kirajh

Misty My son - in - law's name is Tony and he is proabably in your age range. I know he is a couple years older than my daughter and she is going to be 32. He has a brother Mike and another one Thane. They're both older than him though.

Sign me up for the exersise challenge in January. I am still pedaling my little heart out. Can anyone give me some ideas of some exersizes that I can do with a bum knee? Walking is definately out. McDonalds. OH MY!! I hve to be the world's biggest junk food junkie. There is something about it (don't ask me what) But I love it!!! Big Macs...m-m-m-m. But I am so proud of myself. Haven't been to Mickey D's since before my surgery.

My daughter spent New Year's with her in-laws and they had cariboo burgers. She said they were pretty good.

I was banded 7-16-07 in Tijuanna by Dr. Ortiz.

I really liked your replies here Bubble. Wished I lived in Phx. I think we'd get along great and it would be so great to have the support.

Opal Try Barix Clinic in Ypsi. They take outside patients but when I called back in Oct., they weren't taking new patients since Dr. Kam was leaving. They told me to call again in a couple months to see if they had found a doctor to take his place. I get my fills done by Dr. March in Hillsdale. His phone # is 517-437-5350. They charge $110.00 per fill but they charge my insurance and surprise, they pay all but 20.98. Port Huron also does fills for outside patients and so does one of the bariatric clinics in Flint. (they are really expensive, somewhere about $300.oo) There might be doctors in the Detroit area that will do fills for outside patients. I didn't check into any of them since I could go to Hillsdale, or Kazoo in the same time frame. (without the hustle and bustle of the city) GOOD LUCK Kari P.S. I think I started a thread here in the Michigan thread and also in the fill doctor listing the doctors I found who would do fills in Michigan and the cost of them. I had made over 30 different calls to bariatric doctors who were with in a 100 mile radius of Livingston County.

For the life of me, I am drawing a blank, but I remember seeing on the news that there is a charity out there that takes donations of professional clothings for people on welfare looking to join the work force. Can't remember what it is called, but call one of your local newstations and they might be able to tell you. Or maybe there is someone here that has heard of it. Kari

That is so funny Karrie. I am really proud of you, doing all that cooking and baking over the holidays and losing all that weight. Not me/ If I had done even half of what you did, I'd be at least 10 pounds more. Now, if I can just quit the grazing........................... HAVE A GREAT, BLESSED NEW YEAR. AND MAY ALL OUR LOST POUNDS DISAPPEAR FOREVER!!!!

kARRIE Sounds to me like low blood sugar. Try drinking a little juice or eating something with a little sugar in it. I'm diabetic and I get light headed and very shaky when my sugar levels are low. Of course, that never happened before the band. LOL I can't remember exactly what the exersize challenge was but.....I pedaled my bike everyday for at least an hour (except 3days, 40 min) Since December 4th, I have pedaled 524 miles. size 12 jeans. I haven't seen that since way before kids arrived and I now have 2 grandkids. That was a long time ago. HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR AND MAY THE POUNDS KEEP DROPPING. SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!!!

thanks for the encouragement, Kim. It means a lot. HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEARS AND MAY THE POUNDS JUST KEEP ON DROPPING.

Not close......but my daughter and her family live in Allendale and we are up there at least once a month. Husband retires next month so we will probably be up there more often. Sure do miss those little munchkins.

Janet Hope your cold feels better soon. Sure do know what youre saying about feeding a cold. I am just getting over one and I kept on feeding in gummy vitamins. Figured that would be better than feeding it junk food. Totaled my bike mileage, over 500 miles pedaled. Have to figure out where that's taken me. Next fill is Friday. Hoping for the restriction I keep hearing about here. I'll probably be on here again before tomorrow, but if not, HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR'S. (sleeping)

Rapkim I looked into both lapband and gastric bypass surgery. My insurance would cover it if I had a ltter from my pcp, a letter from the surgeon, B MI of 35 (comormidities?) or 40 without and a psychological evaluation. No documented diet or anything like that. WOW...way to go...right? Well, I went to a consultation, got my letters and decided on lapband. All that was left was the psych. eval. In the meantime, my anti depressents stopped working, I was falling into a deep deep depression. Felt like I was on the verge of suicide cause I just couldn't go on the way I was. Because of the depression, I flunked the evaluation. Doctor felt he couldn't recommend surgery at that time. That was the last straw. I couldn't take it. couldn't wait. Did my research (quickly) had the surgery done two weeks later. Felt great. If I had waited for insurance to approve it, I would have been dead. Port Huron is one of the places that was willing to do fills for me and for that I am greatful but since I live in the SW corner of Livingston county, I ended up going to Hillsdale which is closest to me. Things are really going good for me now and I can honestly say that I am glad to be alive. Kari banded 7-16-07 Dr. Ortiz lost 54 pounds so far about 100 more to go

Forget the feet. The pain in my back's gone. I can now walk more that 50 feet without having to stop and sit. Of course, my left knee is still shot and needs to be replaced but another twenty pounds and then I will have that done. I sure can relate to walking down stairs like normal people though.

Karri I bought GNC PRO PERFORMANCE SOY PROTEIN 95. Unflavored. The directions say to mix with water or skim milk and mix till disolved. It doen't say anything about not heating it or adding it to food. I just took it for granted that it was okay to do it. It didn't hurt me and it barely altered the taste (of course, I only added 1/2 scoop). So, I don't really know if makes a difference or not. But It can't hurt. Kari

Good luck with your surgery. Have you considered going to Mexico to have the surgery there. They don't make you jump thru all the hoops they make you do here and it is a whole lot (I mean a lot) cheaper. And they are great and have a lot more experience.

How about a large teaching hospital? A lot of them have bariatric centers located in them and they take medicaid. Or call your AMA and get names from them.

Hi I am from Michigan, self-pay and went to Tijuanna in July and had the surgery done by Dr. Ortiz. ($8500.00) Don't let anyone discourage you or tell you that Mexico is the worst place to go. These doctors are well trained, and they have been doing this surgery since 91. ten years longer that the doctors here in the US. Yes, there are some bad doctors or some who have bad reps, do your research. You better believe if someone has a bad experience, they will post it. Whether it is true or not, you have to decide and you do that by doing research. Check out their websites..........check out the forum here.....there are a lot of threads about Mexican doctors. I haven't heard much bad about Mexico and those I have, I have to wonder about. Hospitals there are just as modern and clean as those here in US and don't let anyone tell you differntly. As for fill doctors, I didn't worry about that till I got back and needed one. I got on the phone and started calling all the bariatric surgeons within a hundred mile radius. Yes, it was time consuming. Yes, most doctors won't take you if you went to Mexico. But there are doctors out there who will do fills and do a good job. After making about 25 phone calls, I ended up with 5 different doctors I could go to for fills. I ended up chosing the nearest one (1 1/2 hour) and the cheapest. In fact, my insurance covers all but $20.98 of the fill. You research these doctors the same way you researched the Mexican doctors. I am very happy with my surgery and my fills. Sorry this is so long, but some people make me very angry when they refuse to consider any doctor except a US doctor qualified. Just as there are bad doctors here in US, it isn't any different anywhere else. JUST DO YOUR RESEARCH.

hI I am 57 and was banded in July. So far, I have lost 54 pounds, had 4 fills and still no restriction. Hopefully this one will do it. I had been in a very deep depression and I flunked the psychological evaluation. Not wanting to wait and have the testing redone, in fact it wasn't that I didn't want to wait. I didn't dare wait, I was that depressed. Anyway, I went to Mexico and had the surgery there and it was the best thing I ever did. Everything went smoothly....no problems....don't even know the band is there. Most important, the weight is coming off, and the dpression is gone. All I can say is GO FOR IT

Hey Misty My daughter's in-laws are from Grayling. Do you know the Doremires?

The biking is going great. Just finished up 23 miles for the day. I haven't totaled my mileage for the month yet. It is probably around 350 miles or so since 12-4. I just can't see my weight loss yet. I know it's gone but hey, I don't know where. I never really saw myself as FAT.....till one day I saw a picture of myself.......OH. MY. GOD. FAT!!! Now I've lost 54 lbs and I still see that fat person in the mirror. I did notice this morning that those fat pads in my armpits are almost gone. LOL Guess I am just losing it where you can't see it.

When I was in college, I majored in barhopping and partying. Then I got married, had kids and then got old. Staying home and hoping that the neighbors guns and fireworks don't wake me up. I really need my sleep at my age. (LOL) Karri - Why can't you use protein powder hot? Is there some reason. I used to add it to spaghetti sauce and stuff like that. You couldn't taste it and I am still alive. I wish I would just start losing again. I've been on a plateau for about 7 weeks now.

WOO HOO ! ! ! LOOKING GREAT. Keep up the good work and keep on my shoulder. Wished I looked that good.

I have to agree with both Kat and shortgal. In fact, I could have written Kat's response. I know exactly what she is talking about. I was banded in July and so far I have lost 54 pounds but I can't see where. I never really thought I was that big until one day......it hit me. Now I only see that fat old grandma in the mirror. Aiming to lose another 80 to 90 pounds and maybe then I can see a difference.

Just got back from spending Christmas with the grandbabies. Had a great time. Hope all here had a Very Merry Christmas and I do hope noone overdid it with the eating. I am afraid I did. But, we have a new year starting and when I think of where I was a year ago I can't believe how far I have come. I haven't missed a day of pedaling yet this month. Two days only went for 30 minutes but put in over an hour all the other days. Haven't done it yet today though. Jackie : WOO HOO GIRL...........Looking good Kathybad; I feel for you. Went thru something similar with my dad. It is rough. Indio: Love the smilies. I have to chuckle at them. Phyll: Sorry you ,issed seeing your daughter this holiday. I have to admit that being able to spend it with my two grandbabes had to be the best!! Gavin is pushing three and he is almost forty pounds of trouble and the baby, Karina is just 4 months old and too cute for words. I do miss my oldest granddaughter Jayli who is now celebrating Jesus' birthday with the man himself. She would have been seven next week if she lived. EVERYONE ! ! ! hAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS...........and tomorrow, we all get back on track.