SpecialK

At our Pre-op appointment, they sent us home with 2 packets of pre-surgery scrub that looked like it had iodine or betadine in it and clearly anti-bacterial too. One to use the night before and one to use the morning before I left and headed off to the hospital.

This is an image off the Realize Band web site of what the Realize band looks like and it reminds me of the original Allergan bands with the smooth inside area or continuous area where the saline goes. See what you think.

Yes, look at the Pg 2 file image and you can see the VG style of the Lapband that Allergan had in use just before they got FDA approval in 2007 to start offering the AP bands that do have pockets 360 degrees around the inside of the band including by the buckle area.

Sugarbear - I think if you just click on the Attached file area for each pg, you'll have a window open up to view it.

Allergan and Inamed are the company names of the parent company and the subsidiary company - its all the same.

Continued a 2nd post so I could attach the last 2 files of Pg. 6 and Pg 7. Allergan AP Lapband Pg6.bmp Allergan AP Lapband Pg7.bmp

Sorry folks it will only let me post 5 attachments on one post. I'll create the continuation. Allergan AP Lapband Pg1.bmp Allergan AP Lapband Pg2.bmp Allergan AP Lapband Pg3.bmp Allergan AP Lapband Pg4.bmp Allergan AP Lapband Pg5.bmp

Shawna, yes we all had some 'challenges' getting the paperwork from our clearances into Charlene's hands. :confused: I did the same as Angie (ThinnerMe) and actually hand walked one of mine there to the office when she kept saying she didn't have it. I also asked for the various clearance docs to FAX it so that they had a date and time-stamped thing that showed it was sent and then to let me know what date/time it was sent so I could call Charlene and say that the office of so and so sent it at xx date and xx time and has the confirmation it was faxed okay. I also had to follow up with David the office manager at MOSA when some delays happened where things were sent and Charlene said I don't have it. She even had the 50+ fax in her hand on my 5 year weight history info from my PCP and kept saying she didn't have enough info on my weight and PCP documentation so I had to have my PCP office manager circle the exact places on the pages, refax just the 10 pages with circled info out of the original package. I was so thankful they would do that. Within a couple days after that, bingo! I had my insurance approval. So hang in there Shawna -- it is so worth it! Welcome to our little thread. Also, if you can consider coming sometime, a group of us meet at the Polaris Mall once a month to chat and share lapband experiences, both pre-aproved, pre-op and post op from all the different lapband docs in town and its fun. You can find us 2-4 pm at the Food Court tucked in between Chik-Fil-A and Great Indoors. The meeting for October is tomorrow October 11.

Juli - that is so exciting. Keep us posted on how it goes with Dr. Shah. I was very impressed with his results. Here is his website link for anyone who wants to check it out. Very impressive Before/Afters. Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery - Serving Columbus and Dayton, Ohio

I was sharing at our local support group that my MedicID bracelet is so lose now its flipping around my wrist and my rings are getting loose and I'm putting them on my middle finger instead of ring finger and a lady told me --> Trace your hands right away on a piece of paper including down past your wrists and date the day you did it. You'll be amazed at how much your hands are changing in size. So, since I still have a ways to go, I'm going to do this today and see how it goes as I keep losing more.

Congratulations Tess! I know how happy I was when I hit Twoterville!

If anyone is still in the early stages of getting approved or losing and is in 3x or size 28-32, Personal Message me here and I'll bring some clothing items on Saturday to share at no cost. I need 22-24's as I'm losing below my 26's now.

Hi Shamrocks. When I did the Walk from Obesity in my area this past weekend, we received different papers and brochures and one was for the National Association of WLS website and I checked it out today. There is a Daily Inspirations link with a short but motivating reading. I enjoyed this one on there called Purr While You Nap but then I am a cat lover. Here is the link if you'd like to check it out or bookmark it as a Favorite. Daily Inspirations Purr while you nap. A cat knows how to lounge in a sunbeam without guilt or how to ask for attention without shame. A cat will lie in your lap, sleeping and purring at the same time. They understand what pleases them and they seek it out. Not only that, they know they are entitled to it, and they revel in it. Do you know how to purr while you nap? How to feel so satisfied, relaxed, comfortable, pleased, and nurtured you can't help but feel bliss? Do you deny yourself those feelings? Action for the day: Today, be a cat. Spend a few minutes seeking true bliss. Take a luxurious nap, get a massage, lounge in a warm bath, or read a book while curled up on the couch. © 2007, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. As far as I know if I am giving them credit, I can share a sample so I did. Hope its okay.

My new short term goal is to get my Ticker to be able to say less than 100 lbs to go! My congrats to Scrappy too! You're inspiring.

These Losses are Inspirational! Keep up the good work.

Niki - that's a great jeans victory! Congratulations. I got a couple pairs of 26 and zipped all the way up and I was happy on that. Wasn't used to the muffin top of wearing jeans again though. Guess I'll keep trying them on until they look better and looser. My NSV today is buttoning a 24 blazer all the way down the front, all three buttons with no pulling/puckering! Hoping to knock on the 22 door by Thanksgiving and maybe even 20 by Christmas/New Years! I am doing pretty good on the Labor Day to Hallow-Lean challenge - I think I'm going to meet my goal of 14 lbs lost in that time frame. I am amazed.

Re: Hallow-Lean Challenge... *******NAME**********START WGHT****CURRENT WGHT*******GOAL********LBS. LOST *****************************:thumbup:************:tongue2:*********:sad:* 1dayatime..........263............261............243............2 2BHealthE!.........194............179............194............0 ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............218............213............5 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Ariel..............199............196.4..........180..........2.6 ArmyWife4life......209.5..........209.5..........190............0 Barb12590..........228............218............213...........10 Bea1128............210.5..........205.5..........188............5 blueriley..........206............206............190............0 Brandymom1234......227............151.9..........135..........4.1 Caramia71..........208............202............195............6 cQQlgirl...........194............192............180............2 Crzytchr...........281............272............265............9 DebinFl............181............181............168............0 georgiagirl........245............229............220...........16 HarleyGirl.........188............187............175............1 HeatherA...........210.5..........203.9..........200..........6.6 HeatherO...........155............146............140............9 Ivyrose325.........212............212............199............0 Jazzyywan..........255............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............184............177...........12 KikiVal315.........237.5..........229............220...........8.5 Lana24.............208............195............185............0 laurigee...........180............176............160............4 Leslie2Lose........220............214............205............6 lindar172 .........274.2..........266.2..........256............8 LisaB..............205.5..........196............180..........10.5 livn4thm...........235............233............210............2 Long2bthin.........248............235............230...........13 Luu2008............203............199.5..........183..........3.5 Mamanmidwife.......299............286............280...........13 mamato3............186............186............170............0 MarinaBleu.........226.5..........226.5..........216............0 memom..............210............210............170............0 Minxz..............299............286............280............9 mominlv13..........299.8..........290.2..........280..........9.6 Momof5.............192.5..........187.5..........175..........5.0 nip50..............175............170............160............5 NukeChik...........218............218............208............0 NurseNiki..........258............255............239............3 odamay.............242............242............225............0 paige65............252............247............232............5 Peaches11..........205............205............194............0 pj_txlady..........220............220............200............0 Redtulips3.........180............171............167............9 Renee74............214............213............199............7 Renewedhope........171............169............150............2 reif78.............294............195............185............0 savimama...........216............216............200............0 shaversd...........230.5..........225............210..........5.5 SpecialK...........294............286............280............8 Sunshine2..........177............171............167............6 Tess...............304............300.5..........280..........3.5 thatDEgirl.........211............205.2..........195..........5.8 tp78...............201............192............180............9 Turler.............225............219............210............6 wendyw.............192............188............172............4 wowox7.............195............185............170............10 WyominGirl.........327............321............312............6

I have 9.5 cc's in a 14 cc AP-L band at this point and I'd say I am close to what would be considered my sweet spot for now meaning I can eat a small amount and stay full for 4-5 hours which amazes me. When I do get hungry, I have almost this sudden realization I'm hungry I want something to eat, but then a very small amount satisfies. Yesterday I tried 2 scrambled eggs for Breakfast with nothing else. Well, only 1 of the 2 eggs stayed down, the 2nd egg made me so full I had a PB episode that I don't want to repeat so now I know that breakfast is 1 egg. I can remember going out to a restaurant for a big breakfast and having a big omelette (ham and cheese added plus maybe 3 eggs), hash browns, toast with butter and jelly and of course washing it all down with orange juice and coffee. Amazing. I did a 6 month picture taking session on my own yesterday at home. Set up a tripod and used the timer on my little digital camera to take pictures in the same clothes yesterday that I had pictures back on March 16 before surgery. Also tried some of the same clothes that I had revolting pictures before surgery and it did help me see the Before and During progress. Hang in there Shamrocks we're getting there step by step.

Well the economy is rearing its head all around and we got some somber news at our work yesterday - no job cuts thank goodness - but all spending of any discretionary basis is off - no training, no travel, no hiring of existing open posted positions, no replacing someone if someone leaves the company, etc. Ugh! This stress I really don't need. So, my best attack strategy for the depressing news was to take a long walk as soon as I got home last night and I got up today and did a long walk again. Tomorrow is the Walk from Obesity in Central Ohio so I hope there will be a good turnout for that. The walks for the last 2 days were to make sure I was warmed up for that. I think its 5K which is a little more than 3 miles and that shouldn't be a problem for me. That is a blessing. Let's keep a good thought and prayer for this whole economy situation for everyone but especially for those of us who were stress eaters that we don't find any of our old eating habits to cope.

We can get some Columbus or Central Ohio area folks to chime in for you here but these are ones I know: OHJuli has lost 132+ lbs with her lapband she had done at OSU. Seebs has lost 90 lbs in 1 year with her lapband done at Mt. Carmel. NurseNiki and SpecialK have lost 60+ lbs with lapband in 6 months done at Mt. Carmel. GregW done on same day at Mt.Carmel has lost 70+ last time I saw/heard from him. HeatherA has lost 80+ lbs with her lapband done 9 months ago at Riverside. These are all people you've met or can meet in person at one of the monthly get togethers at Polaris to talk more. Just to be completely open, in the same number of months like 6 or 9 with Gastric Bypass, we probably would have dropped 100 or more but I was willing to go slower and still get there long term. ThinnerMe had her RNY done August at Mt. Carmel and she had lost 32 lbs in less than 2 months for comparison. We have supported her as what was right for her due to her medical needs.

Again, so many of the programs really push Gastric Bypass hard when we have a high BMI as their initial Push as you say but if you stand firm and say I know of several people who have been successful losing more than 100 lbs with their lapband and that's really what I choose for myself as what is best for me, and besides, I can revise to a RNY, or Duodenal Switch (DS), or VSG (vertical sleeve) if I really don't feel successful with my lapband long term. Stand firm if that is what you want but don't feel we won't support you if you make whatever choice is best for you. Its also not too late to get a second opinion from Riverside's Dr. Myers or Mt. Carmel's doctors at Mid Ohio Surgical Associates to be sure you have made the right decision for you if you aren't feeling comfortable with how OSU is directing you. God Bless!

I flew with my CPAP machine and had no problem at all as long as I set it out so they could do the little residue check on it like they sometimes do on a laptop. They just need to see what the machinery is. No biggie!

I had a NSV today -- put on a favorite birthstone ring I've had for a long time and it kept slipping round and round my ring finger so I finally put it on my middle finger -- so my fingers are getting skinnier!

I have had some trouble the the Special K20 powder packets not dissolving very well in the bottle of Water or my drinking bottle if the water is very cold, like out of the drinking fountain at work. I shake and shake and still end up with flakes of powder that float to the bottom and never dissolve. Anyone else see this? I was tempted to use room temperature water and then chill it but that defeats the idea of having a nice cold drink.

I have hiccups start as a warning to back down and not take more bites.