WhisperLightly

I don't have any scientific answers for you... I only know that the band is a very mysterious and fickle thing. I do know, however, that you are definitely not alone with the scrambled eggs one. My doctor (and several upon several people from this board) have mentioned that scrambled eggs are very easily stuck. Anyways, I hope you figure it out! :smile2:

I started looking into the band when I was 18. I got banded 4 months after my 22nd birthday. You're definitely not too young... Good Luck!!!

I was in the same position as you were for awhile. I never questioned whether I wanted the band or not, because I knew that I did. But it got super stressful reading some of the posts about everything that can and do go wrong with the band. I had to stop coming here for a little while.. When things go wrong, I think people need a way to get out their frustration with their band.. because we'll all have them at some point. Life, in general, is frustrating. But I bet a little while down the road, if you ask those people that seem to hate their band right now, they'll say when it's all said and done, they love their band. Not everyone, no... but most. If you want to see the people who LOVE their band ... go to the before and after pics in the General Lap-Band Surgery forum. Not only is it inspirational to see the before and after pics... but these people are happy with their band. It's great I wish you all the luck in the world in your journey :thumbup: PM me anytime.

I've lost a little over 30 lbs and have yet to see a new size.. :biggrin: Ah well.. it will come. I wish you luck!

I'm in Michigan :cursing: I was just banded in April though. I hope the best for you in your weightloss journey!

I got approved through BCBS of MN ... Right when I was starting this process, they had changed it to be 3 dietician visits and 3 physician visits. I could have opted to use my primary care physician for the 3 physician visits but I chose to use the physician at the hospital. If you follow the 6 month diet and you are in the required BMI, you will get approved. The only way you will not get approved is if someone wasn't documenting things like they were supposed to. This is why I didn't use my primary care physician... because they're not familar with the specific protocol that the insurance company requires. They're pretty picky.. and if they don't see what they want.. you might have to go for more visits.

We are seeing the national average for girls going through menstration starting earlier and earlier. Half a century ago, the average age was probably 16. Now, it's more like 11. You need to have a certain percentage of fat in your body to begin the menstration cycle.. The amount of fat in the average American diet is leading to the earlier puberty rates. Unfortunately, once a girl hits puberty it becomes just that much harder to shed the weight. So, I think there is a link... but I think the link lies more within the fact that a higher percentage of body fat leads to earlier periods, instead of earlier periods leads to obesity.

I'm 22, too I got banded exactly one week ago...

I don't know anything about Alli, to be honest.. but in one of my classes the other night, the sports and health professor with a PhD in nutrition said that she didn't even know how Alli got approved by the FDA to be on the market... I can't remember the reason she made the comment.. but I don't think I'm going to go near it.

I had been looking into this surgery for a bit. My mom suggested that I do it. My mom is one of the most superficial people in the world (I love my mom but this is the truth). I was born and raised thinking it is not okay to be fat. My mom was fat as a child and went practically anorexic the summer between middle and high school and lost a ton of weight. She was determined to never let me go through the suffering she went through before she lost the weight. Instead, without realizing it, she put me through a whole different kind of suffering ... and it attacked my self esteem.. and I became fat anyway. One day I was at the bank... standing in line with one of my friends. We were laughing at something and went to talk to the teller. This older gentlemen came up to me and said "have you gotten a card yet?" -- and handed me one of the tellers business cards. He walked away and my friend and I were both very confused because this seemed so random. Why was this guy handing me a random bank tellers business card? Then I saw writing on the back of the card. He had written: "Check your weight before it's too late"

I'm on post-op day 7 ... According to my doctor, puree stuff is alright at this point, but I'mma hold off for a while (cause I don't want to deal with slips.. and because I have no idea what puree food is haha) .. My thoughts recently wondered to something in the kitchen cupboard that I am definitely not supposed to have yet.. So I fixed myself a Protein shake, sat and read this thread from page 1 to page 9, and I'm cured of my flightly thought earlier. I am by no means even remotely close to being experienced enough about the band to say anything about anything... but I know it's hard to do the liquid thing. All of us that are banded know... and we know if you keep your thoughts focused on food, they will remain there. And that makes for a miserable couple of weeks on the liquid diet. If you're thinking to yourself ... "I'll just have this one thing... then I won't need anything anymore" -- don't be fooled. You won't be satisfied with cheating just once. I think the best thing to do is stick with it... instead of thinking about food, think about... oh I dunno.. some new clothes you're going to buy when you lose some weight! Think of something motivational. Look at the before and after pics (amazing!). I don't think scare tactics work. But you really do need to keep in mind the possible consequences of not adhering to your doctors protocol. When something terrible happens, how many people are left thinking "I never thought it would happen to me" ..? I wish everyone luck :biggrin2:

I had to do the six month thing... but if I take that out completely.. I went to the first seminar... got an appt for like 3 weeks later to see if I'm a candidate. The first time I could get into a psychologist was a month after my first seminar (then had to come back in 2 weeks to go over the results.. and anticipate it taking 2 weeks MORE for him to write everything up and send it to the hospital)... The weight management team meets twice every month to go over a set number of "applications" into the program.. so that took a bit. I didn't even get to meet with my surgeon until November (I went to my seminar in June).. so I just did all my other stuff while also doing the 6 month thing. It only took like 9 days for insurance to approve me.. but it took 4 months to get a surgery date. And the surgery date was 3 weeks after that. So I mean.. minus EVERYTHING else I did.. and even after I got approval.. it still took almost 5 months to actually have the surgery. But everyyyywhere is different. I've read of some people starting the process in like.. January and being scheduled three weeks later. It all depends. My hospital is the only hospital in this area that most insurances will approve to even do the surgery (the area includes ALL of upper MN, upper Michigan, Canada, and some of the Dakotas) ... and we only have ONE surgeon at this time. So that's prob why mine took awhile. Good Luck!

After about a 10 months of going through this process, I was finally banded this past Friday (4/11/08). I'm sore but soooo excited that I'm finally at this part. I know bandster hell is going to be.. well, hell... but I'm so ready. :biggrin2:

Hey there. :smile2: I just got banded on Friday so I'm definitely still in that recovery period... I left the hospital that same day at like 6 pm and pretty much went to sleep at 7 or so. The pain.. I'd say it wasn't horrible. The first day.. my stomach felt like it had been punched a million times over and over again. But it was clear that this was just a "sore" type of pain. And I didn't really take any meds.. besides a little liquid loritab. The next day it felt a lot better but still sore. and today, I'm feeling pretty good. My stomach is still sore..but it's definitely only when I move lots and it's not a constant pain.. I'm perfectly comfortable sitting down right now typing on my lap top :biggrin2: It's definitely tolerable and definitely worth it :rolleyes2:

Hey everyone :purplebananna: I've currently been on a liquid diet for 11 days (Surgery on Friday!) and I have some questions. The liquid diet hasn't been too difficult for me.. but the last couple of days it seems to be wearing me out. I know that this liquid thing (before and after the band) is the hardest part of the process.. and I can understand that. I guess I'm just getting a little "blah" about it all. Everything is so sweet. The Protein drink is sweet, Jello is sweet, popsicles are sweet... and I hate broth. Is there ANYTHING that I can have that isn't so sweet? I know I just need to get through the next two and half to three weeks.. but goodness, it's going to be long. I'm not even craving bad food at all. What I wouldn't give to have some vegies, fruit.. or anything remotely close to solid! Oh well.. Hope everyone is doing well :biggrin2:

When I first started this process I wanted it done NOW.. I thought I couldn't wait that long (I had the 6 month thing too)... So I went about my daily life and before I knew, 6 months had passed. It will come before you know it! Granted... it took my hospital an extra 4 months after I got insurance approval to actually SCHEDULE me.. but eh. The wait is over now and it feels like nothing -- I get banded on Friday :tt1:

Cindy -- You can do it!! :wink_smile: Everyone who has the band has it because they've struggled with weight themselves. If you need a pick-me-up... go to the thread at the top and look at the Before and After pics.. talk about inspiration! The band is a tool you've never had before.. You still have to work hard for it.. but the tool is there to help you, something you've never had in the past. It will be great

Hi everyone! I only read the very last response on the last page so have no idea what's going on elsewhere mammanan -- I have BCBS -- while they require you to visit a dietician once a month for 6 months.. it is not under the stipulation that you lose weight. I did that.. and I didn't lose any weight at all. (I didn't gain any either.. but still). And I think they've changed it recently (yet again!) .. you have to have 3 dietician visits and 3 doctor visits. it still equals 6 months but it's a little different.

To attend the seminars here (as they are packed full usually) -- you have to have a referral from your PCP. If not at the seminar.. at some point you need a referral.. I don't think insurance (mine, anyway) will cover the "screening" visits to the dietician and doctor if there's no referral in place. To get ahead of the game -- I called to make a psych evaluation the same day I went to the seminar (it takes forever to get an appt for a psych eval here). But -- like everyone else is saying -- everywhere is different. I've been reading posts where people are saying.. "I looked into the lapband at the beginning of January and was scheduled for surgery 3 weeks later". That is NOT how the process went for me and it had nothing to do with insurance taking forever to approve me. I went through my 6 months of appointments with a dietician, 3 appts within those 6 months with a doctor, I was accepted into the program (i guess at my place they hold meetings twice a month where they look over peoples records and your psych eval and decide whether or not you're a good candidate for the program) -- after ALL that was said and done it was the end of December (I started this in June) .. my insurance got sent out. I was approved in 10 days. So it was basically the very beginning of Jan when I got approved. I didn't get called from the scheduling people until a week and a half ago. So, it's been a long process for me. But understandable. And it could be totally and completely different for you, ya never know.

Hi there I went to the seminar and they signed me up for a visit with one of their doctors (I could have opted to use my primary care physician but I've heard that they don't always know exactly how to document things.. and some insurance companies suuuuure are picky) and with a nutritionist. When I went to that appt, they told me what I needed to get approved (this first appointment is a screening). BCBS (my insurance company) requires 6 months of dietician visits and 3 doctors visits within that 6 months. So you might have to do some requirements ... The only thing I'm concerned about with you is that... for some insurance companies.. they require that you have 5 years of medically documented proof that you've been overweight and tried, unsuccessfully, to do something about it. Some people can't get the converage just for that lack of proof alone. Anyways -- if your hospital and surgeon are anything like mine, THEY tell you what you need and THEY have their own insurance "expert" to make you get what you need.. and THEY assemble all your information once you get the requirements filled. They send it off to the insurance and the insurance approves you through them. :biggrin2: I'm learning more and more that every place is different though, lol. So good luck to you! It will all work out.

I've never been much of a pop drinker... sure I had a can like once a day, but I never really craved it.. From what I've heard, though... it's not as hard as you think. And after awhile of not having it.. if you try it, it will taste syrupy and gross and you'll be like 'why did I ever like this stuff in the first place?' Good luck to all of you!!

hi all. I did tell my doctor :sad: He didn't care at all.. he actually chuckled and said, "you know, you're the first one of my patients to ever come out to me". It was fun. And while I don't necessarily go around advertising.. or shaking peoples hands while saying "hi my name is this and I'm a lesbian" .. I also have absolutely nothing to hide. One day my doctor was going on and on about the pregnancy risks after surgery because you become like hyper-fertile if you've lost weight.. and I just had to interupt and tell him it just wasn't an issue :scared2: lol. :wink: Do what feels right. If it makes them uncomfortable, then so what? They have to treat you the same regardless.

Hey all I'm getting banded on April 11th :scared2: I'm liking this forum... being a lesbian and all, lol. :sad:

I'm slightly confused Bel -- have you really been banded for 7 years? You're 22! .... Best of luck to everyone! -- I'm trying to stay away from threads like this because they freak me out. I just want to go back to being happy that I'm going to lose weight.. instead of freaked out about the excess skin. ahhh. lol.

Antonietta -- What kind of pre-diet does your doctor have you on before surgery? I'm on a pretty strict liquid diet (5 packages of carnation instant Breakfast, a scoop of whey Protein ... sugar free Jello and popsicles) ... If you're on anything like that... you should lose a considerable amount of weight before the surgery even happens. I'm supposed to lose about 15 lbs on this alone. So.. I think if your surgery is May 16th ... and you want to lose 20 by July.. it is definitely attainable :thumbup: