sunnysea

Hi Everyone, I wish I could go to the support meeting tonight but I won't be in town until the 16th, I sure hope the weather will be better by then. Woofay,........... I also take Effexor ER and have been told to open the capsule and mix it in alittle applesauce, etc...... My prescribing Dr. and the pharmacist told me that, it has little med balls??? in each capsule so it stays an XR, just don't chew it. I would talk to your prescribing Dr. and a pharmacist about this particular med. As for my other meds I crushed them at 1st and then graduated to splitting them in half and now I can swallow anything because i'm in need of a fill. I would talk to the pharmacy because one of the meds i'm on can be split but is not recommended to be crushed. As for everyone else............ I did use the dulolax the night before, it was no big deal, and I was able to wear my regular bra and undies with no problem on the way home, I just wore a stretchy jogging suit home from the surgical center and home to Wisconsin the next day. I tried to find a sports bra and they all seemed to squeeze me. Good Luck to everyone that is being banded soon, I love mine, keep us posted, Sunnysea:)

Disney, If your insurance does cover lapband surgery maybe all you have to do is appeal it. Sleep Apnea and high blood pressure are considered co-morbileties, I would try again. And as far as I've been told by Dr's your pressure is too high, at least that lower number is??? My ins. had it excluded even if medically nesesary so I went to Denver to a great Dr., he charges $9,500 for everything. Good Luck, sunnysea

On the subject of the band not being for life........ I'm new to this and will be getting my 1st fill on the 16th, I am wide open right now and I can eat anything, I do find that I stay full longer than before the band. I think people are forgetting about the hunger issue before being banded. You can improve your habits but without the band you would be hungrier requiring more calories to stay satisfied and thus gain weight. As of now I can't imagine being without the band and hope that if it ever comes to that there will be a replacement of some kind. Sunnysea

Hi, I just had surgery 1 month ago so no one really can see much of a difference yet, I wear a stupid black smock at my retail job but my pants have become very baggy. Anyhow, yesterday a customer said to me boy I sure hope that surgery will work for you after youv'e spent all that money! I know it's my fault for telling people but I can't beleive that they think I am going to look like a whole new person in 1 month!!!! I really don't think this person was trying to be a bitch, I think it is just her lack of info on lapband surgery. I'm happy with my results so far and that is what counts.I love my band. Sunnysea

Hi Machele, If I'm not mistaken the 3 types of band are the 9.75cm/4cc, 10cm/5cc, and the VG 11cm/10cc bands. So which one do you have? I know this doesn't answer your question, just wondering which one you are refering to. Thanks, Sunnysea:)

Hi Machale, I have the 10cm/5cc band, I don't get my 1st fill until April 16th. Is your band the VG 11cm band? All I know is this band is wide open, I can eat anything:eek: I have a long 2 weeks ahead of me! Sunnysea

Thanks Machele, How are you doing now? As you probably read, I am getting a fill on the 16th, i'm ready! Sunnysea

Shesha, Thanks for the reply, let me know, ok

Marjon9, How are you? I was just wondering, did you have a fill yet???? I have my 1st one scheduled for 4/16 with Dr. K, my sister gave me some of her frequent miles. Sunnysea

Shesha, I wanted to ask you about the Dean Care Center in Madison. I called the other day finally and was told that my 1st appt. may not include a fill! I told them that I was 4 hours away and she said there was no way to be sure, it was up to the doctor if he had time after the consultation:confused: Did you meet with them yet? The person I talked to was just different, I don't know maybe she was having a bad day!?!? I guess I will have to pick aday to go down and get that 1st visit done with because when I need a fill I can't drive there one day and go back the next. Granted I am happy there is this option for us it just seemed kinda shitee. I won't be able to fly to Denver everytime even though I wish I could, I trust Dr. Kirshenbaum, maybe he would like Wisconsin,lol. Also does anybody know if he is just doing surgeries at the Hospital now? I liked the surgerical center where we had ours done. And if so I would think the price would go up with it being at a Hospital???? How is your fill working out? Sunnysea

Well Everyone I will be in Denver for my 1st fill on Monday April 16th, Lap Dancer what time is your appt. with Dr. K? mine is at 2:15. I am really ready for a fill now but I wasn't able to keep my April 4th appt. I can eat ANYTHING!!!! I am still watching it though and I do stay full longer on less food Sunnysea

Hi, I just saw in your post that you took Ibuprofen, I'm pretty sure that can cause troubles with your stomach once you are banded:confused: they recommend Tylenol, no asprin products. Maybe someone else knows for sure???? Sunnysea

Hi, I haven't had a fill yet, I was trying to get out to Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver but the rates are really high right now with Easter weekend coming up. It's been 4 weeks this Wed. since surgery and I have no restriction, I can eat anything, although I do stay full quite a bit longer on less food. I don't drink with my meals and I'm eating solid foods as if I had a fill. The place I will be going to in Madison is the Dean Care that Shesha talks about in her post (#8) of this forum. I don't know if they see patients that had surgery in Mexico???? Good luck, Sunnysea

Rocko, Good Luck tomorrow:) I can't believe how fast I have healed, I LOVE my band and you will too:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: We will keep you in our thoughts, let us know how you are doing when you are up to it. Sunnysea

Drews Lou, I think the support meeting is on April 10th the second tuesday of the month, I had posted it as the 1st awhile back:confused: Your'e before and after picture is Great! it makes a big differance, must feel good with spring and summer on the way. Sunnysea:)

Hi, Dr. Kirshenbaum does take patients that had surgery in Mexico but I do not know what he charges, I would think it would cost more than what he charges his surgical patients. I live in NE Wisconsin so when air travel is cheap enough I will travel out to Denver for a fill, but otherwise I have to travel about 31/2 to 4 hours to Madison. Sunnysea

I'm sure this will be the 1st place it disapears! I hardly fill a C cup unless it's padded:faint:A true pear I am! Sunnysea:)

Oh man you got me drooling! I am absolutely in love with the Carribean, it is the most fantastic color of clear turquiose waves and white sand. If you like shells, at Xelha everyone goes snorkling which is wonderful but take a walk out to the beach there, the beach isn't that nice no one really swims there but we found the most beautiful large shells washed up.Nobody even bothers with the beach there, a girlfriend and I had all the shells we wanted last year. What kind of painting do you do? I love watercolors but haven't done anything in a long time. I should have been born in Mexico I even love taking a siesta in the afternoon,LOL Sunnysea

Hi everybody, DynamoMini, You are so lucky it is really beautiful there, you have alot to look forward to with the trip and banding. Relax and enjoy your vacation and before you know it you will be sipping broth! Soon to be banders------ I also liked the Knorrs chicken broth cubes, they are large but can be split up easily, they dissolve quickly and are easy to travel with for those of you that will be flying, they come in a box.

Welcome back Fabulous:D I had just noticed that you had posted on another message and I was going to say glad to see you posting again, and then I came across this! You look like a completely diff. person, I can't believe what a differance that extra weight made. I know from past experience with loosing weight we forget where we started from. Years ago I had gotten down to 150 from about 175 and then I gained back 5 lbs and thought I was just so fat:faint:the things we think in our minds! What I would do now to weigh either one of those weights again. When I first joined LBT you always had a positive word to say and you were an inspriation to me. So I hope I can help, you need to be good to yourself and just move forward. I know you have a wonderful family and I also know that young mothers are always taking care of everybody else but themselves. Maybe it's time to get another fill? And maybe you just needed this time to balance out and let your body+mind adjust to your previous weightloss. Whatever reason I hope you stick it out with us and say some of those kind words you have for all of us to yourself.:welldoneclap: Sunnysea

Disney 38, I am from N.E. Wisconsin and am a self-pay, our ins. has it excluded even if medically nessesary:cry I also have sleep apnea but hate my cpap machine so I haven't been using it and I suffer from fatigue because of S.A. I found out about Dr. Kirshenbaum from this website and I am very happy with the whole outcome. In Wi. I was going to pay $17,700 but I was unable to come up with the whole amount of $$$$. I called out to CO. and the rest is history. Dr.K. and his staff are wonderful, he takes time to answer any questions and concerns, I was also very impressed with the care I recieved from HealthSouth the surgical center. I have not read one single negative post about him, his 2 staff people have been with him for 25 years, also my surgery was only a few weeks ago and my incisions look great, not like some i've seen. Anyhow good luck in what ever your choice is, you can also find out more at (lapbandrockies.com) Take care, Sunnysea

Yes that is what brought me to Dr. K and i'm glad it did! Here in Wisconsin they charge $17,700, I was scheduled to have surgery on Jan. 18th but could not come up with the whole amount so I had to cancel. Thanks to this forum, DrewsLou, and Shesha I wouldn't have known about Dr. K. I really didn't think that I would travel to CO for surgery, but I did and am very happy. My surgeon here in WI. won't take me for followup until a year postop, well that does me no good so i'm happy I didn't pay him to do my surgery, I did loose out about $300 for my 1st visit with him, oh well it all ended good. Good luck, Sunnysea

I was just comfortable, each day I seem to be back to my old self! Ofcourse I have gotten away from all my candy eating and my portions as a whole are much smaller than before. Lets just say no buffets for me in the next couple of weeks, this is getting harder than I thought. I really look forward to my 1st fill the 1st week of April. But also I have to remember how lucky I am to have my band and this chance to better my self. Sunnysea

Dynamo Mini, Where in Mexico are you going? I love Mexico so much, this is the 1st year in 12 or13 that I didn't get to go. I guess I should count my blessings that I was able to go in the past, I had my husband convinced this was the only way I could make it through the long winter. Well this year everything came to a screaming halt with money, so I'm happy and lucky I was able to get banded. Sunnysea

Some softer foods, I have a medication I have to take in applesauce or another blendable food. I can't believe that I have no restriction at all, tonight I had 2 pieces of cheese+ mushroom pizza(I know GUILTY). 2 weeks ago if you said that I would be eating regular foods by now I would have said you were crazy. I followed the rules so closely up to now, granted I could be making better choices but I can't be eating just soft foods, they would go right through me. I have to get cooking again.