Cocoabean

Off-label use is not illegal in the U.S. I take an anti-seizure medication for migraines. I am thankful for it every day. Also, the BMIs listed on LAP-BAND website are guidelines. It states that only a surgeon/physician can decide if this surgery is right for the individual. If Leigha's surgeon felt that this surgery is an appropriate treatment for her medical condition, and she gave informed consent and wrote the check, there is nothing wrong with that. The BMI/comorbidity REQUIREMENTS in the U.S. are for insurance companies to pay for the surgery. Many insurance companies are now requiring proof of a history of obesity in order to avoid people gaining weight or wearing weights to appointments specifically to qualify for WLS. While I'd argue that wearing jeans and sneakers to an appointment is different that adding weights..the latter being fraud, the former being clothing, why don't all doctors weight patients in gowns? Why aren't all doctors' scales calibrated? Weight Watchers in California got all their scales calibrated by the State Board of Equalization when a life time member raised a fuss about being charged for being over goal weight when on a different scale she was not. At the time, weekly fees were $14.00 and someone raised a stink over the scales for that? But no one questions the accuracy of a doctor's scale when we are talking thousands of dollars on the line?

The good news is, it's not the tooth. The bad news is, it's not the tooth. Dentist looked it over said it's all inflamed, took an x-ray and referred me to a periodontist. They got me in today, have another hour to wait. My checkbook is already feeling the pain. $87.30 to be told it isn't the tooth. Can't wait to hear the next total. No insurance....wah The great news? My niece is in labor! Grand-nephew Landon should arrive soon! :cursing: she is having a tougher day than I.

Oh Betsy, so sorry to hear that! We are here for you. You are such a strong person. You don't deserve it, that is for sure. You'll be in my thoughts, as you often are. Keep up the good, positive work.

Well, when they say, "stand up straight," wiggle a bit, but don't stretch too hard! Sounds like you have your ducks in a row. Stress does not take away my appetite, either. Best wishes for your appointment!

Hi There! Have you contacted your insurance company to be certain of their requirements? If they require co-morbidities, do you have them? Do you have the required history of obesity, if they need one? Also, this is not the time to dress light for the scale. Wear jeans and heavy shoes, have a hearty Breakfast, and drink plenty of Water before your appointment. Don't stress yourself into not eating for the next few days!

Glad to hear you came through it well! I have been thinking of you. Keep walking and sipping. Here's to a speedy recovery!

Note to self...even with a loose band do NOT, I repeat NOT, try to eat a yummy, fresh, moist, gooey, frosted cinnamon roll at 8am. Very bad idea. Came up in the shape of a perfect cork. First time since June that I have gotten stuck...just three days before my fill. Yeah, that was a good decision. I sure do wish they could band our brains! We are heading home today. Will arrive tomorrow. Overall did fine food wise, until this morning. HB...I see the dentist Monday. Got a lecture for skipping a cleaning, deserved it. Hubby chased down a gum stimulator for me. The local office didn't know what to charge for it a la carte. Guess not too many people walk in off the street looking to score one!

HB wins the shopping therapy prize!!! Woohoo!! Well done! Very nice! I love the RAV 4. They are sooooo cute! I have it's bigger brother the 4runner. I dearly love it. 110,000 miles and I don't want to part with it!

You mention snacking throughout the day. Do be aware that with a band you can still graze, and can graze on unhealthful foods. As Leighs said, carbs go right through the band. The urge to graze will still be there, but the band helps with the physical hunger so you can then work on the emotional hunger.

It is strange, the tooth itself has no pain. I've had teeth go bad that needed root canals and thet were incredibly painful. This is only the gum. Except when I ran the waterpik behind the tooth, it caused some pain. But not like the hot/cold pain I've felt before. The gum that is swollen hurts, yes, but it is not excruciating. I had xrays about a year and a half ago and all looked well, so here's hoping! We head home Saturday, and arrive Sunday. Hopefully I can see the dentist Monday and get treatment started...whatever it is.....right now...dentures sound good.......ok, not! Thank you for all the info.

Yay Zen! Best wishes for tomorrow!

Thanks, HB, was hoping you'd add some advice. It drained again today, and I am convinced I need dental intervention. Just trying to make it until I get home next week. Will call tomorrow and make appointment for earlier in the week than my cleaning on Friday. I have been doing salt water rinses, and it feels "better" but not great. I am still worried about the antibiotics, but I am still on the probiotics. Hopefully I won't get a repeat of the c.diff. We are at the end of the fiscal year and work is avout to become crazy!

Hello everyone! Bobbie, great to hear from you and that good things have been going on! Christie, a break is allowed. No worries! Shad, thinking of you for the port flip, sounds gruesome...wah As for me....well, tooth, or gum, actually, still hurts. When I was brushing my teeth yesterday it opened and drained yucky stuff. Feels a bit better. The tooth itself does not hurt, so I am hopeful I won't need a root canal. I have a cleaning appointment a few days after we get home. I am scared to take antibiotics after what happened in April with that whole c.diff. infection after a round of them. Oh well. Mouth pain works almost as well as restriction for food intake!

Hi Zen! It depends on the surgeon and his or her food plan. Mine says no snacking.....when I asked the question about hunger between meals, he said I can eat, but planned healthful foods, not brainlessly putting crummy stuff down my throat. His definition of snacking is mindless eating of junk. Mine was anything eaten between meals. Once we clarified that he is OK with me eating when I am hungry, all was right with the world.

Woohoo, HB!!!! Sooooooo awesome!!!! :party:

Hi Ravyn, Don't feel like a failure! Keep working your band! Don't compare yourself to others, we all lose at our own rate. I lost VERY slowly. I average 3/4 of a pound per week when I was actively losing. Add to that, it wasn't a constant loss rate. 3 lbs one week, then nothing for 4 weeks. Then 2 lbs down, then nothing for 3 weeks. The gain 1 lb. On and on it went. But overall, the weight came off. Meanwhile, I'd see people here losing 2-5 lbs per week. It was annoying! I had to stop looking at that and focus on ME. Now I am a normal BMI, I wear a size 10, have good blood test results, and low blood pressure. Do you have adequate restriction? If not, keep working with your doctor until you do. Are you following the dietary rules set forth by your doctor/nutritionist? Foodwise and bandwise? Are you exercising? (I hate that part!) Keep fighting the fight!!! Edited to add: I see you had a lower starting BMI than many bandsters here (as did I). So, you can expect your rate of loss to be slower. It takes few calories to maintain a lower body weight. So you create less of a deficit with your daily food plan than someone who weighs more. A person who weighs 400 lbs will burn twice as much as a person who weighs 200 lbs just in the process of being alive. Give them the same calories daily and the 400 lb person will lose more weight. This is a very simplistic view...But it is meant to encourage!

Hey everyone! Karen, welcome back to the land of the living! Shad, keep us posted on the port revision. Sounds scary! Hopefully insurance will come through instead. Leigha, of course you lost when you least expected it! Ain't that always the way? I want to see a picture of $11 socks! Ok, so, y'all know I postponed my fill until after my upcoming trip, right? Well, great idea...only to end up with a toothache! Yeah, dentist can't get me in, so I am white knuckling it....here's hoping it gets better. Sheesh!

Hi Mom05, I am in San Diego, my surgeon is Dr. Charles Callery in Poway. He is great.

Oh, Stacie, that is hysterical!! Sorry for laughing at your expense!!! Thanks for sharing. I got stuck during lunch with a bunch of managers I was facilitating. Fortunately, I made it to the bathroom and no one was in there when I urped. I could not imagine the mortification if any had been witness to the event! They all know of my surgery, but would not want to prove it. As to school? Do it! You can never regret having education. Case in point...I had been happily controlling air traffic for about 19 years when the FAA announced it was going to study the possibility of privatizing about 3000 jobs, mine included. Also realizing that I had very few skills that would transfer to the real world, and that competition would be fierce, I went back to school and studied Business Office Technology. I was figuring it to be reverse psychology, if I went to school, then the privatization would not come to pass. Well, a couple years later, it did. Air Traffic jobs were few and far between. We were given priority selection for administrative jobs, but only if we were found "well qualified" for the positions. So, because I had gone to school and gotten certificates, I was able to bid on admististrative jobs and be found well qualified. Otherwise, I could well have been out on the street, with no job, no health insurance, and no more hope of a retirement I'd invested 21 years of my life in. I enjoyed my time off as well, but it was an investment in my future, and something I felt I HAD to do. About 2000 people lost their jobs. Many were able to retire, but some lost everything. Some were just days away from being eligible to retire. Take care of yourself and be ready for anything!

Awww! That is so sweet, unless he was referring to octuplets!! So I changed my fill appointment to Aug 31 after we return. And now!! I am starving! Of course. Stoopid band! Also, I hadn't gotten a call from radiology that the CD of my upper GI was done--secondary reason for rescheduling--so I called today..oh yes, it's here! Doh! Could ya have called me????? Sheesh!

Did you have a hiatal hernia repaired at the time you were banded?

He has me drink water, but no fluro. Am thinking that waiting is the best choice. It's been a year since my last fill. Another week will not make a huge difference! Just a pain to reschedule, but I should have thought of it before I made the appointment. I can be such a dork sometimes!

Hi all, San Diego here! Checking in!

Brian, constant vomiting can be a sign of a slip. You should really see your surgeon and be evaluated. As to the other issues, you should seek professional help. You know substance abuse is not the answer. If you do have a band slip and it is minor, an unfill can help to let things go back to normal. Then refill to get restriction back. If it is a major slip, you will need more medical intervention. I cannot stress to you enough to get in and see your surgeon to get your band evaluated. Constant vomiting is not good or normal. Best wishes.

Thanks Leigha! You know that is the advice I would give someone who asked on here I still haven't gotten the CD of the Upper GI, either. So, I might just go ahead and postpone until after we get back. Or I could do Bob's liquid diet while on vacation! We also eat a lot of clam chowder and chili while on this trip. Oh, and BBQ pork sandwiches that I eat the pork and skip the bread! So it is generally a band friendly trip. Urgh! I hate these decisions!