Sooverit!

Thanks for the good words Kelly. I was shocked when I viewed the movie during the intro seminar and Dr. Ren said not only was he this morbidly obese kid in the pictures, he is a lap band surgeon, Lap-Band user & he is my husband! Good team they are..I can't wait to meet them hopefully soon. I have my nutritional meeting on the 30th.

Thanks Mbeckett and to all those people who make judgements about us getting the lap band ..tell them to open their eyes ...take a trip to Europe and find out how many people have it there. In Europe it's 100 percent paid for and the BMI requirements are much lower. Some actually get it to maintain a healthy weight...they don't even wait to get obese..especially if it already runs in their families. In the book YOU on a DIET ...Dr. Oz even starts a paragraph by saying ....Banding in the future may be required for all Americans....if food portions continue the way they are going...and obesity continues to run rampit here!

Welcome back Light! It's finally over and you've done it!! Yeah..:clap2: Congratulations! How did it go? I hope you are enjoying your stay at the hospital ...let them wait on you and pamper you for a change. We are all here for you....complain or gloat as much as you like! take good care and rest up for the beach next summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:girl_hug:thanks for the positive vibes...I feel em

Food's ho ...too funny ..yes that is me. Thanks for all the good advice everyone!

Kacee great read It was good for me to read your post. Wonderful results you are getting as well. It was good to actually see in writing what I am actually afraid I am going to miss. You are right I am afraid I will miss stuffing food into my face ...crazy thanks for the reality check! Best to you, MJ

OMG tomorrow Lighter! I can't believe I thought about you today when I got on and you are going in tomoroowwwww.... I am excited for you. How long will your your drive be in the morning? You should be fine if you are on the road before 6:00 a.m. roads are nice and open! Are you staying over night at the hospital? I was thinking I wanted to stay at a really nice hotel in the city the night of if they do not keep me since I'm saving thousands having it done at NYU instead of here on the Island. How do you feel now? Keeping calm I hope? I had a delay, but don't really mind, when I couldn't get a nutritionist appt. date until the 30th of this month. I had all the tests, visited with the Phych. Paperwork in order, but I am waiting to see if my PCP is going to cooperate with the 6 month progress report letters he needs to sign. I typed them up for him as well as the referral letter. Hope he doens't think I'm too pushy. I just wanted to give him an example and I know how busy he is! Best to you you'll do great and look gorgous and thin and be healthy very soon.... :confused::girl_hug::girl_hug::girl_hug:

Lighter in NYC, I can't remember if you e-mailed me about how it went with Dr. Ren. When is your surgery date? Or has it passed and you really are lighter in NYC!??!

:clap2::whoo::clap2:That's great news Pam! Way to go..just in time before school starts! You'll do fine! Please keep us posted! BTW, you are not using insurance to cover the op are you and if you are which company covered you. Thanks!

MBeckett1 I am sitting here stunned after reading about when you got your surgery! I too have a twin sister who died early in her sleep (from sleep apnea) She died in April of 06. I will keep that date in mind as I am still far from surgery as I have not gotten my insurance approval and I am in the gray area with under 40 BMI and still waiting to see if my PCP will cooperate with all the paperwork. You gave ME support actually as I have none either except for one cousin. You mentioned having only soup at the restaurant - or someone else - I can't help worrying that I will miss eating like I do now and feel deprived, frustrated and nervous at not having the life long comfort of food....as much as want to eat of it food!

Hi Veronica: You are not alone as you can see from the thousands that are on here. This is such a huge decision and life altering proceedure. I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. It's tough to go it alone but it is difficult for others in our lives to understand what we're going through if they know so little about it. I think that it wouldn't be a terrible idea if you maybe postponed the surgery? Then you could give yourself say 6 weeks to go on this site and or others like this daily, attend support groups and build your own little support team or at least feel more strong about doing. When I was 22 I know I couldn't do something like this unless I had huge support. I am almost 50 and it's amazing how much more independent you can get and don't need support as much but for now try to set up a support group for yourself...you can do it and you are worth it. Take it one step at a time....you are so young and have time to take it slow and do it right! best to you MJ

Wow! Serena I'm with you too girl! This entire thread is the best I've ever read! Serena you have my admiration for being so insightful and clear headed about your disease ...you are an inspiration to all. Everyone here - is insightful and f u n n y! I am prebanded and have all these issues. It's good to read what's been on my mind. I agree too with what someone said about being on "auto-pilot" eating wise - great way to put it...that is exactly how I've eaten for 30 or so years and worry that will really be the challenge. Sometimes I don't even notice I've put something in my month until it's already down! And well I will surely miss my "PIMP" :think, but being forced to get over it and get healthy and "sexy" is good deal.

Renee: I was just wondering if you found your clothes were fitting better? I know my weight doesn't change lately but I'm pre banded but I do notice when I lose weight I feel smaller and clothes fit better even tho scale doesn't catch it. Are you getting restriction or are you hungry alot? thanks m

Way to go Pam! Congratulations! :clap2::whoo: :clap2: I've chatted with you before because I am the same BMI bordering 35-37 depending on the time of the month! I am not banded yet but am thinking about this most of the time and I think that ....how can you not lose weight? You will be eating portions that are European size now instead of the all American eat till you drop size portions that I know I eat. I think the best part is possibly that this "tool" will help with the yo yo dieting we all experience. I don't think you can put on that 20 so easily if you are eating smaller portions consistently. Of course liquid calories are counterproductive but I think even having an occasional latte or whatever can't make up for the portions you used to eat! I'm excited for you too! Keep us posted !

Oh Denise this sound just aweful~ How are you feeling now? I'm sorry to hear you were in so much discomfort. What did the doc say? Is this a normal reaction if something gets stuck? :cry Then to add insult to injury, are you're really not losing any weight or inches since you were banded in Dec? Atleast I hope at least your clothes fit better? Take care and feel better.

Thanks Denise great site!

I was given Lexapro shortly after my sister passed away and it was really amazing how well it worked on my depression. So much so that I was embarrassed that I seemed so happy when I should have been looking more down so soon after her death. Not a manic happy or anything like that just a really content relaxed jolly happy and speaking of jolly that's what I was becoming. I was never anxious so I fogot I need to go to the gym a lot and I started eating much more. Needless to say I packed on 15 lbs. Too bad because I felt great on them. I switched to Wellbutrin after reading about the weight loss possibilities (but later learned only in high doses) and have not had any side effects but it doesn't work as well on my blues and Lexzapro did.

Someone asked a question re getting help from a therapist for bindge eating and I couldn't reply individually so I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in again. In "You on a Diet" by Dr. Oz he suggests that everyone who is overweight go on Wellbutrim...it's a mild antidepressant that has a side effect of controlling smoking as well as binge eating. I went off it after I made the decision for lap band surgery and boom my binging started up again full force, but I had stupidly been on Atkins for 6 weeks and fell off as well. I'm going back on Wellbutrim and will stay on even after banding.

The sleev huh...now I have to go and research that. Keep us posted on your progress. My BMI is 36 and I am started to doubt my insurance co will cover me as I am showing no signs of high blood pressure or diabetes. Does your insurance cover this?

Dear BB: Thanks for the info on Wellbutrin ..I do remember reading this. Lately I've been forgetting to take it in the evening anyway. The heat of summer always does something to my brain and I can't wait for fall. Wow, I saw your stats and you have some great weight loss!! You must feel like a million bucks losing all that weight. Good for you...

Dear BB: This is a late reply and I appologize...I was just wondering how many mgs of Wellbutrin did your doc prescribe to you for smokiing cessation? I felt like it worked really well for the first week or so and now I feel it's too mild and I had no side effects on 150 mg 2x a day. How are you doing by the way on the "lap band journey"?

Hi Soupgirl: Wow I have never read here anyone expressing/admitting what you just said! Thank you for being so honest and open! It was good to read it and you acknowledged my biggest fear. I know I will be mourning food BIGTME also. Food has been everything to me in my life and I know I've used it like a drug at times. I am so afraid of the "withdrawal" symptoms esp. since I'm going through menopause too or bad PMS either way I'm not exactly always on an even keel. Congratualtions on overcoming this hurldle....how did you do it...? Do you have any wisdom to share now that you are on the other side? I am a lower BMI 36/37 and haven't been banded but taking the steps toward getting there. ARe you a lower BMI also? It's not as easy I think if it's not a life or death choice at least not now. The closer I get to getting the band the more nervous I'm getting. It's great to read of your success....way to go! Anyway, thanks for all the comments on here. I'm back on the wagon now. I had a rough time emotionally adjusting to LB and I've been mourning food for the last 2 months. I'm OVER it now. This is a life changing experience and I'm going for it!!!!!

Sorry Bloo I 'm with your mom as well. This is a lifelong change...after a year if you are not down a few sizes I would worry but not now....now is the healing and adjustment phase...not a results focus time. Scales lie anyway....they don't just weight fat...they weigh organs, water, muscle of course and other mass. I go by how my clothes fit...I haven't weighed myself in a decade.

I am in the pre -banded limbo stage waiting for doc appts etc. and thinking way too much lately. Wondering if anyone feels incredibly frustrated during the adjustment stage?? Do you miss not eating like you used to? Do you ever feel deprived? the more I think of it the more I fear I would go nuts without my food rewards:cry With the focus off food now tho, do you have more time and energy? Too much energy. I just don't know where all that energy would go. I put alot of energy into eating and always have. any comments would greatly be appreciated. thank you at any time during the

Dear Ingio Girl: Thank you so much for your thougtful response! It gave me a lot to think about. I can get into that thin person's frame of mind when I am gun ho and going to the gym but that only lasts for 6 weeks. I am praying this device will prevent me from the yo yo syndrome. I don't think I'm fat so much because of the food I eat ....I eat very healthy most of the time....it's how much I eat. Hope that "head hunger" as you call it doesn't drive me nuts!! Big congradulations to you for your impressive weight loss ...and so soon! Way to go!! It would take me a year to lose 20 lbs. :clap2: You are healthier already! I see you are close to my age as well I am 48 and I know that as we enter our 50s the body tends to pack on more weight ...good for you for nipping it in the bud now! I once read that we will face heatlh issues if we are obese especially in the 50s. Good for you!

Oh my Gosh Vanessa...(one of my favorite names by the way) I am sorry I don't know why but I thought you were a male. I am relieved because I was starting to think that Cigna perferred men and I had a female discrimination if they didn't cover me! tHANKS again for all your generous guidance. How are you doing with your band!? It sounds like life back to normal for you? Fondly, Joan