*susan*

Hi and welcome to LBT! I was self-pay, so I didn't have to do all the hoop jumping. Insurance companies make me so mad, they do that in the hopes that you will not get the band and they won't have to pay the money. Don't they realize we wouldn't be considering the lapband if we hadn't already tried every diet known to mankind. Ok, I'll stop the rant now. Sorry. :faint: I just get so aggrivated with insurance. Anyways, we are glad to have you here with us and I hope all goes smoothly for you.

Using TickerFactory as an example: 1. Go to www.tickerfactory.com 2. Click on Weightloss 3. Select a ticker ruler. Veiw all available by clicking on the page numbers. Once you have selected the one you want to use, click Next. 4. Select a ticker slider. Veiw all available by clicking on the page numbers. Once you have selected the one you want to use, click Next. 5. Select the measure of weight that you use. (pounds or kilograms) 6.If you wish the ticker to show your current weight and count down to your goal weight, select Weight. 7. If you wish the ticker to show only the amount of weight you wish to lose and how much you've lost, (not your current or goal weight) select Weight Change. 8. Enter your starting, current and goal weights, and then click Next. 9. You will now be on the final page with the codes to copy for pasting into your signature line on LBT. There are a couple of ways put the code into your signature line on LBT. Here is one option... 1. Highlight the text in the bbCode box, leaving off the URL codes. See diagram below: 2. Go to LBT and click on the Quick Links button at the top of the page, select Edit Signature. 3. Click in your signature box and type Ctrl+V to paste it in. (Ctrl+V or Ctrl+A or Ctrl+C all mean to hold down the Ctrl and specified letter key at the same time) Another option for pasting the ticker code into your signature line: 1. Highlight and copy all of the text in the url box like this: 2. Go to LBT and click on the Quick Links button at the top of the page, select Edit Signature. 3. Select Edit Signature. 4. Click on the Insert Image icon like this: 5. Before clicking in the box below "Please enter the URL for your image:" hit your delete or backspace button on your keyboard to clear the box. 6. Click inside the box and type Ctrl+V to paste in the copied url. Then click Ok. This will place the ticker into the signature line. Now click on Preview Signature to see if everything is how you want it. If it is, click on Save Signature.

I am Flintstones chewable vitamin girl here too!

I am also very tight in the mornings and can only do liquids until about lunch time. Not sure by your name if you are a female or not, but is at or close to that time of month? I get so tight during the first few days before and for several days during that I am limited to practically liquids only for the entire duration.

Hi Kelly! Girl, I so understand what you are talking about with PCOS. I had been complaining of symptoms for years before I finally stopped going to a male gynocologist and switched to a female. I was so happy when someone finally said it wasn't all in my head or getting older, that there was actually a name for what I had, PCOS. As far as PCOS and the band, I am doing great with it. You are supposed to lose 1-2 pounds a weeks with the band, and that is exactly what I am doing. And, I am feeling better than I have in years!

Hi Laurie and welcome to LBT! It sounds like you are doing well. As you were banded in early September, have you had your first fill yet? Once you reach proper restriction, it should help with those cravings and being hungry.

The band sounds like it would be a wonderful tool for you. And, you would be able to eat more than 800 calories a day. I have tried every diet I can think of and been successful for a while, then would go off and gain everything back plus some. I just love food. The thing I love about my band is I don't diet, count calories, points or anything else anymore. I just listen to my band and when it tells me I have had enough to eat, I stop eating. If I don't, it is very uncomfortable and unpleasant things, like a pb, may happen. Now, granted I do make a point of making healthier choices and exercising. But, other than that, I have found the band journey to be the easiest form of weighloss I have ever tried. Even when you do give in to those certain food cravings, your band is still there working and will only allow you to eat a limited amount of those food.

I was wondering the same thing, I would think you would be on clear liquids right now too. Your stomach is still pretty swollen and aggravitated from the surgery, but things should start going down better in a few days.

I was self pay and coming from a previous marriage where there was a lot of bad credit and new hubby's ex killed his credit, we are still in the recovery process as well. We refinanced our home with cash out to pay for the surgery. Right now, our payments are higher than what we would like, but in the refinance, we paid off all our credit cards and vehicles. Like Kat said, our plan is to make on time payments for a year and improve our credit, then look at refinancing one more time at a lower rate.

Boo, what can I say that the others haven't already said, I am absolutely amazed!! Running is not an option for me yet. K@t, sorry to hear about them postponing your revision. It will be here soon though, and you will hopefully have good restriction after that. I am over my "trauma" from my overfill on Monday. It only lasted a few hours, but I never want to be overfilled again and certainly would never wish that on anyone. I had some mushies last night and wow, I think I have found my sweet spot again, thank goodness! I was able to eat about 3 1/2 ounces and was stuffed! Have a good day everyone! 11/1: No exercise. 50 oz. Water 11/2: 40 minutes treadmill. 48 oz. water (48 is my daily goal) 11/3: 40 minutes treadmill. 60 oz. water 11/4: No exercise, 48 oz. water 11/5: 55 minute fast-paced walk around the neighborhood, 60 oz water <!-- / message -->11/6: None - too miserable from overfill experience. About 30 oz water 11/7: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water. <!-- sig --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Good Morning and welcome to LBT! Congratulations on having your surgery, it sounds like you are doing wonderful so far.

Much like I said in my previous post, if she feels that is "sick" then that is her opinion and she has every right to feel that way. I also personally think that is "weird". However, just because she or I feel that way, doesn't mean you or anyone else has to feel that way. That is the beauty of being an American, we have the right to feel however we want and the right to express that opinion. I don't think we have control over what we feel, we only have control over the way we express those feelings.

Jacksonville bandster here! :thankyou:

I don't have much to add, Kat already gave you great advice. I just wanted to wish my fellow Jacksonville neighbor good luck, I am sure everything will go well for you!

Yep, now you really know there is something in there and it is working. Here's hoping that your pb's are few and far between!

It didn't take long at all. I went to the seminar and contacted Dr. Herrera's office the next day. He requires a psych. eval and nutritional consult prior to his approving you for surgery. I had the psych eval two days after the seminar. The day after that I met with the nutritionist and Dr. Herrera. I started my required two-week liquid diet the next day. During that time, I had the ekg, blood work and sleep apnea studies done. So, I guess from seminar to surgery date, I would say about 16 days.

Since getting my band, I cannot drink anything cold or it hurts. I have to have everything room temperature or warmer. I am very tight in the mornings and nothing but time seems to loosen me up then.

Most insurance companies require that you provide a history of previous attempts at weight loss. Many require a supervised diet for up to six months before they will approve. You are also usually required to have things such as a nutritional consult, psychiatric evaluation, ekg, sleep apnea study and/or blood work.

Many people handle pills just fine, depending on the size. I cannot take anything huge, such as the typical adult vitamin. But I tolerate pills the size of tylenol just fine.

I think I would report this to OSHA. That is clearly an OSHA violation. When my doctor is done giving me my fills, he promptly drops the needles into the big red, properly labled biohazardous waste bin.

Wow, I can't believe how long this thread has gone on. My grandmother was a very religious woman who spent many hours studying the bible. I know how she would feel about gay marriage. She would feel that it was a result of the workings of the devil. She would probably say that although she doesn't believe in it, she believes God would forgive people who are gay because the devil worked their evil on them and they had no control over it. Me, I am not sure about how I feel on many things. Like hunny said, I don't understand how such a "loving" God can let such bad things happen to people. I have prayed a great deal in my life, but most of those prayers have gone unanswered and bad things have happened anyways. Based upon that, I want to believe in God, I think I believe in God, but I am unsure of what all I do and don't believe in terms of religion and faith. However, I do believe that men and women were made differently for a reason. I believe that it was so they can form a marriage and be fruitful and reproduce. Based upon that, I believe that "marriage" is something that takes place between a man and a woman. I was angered when I saw a child who was suspended from school because she was praying and the atheists were offended and had prayer in school made illegal. I am angered when I see someone end a life by abortion when there are so many people out there who are waiting to be blessed with a child in their own lives and would have loved to have had that child. However, I am especially angered when someone who has a different belief than I do tries to dictate how I should lead my life just because our belief system is different. So, what I am saying is, just because I don't believe gay unions should be called "marriage", just because I believe prayer should be allowed in school and just because I don't personally believe in abortion, I don't believe I have the right to prevent someone else who does believe in those things from doing what they believe is right. If you don't believe in gay marriage, then don't get married if you are gay, but don't tell a gay person that just because you personally feel that way, they cannot Celebrate their love through marriage. If you don't believe in prayer and God, fine, then don't pray. But don't persecute a child or another human being for exercising their beliefs by praying or believing in God. If you don't believe in abortion, then don't get one. But that doesn't mean that the person who believes that life does not begin at conception, or who was raped should not be allowed to have an abortion they do believe in. I think it is arrogant of a person, or group of people to automatically assume that what they believe is the only right way and everyone else should bow down to their beliefs or be persecuted. We were founded first and foremost on freedom. Therefore, as long as we are not harming another human being in our beliefs, we should be allowed to practice those beliefs freely. I don't know if this makes sense or not, but I feel better having added my two cents.

Mine doesn't use flouro. He simply feels for it and gets it right the first time, every time. The only time we had a problem was when my port flipped, which resulted in revision surgery.

Hey Drew, glad to hear everything went well for you!

:bump2: :bump2: :bump2: :bump2: :bump2: :bump2:

Happy Monday everyone! Betty, I am so glad to hear your son is on the mend, that is wonderful news. K@t, good luck with your revision tomorrow. Don't worry about it, it really is a very simple process. I was up and around with no problems the next day. Let us know how you do. I went for fill number 3 today. I hadn't had one since my port revision surgery back in August. I had been doing well and about 3 weeks ago it seemed like I just lost all restriction overnight. Add Halloween and my birthday on top of it, and the scale stopped moving. I am ok with that though, because I now feel like even if I get a bit out of control with my eating, my band is still there doing its thing because even though I didn't lose, I didn't gain either. I went in for my fill and he added 1.0 cc. Everything seemed great, the Water went down with no problems. Well, about halfway back to work, going down the highway at 75 miles an hour, with practically no warning that entire glass of water came back up. So, I went home instead. I waited an hour and tried taking a tiny sip of water and that came right back up. Before I knew it, I couldn't even swallow my own saliva. I finally understand the misery people express when they talk about being overfilled. After about 3 hours of this, I called Dr. Herrera and he had me come right back in. He took out .50 cc and, thankfully, everything feels much better now. My tummy is a bit upset still, and he gave me some naprosyn to prevent any further vomiting until it gets to feeling better. I don't think I will exercise tonight, but I have been doing pretty good this month. I expect to see a loss when I hit the scale on Sunday. 11/1: No exercise. 50 oz. water 11/2: 40 minutes treadmill. 48 oz. water (48 is my daily goal) 11/3: 40 minutes treadmill. 60 oz. water 11/4: No exercise, 48 oz. water 11/5: 55 minute fast-paced walk around the neighborhood, 60oz water <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->