waikiki

Good luck you two!! Congrats on the beginning of the new you!!

My surgery was covered at 100% as an outpatient procedure so that is what I opted for. I was able to get free fills but the length of time between them is what you have to watch for. The first fill could be within 30 days of the surgery but the next fill had to be no more than 90 days from the surgery date.. I then had to get some taken out and that was also covered so if that ever happens you might check before you panic, but it was covered for me with BCBS. Each insurance is different as each policy within the insurance company is different. The best thing to do is get your insurance card out and call the Customer service number on the back and ask them. You may also want to have the Dr. office call and verify using the codes they have to bill with..

I am also into grilling chicken thighs or leg quarters.. I marinate them then throw on the grill.. I also am able to eat grilled asparagus, zucchini, squash and onions with it.. I can't eat any bread or Pasta so no worries there.. I can eat tortilla chips so I do on occasion make nachos out of the chicken with some ff refried Beans.. lots of Protein.. I also make terriaki turkey burgers.. and I get the 98% ff ground beef and make burgers from that on the grill. I don't eat a bun... Crock pots are great to put a jar of your favorite chunky salsa with some chicken of choice for about 4-6 hours on high when you return you have moist tender dinner ready to eat..

Sunday is my freebee day.. I take the kids to McDonald's after church.. B: Protein Shake L: meat/cheese from a double cheeseburger tea D: 98% ff hamburger with baked beans orange slices S: FF peach yogurt ( I don't eat any bread, it doesn't work with my band and I learned that fries and my band aren't friends either, that's a good thing!!)

Congrats to everyone for their weight loss. Congrats to Cathy on her grandbaby!! I haven't been on in a while.. I have changed jobs.. I took a huge pay cut to be closer to home..1.1 mile commute and am now the health assistant or nurse for a local elementary school in our community. It's awesome.. I will be home with my kids for the summer and holidays and that's what it's all about, being with my family. I have averaged about 1 pound a week the last month, had some set backs with dealing with the loss of my dad and his funeral and all. I go in on Sept. 25th and hopefully they will schedule me for my 2nd fill. I also has a set back with my exercise, I wacked the back of my ankle on our coffee table and I have been trying to let it heal before I put this old body to work again.. Our pools have closed for the summer and so it's pounding the pavement for these bad knees.. I am really glad that I haven't gained through my ordeal and the fact that I have still lost anything at all I am beside myself!! I think my 2nd fill will be wonderful as my 1st fill gave me pretty good restriction so I am looking forward to this next one..

New! nectar - The Protein that taste like fruit juice! This is what I like.. I have the Lemon Tea and the Carribean Cooler, the CC tastes like a Pina Colada.. It's my favorite!!! I don't add anything to it.. I get them at the Vitamin Shoppe...

My first fill is doing me wonders.. I am loosing my 2lbs a week and now have lost 42lbs!! I have also found with my fill I can't have any bread products.. I tested the waters and found out really quick.. :thumbup: I am eating a lot less and exercising so much more.. I hardly ever get on here now b/c I am so busy enjoying life!!!

I would ask your doctor.. I was only allowed clear liquids after midnight... until 24 hours after I got my fill.

I got my first fill today.. I have lost 22 lbs since my surgery 4 weeks ago and since I started my weightloss journey.. I have lost 38lbs... :biggrin:

I get my first fill tomorrow.. I was thinking it would be in a few weeks but my Dr. is going on vacation for 2 weeks and when they called and said tomorrow.. :thumbup: I freaked!!! I have had no problems so far but I am ready to get this party started!!

Cash pay is $125..

Try Dr. Daryl Stewart Weight Loss Specialists of North Texas.... He's in Denton but he was saying he has filled Mexico pts and other pts from other drs. after they ended up not liking that dr. 940-382-9429

My coworkers noticed the first day I came back to work 2 weeks post op. They said my face was a lot slimmer and my clothes a lot bigger.. I have now lost 38 lbs pre and post op so I can tell a huge difference in my clothes.

At my 2 week post op I had lost 16 pounds since my surgery losing 37 lbs total. They are scheduling my first fill 4 weeks out. I think it will be good. I haven't had any trouble with any types of food as of yet.. knock on my wooden head.. I even tried asparagus.. I don't eat anything fried or breads, rice, pasta though.. The

I am not on a commercial diet either but here is what my Dr. has me on.. Morning my Protein shake: nectar Protein whey Isolate (I love the Carribean Cooler it tastes like a pina colada without the carbs) Lunch: lean chicken or turkey, green Beans and fruit (no sugar added) afternoon snack: sugar free Jello, pudding or small curd cottage cheese Dinner: home cooked extra lean turkey burger, steamed veggie, fruit (no sugar added) Exercise: I walk everyday during my 15 minute breaks and then I swim everyday when I get home.. I also love to ride my bike. I will add in my Tae-bo tape (sp) when I am able. I have found Barnes and Nobles has some really good Bariatric cookbooks for lapbanders or if you have time look online for recipes, that is where I found my turkey burger recipe and my entire family loves them. I don't eat Pasta, rice, or any bread products nor do I eat potatoes.. Even though I love me some potatoes, they don't love me!!!

Glad to hear you are doing better. I am going in for a similar pain. I hope it's not a flipped port but if it is I hope it's taken care of soon so I can get back to my exercising and weight loss.. It's getting worse by the day.. Take care and gets lots of rest!!

I have been doing great.. Not having breads, Pasta, rice or chips/popcorn, although when my family has them it's tough but getting on the scale makes it better to see the weight come off knowing I didn't endulge, so I don't get those problems.. Had tuna in the pouch today for lunch with english peas.. I am not a big tuna eater but found the kind with the teriyaki flavor and its not bad.. I enjoyed the Soup and Protein shake phase kind of scarry to change cause now it gets tough to say no to the bad foods... I was in a safe zone.. I love to grill out so that will save me.. I love grilled veggies and meats... I also took a big drink of Water after working out the other day and I thought I would pay for it but I have not had any close calls yet.. I am waiting..

I was going to post this under a port pain thread but thought I would start a new one. I am having port pain I just hold on my port really tight and keep going. It takes the pain away. I figured that is what it was. It's hard to turn over at night and sometimes I can't get a deep breath.. I had to do a lot more walking yesterday and probably walked too much as I had to go say goodbye to my dad. He passed away last night. My mom drove me to see him and I am so glad I went to the Hospice unit to see him. It's almost like he waited for us to come up there. He was pulling for me to have this surgery. He even asked me the day before my surgery if I was nervous. I am more determined than ever to make this surgery a success in honor of my dad. I came really close to changing my surgery date but really glad I kept it. He would have been mad if I would have changed it on his behalf. I know he is proud of me. For those that will, please pray that my fathers wife will have the respect for my 96 year old grandmother to honor her and my dad and have a funeral for my dad. At this point my dad's wife said she is having my dad cremated and is keeping the ashes at her house and not having any type of service for my dad. We feel my grandmother needs some type of closure for my dad.

I made a cream of avocado soup.. it was so good.. I had a 1/4 of a cup and it was so filling. I thinnned it down with ff milk. I made it with 1 avocado, cayanne pepper, garlic powder, green onion and yogurt. Put it all in the blender and thin down with the milk. Yummy...

Navywifejenn be proud to swim with your kids!!!! I swim with mine everyday.. well not while I am healing.. but I will be back in the Water as soon as they let me (or even a little sooner).. I think I will be swimming before I cheat on my eating... when I went in for my surgery the nurses were saying what a great tan I had.. some thought it was from a tanning bed until they saw my shoulder and my swimsuit line... :thumbup: It's great exercise to walk in the water as well.. I love it.. Cathychatts.. I have a pink beach cruiser I can't wait to get back on.. our community has bike trails and several lakes to ride around and my kids and I go all over... I used to get stares as I was a 300+ lady riding a bike with my friends and I was keeping up with them and most of the time ahead of them, now I will be ahead of them and almost the same size as them... :thumbup:Walking up to the pool right now to watch my kids swim.. we have a waterpark in our neighborhood.. I have never gone down our waterslides but this just might be the summer that I do... Although I don't like enclosed areas.. I might make an exception!!!

You are so right about the food commercials!!! There are countless numbers of them!!! I was craving something spicey so I added some taco seasoning to my chicken broth... I am on full liquids.. I was banded on June 25th.. I go to mushies next week. I eat lots of spicy foods here in Texas and not used to all of this sf popsicle stuff. I love the creamed Soups but all the sf stuff is too icky sweet for me.. even the low sugar apple juice with 1/2 Water is too sweet. I need my spice... I have been keeping myself very busy these last few days as I have been feeling so much better and have much more energy.. I walk in the morning and evening.. Hot as heck here in Texas.. 97 yesterday.. Playdates with my friends and their kids.. getting my haircut today.. babysitting for a friend tonight.. overbooked my teenage son (oops)

I hope everything turns out alright.. my Dr. told me that sometimes you can develop flu like symptoms after the surgery.. after I had my gall bladder removed in March that Dr. apparently used so much air that he seperated my rib cage from my muscle lining but it didn't start hurting for a few days.. I had no idea what happened I couldn't take a deep breath at all and I went to the ER.. apparently that is common also... it took several weeks for that to heal.

I have told everyone I come in contact with that knows me.. all of my co-workers know, all of my family and friends. I have not had any negative feedback from anyone. Everyone knows how hard I have tried to loose weight and how long I have wanted this surgery and they have all been very supportive of this surgery. Even my 96 year old grandmother can't wait to see me! If you feel like you have to keep it a secret then do so.. I felt I needed to tell everyone because that is just how I am. I think by telling my friends and coworkers they will be very supportive and help me with the process. I work in a hospital and that might be to my advantage in my healing and journey although I did not have my surgery at the hospital where I work. My friends and family also are very supportive and call to check on me and make sure I have rides to where I need to go while I can't drive. They have also made sure that in my dad's passing this past weekend they didn't bring over any food to my house as they know I can't have it. If anyone has negative comments sometimes it stems from them maybe not knowing enough about the lapband program and maybe you can take them to a seminar or a support group meeting where they can get some information about the lapband and be more informed and see that it's not just a fad.

Thank you all very much for your prayers. I have been praying with my home church First United Methodist Church Frisco, everyone has been so supportive. My dad's sister is going to have a memorial soon in East Texas if my dad's wife doesn't agree to a funeral service in the next week. My dad had so many friends and lots of family that would love to gather and remember the great times we had with him. My dad would love for his family and friends to gather to remember him, in an honorable way. Again, thanks to everyone for your prayers during this time and I am so glad for the support of my bandster family.

I was banded on the 25th. I have been drinking like crazy with my proteins and my water, broth etc.. I also got a bonus.. I have tonsilitus!! UGGH!! I only drink about 2-4 oz at a time and am full for quite a while so am doing great I think. I love my chicken broth. Tomorrow I get to add cream soups and stuff like that.. Can't wait!!