DonnaB

It cost me $10,600 to pay for my surgery in Mexico. Plus airfare. If gaining 10 pounds - or even 20 pounds - would have made my insurance pay for the surgery, I would have done it. I expect my response will get a lot of negative feedback, but in reality, if you're willing to pay more than $10,000 to lose the weight, a relatively small weight gain to save that much seems like a no-brainer to me. Now, if you have to gain 30, 40, or 50 pounds to make the cut, that's a different story. At least it is in my Fairytale. Good luck with your decision - let us know what you decide.

I hate folding sheets. I hate it. They're huge and you always end up dropping a part of it on the laundry room floor - either that or one of the pillowcases. And what about FITTED sheets? They work great when they're on the bed but, honestly, can ANYONE fold them and have them come out flat? Or does everyone, like me, settle for a semi-folded, mostly-balled-up lump? What about the one pillowcase that ALWAYS gets stuck in the corner of the fitted sheet and comes out of the dryer either still damp or completely dried in a tight, wrinkley little ball? Jeez! The only thing worse than folding sheets . . . is putting wadded, wrinkley sheets on the bed which have been sitting in a laundry basket. Particularly when you realize the damned cat has been using them for a comfy catnap! Crud. Back to the laundry room.

I think you may be confusing the size of the actual band vs. the capacity of that band. People who have a 10cm band, have a band which will hold a capacity of 4cc's of saline. I'm not sure of the measurment of the bigger band, but it holds 10cc's of saline - more than twice the capacity of the 10cm band. cm refers to the measurement of the actual band cc refers to the amount of liquid the band will hold Does that confuse the issue further, or does it make sense?

I've had the black tongue - after taking Pepto Bismol. I had no idea Pepto did that and it scared the crap out of me.

Wheetsin, my hair loss started with a few strands and is now at full shed! I don't lose "clumps", but every time I was and style my hair I lose a TON of "singles". It's starting to depress me.

WOW! That sounds scary to me. But only because I thought I'd be pinched in half by 1.9 and am doing well on my current 1.2 fill. I think the only weird part about this is HOW DIFFERENT the anatomy of two people can be! lol

3.anything in a 4cc band is high, but if she's got a 10cc band - not so big a deal. The amount of fill without the band size doesn't tell much.

Go to www.tickerfactory.com Select "Weight Loss" from the list. Choose the ticker ruler you want, then click "Next". Choose the ticker slider you want, then click "Next". A form will pop up. Fill out the form. (Weight Units, weight change or total weight lost, starting weight, current weight, target weight) Then click "Next". You will get a page that says "Done! Your Ticker URL is: " Scroll down till you see the box labelled "bbCode". Inside that box, You will see something like this: [http:TiickrFactry. c o m] [/url] Highlight and copy everything from (you want to leave off the [ur=http://, etc] at the beginning and the [ /url] at the end.) Return to Lapbandtalk and click on “UserCP” which is in the upper left corner of the home page (in the top blue bar). Click on Edit Signature. Paste the copied information from TickerFactory. Preview the post to be sure it's right, then click "Save Signature". You're done! If you need more help just let me know.

The problem is, what EXACTLY is an aggressive fill? I started out with a 1.4 fill, the next visit the doctor put in an additional .5 making my fill level 1.9cc's. Which was WAY, WAY too much. I was fine with 1.4, but 1.9 kept me from swallowing my own spit. The 36 hours I spent with too much fill also caused esophagitis which required an unfill and 2 months of medication to get under control. The first month after the unfill I regained weight and I'm just now back to where I was with the 1.4 fill. I lost, effectively, nearly 2 months' worth of weight loss because of too much fill. IMHO - IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT. Go slowly. It took time to reach the weight you are, just accept that it's going to take time to lose that weight. This is a journey, not a race. Having said all that, I did not want that second fill - the doctor was just supposed to check my band under fluro. He insisted on checking the fill level at the same time. When he did, he added the .5 without informing me. I had no idea what the hell was wrong later that night when I couldn't swallow. (If you want to read about that saga, check out my LBT journal) So . . . YOU have to be your own advocate. YOU have to tell the doctor what you want and YOU have to be sure he does what you want. YOU're the only person who can - and who should - decide what's best for you. Suggestions are nice, advice is nice, but in the end it's completely up to you.

Thanks for all the reassurance and suggestions everyone! When we decided to buy the furniture we had planned to arrange it so the right side of the bed was toward the window, with the armoire at the foot of the bed on THAT wall. We even measured to be sure it would fit that way. Sadly, (stupidly) we measured the FOOTPRINT of the bed and didn't figure space for the way a sleigh-bed swoops away from the bed at the headboard and the footboard. Doh! With the furniture arranged the way that makes the most sense (and has been suggested a couple of times here, lol) it only leaves 18" between the footboard of the bed and the front of the armoire. It looks crazy that way, like it's in storage instead of in use! I suppose we could turn the bed and leave the armoire to the left of it on that wall, but then we wouldn't be able to watch TV in bed - which we enjoy doing, and is the reason we bought the armoire to begin with! *sigh* My sister sent me a furniture store website that has a virtual layout planner. I'm going to spend a little time and put in all my measurements (making sure to account for the silly sleigh-bed swoop!) and move the furniture around vitually to A) save my back, and see if I can get the headboard away from the window. In all honesty, I just don't think it can be done. That's OK. Victorian rooms were usually crowded with heavy furniture. All I need to do is cover the whole window wall with rich, heavy curtains just dripping with bullion fringe, add a potted palm and a thick rug - and VOILA! Victorian heaven. A couple of nice oil paintings in ornate gilded frames would really seal the deal but . . . Oh hey, how do we feel about pastoral scene mural medallions painted on the ceiling? I know, overkill! I'm famous for it. The pictures I took make the furniture look like a tighter fit than it really is. 24 hours later and we're starting to get used to it. Now I just have to talk my husband into my decorating scheme (either that or just do it) and we'll be all set. Sadly, I've spent all of our disposable income - and THEN SOME! lol - so the expensive part of completing 'the look' is going to have to wait awhile. Question: Do most couples have mutual consensus on decorating their homes or do most women just decorate and let their husbands get used to it? As far as I can tell, the husbands really don't care that much about it, and after the decorating is done they stop seeing it. Whereas women still see it - they have to, they're the ones dusting it. P.S. The cat's are Baldrick, he's the 16 year old gray Maine Coon, and the white tub of lard, er, cat is Percy, he's 15 years old.

I can't believe more people didn't chime in on this thread. I don't have a copy on my computer to share but . . . this morning I went into our master bathroom and saw that my husband had pulled out an old picture of me - framed in a pewter heart shaped frame - and put it on the sink next to his shaver. I can't decide if that's sweet or scary. LOL!

I just bought a 5 treatment package for my neck, chin, and jawline for $450. My first treatment is on August 7th. Should I get the numbing cream do you think?

Can't do scrambled eggs - my doctor says that if you cook them well done over high heat, the Protein forms into solid blocks - whatever that means! Apparently, if you cook them slowly over a lower heat or in the top of a double boiler it's not such a problem. Either way, my scrambled egg days are OVER after a 6 hour PB on them! Yikes. I can't eat scallops but I can eat shrimp if it eat it in small bites and chew like crazy. I can't eat bananas or the white membrane part of oranges but I have no problem with watermelon (thank goodness!!!!!) or with plums. I can't eat french fries - hooray! I can't eat Cream of Wheat, which is about the consistency of grits, but I have no problem with oatmeal. I think it's all a crap-shoot to be honest. There's no other reason why some people can eat stuff and some can't. There's no other reason why you can eat some things today but not tomorrow. I have a theory: It may have something to do with how hydrated you are at the time. Hmmmmmm. Anyone want to chime in on this one? Good luck. Let us know what you can't eat!

Hey Paula, Sorry you're going through this and I completely understand about the privacy issue. There are plenty of things that I could use advise about but I'm too close-lipped to ask for it. You might try talking to your doctor about switching around the medications your husband takes. I hear people say all the time that the medication works for awhile then slows down or stops. If your husband's medication was changed every 6 months or so it might help. I don't mean a different doseage, but a completely different medication. It's worth talking to the doctor about it. Good luck, let us know if you find out anything, and thanks for opening up about things, it inspires me to relax about and try to share some problems of my own.

Wow is THAT a glass half empty! I've never heard of anyone paying that much for a fill. The most I've heard of locally (Dallas/Ft. Worth) was $250 with fluroscopy. My insurance wouldn't cover my band so I was a self-pay. I just assumed I'd be in that $250 per fill group and I STILL thought having lap band surgery would be worth it. As it turns out, my insurance will cover my fills and I only pay a $50 co-pay. I DO agree with Geezer Sue when she recommends assessing your own situation. The lap band has slow, limited, or no success with people who WANT to eat around the band. By that I mean that band surgery won't keep you from eating a pint or two of ice cream every day. It won't help you if you graze (eat small amounts) all day long. It won't help you if chocolate or cheesecake or any other easy-to-eat-crappy-for-you food calls your name and you MUST obey. It takes willpower, committment, and determination to have success with a gastric band. All the things, in fact, you have to have if you simply diet. The difference is, with the band, when you fall off the diet wagon, you can only do so in limited quantities and that gives you time to re-group, climb back up onto the wagon (climb down off of the ledge - choose your own simile) and get back on track, without wreaking too much havoc with the progress you've already made. You must choose your own path, but know that if you choose the lap band you'll have plenty of support and feedback here on LBT. These ladies (and gents!) are THE BEST! Good luck on your weight loss journey.

My hair dresser also says Nioxin shampoo will help with hair loss. He says not to bother with the Nioxin conditioner though. I'm in the 'hair-loss-window' of 4 - 8 months and am losing lots of hair. Weird, huh? lol. It's pretty scary to lose this much hair and I feel fortunate that I had a lot to start with. I'm worried that my perceived "advantage" of having so much hair will turn out to not be enough. The bathroom floor, sink, shower, my pillow, hairbrush, hands-while-I'm-styling-my-hair! all seem to support this worry. Like we don't already have enough going on with damaged self-esteem issues! Let's all go bald too. I know I'll feel really good about myself then. *sigh*

If your birthday falls on the day before or the day after the cutoff for a star-sign, you are on the cusp and generally take on characteristics of both signs. If you believe in that kind of thing that is. lol I'm on the cusp between Virgo and Libra, and believe me, I fit the description for both of those signs in most aspects. Nit-picky and precise on the one hand, and can't see an argument from only one perspective on the other! Sometimes it's a real pain in the ass. Interesting poll Plunder/Nana. (BTW, why did you change your name here?)

Ashamed to see your doctor? Hell, he'll be THRILLED to see you! Not only does it put money in his pocket, he just loves to be needed. They all do. Makes 'em feel important. lol Get your fill, move forward. Come back and let us know how you're doing.

I had to stop drinking coffee because of esophagitis. Caffeine is irritating to the esophagus - I never knew it was a problem, but I definitely feel the difference now. Ouch. Maybe your doctor is trying to wean you off of caffeine before surgery so you won't have to go through withdrawal at the same time you're recovering from your surgery? Not sure. Ask your doc.

Yay for you!!!!! I so glad things are starting go your way . . . . FINALLY!!!! lol Keep us posted!

I agree that you should call your doctor, but I also think - if you haven't already done this - you should go on liquids for a few days. If you did pull your stomach away from the band, you should give it some time to heal and possibly build up more scar tissue. Even if you didn't do any damage, liquids for a few days can't hurt. Call your doctor.

OK, I'll play. This is a picture of me when I worked the Rennaisance Faire circuit back in 1995 or so . . . And a color version (probably a year or so later) . . . I was a kissing wench with a pub show - another lady (? lol ?) and I sang bawdy songs at the top of our voices, and kissed anyone who could afford it - or who didn't move fast enough if their friends paid for it! On the cheek or neck people! (On this board you have to explain yourself or risk being misunderstood! Ha ha) On one notable occasion I left bright pink lips, closely packed together, all over a gentleman's close cropped head. I think he was a marine or something, and because of the (very) short blonde peachfuzz he walked away looking like some strange breed of leopard! It was great - one of my favorite wenchings!

This is a very cathartic thread so I'm giving it a :bump:

Jeez - you wanna pass the collection plate after that sermon?

Yep, I agree with everyone else - sounds like migraine to me too. The best OTC med I've used for them is Exedrin Migraine - here's the problem, Exedrin is part of the ANCID group of medications which lap bandsters are supposed to avoid. They're hard on the stomach and so are hard on your esophagus and the band. My doctor said taking these meds OCCASIONALLY is OK, you just have to watch how frequently they're used. When I feel a migraine coming on, if I take the Exedrin Migraine quickly enough I can avoid the headache or (more often) extremely suppress it so it isn't as painful or doesn't last as long. With a bad headache, I too have to retreat to a darkened room and lie PERFECTLY still, sometimes for as much as 12 - 24 hours. And then, as if it wasn't bad enough to lose one day to a migraine, I get what I call a 'phantom or shadow headache' the next day. It's not really a headache, but my head doesn't feel quite right, almost like a hangover, but not. I know - how vague and unhelpful can I be here? Sorry. I'm not sure of the chemical make-up of BC powder so I'm not sure if it's an ANCID or not, but you should find out before you start using it. I HAVE heard from several people that BC Powder works well for migraines, but they also say you have to be careful when you take it or you can inhale a bit of the powder as you pour it on your tongue. It makes you cough like crazy and gives you a scratchy throat when it happens. Just a heads-up on taking BCP. Sorry you're having headaches - migraine or not. You really should see a doctor just to be sure there isn't something else going on there.