tarrn13

manatee, guys usually end up with the rejection since they tend to be the crueler ones when doing the rejecting while showing off in front of their friends so once that happens, most women just say screw it, let them do the aproaching instead.

Sharon2U, I think you can rest assured, your stoma will not explode, it is not even possible. As for the drinks, I do drink 1/4 POM juice with 3/4 seltzer water that I stir out almost all of the fizz, pretty tasty I think. It's my beverage at work and takes me hours to drink but a little more appealing than water at 3am at the hospital.

Hiya, just wanted to drop into this board so I could keep in the loop of what's going on, I currently live in Seattle but actually am from just over the Quebec border (and their page is mostly in french) anyway I am planning to move home in the next year or so and since Ottawa is about 1hr from my front door figured you guys would be good ones to chat with.

welcome tcl28, I too was not quite fat enough to qualify for the surgery to be covered as my BMI was not high enough nor did I have any co morbidities but I opted to pay it out of pocket since the reality is most of us can lose the weight it is keeping it off that is an issue, I have gained and lost 112lbs (basically my mom)or some variation of that amount over the years, I decided I was done with such a struggle every single day, if you can have a tool that helps to make it a little easier to maintain your losses, then why not? My surgeon was Dr. Ortiz in mexico and and long as you have 40lbs to lose, he will do the surgery, but it is not an easy way out, keep that in mind when making your decision. Are you unable to follow the diet plan that your doc perscribed because you feel too restricted or like your not getting enough nutrition, or are you making poor choices with that 1800 cals? The band is not a free ticket to have a free for all with the food, it's being aware of everything you put in your mouth and accepting the consequences, it does not mean lisc. to drink milkshakes 24/7. Good luck to you,

If there is a group that meets in the seattle area, I'd be interested in attending. i was banded 3/25 in Mexico.

lafsalot, I'm so sorry you ended up with an NG, that is horrible!! I hope your feeling better now and don't need to have the band removed. Keep us updated on what happens with you.

I just got over a week of the flu, I'm not even kidding, I was sitting on the floor of the bathroom crying, praying for it to be over, I have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea for 7 days, just ate popsicles and pedialyte to get me though, it was horrible mainly for the nausea and vomiting part, i was terrified my band would slip, but it was safe (thank god!!) i hope your feeling better soon!!

I had surgery on 3/25 with Dr. Ortiz at the OCC, he and his staff did a wonderful job and I was throughly satisfied and would recommend his facility, as for cosmos110, people have bad experiences everywhere, I'm from canada, live in the us and went to mexico for surgery but truth be told I'd go to europe or cuba too, there are many competent doc's living in other countries and the health system here in the us is hardly the be all and end all. I find it hard to believe that if you were having so many problems and would have gone to an er that they would have said sorry go back to mexico. Furthermore cosmos110, what walmart are you going to that offers fills?

Nancee, I am questioning the corrosion thing too? How can carbonation corrode your band if the 2 do not come in contact? did your doctor tell you that this will happen or are you speculating? Thanks,

reassured to read this thread, i too am having these huge long low man burps that have to come out or they start to hurt, i was getting kind of worried but feeling better now. thanks

lafsalot, i was sick this weekend with your same issue!! i had the flu and ( 4days post op is when it appeared) but i too was salivia heaving and vomiting these huge air pockets, it was gross but now I feel like I still have all these huge burps in me, that will come out at random times, are you per chance experiencing anything near the same?

Hiya, I'm getting banded on Tuesday the 25th, I can't believe it's almost here!! I'm a travel nurse from Canada but currently living in Seattle, thinking I just may stay here for a long term commitment as a staffer. I live with 3 of my 4 basset hounds (the 4th does not travel and stays in canada). I tried to post a pic but on preview it was HUGE and I have no idea how to resize it.

Boo Boo Kitty, I am a night nurse 3 nights a week and then try and flip to a day schedule on the days i have off, so the inability to sleep I know it well and feel your pain!! On flip around days I really try and turn off the tv and or computer a couple of hours prior to bed since the blue light can be stimulating, I try and read my book or cuddle with my dogs, no talking on the phone or doing stimulating things, take a bath, have a cup of diet hot chocolate. Most importantly though I listen to my body, and if it tells me to nap then I do, if it tells me to get up and go to the gym then I do, the working out early in the day really helps me to be tired later in the day and able to sleep. some days I sleep 12 hours, some I sleep 3, not the best but neither is working 12 hour nights at the hospital under bright lights!! I hope you find some suggestions to try.

rharriet62, I'm a little unclear on the statement about wine causing erosion of the band? the band is outside the stomach and the wine is in it so the 2 never come in contact, can you explain how it causes erosion? I am curious since I too enjoy a glass of wine when out with friends. thanks

I'm being banded on the 25th and am a little nervous post reading this thread, if there is one thing in this world I cannot stand is puking, case in point last time I puked was when i had kidney stones, 9 years ago, I will do anything to keep it down, so my question is how frequently does this issue happen to people, really? cause daily or even weekly is not going to work for me, so a few tips to avoid it would be greatly appreciated!!

Lise, you should add roasted yams to your mushy phase, well if you like them that is. I cut them either in fry shape or rounds and roast them with a teeny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper at 400 degrees for 25 min first side and 20 min second side, they are one of my favourite food items even prebanding and I could eat them every day!!

my concoction is 150mls of a safeway Protein shake in a can (slim fast or whatever) I chose the safeway one since it is the same caloric content as their organic chocolate milk, anyway then 150mls of chocolate milk 1%, plus some frozen raspberries 3/4 of a cup maybe, all in the magic bullet, there's my Breakfast today, eat with a spoon since I make it so it's pretty thick. Enjoy ( I do the 1/2 and 1/2 only because I can't stand the taste of the shake straight out of the can) still gives you 12gms of protein for about 200 cals approx.

Little debbie, I posted this before as a response to someone who asked the same question you just did about how to respond to negative people when they find out about the band, my response is always "it's not about you, it's about me, and if you can't be supportive of my choices then I am not interested in hearing your opinion on the matter" trust me, it always shuts them up!!! good luck and don't listen to those who are negative, sometimes they're just jealous.

I work 3 nights a week and my treat on those nights is either a double tall sugar free cinnamon dolce soy latte or a tall cinnamon dolce light extra shot of espresso and no whipped frappachino, both are less than 200 cals and I find a way to fit them in on those days, since this is all about choices, I choose my fancy coffee's 3 nights a week but don't have something other nights to compensate for it, also my nights are 12hrs and I am on my feet working in the ICU so I'm not sitting at a desk all shift long burning minimal cal's either. We all make our choices about what we MUST have.

target and old navy should keep you covered till you get to your goal, as my brother says about old navy "eh tara, check out this shirt, 10 bucks at old navy, good value" he said that so often but it always cracked us up!! you have to have stuff that fits so you feel good about your journey, if your wearing schlumpy clothes 6 sizes too big, then I think the risk of slacking off is higher.

kjeter and suemagoo, a cosmetic procedure will be covered by most insurances for abdominoplasty's when the surgeon can show evidence of "skin integrity issues" I had a tummy tuck 4 years ago and it was totally paid for since there was enough overhang to cause potential issues, I only had 7lbs 10 oz removed so if you have lost alot of weight then you can hope that yours will be covered, if your inital letter is a refusal, appeal it, sometimes if you pester enough, the insurance will give in just to get you off their back. good luck, seeing my close to flat stomach was one of the best moments of my life!!

a huge plate of poutine, which for those that are not from quebec ( where it is from and the place that keeps it at it's roots) is french fries, I like them in that sort of mushy phase but some like them crunchy, with cheese curds melted on top, and smothered in poutine gravy, mouthful's of heaven!! maybe why I now live in seattle, far far away from my nemisis!! or mac and cheese or dark chocolate dipped shortbread cookies.

To reply to IWANTBANDED, check out fill centers usa, they have about 30 locations that seem to be reasonably priced, 349inital then 165 for follow up fills, i am to be banded on the 25th in mexico and plan to use the fill center as my resource for my fills, since it will be a whole lot cheaper than, boarding my dogs, getting a plane ticket and going back to mexico.

hiya, my response is simple: it's not really about you is it? if you cannot be supportive of my decision to do this, then I do not wish to hear your opinion about it." I think that about covers it, good luck to you and I hope you follow your own path, not the path that everyone thinks you should be on.

If you needed glasses, would you all of a sudden stop wearing them if your eye's mildly improved? I don't think so, this is like an aid in the grand scheme of things coupled with healthy diet and exercise, it just helps to make things a little easier, why remove it down the road if there is no reason to? I'm with Lise, I lost 75 lbs on my own, kept if off for a couple of years but then regained 30 and feel like I'm struggling everyday (it would be so easy to regain the rest plus more), so by lap banding I don't have to ride the rollercoaster every day for the rest of my life. (being banded the 25th of march). Good luck to you!!