Happy Loser

Thanks so MUCH!! It's easy to forget how far you have come when your weight loss stalls and you still have so far to go. I am about the same height as you though i would say 5'8ish and I have my goal set at 160. The last time I weight that i was 16 and that was 15 years ago. I have not weight below 200 lbs since I was 19 and to get to that mile stone of being in the 100's or ONEderland as some call it, wow, it will be an incredible feeling. I have made a commitment to move more over the next week. If I can duplicate this years success I will be one happy camper by this time next year. Congrats to all October banders. Keep up the good work. We will all get where we want and need to be.:thumbup:

Hi Renee, It looks like you and I need to get our butts in gear:tt2: I commit right now to walk for 20 minutes a day 4 days out of the next week. I will post my success with this goal next Friday. What do you commit too?

Hi Tabithan!! Since you posted your latest post here I have gone back to page 1 and have been reading everything that you posted. I have been reading via my Blackberry which I cannot post from so I decided to jump online and say hello. 10/1 was my 1 year bandiversary. I have lost 62 lbs. YAY:thumbup: but, I haven't lost anything in over a month and I am noticing bad habits coming back and eating around the band by drinking with my meals etc. I will admit that I have not exercised at all since being banded. I have taken maybe 4 20 minute walks thinking I was finally going to get going and nada. A lot of people on here have talked about the 5 day pouch test but when I visited the web site it looked like you had to buy something and I havent wanted to by anything. LOL!! Is it basically just liquid/post op plan that my dr. gave me? Also, until the past week I haven't counted protein grams or calories at all. I still don't count my protein, but I have been hit and miss with the calorie counting for the past few weeks. I would LOVE to be your new Buddy and help push you back down the scale and I would love to have your support too. How have you been this last week?

Hi Everyone, I wish I had found this post a lot sooner. I was banded 10/1/2009. In my first year I have lost 63 lbs., about 40 % of my excess weight. Of course, I had hoped for more but I am very please with the loss to date and the benefits from it. I haven't lost anything in the past month or so. I seem to be playing with 5 lbs and am trying to figure out what to do to get going in the right direction again. I think I need another fill but I have recently moved from California to Missouri and I am still trying to transfer to a new doctor which hasn't been easy. Congratulations to all of you and to those not quite to their Bandiversary, Good Luck with your goals!!

Hi all October Bandsters, So, I am one day out and feel great. Took 2 tsp. of lortab elixer and slept all night no problem. Just tylenol today till about 2:30 this afternoon and then had 1 tsp of the lortab. Sipping on Water all day, Got a green tea from starbucks this afternoon. And I have had a little more than half of a Jello cup. I am not hungry at all.:thumbup: Feel really good and looking forward to the mush phase to get more flavor. dinner tonight will be broth made from beef Better Than Bullion. It has so much more flavor than any of the already made beef or chicken stock i bought. Congrats to all who just got their band dates. I'll start posting pics soon to show my progress.

Hi Angie, Thanks! My day was AWESOME!!! I am doing good and feel really good to. At this point I only had a little pain as I was coming to in recovery. Now I would just say a little uncomfortable. Nothing I can't handle. Good luck on yours!

Hi Linda, I was banded today too. Like you it went really well and not as hard as i thought it would be. I am on liquids 3 more days before I move to the mush phase. Hope you get a good nights sleep and we can compare more notes tomorrow. W00t!!!

October 1st for me! It's 12:16 AM PDT and I have to head to the hospital at 3:30 AM. I could probably fall asleep if I lay down but then I am afraid I might not wake up and then miss the whole thing. About preop diet ?'s My doc only required 1 day prior to surgery be a clear liquid diet. All I had was Ice tea & Jello It wasn't so bad. I look forward to checking in with you all soon. And to my fellow band mates of 10-1-09, Happy Band-day to you!!!:smile:

Congratulations!!!!

I'm October 1st too!! I am SO excited. What all have you picked up for post op? I have Protein shakes, chicken & beef broth, Gas X strips, sugar free Jello mix, sugar free Popsicles, mini 3 oz Dixie cups, 2 little children's plates & a pack of baby spoons. I need to get some instant mashed potatoes, maybe some baby food, and a baby food grinder wood be good too. How much time if any are you all taking from work. I am off 4 days including the weekend and then will try to return. I bounced back quick after a C-section so figure this should be similar. FYI there is another thread for OCT 09 Bandsters that i was looking for when I found this.

I am scheduled for 10-1 too. at 7:30 AM. My preop is only 1 day of liquids. I started this process with a different surgeon and theirs was a 10 day super lean 1000 cal diet. I want to make sure that my liver looks good when they open me up so plan to do the 10 day thing and then the liquids like my new doc. wants. I am off to create my Tickers!! Any ideas for an October Bandster name?

I received a call today from my Insurance that I have been approved. I notified my PCP & Surgeons office (Dr. Swartz, Fresno CA) I will be called back tomorrow or Wednesday to schedule my surgery & preop appt. I had started this process with a different dr. but she had a surgery of her own & was not going to be able to band me this year. Her pre op diet was 10-14 days at 1000 cal. This new dr only requires 1 day of a liquid diet. It seems strange to me for there to be such a big difference. I plan to do a combo of both dr.s becuase i don't want to risk a fatty liver and having to be put under again to complete my surgery. What was your Pre op diet like?

I am in Porterville, I had been going through the process with Dr. Mackenzie too but she had her own surgery about 2 weeks ago so referred me to Fresno. Dr. Swartz. I met with him today & they will be submitting to insurance this week. I just jumped on here tonight to see what i could find about Swartz. I had to do the seminar there even though I had been to 2 others and it was obvious that they are much more PRO Gastric Bypass than band. But, It's ok because while he talked on for 2 hours about GB it just convinced me further that LB is the way to go. Hope to talke with you all some more.

I am in Porterville, I had been going through the process with Dr. Mackenzie too but she had her own surgery about 2 weeks ago so referred me to Fresno. Dr. Swartz. I met with him today & they will be submitting to insurance this week. I just jumped on here tonight to see what i could find about Swartz. I had to do the seminar there even though I had been to 2 others and it was obvious that they are much more PRO Gastric Bypass than band. But, It's ok because while he talked on for 2 hours about GB it just convinced me further that LB is the way to go. Hope to talke with you all some more.

I have anthem, I have the Lumenous HSA 1500 PPO package. I called Anthem & was told it is a covered procedure. Hopefully there isn't any kind of exclusion on my employers part. My surgeons office just submitted all my paperwork yesterday. I too am on pins & needles waiting for the response. Dr. said it usually takes 3-5 days to hear back.:smile2: if i do get approved in the next week they have an opening at the COE required by anthem on May 7th. So that is hopefully my surgery day. Good luck to you all and good luck to me!!:sneaky:

I am meeting with my surgeon tomorrow morning at 9:45 PST. I have already completed my nutrition and psych evaluation. I am feeling really anxious tonight. Part of the process with the surgeon I chose is they have you right a patient letter & your spouse also has to right a letter which they require to be notarized. The letter is to discuss a number of things, risks of surgery, alternatives, why you want it etc. I am really struggling with it. I had hoped to turn in the letters at my first visit but, it's not going to happen. For one, i just found out about the notary part Friday night. But, it is more my mental block on this. It's not that i don't know the answer to all the questions they ask, i guess...i am afraid of not saying the right thing. Well, any feedback is welcomed. I'll post more tomorrow.

Hi Lauralee, I actually went to a seminar by the doctor you mentioned way back in January. At the time she mentioned that she did not have the staff to get pre-authorization from insurance companies so it would be up to me as a patient to do so. That really overwhelmed me. But, I still don't have insurance and thus have yet to have my surgery. I am with a new employer and will have insurance benefits starting the 1st of March. So, maybe then I can revisit Dr. McKenzie. Regards

I'm waiting to call until I get my insurance card. I have already been to a couple of seminars and know this is the route I want to take so I figure the next group I meet with, i want to be ready to get started. If they refuse to bill In-Network i'll be looking elsewhere. It seems silly for them to be In Network but to not bill that way. Thanks for asking, I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Shalee Thanks for the tip!! I will be sure they bill in network!!

Cindy thanks SO much!!! I am going to contact them today:smile:

Cindy, I'm in Porterville. It is nice to see a "local". I am almost insured "long story" and it will be a Blue Shield PPO. I have been to 2 seminars. One in January in Visalia and one in February down in So. Cal. with JourneyLite. I really liked Journeylite but it is about a 6 hour drive round trip so I have been looking at doctors and groups in Bakersfield (only 45 min each way). Can you tell me the name of the Doctor or group that you spoke with that works with Blue Shield PPO? It would sure help me a lot!! Good luck to you on your journey!!

I am looking into the same group for my surgery. I was originally supposed to see Dr. Billy but due to a change of Seminars I ended up seeing Dr. Korman. He was nice but I think I am finding most surgeons are a little arrogant. Good luck with your journey.