the best me

Smellycat, I added you to the April 2005 Bandsters thread in the Support Forum...go look, there's lots of us!! Happy BandDay Ezzysmom! Post when you can and let us know how it went. WOOOHOOOO!

Oh I HOPE, I HOPE, I HOPE I feel this way when I get back. Hell, at this point, I just hope I get back. I'm "nerval" as my sister likes to say, I know because I'm cursing. (That was a really bad and obnoxoius curse, wasn't it? I'm so proud...!) I'm so happy for you, Jenna and Jamie, and everyone else with the success of weight loss. Way to GO!

18K PLUS hospital?!!!! All I can say is, SHOP AROUND! You don't have to go to MX for a more affordable surgery, but you may have to travel if your ins. doesn't pay. I have heard about better prices than that in your neck of the woods. Do Searches here for your area. That may help...BTW lots of K/Cathy's here today!!!

Seeing Kuri next week, if I don't die in a TJ hospital and I come home safely banded, it was worth it. If not, I wish I'd never heard of the Lap Band. I'll let you know.

Hey Eliza, what kind of pain? Check around here and make sure it's "normal" pain, and not something problematic. Also, go to the Food Forum and look for liquids recipes, put some variety in your diet. Might help? I'm hanging on your every word, keep posting!

Bumping for Aussies, just in case you are out there!! Have fun researching deyanne, and welcome!!

Hey Brand Spankin' New Kathy O! the CDT code for Lap Band is 43843. That's all I know. Otherwise, I'm pretty much an insurance idiot. You'll find lots of info here though. Happy researching and Welcome!!

Hello Annette! Did you see post #20 here on this thread? Jan W is from Perth and is getting banded on the 29th. You could PM her, but I haven't seen her on here in a while. Tell her to come back!!! "wedding rings back on my finger" will be a great day for me! I refuse to have them resized larger. Smaller?, okay. Good to have you here...that baby, er, I mean, surgery, will be here before you know it! ha.

Hey Wendy, I guess your Dr said it was okay to travel, who is the Columbia area emergency back up doc? Just wonderin. Have a great trip next week! You'll be "here" while I'm in MX for my Band surgery! "Wave" to me from the highway as you pass through Charlotte...I'm on the East side of I-77...just so you wave in the right direction!lol. Anyway, have a great visit.

Whoa! You go girl!!! Oh my gosh, I simply cannot wait!!!! To see 206 again? Heaven!

I need a valium just being me these days. Whew! I think it was Donali that recommended to someone that they take a flat sheet and fold it to the right size, then masking tape the edges so it stays folded, and use that to lay over your belly for the flight/drive home, whichever. I would LOVE to take my grandmothers feather pillow, yes, it's that old, but I canNOT get rid of it, it's the best pillow EVER. So I have 3 pillowcases on it so it doesn't fall apart. Anyway, I can't toss that when I get back so I think I'll leave it at home. A flat sheet is easy to wash and bleach after traveling, so I think I'll go that route, but I definately want something over my belly. I can't believe it's happening, it's almost like it's happening to someone else and I'm just the travel agent or trip/surgery coordinator helping take care of all the details, weird. Did I say this morning I was going to do some laundry? Haven't touched it. HA!

Way to go Isa! We won't expect to hear from you very soon, if I remember you are recovering there for a good bit of time, a week or more? Let Vera tell us how it went for you , then give us ALL the scoop when you return. And hug Vera on behalf of everyone here...Blessings to you for great surgeries and a wonderful outcome...did you take your Before pics? Get a disposable camera if you have to! We want pics!!

Hey Kris, saw you over on April Bandsters...again, welcome!!!!

Hey KC, welcome! I added you to Post #20...it's coming soon!! You have two other band buddies...check it out! Do lots of research and ask any question, folks here are really nice and helpful!

Yippeee Tanya!!! Get that Band!!! We'll be thinking of you....post when you get back and feel like it. Happy Band-day!

Eliza, thanks so much, I will read your post to DH tonight...I'll let you know what he says!!! Glad you haven't gone far. And stay away from that stomach bug, for heaven's sake! Back soon...Kathy

The change is in you and in him, Qwinner is right. PLUS, men are just visually stimulated anyway. They HAVE to notice, and when they do, if it makes 'im frisky, all the better!!! But I will admit, it kinda makes me mad to think that when I lose 50+lbs, he'll come on to me all on his own, say, when I'm doing dishes. Right now, I have to REMIND him to do that stuff.....hummpphh.

No, you are not the only one feeling all this. My biggest fear about going is not coming home. First Blossom, which was very upsetting and made me think about my life and how precious it is to me, then Lori had trouble, then Princess reacted to the Ativan, close calls for both, and all this talk about poor Terry Schiavo, and more talk at home about death and final wishes and all the conversation THAT has spurred, all of that makes me really nervous. THIS IS SURGERY! And for me, IN MEXICO!!! Am I crazy?! Let me just say this right now, if I don't make it back, it WASN"T worth it. I would rather be fat and a mother to my children. There, that's the truth. However, I have never been one to bust the statistics...I'm so average it's pitiful. My whole Life and Being is average (in a good way, most days!) My hair is brown, eyes, hazel/blue, I'm 5'5", not short or tall, I have a boy and a girl (50/50) I'm 39 years old, about halfway, I don't live in the city or the country (okay, closer to the country) in a neighborhood. Wer'e not rich, not poor, I have a nice house with NO decorations, a brother and a sister, parents divorced (these days, that's average) I go to church, not a big one, not a small one, my husband is cute but not a GQ model, I'm cute but not gorgeous, Now my children are definately above average beautiful........okay, that's me. At any rate, my point is, I am banking on being an average bandster, too. Have surgery, do fine, lose weight, maybe some problems but nothing big...I hope I'm average. Now here's something for you to look at, You said, "maybe I'm scared not to be the fat one anymore". Your identity includes your weight, which is also why it's such a problem for you , me, most of us who bother to do something about it. For us, at some point, it's not okay to be the fat one. I just want to be average again. Is 140 too much to ask? Nah.

THAT is awesome. After having a daughter, I worried a little about what to do with a boy, a little man. Mine is 2 now, but to imagine him being 20 years old, makes me puddle, and for me to be light enough for him to pick me up, OH!!! I can't even imagine. I would have bawled too. That little memory will give you YEARS of joy! I wonder if he'll ever know just how much that meant to you? I hope so, I'll bet he does. Gonna go blow my nose now...

Okay, clarification: I have my surgery Friday morning, and must stay in the hospital overnight Friday night, then I'm released Sat morning, if all goes well. My plane leaves San Diego at 1:03pm Saturday. Home by 8:30pm. Does that sound okay? Dr Kuri will pay for Sat night in the hotel in TJ for me and sis if I want to stay, but then again, I went ahead and scheduled my flight for Sat afternoon. It's an exhausting day, but do-able, I think. ??? I want to be home...AND in the U.S.!

You betcha! Actually, it's hard to say, everyone has a different recovry, but as long as you don't mind missing a few classes during recovery, you should be fine and I think it's a great idea! Post your firm Date on the April bandsters thread and I'll add you in when it's "for sure". You need to be busy, of course, you can post here...and that's great, but a room project, a class, a new hobby, SOMEthing is in order. The routine change should help with the quitting smoking, too. Good Job! One more question, you say a 2 week fast, that means liquid diet, right? Just wondering.

Oh my gosh Tanya!!!! How did I miss you?!! I'm so sorry (head hung in shame) You are added instantly...Good Luck!!!! Have a GREAT Surgery.

Katie, you are so funny! I started this cuz I felt so Un-organized! You ALL are making me feel better. I do admit that the travel part of my Band journey does add some good ole stress...it would be nice to stay closer to home but it would cost me another 5-10 grand...I can afford the stress, HA! Got my plane ticket reciepts, e-mailed Sylvia at Kuri's, just to check in, and finally mailed my Medical Questionnaire, which had been hanging around waiting for my new RX (Singulaire) so I could add it and have a completely up to date form. Next, take my Mother-in-Law and the kids out for lunch (Spring Break for my Kindergartener) and to run errands. May do Wal-Mart today unless the kids fall apart and little bit (age 2) needs a nap "now" and not later. Know what, me and daughter will go together to Wal-Mart tonight...just the girls. Funner. (Remember Legally Blonde? "Oh Warner, it'll be JUST like Senior Year, only FUNNER!") Crack me up. Warning to all who have posted on this thread...you may want to Unsubscribe, or you'll get numerous e-mail messages for posts here, by me, no doubt. Don't let all this aggravate you. It's really helping me and unless you are just easily amused, it might be best to "unsubscribe" I won't be offended...just check in occasionally...

Oh, I'll do it, okay, I will...(the pictures) I promise. After care is Dr Roberto Gonzalez in Winston Salem, NC, just a quick hour+ up the road. He sees Mx Bandsters and provides fills, etc. Just in case someone needs him, he's at the Surgical Weight Loss Center (336) 784-8299. I called, he wants my OR papers and X-ray from Kuri and want to see me 4-6 weeks post-op, unless I need to see him sooner (hope not).

You might be sorry you said that! I have to admit, this is helping... Need: Before pics and a good bare tummy front and side set of pics for the inevitable tummy tuck. Need: Confirmation for my plane tickets...they took my reservations and my money, now what? Need to call USAirways... I have not taken two pieces of advice. First advice was to wait a day before travelling...Dr Kuri's package includes an extra night at the hotel if I want it (in my case, this would be Sat night for me and sis) but I went ahead and scheduled my flight for Sat, after getting out of the hospital Sat morning. I want to come home!!! I hope I don't regret that. The other advice I did not follow (and it's not too late to change this) is to have my sister stay at the hospital with me Friday night. We would get our own room: Good. Bad part, not staying with my group. I know of one gal here (Chris) and her sister who are getting banded by Kuri the same day. It would be nice to have their company too that night. After what Princess went through, I tend to want my sister there with me...hmmm. I may change my mind about that. Christie if fine either way. I'm sure I'll think of more...