100lbsforsale

Hi everyone, I have been looking for some motivation and maybe a butt kicking to get me back on track with this band. I was banded in Dec 2007 with a starting weight of 247. I lost 50 lbs the first year and half . It was frustratingly slow with more yo-yo ing than I did without the band. I liked my surgeon Dr. Hung but his office staff leaves a great deal to be desired. I found them cold, condescending and just generally not interested whether I lost weight at all. I would get a fill(from his PA not Dr. Hung-never saw him again after the surgery), be too full, throw up for 3 months because it cost 100 -150 bucks for a fill OR a deflate. I felt like they had me on the never ending money making merry go round. Fill/deflate/fill/deflate etc. I know its my own fault about not considering the high cost of maintaining a band. My friend got hers (in CO though-not NE) and only had to get a couple of fills to hit her sweet spot and away she went with no problems, plus her surgeon didn't charge for deflates because he didn't want people to fight their band. Anyway, here it is 3 years later and I have forgotten the band rules etc, the last time I went in for a band adjustment the fee was $165 which is totally not doable for me in the future, and I weigh 220 or more..Help. I am so depressed and sick that I wasted $15000 to lose 20 lbs.which works out to about $750 per pound. ouch.

Ok, help me out here. I am 5'8' and weigh 247 according to the scale at my WW meeting. That gives me a BMI of 37, which is down from a BMI of 40 that I WAS 18 months ago. I have been so frustrated watching my wt go up and down. The stern looks from the WW people when I gain wt again or just lose/gain the same .2 lbs for the 8th week in a row is driving me crazy. So I decided to pursue the Lap-Band. After attending an info mtg, getting stoked from reading this board etc, I talked to my insurance co., got their info (sorta-whole 'nother thread there) but was basically hinted if my BMI wasn't 40 or higher I 'could always gain 20 lbs'..ha ha.... I was appalled. I worked too hard and changed my eating habits to get that 20 lbs off! I then went about trying to find a doc to supervise my wt loss for the next 6 months. Heres what I got. Screened!!!-:heh: as in screened out by 2 separate doctors becuase 1) my BMI is too low ?37? (oh is that tooo healthy for ya?? 2) I lack a heart condition or diabetes or something thats an easy to pinpoint co-morbidity. Huh? Since when do doctors only take cases that are slam-dunks? Gee I just want to be proactive and STAY ALIVE FOR MY FAMILY and I found out doctors are screening prospective patients because of the kind of care they are seeking. So my question is this? Should I gain 20+ lbs so I qualify? I can't self pay, but I also can't stand the thought of damaging my body by putting the wt back on!! :hungry: pancakes with Peanut Butter here I come?? :help::help::help::help::help::help::help:

4 more lbs to onederland!! I have been getting the same thing..when are you going to buy some clothes that fit...uh, when the money fairy comes to visit? My scrubs are loose but thank god for drawstrings!!! I hear ya Katiebug, except my bottom is all skinny but the top/belly is still heavy. Oh well, I'll take it compared to busting out of a 3X last summer. Keep it up everyone!

Men are flirting with me wherever I go!! SHHH dont tell my husband!!:party:

Most of our family get-togethers are at buffet places. NO, you do not get your money's worth. Plan on filling a small plate and that will probably be your only trip. It will drive you crazy to see all the food you want to sample but your band doesn't quit just cuz your willpower did. If you try to stuff it, it WILL come back up. Just my opinion.

I was just wondering what the people who qualify for the rebate are doing with their money? For my husband and I, we are using it to fund our summer camping addiction. We save all year to camp, but the higher prices this year made our fund look pretty sad. Whether I agree with the program or not, I'll take it so I can go have a blast with my 3 kids and the love of my life.

:thumbup:I haven't lost that many lbs. but I've gone down 3 sizes and am fitting into the 4th (tightly!). 24 to a loose 18, 16 here I come. - I can cross my legs!! - My chiropractor asked my husband how he was enjoying 'his new girlfriend'. :Dancing_wub: - I'm getting so many 'uh, did you change your hair?' or 'Oh, I didn't recognize you' comments my face hurts from grinning so much. I LOVE my band even tho it drives me crazy!!

Hey fellow Couch to 5K'ers, I've been doing the program too and am repeating week 7 also. I have been so proud that I've gotten this far. I had to LOL when I read the post about dying the first week after the 60 second run. ME to a T. I was so motivated until I hit that 25 minute!! I got thru the 20 minute one fine, by telling myself just run a couple more minutes, a couple more etc. until it was time to stop. Unfortunately I totally psyched myself out when it came time for the 25 minute run. I thought there is no way I can keep 225 lbs in motion for 25 minutes. Then, while I was running, I thought geez I'm so bored, is this run over yet? Now I can't get motivated to finish the program. I just basically want to run for 'awhile' then walk and then run when I feel like it. :scared2: I've been having alot of problems with my right knee and the long runs really aggravate it. I did take a week off and then tried to work up the run times slow this week. My legs and knee hurt so bad I just wanted to cry. Its not like my knee just started hurting, it has been bothering me since I started the C25K, but I figured hey, they hurt when I was 265 lbs and not getting any exercise, whats the big deal if they hurt now. I'm thinking that was a mistake. :w00t: I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I haven't lost the lbs either, but the inches are coming off. My legs are looking good and the shelf butt is disappearing!! I've gone from a 24 to a comfortable 18 and would like to be in a loose 16 by Memorial day. I've had 3 fills for a total of 6.8 cc in a 10 cc band. After the first 2 fills basically doing nothing, I've been caught with alot of bad habits to break since this 3rd one. Everything gets stuck, (except junk of course) unless I chew REEEALLLY slow, which of course I forget to do almost everytime something goes in my mouth. Anyway, keep it up you guys, the running makes you feel sooooo good. And yes I am annoying the hell out of everyone around me too with my exercise craze.

I had my 2nd fill yesterday. I'm feeling it, but thats ok. I've lost 25 lbs including pre-op, so 15 since surgery on 12/17/07. Its been a long slow road. I started exercising about a month ago otherwise I don't think that last 5 lbs would have come off at all. I could still eat just about anything and quite a bit of it. I'm not really frustrated but am sort of amused at my pre-band conception about how this would all work. Funny, I thought I'd get the band, wouldn't be hungry, and the weight would magically fall off. Huh. I read all the posts about eating being a head issue, thought, oh I get that, but I'll change my habits. Yeah right. I still catch myself grazing. I still crave chocolate and Cookies. Those things go down just fine band or no band. The bright side is I AM down 25 lbs and not UP 25 lbs, so in that sense its a good thing! Just wish it was FASTER!!!!! LOL. (See I lost control there for a minute.) I know in my head that this in going to take time, but in my heart I just want to wake up skinny. Sigh...

OMG! Bring me the oxygen, I can't quit laughing. ME TOO!!!

I think my surgeons nurse said it best when she was reviewing my past weight loss attempts, "Hmmm, keeping the doors open at Weight Watchers I see.." 'nuff said.

Hey sounds like you all are doing pretty good! Tggr, I'm with ya, I am down 11 lbs since surgery with 10 of that being the week after surgery. GRRRR. I got a fill last week (5cc) and I can still eat about anything and WAYYYY too much of it. I'm going in for a 2nd fill on 2/6. Can't wait. I've been doing the Couch to 5K running program plus walking 30 minutes and still the scale won't move. My clothes are fitting a little better but still the next size smaller is still too tight. I'm jealous of the 20 lb + weight loss I'm seeing with most of you, and hopefully mine will kick in soon! Is anyone else so sick of chicken they want to scream?? If I never see another chicken breast I will be a happy woman.

Yep, doing the same thing. I lost 12 lbs pre-op and 10 the week after surgery. Been gaining and losing the same 3 lbs since. Scale isn't cooperating but DH says he can see the difference. My 4 yr old son says, 'Mom, you are still fat, just not as fat as you used to be!' (in that sooo earnest 4 yr old voice). LOL

My underwear keeps sliding down!

I'm so glad I checked in today. I could have written the previous posts word for word. I was just thinking about starting a 'how much have you lost?' thread because I until yesterday I thought I was doing fine. I went for my post op and got a 'spanking' from the nurse about my ONLY 11 lb weight loss since my surgery. Gee, after the first week my appetite came roaring back and I am soooo hungry. Right after surgery I lost like 1 1/2 lbs a day , then when I started to eat I promptly gained 3. Now, I'm supposed to be on pureed foods but, after 3 days of that, yuck, I have just been eating really soft well cooked meats with a little broth, cooked veggies and some fruits. I feel full, then an hour later I am STARVED. yes,I'm drinking my 3 protein drinks etc etc. I agree with the sentiment, I got the band so my freaking hu-mongo appetite would go away. I put up with being starved during the pre-op! My fill isn't until January 23rd and I'm told to hurry up and lose some weight so the doc doesn't have to use the fluoroscope (sp?) to find my port after the first time. So, the point of this ramble is that I really didn't expect to lose 30 lbs before my fill, but SOME( I was happy with 11!), then I go to the doc and get taken to task because I haven't lost ENOUGH. Never mind there wasn't any expectations communicated to me about what I should lose by my 2-3 week post op appt. Sorry, just had to rant. I'm doing the best I can and to my knowledge this isn't a race. Maybe I need to revisit the 'letters you wish you could write thread...':rolleyes::eek:

Thanks! I appreciate the post. Unfortunately thats just one incident in a long line(10 yrs or so) of many. Kiss your family and appreciate them because I didn't fully appreciate my parents and all the love they gave us until they were gone. And yes, my kids had a decent Christmas without 'good ole grandpa.'

Dear Father-in-law, Thank you for being such an inconsiderate a**wipe once again. It was a stroke of pure genius to call our house 25 minutes before we were due at yours for Christmas Eve and ask if we could push it back or just re-schedule for another day. Thanks for letting down my kids, who spent the day talking about how grandpa was going to love the gift they painstakenly picked out for him. Never mind we ate canned chicken noodle Soup because I had no time to figure out a replacement for the meal you insisted you were going to prepare. ONce again, you dropped the ball. Hell most of the time you don't even know what a ball looks like. Thanks for making such a big deal about how YOU were having Christmas Eve at your house because it WAS YOUR tradition! Yep, none of us other morons ever celebrated a Christmas Eve before. Past Christmas eve excursions to your house are painful at best. Oh, sorry, we didn't do it appropriately at my house according to your Super-Christian standards. Sorry, we didn't do the 1 1/2 hour Bible readings & reflections after dinner was served 2 hours late. Sorry my kids cried and whined because it was 2 hours past their bedtime. I hope you felt good holding us all hostage and controlled the opening of the presents till so late the kids were asleep or were such a mess they just couldn't function or appreciate their gifts properly. Thanks for being a jerk once again. I hope you keel over dead soon. Lovingly, Your daughter-in-law. whew, that felt good.

You guys banded after me (17th) are already eating eggs? OOOOHHHH, I'm so jealous!! I'm on semi-liquid until the 31st, then can progress to pureed. Although I was cleared for semi-liquid the day after surgery I had to go back to clear liquid until Sunday before I could eat anything without nausea. I'm cautiously doing mashed potatoes, creamy chicken soup, a little yogurt. I tried gravy on the taters today, made me really sick. I'm not hungry yet so I don't mind, but I am getting tired of potatoes. My 3 year old is helping me with them everytime I make them so its kind of fun to eat with her. I am DREAMING of eating actual MEAT. I've been adding Beneprotein to the soup but the smell of it almost makes me gag. Fortunately I've got a great tasty protein drink with 46g of protein so 2 of those a day and I'm ok with the protein requirement.

OMG, my family is just driving me nuts. I'm hungry but everytime I try to sip anything but water I am so nauseous..My husband is in the kitchen like every 30 minutes getting something to eat(popcorn, jerky, cookies, cereal- in the last 1 1/2 hour), my kids are dragging crackers, cookies and fruit all over the house. They are all drinking pop and watching movies, I'm hiding in front of the computer so I don't have to smell it all. Somebody PLEASE help me before I get out an machine gun and go all Mel Gibson-Leathal Weapon on them.

Jewelee, right there with ya! Same surgery date, same feelings. I do feel a little more clear headed than I did yesterday. Gas pain is awful!!! My stomach/intestines?? are rumbling and making noises and I'm starting to feel like I won't barf if I eat something other than a popscicle. I was also thinking what the he*l did I just do to myself? I know its only for a few days but honestly my 3 c-sections weren't this uncomfortable afterward. Oh well, it'll pass and when the scale starts to go down..I'm sure I'll forget all about the nausea and being grumpy. Hang in there, we'll get thru this! :sick

Hey MissSac! Congrats! I got mine on 12/17 too. I don't feel too bad but don't feel great either. My pain meds taste awful how about yours? Overall I wish I would have stayed in the hospital overnight but as a self-pay I was an outpatient... so bye bye, go home...and my kids(3, 4 7) drove me nuts! I guess a day in daddy daycare wasn't much fun.

AHHHAAHAHH! I am so driving myself crazy!! WHY am I doing this?? OH, I know... I took my kiddos to the movie "Alvin and the Chipmunks' today as a special treat..My butt is going to have so many bruises from scraping on the arm rests whenever I tried to sit down!! The backs of my legs are also striped from the corner of the arm rests. duh... I agree with the post about if I could stick to a liquid diet I would have..actually I was pretty good until like Wednesday of this week. Today, not. I've been grabbing 'just a bite' of everything I see, like its my farewell bite..:faint:Yes, I know better, yes I know why the liquid diet is in place. If I had any kind of will power my butt wouldn't be wedged into a theater seat... Tomorrow is Clear liquids only. I will be sticking to that! 6 am to the surgery center, 7 am surgery. Doc says I can go home about 4. I like the idea of putting the price of the surgery all over the house especially on the FRIDGE. Yeah for us Merry Losers!! Best Christmas present ever! I can't wait to see the after pics one year from now!

Glad to see I'm not the only nervous one out there!! I'm up for surgery at 7 am Monday Dec 17th. I'm going crazy and having cravings for pizza and all the junk that would probably make my liver swell back up if I give in, of course I'm so hungry I'd probably eat the whole pizza!!! I'm scared, relieved and impatient all the same. I just have to keep looking at the before/after pix on LBT and that gets my butt moving. I hope the surgery is not too bad! better go, I'm off to finish Christmas shopping!

Hi everyone, great thread! My name is Audra, I'm a 40 yr old stay-at-home mom with 3 kids, 2 boys ages 7 & 4, 1 girl age 3. I've been married for almost 11 years to a super guy. Almost widowed (kidding!)when I told him how much this was going to cost. (self pay) He is 75% supportive, 25% shaking his head but wants me to be happy. I've been fat, thin then fat again so its time to end the cycle. I am also a nursing student. Like so many of you my hips hurt and so do my feet. I've spent months with terrible low back/hip pain, especially this summer, all related to the big belly I'm carrying. Most of my weight is in my lower stomach and arms. My boys wanted to buy me a wheelchair. Thank God for a great chiropractor but I'm tired of paying for his new house. I've had a bumpy journey to today. I've had pertussis(whooping cough) since November, had my surgery delayed, rescheduled etc. I went thru the emotional roller coaster of getting ready for surgery, thinking surgery was cancelled, then having it be a GO, so here I am 6 days pre-op and I am scared SH**LESS. I'm mourning giving up my best frenemy, food. At pre-op yesterday it all really hit home and I started to cry. I think it freaked the nurse out. Like how did this looney woman pass her psych eval??? Still weepy today, want to back out but know its nuts to do so.

Hope all went well! Let us know how you are doing!