shellyj.

wow thats quite an ordeal! i know all to well how not a drink of Water or even your own saliva will make you mentally weak. i have done the exact same thing and had to BEG for a dr to see me and i was a US patient. your new dr sound super nice and WHAT!?! has education on the band! AWESOME. please let us know how the endo goes.

i started thinking about how much i have spent POST banding....pretty scary.... $200 4 fills, covered by insurance, $50 each $2,400 16 fills*, not covered by insurance $150 each $750 fill under flouro $1250 fill under flouro $1400 fill under flouro (this was actually an ER unfill) ------------------------------- 6,000!!!!!!!! holy crap. my share for surgery was 1,000. just curious what others have paid for 'aftercare' *i had to get a LOT of fills in the beginning because my fill was getting trapped in a pocket in the port. when i got a fill it never reached my band so i had to get several till i was over 4.0 cc and my dr would listen to me.

i lost an OBSCENE amount of weight on atkins while i was banded. i was constipated MOST of the time. constipation is the main reason i quit doing the atkins. constipation is HORRIBLE and can have long term effects on your BM's the other main drawback of atkins is you get accustomed to richer foods and when you arent on the atkins you still have a tase for richer foods (cheese, mayo, ranch, bacon, etc)

my goal is 199.9999 once i hit that i will have an ultimate goal of 190. at 190 i would like to get PS hopefully putting me in the 180's i am 5'-9" size 10 shoe!

i know when i was doing atkins and log on fitday i was easily at 2000 a day. but ate lots of cheese, steak, bacon, ranch and butter those are all really high calorie! i think i lost on it because i had so much to lose. i gained 25 of it back from quitting the atkins and being totally unrestricted! the worst thing about atkins was CONSTIPATION! i was ALWAYS constipated! i wont do it again, ever! and my butt thanks me for that! i'd love to see the outfit too!

i am on the kamakazi wedding diet- 900 calories a day. i am adding more foods as i find ones that fit in: breakfast: yogurt light 90 calories (i eat this everday anyway mmm key lime pie is fave) lunch choices: veggie burger, no bread, sauteed veggies, lite ranch- roughly 250 calories turkey hot dog-bread-condiments- 200 calories veggie corndog 1 w/mustard- 170 calories homeade tomatoe soup- 200 calories (if that!) 1.5 cup lentils 150 cal. hummus and wasa 250 cal snack- any fruit or what i have been having lately- splenda lite canned peaches WHOLE can is only 100 calories lite syrup included! dinner- any lunches OR: salad with 4 oz chicken- 400 calories 4 oz meat with sauteed mush, onions, red peppers - 400 calories lite tofu 4 oz and stirfry veggies all this plus 2 hours exercise a day. i finally saw TBL and they did super LOW cal and 3 hours exercise a day and lost ASTONISHING amounts of weight. i just want to lose as much as i can by 7-1-06! NO CHEATING!!! since i am allowing myself foods i love and eat normally anyway i think i can 'stick to it'. we'll see! i am down 3 in week 1!!!!!!!!!

uh-oh i tried it to! i LOVE music so this should be cool!!!

i have to say i LOVE the kashi...i used to make these EVIL kashi goo balls! (ruined a perfectly healthy cereal) kashi, peanut butter, honey, and bag o chocolate chips. mix together to make a big sticky mess and roll into balls, refridgerate and chow down. ahhhh that was good a kashi flashback!

OMG kathy! i am glad you called both dr's again. i cant believe the band dr couldnt get you in the 19th shen you were vomiting blood. i AM so glad they got to the bottom of it though. please let us know how you recover and dont be such a stranger! when my band was giving me problems i stayed away to. i get such inspiration here everyday. michelle

if your gettin a sassy new do that will be a lot shorter, have you thought about donating it to locks of love? http://www.locksoflove.org/donate_hair.php if you look they have a link to find salons that will cut your hair for free! usually trendy good ones! anyways, cant wait to see your new do!!!

calvin had RNY, he doesnt stink BUT HIS HINEY DOES!!! we buy LOTS of spray...luckily for me he is sweet and only 'lets one rip' in the bathroom, cause he knows he is leathal!!!! hehehe luckily he doesnt read this site so he cant kill me for discussing his oder!

i am in spokane, dont know where longview is!

OK LISA!!!! theres NO ARGUEING it now!!!! LOOK AT YOU!!!!! LOOK AT YOUR FLAT TUMMY!!!! you look FABULESS!!!!! what a difference!!!! you have lost 4 bags of dogfood!!! (the 17 lb size) you should put that in a buggy and try to push it! i know you couldnt carry it (anymore) i am so proud of you!!!

hehehe i understand, sometimes i get jealous of people who have restriction! i dont think i can get a fill and while i do eat less than preband i still eat 2 cups of food atleast for every meal, my band doesnt ever stop me. i wake with a GROWLING hungry stomache and feel hungry must of the time. i watched the biggest loser lastnight (firsttime) and was inspired by the 2 families. i have started the kamakazi wedding diet as of today. it involves 2 hours of exercise a day and low calories. if they can do it unbanded i can do it 1/2 banded! i want my wedding dress to be a 14, i dont think thats to much to ask!!! thanks re: the pics and inspiration. i look at the before and after thread often and just marvel at all the changes in everyone.

penni- i know exactly how you feel about knowing what to do and actually doing it. i havent had restriction in FOREVER and i struggle daily to do what i know i should. i dont have any magic words of widsom but i do have compassion and understanding of how hard this is. we all do. i really like what i'll succeed said about DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT, JUST DO IT. sometimes i feel like all i do is think about food. i am always thinking about my next meal.

WOW LISA!!!!! you are FOXXY!!!!! you have done great and have come so far! i love looking at pictures your definitally are inspiring!

any of you folks who have had to pay for or just know the cost of wedding photos? i would really love it if ya'll would post prices or price ranges. i am going high end because i want GREAT photos. no cheesey,bad lighting, dorky poses, etc just wondering if the photographer is trying to rape me here!!!! with what they are charging i am SERIOUSLY considering changing proffessions. please post the amount paid and if you were satisified with the quality

well i have decided on the photographer! he was my favorite. he offers a wedding book that is actually a hardcover book (coffee table book) that has your photos printed on the pages (thick like cardstock) its AWESOME!!! the best part is.....i got a job out if it too! i do free lance graphic design and this wedding book has to have a custom layout for each wedding....well hes a photographer and it takes him FOREVER to do one! so yours truly is working a deal to this as free lance as well. either way he is my photographer. his fee is $2,000 then you buy photo's on top of that. but the key is i will own the negatives so i dont have to get prints from him i can buy elsewhere. marimaru, sarah- thanks for the other advice. i was actually just looking at dresses online. i have decided that i will likely buy the dress in the next few months after i have lost a few pounds. then hopefully i will loose a few more in the meantime and will need to get it slightly altered. thanks to everyone who posted ideas! i am defintally gonna use some of these GREAT suggestions! michelle

man!!! my insurance quit covering the band and anything band related 4 months after surgery so i have spent a small fortune. if i hadnt been so grateful to finally GET some restriction i think i would have asked for a reimbursement on all the fills that were to get me 4.0 cc's. it was 7 fills!!

coming from someone who seals up tight anytime i get on a plane i would get some removed. when we go on our honeymoon this summer i am going to have .2 - .3 removed just to play it safe. you can always have you appointment for a refill scheduled for the day you come back! sounds like fun!

i belonged in nashville but forgot to check it out in my new community! thanks for the reminder! michelle

oh mandy, i am defintally thinking of you, your daughter and your entire family, sending healing vibes. i hope you continue to see positive results with the zoloft. abigale has a good mom to notice that something was going on with her. i am sure there are others out there who's parents arent so attentive. please know that we are all here for you when you need someone to lean on. hugs, michelle

HEY BRIGHT!!!! dang girl! you brought eveyone out of the woodworks to say HI!!!! i defintally consider your maintaining TRIUMPH!!! i think one thing that happens to us is the bands "newness" wears off, things return to normal. is it winter in ireland? i know during winter months here with shorter days, and not being able to go out and do much "winter blues" is quite common. its like depression that sets in from less activity, lack of sunlight and overindulgence during the holidays. take care bright, i hope to hear from you soon! michelle

lapband on ebay i have now seen it all

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!!!!! i feel much more prepared after chatting with the girls! i am gonna take notes before i go to bed of my questions for the photographers! i need a wedding planner! hehehe just kidding i think this and the food will be the hardest part. i am not buying my dress till may-june so that i can be sure its the right size. well you guys will get to see the handy work of who ever i chose! i'll be sure to post pics!