TracyinKS

and Denise....... I LOVE THOSE PICS!!!!!!!!!!

notice I'm wearing my wwjd jewelry

Denise: you are so funny! I can see you guys having a metal wedding! We are kind of doing the same thing except country........ for the bridal march its going to be Rascal flats Life is a Highway, because that is the THEME.... Lifes Highway..... (we both had a lot of detours on the way but this is the road we are taking) as my son says.............. the CARS song! LOL This is going to sound weird but ok........ we are having everything in one hall......... the tables for the reception will be draped in silver table wrap with skirts but the "runners" will be made to look like (a highway) black stripe down the middle....... I bought a bunch of little motorcycle shaped candles from Oriental trading and we are going to use them and a personalized candle votive as center pieces........ I also bought a candy molds that are shaped as little motorcyles... that we will make the mints in white and lavendar......... and I am going to try very hard to get into my moms original wedding dress that she married my dad in.............. and if that doesn't work I'm going to be looking for a Lavendar dress............ Since the fact tht dh and I are not OPENLY married to the kids and others in RL... he has started calling me "woof" to which I've been coming back at him with "hoof" and now I must go to bed if I'm going to get up and go to the gym!

Pam: YOU ARE A SAINT! You deserve the summers off! My birthday is the 4th.... you will see my age change tomorrow under my avatar! LAST few hours of being 37! DH thought he was being sweet tonight........ he REALLY WAS TRYING... but he went to Long John Silvers and brought home CHICKEN and CHEESE CURDS................ PB city for me! I tried ONE rubbery curd and knew that there was no point.... he kind of got hurt looking and threw it all away........ This is why I gained all my weight back the last time I lost it.... he REALLY used to get upset if I didn't eat at least two plates of dinner (that he had just cooked) I really thought he'd gotten over it by now............... I mean he DID make the comment of how good my butt looked in my Levis.... I feel like saying........... LISTEN BUDDY.. IF YOU WANT THIS BOOTY TO BE CUTE and CUDLEY... You can't get hurt when I REFUSE TO EAT CRAP! ................. MEN!

Kat: grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr that would irritate me!

TracyK: OMG ... ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DH always teases me about going and taking a ______ to drop a few pounds! Well.. I am still a ways off from where you are but I did manage to button my OTHER pair of size 14 levis just now..... as I type this I can't breathe but damn it they are buttoned! A birthday present to me!!!!! Well actually I just went and bought 4 more VS bra's offline (had a coupon and a coupon code) LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My coworker bud told me today that my boobs looked really good in my new bra! She's a hoot... (so then I proceeded to do the BAYWATCH run/boob bounce in her office) and then I went and bought more bra's!

LOL Haydee!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL!!!! I've said this many times although I said I was breaking up with my best friend "FOOD" It is so true! GOOD LUCK ON YOUR BREAKUP!

Relax Grasshopper! Your band just loosened up because you most likely lost some fat around your stomach, or your swelling went down!

I've only been banded since April 26, 2007. I haven't had ANY problems whatsoever.

My first concert was Twisted Sister and DIO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was SOOOOO COOL!

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!! Your doing great!

LOL for me.......... I had to put a stop the the FAREWELL TO FOOD TOUR that I was on! I was approved by insurance in January but had to wait until April... so silly me........ I ate EVERYTHING and gained so much that even my fat jeans were busting my gut....... The thing I realized and probably the best advice I could give you is to NOT FREAK OUT........ until you have proper restriction you will be ABLE to eat all your favorite foods... until I was feeling restricted I could still eat thin crust pizza... however NOW........... FORGET ABOUT IT! and Thank GOD!

:rockon:Denise........... shake it shake it shake it!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Liquid diet prior to surgery help shrink your liver. Up until March of this year my doc didn't require one, but after seeing patients with swollen livers and not being able to preform the surgery BECAUSE of them he started requiring one...... the length of time depends on your BMI. I started a LowCarb liquid diet ONE month prior to surgery without his prompting.. It jump started my loss and it ensured that my liver would be fine.

Everyone needs friends and that is exactly why I love it here... NO ONE in my Real Life had even HEARD of the LapBand so I came online to find support and answers. There are many many kind people who frequent this site that will gladly answer questions... To answer your question about healing time........ as goes with a lot of band answers.... YOUR MILEAGE WILL VARY........ depends on how you heal from normal wounds, what meds you take, what your personal conditions are.... For me........ I was back at work (desk job) after 4 days. The incision nearest my breast was the most irritated because my bra would rub on it and make it bleed....... at 5 months out.. you can see the red scars but they are all healed and I don't keloid so mine are flat scars...... I can't say what my pain was like because I was just so stinking happy to finally BE BANDED that I don't even remember being IN pain... (that and the prescribed liquid pain medicine I had) I post over on the Monthly threads and I have a blog......... and I have the same screen name on Low Carb Friends............ GOOD LUCK!

I will say this just like it is........... They BAND your stomach NOT YOUR HEAD! Emotional eating goes so much deeper than not being hungry, which is WHY most insurance companies and surgeons will make you have a psyc eval BEFORE surgery. I like most of us here are emotional eaters......... but also, I am a SPEED eater...... I've also lost a lot of weight many many times, maintaining that loss is my BIGGEST problem and one of the main reasons I chose the band........ It is also important to note that I am currently what some would consider VERY tight........ I consider it my sweet spot because I can only eat 1/2 to 1 cup of food at a time..... BECAUSE I can not eat more than that.......... my food MUST BE QUALITY not CRAP...... it is so easy to read but until you are actually banded and experience the feelings it is almost impossible to describe how the band makes you feel. I am no angel........... I have to FORCE myself to do ANY exercise (like I did this morning) and I have to stay AWAY from the IceCream........ Icecream and liquid calories go right through the band and unless I exert CONTROL over eating those items I will not lose. Your HEAD and Heart has to be ready before the band will work............... That said........ I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY BAND.

My DH can not feel it.... Although I can and as I lose more weight I can now even feel the little spongey tip.. (but I was really playing with it last night) GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER! DO NOT FREAK OUT.... if you get to the point that you think small children will run away in terror... simply have a port revision and get the LOW PROFILE PORT............ Jaque has AWESOME genetics and she is a RUNNER so she has literally RAN HER ASS OFF to look like she does! ME... well.... I plan a tummy tuck in a couple years and if I need a port replacement I will have it done at that time. (I think) Who knows what will happen!

nor chicken, nor steak, nor oooohey goooey, nor bread, nor Pasta............... HINT: Crunchy Crumbly goes right through............... DH favorite food is Mexican........ PreBand I would eat well over an entire basket of chips and salsa and then eat an entire order of fajita's....... NOW: 3 chips w/ salsa and 1 crunchy taco.. and sometimes not even the entire taco............. PRICELESS!

:mad: LOL Slang Terms for LapBand PB: Productive Burp or Projectile Burp... This is what happens when you eat either too fast or too big of bite or something that gets stuck and it gets STUCK in what feels like your throat... and it either has to sit there and dissolves enough to go through the band or it comes back up. Some call this puking, but it is far different because the stomach juices that come up when you puke regularly don't happen... its just the actual stuck food....... AFTER A PB episode most say to go on liquids for 24-48 hours to soothe your irritated esophogus... SLIME: Well.... OK... when the body detects something is stuck it naturally tries to help by creating a CLEAR, THICK, ODORLESS, SALIVA to help the stuck food pass through..... of course since the stuck food is blocking the opening it must come up and come out... IT IS GROSS but painless.... This is why you will hear bandsters say they always carry a baggie in the car or scope out the nearest bathroom while at a restraunt because .......... when it happens all you want to do is SPIT IT OUT........ NOTE: You can avoid PB'ng and SLIMING by chewing your food till its mush, SLOWING DOWN, and not eating stuff you KNOW is NOT BAND FRIENDLY..... For instance........ at my current level of restriction.. I KNOW that pizza IS NOT MY FRIEND! Slime:

Haydee: My doc says.......... small band 4 weeks, large band 2 weeks. That cereal looks great Haydee! I will have to look it up

I am feeling MUCH BETTER and DECIDED TO STAY AT WORK! I just came accross this on LCF... and thought.. HOLY HECK I've NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE! 1 MINUTE MUFFIN Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup flax meal 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 packet splenda packet 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 large egg 1 teaspoon butter Put the dry ingredients in a coffee mug. Stir. Then add the egg and the butter. Mix. Microwave 1 minute (or more). Take out. slice, butter, eat. Cream cheese would go nicely, too. Notes: 11.1 total carbs, 8.8 fiber, for 2.3 net carbs. The shape of this can be changed by making it in a bowl. It can be "toasted" once it's cooked. The cinnamon can be replaced. I would imagine that any sugar free syrup could be added. Per serving: 235 Calories; 18g Fat (63% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 223mg Cholesterol; 284mg Sodium

Get a big glass of Water and start reading........... But first: 1. Know the difference between the big two WLS.. LapBand and RNY 2. Find a local surgeron or TWO and call their office to find out when the next seminar is. (Most ALL require that you attend their informational seminar before even doing a consult) I took my DH, because he was COMPLETELY clueless and the seminar really helped him understand. 3. If you are going the insurance route... CALL the number on your card and ask them if your employer allows BARIATRIC benefits for Morbid Obesity...... the procedure code for the BAND is #43770........ the formal name... "Adjustable Gastric Banding". IF YES, find out EXACTLY WHAT IS REQUIRED.... this is what MY INSURANCE required... a) BMI of 35 + 2 comorbitities OR BMI of 40+ Letter from a shrink stating that I was mentally sound enough to make my own medical decisions. c) Letter from a nutritionist stating that I was a good candidate for WLS MINE WAS EASY! Other things that I did, just in case........ I got a letter my my OBGYN stating my OBESE nature during the years I had been treated by their office...... and that I have Thyroid and PCOS, infertility issues........ Also.... I made a weight chart including pictures... (note: I've been up and down the scale so many times I have YEARS of proof that I have lost and regained.. (my current XCEL spreadsheet goes back to 2003) I didn't need all this, but it completely bowled over the nutritionist and the shrink. 4. If going self pay........ YOUR LIFE WILL BE MADE MUCH EASIER!!!!!! :mad: Call around find out what the SELF PAY prices are and what aftercare that includes....... for instance my surgeons SELF PAY price is 16.5K, including 1 year of monthy aftercare including fills. Hints for self pay: Some have used Medical Credit Companies such as CARE CREDIT, or taken a 401K loan, HELOC on the equity of their homes, Low Interest Credit cards, Loans from family......... Do your research! Realize that your life will change......... for ME..... It was quite a decision to break up with my best friend food... No longer can I eat a pizza when I'm sad, mad, happy, or stressed.......... I had to find another outlet. Dealing with the mental issue of going to a buffet with your family and eating LESS THAN ONE PLATE OF FOOD! and if you've just had a fill... you might only be hitting the Soup.. so for me ... getting over (I'm not getting my moneys worth out of this place) was hard, and one that I am still dealing with. Everyone reacts differently, and every person has a different sweet spot of restriction...... for instance a person who can still eat bread, steak.... just less.. might consider that THEIR sweet spot......... but for me... I do best with ground meat. I felt that I was well prepared for surgery........ I had fought with myself for two years before deciding to do it, and then I had a long time of waiting before surgery so I pretty much spent all my free time on this site reading and absorbing EVERYTHING. I went to a couple support meetings even before I was banded to talk to some vetrans......... I had surgery on Thursday morning and was back to work the following Monday....... I walked my butt off to get rid of the gas.. I suprised the nurses because I said.. take those leg things OFF I NEED TO WALK! and I'm going to work on Monday I NEED TO WALK! Yes, I've eaten to fast, not chewed enough, tried the wrong things....... and I've PB'd and SLIMED..... I'm constantly learning my band and I'm also getting ready to hit the -60 lb mark! I started in 22/24's and today my blouse is a 16 and my fitted slacks are a baggy 18....... I LOVE MY BAND!

And sometime after Halloween but before Thanksgiving send me the following information (PM or e-mail) to pass on to whoever your secret santa is: 1. Do you have specific allergies (foods, scents, dyes etc.)? No food allergies 2. Favorite color? Purple 3. Least favorite color? puke green 4. Hobbies of any sort? LBT, Camping, Riding my Harley 5. Do you collect anything? Butterflies, Women Rider Stuff.... size 12 goal clothes 6. Any additional comments: Thanks Laura!