InTheCityGirl

Thanks Jachut! You reminded me not to apologize for my goal:-) I too am a big girl. LOL. 145 is my goal at 5'10 1/2 so about 65 kg for me too.

Hey gang- I am chugging along. . .need to get another fill. I am eating like I used to:-) I have a bulge that is tender at my port. Feels like a golf ball. I assume it is the remaining swelling. Is this normal? I have read of people being able to physically feel their ports but I don't think that's what this. . . Any insight?

I'm so glad you guys posted this thread!! I was weighing everyday since being banded. It is just painful given I will avg. the normal 1-2 lbs given my size a week from here on out. I can fluctuate 1-2 lbs based on everything from my period to constipation to day to day fluctuations. It gets me so upset not to see improvement that I have decided effective today (my b-day!) that as my gift to myself I will only weigh myself once a week on Tuesday morning first thing in the morning after going to the loo. I had so desperately wanted to hit 199.x for my b-day that I crawled right on back into bed when I was over 200 today. I want to be able to start not thinking about my weight during the course of the week but focus on eating well and exercising. I think weighing myself once a week should hopefully do the trick!!!

I go back to my doc for fills under floro (sp?) for $100 plus travel expenses to his office near the border of CA and MX. I researched fillcenterusa.com and they have packages for about 1300 for the year that includes 8 visits, 4 fills and a consult. It does not however cover floro, which I don't know how much extra it would run. Insurance is such a nightmare. BC/BS wouldn't cover the fills for me so back to MX I go:-))) Who would have thunk it?

Hey guys-watching a special on Discovery Channel about Ann Wilson (who got the band). Love those gals. Takes me back to the good ole 80s. Who are the other famous band recipients? 1. Ann Wilson 2. M. Ali's daughter Leila (sp?) 3. Sharon Osbourne seem to be the only ones I have heard of. Anyone else?

would definitely do again. happy with when i did it. it was right time for me. i would recommend a full week if you can get it. i went in on a friday morning and did not have to be anywhere until the following monday morning 10 days later. it was perfect. could have gone back earlier but didn't have to . little pain. don't know about the uk docs but there is a support group section for uk patients at the bottom of the list of topics. no bad breath, etc. yet but i don't have my first fill. i couldn't restrict my portions myself or i would have saved my money:-0

Glue for me which my doc affectionately referred to as Mexican Glue. Glad they have a sense of humor about the whole thing. I had zero problems with the glue. Came off in the shower while cleaning myself about 2.5 weeks out. The scars look awesome and with a little Vitamin e oil and/or mederma should fade soon enough.

u rock bert! gosh i can't believe i missed this one. . .these guys always have their finger on the pulse.

I was happy with my care at Dr. Ortiz in TJ. I am just outside of LV near the dam so either choice was OK for me. I flew on Southwest to San Diego airport and they took care of the rest (transportation, hotel, pre-op, etc. all in the same 2 night visit). Best of luck to you. WaBB's link in her sig is awesome for research. I used it to make my decision last year.

OMG CallMeJim! I totally got sucked in too on New Year's Day. I couldn't stop watching. They all looked amazing. I wish I could go away for 3 months and work on nothing but myself like they did. I did read an article online that most do not stay where they are at the weigh in. They work so hard those final 5 months to get the $$ plus are going on national tv in a competition. BUT, the ones they interviewed did not gain it all of it back, usually just 30-40 lbs similar to the ones on the reunion show k2k07 saw. I know it isn't "normal" to lose weight the way they do but I love to watch it anyway. The BBC America had on a show where 2 women who were a size 12 UK (8 US) try to get down to a "00" or US size 0-2 because apparently that is all the rage in the hollywood set. One woman after 4 weeks was binging and purging and the other was crying all the time. But the crying woman made it but hated how she felt so immediately went back to normal. I have struggled with my weight but have thankfully never developed a real eating disorder. But all the emotions the women were going through made me think of this board too. Sometimes I think I could easily get there (crying because you only lost 1 lb this week) and some of my fellow bandsters too. Now that I have veered totally off topic. . .love the biggest loser:-))))))

Thanks for the idea Mrs. Krzyz! I think I may try to find an indoor walking place too. Maybe the mall or something.

I guess this is such a touchy topic and I'm on the fence. I too am self-pay. In fact I had to wait a year to get my band. I have read about the slipped bands, flipped ports, and possible stretched pouches for months. On the one hand, hearing that I'm not the only one who fell off the wagon gives me some piece of mind that I haven't destroyed my band, thus helping me get back on the wagon. On the other hand, hearing that cheating has no real consequences by stories of people who do it is possibly dangerous for some of us over-eaters who can not control their addiction. There exists the possibility that we may just ignore all advice, good judgement and prudence. This would make the band totally useless OR fail and removed. I think someone telling us to get back on the wagon is a good voice. food addiction is like any other addiction: if an Alcoholic has a drink, AA encourages them to start again today. Today is a new day type stuff. Taking care of ourselves and our bands is the same. We may do something we shouldn't be doing but we need to get back on the wagon. This is not in my mind a section of the forum to teach each other how to cheat but support each other after the fact to get back on the wagon:-)))))

nume130 - someone can correct me if i'm wrong but below 40 is considered a lower bmi and can go as low as 30 (me). of course everyone is welcome! i think as you get lower on the scale, the harder it is to consistently lose and lose large amounts. you definitely qualify as a lower bmi bandster.

AudricIan! What a load of your mind this must be for you. Thank goodness his Uncle has his head on straight and your DH's ear. Congratulations on your incredible loss to date too! Best wishes for 2008!

best wishes for your next appointment!!! i love when they ask you to lose it on your own. . .as though you've never would of thought of that:-)) you will make it! it took me a year but i finally got my band. keep your chin up!

well, yeah there is the strap thing. no mini purses or narrow straps for me:-) messenger bags are the bomb. i can't wear them without creating a spectacle crossing them over my chest. ugh. . .that will be the first awesome bag i purchase when i'm close to goal.

Wow, what a thread of responses:-))) I'm not much of a celeb watcher but they do get quite a bit of exposure to the media so I guess I was hoping to read more of their stories to get add'tl insight. I totally agree about the 50 pounds for Ann Wilson though. It was a little disappointing. But the stories she told were so intense of her yo-yo'ing all the way back to early teen years. It always seems that someone who has the weight issues that young suffers terribly trying to get it under control for the rest of their lives. I also agree that we wouldn't know if many celebs were doing it because there is still stigma attached to some of this stuff. Like Ricki Lake is down to a size 4 and claims it is eating right and exercising but you have to wonder. Someone who suffered so much trying to lose 75-100 lbs for 20 years all of sudden pulls it off and maintains makes me wonder. Heck, I haven't announced my journey to anyone outside my DH yet either. And I can count the number of people I know who would care on my fingers and toes:-))))

$8500 total for 3 days and 2 nights in TJ, MX with Dr. Ortiz. Self-pay. Travel to San Diego and small food budget in TJ for soups and juices. Total: 9K from Las Vegas. Will be going back to SD for first fill as I consider it a post-op visit as well. Depending on final cost will likely start going to fillcenterusa.com near me with floro for remainder aftercare. They have a 4 fills, 1 consultation, 8 appointments for like $1300 which should cover me for a full year. I have BCBS and they cover this procedure in full with small co-pay complements of my DH's bank awesome insurance. I didn't qualify due to low BMI. Sooo. . .currently researching whether BCBS will cover aftercare regardless of whether they paid for the surgery or not. Also, whether fillcentersusa.com take insurance, etc. So much paperwork. 95K. Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Green, you are most likely correct. I have to say I saw Barack Obama on Jon Stewart on Tivo last night with my DH. I voted for him here on the poll. I guess I should be embarrassed that a fake news program on the comedy channel is a source of political info but then again we discuss our digestive tracts on this site. . .

luv2teech7 - you'll do great! We are here for you. Just keep posting and reading. You'll feel normal soon.

Forgive the typos - too hard to edit after the fact with all the HTML, etc.

Metobolism has to be key. I think I just don't understand it too much. The bodybugg everyone is raving about is really expensive so I don't know if I can get one. Do talk about metobolism with a nutritionist or your dr? Any good sites to educate yourself about this? Love ya guys. Good stuff all the way around. P.S. I would die to have some tool that could tell me my metabolism at any given part of the day to test what eating a small breakfast, or small portions all day long versus 3 squares, etc.

Love, love them all!!! I totally agree with the first poster that they are better than clothes or shoes because they always fit and they are not prejudice against my size (big feet and wide everything else:-) Never like Coach (I guess because everyone has them now so I want something different:) Totally got all of Kate Spades's leather hobo bags for summer and winter (white, beige, black and red) from Zappos (got employee discount - that helps), Todd's from Bluefly (only discount was a coupon they sent me on a postcard once but the site is always discounted), CK from Endless (that new Amazon site). Overstock is a great recommendation and I also find surfing SmartBargains is sometimes good but don't sign up for the newsletter because they email every day which is excessive unless you are a fanatic. I try to get to sample sales in NYC but lost my in on where to find them. DailyCandy usually has some and NY Mag lists a few but other than that don't know how to find them:-) LOVE the bags:-))

Also, I am 5'11 so make no mistake these tank shirts that I use as undershirts are more than long enough:-)))

Hey Heather- Gap and Old Navy jeans are somewhere in between true low rise and "mom" pants. Old Navy also carries tank tops which are very long and cover the Gap jeans I wear. Either it shows a little underneath my real shirt or only when I bend over which sure beats exposing my granny panties:-)))