kbliss78

Welcome, I am also a May Bandster. 5/22/12...... Read the post with all the people who have lost 100 plus. It is awesome! I try to read positive things and try to avoid the negative stuff or at least balance what I read so that I get a realistic expectation of the possible negative side as well as the hope from the positive side. Best wishes! We should "friend each other".

I would get a all protien shake for breakfast. Some of the whey protien shakes have 20 - 40 grams of protien in one shake. 40 is what you need each day. That might help.

I'm a may bandster also 5/22! Excited for a new life!

I keep reading these posts Saying 15 days out and 16 lbs down or 10 days out 9 lbs down and that you are unhappy with it? That is a lb a day! It is great! Be proud. I have also been told that amy weight loss before the second fill is really all you with little help from the band. Great job everyone!

My patient advocate told me there are four things most people struggle with : steak, pasta, rice, and bread. He also said most banded people cannot eat breakfast and they either do a shake or nothing. He said he hasnt eaten breakfast in years and he is just fine with it. I have not had my surgery but I was pareparing myself that those items and issues will likley be my expirence.

I would first find a lapband center you like. I am using TrueResults. They have centers all over. Thier aftercare program is great, you get a patient advocate that is there for you all along the way and it was the first time I have been to a Dr where they did not look down at me or make me feel ashamed. It was a great expirence and I am still in the process. Most of the lapband centers will assist with the medical insurance verification. You just sit back and wait for them to tell you what to do next. They will contact your Dr as well and get your medical records. As for me, I am employed with state insurance. I thought that would be great. However, BCBS of Texas for State Employees is horrible for lapband. I cannot get it approved and I am self pay. There are great self pay methods as well and it covers everything even the entire year of aftercare (which is costly if not included). I will just have relatively low payments to make. The even better thing about self pay is that I did not have to go through all of the waiting for rejection letters from insurance. I just got to finally set my surgery date when I want to do it! What a releif! I have been looking into this proceedure and others for years and struggling with insurance. I decided to go for my dreams and let go of the insurance deal. i am like you, I have active kids and I am tired of struggling to practice baseball with them, or becoming a sweaty mess at their games! I want to be one of hte parents out their coaching! I hope in one year, that will be me! Best of luck for you.

You are very open and sharing with your feelings. Sometimes getting on this site and just typing really helps! I beleive you will find yourself and even reinvent yourself in your journey. Best of wishes!

That is pretty expensive if you are already self paying! I am a self pay as well. My payments would already be set at $230 a month, in addition to that insurance, I dont think I could do it. I think I will just hope for the best??? Thanks for the information. I plan to ask my Dr. when I see him.

Welcome! I am scheduled for 5/22/12. The only thing that would delay it at this time is if I cannot save up the down payment (I am self pay). However, I am close to having it saved. I am also very excited about my surgery. I am addicted to this site. There is great information here. There are some negative people and some posts of failure, but the most is very positive and ecouraging. I would like to "friend" you so we can stay in touch before and after! Also, there is a May Bansters group started. The forum has a group created for each month. From the main page, just scroll down through all of the topics. Once you get the the bandster groups by year, click on 2012, and you will find the May group. However, only 3 of us have posted! Either way, we are now connected in our journey!

That is so awesome. I hope that WHEN I lose 100 lbs I will still have money to go get some proceedures done to remove skin on arms and belly. I am self pay on the surgury too so at a year, I will still be paying for it. But skinny with some lose skin sounds a hell of alot better than were I am at right now! Will be banded on 5/22! It cannot get her fast enough!

Perhaps call your Dr and get in for a fill sooner so you dont get too discouraged and frustrated. I think it is all about communicating all of those thoguhts you listed above, with your Dr so they can promptly assist you. They dont want you to fail either! Give them a call and set an appointment sooner so you can get to your green zone faster. Just thoughts! Best wishes!

I have had two c-sections which I thought were pretty easy. I then had a liposcopic gall bladder removal. It was SOOOOO easy. I guess I am hoping the Lap Band will be somewhere inbetween the two since they actually add something to my body. I respond very well to surgury. I have learned with all three, the sooner you walk and the more you walk, the faster you get better.

How awesome and motivational for us new people. I cannot wait till my surgery date in may. I hope my journey is even half as great as yours! Thanks for posting !

This is a silly question, but how do you do the little line at the end of everyone's comments that say the start weight and how much has been lost. Also, how do you attach the surgury information that seems to be on everyone's posts. Thanks for the tech lesson.

I love to hear that! I am so excited for you and for myself as well (surgury soon). It is so great to continue to read positive things and see so many people on this site who are working it!

I read her book she wrote after her bypass surgery. I am not a fan of hers but I was thinking about that proceedure and wanted to know how it felt from someone who did it. I do not think she was thinking it was a majic wand or a quick fix. She followed the rules very well for a long time and lost a huge amount of weight. However, she spoke alot about how she had a huge amount of feelings come up that she use to cope with food to deal with. She started smoking pot for a while and went to a counselor weekly for a year. I think she just has so much personal issues that she looks for anything to self comfort and food is her favorite. I think her deep down self issues ande self view is very very poor. She has major issues. Hopefully she has delt with them better this time before surgury. Best of luck for her.

Yes the ticker thing....how?

That is the perfect way for me to look at it. I would not hesitate to pay $10,000 over and over again to help my family's health or anything. So thanks for that angle!

Hello everyone. I am scheduled for surgery on 5/22/12. I am very excited after many years of trying to get insurance coverage for WLS and then being denied, as well as getting determined to lose it on my own, then failing, I have decided to self pay for my lap band proceedure. My husband went to the appointment with me and he said "lets do it, if it will make you happy". He is fully supportive no matter what. However, I continue to feel guilty about the money. We have been out of debt (other than our house) for years now. It took us a long time to get there. We have two paid for cars but eventually they will need work. I feel like I am taking family money and doing something selfish. I hate that feeling! On one hand, I know I will be a better mom and wife if I can lose this weight and be healthier. I want to go on bike rides with my kids and run and coach their sports teams. I cannot do that now. But on the other hand, I am taking $10,000 from the family money for cars, family vacation, and other issues just to spend on myself. Did other self payers feel this way? Was it worth it? Did the fact that you invested that much money help keep you motivated to follow the rules? DId you feel more pressure since others knew you paid for it?

I thought about the fact I will be saving money in food and eating out, but might be spending it on clothes, which is great! I can afford it, but the guilt is a struggle.

I had the copper IUD after my first son. It lasts for 10 years and has no hormones. It is great for someone that cannot have hormones or pills or cannot remember pills well. It did increase my pain in cycles slightly. But it may be an option.

My patient advocate said that any weight I lost before my first fill was "all me", it is not till the first and second fill that the band begins to work well for you. If you begin to think you are a failure you will continue to fail. Change your mindset to the fact that you are early in the process and need a fill at this time. Which appears to be totally the case. No worries, just be honest with your Dr and he can adjust you accordingly. From what I have heard, where your at is totally normal.

Thank you so much for posting. I have read so many failure posts that I sometimes get scared. I am scheduled to have surgery on 5/22/12. I am very excited and ready to make changes in my life. I really feel a strong desire to fully commit to all the rules and having foods that I may never be able to eat again does not scare me. However, I have never had long term success with weight loss so I fear messing up with the band as well. It is great to read someone else's story that struggled also and then is now doing very well. 60 LB is just amazing in that amount of time. Please continue to post your progress for everyone to see. It is exactly what I needed and wanted to read. starting 270 surgery scheduled 5/22/12 goal 165 or less and size 10 pants!

Those areawesome stories. Sometimes I get on this site for encouragement and read so much negativity. I appreciate the two stories you shared. I am soon to have surgury and feel like I will never see anything other than a size 20. I was an 8 in HS so if I got to a 10 or 12 I think I would faint in the store. I have a little of the oposite problem with the mirror. I am a very happy entergetic person. I think I should look like that. So when I see a picture of myself or a reflection in a glass window, I am shocked each time. I cannot wait till my mental image matches how I feel inside. You girls keep up the good work and continue to post stuff for us new ones so we dont only read about failures.