GayleTX

I would think the surgeon's office could refer you to an appropriate shrink....many of them don't want anything to do with weight loss patients for fear of liability since there is surgery involved. When you call a mental health provider for an appointment, be sure and tell them your purpose in coming. And may I wish you great success.....I was about your size and also handicapped only a few short months ago....couldn't walk but just a few feet, even had a hard time driving, couldn't do my housework, hadn't been in a mall or even WalMart in 6 years. Now.....only 6 months after surgery.....I am a new person. I walk a mile every day on the treadmill, I'm driving, I'm sleeping well, I take less than half the meds I used to.....it's wonderful to have a life again (and I'm 62 years old). Just wanted to let you know that all the paperwork, all the appointments, all the aggravation we go thru to get this surgery is worth it and wish you the best!!!

Even tho your insurance company will cover wls, they will still have a long list of criteria that you must meet in order for them to approve it. Be sure and get that list from them as soon as you get the coverage so you know what you are dealing with. With almost no co-morbidities, as in your case, it may not be easy. I don't mean to put a damper on your excitement, but felt you need to know that most ins. co's sure don't approve wls without a fight ..... or at least requiring we jump thru a lot of hoops (and hoop-jumping ain't too easy for a chubby girl!). Do hope it goes well for you and that it happens as quickly as possible, though......best wishes!!!

I see his name over and over in some of the boards I visit and haven't seen anything negative about it....he must be one busy boy!

O, I fogot....shrimp! I buy the sacks of fully cooked frozen shrimp at Sam's....all you have to do is thaw them out and eat - salads, sauce, cocktail sauce, etc.

I eat a lot of turkey chili w/beans, vegetarian refried beans, low fat cottage cheese....all good protein but not much fat.

Shy.....you'll need to crush your meds for a few weeks while you are swollen....you might try taking them mixed in with applesauce.....just take one at a time...small bites. If you take capsules, just open them up and dump the contents. You might want to find some liquid Tylenol and have it on hand. (I had thought that we had to crush them forever, but that's not the case....however, after each fill you may need to go back to crushing for a couple of days). Good news is....bet you won't need nearly as many meds after losing a few pounds. I've gone from 11/day to 5/day.

My undies fell off as I was walking down the hall in the middle of a bunch of high school students!! I mean they fell right to the floor! I just kicked them in the open door of an office and went back later and threw them in the trash. Taught me a lesson about being too stingy to buy new things til I lost "just a few more pounds." Don't you dare miss a ballgame because of that incident. You just go and grin. And next year they won't recognize you because you'll be so skinny!

I was concerned about that, too...I often had dizzy spells, shakiness if I didn't eat regularly (I am diabetic). However, it has not been a problem....haven't had even one episode since surgery - 6 mo. ago). Also at time of surgery I was taking 5 pills/day for diabetes, now I'm down to one. Best wishes......

Good for you....good for US! I'm right with you (only I've got lots farther to go). (I'm down 83 lbs) As you said, the best part is being able to get around and feeling more self-confident. I had gotten to the point of being afraid to drive and I hadn't been in a store or a mall in several years. I am driving all over now and have been in a couple of stores and a mall. Still can't make myself tackle WalMart. Exercise....I've gone from sitting and crying in the parking lot of the gym to actually going in the door and now I'm now walking a mile on the treadmill in 25 minutes. Unless you've been down that far you can't know how good that feels. You are very right.....the sharing that takes place on the board certainly keeps us focused and motivated. And I thank everyone for being so open and generous with their thoughts. Continued success!!!

GasX seems to be the drug of choice by most people....it's an OTC. I had no nausea whatsoever, not even a gas pain.

A lot of posters say they have gotten relief using the chewable Gas-X.

emily......sounds like you're doing well....don't worry about calories at this point....just concentrate on healing and getting strong. We've got a long road of counting and watching what we eat, don't we! Best wishes!

I record everything on www.fitday.com......it helps keep me on track. Maybe I won't do it forever but it has helped this first 6 months. I know that we need to do around 80-100 gr. protein a day. I try to keep my intake of carbs under 50-60. And most of the new research shows that if you stay under 1200 cal. for an extended length of time, your body will rebel and refuse to turn lose of fat (hibernation mode).....it's been hard for me to keep my calories up to a healthy, weight-losing level, so fitday.com helps me keep an eye on that. So far, it has worked for me.

Free Advice: If you go to Mexico....BEFORE you go, be sure and get info on fill doctors in your area, find one (or more) that will do fills for a Mexico band, get a committment from him, ask others about him. I have seen far too many people on the boards fly off to Mexico and come back home and can't find a doctor that will touch them. You might also see if you can locate a nutritionist with bariatric experience in your area that you can work with afterward (and be sure and research this yourself). Judging from the board posts, it seems the Mexican clinics don't give a lot of instruction on nutrition and successful eating with a band even tho they do a good job with the surgeries. The aftercare is a major key to being successful after you get banded....that includes fills and the way you eat. I admire your courage (and everybody else's) flying off to another world to have surgery. Best wishes!!

The Protein shakes are a life-saver IMO!! But it needs to be a good quality protein....one made specifically for bariatric patients, not athletes or weightlifters who need lots of energy or dieters trying to lose 5 pounds. I use IDS and nectar for the most part. I make shakes in a hi-watt blender and put in ice and sometimes some LF cream cheese and fruit. I use divinci SF syrups to have some variety in the flavors.. makes me feel like I've had something illegal. I am much stronger than I've been in a few years, I haven't lost any hair, my color is good, my labs are good. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to regain my health and add a few years to my life (and life to my years!).

I weighed 350 at first appointment, 335 at surgery on March 25 06. I now weight 267. I have gone right by the band rules and it has worked well for me. (protein first, then veggies, no water with or for an hour after, 50-60 carb/day, 1000-1200 cal/day, and good quality protein supplements) and 1/2 gal liquids/day. I was slow to begin exercise because I was so heavy and pretty well handicapped. Now I am walking a mile/day. I have also cut most of the my meds out (I am diabetic, heart stents, hi blood pressure, gout, arthritis, etc......but I'm much better now~).

Until you get a fill or two you don't have any restriction (except for the swelling for a few days after surgery). All you have now is a tool that's been inserted....it hasn't been 'turned on' yet, just put in place. Can I tell you my opinion of why you are craving? It's the @#$# CARBS!! Carbs make you crave everything! I try to keep mine under 50-60 gr./day....and I try to eat them later in the day because if I eat them in the morning I crave something all day long. Carbs are EVIL! Also, if you are eating about 1100 cal./day and you are eating carbs(which are hi in caloresi) you aren't getting much food so you are no doubt hungry! Have you followed the rule about not drinking for an hour or so after eating? Drinking with or right after your meal washes the food out and you're empty and hungry right away. If you will switch to eating good Proteins (eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, thin sliced turkey, good quality Protein supps) .... eat them first, then if you have room eat a few veggies. Then you should be full. You'll also feel better, more energetic, and should cut your cravings a lot. I know quite a few very successful losers and these are the rules they have taught me....and it's working for me, too. Best wishes!!

Did your doctor not give you any eating guidelines? Sounds like you need some help choosing healthy foods. You might want to go to www.bariatriceating.com and look at the pinned topics at the top of the message board....also the 'way to eat' forum. They are extremely helpful and accurate. Also, some of the so-called Protein drinks on the grocery store shelves and even the health food stores are for body builders, athletes. We need things that are designed for bariatric patients....low carb, low calorie, very high protein. The IDS and Protein Delite and nectar brands are for bariatrics.And most of them taste very good. Best wishes!!

Hon, my BMI was 62.....same as my age! And I felt just about average when I went to the seminar (in fact, I sat thru 3 of them.....just shopping around). To me, it was more comfortable being just one of the crowd and letting other people ask the questions and listening to the discussion. As far the sleep study....it was a pain, but it helped me qualify for the surgery thru the ins. co. And sleeping with the CPAP for a few months gave me the best rest I'd had in many years. As for humiliation...I understnd. The topic of my weight has been something unspoken in my family. Just too painful. Being among other patients and medical staff (and the wls boards) who just take it for granted and who speak about weight and size and the complications very casually has been very liberating for me. I can say words (like the f word) that I could never say before without crying....hey, I'm FAT, I can say it! The doctors I worked with made me feel very valuable and accepted....first time ever by medical people. The process was not nearly as humiliating as being the fattest mother at homeroom or the ballgame, the fattest wife at the company picnic, the fattest teacher on staff, etc etc. They were all upbeat and made me feel hopeful and happy. You are a young woman with a young child that needs a happy, involved and healthy mommy. You swallow your pride and get out there and do something for your future and for your child. It will give you your life back. PS...6 months later - my BMI is now 47!!:clap2:

He makes Kinky Friedman look mighty good..... BTW...I'm a teacher, too.....

After 50 lbs I gave mine up. It had been wonderful and helped me for months but don't need it now....DH says I snore a little now and then but not bad. And I'm still sleeping well. I didn't wait to go back for another test....just ditched it!!

Are you saying that you are going to have our pre op tests done in Mexico also and then plan to have your surgery right away on the same trip? I have an on-line friend who went for his stress test here in US last week; they found a blockage and scheduled him for an angioplasty (inserted a stent in his heart). He will have his wls when he is fully recovered from that. I know of another case in which the psych eval indicated depression and the shrink required the patient to see a therapist before they would schedule the wls. So, yes, things do happen. Would it be possible for you to find out what Dr R requires, do the pre op work here, then take the results with you to Mexico.?

What a nightmare! It is so frustrating when a doctor's office treats a patient like a moron, assuming they are overreacting to things. They, of all people, realize that there are complications (why else would they require we sign all those release of liability papers?). So sorry your college graduation schedule is being sidetracked. I became ill during the fall of my senior year and graduated late myself.....however, it was because of a stroke (at the ripe old age of 29) - due, no doubt, to overweight and stress. Hopefully, having this band and a guide to a lifestyle change will keep you from ever having such an experience. Despite your complications, it will be worth it and you will have a great new, healthy future to look forward to. Best wishes for a quick recovery......

This is an excellent article. It probably won't help her right now....when you are in love nobody can talk sense to you. But it's something that she might can benefit from later on. http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/article.php?artID=157

I am 6 months out and have lost no hair at all.