Band_Groupie

Lili, I've been thinking of you two lately and just figured you were busy. I'm so sorry to hear about Lisa's complication. I'm relieved to hear she has the care of some good docs who have figured this all out quickly and will get her the help she needs. I've never heard of anyone getting sepsis after 3 months except with a band erosion which seems to involve a lot of very site specific abdominal pain. This must be very rare as you said and I'm so sorry this happened to her. Thank you for the information as it may help someone here someday and is certainly something I'll keep in mind. Please send Lisa our well wishes and let her know we're saying prayers that she'll be turning the corner and getting better soon. Hang in there Lili. You're a strong person and she needs that. -BG

I'm so sorry to hear this! How did they finally figure it out, and were you having any symptoms/pain or fever from the infection? I hope everything goes smoothly and we'll be thinking of you. Best wishes! -BG

Yep, perfectly normal. Don't eat too much volume at one time or you can mess things up as this period is for healing. 'Bandster Hell' is where you have your band, but no restriction yet (I have a little now after my second fill). Best Wishes!-BG

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book :party::drum::party::cursing:

The stomach swelling will take awhile to go down. My doc let us take a laxative and I was glad I did (especially after hearing others horror/pain stories), so you might call yours and ask. Sounds like you're doing great! -BG

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*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

First, contact your insurance company and get a copy of your bariatric policy (mine directed me on how to print it offline, or they'll mail or fax it to you). Make sure you meet ALL the requirements so you don't have to backtrack. Contact your surgeon's office (if you haven't already done this then sign up for a seminar or a consult with the surgeon) and ask for a sample letter from a PCP to insurance (I went to 3 hospital seminars and they each gave out a sample to give to your PCP...mine hade done this many times, so they had their own form letter and knew what to include). It should address your insurance requirements directly (ie. if you need a BMI above 40, then make sure your current weight and exact BMI are in the letter). I found that the person at my surgeon's office who deals with all the insurance companies was the most help...she knew everything I needed for my specific insurance. Send me a PM if you get stuck, and good luck! -BG

Best wishes tomorrow...you're on your way now! Let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it again. -BG

I think this varies a lot...some here were going every few weeks and were way ahead of me for awhile. My doc says 8, but the scheduling nurse lets me schedule at 6 weeks (I always make my next appt. before I leave).

JT- That's 30 lbs plain and simple...good work!

Good luck to you today and keep us posted on your progress as you feel better! -BG

Stick with it! Bandster Hell sucks...plain and simple, but it doesn't last forever and neither will your hunger with fills. Just remember this is just a part of the process and as discouraging as this phase is you will get restriction with fills to help you with your hunger. (Keep ranting here whenever you need to get it out!) -BG

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CONGRATULATIONS! Read, read, read and you'll be prepared! Good luck. -BG

WELCOME to LBT! Good luck with the rest of your pre-op diet! -BG

Most docs are pretty conservative and don't put a lot in at a time, but you might want to check with them first (I've seen some pretty wild numbers from some...like 5cc's from one). If you didn't get a 'primer' fill (most get some fill at surgery) at your surgery then they'll probably only give you enough to fill the port and tubing (2-3cc's maybe a little more). If you're going to have any problems you'll most likely have them within the first few days. I'd call your docs office and discuss this with them and get their opinion. -BG

I believe you are eating too little. Anything around 800 cals for the day or less will put you into 'Starvation Mode' and your weight loss will stop and stall as your metabolism will slow to compensate. Give your doc a call, but mine says 1000-1200 cals per day. I try to get in at least 60g of protein, usually more. Good luck to you! -BG

Labor Day Challenge for Bunny Bandsters! Bunny's name --------Target loss lbs. --- Start weight 7/13 --- Current weight --- Target Weight 9/7 Band_Groupie ------------ 15lbs -------------- 203 --------------- 203 ----------------- 188 soon2befit ---------------- 25lbs ---------------- ? ----------------- ? ----------------- ? hopeful41411 ------------ 20lbs -------------- 253.8 ------------- 253.8 -------------- 233.8 smilan--------------------- 20lbs ----------------- ? --------------- 218 ----------------? trobison------------------- 15lbs ----------------221 --------------- 221 ---------------206 myturn2bhappy ---------- 15lbs ----------------- ? ---------------- 279 --------------- ? WannaBe1/2TheWoman - 20lbs ---------------- ? ----------------- ? ----------------- ? Butterfly64 ---------------- 15lbs ---------------231 ---------------- ? ---------------- 216 MrsMitch ------------------- 20lbs ---------------- ? ----------------- ? ----------------- ? doodlebug11---------------15lbs -----------------? ------------------?--------------------? TerriLynne--------------------?---------------------?-------------------?--------------------? txdj------------ -------------16lbs------------------?-------------------?-------------------? size6------------------------11lbs-----------------(-)19lbs--------(-)19lbs--------(-)30lbs 1want2bthin_____________15lbs_____________202lbs____________202lbs__________187lbs Added your weight Andrea!

Let the weight loss begin!!! Labor Day Challenge for Bunny Bandsters! Bunny's name -----------Target loss lbs. --- Start weight 7/13 --- Current weight --- Target Weight 9/7 Band_Groupie ------------- 15lbs -------------- 203 --------------- 203 ----------------- 188 soon2befit ----------------- 25lbs ---------------- ? ----------------- ? ----------------- ? hopeful41411 ------------- 20lbs ---------------- ? --------------- 253.4 -------------- ? smilan---------------------- 20lbs ----------------- ? --------------- 218 ----------------? trobison-------------------- 15lbs ----------------- ? --------------- 222 ---------------207 myturn2bhappy ----------- 15lbs ----------------- ? --------------- 279 --------------- ? WannaBe1/2TheWoman -- 20lbs ---------------- ? ----------------- ? ----------------- ? Butterfly64 ----------------- 15lbs ---------------231 ---------------- ? ---------------- 216 MrsMitch ------------------- 20lbs ---------------- ? ----------------- ? ----------------- ? doodlebug11---------------15lbs -----------------? ------------------?--------------------? TerriLynne.......................15lbs......................?........................?......................? txdj-----------------16lbs-------------?-------------?-------------?

I remember how looooooong summer’s seemed as a kid…as long as at least a couple of years of my life now…it’s like the opposite of dog years, time was just on super-slow-mo as a kid. We’d spend the days running all through the neighborhood with the ‘gang’ of kids. Mom’s generally had no clue exactly where you were, but weren’t worried as long as you showed up for lunch…my Mom with 5 kids, she just knew we were together. The only time I had to ask permission to go somewhere was ‘going to the creek’ because it was a little further away in the woods down the hill. My kids love hearing stories about all the ‘now dangerous’ things we did ‘way back when’…they never seem to hear the end of some of the stories when we sometimes got injured, but only all the fun we had doing things I wouldn’t allow them to do now…simple things like no bike helmets (I still have cinders in one knee) and no seatbelts (before there were seatbelts I broke the front windshield with my head as a child in an accident sitting in the front bench seat between my parents…I was fine), or products like metal lunch boxes (my left front tooth, now a cap, was chipped by a kid swinging one of those as we ran to line up after recess), and DH’s ‘Red Rider’ B-B gun (looks like a rifle for a toddler…my kids and my middle sister’s kids were never allowed to have even a plastic gun…my sister swears that’s why her 2nd son is now becoming a police officer LOL). They love hearing all the stories…about how my oldest sister built a go-cart/soap box and rode it down our street; a very steep hill my parents still live on…it was her first and last trip down. The piece of wood she’d nailed in for a ‘brake’ popped off the second she touched it to the ground…she lost all six of her front teeth (now capped). Our guys from the 'April Bunnies' group have tried this as well (good sports aren't they...getting stuck with the 'Bunnies', and good exercise)...they won the Derby! Times were different then for kids…you’d never know it from the injuries, but it was a safer time (and no wonder I’m the ‘safety police’, right?). We’re off to Columbus for the 4th to be with my (foodie) family (yes, all the phone calls have been about what everyone is making for the different events and meals). The 4th is a HUGE deal for all of us. My parents have been in the same house for 43 years. They built a house in the first ‘phase’ of an enormous development built around a golf course…so large it has its own Elementary school. My parents have always been really involved in the community…Dad was President of the Civic Association and the PTA way back, and they started and were the first Chair’s of the 4th of July parade that travels part of the main road through the neighborhood. They have entered a float for just our street every year which always involved months of planning and putting it together. Back in my youth we had engineers and welders who lived on the street and they concocted some pretty elaborate floats…one with a moving Ferris wheel and another with two turnstiles each with a center wall so 2 ‘scenes’ with people on them turned. We loved riding in the parade. Now my kids have that tradition as well…they’ve ridden on the floats, they’ve decorated their bicycles and won trophies and t-shirts, they’ve ridden with their grandparents (as past parade chairs they do this every year) on the golf cart through the parade, they’ve been at the street picnic every 4th after the parade (every year some of the old ‘gang’ of kids I used to run with come back to the picnic), they’ve gone to the big neighborhood fireworks display and the even bigger one the night before downtown (I always cry start crying at the first patriotic song...that's what this is about after all!) and after we set off fireworks in my folks backyard (yeah, not so safe, but we keep the kids on the patio…and more importantly, of course they’ve heard all the stories of years ago when all the dad’s had bottle rocket wars on the street with pop bottles armed with ammo aiming them at the enemy strongholds…yeah, until my youngest sister got one planted into her thigh). Yeah, we'll be stopping in Ohio for our fireworks enroute. they’ve gone to the big carnival the day after at the Elementary school and played the carnival games and ridden the ponies. My kids are really looking forward to it. Whenever I get together with my 4 siblings and parents the kids will always ask us to tell stories of all the crazy things we used to do (like the above), so there will always be several stories they’ve yet to hear each year. Apparently my middle-sister and I have the same laugh and when we get hysterical it gets to the point of no sound at all…just tears running down our faces and gasps now and then…the kids love to ‘get us going’. It’s going to be an extra special 4th weekend as Mom’s (shhhhhhh) having a big surprise party for my Dad’s 80th birthday on Sunday with over 60 guests. So get your seat early for the parade and have a great 4th of July all!

CONGRATULATIONS! You'll do great...keep us posted on your progress. -BG

Great tips...now which whipped topping did you pick, or do I need to put on the parka? -BG