PrincessErin

I love how people from Texas are like I'm from TEXAS!! It really must be the coolest state, ever! <3 I think us March Bandsters have this!! Don't you? WE're so gonna rock it!

I just wanted to say that I love Chocolate!!! Good luck on your second time around with your journey! I think you're gonna be a super star!

They are the best, ever, aren't they!? I love my dachshunds. The one I was closest to passed away last October and I just haven't been the same since. It was like losing a child and yes, I have children! They are just so sweet and baby-like! <3 It's very nice to meet you!

I'm Erin! I'm 33 and I'm married with 3 children, ages 16, 14 and 7. I am married to my high school sweetheart (but we didn't get married until 2003!) We have amazing two dachshunds and until recently we had a chinchilla but she passed away. I am the Membership Director/Director On Duty of our local YMCA. I love my job! We are a service branch and I feel blessed and lucky to be in a job where I get to help people every single day! My teenagers keep me busy. This is the first year in a very long time that I haven't coached Pop Warner cheerleading (my daughter will be cheering for the high school this next football season!) and I also coach a swim team in the summer. Sometimes, I help coach beginner gymnastics for fun. The Y keeps our family busy and active but that hasn't stopped me from battling my weight. I grew up skinny but since I've been an adult, I've battled and battled and battled until finally I decided I wasn't going to battle it by myself any more! This is why I chose lapband. I feel confident that it's going to be my safety net and catch me when I begin to fall and start making bad food choices. I just recently was banded in March but I already can tell that the changes I'm making will last a lifetime! We live in Sunny Florida, so I just got home from the beach with my girls and my older daughter's best friend. We had a blast! I love living in Florida. I love going to the beach and my other TRUE obsession is DISNEY! I love theme parks and the Disney parks are a definite favorite and very special to my whole family. I also play the piano and LOVE LOVE LOVE music. I have 5 piercings and 2 tattoos. I used to have 9 piercings but I needed to present a more professional image at work and took out the visible ones! I also ride a little scooter and I LOVE it. My husband thinks I need a motorcycle like him, but I'm more of a scooter princess. It's a lifestyle, I swear it! I am also obsessed with Facebook so if you like it, too - feel free to add me! www.facebook.com/scooterprincess or erinjoleen@hotmail.com That's basically me! I look forward to getting to know you guys. It really helps to know other people who are experiencing the same journey! It makes me feel less crazy

Bahahaha!

Heeeeeeeeeeeey, everyone! I had my wound check/2 week appointment today! My Dr said I will be a "super star" with the band! He is pleased with my progress so far and I am, too! I am down 24 pounds since I began my preop diet, 9 since surgery. I am so pleased with the results this far. I do get hungry but I am satisfied very easily. I do not have any Fluid in my band. I am having a hard time battling head hunger but I am not losing this battle! I did not go through all this to fail. Next week I can start adding in more foods. I can't wait! I am sick of soup and liquids! I am having a hard time wrapping my head around thinking LESS liquidy foods (sliders) and going more for ACTUAL food - because for the past 2 weeks (and even before surgery) it's been ALL about the liquids! I hope everyone is hanging in there and doing well! I love my band!

Less than a week before we had the sex. 3 days before whatever you want to call it.

Yeah, I totally stress this and I haven't even had a fill. I guess it's part of the 'too good to be true' syndrome. I am just waiting for what might go wrong subconsciously.

I have 9 piercings and the only one that has ever closed up SUPER quickly on me is the lip ring. if you've had your tongue ring for any amount of time (longer than a year), it will survive the morning of surgery. You'll be able to put it in later that afternoon. You'll be fine.

I can't burp anymore!

Thanks SO much for the encouragement!! It does feel horrible. Not just the pain but the guilt! I definitely have learned from it! I will definitely be more aware and just follow the Dr's directions! I am feeling better this evening. There is still a small amount of soreness but I think all will be ok! I'm so happy to finally be banded!

Thanks for your replies.<3 I am drinking warm deaf tea that they gave me at the hospital and I will try stretching. I'm feeling a lot better than I did! Lesson learned!

Congrats!!!! You're going to do great!! It's awesome to know it's finally happening, right?

btw, if that is what STUCK feels like - you do NOT, under ANY circumstances, want to experience it. AVOID it at ALL costs.

Ok, my March buddies. I have a problemo. Before I tell you, YES I KNOW I TOTALLY DID SOMETHING STUPID. I know I did. :( I have been totally committed and that's what sucks the most about this. I am on liquids for 3 weeks post up. (3 days of clears and now full liquids) I was banded a week ago. I was on a strict preop diet beforehand. I've lost 20 pounds. OK now my problem. Last night, in the middle of life with 3 kids and a husband (homework, dinner, baths, the daily teenager problems, etc.) I was distracted and picked up a handful of pita chips. (YES, OMG. WTF was I thinking??!?) and I just started eating them like I used to eat! Fast, one right after the other. Well, let me tell you. I obviously didn't make it through the whole handful. OMG. They sort of stuck in my throat and then I experienced TERRIBLE pain near my band. I drank a bunch of Water, thought I was gonna throw up and then it ended up going through. I could FEEL it go through the band. It hurt and it was obviously tight. I don't have a fill in my band, btw. (Realize band) Today, I have some mild pain near my band. It feels like GAS pain again. Like I REALLY need to burp. Do you guys think I totally screwed everything up??? I really just want this to be ok!! OMG! I have been trying SO hard, not giving in to head hunger, NOT giving in to regular hunger for THIS!??!? OMG.

No one told me to not sleep on my side! I have slept on my side with a firm pillow against my incisions and for the past two nights I've been able to be on my belly. Is it really a concern?

I'm 5'3". My ideal weight is somewhere between 105-140, I think. (I had a hard time figuring it out) My goal weight is 140. I weighed 115 in high school and went up and down from 150-180 for a lot of my adult life. I would be THRILLED to weigh 140! I was just banded on 03/23. I can't wait to see where I go from here.

I hope we eventually get rid of these crazy bubbles!

I was banded on 3/23! I have that same bubble that will rise to my mid chest area and then go back down. It's very painful. I also feel it every single time I drink something too fast! I also have a lot of pain/pressure in the middle of my back. It's mid back, beneath my shoulder blades. Is that where my band is? I feel it more when I have consumed a liquid like a Protein drink. I am on all liquids for another 2 weeks. (It's been 1 week already) and I was on a pretty strict preop diet. I have lost 20 pounds so far. I have 89 to go.

My surgery was also 3/23! I was very sore when I woke up and I've had a small amount of gas pain - nothing too bad. The port incision is VERY sore. I overdid it today (shopping with my teenage daughter for a dress for a dance) and I am feeling it right now. Still not hungry. I am a little in awe that the last time I ate was Tuesday afternoon and here it is - Friday night - and NOTHING. I am having a hard time getting in my required amount of clear liquids! How are you two doing?

I have one and it makes the shakes livable and it's VERY easy to use!

Thanks, RennieMom!! :c)

I have UHC Choice Plus through Georgia Pacific. My only prequalifications are a BMI over 40 (which I have just barely) and a 5 year medical history showing I've been overweight. I only need one Dr's note per year. I also have that with no issues. I also need a letter of medical necessity, which I'll obviously get from my PCP. I'm excited to move forward. I am gathering those Dr's notes now, which has been a little tedious, due to the fact that I would switch doctors because I was ashamed of my weight gain! (also, I had to find Dr's who would prescribe diet pills at different times. I am hoping that I was seeking diet help with MOST of the appointments HELPS me.) Anyway, I'm a step closer to actually being approved and my insurance coordinator at the Dr's office said that UHC is pretty easy to work with! I'm hoping to have surgery around February. THey did say my OOP share will be about 1500 including my 500 deductible.

My doctor just submitted everything to my surgeon's office today! I don't know how long it will take them to submit to the insurance company or how long it takes to hear about an approval. I'm hoping to find something out by the end of the month!! Good luck to you! Let me know what you hear!

Good luck to you, too!! Did you get approved yet? My doctor is really thorough and we are just now at the point where he is writing his letter of necessity. He was supposed to write it over the weekend so his office should be faxing it sometime this week. I am excited and hoping to hear about an approval sometime next week or the week after. I hope you're doing well!