maestrita

Yeah, Aussie Trace, we have the same band-birthday! Malissa and LouandBoosMom have our same band-day, too! It's going to be super! I am so excited for us all. Our lives are going to be great!

I have to go down to 900-1000 calories a day and eat very specific foods in order to lose. I know how to do it, and I would except I am afraid that it will mess up this liver thing. My problem here is that I still don't fully understand whether the goal is weight loss or just this liver thing. After I posted my original reply, I realized it sounded too defensive. I decided that I really need to stop defending my decisions and removed that part of the message.

Yeah, LouandBoosMom! We all share a band-birthday! I will add you to my prayer on our day. We are going to be so happy and skinny! Whoo-hooo!

I am being banded by Dr. Kirschenbaum in Denver, CO. My cost is under 10.000. and his aftercare charges are more than reasonable. I will likely have to pay for my aftercare here in town because of the airfare to Denver. However, it still beats the heck out of having it done locally, even if the aftercare were included in the initial charges. It is over 17.000. here, and I would have to get more than 35 fills in order to spend 17.000. Even though it is so expensive here, the aftercare only lasts for two years. I have not yet heard of anyone having 35 fills in that amount of time....or ever, really...

The thing that kills me is that I know how to lose weight, but that's not what they told me to do. I am paranoid that I might get this liver thing wrong, and though I think my liver is probably just fine, I want to do everything I can to maximize my healing time and avoid complications. I think I am going to go down to 1000 calories a day and max my protein. I am starting at 215, so I likely wouldn't drop crazy weight really fast anyhow, but I feel like I need to drop some because that is what people are saying happens. The lady at the clinic kind of said that, too. She said I should lose 3-5 lbs. Though neither the nutritionist or doctor did. They both said that I need to avoid the carbs because they store in the liver as glycogen, and this causes the enlargement of the liver.

Me, too. I can't wait! I will say a little prayer for you on our big day! I will pray for both of us to have better, healthier lives. Do keep us posted! Yeah!

Oh, Malissa! Our surgery date is the same date!!!! You are the first person who I've run into with the same date. I will be in Denver. Where will you be?

Yeah, get the boobs! You only live once! Whooo-hooooo!

:thumbup: Having my son call me Mama-the-Hut in front of his friends... He thought he was being funny, and later apologized, but it's one I'll never forget.

I financed my surgery through a credit line. I am having to work more to pay for my surgery. I will be working weekends and vacation time until I pay it off. I only have to earn 80.00 extra dollars a month to make the payment, but I am trying to double pay it to beat the interest. Since I am a teacher, there is no paid overtime through my job, and I need to work for another company to earn the money. It is hard because people don't want to hire someone who can only work weekends or vacation time. I am lucky that my husband's company needs help, and it's something I can do.

I use the ResMed Liberty, and it works the best for me. I have tried 5 different masks, and this one fits me much better than the full face masks. I have found a lot of support on the forums for sleep apnea, too. Apnea is not a disease to mess around with, though. Prolonged untreated apnea can result in your body developing some pretty serious illnesses. Among those are hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and hypersomnia, that persists even when the apnea is treated. I experience around 600 awakenings a night when I don't sleep with the machine, and it has really taken a toll on my health since I didn't know this was my problem for so many years. It can have a significant impact on cortisol levels and adrenals. Even after you lose weight, you will need another sleep study to determine whether or not it is safe to sleep without the machine. About using sleep promoting agents and apnea, use the machine if you take something. Though rare, it can be a lethal combo,...stop breathing but don't wake up.... but I'm sure I don't need to tell folks that.

Yep. I sure do.

I am not going to tell many people. I teach, too, and my department knows about my struggles with hypersomnia (apnea-related) and arthritis. I've told them that I'm going in for a procedure, but I am not ready to talk about it. They begged me to tell, and I said I didn't want to share it because people have their opinions. I've been warned that people would be negative toward me, they would criticize me, or they would watch everything I eat. I don't want my life to be about food, so I am choosing not to tell. To be honest, I'm not that concerned about the judgmental part. I don't really care, but I don't want the distraction. I am really at a point where I am moving forward in my career, and I want to focus on that. I want to talk about my field of study, methodologies, and best practices. I want to talk about changing lives through great instruction and advocacy. I want to spend my extra time consulting and mentoring new teachers. I don't want to be distracted talking about what I am eating/not eating for lunch. If folks catch on and have the nerve to ask, I'll tell them I'm just feeling so much better these days, and it's easier to take control of my life. I have a feeling that this won't be far from the truth.

My Doc explained that complex carbs are converted to Glycogen and stored in the liver. He said that the high protein and low-carb approach helps to rid the body of this and shrink the liver. They must be able to get around the liver and under the diaphram to place the band, and if the liver is enlarged, it doesn't work. He explained that he's had to close the person back up without banding when they've not followed the plan. I've watched the procedure on YouTube, so I understand what he was talking about. He also told me I only get one last supper, not several. It's as if he read my mind...! My nutritionist later explained that you can get into trouble on the low carb diet, though, too. She said I can't just eat meat all day every day (not that I would, yuck), and if I haven't lost a pound within three days of the diet, I am doing something wrong. Good to know. I am going to pre-plan my meals and do an extra week of low-carb because I don't want to take any chances. I don't want to fly out there and wake up without a band. I would just die. I would die, especially if it is because I've done something wrong.

On the flip side, I would wait a year if I could get my insurance to pay. They won't though. I have to come up with the 10,000.00 plus travel and after care. I know it's hard on my family financially, and I will be working off paying for my surgery for years to come. I just can't go on like this. I just can't. It's strange that they think apnea will be a problem. Maybe the resp doc is trying to document your need for the surgery. I only say that because many people who have apnea are approved because of the apnea (as a co-morbidity), rather than excluded. My apnea is pretty significant (OK, let me be honest. I can be heard snoring outside of the house if I don't sleep with my machine. I'm not exaggerating), though my BMI is not terribly high. I am paying for the surgery to find some relief from the debilitating fatigue I feel from the sleep disorder and the pain from injury related spinal arthritis which is worsened by my weight problem. I hope this reads with the pleasant tone I am hoping to impart, and I only mention these things to maybe help you to hang in there, and look at it in a way that brings you comfort. It won't be too long before you are living a much better life. Best wishes!

:sneaky: Oooh, I hope you're right, Alliemorris, 'cause I do love tortillas. My desire to be thin does trump tortillas and chipotle, but just barely!

Oh my goodness. I didn't know it was so inexpensive in Europe. I thought it'd be closer to what we pay in the US. It is less than half! Depending on where we go, maybe a third of the cost for the average procedure here, and many of our insurance companies still don't cover it. If they do, some only cover 80%, and the copay is about what you've quoted (4000 Euros, right?) as the price for the procedure, the hotel, and travel. That's great that it is so accessible. I'm happy for you guys, sad for us :eek:.

Likely there is a list on this massive site somewhere. I have my consult with the surgeon on Monday, and I want to ask the right questions. I know they are busy, so I want to use my time well. What do I need to know that I don't know now?

OK. I talked to my friend who is banded, and she said that I can probably eat them with sauce, but just a tiny bit. In any case, it might be best if I leave the breads behind. It's strange. I am having trouble envisioning my life after this procedure. It sounds so much more difficult, but it sounds like people are happier....

I don't know about in Latin, but wives is the Spanish word for handcuffs. I'm not joking. :biggrin:

I had very bad experiences with Phentermine and with Meridia. I am not going to post those here, but just offer a word of caution. If you think it is not working for you, get back in to see your doctor. For me, no amount of weight loss is worth taking amphetamines. I don't think that is true for everyone out there, so by all means, if it works, keep keepin' on.

:smile:There is a doctor and facility forum if you keep scrolling down the page. I found a lot of good info there, too. Good luck!

So after having an extremely hard time locating my port and being stuck 5 to 6 times(with the fill needle) they found my port.The Doc pull's out 3 cc's? I was told my band was placed empty! And why the other Doc didn't find the other cc's when he gave me the .5cc?? So she gave me back the 3cc's and added 1 cc.So now I have 4 cc's total when I thought I had .5cc!:cursing:Very confusing!! I have just finished reading the Lap Band Solution, and it mentioned that they have to bleed the air from the band when they put it in, so some Fluid is placed in the band in order for that to happen. Could that be where your 3 ccs came from? I am just guessing because that sounds weird. I wonder what the standard/clinical amount of fluid for this process would be. 3ccs sounds like a lot when talking about fills, but the volume is pretty small. I don't know if it would take all of that to push the air out or not. Glad you're OK now, though.

I've never been really big on pop, but I do enjoy Crystal Lite sometimes. There is a pretty good mix-in from Special K that is a protein water. It's the strawberry-kiwi flavor. There are also some hot-teas that I like. One is a strawberry and one is a vanilla. I can't remember the brands, but you might browse the hot teas if it is a part of the store that you haven't been to lately. Do be careful to avoid black teas and stick to the herbal if you have trouble with heartburn, though. Oh, and avoid any of the diet teas that contain Senna unless you know what it is and how your body will respond. Just trust me on that one. I found that I like filtered water (Britta) better than I like tap water, but do remember that you filter out important minerals and fluoride if you don't drink tap water. You can do it. So can I!

:biggrin: OMG...what if I can't eat tortillas? Please tell me you eat the soft corn ones! Jeez, I guess we've identified one of my trigger foods. I will just have to wait and see if I can or can't. It does seem to be very individual, but I am noticing a pattern of starches being difficult for people. Makes sense. As I am typing this, out of the corner of my eye, I see an add for dr. Ponce de leon. That is cracking me up. It makes me think of a Spanish explorer bringing lap bands to the new world.