JinTx

I just discovered body fortress at walmart. Best one ive tried so far. $15 for a large tub.

I am sooooo happy!! I found a protein i an drink. I wouldnt say I Love the stuff, but its drinkable. I feel so much better now. I was worried i was going to have to plug my nose and pray to the protein gods that i kept it down. But the chocolate body fortress is doable. Thanks for the recommendation!

Had a EGD in april and i was shocked to find a hiatal hernia. I have NO reflux at all. My dr did a EGD as part of his normal preop. I am having hernia repair with the band ( hopefully in sept!! Yay!!). My grandmother has bad reflux and she had an EGD and they found hiatal hernia as well. I hear its pretty common.

They all suck. I've tried 2 dif kinds of atkins, eas, bariatric advantage, musc milk and oh yeah. Is it too mucn to ask for a protein drink that does not reek of a chemically taste in your mouth. My banded friend said the BA shakes remind her of an ice cream shake. What in the world is she thinking??!! Has it just been too long since shes had a REAL shake? Im freaking out bc I need a shake I like!!

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

I have found that all uhc plans are different. A lot of it depends on the plan your employer selected. I had to have 6 mos supervised diet, however I had 6 mos of WW records which they accepted. My request for surgery was submitted on a friday afternoon and by tuesday morning I was approved. Good luck to you!

Similar thing happened to me. I went to a surgeon other ppl went to. They liked him so I would too, right? Initially I ignored my guy. Went through preop with him, tons of money spent on EGD, blood work, barium swallow, ultrasound all for nothing bc I decided to listen to my gut. This was the end of April. I have since switched surgeons and ins has appvd me and hipeti be banded in sept. The point? Follow your gut. If you think you should switch then visit with another one at least for a consult.

Lately I have been doing some deep thinking about how my life is going to change after I get banded. And while yes, I want to get banded and become healthier for my family, for my children, for my future grandchildren...I want to become healthy for myself. For years...so many years I have put myself of the back burner. I think a lot mothers tend to do that. My children come first...my family comes first...everyone's needs come first. And I am not saying it as if I am some sort of awesome selfless person or anything, it's just the way I think. Everything changed when I found out 6 years ago that my oldest son was autistic. Everything. I used his diagnosis as a crutch for years. With the help of therapy I can say that I today I am ok w/ his autism. When we were going thru the process of getting my son's autism diagnosis I was also pregnant with my youngest son....hmmm...any wonder I gained 75 #s with that one. After we got the diagnosis of autism I immediately began to try to "fix" him. I sacrificed everything for it...my sanity, my health, my finances. Everything. I devoted HOURS upon HOURS researching. I spent the initial couple of years after his diagnosis consumed in another world. At the end of the day I was mentally and physically exhausted. I was too tired to plan a meal for myself, too tired to plan my lunch for the next day, too tired to exercise. Yet, here I was, counting every morsel of food that entered my child's mouth...making sure it had no food coloring, no gluten, all organic...meanwhile I would shove complete crap in my mouth. These past few months, perhaps even a year I have realized that I have to take control of myself. I have to be selfish. I have to let go. I can't control autism, but I can control what I do and how I react to this. I do think (as does my therapist) that I used autism as a crutch and ate as the easy way out. My world was spinning out of control and I had to take control...and I did just that but in an unhealthy way for myself. I couldn't control my child sitting in the floor screaming in a raging fit...but I could control the twinkie entering my mouth....so much comfort in that (at the time). Just as if someone that is anorexic is in need of control I am/was the same way only I would binge and eat unhealthy junk just because I could. It seems that as time passes my eyes and mind become clearer. I am so happy to be selfish. My life is depending on it. Thanks for letting me share. J

No dr watkins. I got the BA shakes online.

My suggestion is to talk to your lap band surgeon about it and get his opinion. Maybe he'd be willing to be present during the kidney removal surgery so that he can take care of your band ????

I wasnt expecting this rush of emotions after i got my ins approval. Before, when i was trying to get approved i was just so focused on that. But now, i guess im like oh crap! This is happening. I have never doubted this til now and ive been researching this since last nov with my first with dr in late feb. Can i do this? Have i exhausted all my other options? What if i regret this? What if something happens to me? I was having these feelings, then i had my nut appt and he said that my soda aka liquid calories and emotional eating will not be controlled by the band. I guess i started doubting myself more after that appt. I am prepared to give up sodas. Forever. I am addicted to them and know i can no longer have them. But the emotions, the head hunger, am i prepared for that? I dont expect the band to do the work for me. This isnt magic. I get that. I feel like i understand everything, have researched, etc. But yet, still have doubts.

Surgery is approved but not yet scheduled. Met w/ the nut who said don't start preop diet til I have a surgery date b/c he doesn't want me on the preop diet for longer than around 2 wks (preop diet is just low carb). I met w/ my first surgeon at the end of Feb and have lost 0 pounds. I haven't gained, which I guess is a good thing. I have been weighing myself weekly. Honestly, I haven't been TRYING to loose weight. I was basically just wanting to make sure surgery got appvd and my BMI is 40 so I didn't want to fall under. So now surgery has been appvd and I can loose some weight...but I find myself saying, tomorrow....I'll do it tomorrow....Monday....I'll get serious Monday....next week, etc. I have an appt w/ the dr on Aug 8th and really want to be down something, even if it's just 2 or 3 pounds. My lack of motivation is making me question this. It doesn't help that I am also trying to cut out sodas (major addict) and I keep telling myself that I have to do it before surgery, yet find myself playing the "tomorrow game" with that as well. The reality is that tomorrow is here and I need to step up. I think part of it is that I am so afraid that things are gonna change...and I act like I am never going to get to eat a hamburger or ice cream again. J

Went today for my ekg. Turns out the man who did it is very good friends with my mom. My mom does not know about me getting lapband. I asked that he not tell her i was there and he said he wouldnt, then said he couldn't due to hippa. Is this true? Seems like he could say he saw me at the hospital but not say why an still be in compliance. Does anyone know?

Dr sherrod is my surgeon. I will be banded early sept. I am happy with his care.

Very simple. Mine was pretty much the same as 3musketeers but i also had to take a 300 question written personality quiz. I wouldnt worry!

Ok. Thx. I told him not to tell and he seemed sincere when he said he wouldnt.

All UHC plans are different. I have UHC and submitted psych eval, last 6 months of WW records, and 2 doctor notes that occurred w/in that 6 mos of WW records. My BMI was 40. My request was submitted on a Friday and by Tuesday morning it was approved. Best thing to do is call UHC or look at your written benefits summary and see what the requirements are. J

Haven't posted on here in awhile but I just wanted to share that I got my insurance approval. I have UHC and 3 days after it was submitted it got approved. I go next tues for preop tests and then 8/8 for preop app with the dr. Surgery is penciled in for the first wk of sept. I'm so excited...and scared. Take care, J

I have yet to be banded. Sometimes i practice chewing and chewing and chewing and then wonder to myself "would that of got stuck?". Like last night we grilled pork chops and they were so dry they were like little hockey pucks. I had a hard time thinking i could eat them banded. Anyone else practice chewing and eating slow and taking small bites? I have found just by doing this i eat less bc im the last one done and i dont like to be at the table alone. Lol. -j

Feeling really frustrated. I was pretty much set up w/ a surgeon about 1.5 hrs from my house. Had my psych done - we were just waiting on the results and then it would be submitted to insurance. I went in for my preop work on the last week of April- EGD, ultrasound, barrium swollow. Found out I had a hiatal hernia. I dunno -- something just didn't/doesn't feel right about this surgeon. I can't say it's really one thing...this just isn't the place for me. I feel like a number, not a patient. I plan on keeping in contact w/ my surgeon for the rest of my life and if I already feel like this I just can't move forward w/ this doctor. So, I am starting over w/ a new surgeon (who is closer than 1.5 hrs away)- consult is 5/16/11. I called my insurance (they have assigned me a nurse case manager) and tell her. She tells me oh don't worry...when the new surgeon submits the surgery they can include the notes from the prior surgeon as well but then the very next sentence she says is that she's not promising surgery will be approved. I was worried b/c my first visit w/ surgeon #1 BMI was 40. He had me start low carb diet and I've lost 5 pounds and BMI has fallen under 40. I talk to the new surgeon's office - advocate tells me while yes they can include surgeon #1 notes in the request they can not indicate that as my starting weight due to HIPPA. WTH?? So now I am working hard to gain back those 5 pounds I have lost. And lemme tell ya - I am not having any luck. I pigged out this weekend -- pizza, cake, ice cream, chinese. Got on the scale this morning -- nothing! What gives??!! When I want to gain I won't and when I want to lose I won't. I am just frustrated. But I just really just don't feel like surgeon #1 is where I belong. Thanks for letting me vent, J

I have a banded coworker who told me she could feel her band. I didnt believe her so she grabbed my hand and showed me. Clearly it was her band. She said she started to feel it as her weight dropped. -J

Just got back from being at the hospital for HOURS for numerous tests. Got a EGD which showed a hiatal hernia. I never even suspected this. Dr said plan was to repair during lapband surgery. Is this going to be more painful? Prolong my recover? Also got an ultrasound - everything was normal. Then went for hidascan (??) of my gallbladder. The tech said a normal score is above 35 and mine was "a little low". I asked what this meant and he said I had to discuss w/ dr. Did a barium swallow as well which was just freaking awful. I am freaking out about the hidascan results. The ultrasound was normal - no gallstones or anything. The tech kept asking if I was having pain, etc, no no no I am fine. I feel perfectly fine. Anyone else have irregular hidascan results and go onto have successful banding? -J

I really feel a huge key to successful weight loss is planning. I do ok w/ planning my meals at home and packing my lunches for while I am at work. I plan my dinner menu weekly around the sale ads, pack my lunch the night before. But going out or special occasions I stink at. Examples - the other day I took my kids to a fast food joint. I told myself, J, just get a salad. I knew the salad was ok for me to have. I go there and order a salad, right? Wrong. Got myself a big fat cheeseburger, fries AND an ice cream for dessert. This has happened a few times....where I plan to do something and then just go completely the other direction. Now I splurge sometimes. Because I also feel a huge key to successful weight loss is allowing yourself to eat occasional treats. DH and I went to dinner the other night. This restaurant has the BEST bread and sweet iced tea (with real sugar) ever. I told myself before I went I am gonna get grilled chicken, veggies and will order sweet tea and have 2 rolls. I did. Emotionally I felt fine. I didn't "cheat". The pre-planned splurges don't bother me. It's those times that I have a plan and just completely ignore it when it comes time to order or eat. I have got to get a handle on this before I get banded. I just don't know why I do this. J

I was so nervous about telling my DH. When I did I was so relieved. My DH also said he would have been livid if I had not talked to him starting w/ day one. It did cross my mind to not tell him until a surgery date had been set. Still waiting on that date by the way. lol. J

Highly recommended by my dr. His preop is up to 5 per day. Nut gave me the name of one other but raved about BA products. How are the shakes? My dr sells the products in the office and everything is more than what ive seen online so im trying to see if these really are good products or did my dr just want my $50 for a tub of powder that tastes like sidewalk chalk.