CJULZGO

~Hello All~ I am scheduled for surgery on April 2, 07. I am very excited but I do have a few concerns and questions. I am sure a lot of you have been dealing with weight related issues such as blood pressure and diabetes. I would like to know how these things have changed and how you have felt since your surgeries with regards to the weight related illnesses. I have rhumetoid arthritis, daily chronic pain, high blood pressure, fibromialgia, borderline diabetes, and migraines. I also have a genetic back problem, where a lower disk did not fuse, it slips, and gets inflamed. I am in constant pain of some kind. My back cannot be operated on, I have trouble sleeping and walking due to pain and my leg and feet going to sleep. Then on top of that the meds that I take break down my immunities and I get sick (colds, flu & shingles) all the time. I am hypoglycemic and have never been able to skip meals. My question is does this get better? LOL!! I've become peranoid...because nothing helps. I know several people who have had LBS done. They do not get hungry...but I've heard that a million times and things have never worked for me. Does the chronic pain get better? Energy levels...illnesses? What are some of your experiences with weight related illnesses and how has the LBS helped you with those illnesses?

Terri~ I would definately like to have more info and links. I have been involved with alternative medicine most of my life. Leaky gut is just one that I have never heard of. ~Jack, Thanks for your response and encouragement. I have Spondylitis. Sometimes refered to as Spondylosthesis, ankalosing spondylitis, and spondylarthirits. Each one is a seperate condition however, they are all in the lower spinal region. I was told it was a disk that didn't fuse together. I'm not totally sure how that all works. I do know that if spondylo goes too long untreated or you don't exercise that the entire spine and neck can fuse together. I do go to chiropractors, in fact one that I have gone to has the same condition and he was the first to be able to adjust it to where I could stand for more than 15 seconds at a time. Weight and foods affect it. It is a form of rhumetoid arthritis, and is treated the same as RA. I read something that said if you have ankalosing spondylitis that goes on too long untreated that it can bring on RA. I did not know much about spondylitis the back Drs didn't seem to know much except that it could not be corrected with surgery. Now I have seen that there is a place in Florida that does suregery on it. Most of what I know about it I have found on the internet. This is a good site to look up info. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/spondylitis_new.aspnet.

~thanks~ I will check it out!!!

I varies from Dr to Dr. My Doc wants me to lose 10% which is 25lbs. My surgery is April 2nd. The nurse told me that he turned away 3 people 2 weeks ago because they only lost a few lbs. I'm on a high protein diet right now.

Thanks for the input....I do appreciate it!! Terri I have tried low carb. I lose weight however, I am constantly hungry. I know that I have food sensitivities that have possibly turned to allergies, my mother had food intolerances and wheat was one of the worst for her. Could be for me too! I've never heard of leaky gut syndrome....but with all the other syndromes I have why the hell not!!! LOL

~Hi Everyone~ I love all of the names. It's been fun reading about where they've come from. I am 3 days new to LBT. My name is Julie. Everyone calls me JULZ. The moniker I use CJULZGO is on my license plates. I bought my car (a red Isuzu Rodeo) with insurance money from my son who passed away 5 years ago and I'm always on the go.

~Hi Everyone~ I am

Dynamo~ It is amazing how many Drs do not understand how we feel. I am 48 I have told every Dr I ever went to that I have low blood sugar and that I get literally sick if I do not eat. For along time the standard answer was just carry peanut butter and crackers with you. Or just eat 5 or 6 small meals a day. Which has never worked for me. I am interested in the group you are in. Can you give me some more information on it? My daughter is insulin dependant.. Most people do not understand that type I and type II diabetes are different. Even my ex husband asked me what I had been feeding her to cause the diabetes. He blamed me for her pancreas giving out. It still amazes me!!!

Julie~ When I had my breast reduction I did real well...except that the nipple tissue died and I had to have it removed. If it had not been for that I would have only taken pain med for about a week. When I had the TT done I had a lift chair like you said that you got. I could not get in and out of a bed or on and off of a couch. I had a lot taken off and I was miserable. I spent 3 weeks bent over. I took the entire 6 weeks if not a little more to recoup. I did get an infection in the TT incision that took a bit longer to heal. But I tend to get infections easily. I know a bunch of people who have had it done and had no problems at all. Good luck to you!!! Julz

Singdeborah~ I have only told a few people who I know will be positive and supportive. I have not talked to the one friend since she had her fit over the surgery. At this point she does not even know that it is scheduled. She only knows that I was thinking about it. It's not worth it. I don't see or talk with her very often anymore. Thanks for your supportive words!! Julz

Hi Julie~ I am Julie also. Congrats to you!!! I had a breast reduction about 17 yrs ago. Then 3 years ago I had a TT and a breast lift. Although, I was still overweight it has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself....(LBS will be the all time best thing.) When I had my breast reduction I was a 48HH. They took 4 1/2 cups of tissue off the right side and 5 1/2 cups off the left, I lost 14 lbs. Then when I had my lift I was back up to a 42DD. I am currently about a 40 D or DD. They removed 10 inches of tissue from my tummy and took 8 lbs with lypo. I never lost any weight prior to having it done. But, I think after the weight loss from LBS I will be ok except for upper arms and thighs. I am very excited for you!!!

I have done well on Humira. I am a stress freak so this past year has not been real good health wise. However, the arthritis is doing pretty good right now...LOL!! The Dr I have now turns everything in on time it's approved and done in about 24 to 48 hours. Makes a huge difference when you don't have to worry about the Dr getting paperwork done.

Bubble~ I took Enbrel and it didn't help. So, I am on Humira.

Molly~ I understand your situation......I'm glad you got it taken care of. I had the same thing happen between a Drs office and insurance. I have rhumetoid arthritis. The meds I take are $1500.00 (thats right one thousand five hundred dollars) for 2 shots. So, it has to be preauthorized by the insurance. I have to take shots at least once a month or I am barely able to walk. It took almost 2 months to get my meds preauthorized. The insurance said they faxed the Dr over and over. When I called the Dr's office the nurse was very rude to me and yelled at me for bothering her and blamed the insurance. I was in horrible pain and she made me cry. I called the next day and accidentally got the Dr on the phone. I told him what had happened, he basically told me if I did not like his staff to find a new Dr. Within 10 minutes I got a call from someone else in his office got my meds and changed Drs ASAP!!!!

Gosh, after reading everyone's stories I have thought of many many more instances of people being so unkind to me in regards to my weight. I am likeable and pleasant to be around. I like to have fun and enjoy my family, friends and new experiences. Most of the negative things I had forgotten.... I don't want to forget the negative because it will remind me to be kind to others in the future. It will also remind me where I have been and where I want to be in a year. We are in this together. Support on LBT is great. I think as in many negative situations we should Never forget the situation, but don't let the negative ruin us. Stand up for ourselves when needed and quit beating ourselves up. Family and friends don't treat family and friends like this. I've had to distance myself from certain family members and have quit being friends with people because of their negativity. Keep your heads HIGH!! Be proud and tell em to KISS --!!!! (Sorry I have to be me.)

DynamoMini~ As with most things when I was growing up, my parents did not react much at all. I was told by a Dr a few years ago that the high insulin in my system that causes hypoglycemia is probably the reason I developed so early. Because insulin is a hormone. My grandmother told me if I ate popcorn I would weigh 250 lbs. Well, guess what? I now weigh 257. One time I was making french fries for the family and a family friend said that if I ate all of those french fries I would be fat. I wasn't making them just for myself. But, to show her I ate until they were gone. Not realizing at the time that I was only hurting myself. We didn't have to clean our plates but, I did!!! I was afraid I wouldn't have anything more later on. Or that I would go hypoglycemic. My mother tried to feed us as healthy as possible on a very tight budget. But we ate a lot of carbs that we did not realize were not good for us. My daughter is a Type 1 diabetic. She has been type 1 for 10 years. I know the good foods and bad foods. But, I am a Carb~a~holic and harder I have tried to curb it the worse it has gotten.

:heh: Everyone on here is just great!! I am getting more excited each time I read the posts. Heather....most of my friends and family have been supportive. However, one of my best girlfriends had a fit that I was thinking about having LPS done. She went ballistic. She said it was because she wished there was another way for me to lose weight and feel better. But, sometimes I think it's that she is afraid I might look better than she does. My other best friend is almost as excited as I am about it. Both of these women are tall and thin. It's interesting how different each is reacting. My fiance wasn't happy with the idea of surgery. He still has a problem with it but he is supportive of my decision. He wants me to be happy and to feel better. Maziemommy....Thanks and congrats to you too!!! To everyone else....I hope to chat with all of you. This is a great support system. Good luck to everyone who is being banded in April!!! Julie

Just an added note. I have always been well proportioned and I get hit on a lot. It's interesting how some people see you one way and others see you another way.

One of my kids came in crying one time because one of their friends said that I was fat. Although it hurt I laughed it off and told my son,"well I am fat." Another time I had to go to the hospital ER for Tachacardia which is a very fast heart beat but not a heart attack. Later on I had to get a copy of the Dr's report. In the report the Dr had written that I was obese. I knew I was overweight. I knew I was fat. But OBESE!!! That was a slap in the face. My mother is one of the sweetest people on earth. But sometimes she is not very tackful. If I am with her and she sees a large person she will say well at least your not as big as they are.

Thank you Heather.....Keep in touch!!!

Hi All, I am being banded on April 2, 07 by Dr Cahn. I live in Eagle, Idaho however, I am from Idaho Falls. I am looking forward to chatting with everyone. I am so excited I can hardly stay calm.

Thanks Sheila, I've been really impressed with this site and with the people on here. I am lucky I have insurance right now. Otherwise I would be self pay. We should set up a foundation for self payers. :help: I'm excited to be on here and excited to get things rolling.

I am fat for many reasons. I don't know that I could pin point just one thing. Self esteem has been a big one, I began my monthly's and had breasts at age 8. It made me very self conscious. At age 10 I looked like I was 16. I have always been very hypoglycemic. I remember at about age 3 or 4 waking up so hungry and shaky that I could barely eat. I scarfed down 4 or 5 bowls of Cheerios then went in the bathroom and threw up. My mother never let me out of the house without eating. If I was going to an activity she would send a lunch plus crackers and cheese with me. I got to the point that I was very afraid of having a hypoglycemic attack so I would over eat to compensate. Eating became and obsession. I would wake up thinking about my meals for the day. My dad was a fast eater so it became a game to keep up with him. Not only eat as fast as he did but eat as much as he did. I've always been a big eater and never felt full until I was unable to move. Many times I will eat and then be hungry in 30 minutes. I was active so I was not really fat until after I had kids. I ate because I was afraid that there wouldn't be anything to eat another time. If I tried to cut back then the obsession go worse. I ate because I was unhappily married. I have rhumetoid arthritis, fibromialgia, migraines, high blood pressure, borderline diabetes, and a genetic back problem. I am constantly sick, and have not worked in almost a year. I am tired & exhausted and I can't lose the weight on my own again. I've done it over and over and over. I finally decided that Lap Band surgery is the help that I need to get my life back. I want to be around for my kids and grandkids. I want to get up off the couch without feeling exhausted!!!!

My name is Julie. I am scheduled for April 2, 07. Looking forward to meeting new friends on LBT and sharing experiences.

Thanks Kat!!! You all are great!!!