Sooverit!

Hi lastresort: This will help your sons sleep apnea! I am not a doctor but was told by my lap band surgeon that sleep apnea can be caused by the excess fat around the throat area and it compressing the breathing airways! Has your son attended any of the support groups? They are quite helpful. All the best and don't worry!

Does anyone know how to start of Poll?

Hi all, I have a 36 BMI age 48 and 5'8". Since I started researching the lap band a year ago I've gained about 20 lbs.! I was not obese untill my last pregnancy at 39. Prior to that I gained 70 lbs. with my first preganancy at 29 but took it all off and then some until my next pregnancy....seems like hormones for me plays a big part. I lost alot of the weight but then menopause weight starting creeping on....that weight is as hard to fight as pregnancy gains. Lesson...it gets harder, as my doc warned to take weight off later on in life. If you have a weight prob now ...it may get worse. Met with the nurse at the sugeons office today, finally, she told me I probably won't get covered by CIGNA after all the hoops I jumped thorough, but I am thinking I will take out a home equity loan for it...not that I"m in any position to go into debt but I know my health depends on this. I can definitely not tell my husband about the loan...think it will be okay because house title is in my name and I can get automatic deductions from my checking with paperless bill paying...I hope!!. If there's a will there's a way I believe. I want to start a poll about someones quesiton here re the rate of complications or problems. Seems from what I've read here it's more success and people pleased with the band than not? Marg (MJ)

...So far. I am due to have surgery hopefully sometime in February and I have a hard time keeping my enthusiam to myself but I have only told my husband, 2 cousins, a sister and a friend. So far family members have been surprising much more supportive that I thought! When I told a friend who has lost 65 pounds on her own and kept it off for 5 years and has a sister who is having major complications from a skin removal surgery due to a 80 lbs weight loss she was a little mad at me. Don't know how her sister and her did it without the lap band!Please say a prayer tho for her sister who has come down with a serious infection that is not responding to antibiotics.:help:

Hi NYers I have an appointment on Wednesday to see the Nutritionist at NYU and I finished my 6 month supervised diet...finally. I cancelled my appt. 3 times, I think that this step may be the final step and I was probably getting cold feet but lately my eating has put an end to the hesitation. I can not control portions any longer. It may be due to hormones related to menopause or meds but whatever it is I am so glad there is the lap band. I have a few questions tho for those of you who are banded and would really appreciate any feedback; It seems that the amount of food you can consume (to me) now is so much smaller that before. 1. Do you ever get frustrated that you can't eat "normally" like you did before? 2. Do you forget after a while that it's there? 3. Have you ever regretted getting it? 4. Do you feel healthier since getting the lap band? Thank you so much....I have a million more and hopefully can ask the nutrionist when I see her/him? Sooverit

This is great news Cagstorm and so fast! Have you caught your breath yet? Congratulations on taking the step to a heathier new you! Keep us posted! So overit

Wow Candle I just saw 50 lbs. since August...Is that right?!! You must feel like a million buck@! way to go!

Thanks Candle ...you're my inspiration. It really did go fast and I hate to admit it but I sort of see the logic in it as well. In the 6 months I went from thinking I was nuts to even be thinking about this proceedure to feeling like I want it tomorrow to now ...I think I am truly ready to make a change and I know I will use it well. I am starting today to eat like I am already banded and I think I will not have "buyers remorse" after all this thinking! Glad to hear you are doing so well:whoo:

walking everyday 2 miles and resistance training every other day. Wow Rumar this is a great routine....don't beat up on yourself...what you do now is my goal. Muscle weights alot don't forget too! It's a beautiful day I'm going for a walk! Thanks for the inspiration!

Finally one more month to go on the 6 month supervised diet. It does go fast sort of. Appointment next week with Nutritionist then praying Cigna comes through for me!

Checking the tracker

I know this isn't what this tread is asking but I like it so much because it always gives me encouragment. So I am going to post anyway so I can go back when I am finally banded and remind myself of my goals...hopefully before my 50th bday. Here are the goals I hope to achieve after getting banded: 1. Going back to Yoga classes 3-4 times a week feeling confident and not the only very overweight person in the class. Not having my big stomach in the way while I am trying to do positions. 2. Not having my extra weight STOP me from doing anything. Like joining the Nassau County Hikers Club. 3. Going back to the gym with my head held high and taking the step classes again and not having people look at me with pity. 4. (Should be #1) Having my 10 year old daughter not see me tired all the time and eating so much between meals and going to sleep at 9:00 pm. For her to follow in my footsteps and eat healthy and be active. 5. Not hiding my body (stomach mostly) constantly with clothes that overlay other clothes that make me hot and unconfortable. Not having my pants cut me at the stomch and feel tighter every season. Also not having my size 44 chest size feel like their strangling me at night! 6. Maybe go jogging with my husband everyday. (stretch) and running (trotting) in the yearly local race with him. 7. Feeling attractive again or at least confident about the way I look enough to change jobs and get a job that will benefit others and make me happy and look forward to getting up in the morning. 8. Getting healthy again. 9. Getting "over it" ...to finally stop constantly thinking about diets and my weight and :faint:just live without my weight being an issue!!!

Dear {{Genlywind}}: Welcome to this great site...you will like it here if you get banded or not. I am so terribly sorry for the loss of your son. You sound like a great person with so much strength who can cope with life and keep his love in your heart forever. Keep up posted on your progress....glad you don't have to jump through the insurance "hoops"! Snappy ...great to hear the easy time you are having! Gives us pre banded hope and courage! Note to self: STOP eating the left over HALOWEEN CANDY....your going to go into insulin shock!!!!

Also want to throw in....I'm with Linda also....one day at a time and Linda reminded me that the body craves what it's used to. If I'm eating sweats all day the next day I don't want a salad. I've got to get back on the healthy band wagon. I've fallan off the wagon....I think I'm letting myself go because I know I will get the band next month! Not smart! MJ

First I want to congratulate you on living the life so many just dream of. American is such a georgous country and I am just starting to really explore, just got back from Sedona Arizona....too beautiful for words! As I am reaching 50 I am craving chocolate more also! I don't even want to admit how much Halloween candy I had this year. One last splurge I say before the lap band in 2 months. Due to all the chocolate I've been eating and salmon (too much of a good this is too much) I've developed a Kidney Stone. This is what helps my chocolate cravings: = Drinking TONS of water all day = Exercise for an hour a day = Dr. Christian Northrup in her Menopause book recommends taking supplements for sugar cravings...one is Chromium I forget the other. I stopped taking them and wow...really did start to get cravings again. = Stay away from the dreading C A R B S good luck keepus posted

Linda: How exciting - Your getting banded this Friday! Best of luck to you Linda...not that you'll need it. Keep us posted. Baby: hope you feel better soon:girl_hug: Who said "I can eat the soul off a shoe if it was covered in sugar"! Too funny...a girl after my own heart! :heh:

You look great AMY and great steady loss! Way to go. Just your eyes look bigger and it's funny but you are like me, you look like you lost weight in your nose too! :whoo: I carry my weight absolutely evenly everywhere...I swear my ear lobes are fatter now! I'm pre banded ...it's encouraging to see your happy face! MJ in NY

Also since March my BMI climbed to 38!

Glad to hear you are doing well before even being banded Lind! I agree exercise always curved my appetite and no/low carbs helps too but at this point I don't know how I could stick to the pre op diet. My appetite is so out of control...seems lately I'm only hungry when I start eating and then I just CAN"T stop. I know it's my hormones again. They got me obese with both preganancies nowit's menopause. Did it get easier after the first few days? I know if I continue to eat like this I will cause my body damange. I am in my 5th month of doc supervised diet for insur. coverage. It's a long shot but I'm praying@! Keep us posted. When is your surgery date?

Dibaby: What do your docs say about this? Flygiir: This is an IMPORTANT and interesting question! It's not like you have had your band that long to start having problems but who knows? Are you feeling better..have you tried the advice here? Has anyone else reported reflex later on after you've had a band for a few years? I know bodies change too so it may not be the band....I sure hope not! MJ

When I first researched the Lap Band or I should say before I became obsessed with it, :nervous I called a few local surgeons and the people who I spoke with were pretty discouraging to me and told me I would not qualify for surgury period with a BMI of 36 w/o serious medical issues. They were wrong as there are plenty of surgeons who will do it now.

"Being able to wear really high, thin heels" Wow you look amazingly cool Chickie!! What a transformation...congrats to you. I this one would be really nice ...the heals just don't work at this weight!~ enjoy! MJ

:clap2:Congratualations Mich! Awsome news! :clap2:

Melissa and Topdown we are all with you! Hope you are banded now and feeling wonderful....all the best to you always..............

Hi Andy: I know how you feel ...there are some negative side effects to this proceedure like everything I suppose that make me think this lap band is no walk in the park at least for some. I would like to know exactely what it is like when food gets stuck or what a PB is like so I know what I'm getting myself into. I don't suffer from stomach problems now like reflux, gas, etc. and would hate to voluntarily have this proceedure and have a life of indegestion problems. It's also harder when you are self pay and not overweight enough to warrent a no brainer life or death decision. Also a gal who seem so excited and happy to get banded I following until surgery here had to go the the ER the first night she was home but for some reason won't share why. :cry My imagination is hopefully worse that the reatlity?