THEBIGGESTLOSER427

:wub:OMG, I found the greatest mushy diversion. It contains 12 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein per 3oz can. ARMOUR POTTED MEAT!! It hit the spot for me because I was not feeling full on the popsicles, pudding, and broth. So while driving home from church, I had this great epiphany of potted meat. This was really great timing because this is the first Sunday out since being banded on 9/4/2009. Usually, after church we head to a restaurant or fast food joint to eat. The potted meat epiphany worked out well because not only is it cheap but my kids love it as well.:thumbdown: I am 9 days post-op. Will see Dr. Hart on the 15th and we will go from there. Maybe this is psychological but once I eat and feel satisfied I am good to go . The smaller amounts are really doing it for me...so far anyway.. You all take Care...

:wub:OMG, I found the greatest mushy diversion. It contains 12 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein per 3oz can. ARMOUR POTTED MEAT!! It hit the spot for me because I was not feeling full on the popsicles, pudding, and broth. So while driving home from church, I had this great epiphany of potted meat. This was really great timing because this is the first Sunday out since being banded on 9/4/2009. Usually, after church we head to a restaurant or fast food joint to eat. The potted meat epiphany worked out well because not only is it cheap but my kids love it as well.:thumbup: I am 9 days post-op. Will see Dr. Hart on the 15th and we will go from there. Maybe this is psychological but once I eat and feel satisfied I am good to go . The smaller amounts are really doing it for me...so far anyway.. You all take Care...

I had my surgery on 9/4/2009 and I am now 9 days post-op and practically pain free. Yeah! I can cough with out that annoying pain on my left side and I can move without that worrisome gas. I feel great! I weighed in yesterday at 251. My pre-op was 269! I am happy as a bee eating honey :-). My post-op visit is Tuesday and maybe I'll be back to work on Thursday. Would I do this over again! Without a doubt...a resounding YES! Thanks to Cathy and Delma for the advice on how to get the gas pain to a minimum. Cheers!

I will be banded on 9.4.09. Next Week!!! I am very excited. Thanks for starting this thread!

this is easily the worst conversation I've read on this site..on any site for that matter...

I am soooo inspired by reading the posts on this board. I am anxiously waiting for my approval from the insurance company. For the last four months my life has been consumed with medical appointments, psychological tests and evaluations, procedures...etc. I finally finished everything and my sugery was tentatively scheduled for 8/28. I am now told that it is a possibility that the surgery will happen in September...this wait is so unnerving. In the meantime I encourage myself by coming to this board. Thanks for keeping me excited despite the delays...

i am very excited about this path i am on to better myself by improving my health. even the preparation phase has been a great experience. the psychological evaluation probably was the most enlightening. it revealed that i am 'above average in intelligence' but quite dysfunctional in my relationships with men. this coupled with disappointments, loss, unplanned changes, and a desire to shut off myself from the world lead to ballooning of 100 pound weight gain over a period of six years!! :smilielol5: The trip part about all of this is that i didn't see it piling on. talking about denial. i finally saw it staring in my face when i was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. i realized that i could die in my sleep from the underlying factor of being too fat... for the first time in my life i was scared. this was my turning point. i knew i needed to do something but whatever i needed to do i knew i could not l do it on my own. i did what i always do when i am afraid, or uncertain...i prayed. believe it or not, my two-fold miracle began when i found this page and then found a group of people at a center called true results who lead me each step of the way. so now i am almost at the finish mark for completing all my required testing. tomorrow i will have my nutritional consult which is the final visit. then i'll wait to hear from the insurance company. it's been a long four months... so tell me what was your turning point and where are you in the phase one process:rolleyes2:?

i am very excited about this path i am on to better myself by improving my health. even the preparation phase has been a great experience. the psychological evaluation probably was the most enlightening. it revealed that i am 'above average in intelligence' but quite dysfunctional in my relationships with men.:sneaky: this coupled with disappointments, loss, unplanned changes, and a desire to shut off myself from the world lead to ballooning of 100 pound weight gain over a period of six years!! :thumbup: The trip part about all of this is that i didn't see it piling on. talking about denial. i finally saw it staring in my face when i was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. i realized that i could die in my sleep from the underlying factor of being too fat... for the first time in my life i was scared. this was my turning point. i knew i needed to do something but whatever i needed to do i knew i could not l do it on my own. i did what i always do when i am afraid, or uncertain...i prayed. believe it or not, my two-fold miracle began when i found this page and then found a group of people at a center called true results who lead me each step of the way. so now i am almost at the finish mark for completing all my required testing. tomorrow i will have my nutritional consult which is the final visit. then i'll wait to hear from the insurance company. it's been a long four months... so tell me what was your turning point and where are you in the phase one process:rolleyes2:?

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your story. You have helped me tremendously by giving these details. I have had all the consults except the nutritional consult. I will have that tomorrow and my packet will go to the corporate office (true results) and then to the insurance company. My tentative date is scheduled for 8/28 if approval occurs within two weeks or less. Soon i will start the protein diet and then it will begin to sink in that i am about to change my life forever...it is so exciting but also i become apprehensive on other days. Anyway thanks again!

I am very early in my journey, and I was told by the psychologist that I WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL! At first I did not make the connection as to what he said. Simply put he suggested that because my life is so stressful (i.e. working two jobs, raising three children as a single parent, trying to finish my doctorate) that my lifestyle is not conducive for making the changes required to keep the weight off. Also because I've experienced some traumatic events in my childhood and never sought counseling this heightened my likelihood of failure. It took me three days to get over this "evaluation" and decided that I'd take the good and proceed forward. Has anyone experienced a not so enlightened consult? Did this affect the overall decision of the surgery?

Looking forward to polishing my toenails and lotioning my feet Walking a half block without breathing like I've run 6 miles Losing the CPAP apparatus Looking in the mirror and smiling at what I see

Hi Fishy09, I went to my insurance company's web site and typed in weight loss surgery. I don't know if the information I learned of is universal but according to my insurance company and the NIH, if you have a BMI of 40 or greater WLS is then a medical necessity. If your BMI is greater than 35 and there are co-mobidities (i.e. hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea etc., then the chances are also greater for you being viewed as needing a medical necessitated procedre. The thing is that in most cases the procedure has to be FDA approved---as experimental procedures generally are not covered. Hope this is somewhat helpful. THEBIGGESTLOSER427

__________________________________________ My gosh Marie, even my middle name is very close to your's (Maria is my middle name). :cool2: And what's even more ironic is that I share the exact same sentiment regarding following through with the surgery. I prayed about it and decided that after rsearching the procedure, and finding a physician I am comfortable with...the rest would be in God's hands. If this is meant for me I know things ill run smoothly and if not then I'll still press on...knowing that somehow and someway I'll get this weight off and live a healthy life. In writing this an epiphany came about " heal thy life" put together it spells healthy life. WOW! what a message. I s-o-o-o believe that God is directing my path s He divinely let me to this site where I communicate withsuch AWESOME AND INSPIRING Folks! Thanks for sharing Marie... THEBIGGESTLOSER427.

Hi Everyone, This is THE BIGGEST LOSER427, and I gave myself that username because I intend on losing big should I embark upon the lapband surgery journey.:tt2: I am very close to 47 years old, I am five feet tall and weigh 260 lbs. (Very bottom heavy) My BMI is 53.:thumbup:. I have severe sleep apnea, chronic back pain, difficulty walking up more than one flight of steps at a time, and not to mention walking up a hill... It feels like cement is on my chest. I also have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)which is a syndrome of symptoms that causes infertility or difficulty conceiving, hairiness (facial and body), and more importantly, difficulty losing weight. I am sick and tired of carrying all of this weight. Needless to say I have tried numerous diets, fasting and joined many gyms..to no real avail. So when I learned about the minimally invasive lapband surgery I began to get hopeful. My real concerns are side effects, having a port in my body for the rest of my life, and developing a sense of normalcy in my eating. I hold a professional position and more often than not have to attend dinner meetings and/or luncheons. I don't want to embarass myself or the collaborators by not being able to eat or worst yet developing excruciating pain in the middle of a meal. Can someone give me the REAL DEAL on the worst and best of having lap band surgery. Thanks for reading my story and I look forward to hearing from you. Take Care, THEBIGGESTLOSER427

Hey Cathy, Thanks and I'll check in with your aol account. I'd like to know more about your do and TRUE RESULTS. Thanks.

Dear 2Fly Guys, Your story was the first story I read on this site and it was your transformation that got me to register in the first place. Already a natural beauty, your weight loss has totally transformed you...so much that I could not believe you were the same person. Thank you for posting your story because your story led me to the go a step closer to becoming THEBIGGESTLOSER, in the most positive sense of the phrase. Take Care.

Oh, my gosh!!! I just checked out your pics and you look fabulous!!! 10 years younger in less than a year! You go girl! Thanks again. I'm losing some of my inhibitions now...enjoy yourself...you deserve it.

Hi Cathy, Wow! You go straight to the point. I am glad to know that you are in my neck of the woods as I live in Decatur, Georgia. My next step is to begin searching for Bariatric Centers..but I want a provider outside of Emory University. O.K. I don't understand the "PB" term. I see that it is used a lot...do you mind explaining to me what that means? Also, my fear in and of itself, truthfully is not about having the surgery...it really is about having a "normal" life after surgery. I want to eat normally, safely, and feel like I'm still enjoying life. My whole purpose for pursuing this is about me having a life of normalcy...yeah, like being able to get on a roller coaster with my five year old...and fitting comfortably in an airplane...to be free of pain and the CPAP machine...and not fearing embarrassment at a dinner meeting... Thank you so much for "keeping it real" and I am depending on you all to help me embark upon and get through this life changing journey.

OOPS, disregard the weight loss question....I sent this prior to reading your tracking picture

Brandy, Thanks so much for the quick response. You are right; at this point my health is priority and I love the way you politely addressed the dinner/luncheon meetings. Thank you also for giving me all the details. This is important to me as I need to psychologically prepare myself for the "worst." As long as I know what to expect I am O.K.---not good with surprises. So my concern of having a port is relatively unwarranted would you say? I don't want to know that it is there...and I don't want to feel the pain of having the saline injected... Just want to live as normal life as possible. So how much weight have yous lost and how long has it been since you've had your surgery? THEBIGGESTLOSER427