Cocoabean

BOTTOM! Ha! Had to laugh at that one! Tee hee! I got my iPad! On the highway as I type! What fun. it is all Karen's fault.

Hi Everyone, I've been sort-of hiding out for a while. Sorry about that. Been reading, but not really posting. I haven't been feeling the best...but not because of the band. Happy to see everyone is doing well!! :crying: Anne--Yay on the pre-op! Well, y'all know I was very sick last month. This seemed to be improving on the back side, although my blood pressure has still been low, around 90/60. When I was on my way to DC last week, the diarrhea started up again, ON THE AIRPLANE. Ugh! The first culture they were SUPPOSED to be doing from the day I went to urgent care last month wasn't run for some reason. After I'd been on the meds a few days, they ran it again, and it was negative. So, they have no idea if what caused it was actually a c.diff. infection or not. So, I had problems all last week in DC, things are calming down now, BP is still low. I saw my PCP today for a follow-up. He referred me to a GI doc. He thinks a colonoscopy is in my very near future...oh yay! Also, today I am having a Holter Monitor run, which is a 24 hour heart monitor, to try to figure out why I have been trying to pass-out over the past months. So, I am standing here at my kitchen counter, since when I tried to pass out, I had been standing for 30 minutes or so before my BP dropped suddenly. Of course, nada so far! So, basically, I am a mess! Sheesh! Doc thinks the passing out is something to do with the weight loss, he says he sees it in his weight loss patients. Seems some of us have problems maintaining pressure while standing.... As to the other issue. The Big D...he says he thinks one of 3 things. Still getting over c.diff. if that is what it was. Auto-immune problems, which run in my family, but I am rather old for it to present now. Or irritable bowel sydrome. Yippee. A 4th unlikely thought he had was an allergic reaction to something. The only thing I can think of is the Protein shakes I use. But I don't use them daily. And did not use them at all when I was REALLY sick. But I am going to eliminate them for a time and see if it makes a difference. I didn't even think of them while we were talking. I did have a great time in DC though, all the other stuff aside. I went a day early and really enjoyed the museums. I tried to find a way to steal the Hope Diamond, but was out of luck. I spent 3 hours in the American History Museum after the Natural History Museum. I did more walking than ever. I also did a lot of shopping. Karen, I am right there with ya on the shopping addiction! Oh yeah!!! I now want an iPad since my friend got one...actually they got his and hers, but they are all sold out here, I am on the wait list. We are leaving for Sedona tomorrow. I was hoping to have it by then. But doesn't look like it will happen. Wah. :drool: We are meeting my sister and her husband, they are driving from Florida. Can't wait!! Yay! Well, ok, been on my feet for over an hour and I am still upright...it figures!

Oh, that totally sux! There are some good examples of appeals letters on the web. The book Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies also has some good advice. Also check out obesitylaw.com they are an advocacy web site that might be able to help, too, if you need it. I was denied to see my surgeon for a consult due to lack of a 6 month supervised diet. I gave them weight watchers records and personal journal entries along with medical history and other diet attempts with weight losses and gains over the years. I explained another diet would do little to help. I won the appeal. It still took ages to get the other tests and things done, but I didn't have to wait 6 MORE months for a consult. Best wishes to you!

Hi There, I believe they have 30 days to respond. I had the holidays thrown in during mine, so it took 5-6 weeks before I heard. Best wishes for a speedy positive response!

And ignorance is bliss!! :confused:

My surgeon does not want ANY of my calories coming from liquids, because they do not satsify for any real length of time. Calcium and Vitamin D can be supplemented. That said, I explained to him my LOVE of milk with my dinner. He said it would be fine if I had a small glass. He also did not give me the no drinking with a meal rule. He just said that I might not have room for it, and to try it and see how it goes. Generally I don't drink much with meals, but I also can't tell much difference either way.

Oh, and AFMom, the rule of thumb I was given post op was 1 oz of liquid every 15 minutes or so. Hope that helps!

Hi AFMom! Welcome! Exercise, as you can tolerate, just no heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks or as your surgeon advised, but walking is great post-op. It really helps the gas pains. I wore a path in our hallway carpet. Water, sip sip sip, was my instruction. Don't gulp. Sometimes it comes right back up for me if I gulp (this is with restriction--but is a good habit to get used to). My PCP says he wants me drinking 3-4 liters a day. So that means constant sipping all day long, with the exception of your surgeons rules around food. Everyone...I have an NSV. I have been in DC this whole week for meetings. I hung out with some work folk after hours. They dragged me around....and around....and around..... Y'all know I HATE exercise...BUT...one of the ladies told me about www.mapmyrun.com , it gives you a clickable map that tells you how far you walked/ran. I checked out our route from one evening and it was 3.5 miles! I did it with some pain in my legs, but I DID IT!!! That is something I would not have been able to do 2 years ago. Last night I did a night monument tour, I climbed the steps to the Lincoln Memorial without getting totally winded. Oh yeah, I'd say this surgery was worth it!!! Woot Woot!!! How awesome is that??? OH yeah!!!!

Yes, my health care company is Sharp. They advertise all about how wonderful the "Sharp Experience" is. And usually their customer service is very good. But in my complaint, I told them that in this case, my Sharp Experience was a Sharp Stick in the Eye!

Hi Everyone! Karen! I am so sorry you are going through this. I had a similar situation last December. I got the call back from scheduling. I was told I had to come back. When I asked why, I was told the normal girl was at lunch and I had to call back. When I did, the normal girl told me she could not discuss it. It's against the rules. It protects my privacy, doncha know! Would not tell me if it was suspicious or a smudge or blur. So, after I had a sh*t fit at her and insisted that I speak with the radiologist--which she refused to allow. I asked, well, WHO can tell me what was seen? That they suggested MAYBE my PCP's office could, but this being Friday afternoon, maybe not today. They were soooooo non-challant about it. My PCP's office was great. But I complained about the schedulers. They didn't care that they were scaring the tar out of me. No one word about how many women get called back for more views. Nothing. Sheesh. Anyway, turns out that all it was was overlapping skin from the weight loss! Whew! I got the results immediately. You will be in my prayers that yours turns out the same!!

I appealed my insurance co's 6 month requirement with WW's records and won the appeal. I could not even see the surgeon without completing a 6 month program. I won the appeal and got the consult. It still took over 6 months to get my surgery with all the other tests and things, but at least I didn't have to wait that much longer. Good luck!

As to height/weight...my surgeon measured my height. There was no lying for me. Some are now asking for proof of weight history, so gaining quickly to qualify may or may not work. I think that is more a function of insurance companies than surgeons, though. I only know a little bit about the military requirements, but if you have a comorbidity, they'll accept 100 lbs overweight. Do you? 1. The patient is 100 pounds over the ideal weight for height and bone structure and has one of these associated medical conditions: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cholecystitis, narcolepsy, Pickwickian syndrome (and other severe respiratory diseases), hypothalamic disorders and severe arthritis of the weight-bearing joints.

I was told no gum by my surgeon. He said if it gets swallowed, accidentally or on purpose, it can get stucked and have to be removed via scope. Not interested in that, thanks :thumbup:

Hi Everyone, so is it just the time of year, except for Christie? Cause I have been wanting to eat everything in sight! Dang, I have been HUNGRY! Even DH said yesterday I might be in need of a fill. Now I haven't had one in months and months, so it might indeed be time. I'll wait until after DC and our vacation in Sedona before deciding. And since I am pondering the idea, that means I am due for a monster stuck episode! :thumbup:

Ain't it just a pip? There's no explaining it sometimes! Sometimes a meal holds me for 5 hours, sometimes for 2. There is just NO figuring it out! Anne, congrats on your date! Yay!! I am doing pretty well. About over the latest bug. Except my blood pressure is still pretty low sometimes. Oh well. The doc said it was going to take a while to come back up. Next week I got to Washington D.C. for work. I am going to go a day early so I can do some sight seeing. Otherwise, it's the same old stuff around here! Hope everyone else is doing well!!

Hi Katie, Last Supper Syndrome is a common event around here. But please know that the band doesn't mean good-bye to food. You can still eat all your favorites, just in smaller amounts, and less often on the treat type of foods. This statement, of course, doesn't address the addiction issue. There are surgeons who will not do the surgery if you have gained during the pre-op phase. Mine is one of them. You might ask around O.A. if there are any sponsors who've had WLS. Keep working the steps. Keep working with your sponsor. That should help you with last supper sydrome! It truly isn't your last supper. Try not to think of it as such.

Your life will be forever changed. Not that this is a bad thing. The hard work is that you have to make the proper choices of food. Take your Vitamins. You can never eat brainlessly again, you have to chew, chew, chew, and be aware of every bite that you put in your mouth. You must exercise. There are some foods to which you will say goodbye forever. For me, white meat chicken, bagels, high fat content ground beef...not a big deal. Other foods will continue to go down very easily. Highly processed junk goes down GREAT. Dorritos, chips, Cookies, etc. go down very nicely. Whole foods take more effort, but these are the foods we need to choose. You have to do the work, the band does not make the choices for you. It helps tremendously, don't get me wrong. I'd have never lost this amount of weight and kept it off this long without it. But I make the choice of what goes in my mouth. I cut it up small enough, and chew it well enough that it won't get stuck. Weight loss and new eating habits affect not only you but those around you. Your relationships will change and grow, some may deteriorate and even end. Some people will support your decision, others you thought would support you will turn very negative. Eating with people you don't know well can be stressful. I was on a jury. I went out with my fellow jurors. Ordered my food and got stuck a few bites in. I had to excuse myself and could not finish my meal. Of course there were questions of "are you OK?" I am very open, so I told them, but for someone who prefers to not tell the world their business, this can be a tough situation. I had another episode during that trial where I was stuck and sliming in the jury box. It was a high profile case here, lots of people in the courtroom, including TV cameras, no they didn't show the jurors, but still. I felt like the eyes of San Diego were on me. I've had other issues like this in public settings. It's not always moonbeams and roses. I guess I sort of drifted off the "hard work" part of it, but these are things that I did not consider, because I didn't know of them. Would I do it again in a heartbeat? You betcha. I am off high blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, and my pre-diabetes hasn't progressed. If I have problems with my band and need to have it removed what would I do? I'd want another band or a revision to a different procedure. I'd never want to go back to my previous state. And I have no doubt that I would return to my previous state without surgical intervention. Ok, enough rambling, I hope this answers your question! :biggrin:

So glad you are feeling better. After things heal up, you can go back and get another fill. As I said before, I was back a month after my unfill getting a refill. Go figure. :biggrin: That's the level I am now, and have been for several months.

Let us know what he said. That is very worrisome!

I had one of my worst stuck episodes with ground beef. Even though it is ground, it still has gristle in it, and we don't always chew it well. I do very well with dark meat chicken and beef. But I do get bored with chewing!

All the tests you had run should still be valid, along with any pre-op diets. What else are they requiring, and who is requiring it? I could understand the surgeon wanting to meet with you, and perhaps he might want you to meet with people on his team. But how could it take months?

No, it doesn't sound right. I think you should go see your surgeon. Best wishes.

Hey everyone!! Happy Tuesday. My blood pressure has joined the world of the living! Mostly. Anne, congrats on an almost surgery date!! Yay!! Bobbie, best wishes on the interview. If he offers, take it and keep looking, at least it's work. Or, tell him to shove it! So, we just had a mallard duck land in our pool. Butters was NOT happy! Stacie, congrats on weighing the same as hubby. When I got close to my DH's weight, he decided to "show me" how to diet and lost 7 lbs just like that. He's never had a weight problem. It was a control issue. We had a near knock down, drag out over it and all is right with the world now, but he was a pip at the time! To you and Shadst8, for me...sweet spot means I can go 3-4 hours between meals without obsessing over food. I don't weigh and measure my meals, but I do about 3-4 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup-ish of veggies, and prolly 1/4 cup of starch at dinner. lunch is often half a sandwich or half a deli salad and some crackers. Breakfast, Protein shake or bar, or some graham crackers with Peanut Butter. I do generally have a cheese stick after work and a banana thrown in somewhere. Some days I can eat more, some less. I try not to freak on the hungrier days. I just try to make healthy choices. I don't always succeed, but I do my best.

Thanks :ohmy: Hopefully we'll never have a need of them!

Hi Everyone, Happy Monday..blah! Bree, way to go! Congrats on 50!! Woohoo!! Betsy, I am always interested in medical stuff, but prolly would not understand the cellular stuff of potassium and hearts. But suffice it to say, I experienced enough of it to last me! Pressure of 85/51 and pulse of 120...I don't EVER want to feel again. I am actually a crocheter. I can knit, but not very well. I'd do lessons, if I had to do it over. I am self-taught, but it wasn't easy. But, I do enjoy it.