Band_Groupie

*Snort* Hee-hee! You're so right! Yea, It'll happen the day before I have 100 people coming for the party. Better get party planning now!

So this morning we were out and at PT by 7:30am; upper body is doing great, lower back is…fair. I skipped out early on my last PT exercise so I could come home to weigh-in at home before the actual weigh-in…always such an ordeal. This outfit's the perfect weight! Month 5 weigh in...Nurse was there “On the scale”…and up I went…242 ...no loss, no gain. A different CRNP came in and I gave her my sample ‘Letter of Medical Clearance and Medical Necessity’ with my information on it so they’ll have the next month to type their own up/change it and have it ready for me at my final visit. That’s the plan anyway…the only thing between me and submitting for approval now is the last monthly weigh-in and the letter from my PCP. If these are done the first few days in April, the surgeon’s office will set a tentative surgery date and I’ll get to go to my pre-op class (held twice a month). As my Dad would say ‘There’s a snowballs chance in Hell’ that I’ll get my band in April, but I haven’t given up hope yet (eternal optimist, remember). I’ve got a ton of company coming May 1st for DD’s college graduation (hers will be a weekend with our huge extended family, but no enormous party) and in a perfect world I’d have my band and be at least a week out by then. If not, I’ll have to sandwich it in between the two graduations…DS’s HS graduation is the beginning of June…HUGE party for that one with TONS of work prior, so I’d rather be well healed before that one, but we don’t always get what we want…and NO, that isn’t a complaint…just a wish…a girl can dream... I’ll take my band….in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse, here and there, ANYWHERE!

Thanks for doing this Lena! I'm sure others in this phase will find these recipes as well. I'm a gal who likes variety and Campbells broth, jello, pudding, applesauce, and veggies purreed in my Magic Bullet would get pretty old LONG before the 5th week of mushies. My NUT didn't have any recipes; just a list of my items above. I could probably freeze some of this ahead couldn't I? THANK YOU!

Bless you for that one! Can't wait for part two!

So this morning we were out and at PT by 7:30am; upper body is doing great, lower back is…fair. I skipped out early on my last PT exercise so I could come home to weigh-in at home before the actual weigh-in…always such an ordeal. This outfit's the perfect weight! Month 5 weigh in...Nurse was there “On the scale”…and up I went…242 ...no loss, no gain. A different CRNP came in and I gave her my sample ‘Letter of Medical Clearance and Medical Necessity’ with my information on it so they’ll have the next month to type their own up/change it and have it ready for me at my final visit. That’s the plan anyway…the only thing between me and submitting for approval now is the last monthly weigh-in and the letter from my PCP. If these are done the first few days in April, the surgeon’s office will set a tentative surgery date and I’ll get to go to my pre-op class (held twice a month). As my Dad would say ‘There’s a snowballs chance in Hell’ that I’ll get my band in April, but I haven’t given up hope yet (eternal optimist, remember). I’ve got a ton of company coming May 1st for DD’s college graduation (hers will be a weekend with our huge extended family, but no enormous party) and in a perfect world I’d have my band and be at least a week out by then. If not, I’ll have to sandwich it in between the two graduations…DS’s HS graduation is the beginning of June…HUGE party for that one with TONS of work prior, so I’d rather be well healed before that one, but we don’t always get what we want…and NO, that isn’t a complaint…just a wish…a girl can dream... I’ll take my band….in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse, here and there, ANYWHERE!

*NOTE: Well, now it’s 58 days actually. I've tried posting this the last two nights and gave up trying to get access to this site after hours of trying (apparently the site capacity is maxed out), but that’s another post entirely. If you don’t know yet, I’m turning 49 7/8 this year. I’ve promised to work my way up to calling it, what it is, by my birthday. See? There in the title? That’s a huge step in the right direction, right? Well, if I say it’s a huge step, it is! I’m not sure why 40 didn’t bother me, I thought it would, but it didn’t. I’m not one to hide my age either (I’m stating the obvious here again, aren’t I?). But this one is FREAKING ME OUT!!! What’s so scary about 5-0?…it’s a milestone, a landmark, the BIG 5-0, half a CENTURY for crying out loud, you’re definitely on the downward spiral of life even if you do make it to that Willard Scott Smuckers birthday, it’s midlife (you hope), and don’t you remember when your parents turned 50, and how OLD you thought they were? Let’s face it, when AARP sends you more mail then Victoria’s Secret you’re on your way out. Can I just say here, STOP SENDING ME MAIL AARP!!! I’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I’M READY TO JOIN!!!! I had pretty much decided that I was NOT going to turn ‘that age’ this year. I’m not 5-0 in my head, so what’s the point. I certainly don’t act like I’m 5-0. But lately, my body is starting to act like it is. The past few years I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that I felt like I was circling the drain. I was feeling, well, OLD! I’d been puzzling over this attitude for awhile now, because it’s not like me. What’s up with me? I’m definitely a ‘cup half full’ person. DH calls me the eternal optimist. After pondering some more, I think I’m figuring this out. You know why? Because things ARE changing. I see that I was feeling bad about my age, because I was FEELING it. After my ‘Moment’ (don’t think I’ve shared that one here yet, but I’ll save that for another blog)…you know that moment when you decided that you were actually going to at least ‘look’ at that ‘extreme thing’ called WLS?...Then I decided on the LB, and that was a HUGE change in the right direction. I decided that this year was going to be about ME for a change. I’ve never put myself at the top of the list, let’s face it, I’ve never even put myself ON the list. I decided to make this my year for getting healthy. I made a pack with myself to do this to my best ability and see what happens. My year of taking care of me…so it’s a birthday present for myself, of the best kind. It hasn’t been easy to do actually, and that part surprised me. I’ve always been know as a person who embraces change…in business, I was know as a ‘change agent’ and it was something I was very good at. It’s easy to feel optimistic about everything else in life, but yourself?...when you’re feeling sick, tired, and old?...but I kept to my promise to myself…it certainly hasn’t been without major moments of guilt for putting myself first…and I’m sure there’s much more of that to come. I’ve made myself re-look at my surgeries that failed that I’d given up on (shhh…stress incontinence…bladder sling and hysterectomy) and even knowing I’m the only one my doc has ‘ever had the surgery fail for’; now I’ve gone through re-testing and am scheduled to see another specialist in March. I’ve made myself ask for help about my osteoarthritis that has given me constant pain for the past 10 years, and doctors have told me “it’s age”; so I thought there was nothing that could help; and now Physical Therapy is actually helping me. I’ve chosen to get the LB, and now, by many unforeseen circumstances, it’s looking like it’s going to happen within a week of my birthday. Coincidence? I’m seeing changes that I thought would never happen. So now I have new hope. I’m already not feeling as old anymore. If I can make changes I thought would never happen, then maybe the LB will work for me and make more changes I thought could never happen. So maybe turning the BIG ONE this year won’t be so bad after all. It might be a year to celebrate! …baby steps…I’m getting there.

Thanks G4E! Happy belated birthday to you! -BG

Yep...I've gotten it on Atkins or any low carb diet. DH calls it Puppy Breath...Like what was already said, it's a good sign if you're trying to be in ketosis. I had a constant tic-tac in my mouth.

Congratulations! Let us know how you do! -BG

In preparation for my Big 5-0 birthday this year in April, I thought I'd take a look at some possibilities for birthday cakes...so many choices...what do you think? I could pretend I'm 5 again... or 12... "][/url] I'm not quite sure what this is an homage to...It looks like an Austin Powers jacket (I guess I was a child of the 60's), a Crazy OLD Cat Lady, and maybe two of me at different stages in childhood so I can get depressed about getting old...but I DO garden... "][/url] Or...since I'll be really missing my carbs post-band... "][/url] Or maybe the real thing... "]"][/url][/url] I am so NOT joining the Red Hat Society...Red SHOES, maybe... "][/url] ...and I could wear my red shoes to Shake my Grove Thing! MMmm...that disco ball looks SO appetizing... "][/url] Well, I certainly will NEED to be doing a lot of this post band... "][/url] I think this is an Over the Hill cake, apparently I'll need a pretzel ladder to get over (that will never hold me)...but it certainly doesn't look too appetizing, does it? Or maybe this just sums it up... Come to think of it, I've never been much of a cake person...and I'll probably be getting my band the same week, so cake is probably out...maybe this is what I'll do...hmmm...I won't have lost that much by then...I wonder if this comes in a triple layer?

Thanks for the update Alex! Well, that's a GOOD problem to have now isn't it...the site is too popular!! I know I've been sending everyone here from other sites. It's really the most infomative and supportive community for LB! Thanks again...and thanks for not banning me. *she kisses the Administrator's feet*

:cursing:I often, about 1/2 the days I try, have problems accessing this site. I'll get "Link Broken" or "Can't access site" messages, sometimes for long periods of time. This has been happening to me since last summer when I started here, but it's becoming more often and very annoying. Sometimes it knocks me off even when I move to another page. Tonight I couldn't access for hours. I was able to access every other site I wanted (and I clean out my history/cookies daily)...it's ONLY THIS SITE I have this problem with. I'm trying to keep a daily blog here, but it's becoming problematic. What's up with this...is there a site capacity problem??? Is there something else I can do to access more easily?

Blisters...future calluses of happy (active) feet! Glad you had such fun! DD arrived in FL yesterday for Spring Break...the text I got last night...'I'm sunburned already. Having fun!'

I think I need to take stock options out for Jello while I'm on my 5 weeks of mushies! Love that pudding!

Glad you made it through Ben...what doesn't kill us makes us stronger...LOL. What happened with the humor defense?...you've got to be ready man! I'll have to get my escape jokes ready now! I've been through 3 childbirths and two surgeries, but no external incisions...I'm starting to get nervous too, but you sound like my DH...he suddenly got the 'flu' everytime I went into childbirth mode...I was on to him by the third one. -BG

In preparation for my Big 5-0 birthday this year in April, I thought I'd take a look at some possibilities for birthday cakes...so many choices...what do you think? I could pretend I'm 5 again... or 12... "][/url] I'm not quite sure what this is an homage to...It looks like an Austin Powers jacket (I guess I was a child of the 60's), a Crazy OLD Cat Lady, and maybe two of me at different stages in childhood so I can get depressed about getting old...but I DO garden... "][/url] Or...since I'll be really missing my carbs post-band... "][/url] Or maybe the real thing... "]"][/url][/url] I am so NOT joining the Red Hat Society...Red SHOES, maybe... "][/url] ...and I could wear my red shoes to Shake my Grove Thing! MMmm...that disco ball looks SO appetizing... "][/url] Well, I certainly will NEED to be doing a lot of this post band... "][/url] I think this is an Over the Hill cake, apparently I'll need a pretzel ladder to get over (that will never hold me)...but it certainly doesn't look too appetizing, does it? Or maybe this just sums it up... Come to think of it, I've never been much of a cake person...and I'll probably be getting my band the same week, so cake is probably out...maybe this is what I'll do...hmmm...I won't have lost that much by then...I wonder if this comes in a triple layer?

Emma, I did a lot of research and I've chosen the LB (have a choice). If you do a search for Lap Band vs. Realize you'll find lots of threads here on the subject. Good luck to you.

...so tempting...but I'm walking away...I've got to learn it's like talking to a 2 yr. old...not a clue of what's going on outside her 'me bubble'. And Kat...LOVE it. Octo's parents sure know her well, don't they? P.S. 50 pages...take that! (tee hee)

I ditto the simple answers. I plan to say "I'm eating half as much so I can be half as big".

The best person to ask this question of is the insurance/billing person at your surgeon's office and the scheduler (the same person does both at mine). Unless you find someone here with the same ins. and same surgeon you'll get a HUGE variety of answers on this one. Some ins. co.'s take a few days to approve, some take 4-6 weeks. Some docs schedule tentative dates before you've even completed your 6th month and some won't schedule anything until you've been approved. Some docs have also have a backlog and I've seen people have to wait a long time after approval even. This part of the process seems to have a huge variable of issues and a wide range of timing from what I've seen here. I finish my 6 mo. on April 2, as soon as I get the last paperwork in, my surgeon's office will give me a tentative date (she said it MAY be in April, but more likely May). My ins. co. always approves within 72 hours. Good luck, and see you on the other side! -BG

Congratulations! Onederland...it's not just a myth! Great job.

LOL! Yep, I started a thread about access because I was wondering if it was just me also... HERE Apparently, we're not alone Spud. -BG

Just curious...are you saying these things caused a slippage? I know smoking & caffeine are on the 'NO' list, but I hadn't heard anything about the others causing problems for banders (I know artificial sweetners cause some problems for RnY patients). I'm a chocolate fiend and have been collecting recipes with artificial sweetners. Hope you all come through this well. Best Wishes.

Congratulations! That's some fast weight loss! -BG

LOL! We'll be starting our own website 'Banders Anonymous Now Banned (from LBT)'...or BAND for short.:thumbup: I love this site! Did you HEAR ME (Administrators)?!