kbliss78

How amazing! I don't think I have heard of success that amazing!

I Have heard there is a pouch test to shriek to pouch after a stretch. Search 5 day pouch test. I saw some videos on you tube of banded girls Doing it. Sorry for you stress and sadness!

Are you still on liquids? I saw that you said protien shakes but after the three - four weeks, they want you away from liquid calories and onto solids which help get to satiety faster and stay there longer. It also takes longer to break down the protien if not in shake form. If you are past the 4 weeks, you should consider moving to foods and away from getting your calories from liquids. The band works by pushing food past the nerves that tell your brain you are full. Liquids slide right by and you will never feel full enough. Best wishes!

How exciting and frustrating at the same time! I hope your pregnancy goes really well. If you follow a close diet while pregnant (you only need an additional 300 calories a day - usually 1800 total) you can lose weight. I lost 30 lbs with my son. I basically did not gain a lb the entire time and then when he came out I was 30 lbs lighter. It may give you a great start to your WLS after! Best hopes for the pregnancy and the WLS in the future.

If you are interested in what the lose skin may look like, I have found You Tube very helpful. There are hundreds of women who have done weekly video journals of their progress and have even shown the loose skin issue. Search You Tube for Lap Band Success stories, then search Lap Band - loose skin. Each person is different. It depends on working out, how long the skin has been stretched, stretch marks, genetics, pregnancies.... You are so lucky that insurance says it may cover the cosmetic surgery. I beleive once I loose my wieght i will need a TT and a breast lift. I am hoping my arms can tone up as well as inner thighs. I have read and seen people that had to get all four proceedures after WLS. Best wishes on your journey! Katy

OMG, I hope there is nothing serious going on with your ticker (heart)! I will be thinking of you. I am scheduled for 5/8 as well for WLS-Lap Band. I cannot wait. I hope that can figure out what to corrent the issue before 5/8 so you are not delayed a long time. Best wishes! I am sure the weight loss would greatly improve any heart issue anyway.

THank you so very much. I am having my journey which will begin next tuesday. I love to read stories like yours. I too want to be a healthy and active mom and have my son say, "mom, you are pretty" or something like that! Great work and great choice. I too made the same choice to be self pay. The cost is minimal for my health and happiness.

I went for my pre-opt with the surgeon. He does a small group first to discuss the process and then meets individually with all the patients. While in the group meeting, I heard someone call out another patient. I heard the name and it flagged an old memory. I looked down the table and saw my very best friend from middle school. I have not seen her in 15 years. We began to cry and are so excited to share this journey with a friend. It is so crazy we crossed paths again. We each moved long away from out home town and had different paths. We found out we each had two children the same ages. We have supportive hubbies regarding the surgery! We are so excited. We are scheduled the SAME DAY for surgery! Now I have all of my LBT buddies and a old friend. I think I was meant to cross paths with her again. Some of my foundest childhood memories are with that girl! Just had to share.... Katy

did I say I havent seen her in 15 years, I just did the math and it has been 21 years! Now I feel older

Hey everyone! I am so excited, I am one week away. I am scheduled for 5/8, so please add me! It is so scary and excited. I am happy we can share our journey together.

I cannot normal broth. However, cambell's Soup has a chicken broth that tastes MUCH better! I actually enjoy it. I have also planned to make my own broth after surgery just to take something homey and better.

Thank you for posting! Us new people waiting on bands or newly banded sure need to read things like this! What has been the worst thing you have expirenced? What is your favorite? Please share!

At my heaviest, I had it very bad. I had to get arch support inserts for my shoes as well as some foot wrap that had a rubber section at the instep. All this helped as I lost weight. If I were flats too much or flip flops for alot of walking I will have a flare up. But it has never been as bad. I also always were good shoes with good inserts when I work out. It and the weight loss have prevented it from return. Best wishes, it is so painful but can get much better. Rub your instep daily, wear good shoes, stop wearing flats with little support. All that will help while you are trying to lose weight. The weight loss will help the most.

I started coming to this site in January. I am scheduled to be banded next week. I found so much support and positive encouragement. I also saw so many people who have done so well. Now for the past week, every new thread is negative; the band is broken, surgury needed, cant drink/shallow/eat, acid reflux, major complications....on and on. I am not sure if it is all in my head or is there no one out there that is having a positive expirence? Is it that people only start a new thread when there is something wrong? Are there really that many people having MAJOR complications and is there an equal or greater number of those who are very happy with no complications? Just needing to hear that there is some good in the band. I am still moving forward with my plan. I wnat to change my life. Perhaps I should just not read the site for right now.....

Count me in, how do I join and where do I Find it?

Me too! 5-8!

I agree again. I have read two books about it, watched many videos and asked alot of questions. It appears so much of the time that slips are caused by not fallowing the rules (not always). But it has helped me learn that the rules are that way for a reason and I do not want to cheat and gamble with my health and my family. I am taking a risk in this surgery but it is a risk for me to stay overweight. I am going to follow the rules so well and I have promised this to myself! I am excited and I also feel like I am heading in with my EYES WIDE OPEN! THanks for your support. Katy

I have also been told there is an ap for phones called "slow eater" or something like that. It dings when you can have another bite.....I think I plan to give it a try.

I had a 11 puond child as well! I wasnt even pre-diabetic but they tested me 3 times during pregnancy b/c he was so large. I also had a 9.5 lb daughter! SO I so understand what you are saying. I think that area is a surgery must once I get close to goal wieght. It could be that the skin could be 10 or so lbs of what you want to lose

Casscitymom - I totally agree and felt the same way. I do think sometimes people should education themselfs more before the band and read some information and follow the rules. It suprises me that people complain about major complications but will then say that they ate a piece of bread 3 days after surgery and cannot understand why they are having problems. Most of the complications seem to be from short term of long term non rule adherance. But I have decided that I am going to do the best I can, follow all the rules b/c it is my safety on the line, and beleive it will work for me. Thanks for the positive notes to me!

I have heard of someone before who it stopped working for and then fill after fill did not help. It turned out the tubing had a hole and all of hte Fluid was leaking out each time. Did your Dr ever pull all fluid out and then add more in at your fills? Either way, I am sorry it stopped working for you. I am sorry you feel worthless. You are so much more than what you weigh on the scale. I wish the best in your journey.

Ii have BCBS of Texas for state employees and they are the worst in Texas for else. It can be different for each segment of BCBS.

What are your complications?

My hair stylist told me to start Nioxin shampoo and conditioner as well as a hair and nail vitamin (she gave me a month bottle of GROH from Visible Changes that is suppose to work wonders). I have not had my surgery but I plan to start all of this hair treatments the week I have the proceedure to offset any loss. I may switch to biotin once the 30 day bottle of GROH is gone due to cost. I have heard alot on this site about biotin.