Zoe

Hey Jack, don't give up; you might yet get to Carnegie Hall. And Sharon, be grateful for your flatulent fur babies -- you can always blame them!

Yippee! And think of all the calories you're burning!

Congratulations, and welcome! Alexandra's right about Trader Joe's. That place will save you when you get to the mushy stage. I went totally bonkers in the refrigerated section & can highly recommend the seafood dip and four-variety hummus platter. Meanwhile, put your feet up and let your DH wait on you!

I am a math GEEK, so here goes: Subtract your current weight from your pre-surgical weight to get your weight loss. (Yes, it seems obvious, but you never know.) Now get out a calendar that shows 2005 and 2004. Your checkbook register may have one. Find your band date on the calendar and count the weeks. If you were banded before 2004, start from the same month and day in 2004 and add 52 weeks for every extra year. Example: If you were banded on Thursday, August 26, 2004 (ahem), count the Thursdays: Sept. 2 is 1week, etc. That's 29 weeks as of 3/17/05, I think. OK, now all you have to do is divide your weight loss pounds by the number of weeks since your band was installed, and you have your average weekly loss. For me it's 55.5 lbs/29 weeks or about 1.9 lbs/week.

Keep raising hell, Christina! Lots of people here (like Marie) have appealed and succeeded. The insurance company is just trying to save a few bucks. It's cheaper for them to demand that you go to Jenny Craig for a year (on your own dime, of course) than to shell out for surgery. They're probably hoping that if you still want the band in another year, you'll have different insurance so they still won't have to pay. I think the Insurance forum (see "Forum Jump" below) is full of tips from people who have appealed the initial denial, including sample form letters. You might get some good ideas there. Meanwhile, it's great to know you have a psychologist on your side. And, of course, you have everybody here rooting for you. Kick some ass and get that band!

I had to jump on this thread from my office because I just had a PB from hell, and almost slimed the company's HR director while running from a conference room to the bathroom. I was in a working lunch meeting with an expensive outside lawyer and was trying to act oh so dignified. Fat chance. Especially when I had a repeat performance at my desk a few minutes later -- behind closed doors, discreetly into a coffee mug!

Congratulations on making your decision, Christina. One of the hardest things about getting banded (or not) is the moment of choice. I forget -- do you have a surgery date? Sounds like you are going to kick our butts in the weightloss challenge!

Braveheart, Paula's right about UK members -- they will come out of the woodwork and say hello, I'm certain. Audrey in Scotland and her friend Fiona have lost a total of nearly 400 lbs. since they were banded. Ladiebird is near London, I think. And Scotty, where are you? Anyway, with a June surgery date, you have plenty of time to gather information and get sorted. Welcome!

Ha! I know exactly what you mean! If you're ready to brave chicken again (and the dog lets you keep a piece for yourself), try dark meat, or just super-moist white, with sauces. Those plain broiled skinless chicken breasts that are a conventional dieter's constant companion are no fun for bandsters. Bandsters' dogs, that's a different story.

Welcome to Bandland! Married to a bandster, you were already an honorary citizen -- now it's official. I hope your recovery is quick and easy. Let us know how you're doing when you feel like writing. We're all cheering for you!

Thanks, Kelly!

I would appreciate if we could keep this thread from being hijacked to a "weight gain challenge". This thread is for weight loss and those who are serious about the challenge. I'm sure all of those in this challenge will agree. -- La Madam on Weight Loss Challenge thread. I replied, "the mini-hijack was just for a few cheap laughs for those of us anticipating a rough week. To avoid offending the serious, we will move these comments to a new thread." So here it is. This is intended to be a thread where anyone can freely vent (I hope) about the challenges to weight loss. Disclaimer: If you do not want to read about people who are gaining weight, people who are worried about gaining weight, or people who may make jokes about gaining weight, do not read further. My vent: I've been losing weight steadily since my last fill, but after three weeks of immobility I'm starting a course of steroids for disc trouble. The steroids make me feel better, but I gain weight.

OK, I've had it. This *&%$ sciatica has kept me from walking (other than a few blocks) for three weeks now, and it's not getting much better. I am sick of lying around with a bag of frozen Beans on my back! (It's about as comfortable, not to mention exciting, as it sounds.) I had an L5-S1 laminotomy about eight years ago which was a total success, but in the last few years the L4-L5 disk has given me occasional grief. I don't want surgery again if I can help it, but I'm desperate. Chiropractic treatments have helped only a little. So, bandsters, have any of you with back & disc trouble tried VAX-D? Supposedly it places vacuum pressure on the disc -- a kind of traction -- to encourage the disc to go back where it belongs. Any reports, pro or con, welcome! Thanks. Gimpily yours, Z.

Never mind the cigs -- I'm so glad to hear your dog is doing better. If you have a fairly large room and you want to indulge your hound's every whim, you can buy a ramp from a dog catalog like Drs. Foster & Smith so that he can still climb up on the bed without jumping. You are smoking so much less. Congratulations! Can you pick a day to go cold turkey for just 24 hours?

Oh, so that's where the big ass photo came from! Cool. But, DeLarla, I don't see that weight gain you talked about. You look way skinny.

Thanks, Sheila! I start a five-day course of steroids today. Like your sister, I had an epidural several years ago when I could barely move; it did help for a while. I like your yoga suggestion. I do need to increase my flexibility, so once I can move again, I think I'll check out a class at the nearby yoga center. I have two large friends who've found that yoga helped their arthritis.

Hey, if the steroids work, at least I can start walking again. The orthopedic guy has me on a five-day steroid burst; with luck, I can stop ASAP. Anyone else have weight-gain issues this week?

La Madam, the mini-hijack was just for a few cheap laughs for those of us anticipating a rough week. To avoid offending the serious, we will move these comments to a new thread. I'll start one, and anyone can follow: go to http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5613

Good luck! I had all four out at once and got good drugs too; a friend and my brother picked me up from the oral surgeon's office (it took two people to keep me from crashing into walls) and apparently I had them cracking up, but I don't remember a second of it! I do remember hanging out with Ben & Jerry for several days afterward, though.

Love the new avatar, DeLarla! I am on a chocolate tear today, and I'm starting a week of steroids, so I might take you up on the weight-gain challenge this coming week. My ass is bigger than yours, nyah-nyah!

Don't mourn just yet. You might still be able to eat some or all of them. I just had a slice of pizza, and I have no trouble with most pasta. You can keep the Big Mac, though.

Congrats, Norma! What a great feeling! I know you've had reservations about the band; I'm glad you're getting a super fringe benefit.

Kristi, it might have been a disappointment not to get a fill, but your doctor's right. And you have the right attitude, not to mention a super weight loss so far! You might be one of the lucky bandsters who can lose weight for quite a while without a fill. Test those solid proteins slowly; most of us have at least one "problem" food that won't go down, and one junk food that is all too band-friendly. I nearly cried when the doc told me I should avoid steak. . . but, alas, my band has no problem with chocolate in any form. Some people have trouble with chicken, seafood, and eggs. Meanwhile, never mind the negative stuff -- you're doing great!

Paula's in Onederland! :banana I'm at 205.5 this morning... but I'm afraid I might be losing muscle instead of fat because my effing sciatica has kept me from exercising for three weeks. (Inner voice: "Shut up, Z., and be happy you lost! Now pull your socks up and quitcha bitchin.")

What a blast! You all look fantastic. Funny about Bruce Willis -- I think a lot of big-time actors are kind of short (by that I mean shorter than I am). Robert Redford, Al Pacino, even Paul Newman's supposedly a shrimp!