ReneBean

Ahhh.. That glorious few minutes at the beginning of the month, when I can breathe and think at the same time... Howdy My Dears... I had a great weekend - a little shopping, a little gardening, a lot of quality time with my DH. We watched King Kong and ate Tacos... It was ALL good. Kelly - I am so glad the fill is working for you! Sounds like you are enjoying the benefits of the band, at last. Jana - Hi! Welcome to the Jersey thread! (I'm from Texas, myself). Tell us a little bit about yourself... And I use Carb Solutions Meal Replacement powder - a little tastier than some of the other Proteins. Safeway/Tom Thumb carries it in the store, usually. I have vanilla - cause it mixes with everything - and chocolate - cause, hey, it's chocolate! Eileenie - Chocolate is not part of the plan... Get some SF pudding! I know it isn't the same thing - but it's better than a kick in the head. I also really like the SF ice creams. Blue Bunny makes one and they are really good. 70 calories for a dessert is the way to go. Congrats on the pool... Will it be warm by April 10th? I think I have a swimsuit that fits... lol! Paula - sounds like some kind of hi-jinx at your house on Saturday! I never even thought about April Fools until the day had passed. So, does EVERYBODY hate that dog? Anne - all the BEST Moms are Realtors... :] Maybe that is why I spent my childhood in a series of homes being remodeled... I have LOTS of experience with all sorts of interesting things. Oh Yeah. Torrid Romance, Trashy Sci-fi - the whole Fantasy Genre. For me, reading is entertainment, escape. I get enough reality without having on TV or in books, too! Patty - We missed you. Glad to hear you computer is back up. Congrats on the dietician business being over. Good luck with the Psych. If they didn't lock me up - you are probably safe... LOL! And don't EVEN get me started on the Time Change. I think it is the stupidest thing ever invented by man. Cindy - I hope your head is better. COULD it be food related? Have you been taking your Vitamins and eating your Protein? And we just LOVE hearing about the science fair.... really... LOL! Dianne - I am glad you are feeling better, Hon. Club Med for the Head... Can I go? Sometimes I swear I need it. Trish - Hugs! I don't think you have failed at anything - you have just taken a little sabatical. Forgive yourself a little bit and relax. Sherry - I am so there with you. I still think I look like I did at 24... Every once in a while I sort of get a reality check. Scary! And, I wish I had been there at the fishing convention! Donna - Ah, the infamous "Lost" post... I had a few of those before I discovered "Control C" (copy) and "Control V" (paste). Now, every so often as I type, I high-light the whole thing, and hit "Control C" to copy it. That way, even if I backspace or change screens, I don't lose the post. I just hit "Control V" and keep typing where I left off. Betty - I don't know how you get through all the things you do on the weekend! Geez - just reading about it makes me tired. I hope you get a breather, soon! Well, I am going to eat some fabulous boiled chicken with Caesar dressing for lunch. I have decided that I am going to do the low-carb thing until I can get my next fill. I did so well with it Pre-Op that it seems stupid not to do it now. I have all the fixins to make my zesty dip - and DH bought veggies - so it's back on plan for me. I have been hovering between 321 & 322 on my scale for the last two weeks - which is good - but I need to keep making forward progress. Hugs All Round. If it keeps up this slow, I may be able to check in again, later. :]

Blue Bunny makes a carb count yogurt that is really good.

FRENCH ROAST - Finely ground, brewed up DARK with real half -n- half... MMMMM. On the weekends - it's real coffee with half-n-half... I am with the "Eat real food" crowd. I can go with the LITE alternatives - but Fat Free is truly Frankenfood. (Love that word! Greatness!)

Aw Randy - that really does suck. Hugs to both of you. I guess the only good thing is that the week is over - and you can move on with healing and grieving. My heart breaks for you.

OK - so no fury - but the fill is a good thing... I went in on the 21st and filled out the paperwork. I asked that I not have to see the needles - so the lovely gals at SCOR covered the tray for me before I went into the room. I hopped up onto the table under the Flouro machine and they located the band with it. I studiously looked away as they gave me the numbing shot, which I could barely feel at all. I kept studiously looking away as they put the fill needle in - first try, no problem. No pain at all. I felt an odd sensation as they put the fill in. Almost impossible to describe - but just a tightening sensation in my chest. They had me drink some lovely barium through a straw from the lying down position and they took a picture of it flowing through the band. Then, they pulled out the needle and sent me out to the waiting room to drink water. I sat out there for a couple of minutes and then I went back to Chat with Mary Ann - the Patient Coordinator. We talked about what I was eating and whether I was exercising while I continued to sip my water. Then I went back out front and finished my drink. Since I had no problems with the water or anything, I went off to work. Restriction is going to be AWESOME. For the first couple of days, I could really feel restriction - and after that, I had a great effect from the fill. I could still eat anything that I wanted to - but the compulsion to eat was gone. For the first several days after I stopped the liquids, I could really tell I had the band. I actually got FULL and had to stop after only a small plate of food! Of course, now, I have just the tiniest amount of restriction. I can eat anything - but if I avoid dining out at restaurants and eat what my DH cooks for me, then I still don't have TOO much trouble stopping. I think the 2nd fill I have scheduled when I come back from my April trip is going to be even better. The scale has stabilized at about 321 - which is great. Now, if I could just get back on board with the exercise, it would all come together. With the new month and the Time Change - I am going to TRY the getting up early thing. Maybe I can just go in the morning... or at least get home early enough to go with DH at night. *sigh* I was doing it before! I should be able to do it now! Well, no time like the present. I am going to go home and drag DH to the gym!

OK - so no fury - but the fill is a good thing... I went in on the 21st and filled out the paperwork. I asked that I not have to see the needles - so the lovely gals at SCOR covered the tray for me before I went into the room. I hopped up onto the table under the Flouro machine and they located the band with it. I studiously looked away as they gave me the numbing shot, which I could barely feel at all. I kept studiously looking away as they put the fill needle in - first try, no problem. No pain at all. I felt an odd sensation as they put the fill in. Almost impossible to describe - but just a tightening sensation in my chest. They had me drink some lovely barium through a straw from the lying down position and they took a picture of it flowing through the band. Then, they pulled out the needle and sent me out to the waiting room to drink water. I sat out there for a couple of minutes and then I went back to Chat with Mary Ann - the Patient Coordinator. We talked about what I was eating and whether I was exercising while I continued to sip my water. Then I went back out front and finished my drink. Since I had no problems with the water or anything, I went off to work. Restriction is going to be AWESOME. For the first couple of days, I could really feel restriction - and after that, I had a great effect from the fill. I could still eat anything that I wanted to - but the compulsion to eat was gone. For the first several days after I stopped the liquids, I could really tell I had the band. I actually got FULL and had to stop after only a small plate of food! Of course, now, I have just the tiniest amount of restriction. I can eat anything - but if I avoid dining out at restaurants and eat what my DH cooks for me, then I still don't have TOO much trouble stopping. I think the 2nd fill I have scheduled when I come back from my April trip is going to be even better. The scale has stabilized at about 321 - which is great. Now, if I could just get back on board with the exercise, it would all come together. With the new month and the Time Change - I am going to TRY the getting up early thing. Maybe I can just go in the morning... or at least get home early enough to go with DH at night. *sigh* I was doing it before! I should be able to do it now! Well, no time like the present. I am going to go home and drag DH to the gym!

I think we decided on no separate forum because we wanted not to encourage MORE sex talk that wasn't band related. If we had a separate forum, folks would feel obligated to fill it up... :]

I bow before my Queen. Rock On, Crystal!

Hi Kenny! Welcome to LBT! I used Dr. Fox at the Surgery Center of Richardson. Both the doc and the facility were fantastic. No - you are not too young. If there had been Lap Band when I was 26 - I would have jumped all over it. Good Luck!!

Kellie - you are so brave! Thanks for Sharing this important info with us. You have done a great job warning anybody who doesn't want to look. I guess I will have to start saving now - for the belly & pinny thing. The concept of not having to wear a girdle every day - well, I can't even imagine. Hugs! Happy Healing!

When is a diet pill worth $153 a bottle? NEVER.

Hugs, Poodles!

You showed a great deal of self restraint in that situation. I probably would have broken into tears - just from the shear frustration of not being able to pop him one across the jaw. What an @$$!! Hugs! Good luck with your surgery.

Are you going to have a Hunka Hunka Burning Candles on your cake? Hugs! Happy Birthday!

Hips are good... really. And I would about kill to be into a size 18. *sigh* Hugs! You will get where you need to be. Not everyone can be a size 4. And if somehow they all could, suddenly men would find size 18 to be the most sexy and appealing. It is the nature of humans to want something different than we have. :]

Happy Days, Keri! Hope you had the best birthday, ever... Hugs! :]

Hey Guys - PM me if you want to view the letters I used to beat the system. I was denied for the Band because I am too fat! Since that is patently ridiculous, I was able to beat the system - but not quickly - and not without an INDEPENDENT MEDICAL REVIEW by the State Insurance Board. And DON'T wait for your coordinators more than a day or so. If I had waited, I would still be waiting, now. PM me and I will be happy to send you the appeal letters I used. Maybe they will be of some help. Keep Fighting! Good Luck.

Hey Karen, Just waiting to hear what the doc says. Please keep us posted. Hugs!

*Whew* So glad all is well. Hey, Lopez couldn't be getting them ALL wrong - that would be a freakier statistic than the number of erosions from his work on this board! Looks like you were the Lucky One! Congrats!

Hugs Crystal. LBT loves you! Keep us posted when you finally do get the results. I think that Nurse needs to be kicked up-side the head. Has nothing every happened to her that she was panicked and worried about? Geez! Monster Hugs! Enjoy civilization and your wonderful family.

9 days is way too soon to expect huge results... I went for my first fill after 6 weeks - and I had gained a half a pound... Try to relax. Since the fill, I have lost 10 lbs... - but the weight fluctuates daily - so try to remember that. Drink your Water, it will help flush out the system, and eat your Protein (mushy) and try to avoid carbs. I know - mushies are all about carbs - but you can blend tuna and chicken salad for high protein. Good Luck and try to be patient. hugs!

Woo Hoo!! Size 12 ROCKS! Great Work! Keep it up!

Low Carb really does work. For me it's the difference between losing weight and not losing. Also, Water is huge. You can't drink too much - except while you are eating! I Just got my first fill and I am finally starting to see some results - but before the fill, the only days I lost weight were the low carb ones. *Matt - my stick blender came with a chopper cup attachment. I blend my tuna instead of mixing with a fork. Voila! No PB's. I also add some cruncy fried onions before blending. Fresh onion would work too - but cruncy adds some texture. It's really quite good and the Protein content is excellent. Lite mayo is a plus, too.

Slimfast ALWAYS tastes like Slimfast to me - yuck! Atkins pre-mixed shakes taste better to me - but my preference is Carb Solutions powder. It is actually pretty tasty. Atkins powder was great, too - but since Atkins went BK, you can't get it any more. I also have some powder from EAS that is ok and I got some stuff at Walmart called Six Star that is ok, too. I mix my Protein powder with coffee, half & half and sweetener. YUM.

Once you start eating food again, that should go away - but yes, benefiber is good stuff and it will help. Get the kind with Calcium - 2 birds and all that. Good Luck!