But hey thats me I have to be difficult or I am not happy I guess. ~ But anyways Thank you all for your well wishes I will be on here alot more now.....Much love and Good luck to all.....

Penney you have really been through a lot and still have your sense of humor. Good for you. Best info you could have given to us is to not try to lift heavy weights or fiddle with the port if it turns. We can all learn from your experience. Keep it up!

Mary :ohmy:

yay Penny!