puddin

Oh girl, you cannot guage your restriction with baby food and protien shakes. These things just slide through the band. Even after you start eating solids it could be that you're one of those people who don't experience real restriction for a couple of weeks. Give it time. I'm actually surprised that your first fill is a whole 2.2 cc's. Once you start eating solids I think you'll find your restriction is there. Keep us posted.

Gosh, what insurance do you all have that is paying for this surgery? It seems like only United Healthcare insurance will pay for the surgery in Utah. I went to the doctor about two months ago because I thought I had a UTI. I mentioned that I'd had surgery a month prior and that the bleeding might have been surgery related. That little statement caused my insurance to deny payment for the doctor visit. Fortunately I was able to prove that it was due to kidney stones (a long story) and they paid for it. But they don't like you to even whisper lap band or you'll be paying out the nose. Consequently, I was self-pay, $12,500 which included a year of free follow-up and fills, and it was worth every penny.

I've never had a floro. It's never been a problem. My band nurse is quite conservative with my fills, though. I never get over .2 cc's at a time to prevent overfilling. Yesterday I was filled to 1.9. Not having a floro just mean a little more poking around. But hey, you can't feel it anyway and it's a whole heckuva lot cheaper that way.

Tuff Enuf, this is my fear, too. I took out a personal loan to pay for the band. Maybe it's just this board, but it seems like there's an awful lot of bandsters here that get eroded or slipped. If my band slipped I wouldn't be able to afford the corrective surgery. I know at some point I'll have the stomach flu. What do you do in that case? Do you take anti-nausea medication?

I'm telling you, paying for the surgery was worth it if JUST to get rid of my terrible acid reflux problem! No more tums for me!

LOL. Well at least you've got yourself a goal.

Whoa, Tommy. I'm glad you're telling it like it is. I LIKE two sides to a conversation. Again, I still feel it's in short supply. People were still judging her about the topless thing without being informed about it, in case you missed that bit.

Anwyn, I think you're great. I don't blame you for being offended by her comment. I'm just posing another side of this conversation. You ARE allowed to have an opinion of her. I'm entitled the same right. She sits in judgement of other people because people ASK her to do that. She wouldn't have a job if no one called in and asked for it.

It's funny that everyone's sitting here judging her, calling her judgemental. Seems a bit hypocritical, don't you think? Ecspecially when we're talking about a past that people obviously don't know the whole history about. Isn't that something that we've struggled with our entire lives? She wouldn't be on the air if people didn't want to call in and get advice from the woman. Obviously some people think she's doing them some good. If you don't like her advice DON'T LISTEN TO HER!

I like Dr. Laura. She tells it like it is, which is in short supply these days. The fat comment might have been over the top, but you never know what this woman was telling Dr. Laura. I have to admit that I don't listen to her, but mostly because I can't stand the fact that people are calling in for advice with their moral dilemmas when they know how she's going to treat them. BTW, she concedes that she's got a few wild years under her belt. She changed, converted to Judaism, and lives for the better now. I've got to admire most people who can do that.

I'm considering moving out of my house. I currently own a house with my sister, but she's incredibly hard to live with, not because she has a difficult personality but because she's totally unmotivated. She's a workaholic with her business (she's a photographer), but does NOTHING to help at home. She's always just taking or editing photos. Our arrangement was for me to clean the inside of the house while she takes care of the outside. She does nothing outside. This weekend was the last straw for me. We had two Christmas parties at our house and both times she didn't help me get ready or clean up for them. Does this sound like the stupidest reason to move out? It's just so very difficult. I can't communicate with her. For her, asking for help is "bitching" at her. I've tried working out a plan with her; it never works. What would you do?

I just finished the survey. It's not closed! Maybe it's just closed if you don't meet the criteria.

How does water before a meal make you PB?

My doc told me that I'm not supposed to drink the 1/2 hour before I eat a meal. To me, this seems pointless. Doesn't water go RIGHT THROUGH the band? Seems like it'd take only a minute or two for the whole thing to go through. Anyone with me on this? Is there a different reason I'm not aware of?

I never went to my Primary Care doctor for any kind of note saying it was medically necessary, since it was an exclusion from my insurance and I knew I'd pay for it anyway. My question is this: Is the fact that I qualified on the medical charts as being obese enough to satisfy Uncle Sam? I already called my PCP, she said she wouldn't write a note because I didn't see her before the surgery. My lap-band doc is willing to write a note saying I was obese, but that's it. Does anyone know what kind of documentation we need?

I had my first PB yesterday... I think. I ate some turkey a bit fast. I stopped and waited for it to go down (like it usually does when it goes down kind of rough) but it wasn't moving and my eyes were watering. So I excused myself to the bathroom and spit up a bit of slime. After that I was ok. The whole episode only lasted about 5 minutes. I'm dreading those hours-long PB's that some people talk about!

I was recently told by my accountant that obesity qualifies as a bonified disease, of which any surgery to cure it is tax deductible. She says this is fairly new. Kingskid, maybe your accountant isn't familiar with this new law. I'll ask her again exactly which section specifies it and allows for the deduction.

Thanks everyone. I suppose I'll just wait and see if this ever decides to kick in. Why does it sometimes take time to kick in for some people, though?

I received another fill a week and a half ago, up .2cc's. It's strange, but I feel like I have LESS restriction now than I had before. I've NEVER felt additional restriction with the new fill. Anyone else experienced the same thing?

Cissy, I'm losing in exactly the same places as you and not losing in the same places as you. I think the grass is greener on the other side. But I gotta admit, that it's more socially acceptable to have big thighs and a big booty than a small booty with small boobs and a big belly. We'll get our revenge on those skinny freaks, though!

Awesome. Thanks for sharing, this is what I love to see (and wish I saw more of) on this forum!

1. What does your handle mean? My nickname is "Georgie Porgie Puddin' Pie" 2. What book are you currently reading, or did you last read? The 5 C's of Cinematography 3. What do you do for a living? I'm a full-time web designer and part-time filmmaker 4. For what in your life are you most grateful? Jesus Christ and my family 5. What's one thing about you that you think would surprise other people? I have Tourette Syndrome, though most people would never guess. 6. One word to describe yourself? Personality 7. One word others use to describe you? Funny 8. Would you rather play a game with someone better or worse at it than you? Worse! - I've got a slight power trip 9. Favorite movie? Favorite show? Movie - Millions (or anything directed by Danny Boyle or the Coen brothers), Show - Arrested Development 10. Something unusual about yourself? I served a full-time mission for my church in Calgary, Canada for a year and a half

I'm with you on that. I think eating at least 1,200 calories/day might get me to the finish line a little slower (though I doubt it because my plateaus will be shorter), but in the end I'll be able to eat more, have more engery, and have less excess skin. I feel like I NEED at least 1,200 for the energy to do weight training alone. This usually means, for me, eating about 1 cup of food at a time, which often equals out to a Lean Cuisine and a salad (salads get chewed to practically nothing).

I had a kidney stone about 6 weeks post-op, not because of the surgery or the band but because I get them all the time and I was due for one. Usually 1-2 days prior to really passing the stone I'll develop a pain in my back/side; it feels like bad cramps. Then a day or two later... it hits! Like a ton of bricks. That doctor needs to run tests QUICKLY! I had a REALLY bad doctor tell me the blood in my urine must have been because of the band - NOT true. She only did an Ultrasound, which really doesn't detect every stone. The only thing that I've had done that really detects a stone is a CT scan; even the IVP didn't detect it once. HOWEVER, the CT scan can be expensive if you haven't already paid your deductible for the year. I ended up paying about $500 for mine, even though detecting it did NOTHING except prove I had a reason for the pain. I take 800 mg of Ibuprofin at my first inkling of kidney stone pain and sometimes 2 Percosets (if I know for sure it's a stone). That'll usually stave it off enough that I don't have to run to the E.R. if I keep up on the pain meds. Otherwise I usually end up in the Emergency room getting pumped full of Morphine and Torridol for the pain.

I can eat an entire Lean Cuisine with a salad, too. I've got no problem with that, but I'm losing weight. Have you been losing weight with your current fill? If not, you probably do need another fill. My doc is very conservative with fills, too. I had my 4th fill yesterday and only have 1.7cc's in my band. But if you're losing weight, why rock the boat?