Queen of Hearts

Hey Juliegeraci! I have only lost 44 pounds but unfortunately my skin is not elastic at all and my question is exactly how did they lift your thighs?? I know of another lady and myself that our upper inner thighs look scary!:frown: I'm right now starting to do a bunch of research on plastic surgery because even though I have just started my journey I can already tell we are going to have a problem! :biggrin: So if you don't mind sharing any info I would love to hear from you! And kudos on the weight loss! That's absolutely terrific!!

Hi Egomec! I don't really know why you do that but I know if I chew too little..it's not going to go down as well, or if I eat too fast same thing. If you can eat the same thing one day and it not go down the next you might pay special attention to how you're eating it..chewing and speed have killed me a couple of times, but I'm learning! I hate the results from not chewing enough and eating too fast!!:party: Good luck!!

This is great! My digestive disease doctor also was a driving force behind my lapband surgery also. It is so much positive results that all the medical field is taking note..now if we could get all the insurance companies to do the same look how many more people would be able to improve their health and lifestyle!! I'm glad he came to see you..now..who was withness to whom??

Hi Sooner! I read your first post and I had borderline diabetes. I don't now, my band has been taking care of so many of my health issue that I am just boggled at how fast and well these changes are happening in my life. 1 month after surgery..blood pressure pill prescription cut in half..2nd month of surgery..what was a liver headed for replacement started regenerating and all panels on the blood work look so well that my liver doc is weaning me off my cholesterol meds! I just went to my family doc and she cut my blood pressure meds down again to only 2 instead of 3! :biggrin2: There was a report that came out about 3 months ago..actually the month before or the month I had my band put in so that would be late January or early February where a study was done on diabetic patients in Australia and it was stated that it was either 73 or 93% of the diabetic patients that received the band were in complete recovery and were no longer having to take medication for their diabetes they had previously. I even discussed this with my lap band doctor and he was surprised that I was up and current on the studies they were having. You can go to lapband sites and see what studies they are conducting and also which ones are completed. I myself am a research participant in the new AP band. Hopefully my progress will aid future bandsters with aquiring a band and showing the insurance companies just how much these bands can actually save their company in simply the medications alone that a lot of us have to take! So I think your chances of having a positive outlook on your current situation is relatively good! Keep us posted on how everything goes and I wish the best of luck for you because I know how devastating diabetes is..it runs in my family!!

Hey that's great Main Marion..and actually my lucky number is 7 so I bet everything goes smooth! I wish the best of luck for you and I know you'll be so glad to finally have this done!! Keep us posted!

Hi Gramalisa! I am so glad to hear your husband is all for it now. He and you both will not be sorry! My husband has finally admitted that I have made the right choice. He was just going through one of his insecure stages I guess?? :confused2: Granted it is a life style change but you can read all the posts on this site and know that we all will cheat once in a while but even at that for the most part everyone follows their diets pretty well and are doing fantastic! I envy the younger women that have this available to them now and am glad I was able and healthy enough to get this band myself!:biggrin2: I have a daughter who is 32 and has not had any babies yet and a lot of this is due to her weight according to her GYN doc. She has an HMO and right now doesn't cover it but we are trying to get them to justify why not since she also has co-morbidity causes and heart disease runs in my family.:sad: If you daughter decides to do this she will be so happy that she did! Especially since she's so young because she will always be fit for her children and able to do so much without the excess weight! For the past month I haven't lost any weight and this happens with the band. I will be going to the doc next week and he will make an adjustment and knowing that, I am at ease because these adjustments tighten the band and keep you from feeling so hungry that there's not much left BUT to lose the weight! Please keep us posted on your progress and the best of luck to you and your daughter! :biggrin2:

Hi Angela1der! I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetes, sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome, and a liver that was diagnosed as non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, which means it's storing fatty deposits and was so huge that my liver doctor said the next step is getting on a donor list. :thumbup: When my endocrinologist told me I MAY have 10 years left to live, my choice was made! :biggrin2: I chose the lap band mostly because my liver doctor wouldn't help me get the surgery for the gastric by pass or the RNY due to so many of his patients having complications..not saying everyone does because I have a friend that had gastric by pass and she's doing great, but it was his decision to help me and he chose the lap band over all the other diet surgeries and I would say it is because it is the least invasive and totally reversible. I had a 10 day pre op diet that only had 3 days of liquids before surgery and an 8 week post op diet that to me really just gets you used to measuring your food and making sure you don't get into too much that may at first be hard to digest or even keep down..I still have to really be careful when I get an adjustment.:thumbup: If you have seen a nutritionist that's great..if not I would highly recommend one so you will see how much a change this MAY make. Some don't have too hard a time because they had already started eating healthier before surgery.:Dancing_wub: Now I'm down 40 pounds less and my liver after only 2 months with the band has started regenerating and my blood pressure meds have been cut in half and my cholesterol meds have been weaned off as well. I just went to the family doctor to check the liver panels and cholesterol readings, so I'll find out in about a week how they are. The hardest thing I have had was getting used to the portion sizes. I'm limited to 1/2 cup per meal with Protein shakes in between the meals. I am very satisfied with that and my doc said I was going twice as fast as I needed to so he's happy. :biggrin2: I am the first patient my family doctor has that has a Lap Band and she asked me how everything was going..(she's was so curious that she had to find my port, check my scars, ask me tons of questions)..and I told her I was doing great and feeling the best I had in years. I also told her that if she has any patients that were wondering about the Lap Band that she was welcome to tell them my story. It has been an amazing journey for my health and well being. Nothing has ever made such a positive difference in my whole being as having this band put in! I would recommend it to anyone that has tried dieting the conventional way and exercising to get it if their doctor considers them a candidate. I'm a bit older than you and I just wish I could have had this band even 15 years ago!! I am sold on it and with anything else in life..you have to give to get..so yes, you won't eat like you used to but the end results will be a healthy long life. :thumbup: The questions I had for my doc..this was after getting on this forum..was exactly what band did he use and what size it was. Did he put in a fill during (or in your case would he) surgery?? How much and how often does he plan on adjusting..every 4,6 or 8 weeks?? I'm a research participant so I have to go in every 4 weeks. Really my seminar covered almost every question I thought of and then this site is full of peoples experiences and questions they themselves have asked. I joined AFTER my surgery, so you are a step ahead of where I was! I wish you well on your surgery and my number one opinion on what you should ask your doctor is only that he be available to answer any more questions you will have later..I sure did!:thumbup: Keep us posted on your progress and I think it's a great idea that you are checking out all avenues! :thumbup:

:biggrin:Hi Justforme! First congratulations! You will be amazed at how this one decision will change your life in the most positive way! I too have been big boned my whole life and probably would still be going down that road if my health didn't send me a warning..so now I'm banded and I love it! Granted I can't eat like I used to or get what I use to but it's worth every loss for every gain in my health!! If you follow your nutritionist and doctors guidelines you cannot fail. If you feel like you are eating too much then you can always get an adjustment to tighten you up a bit. The only thing that I experienced was when I got an adjustment it took a bit for me to get accustomed to the restriction and if I didn't chew well and eat slow my food would try to come back up and you don't want that!! Right now all I have to do is walk at least 30 minutes a day. I'm a bit older and my body a bit wore out but my doc said there wasn't a need to go overboard until my weight was a bit less and as it got less I could initiate more strenuous exercises. I am not computer literate either, but there are so many on this forum that know so much..I just usually send a post and maybe a private message and the girls and guys are always ready to assist! I think if you see the ticker web address, you can go there and it's not too hard to figure out what you have to do..see I'm not much help either..but there are a few ladies that I sent a private message to that helped me and I'm sure they would help you. Their names on this site are LilMissBand-Aid and EZMA. You can go to your members area and send them a PM and those are 2 that have a head full of computer stuff! This is one of the best sites I have been a part of and I was just banded 2/8/08. There is so much that all of these people have been through and so very easy to become internet buddies with! I wish you the best on your surgery and hope you keep us posted on how well your journey goes! Again welcome!!:biggrin2:

Hi Wicked! Your post intrigued me. I don't have any small children at home anymore but I do understand a little bit of the problems you are faced with. I had waited for 2 years before I got my band. My husband was totally against it and for the simple reason was because, like Gramalisa, he was afraid when I got back down to my fighting weight I would be looking for a new man! That is ridiculous however, I think a mans way of thinking is very different from ours! :thumbup: My health issues made me stand up and tell him..look, I'm not doing this for looks, ego, or any other reason than my health! I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, borderline diabetes, sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome, and a liver that was diagnosed as non alcholic cirrhosis of the liver, which means it's storing fatty deposits and was so huge that my liver doctor said the next step is getting on a donor list. :thumbup: Even with all these issues he was apprehensive, however, when my endocrinologist told me I MAY have 10 years left to live, my choice was made! I asked my husband point blank..is your insecurity worth killing me? Hard but it's the way I was seeing it. He agreed with me then! :biggrin2: Now I'm down 40 pounds less and my liver after only 2 months with the band has started regenerating and my blood pressure meds have been cut in half and my cholesterol meds have been weaned off as well. I just went to the family doctor to check the liver panels and cholesterol readings, so I'll find out in about a week how they are. There are times when you have to think about yourself. You have already stated that your health is on the line..now you have to weigh the odds. Is it worth losing a better and longer life for a couple of days of inconvience to your family or improving and lengthening your life for yourself AND your family for many MORE years?? :thumbup: I had my surgery on Friday and could have gone back to work on Monday but took an extra day off just to pamper myself with a manicure and pedicure because I knew I was starting a whole new way of life and I was going to LIVE!! :Dancing_wub: Yes, you won't eat as much, but you don't have to worry about your family. You will be able to make more discernable decisions on what you will cook for them but my husband doesn't follow my diet. He cooks and I know what I'm allowed to eat so I do that. The hardest thing I have had was getting used to the portion sizes. I'm limited to 1/2 cup per meal with Protein shakes in between the meals. I am very satisfied with that and my doc said I was going twice as fast as I needed to so he's happy. I am the first patient my family doctor has that has a lapband and she asked me how everything was going..(she's was so curious that she had to find my port, check my scars, ask me tons of questions)..and I told her I was doing great and feeling the best I had in years. I also told her that if she has any patients that were wondering about the lapband that she was welcome to tell them my story. It has been an amazing journey for my health and well being. Nothing has ever made such a positive difference in my whole being as having this band put in! I would recommend it to anyone that has tried dieting the conventional way and exercising to get it if their doctor considers them a candidate. I'm a bit older than you and I just wish I could have had this band even 15 years ago!! I am sold on it and with anything else in life..you have to give to get..so yes, you won't eat like you used to but the end results will be a healthy long life and all those physical impairments and shortcomings will probably disappear as your weight goes down! It is a miracle in my life! I apologize for this being so lengthy, but I wanted you to know exactly what I had to face and how far my health had to decline before I was able to get my husband to not be so indifferent to what my doctors were recommending. Please keep us posted and I wish for you the very best life has to give you!

Hi! Have you seen a nutritionist? What kind of diet are they giving you for your pre-op and post-op? I have a 10 day preop and 8 week post op diet but they did not take any of my medication away from me except for the 24 or 48 hours before my surgery. If it's the pill size that they don't want you to suffer from you can buy a pill cutter and cut them in half and it makes it easier to swallow. If it's because they may cause your blood to thin then definitely don't take them until your doc says you can continue. I would ask him why they are wanting you to be off of them. I was taking a slew of meds since I had so many health issues and I would think ADVIL wouldn't be so bad?? But if your case I would consult the doc to be sure he wants you to discontinue this! After surgery my doc gave me some pain meds and they were the bomb! Didn't have to worry about ANY pain! Maybe your doc has something like that he plans on giving you and the advil may hamper it's effectiveness, but definitely ask him..

Hey Janieb! I'm in the Midwest and so far we haven't got too much bad weather but it looks like it could make a tornado pretty quick! Now about your fills. Does your doctor not put a local anesthetic on you before he starts poking around for the port?? I noticed some of the doctors don't but mine does. I think we all have to do the crunches for the port to be easily accessible?? I know I have to. The first fill he jumped around about 4 times and the second fill he got right in the middle, so much so that the port created a vacuum and it DIDN'T want to let go of the needle..when he pulled it the port, skin and all came up and the needle didn't budge! HA! It was hilarious..my doc said he hit it right on target though! :biggrin2: Then he pushed on the port and pulled on the needle and it had a big pop when it finally came loose! :wub: I am schedule for another fill next week but I turned down my third fill and I've been losing about 2 lbs a week which is really more than I need to, but not this month. He said he likes to see a pound a week come off and he has to see me once a month for this study I'm in so I have a greater advantage of being able to pick and choose fills, whereas some of the ladies on this forum almost have to beg to get their fills! Since my last fill I've adjusted to eating less so now I think I'm ready for a SLIGHT adjustment! See if your doc will give you a local so he can poke around and you won't feel i Ok..I'm not a computer guru either. I have asked some of the folks on this site and they are more than happy to help me so you will probably get lots of help and believe me it makes a big difference but I just never had to worry about pasting and posting so I can't help you but like I said a whole bunch of ladies and guys do!! Sorry~:thumbup: Let us know how everything works out! Every person is going to lose weight differently. There are too many variables to put in to play to feel like you're not up there with the rest of the people. Just hang in there!:confused:

Oh Melody! I'm so sorry to hear that! Are you going to have to go see a nutritionist before they do your surgery? That takes about 6 months and maybe you could knock that out while waiting for your insurance to accept you??:smile: I waited 2 years so I know what you're going through, but don't give up! More and more insurance companies are accepting this procedure everyday and with all the study groups going on to prove the usefulness of this surgery it will make that happen so don't give up!! I am a research participant on the new AP lap band and with the results from my study, they will hopefully help the future participants and wake up the insurance companies to how well this surgery does work!:biggrin2: Stay focused and don't let this bring you down. There is a light at the end of this tunnel!!

RSG..it's just the truth sweetie..you do have gorgeous locks and a precious smile!

Hi Joyce, I don't have anything like that but hopefully you will hear from someone soon!!

I agree CC! This is the best bunch of folks. I write more here than I do to my own mother~tell me we aren't a family here in this site!!

:wub: First I'd like to say welcome to Janice! This is a great place to get a lot of info and besides there are so many nice people here you will soon feel like you are part of a new extended family! :thumbup: Hello Aggie!! I think we all have been through the kick the damn scale into the neighbors yard plateau! I didn't lose any weight for about a month and once I got my first fill the weight just fell off..my size was going but the scale just sat there..so don't give up. It's just hanging on to the bitter end to test your endurance!:thumbup: :huh2: I know Kjeter is very aggressive in her journey and she sure looks it too..she's beautiful..and I believe her when she says she has no patience, but I think that just applies to her journey cuz she's so sweet! Looking forward to meeting her soon. :wub:Of course Lil Miss, it's always a pleasure to see you welcome all the new gals..just like you did me and that will be a day I will remember forever GF xox By the way..I noticed your new pic on your profile..you are looking so sexy!! Your DH is going to tie you up and not let you leave the house!! :rolleyes2:RSG..I almost feel guilty because I turned my third fill down!! I feel for you but maybe this week you'll feel more restriction and we'll see you sending smiles to us..yes?? :tongue: Ezma..you're great! Thanks for all your help and conversation. Sometimes we just need a little lady chat to Iron out our shortcomings..ME AND THIS DANG COMPUTER!! :thumbup: I have decided that since I've become accustomed to this latest fill that I will try a little more on my next visit! I have noticed no change in the scale..AGAIN..and part of that I think is because I was sick and sat and ate..so we are going to fill er up a bit more. I want to also say, all of you are a great inspiration not only to me but to so many people that visit all the Feb 08 Bandsters threads! So much fun and passing of info is remarkable! I love you all xox!! **big hugs**

:scared2: Ditto!:thumbup:

What a hoot! LOL! You girls are acting like sisters now! :huh2: Yep I think it would be great meeting both of you! I go through Lewisville on my way to Carrollton so that wouldn't be a problem. I've been down there enough to where I'm actually getting used to all those dang freeways crossing every which way and how high are they going to keep building them anyway?? Yes..I know how those bodices kinda tighten up and flatten out! HA! Poor women back in those days but I love the outfits! We certainly would probably be the loudest group of women when we do meet! I'm very laid back and not to civilized either..I am old enough now to know when you have the opportunity to laugh and enjoy life than take it all in! Not to hold anything back! We'll have to meet for sure! Don't worry about how you dress..dress comfortably..that's what I do! :biggrin2: Looking forward to it! We'll have a blast..what's really weird is no one will be able to guess we will have just met!!

Hey Kjeter! :biggrin2: Yes, I figured Crystal would be very outgoing since she does the Medieval festivals! I go to the ones here in Oklahoma and they are full of happy go lucky, friendly people! As far as her looks..she is gorgeous as well, I love her picture she has posted with her costume on! Both of you young ladies are the 9's! I would love to meet the both of you! And Lil Miss~~honey you are precious too!! You have the most dazzling smile and you are just beautiful!! :redface: We all are our own worse critics!! :huh2:

OH! Maybe if you just drink a protein shake about an hour after you eat it will help?? I usually don't get that feeling until maybe 3 hours after I eat and I will drink water or a bit of cheese to get me over that pang~?? Might need to ask your doc or your nutritionist what you can do?? If I start eating I can't keep going or I'll start pbing..and I hate that!! We can see what the other bandsters do to overcome this..

Hey CC and Kjeter! I think that's really cool the two of you met up and had lunch! My niece and nephew live in Carrollton. When we make a trip down there to visit them maybe we could all get together? And CC..you're right..she's a doll!:biggrin2:

Jamie! Congratulations on your anniversary and thereby your chicken tenders were warranted especially if this was your first trip out of your kitchen! That's the positive..you have been so good NOT to go out so one trip doesn't mean it will be a habit does it? :eek: I'm doomed if it does! LilMiss! Like you said GF..tomorrow is another day and your optimism is on target again!! You have got it going so well even if you have a little boo boo on the weekend you know what to do to fix it! :thumbup: Ezma! :huh2: You are the bomb! You are doing so good and my DH agrees! :smile2: I told him of how you are studying all the other tools available on the web and I am impressed..so much so that I told my DH that I'm checking out the site you wrote about.:biggrin2: ailbhe! :redface: I had the same problem during my 4-8th weeks..that scale would not budge..then when it finally did..it fell 8 pounds..so don't give up! I still catch myself overeating..not listening to my body until it's almost too late and end up with the same experience I see in your written word! My DH still tells me at every meal I spend with him..chew chew chew and take your time! But I admit..I'm a glutton and he is a marvelous cook! So you had a holiday..now you're back home and can get back into a routine and that may be just what you need to get off that plateau! Just hang in there!! We'll be in your corner!!:thumbup: RSG! :redface: Way to go..you are getting your exercise down now and sweetie I have to give you credit for being able to identify the drinking while you eat may be the error?? I get so thirsty when I eat..but alas I try not to drink 15 min before and an hour after (which is really really hard)!:scared2: But you are doing so great!!:thumbup: I just love this forum where you feel a kinship to all because let's face it..we've all been guilty..at least once or twice?? The main thing is we get right back into the swing of things and press on!!:wink2:

RSG! :frown: Thank you for the kind sweet words!:sad: I see you snuck a picture in too (on your profile page) and girlfriend..you are stunning! I know it's not easy but you are working it and it truly shows, and speak of beautiful hair..I wish I had yours! It's gorgeous!!:biggrin2: