FLORIDAYS

The above posts are excellent. When I was considering the surgery the first thing I did was call my health insurance and found out I wasn't covered for any wls. Because i felt this might be the thing for me I decided to go to a seminar anyway and find out just how much it would cost, and get all the details. I went to the seminar... Then I went to see 3 different surgeons. The one I selected was the first one I visited.... He wasn't the one with the seminar. I researched my self pay options and talked to my spouse and made the decision to do it. That was 215 lbs ago and almost 2 years. It was the best thing I ever have done for myself.... But not without sacrifice and commitment. Best of luck as you consider your options.

People fear the unknown..... And try to make light of it. I would forget it for now but if when you return he contiinues the inappropriate discussion I would let him know you are offended. If he doesn't stop get HR involved. Best wishes for a happy surgery day!!

377 was the weight I was when I went for my first consult so I use that weight. I hadn't weighed myself I almost fell over dead on the floor... I was expecting 100 lbs less then that. I am also 5'9. Based on a healthy BMI my dr picked 150. I picked 160. I am i162 today with a healthy BMI of 23.5. I am in a size 8/10 bottoms and small 4/6 tops. If I never lost another lb I would be happy. But I want to see what 150 looks like so I am slowly trying to get there. My hubby btw has expressed that he thinks I am done..... He is afraid I will start looking gaunt. We'll see....

Exactly... I have learned that food doesn't have to equal fun which goes against 50 yrs of lthinking..... It seems you can teach an old dog new tricks. If there are no options then I wouldn't tempt pizza so early on in the mushie stage so I would just eat a head of time... Then you could assist the hostess and busy yourself while people are gorging in their pizza

eat before you go.... then just enjoy your friends company

Be careful with beer...beer has carbonation and most doctors advise no carbonation for the health of our bands

wonderufl news! Best wishes for a successful surgery!

I wasnt allowed them for a few weeks after surgery...6 i think. But thn Dr said OK as long as I sip and dont gulp

I am not a fan of oatmeal unless its a cookie which defeats the whole sugar thing....LOL so I can't help you there... But I eat starch at every meal...equal to 1/4 c. If its bread its whole wheat only. I havent had white bread in 23 months, I do miss that.

The port is sewn to the inside wall of the abdomen. As you lose weight the port looks and feels more prominent and in some cases you can see the bump it makes on your skin from the surface. My Dr just last month told me he can replace my port to a low profile port at the same time I get my tummy tuck ....if I decide to do that. He said its a perfect time to do it because the plastic surgeon is already making the cut. I should have asked him why they just dont put in a low profile one to start with but I didnt think to ask. If yours is bothering you I would discuss your options.

other than natural sugars in foods... I have selected sugar free products since I started my journey. I do not find it necessary to not eat fruit or other foods because it has natural sugar in it... I just do not add it when I have a choice. Like I choose sugar free syrup, jelly, popsicles etc.....

I have said it before but the only thing that makes me less than a good bandster is that I didnt exercise. Granted I walked but honestly until I lost the first 150 lbs...not much. I am trying to improve on that front.

I am in HR and deal alot with insurances....Not sure what type of policy you are trying to get but something sounds off... People are denied for private life insurance for being overweight. I get that... What does the band have to do with your life expectancy? Is this through your work or a private company? I would check into other companies and see what your options are. There is someone out there who will be able to advise you.

Not sure how to post pics in the thread... Mine are on my ticker and profile. I am 2 lbs from my original personal goal.

I am hoping you wont have this issue but Mine was simple. I was denied by Aetna even tho I needed to lose over 200 lbs and had a BMI of 55. I guess because I had no other comorbidalities I wasn't sick enough to warrant the surgery. Never mind I was a heart attack waiting to happen. So I got creative, negotiated a cash price with the hospital and went out on a limb and became a self pay. I think I would have been successful either way but it would have been nice to have used some of the insurance benefits I have been paying into forever. Hopefully you will have a better story to tell us soon.

Sounds like kerosis but I would mention it to your dr in case there is another reason for concern.

My dr said it was better not to use one right after surgery for fear of trapping gas and also you tend to drink more And faster which again could cause problems. I started back on straws a few months after surgery but I am still careful about drinking too fast. Check with your dr for her / his advice.

For me it means before or after I ingest any solid foods. Usually I am ok drinking a small amount before food but I need to wait at least 30 minutes after eating food or iliquid seems to push the food back up.

I never took a laxative. I didn't have a bm until day 4 I think. After that the protein the optifast kept me regular.

I am not a trained nutrition expert or a dr. But I too was started on 1500/1600 calories and truth be told it was too many for my sedentary lifestyle when I was 2 months out. I was losing too slowly and I know myself well enough to know that wasn't a good formula for me. I had a chat with my dr and he agreed to let me do 1000 calories and see how that went. Well it worked like a charm and here I am down 215 lbs 23 months later. You may want to have the same conversation with your dr.

Best way to be sure.... I was allowed the Optifast shakes, caffeine free tea, Water, crystal light, and broth if I REALLY needed it. My excitement for those 2 weeks was the 25 calorie sugar free Popsicle I was allowed daily.

Maybe during the maintaining stage...but until then during the losing phase you need to count your calories, measure your portions and stay away from fatty food, sweets, fried food and alcohol. If you don't your loss will be pretty darn slow and you will become frustrated and have more chance to fail.

Very simple actually.... I didn't cheat on my pre op or post op diet I counted calories and tracked everything I ate starting when I went on mushies I drank 8 cups of Water every day I ate 1000 calories per day for 23 months 3/4 oz of Protein, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 c starch at every meal... About 300 each calories for Bfast, lunch and dinner... I limited 2 Snacks per day to fruit and a treat not more than 50 or so calories I took my gummy Vitamins I visited my dr monthly and got fills when the above food didn't keep me full for at least 4/5 hrs at a time In a nutshell I followed my dr's orders and made up my mind this would work for me!

I think they are few and farther between. I have only had 2 this year... in March and in October. Compared to my first year where I had 4 or 5. In addition to the evaporation Mis spoke of remember as you lose weight the fat around the stomach is reducing and sometimes thats cause for a fill... its very individual as with so many medical devices.

I was banded on a thursday... back to work on tuesday and wednesday for a 1/2 day then back full time on Thursday. I would say the pain level was a 2 as I never needed to take my pain meds. The gas pain level was a 6 for about a week and the discomfort level was maybe a 5. I felt normal at 2 weeks out. But everyone is different....