finallyncontrol

See if they will pay for other things...see if they will pay for your hospital stay, your anesthesia, your psych eval, blood work and etc..just not the surgeon?? I fought for 2 years with an attorney and it was a no go..then I saved all the receipts and after the surgery and 7 months later & 2 appeals later that is what they paid for..they whined a lot about the hospital stay but their whine was I didn't get the stay pre-authorized...so see if you can get it pre-authorized and turn in all of your receipts. NEVER ACCEPT NO FOR AN ANSWER! Also, remember to save all receipts for tax purposes and write off your medical bills. Take care!!

You are the man!!! Keep on running and running and running!!! Love it!!

I think you are doing fabulous! Depending on the tone of your dr..he/she may or may not of been rude they were just trying to help you out..if you all the sudden just starting losing 1/2 as much as you were I am sure they were concerned...mine would be. My surgeon held my hand my whole way thru my journey. I use pineapple juice to "unstick" me..so I carry a can in my car or in my purse if I go out to eat...which isn't too often due to I cook all of my meals. It is just good to have on hand if it happens. I think you have a dynamite attitude and love your story about your studded jeans! I want to hear more stories about that!! keep up the continued success and use your dr for guidance if your success isn't where you think it should be!! Take care!

Have faith in your surgeon! I have heard of this..not that I have had it done to me..just heard of it. But if you have faith everything will be fine! I would double check about going to work that night!! Take care and wish you didn't have to go thru this!

The first thing I would do is regroup...why did you do this surgery in the first place? Yes, there is a lot of mental issues that have to worked thru but I don't believe that none of us would like to repeat the surgery just to eat more ice cream. The protein shakes I drink (Myoplex EAS) you cannot freeze. I am very fortunate that ice cream does not like me. Prior to being banded I ate at least a pint of ben & jerry's a day...so I totally understand your addiction. I replaced the coldness with sugar free popcicles and the creaminess with sugar free pudding. This is a lifestyle change. I didn't stop eating anything while I was losing my weight that I wouldn't be eating after I reached my goal. I learned how to eat in small portions..the really bad foods..likes chips..I seriously eat 2-3 chips and that is it. I satisfy the craving and go on. I have learned I do not need (and can't) eat the whole bag..all I need is a bite or two and I am good. Yes, we are all addicts..when the craving comes on..take one or two bites or occupy your time AND hands until the craving has passed. I hope this helps..I wish you the best!!

Well said Shonette! and where have you been!! One of the first persons I was planning on telling about my surgery started the conversation out with..."You aren't like those crazy people that have those cheating surgeries, are you?". At that point I didn't bother telling anyone. Besides my surgeon, my husband and my parents..no one else knows. Two days after my procedure I had 40 people at my house for Thanksgiving dinner and not one person noticed that I didn't eat and I wasn't moving around all that fast. I also have a little one who would have been 3 then so I just fussed over him..no one knew the difference and no one has noticed since. This to me is a life style change..I eat everything they do only in smaller portions. Overall there is so much negativity towards gastric surgery I personally only wanted positive people to support me and no one was going to interfere with my success. I knew there would be a lot of head games that had to played..within myself I didn't need anyone else to contribute their two cents! This is a personal decision. I have seen it go both ways and seen it back fire both ways. For me this is the right choice..for others maybe not.

I am so sorry to here about your break up! That is really hard!! One way to look at is that he is really going to miss out on the new LeeLee! and boy are you going to be one fine hot woman..not that you aren't now but just wait!! Right now you need to look out for yourself and allow your band to heal. The better you allow your band to heal the better off your future is. The way you pave your road to success is how easy or hard it is. With all this time you have you can walk..so walk all over..if there are parks around you..walk them..or neighborhoods..whatever is close and scenic to clear your mind. I never entered a gym to lose my weight. I am lucky to have a pool..so I swam and I walked. So walking..clearing your mind might be what you need right now?? I wish you the very best and hope your heart heals soon! Remember every relationship has to happen in order to make you grow into who you are some are and prepare you for the future. Take care.

Oh no! Is it the pain medication that is possibly making you sick? Have you ever reacted this way before to anesthesia? I am hoping that the meds that dr just called in will help!! :-) I guess the best thing you can do is try to get up and move around as much as you can...do a little, rest, do a little..maybe more than you just did and rest and keep repeating. Lastly and maybe most importantly I will be saying some prayers for you!! I seriously hope this goes away very soon for you so that you can get on your way. I hate to see you start you band life this way. It WILL get so much better. Try to look beyond this time when you have reached your first mini goal or your second one..picture yourself then..when you have that picture in your mind and the smile on your face hopefully you will have forgotten everything else. Take care!!

Congrats!! Love your spirit!!! and Happy belated Birthday!! Benefiber is also fantastic for constipation..it comes in a few ways..it has no flavor so you can mix it in drinks or puddings or different things. It also comes in tablets. On to better things..like I said congrats on your weight loss and with the attitude you have your goals will be met without a doubt!! Stay happy and keep looking forward and you will be there before you know it! Take care!

I think you might not be getting enough protein or it isn't spread out evenly throughout the day. I am very similar to Mom..I eat 5 small high protein meals a day..I eat every 3-4 hours. I don't like food when i first wake up so I always have a protein shake for breakfast (I am in maintenance stage now..and still eat this way). Then 3 hours later it will be some sort of protein snack..meat/cheese roll ups. Lunch varies..cheese quesadillas (sorry for the spelling) or some sort of tuna or chicken salad on a couple of crackers. 3-4 hours later afternoon snack..carrots/dip or cheese sticks. Dinner I always cook for our family something high protein, low carb...I have a ton of recipes..I cook a lot by crockpot. One of our favorites is Pizza Soup...tastes just like pizza but no bread and it is about 240 calories. 3 hours later..maybe jello or pudding. If I was needing any other snacks in between those I eat Sugar Free popsicles. Keep in mind you can only process 30 grams of protein at a time so if you make a smoothie or something that has 80 and you think you made your goal for the day..you will be tired within a couple of hours of eating it because you only retained 30 grams of it. I looked at this as a lifestyle change not a diet. I had to make sure that what I was eating to make me lose the weight I would continue to eat after wards. I know this will sound weird but I was actually afraid that I wasn't going to stop losing weight. I lost 130 lbs in 10 months. I ended up gaining 5 back to be healthy. Cooking your own foods and having a great attitude really goes a long way! Every body is different so you can not compare but you can see what has worked. Oh I agree...my drinks of choice Orange Sunrise Crystal Light and Water..to me the strawberry-banana was "too thick"..believe me that sounds funny when it comes to Crystal Light but everyone's tastes buds are different.

I ditto mom24teens advice especially right now...you really need to let your band/belly heal. During the next 4-6 weeks the worse thing you can do is not follow your dr's "rules" to a "t". Whatever he or she says you can eat and when you can eat it is when you should eat it...regardless of what is going on..mentally. I know this hard..been there done it. How you pave your road to success right now is how easy or hard you make it. If you are committed to making your goals and using your band to get there then you need to allow your band to heal and settle into place right now. I think it is very sad that a dad (or any person but especially a parent) will call another person stupid..when someone calls another person names they are weak and possibly jealous. What you need to do is turn this negativity into a positive. If you allow him to not let you succeed then he has "won". When he yells or calls you names (I assume you live with him)..then go for a walk..walking is good for you. It allowed me to lose 130 lbs in 10 months..that and a positive attitude! I think it is great that amount you have lost so far and I wish you the very best on you journey!

My dr used to always as me..can you eat a hot dog and a bun? if so you need a fill. I always laughed because I don't eat bread! But basically you want to be full for a full 4 hours on 3/4 to 1 cup of food. I am very fortunate that I actually get the hiccups when I am eating and that tells me I am full. As soon as I hiccup that is my last bite. It could be a 1/2, 3/4 or a cup..whatever it is I stop and I am full until the next meal. The worse thing you do is like Kelly said is get an over fill. That is the worst feeling ever!! I wish you the very best!

So proud of you!!! Miss you!!

Sounds like the personal trainer didn't work out a couple of weeks ago?? One thing my doctor told me is that you don't have to step one foot in a gym to be success with the band...we have our own gym outside! I was your size too when he said it and I lost 130 lbs in 10 months! Walking, Running and Swimming are my doctors top choices for exercise. I think if you started to walk..put on some music...it might be the best thing for you. It will get you out of the house away from the drama. Do you cook or participate in the meal preparation? If not, why don't you start? This could help you prepare more meals that are higher in protein...plus it keeps you busy. The main reason I am going to say to stop smoking the pot is due to smoking will cause you to have ulcers with your band...you really don't want that to happen do you? I wish you the very best on your journey and I am proud of your loss so far! Keep up the continued success! Take care!

Yeah there were only a few things that I gave up forever and ever...Beer is one of them..the others are bread and ice cream. If you could try that I think you would see a huge improvement in your weight loss. I am surprised that the carbonation doesn't bother you..well you said you felt bloated..so maybe it does. What it does is exactly that..it bloats out your stomach and fills it with gases. I wish you the very best!! Take care!

That is exactly what I do..I eat 5 small meals a day..Breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 snacks...but they are all planned..this way I am never hungry. I eat at 8, 10, 12, 3, 6 and 8. It keeps my energy level up and keeps me happy. I am not out there looking for "bad" foods and it allowed me to lose 130 lbs in 10 months!! I wish you the very best on your journey! Take care!

It sounds mentally you are right where you need to be! The most important thing is to follow your dr's instructions to a "T" right now. Do not advance any quicker than he/she has allowed you do. You need to make sure you are healed and are ready to advance to the next stage before you try to eat the next level of foods. After the first 6-8 wks then you might be able to speed it up but not before. Getting stuck now would be the worst thing for you. Each meal should take 20-30 minutes and you should be getting 60-80 grams of Protein a day in equal portion if possible. As for the shakes I try to have my take longer..like 45 minutes. I still have a shake everyday for breakfast and it lasts for 3-4 hours. Just asking..did your dr say it was ok for you to do the WII Fit Plus Aerobic workout? Keep in mind every dr is different but a lot of doctors do not allow that type of workouts for the first month..they only allow walking BUT if your dr has released you to workout then go for it! Stay positive..each day will get better!

I hope you went thru with the surgery today!! I was also a self pay!! I would do it again today with no regrets! I lost 130 lbs in 10 months! I love my life today!! Also, if you do have insurance..try to submit the bills to them anyways and see if they will reimburse you..appeal them if they deny it and continue to fight them. Break the bills down..from the hosp, surgeon, and anes..see if they will pay for any of it! My insurance company finally did pay..it took 8 months of fighting them but they did pay 80%..when I fought for 3 yrs trying to get them to approve it before I had the surgery and I even had an attorney then. Basically never give up on yourself...your health is way too important! Also, since you are self pay..don't let your family down! make them proud and show them how wonderful you are going to be on the outside!! I wish you the very best on your journey!!!

I am sorry to hear that you are stuck at the same weight loss! I truly believe that every person is different. Sometimes I think those that work out heavily in the gyms do have a harder time losing weight...I know it sounds crazy. In my case I lost 130 lbs in 10 months..the only exercise I did was swim and walk (and not much of that). Yes, you need to have the right fill amount to hit your sweat spot and then it is magic. I never referred to my band as being on a diet. My family and I all ate the same foods. I made a lifestyle change. We ate healthier and I ate smaller portions. I ate protein first and carbs last. I don't eat bread, ice cream or any carbonated items..other than that I eat it..but I eat it in the proper portion or some things I just take a bite of it..to satisfy the craving. Having a positive attitude plays a huge factor in my journey..when I am down I gain a pound..when I am happy..I am spot on (or lost weight). Another thing is we rarely eat out...I cook 98% of our meals. By cooking my own meals I know what I am eating and it tastes better! I use a crockpot a lot..so it is ready whenever I get home. As for a suggestion for you..I know you said you are eating what your dr said to eat..but have you ever logged all of your foods? It might help to log your food for a week and see if there is anything you could change. Maybe you could cut back on your meals...I never ate til I was full..just until I was satisfied..that might help cut back a few calories? Make sure you are waiting 30 minutes before and after your meals for drinking any fluids to ensure you are not flushing out your proteins. I hope something I have said helps a little! I wish you the very, very best! Don't ever give up! Take care!

I think your incisions look good...no bruising. Fantastic!

Time heals everything!!! You should be good to go by Tuesday but remember it will be your first day back and expect to be tired & a little worn out. Make sure you pre plan your meals. This will make your day a lot smoother. When you get home you will be hungry and tired. If possible while you are at work get up and walk around as often as possible..this will help you heal better & quicker! Your first 4-6 weeks is really your healing phase..yes you lose weight but it really is to lay the ground for which the rest of your journey..the better you heal the better your journey will be. This growling your hear is more than likely the gases they used the bloat your tummy in order to do the procedure..it is just rumbling around. Stay happy! Having a positive attitude will allow you to reach your goals! Take care!

One way is to take a bite and set your fork/spoon down and then continue to chew. Then pick up your utensil and repeat the process. Also as ezjulz said you will learn that you have to obey or it will not be fun! Also, I have not met one person on here that has not had to learn this lesson the hard way..it is just a matter of time or your slip up and forget. Take care and I wish you the very best on your journey!!!

Are you losing a ton of weight right now? When I was losing the bulk of my weight my hair was really falling out but now that I am in the maintenance part my hair is back to normal..nice and thick & full..I would even say healthier than before! I wouldn't worry too much if I was you. I know my doctor had suggested (not that I had to do it) but he said that some women with extra long hair cuts their hair to a shorter cut so it isn't so noticeable. I looked at is the hair will grow back...I lost about 13 lbs a month so it was well worth the trade for me. Just keep your chin up and stay positive! Everything will work out! Take care!

Fantastic!!! 5ccs in my 10cc was my sweet spot!! Maybe that is a magic number!! You go!! that 5 lbs is right around the corner!! Now watch that blood pressure though!! Take care!!<br><br>