RyanTheGirl

It was mentioned in our support group here to get one for NSAIDs...

I have worked (recently) in a dermatologist office- most insurances DO cover it- but they will make you try other things first (like DRYSOL-- which i actually use myself now, it's a liquid that is applied at bedtime to underarms- but dont apply it after shaving them cuz it will stiiiiiiiiiing!!). It's like fighting your insurance for a name brand drug vs. generic- have to prove the other options dont work before they will approve it. We did botox on quite a bit of people in their under-arms for hyperhydrosis. They can (depending on the dermatologist) apply numbing cream before doing the botox. It takes basically an entire vial of botox per arm (usually a patient paying out of pocket would pay $500 a vial). The downside is- it usually has to be repeated every 6 months- so it's a fight with the insurance every 6 months. Boo. Good luck, hope I helped!

It's been about 4 months since I've even really paid any attention to this website. I was soooo amped up about the whole lapband journey and everything, and it's as if my train somehow got derailed... not sure what happened, or why. In order for me to get banded, I have to quit smoking. Which I successfully did, for a whole 3 weeks... not even worth getting excited over really lol. I work in the medical field and was able to get the same kind of test they will give me to check for nicotine- after a week of no smoking, I passed it. Which made me super excited and I got the ball rolling again. My PCP wrote the letter of medical necessity, but I forgot to get a letter of medical clearance.... OF course (murphy's law) when I finally got around to calling my PCP about it, over a year had passed since my last physical- so I have to have another physical before they will write my clearance- no big deal- doing that May 9th... so I will be able to turn in my medical records, letters of clearnace from my PCP and my cardiologist, have already done the support groups, dietician, and psych appointment... so I believe they can contact my insurance after getting those. And in the mean time, I have to take a fitness class and a lapband education course (couple hour course that my surgeon requires) then I believe all my requirements are done... I wish I had the ball rolling on all of this back in January, because I probably would have been banded by now... but oh well. Everything happens for a reason I guess. Starting June 1st, I will have 2 insurances for about a month, so hopefully I will be able to have my surgery during that month so my out of pocket expenses won't kill me. Time will tell... Tomorrow is my new "quit date", gotta stick through it again. I think I need to go through the before/after pictures again and give myself a little inspiration lol!!

As a new year starts I am sure we all have a wonderful list of things we think of as "New Years Resolutions"-- or whatever... I decided that I only have one this year- to drink more water every day... This should help with weight loss since it will cut out more sodas/teas and keep me feeling "full"... Obviously losing weight is a goal of mine for the year.... I will be re-evaluating my "to-do" list from the surgeons to get the ball rolling more on the lap-band situation.... I have another Support group to go to (which, If I can be honest.. yes it's nice to get out of the house- and sometimes I have to be "forced" to do so because my depression makes it hard for me to do to so.... but it really is kind of a joke- very few people there are actully post-op, most of them are like me- there as a required pre-op...) but anyways... on my to-do list-- another suport group, the exercise class, and then the $275 program fee and lap-band education class....Oh, and the hardest, quit smoking for good. It is so frustrating to know that really, *I* am what's stopping me- if I could quit smoking, "cold turkey", then I would have months ago... but, I am doing what I can to get the quit smoking goal accomplished... and it shouldn't be too long... Last year-year and a half I probably packed on 30-40 pounds.... WTF?! I cant even begin to express how sickened I am by this... I feel like such a effing loser... I dont even want to discuss how grossed out and disappointed I am- in myself... I know the last few months I really "let myself go"-- mostly because I've been thinking about getting a lap-band-- and to do so I had to actually GAIN like 10 pounds to have the BMI that I needed... but then I kept using "I'm getting a lap band" as my excuse-- saying things like "I have to enjoy this while I can, this time next year I wont be able to eat like this anymore" or "I wont be able to eat _____________ (fill in something I shouldnt have been eating to begin with!) after I get my lapband, so I might as well eat it now!"-- who does that?! I never realized that I had a food "Addiction" until recently-- and that is a sad sad realization to have.... Stress is also at an all-time-high... Decemeber 29th, 2010 my father died in my eyes. NO- he is not LITERALLY dead... but once again, he has shown to be be worthless, judgmental, and a hypocryt. He and his wife bought my daughter (used, but still good!) bunk beds for christmas, well I wasnt able to be home when they came and were going to put them up- so they were at my house when I wasnt there... Apparently my house isn't tiddy enough for them and my "Step mom" decided that I don't live up to her standards and wasn't talking to me... Didnt talk to me, except maybe 10 words all day Wednesday (the 29th, that's when we were doing our "family christmas")... Anyway- long story short, I got into a huge arguement with my sperm donor (aka father) about all of this and I completely blew up at him- seriously? how can you expect me, a single mother, who works 2 jobs, AND goes to college to keep my house up to THEIR standards? Oh, and by the way, my grandma, his mother- fell (3rd time in a month or so) so I've been at her house any time i could to clean her house, put up her decorations, do her nursing stuff (changing her dressings- she busted up her face pretty bad and has stiches), her yardwork, and her christmas shopping... YES- MY HOUSE IS A FREAKING MESS! But that's because HE decided that he wasnt happy here and moved away- leaving ME as the only one her to take care of his mother... He's always been worthless... the first time I brought home an "F" in school was in P.E. in middle school- the first year we had to "dress out" in the locker room- in front of all the girls who already made fun of me for being the fat girl- so no, I never "dressed out", and I failed... when he saw my report card- his response? He screamed at me and constantly told me how I was nothing but a "fat lazy nigger"--- excuse me for even using that "N word"- as I HATE that word and am no way what so ever a racist or anything... and yes, he called me that (and I am white..) He's an alcoholic, and will always put himself before others... when I told him I was hoping to get a lap band, his response? "well, if it will actually work for you, maybe then you'll finally be thin like your sister"--- WHO SAYS THAT?! Well, I'm at work, so I cant give this blog the attention it deserves right now... but anyway... it's a new year, I feel every single pound that i've added the last 18 months or so... and actually- it's a good thing- it's a reminder to me that I need to get off my ass and actually start making the positive changes my life needs- with or without the lapband... it's just a tool-- I'm the one who is going to have to do the work- so I better start dress rehersal now, because there's less room for screw ups when the real deal is here! (when I actually am banded I mean) Hope you all are off to a great year!

I have yet to get my band, but I know from being a nurse that the gas pains (even in the shoulder) are normal. When you are in surgery, they pump your abdomen with gas- to kind of fill it up like a balloon, so they have "room" for your surgery without actually opening you up, and you are also on the surgery table that is slightly angled with your feet/legs elevated, so that your blood can circulate easily while you are in surgery- which can cause the gas to build up in the upper portion of your body.

So, I am fully aware that those of us "pre-band" always dread shopping- but sometimes, SOMETIMES I actually enjoy it... Of course, that isn't the case since I gained the last 30-40 pounds... but I can still sometimes enjoy it. Last night was our work's christmas party, well kind of. First off, there are only 7 of us (including the doctor we work for) in the office- so not really a party lol. One of the other nurses I work with decided to have us over to her place for the "party" the same night her husband was having his party for work- he works for gulfstream. So I figured it might be a nice way to get out of the house since I rarely do, and maybe meet some interesting people... well, with my recent weight gain- barely anything fits! UGH! So, I decided to go shopping... Figured I could just get a new sweater or something... So, I went to Ross (hoping for something cute, and cheap- no luck) then to Catherine's (again, no luck), then to the Avenue (was able to get a sweater and a knitted "shell" type thing- but still wasnt "happy"), went to Torrid (which, aside from their prices, I normally love...) Long and short of it all- I am disgusted that I had to buy the biggest size I've ever been in, and yet STILL didnt feel at least "pretty"-- I know hoping to feel sexy or anything wasnt in the rhelm of reality- but to still not even feel pretty? What a shame.. I'm so sick of it. Trying to change things now before I have the surgery (if I ever have it!!! Still battling the nasty gross habbit of smoking... which I have to be nicotien free for at least 2 months before the surgery- so that means no patches or gum or anything if it has nicotien!) Trying to eat better and all that- but yet, at the same time- I find myself eatting things that I know I shouldnt and then using the excuse "well, I wont be able to eat this after my surgery"-- REALLY?! C'mon now Ryan.... You (I) know that this surgery isnt going to all of a sudden change my eating habbits for me- SURE, there will be things that my band won't allow me to eat or whatever... but at the same time- there will still be things that it will still allow me to eat that I know I shouldnt... I know I CAN do this- and WILL do this... just trying to fight myself and my own inner psychie that thinks that I need these things (like donuts for breakfast, or smoking!) Dear Lord- please help give me the stregnth that I need today to help me make a better tomorrow! Amen.

First let me say, I LOVE this post.... Second, sorry guys for coming into your sacred land... couldn't resist I suppose!!! And third- I have to say I have thought the same exact thing! LOL (well, from a woman's point of view...) Of course thinner guys (over obese) are going to get the "10's", just as the thinner girls get the 10's-- and though we are over weight- we still want someone who is at a "10"-- which we should- we should all want 10's... But yes, I am looking forward to getting banded, and losing weight- and (sorry guys) I look forward to showing off my (hopefully!) new hot body and making the asses who passes me up wish they never did!! hahahaahaha!!!

I am glad to hear things are working!! Nothing worse than looking in the mirror and KNOWING you are doing what you can to make things better- yet no results! (with this situation, weight loss, etc!!!) Oracea (and any name brand medications!) is expensive- and really, I have found most of my patients dont like it lol... they CLAIM it's just as good as doxy but with lower risks of yeast infections... but whatever. ALSO- if the Acanya cream doesnt really work for you- ask about Metrogel (or even Metro Lotion even) but either way, I am glad you are loving what you see in the mirror now!