Roustabout

I was banded on August 8, 2008, weighing 365. I lost more than 40 pounds the first month, with no fills, eating carefully avoiding sugars and high glycemic carbohydrates, which I've always known are my down fall. I'm full of energy and feel wonderful when I've cut out the bad carbs. Always have. Now it's November 8, just three months hense. I've had two fills and spent considerable time upchucking bits of grape skins, or a piece of meat or whatever. After the second fill, I never know exactly when I'm going to get into real pain. I've eaten fast my entire life. If I eat just two grapes fast, or forget for only 30 seconds when eating, the pain will start and last for as much as an hour as I try to throw it back up. The training is hard, this learning to eat properly. Too frequently I've injested sugar... in cold ceral, or a cookie, or holloween candy or. When that happens I pay by feeling dragged out and worn down. It's self inflicted and stupid and I've fought it forever. Today I weigh 298 so in three months I've lost 67 pounds. :rolleyes2: That's a start. Now to get better at being a responsible chewer. David Martin:thumbup:

I was banded on August 4 and followed a liquid shake diet for the first two weeks. In that two weeks I had one bowel movement. On the 14th day I felt I really needed to go...I was hurting. I was glued shut like a steel trap. I've been constipated before but this was I may have to have an operation constipated.:biggrin::thumbup: The night prior to the surgery, I had to have an enema. They were cheap so I bought several. Having an enema available on a Sunday night saved me. There cheap, so why not have a few around?

I'm one of those assholes of the male gender. I've had the pain that leaves you hollow and you think that life's just not worth the effort. I'm into my third marriage and had six other engagements broken off. I swore off women for ten years after my second divorce. Africa for three years, Alaska for two, then lived on a Korean Tuna boat in the West Pacific for three years. Every woman viewed me as almost. There were several good things about me and they could correct the other faults. I was a fixer upper. My current wife of ten years doesn't think like that. It's blissful. Ma'am it hurts when you care about someone more than they care about you. It tears your guts out. I know that feeling well. Nothing I can say will make it go away. Here's the deal. It will go go away in time. You will recover. You will be able to look back and wonder. Right now the best thing you can do is throw yourself into something to not dwell on it. You have one thing you can throw yourself into, taking care of you and your health. By the time you've arrived at your goal life style and weight, this will be better. Then you'll have to watch out for those males with one thing on their mind...your great smile. Bonne Chance David:biggrin2:

I had the surgery on Monday 4 August. In and out the same day. Two weeks of liquid diet. For the first time in years, I am not interested in sweets or other high glycemic carohydrates. The only time I think about food at all is when I smell my wife's cooking. It's not like hunger, but remembering how great it did taste. I weigh too much for my home scales to measure so the first goal is get back onto 300 pounds scales. I started out at 365. I note my face getting thinner and my legs and ankles aren't retaining lots of Water. I feel good. In two days I see the surgeon and start on the mushy phase for two weeks. I haven't had one problem with the whole thing so far. Soon the 39 bills from different departments who don't follow instructions will start to come in. That will last for the next year. Then the surgery will be officially over.:thumbup:

I'm retired military and live a long way from a military base. Instead of paying $400 plus per year for Tricare Prime then having to have a primary care physian referral for every thing, I pay nothing and have Tricare Standard. With Standard there is no referral requirement. I just make an appointment with the Doctor I want to see and proceed. Tricare's requirements for lapband is published as 100 #s over your weight and one co morbidity. Less requires two co-morbidities. No morbidity requires 200 over. As you in Tricare know, at most they just read and react. I had a nearly two:blink: months snafu because the doctors office didn't send the paperwork forward for nearly three weeks after I saw him and then sent to the wrong place. After lots of time on the phone, I located the correct Tricare office, to find they had never heard of my desires for the surgery. I got a correct fax number and called the doctor's office again. They faxed it on Friday, it was approved the following Tuesday and six days later I had the surgery.

Elayne, Sleep Apnea has several excellent support forums just like this one. This biggest obstacle for me was finding the kind of mask I could tolerate. A full face made me clostrophohic. The small ones with nose prongs are wonderful, but I can't seem to get enough air. The one I settled on was a mask covering just my nose. I'm not a mouth breather. I have about 1,400 hours under the hose, but it's still a chore when I use it. A bad hip forces me to sleep sitting in a recliner. At that angle I don't have apneas (Breathing stops) so it doesn't impact when I don't use the hose. The rewards of sleeping with a CPAP machine are outstanding.

Elayne, I've solved the sleeping with a cpap mask dozens of times only to lose the threat again. When I'm able to sleep 4 or more hours with the mask, I have so much energy the next day, it's like I'm on drugs. Once, I slept 9 hours, 7hours and 8 hours with the hose in three nights and I honestly don't remember ever feeling that good. Now, due to a bad hip, I sleep sitting up in a recliner and don't have apneas, so the mask doesn't help. It was hard to get past in my mind. Imagine having a tool that will make you feel like superman, but not using it.

:biggrin2::cool2: Finished at 230 pm today. Now 11 pm and I'm still waiting for the first unpleaseant:biggrin2:. Of course my fingers tingle and feel like hams, making typing a chore. Like someone said, relax and enjoy.:thumbup:

Moe, I was joking about being in your rear view mirrow. I was more exasperated because I'd wasted nearly three months getting it done. When I turned 50 the AARP sent me a document titled the ten commandments of growing old gracefully. Number one is, "it doesn't matter." Wish I'd taken that to heart when I was 30. Would have saved a lot of heart burn and perhaps wasted relationships. :thumbup:It' 11 Pm. I was finished banded about 230 pm, today. I still have tingly hams for fingers and keep hitting wrong keys. I'm still waiting for the first hurt to hit. I drank a cup of chicken broth for my only meal since yesterday and have drank a lot of Water. Clear liquids only for two days then liquids only for 2 weeks.:cool2:

I'm retired military with Tricare insurance. In May I visited with the surgeon and he said they would send package to Tricare for approval. He said they would reply within 45 days. I waited, then contacted the doctor's office after 45 days. Nada. They said they would contact Tricare and send the package again. :biggrin: I waited. This last Monday 27 July, 2008, I called the provider again, and they said they were still waiting. Then, I contacted the Tricare number the provider gave me and after being shifted from hither to there, it was concluded they didn't have any request from the provider. I got the fax number from them and called giving it to the provider's office. They then, for the third time, so they said, faxed it to Tricare. Two days later I called the right Tricare office and was told approved along with the authorization Number. Called the Doctor's office with that information. I bought the Doctor's Protein powder and started the pre-op diet two weeks ago, on a gamble. My surgery is Monday, August 4th. Tricare approved in three days. I could have had this surgery in May if I'd gotten involved immediately and not just expected things to go right. Hidden in this dietrite is a message I think.:thumbup::thumbup:

It's Sunday afternoon, August 3, and the clock is ticking toward a tomorrow morning happening. I'm torn between continuing on the liquid diet or binging on a thick grilled steak like the rest of my family is doing. After losing more than 400 pounds in my life, I've drawn a line in the sand and drink a Protein drink. No more buffets for David. Just wish it was 24 hours later so I could type how great it went and how wonderful I feel. For now I'm scared spitless just like for every elective surgery I've had in the past...shoulder, hip replacement. It's the anticipation and worry about how many other attempts have failed. Most of us can expect that.:teeth_smile:

Busy time. Last Monday it had been 3 months since I started trying to have this happen. I called the doctor's office to find they were still waiting for Tricare (retired military) to send approval. I called Tricare and after being passed around finally talked to the right people to find they had nothing on file requesting lap-band for me. I got their fax number and called the doctor's office. They said they'd faxed it two times before to different numbers. They faxed to the new number. Approved Wednesday morning (two days). Surgery scheduled for five days hense. I could have had this surgery in May and lost a ton of weight already If I'd gotten more involved sooner. :scared2::cursing: The older I get the dumber I grow. Now, I'm behind Moe 128 forever. David

12 years ago, I took a sabattical from my work for a year and rode a bicycle seven days a week, 4-6 hours per day. I weighed in at 260 # s and in that year got up to riding several 100 Kilometer rides in Fort Collins, Colorado. I rode a good mountain bike then for the big tires. Mountain bikes are heavy and take more effort to ride. It was a Diamond Back costing $800. At the same time I bought a 25 year-old Volvo for $600 as my car. Now, I weigh 360. I recently bought a recumbent bike because it takes much of the pressure off my back. So far I haven't figured out how to ride it. It's a different balance. I've been riding my wife's Trek hybrid bike. The tires are smaller than a mountain bike and larger than a road bike and the weight is right in the middle. Whatever you get, pay particular attention to the seat. Those little brittle ones are back/butt wreckers. I'd try for one without the low slung handlebars. That's a real hard position, hard on your back, neck and shoulders. Yes, you need a riding helmet and gloves. I laughed when told that, then wrecked at 35 miles per hour on a railroad crossing. Checked out the helmet, gloves and long trousers on the pavement. Take it slow and steady and you can get into riding. It's fun. David:cool2:

I was a helicopter pilot for 35 years. Few people are blessed with a job they'd do for free if necessary. A bad hip forced me out of the cockpit last year. Now going through alternative certification to teach Jr. High math.

I'm a retired Army helicopter pilot, Ranger, Infantry grunt , holed up in Cleveland, TX, the fartherest north my wife has ever lived. I finally lost the fight with the weight demons last year. I have tricare standard. I'm waiting daily for scheduling for the surgery...Waiting for the tricare letter. Most of the news from Tricare is good. There are a lot of people on this forum who had lap band with tricare. Their stated requirements are: 100 pounds overweight off the insurance charts plus one morbidality like High blood pressure, sleep apnea or such. They don't care what your BMI rating is. Some have gotten approval in as little as ten days. I've never been that lucky, but the Tricare office keeps telling the surgeons office it'll be any day. I've tried so many things for weight loss through the years, including a years of physical work outs, hypnosis, and every diet know to man, that my wife doesn't believe this will work either. Therefore she's taken a standoffish mode. Meanwhile the pies, and cakes, and huge meals keep happening while I'm hanging on to the pre-op diet of Protein drinks. Lady, this has to work. I'm a walking powder keg looking for a stroke or a jump into diebetes. My wife is approching the same keg, but she's never dieted in her life. If I can but lose the weight and get into condition with the band, maybe she will follow. Every morning I check and see if she's breathing. She's as hard headed as your husband. It runs directly in her family. Good luck and check here for support.:smile2: David

I'm still waiting for the surgery to be scheduled. Every day I take lasik for retention. If I forget it until late in the day my legs swell up from the feet to the knees making my skin tight as a drum. From folks post surgery, does blood pressure and Water get better after like the advertising touts? David:unsure:

It's an aquired taste. I hated Diet Coke the first hundred times then liked it. I did no like Diet rite either but stayed with it because it doesn't have aspertame and learned to like it. Same with Sprite zero. You won't like it at first, but if you want to continue, it will taste better to you. I had to hold my nose to drink Scotch, but I did learn to enjoy it.

Yes, I'm getting the surgery done in Conroe at the Journey Lite clinic by Dr Richard Collier. It's day surgery. Lap band is all they do. and all the surgeon does. Now if Tricare will get off a dime, I will proceed with vigor.

I'm glad there are folks on here closer to my age who have been or are continuing to be successful. I could no longer sit in a helicopter cockpit because of a bad hip and stopped to get it replaced. There was a malfunction in the hospital after the surgery that has permanently grounded my flying. Leading up to the hip replacement, I worked out 2-4 hours a day in a YMCA, six days a week. After the malfunction, I can only walk with a cane, can't sleep full down in a bed, take pain medication every day to survive and gained 65 additional pounds in the year since the hip thing. I've fought the weight dragon my whole life, but lost control the last year. If I can't turn this horse, I'm headed for a stroke and will probably get a job in a carnival. Now, I'm waiting for the insurance connections and I'm doing alternative certification to teach middle school math in rural Texas. This will be my fourth career, but I have to do a lot of standing to accomplish it. Like several have said, failure is not an option. I bought a high quality eliptic machine that can handle my 360 pounds. Can't walk but hopefully can do that plus lifting.

The color does not matter. What I hate about the process is every four years candidates promise 99% of what they can't, physically don't have the ability to deliver. Obama is going to get how many overpaid CEOs to take massive pay cuts and sent the money to whom. He will provide 100 % health coverage while lowering the national debt. He will cut an run from Iraq, keeping our record going from every war we've fought since 1945. I do not believe Obama is any dumber than the Clintons when they promised all these things. It's people who really believe the promises are possible that floor me.

Minor surgery is surgery on someone else. If it's on me or you it isn't minor. I've had chest surgery, hip replacement surgery, shoulder surgery, skin cancer surgery and late life appendix rupture. I never have became blaise about surgery. I'm trying to get mine scheduled now and when it is, I will be apprehensive until it's over. Except for the chest surgery which came from a car wreck, and the appendis thing, right up to them putting me under I've been on the verge of saying, no way you're cutting on me, let's call this off. Never have and I'm still here. I hope this surgery is as fast to recover from as all state. Bonne Chance

I'm David Martin, a here-to-fore commercial helicopter pilot. I've lost more than 900 pounds in my life but I'm heavier than ever. For 25 plus years I carried 220 pounds on a 6' 1" frame. Now, I'm at 346 and I lost an inch of altitude. I live outside of Cleveland...Texas on 13 acres of trees and tangle. This was my 54th and hopefully final move. I'm now training for alternative certification to teach middle school math. I badly need to lose 100+ pounds and change my lifestyle to keep it there. I have high blood pressure (controlled) and obstructive sleep apnea.:cursing::cursing::thumbs_down:

I watched a report on Sixty Minutes, three days ago, that gastric bypass surgery solved high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and diabetes every time. I had sleep apnea 32 years ago when I weighed 205 pounds on a 6'1" frame. Now, I'm 346 pounds and I lost an inch of height. I've had high blood pressure for the last four years, controlled with medication. I also was 'discovered' to have obstructive sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. I've avoided the idea of either gastric bypass or lap band because it basically is forced portion control. Although I've lost over 900 pounds in my life, I'm now heavier than ever and I can't get it together. I intend to do a procedure, but I want to correct high blood pressure and sleep apnea as well as ward off the diabedes that might be headed my way. Anyone know the answers?:redface: