Jim1967

I know this topic has come up a lot over the years but I am looking to get a fresh perspective on whether or not Banders out there have considered getting a medical id. I know when we have the band placed we usually get an id card whether it be Realize or Allergan. I never got a card and when I asked about it I was told they don't have them anymore. I am thinking of getting one but not sure if it is really necessary.

I always have one protein shake a day regardless. I do this to ensure I at least hit my daily requirement of 90 -110g of protein. Typically this is my breakfast as my band is usually tight in the morning.

Same here Realize and took it long time to reach the zone. My fill history is in my signature. My doctor likes Realize and claims it forms better to the stomach. I truly believe it is just his preference. Here is a side by side comparison http://www.wlshelp.com/lap-band-vs-realize-band.html

Good points. Jan 1st I am being switched from Cigna to Blue Cross Blue Shield so I am hoping they are going to cover my fill appointments. This change is not by choice but rather my Employer.

One of those what ifs could be the new insurance company not covering the surgery or make her jump through more months of hoops.

I agree with the others. GO for it!! If the Doc is confident and you trust him then it's go time. Start a liquid diet right now it will only help make the Surgeon's job easier.

Been a rough few days around here. Friday was the type of day that made me realize I'm really not a young kid anymore. You watch the generation ahead of you deal with the struggles of their own mortality and reality sets in that there is nothing you can do to change the cycle of life. All you can do is try and make the best of every situation and lend them a smile and cherish every moment you have with them... Yesterday we said goodbye to my Uncle who lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 68. He fought the good fight and remained optimistic right up until the very end. It was very hard to watch my Father come to terms with this and pay his respect. My Father and my Uncle have walked similar paths. My Father had part of his lung taken due to Cancer and when he was being treated for that they discovered he had bladder cancer. After months of preparation and chemo they took the bladder. He was pronounced Cancer free for a short time but the lung cancer came back and he is just now finished 6 weeks of chemo and radiation. Now we wait for him to heal up and let his body recuperate then they will do another scan and hopefully he will be clean of cancer. My Father had 7 brothers and he is now 1 of 3 that is left. I can't even begin to imagine how he feels.

Thank you all and sorry Domika. I know it's tough but all I can we can do is try to stay strong and give a steady shoulder to lean on.

My Wife bought me one for Christmas last year and I love it. I am the only one in the house that drinks coffee so now we are not wasting coffee by dumping left over pot. If you're not in a hurry you might find deals on "Black Friday". Between coupon's and sale she got it for $38 bucks. A really good place to shop for K-cups online is greatcoffee.com great prices and shipping is very quick. You can even do a subscription and have coffee sent on a timely basis.

Thank you all very much. I couldn't do this without your Support. I am so thankful to Alex for creating this wonderful place for all of us to support one another. All my best -Jim

Tomorrow marks 1 year since I started my journey. Oct 12, 2011 was the day I walked into my Surgeon's office and introduced myself and told him I was ready to make a change and a life long commitment to myself. I had at this point been researching the band for about 6 months off and on and had attended an informational seminar a month earlier. That day I was weighed in at 488lbs and they took all sorts of measurements and pictures along with a thorough physical. They sent me on my way with no promises of surgery until I met all the requirements and criteria. One of those requirements was to lose minimum 5% of my weight. They explained the need to shrink the liver for a safe surgery. I hit that 5% goal which was 24lbs in less then two months. Weight Center was surprised and impressed but I told them that losing is not hard. Keeping it off is hard. I was also given a laundry list of testing that had to be done along with meeting a 3rd party Doctor who had to clear me for the surgery. Also on that day I met with the in-house Nutritionist and was given a pre-op diet to follow along with a schedule for Nutrition classes. It was at that appointment they confirmed I needed to complete a 6 month mandatory monitored diet due to insurance policy. November 28, 2011 the first Monday after Thanksgiving I spent a good chunk of the day at the hospital for the following tests Upper GI Abdominal ultrasound Cardiac Echo Chest X-ray EKG Blood work On December 1, 2011 I returned to the office for a Psychological Evaluation and another follow up with the Nutritionist. Between January 9, 2012 and February 13 I attended a 6 session (we met once a week) class called the Hungry Head. Hungry Head program is to help one distinguish the differences between head hunger and real hunger and to develop skills to manage urges to over-eat. This class also allowed me to meet my mandatory requirement of attending 6 pro-op Support Meetings. I found this class to be an eye opening experience and it really allowed me to take a long honest look at myself. I was a binge eater. I would plan binges. I would go to the store on the way home from work and buy soda, cheese its and ice cream. I would finish a meal and wonder when and what my next meal would be. Eating in front of t.v. was just plain bad for me. I am the one in the Patriots shirt standing with my Dad. We were just wrapping up a fishing trip. This picture was taken in August of 2011. I have no real idea how much I weighed in this picture but it was taken two months before my consult appointment in October. So if I wasn't 488 here I was darn close. This is a more recent picture. Weighing 364lbs down 124lbs. I seems like it took forever to get to Surgery day but wow what a fast year it has been. It was well worth it..wait strike that! I am worth it and I would do this again in heartbeat. Even at 364lbs I have a new lease on life and it can only get better from here. If you read this far I thank you i know I tend to ramble. I will close with a quote posted by Chris Powell from ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight loss Edition "You will never change your life until you change something you do daily". - John Maxwell Words to live by and I'm still trying....

Congratulations to you both!! I also have the Realize band and trust me it gets better.

I could not ever imagine say such a hurtful thing to my Wife. I mean we are not perfect and we have our share of clashes but that is just downright horrible. That is something that cannot be taken back or waved aside with flowers and an apology. Those are the type of things that leave long term scars.

Checkout Bandwagon Cookery written by our own Jean McMillan. You can get it from Amazon or order it direct from Jean's site. http://jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Bandwagon-TM-Cookery-Flavor-Health-one/dp/0578087731/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349381860&sr=1-2&keywords=bandwagon

Congrats on your weight loss. That is awesome progress. Does your Doctor recommend not eating before a fill? I always make sure I eat before a fill because I know the next 24 hours will be a soft liquid diet. I have had 5 fills and never had a problem with eating prior to the fill. On a fill appointment day I would eat around 7am and go to my appointment between 8-830.

Welcome to LBT!! Congratulations on your success.

And Kime you are kicking ass!!

I am down 84lbs since Surgery in April and I hardly get comments from anyone. Heck even my own parents don't comment much. Personally, I find the constant compliments a hindrance while of course flattering. 2003 I did Atkins for 19 months and lost a 172lbs. Everyone told me how great I looked and how I was really rocking it. I found with the more compliments I got the more complacent I got. Life was good and it was time to enjoy it and I dropped the ball and did a terrible dis-service to myself. 2011 I weighed in at 488. I gained all my weight back plus another 90lbs. Anyway, we are all different and I see your side but aside from hearing compliments from all of you who support me on here, I am all set. For now on it's all about how I feel about myself and not how others see me.

I took about 3 weeks to feel completely normal. Gas and gas pains were horrible for the first 4 days.

Everyone has opinions and advice and that is what makes us different individually. I am not one to sugar coat things but for someone to come and tell another "you are giving out bad information or advice" is just dead wrong. That is the opinion bad information or advice is being given. Keys to a successful journey in my opinion is: Patience Education Following basic guidelines set forth by a Doctor and/or Nutritionist Making good food choices Develop good eating habits such as eating slow, smaller portions and chewing up food very fine Analyze your hunger to ensure it is really truly hunger and not head hunger Patience Ongoing Education throughout your journey Constant follow up with Doctors and Nutritionists throughout the journey. This is a must should band adjustments be needed. While I understand is is perfectly normal to read up on the manufacture website on the product I think I would put more faith in the experience others have had with the product and that goes for both patients and medical professionals alike. I read up on Realize band on the manufacture website but in the end they are trying to sell a product. I want to hear from the 'end users' and the medical professionals who work with the product. Just my penny worth of thoughts Oh and Fen-Phen said they could help people lose weight as well but in the end the drug was pulled for causing serious health issues along with deaths and they ended up shelling out $13 billion in settlements. Anyone who just takes the word of a manufacturer as FACT or word of law is not a wise person.