lsullivan68

Just wanted to publicly say Happy 3rd Bandiversary to myself! This was by far the best thing I've ever done for myself and I'm so happy I finally did it! Couldn't be happier.

I am a Tricare bander and was approved within 2 weeks and in the operating room within 3. My entire process was totally smooth and I couldn't have asked for anything better. Good luck! On a side note - - - Tricare is proposing new regulations in regards to LAP-BAND®® and other weightloss surgeries. This is a good thing. They want to use BMI as a means by which to assess acceptance rather than just "100 pounds over weight". Until December 28th they are requesting comments for this change. All you have to do is go to Regulations.gov and then click submit comment towards the center of the page to leave your thoughts. You don't have to give all the address and govt agency info unless you just want to, that's just voluntary extra stuff. For more info on the topic check out page 14 of the November 16th edition of the Navy Times. It's in the section titled FastTrack.

I am a Tricare bander and have never looked back - on a side note, see below! Tricare is proposing new regulations in regards to LAP-BAND®® and other weightloss surgeries. This is a good thing. They want to use BMI as a means by which to assess acceptance rather than just "100 pounds over weight". Until December 28th they are requesting comments for this change. All you have to do is go to Regulations.gov and then click submit comment towards the center of the page to leave your thoughts. You don't have to give all the address and govt agency info unless you just want to, that's just voluntary extra stuff. For more info on the topic check out page 14 of the November 16th edition of the Navy Times. It's in the section titled FastTrack.

Tricare is proposing new regulations in regards to LAP-BAND® and other weightloss surgeries. This is a good thing. They want to use BMI as a means by which to assess acceptance rather than just "100 pounds over weight". Until December 28th they are requesting comments for this change. All you have to do is go to Regulations.gov and then click submit comment towards the center of the page to leave your thoughts. You don't have to give all the address and govt agency info unless you just want to, that's just voluntary extra stuff. For more info on the topic check out page 14 of the November 16th edition of the Navy Times. It's in the section titled FastTrack.

I am almost 1 year post surgery and I have lost a half size in my shoe size. It is pretty amazing!

Today I had my 6th fill and I am 9 months post op. I've never had an issue of not being able to keep things down, well at least not until today. I drank an entire bottle of water in the office before driving home. Drank some more in the car and several other things throughout the evening, but now I can't get anything to go down. Any suggestions, comments or thoughts?

Just thought I'd update everyone who's been so kind to respond. I'm able to drink baby spoon size amounts of liquids but still no food of any type. I'm going tomorrow afternoon for a slight unfill, which will hopefully make a world of difference. Thanks for all your support. Heck in just 4 days I've lost 10 pounds, miserably I might add, which I've never experienced since getting banded so I'm ready to return to the good old days before I got this last fill.

I started using the clinical strength brands that are now available to everyone over the counter. You could give it a try, it certainly can't hurt.

I am 6 months + 4 days from my surgery day and I am very happy with my weight loss. I haven't really had any problems (knock on wood) and I haven't had a regret one since doing it. However, in the last couple of weeks I have experienced some severe pain on my right side about an inch above my right hip bone and about an inch to the left. Does anyone have any idea what this might be? Has anyone had similar experiences? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

LJ I don't know where in Houston you had your surgery, but I was at University General and couldn't have asked for kinder soles helping me their either. Walk, walk, walk. It makes everything easier. Also for a few days I slept in my recliner because I just couldn't get comfortable in bed, especially since I'm a side sleeper. However, after a couple of weeks I was sleeping normally and doing great, which is exactly what I bet you'll be doing too. Hang in there and congratulations.

I've had a couple people ask me privately if it could be my port and the answer is NO. My port is about four inches below my right breast, so it can't be that. Gallstones huh? Also the pain isn't constant, it comes and goes. Do you have to have your gallbladder removed? Yuck, another surgery and then more time recovering and not exercising. :biggrin:

I'm happy with my weight loss to date and I've had to weed out all my 18's, 20's & 22's because I'm wearing 16's now and I just don't know what to do with all the ones that are too big. I've got to get the closet cleaned out so that I can go shopping. I'm looking for suggestions as to what "the experts" have done with theirs when they got too skinny to fit into them anymore. Thanks in advance.

Just wanted to update everyone. Somone locally from the message board contacted me privatley and we met over the weekend and I gave her all my old clothes that are too big for me now. It felt good to share. She offered to pay, but I refused. I just hope one day someone will repay the favor to me - - -sorta like pay it forward. : )

After many, many years of being away from Germany we will be returning at Thanksgiving with our daughter. I was banded in August and I am a little bit scared about the eating situation while there. When I think of our time living in B.K all I can remember is great bread, wonderful pastries and awesome beer, none of which I need to eat any longer. Has anyone traveled 3 months post-op? How did you handle the food while abroad? How was the plane trip? What did you do for Breakfast? Should I take my Protein shakes? I just can't imagine eating potatoes, pork and cabbage for a week. I really am getting nervous the closer we get to our travel date. My husband is so looking forward to eating at all our old favorite places and I don't want to disappoint him, but at the same time I've worked so hard to get where I am today and I don't want to blow it. :wub:

I am not saying I'm ashamed of my band at all, I simply don't want to deal with the drama that comes with telling my mama! :tt1: I think many of us have felt the same way. Afterall, who wants to hear from their grandmother what type of underwear to wear after surgery. For some of us, not telling certain people makes it easier for us and I think that is OK.

When I first did it I only told my husband and daughter. Once I had the surgery and starting losing weight I began telling people and they were all very supportive. However, I have yet to tell my parents or siblings. They will be all "but you weren't that big" and I just don't want to hear skinny people tell me that, they are just being kind because they love me. I say, pick carefully who you tell.

I'm Tricare South and truly it was easy! Find someone that doesn't charge for the seminar & accepts Tricare and give it a shot! It can't hurt to try.

I believe it all has to do with your doctor and how they write things up. I went on a Thursday to my doctor and received approval from Tricare by the following Friday. Scheduled my surgery date that Friday and had my surgery done within 3 weeks of getting approved. Tricare paid 100% of my surgery and I couldn't have been happier with the results? P.M me is you want more specifics. Good luck!

CassCass- This is identical to what happened to me. I was banded on 8-1-08 and once my tape came off the infection set in. I was given IV antibiotics as well as an oral regiment. It was awful and painful! I won't lie. It took almost 2 weeks for it to really heal and for me to get any relief. I still have more of a scar where my tape was around my large incision than the actual incision site. Once your doctor is aware of MRSA you'll be OK, but it is scary. Hang in there! You'll be OK. Some helpful reminders from my experience. Wash your hands constantly. Never reuse a towel. Start using paper towels to dry your hands. After you take a bath wash your towel in HOT Water and don't allow anyone else to touch it. Just as quickly as it spread on your body, you can spread it around your house - - - including your pets. Just be vigilant and it'll be OK before you know it.

I have had hives for years and they are awful. I've had a batch since being banded too, it was related to stress and to a new found allergy - - - soy! Yes, the soy protein shakes I was drinking in large amounts was causing it. They gave me prednisone and had me use Sarna lotion and within just hours I was better. Needless to say, I changed protein shakes. : )

First of all, today is 1 month and I've just got to Celebrate by loss of 20.6 pounds. Yippee! Now to my real question. Friday I went for my first fill. The doctor put in 3cc and then sent me to the waiting room to drink a bottle of Water. It didn't go down. For the first time since being banding, it "came back up". Not pretty, but it is what it is. So they put me back into the room and removed 1cc. Again sent me to the waiting room to drink water and all was well. Is it normal to not be able to "hold" 3cc? Does that mean that I'll never be able to hold more than 2cc? Is this something I should be concerned about?

Thursday will be my first fill & my surgery was 8/1/08. I'm looking for any words of wisdom in regards to prepartations. I know I need to not do anything but liquids 24 hours prior, but anything else would help ease my nerves. Everyone talks of this huge needle, but does it hurt? I'm a woos and don't want to hurt. Any tricks to having a successful fill?

I am 9 days post-op and I had laproscopic lapband preformed. I had these round tape things covering my steri-strips and it took what I assumed was a layer of my skin with them when they were removed last Tuesday. On Friday when I went for my 1 week visit, the doctor took off the steri-strips and said my incisions looked great. Now last night I noticed I started itching. Everywhere that I had the round bandages I now have these tiny little Fluid filled bumps that itch like bad. Last night I put some hydro-cortisone anti-itch cream on them. I'm scared that perhaps I have an infection or something. Has anyone had a similar experience and if so, what did you do? I plan on calling the doctor tomorrow, but Sunday will be a long day if I don't get some sort of advice from you guys. If you haven't had the surgery yet, please don't tell me you think it's just an allergic reaction. I'm not an idiot I have pretty much figured that out. I just want to know if this is a normal occurance or not. Thanks!

I was banded on the 1st of August and haven't had a problem at all. I started mushies on Friday and have tolerated them beautifully. I still have no idea what everyone means by PBing. Someone please tell me what that stands for. My anestesiologis gave me anti-nausea meds via my IV before ever going into surgery and some after surgery. I've yet to have a problem. By the way, all this talk of vommiting reminds me of that great Seinfeld episode where that's all they discussed. Just keep smiling! Oh and by the way, at my 1 week post-op visit, I'd lost 13 pounds. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!