VegasGrace

1. I have limited time off from work and would like to have the surgery discreetly. I was informed that I could potentially have the surgery on Friday and return to work the following Tuesday. Is that possible? YES, it is possible 2. What are the average costs? I've seen it vary a bit. Hmmm...average would be a low of 7k and a high of 20k...so that would be an average of 13k. 3. Can I qualify if my BMI is 37? I don't have diabetes, high cholesterol etc. (I do tend to throw out my back often. Would that help me qualify?) Yes, you qualify w/ a BMI of 37. If you want someone else to pay for it, you will have to see what they require such as insurance company. 4. Is the surgery tax deductible? Definitely! Just follow the guidelines from the IRS. Good luck!

Becky beats many of us on here. But there are several who have had the band quite a while w/o complication. I've been banded over a year and have lost over a hundred pounds. I'm now 137 and a size 6. I was banded in Mexico and have had no problems with the band.

Wow, some story. Thanks for sharing it with us. Hate you went thru this. It's so important to have a doctor you can stay in close contact with ....especially 6weeks and every 4 weeks after....for adjustments and if something goes wrong. Let's forget the past {but learn from them}.... I'd make an appointment w/ a doctor for an adjustment. Ensure the band is totally empty. Then go from there about getting it removed. If you are starting from scratch....hmmmm....an ER visit w/ complaints of chronic vomiting may get it out of you....and yes, a bill will come. If you don't pay it it will go to collections and on your credit report. But most times, a divorce already leads to bad credit...what's one more tradeline? Hope you find a solution. keep us posted!

I guess eating alot of bread will gum it up. I had that happen once eating a footlong from Subway. But a tiny smidgen that you can hold in your mouth until it breaks down..... isn't what they are referring to. Hope this helps.

I'm not computer literate and see posts that contain photos. How? It's like in their signature or something because it's in every post. So many have asked for a before and after shot...I finally am brave enough....but how? Thanks!

Don't know what w of w is but I eat grains/fruits and salads often. Admit they come back up frequently, but doesn't taste so bad.

Well, thanks to you I finally have pictures...but they are so tiny. but you know...at least they are there! Thanks again!

Well, well, well..... still coming up with just the alphabet.....

Well, tried something else and it's just blank. It's thru Paint....bmp file, not the jpeg. Can't figure out how to change the type of file.

Oh, the cat photo.... I did mine, seemed like they were uploading but then a message came saying they weren't photos.... these are jpeg files. Will that not work?

It's not working. I have my pics on photobucket there is : email & IM link/code Direct Link HTML Code IMG Code I've tried a few but they won't go into...they seem to but one is a X and the other is the printed out version of the string of letters. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I say this....even if they are 175 lbs they should get it if they want. The FDA has not stopped people from getting surgery if it's not needed. Case in point, cosmetic surgery. And don't say it's not as dangerous or there are less risks...that's so not true! The lapband is so not evasive and so not permanent that anyone should get it if they want. And just wait and see...one day that will come to pass. If I could have gotten it going upwards to my 256...I would have not ever gotten there, had the comorbids, etc. My daughter is having it rough, she's 18 and is gaining weight like crazy. My entire family lost weight when I did. But she's on her own and I don't cook for her. So the damage I have done all these years has stuck with her. She's now 165 going up....I wish she could have the lapband.

Tara, I tried and tried. And I just couldn't do it. But hang in there!

Good question! Perhaps this one is where those with limited vocabularies come?

Enjoy! You are now shrinking your fat cells...so the weightloss is genuine...not just Water. I went thru this when on Atkins and again after being banded a few months. It's just temporary and will go away when you consume more carbohydrates.

There have been several of those threads, so I don't know which one you saw. Before: prepare things just like you would if you had the flu/getting any other type of surgery. You want to have frozen meals,pizza money for teen...tanks full for cars.... all bills paid or anything that needs tending. Laundry done as well. Get your meds filled so you'll have them when you get home. And do the grocery shopping beforehand, too. Get all your favorite drinks. Many will require things others don't. I didn't need much of anything post-op because I slept so much. But others need books/ heating pads, Protein shakes, bathrobes, slippers, matching this and that...the list can go on forever. Good luck and let us know how things go.

My sliming episodes only last a few seconds to under a minute. Get the stuff up and I'm fine...plus it's well lubricated making it easier. It's from the esophogas and my stomach doesn't do anything. But that's just if I ate more than I should. If I eat the wrong thing {done it 2-3 times and I avoid that like the plague} then it takes hours. Unlike sliming, this is like gut wrenching thrusts. Feel like I'm going to die, hurts like the dickens, too.

I've been flamed many times in chat or with a post....some just feel that me saying I don't use protein powders....or diet foods....or go to a gym....or count calories....or go on a diet....is so wrong. Look, it's simple. Get the band. Get the adjustments. Get restriction. Get a reality check. Get smaller clothes. Get real. Get the band. Won't work if you don't have it. Plus, the band makes the most common sense. Cut off the pipes and you'll lose the weight...not a maybe...but will. Get the adjustments. Won't work if you don't get adjustments. Decide on a fill doc before surgery. Make sure you see 'em at 6 weeks and every 4 weeks after. Don't need a followup...cancel. But always make sure you have the appointment every 4 weeks til YOU decide you've got restriction. Get restriction. Don't be a baby! You are going to have to cut down on the quantity of food - that's the point of the Lap Band system. Don't want to cut down on the amount of food - don't get the Lap Band. So what if you slime from time to time....it's all a learning process and you need to allow yourself time to re-learn how to eat. But this isn't saying that if you vomit that you shouldn't see your doc, quite the contrary. Vomiting isn't good. But sliming, as long as you are in the process of re-learning how to eat...it's a tool. Get a reality check. This time to relearn how to eat is crucial. Eat a few bites and walk away from your food - it will always be there...you don't need it all now. Want something sweet- have it. But only a bite or two. If you can say..."nah, I'll skip that"...you are already on the right track. This is about choices. It's not easy during this time. I remember thinking I was going to DIE because I was so weak from not eating (massive amounts of food). Your body will go through withdrawal symptoms....you can bet on that. But you prevail! And remember, it's not forever. If you are hungry...eat! Get smaller clothes when you reach goal....it's a motivator as well when you walk around in potatoe sacks...makes you want to go faster. Get real. You know how you got fat, you now KNOW it doesn't take much food to fuel the human body. You now are amazed at the difference in the amount of foods you eat. You go to a buffet with your family, you get a teaspoon of everything...a sampling if you will. And you are so satisfied to finally 'taste' something...instead of inhailing. Keep your scales, pay attention to your new clothing. Weigh weekly, then every two weeks. But step on those scales at least 2x a month. And if you see weight gain, or your clothing getting tighter.... modify your diet. Maybe that soda pop put you over the edge...or you found you ate 2 pieces of your mom's sweetpotatoe pie. No worries, just modify things. Your new life is about nutrition, not dieting. Ensure you get the fuel to run your body like a well oiled machine.

Amazingly my skin isn't worthy of surgery...as in, I don't need it. But...when I'm in the pool jumping around...it really feels like my back and but go up and down on their own. My doc said that this next year, the year after weightloss goal, that's when I'll know if I need any nip/tuck. But, so far so good!

Doctors are salespeople....they will try to sell you a product, in this case the product is his/her service for a procedure. Look at my stats.... 2 years, huh? I recommend doing research and then choose what's best for you. Then find a provider that will do it. {but if you find a surgeon and then the 2nd opinion recommend against it...you'll have to have a plan B}

The lapband works wonders for emotional eaters, like me. Recently I ate and ate and ate doritos. Yep, stress got to me. After I felt so full and sick on my stomach I looked at the bag...only a fourth was gone! Pre-band it would have been the entire bag.

I guess you'd call me a sweet eater...had 2 fudge bars today. And the lapband has worked textbook for me.

Wait a minute...you've lost 28 pounds without the lapband? Wow! It always amazes me how some can lose weight before the lapband system is implemented. I didn't lose my first ounce until after adjustments to reach restriction. So you are way ahead of the game. Congratulations!!!

When you reach goal.... that's it. IF you continue losing weight, and aren't happy with it...you can go for an unfill. They don't take out all the fluid, just a tad. IF you continue losing weight, it may plateau...thus not needing an unfill. My experience has been when I reached 150, goal, I was happy! Wasn't happy with how little I could eat, so I went for an unfill of .3cc. Over the next few months I got down to 140. Went for another unfill of .5 cc. Now I'm 137 but I go up a few pounds but come back down without dieting. So, I'm done. I still have some restriction as in if I tried to overeat...the band wouldn't let me. But I can eat and drink w/o issue. And a healthier lifestyle should have begun while losing weight. Don't go back to chips and soda, or drive thrus and pizza. It's okay to have those things every once in a while...but not daily. You've learned the body is a machine that needs nutrients..you'll always want to give it that. Good luck!

I can see that.... FDA standards of 'excess' weight. My goal was 150 lbs. But according to the medical community..that's at least 10 or more pounds of the so called excess weight. I am now 137. If I gain 4 pounds...I'd be in that statistic...w/ excess weight of 1 pound. Hope this helps put things into perspective.