bwaydiva

I just came back from the ER where I got 3 bags of Fluid with an IV and an AMAZING drug called Zofran. I have had that awful stomach flu since Friday and the only thing that has helped with the vomiting is Zofran. Seriously it's a wonder drug. I'm not banded yet but if you are I would ask your PCP to give you that drug straight away if you're sick. Feel Better! I work at a hospital and I've NEVER seen this many cases of severe flu before. Hydrate and see your doctor. Vomiting can cause slippage... so go see your doc.

Derek and Jodie... was it worth it for you? I'm trying to come up with a reasonable budget right now... it's a little painful.

Thanks guys! Everyone made me feel so much better. It's like I'm worried that chocolate and ice cream are going out of style or something! It's nutty.... mmm rocky road... Okay so I was denied because I can't count the summer program that I did as my 3 month diet... I have to work with a nutritionist and document it with my PCP. Another three months of dieting... yippee. And then MAYBE get the approval. Or cough up the money and get the surgery. Here's the thing...I go back to school in August. (I took a year off from NYU and went home to CA to spend time with my grandfather and to, ha ha, lose weight.) If I spend March, April and May dieting and then in June I get the surgery, I only have 2.5 months before going back to school and stress. I know this is a life long commitment but I would like a couple more months to solidify my new habits without being crazy in NYC. So do I take out a loan (really what's more debt at this point?!) and get the surgery in March or do I gamble the insurance route and maybe get it paid for in June with only a few months of free fills and stress-free living? Sorry for asking for so much advice. I'm not going to tell my friends (too skinny to get it) and my mom (nutritionist/dietician.) Thanks for your help. With love, Sheila

did any of you self-pay? I was just denied by my insurance company... I guess I'm really hoping it's worth it. 15,600 is a LOT of mula.

Thanks soooo much for responding! Today I was denied by my insurance company so I'm kinda bummed but I'm encouraged by your words. Thanks so much. With love, Sheila

Men often have more muscle mass than women (who tend to have more fat... better for making babies.) Muscle burns more fat. Though muscular women, I would imagine, would weight in amounts equal to that of a man.

Okay so here's my list.... its a little long and repeats a little. Love, Sheila 1.) Being able to fully embrace myself as athletic, outgoing and sexy 2.) Feeling in Control 3.) Cute Clothes 4.) No limitations on career 5.) Better health- NO DIABETES 6.) Fit more comfortably on a roller coaster and air plane 7.) Feeling and being sexy in a pair of jeans 8.) Take cute pictures with family and friends 9.) Meeting people and having them judge me based on who I am, not how I look 10.) Conquering the voices of self doubt once and for all!! 11.) Looking cute at the gym 12.) Going clubbing without feeling self-conscious 13.) Being a true friend who is no focused on her own issues 14.) Going back to New York looking smokin’ hot 15.) Not being self conscious ALL THE TIME! 16.) Getting to chose whether I want to where slutty clothes 17.) Being healthy and happy 18.) Getting roles based on how I perform, not how I look 19.) Happy feet- no not the penguin movie, no more blisters and cracked skin 20.) Being physically attractive to another person MY AGE!! 21.) Becoming a sponsor at OA for other overweight bulimics in recovery 22.) Going to the Renfrew Reunion in June and being healthy! 23.) Volunteering at Renfrew to tell my story 24.) Being able to teach my children (in the future) by example how to live well 25.) Being able to enjoy and relish the body that God gave me 26.) Being able to kick my dad’s butt in racquetball 27.) Having improved cardiovascular health 28.) HAVING CHOICE IN MY LIFE!!

Anyone struggling to find time to exercise, go to school and hold down a job? When do you all find the time to be a good bandster? Oh and still find time to sleep... :notagree Also thanks for the insight about all the drinks you can still have post banding. It seems like a stupid concern but drinking is such a big part of college weekends. You guys are such an inspiration. Thanks for fielding all of my questions. Sheila

This may seem stupid but do any other younger bandsters feel like they're missing out on the experiences of college or life because of the band? I guess I'm just scared about the surgery and having those last little doubts. I want to be able to experience LIFE in college and I'm worried that because of the band I won't be able to. Any thoughts?

Okay beautiful January Bandsters, I've got a question for all of you. So it looks like I'll be banded in March... =( I'm wondering how long before you were able to get up and move around? I'm in a musical right now and we open in March and then run for 3 possibly 4 weeks. I sing a lot in the show (a lot of movement in the tummy area) and I have a solo tap number. If I have the surgery on a Monday morning, will I be ready to go on Thursday evening? I know I can "mark it" so to speak and not do everything full out but am I jeopardizing my band or my health? I'm 20 years old and I heal really fast but I'm still concerned. Your thoughts please. Thanks! Love, Sheila

Yeah!!! Congrats on the great 15 pound loss!! And to think, it's only the beginning... =) (I'm currently a HUGE fan of your husband.... I've been dying to know for days!) Keep up the great work! Love, Sheila

Shawn your rash might be a reaction to the band or the surgery. I would definitely recommend you get it checked out asap. Even if it is just an allergic reaction, you are WAY better safe than sorry. Not trying to be a downer.... just concerned. I'm not going to be banded in Jan. :mad: I'm still waiting for my insurance to come through. For those of you who are into praying, please say a little prayer that I will be approved. I'm a student who plans on going to med school in two years and I can't afford paying for school and the band. You January Bandsters have been a wonderful example of how great LBT can be. You all are such an inspiration. Very encouraging to see and to be a part of. Lots of love, Sheila

Huberslave, I know your sugery is today and I just wanted to let you know that we're all behind you. You are taking back your life and today is the first step!! How exciting. Hello, other young bandsters. I'm thinking we should keep updating this thread and make it our own. The issues that we face are sometimes very different from that of the older bandsters. It's great to think that there are other young men and women getting banded.... and the clothes. I'm sooooo excited about shopping at regular stores. Still waiting for insurance approval.... the not so patient student, Sheila

Sorry if I was too pedantic!! Good luck with everything! -Sheila

I had a BAD stomach virus and the drug that they gave me to stop vomiting actually dissolves under your tongue. It's called Zofran. Seriously, I should be a drug rep for them because I LOVE this medication. You definitely need a script to take it but I would ask your surgeon to have a few on hand... especially when you're only a few weeks post op. You feel better in 5 minutes!! It's seriously rockin'. With love and in love with Zofran, Sheila P.S. TOTALLY unrelated: Babygotback when are you going to weigh yourself.... I've been following your progress and I'm so excited for your first weigh in!!

First, here's my idea of how stress has affected you thus far in regards to your health. PLEASE forgive me if I'm being preachy. When we're under a lot of stress the body naturally goes into Fight or Flight mode. While this would work well if you were being chased by godzilla, stress causes numerous physiological responses. For the most part these are good but if you're under continuous stress the body isn't able to function as well over time. In the fight or flight response, the adrenal glands enlarge and spit out large amounts of adrenal cortical hormones. Cortisol, the name of the hormone, has been scientifically proven to cause weight gain because the body thinks that you're in a stressful situation and you may not get food for a while. So it holds onto every last calorie. Just a side note, when cortisol is released the body stops all healing processes and redirects energy to the vital organs. If you are healing from an injury or SURGERY, you need to be low stress to get better. Overtime, chronically elevated cortisol levels lead to abdominal fat, suppressed immunal function and even chronic fatigue syndrome. sleep plays a major role in stress reduction and weight loss. Grehlin a hormone in your stomach can cause you to feel VERY hungry and sleep deprivation raises levels of grehlin and cortisol. Both are released under stress and fatigue which probably significantly contributed to your weight gain thus far. However, I would think (I'm not a doctor yet, just studying medicine.... My mom's a nutritionist/dietician so I grew up with this stuff!) that with the band it will be easier to control your hunger but you might still have head hunger. For that, I would suggest seeing a therapist and getting some extra help for your mom. Also, if your stress continues to be a problem or you have trouble with being hungry after fills, there are all sorts of herbal remedies for helping with adrenal function. Ask your pcp for more information about what would be best for you. Hope this helps. Best of luck. With love, Sheila P.S. I know it's really tough... my grandparents are VERY resistent to change and caring for my grandfather's cancer and my grandmother's diabetes and alcoholism can be VERY stressful and tiring.

I hope that everything went well. As for saying goodbye to your friend, just take it one day at a time. My doctor told me not to gain weight (I'm still waiting for insurance approval) and to eat reasonable portions of healthy food. Honestly, it's been really tough. It's hard thinking I don't know how to be reasonable with food. You know, normal. You CAN do this. A good friend wouldn't hurt you the way food has. Take little steps. You're a rockstar and can do this!! With love, your cheerleader, Sheila

Hey! I'm so glad that you started this thread!! I'm currently waiting for insurance approval. Being obese is holding back my life.... why would I want to go 10 more years and then decide to LIVE? I have yet to hear anyone on LBT say "I wish I had waited until I was even more miserable and fat before I got the band." No, everyone says "I wish I had gotten it sooner" I might miss the whole college student thing, ya know beer and pizza at 4 am. I'm worried that I might be missing out on experiences because of the band. I sadly will never compete in a hot dog eating contest in Central Park. Yet, somehow, I think I'll survive. =) I want to ENJOY my 20s and not sit around watching my friends do the things that I'm too self conscious to do. I haven't the faintest idea how I could afford this if my insurance doesn't cover it... but I'll find a way. Paying for college and for fills is gonna be hard enough. Oh well, who needs college anyway?! (jk) Great thread. With love, Sheila

I had the same experience!! When I spoke with my individual surgeon he was more supportive. Honestly, I think that it's a very personal choice. The younger doctor who did my initial assessment said that if I had an addiction to food or had trouble following a diet, RNY was the best choice. Lol!! I don't know about the rest of you, but I have NEVER had ANY problems following a diet... Yup, I am morbidly obese because I only like healthy foods. Yeah right! My surgeon, the older and more experienced surgeon, laughed and commented that surgeons are cutters...that's what they like to do!! Lap band doesn't involve a whole lot of cutting! Also financially the RNY is significantly more expensive... people like money. For me I decided to go for the lap band (I'm waiting on insurance approval.) Ask questions. Get answers. Then follow your gut. Best of luck.

Aetna told me that I would have to do a three month doctor supervised diet prescribed by a nutritionist. It had to be documented in my chart and THEN they would approve the surgery. Currently, I am waiting on approval. Hope this helps. Sheila P.S. I have Chickering which is a sub-company of Aetna. Chickering is the student form of Aetna so maybe the reqs are tighter. Good luck.

Well, I am singer with the full intention to be a leading lady on Broadway some day.... =) So YES this soon-to-be-famous girl WILL be getting a lap band. (Waiting for insurance approval.) Lol. I love the 1:00 am discussions. You guys rock!! Love, Sheila

I have been on a lot of different meds for the last three years following the death of my Dad. Currently, I take 300 mg of Wellbutrin. But honestly the thing that has helped me the most with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder is....drum roll.... a rockin' therapist and a lot of self-examination. It is hard and painful but seriously rewarding. I'm really lucky to have a group of friends and some family that know my true potential and kick me in the butt when I'm doing falling back into old habits or ways of thinking. I'm hoping that with the band, I can feel better about my body. I would HIGHLY recommend a good therapist who will keep you honest. For me, I just didn't want to realize that, for the most part, I was in control of how my anxiety affected my life and the people around me and that I part of me actually liked being in crisis. Did I want to admit that? NO! But is it partially true. Yup. Final thought: I am NOT saying that depression and bipolar disorder are not medical illnesses. Both my parents have responded very well to medication... ironically the same medication and the same dosage. Obviously genetics plays a significant role! I am saying that WITH the right meds and a trained professional (a therapist, priest, social worker etc) real recovery and maintance of symptoms IS possible. Thanks for reading the long rant. I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted with your journey. 30 pounds is 30 pounds is 30 pounds. Go to the super market and pick up one pound of Crisco. Now multiply it by 30. It's great progress. You're doing great. With love, Sheila

I thought it might be fun to start (or continue if one already exists) a bandster New Year's Resolution list. What do people resolve to do if they're skinny? Do ya'll even make resolutions? Or are all the skinny people at parties tonight, dancing the night away or with their spouses having some awesome.. :kiss2: ..anyway... :party: :clap2: Yeah for hope and change! Yeah for a new year! Yeah for making 2007 the year where I take my life back from obesity and chocolate! For me, I will be having my surgery (hopefully) within the next few weeks and all I can think about is that this time, next year I won't have to beg God to make chocolate a veggie!! I resolve that this year I will turn 21 (in July) and rock that dance floor while being proud of my body! Happy 2007 Everybody!!

I'm waiting on insurance approval but for me: I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!! I want to have a life. I want to wear tight jeans, keep up with my neices and nephews, quit my day job (it's related I swear!) and feel good about my body. I want to be healthy and happy. It's silly but I want to be normal. This camel's back has been broken a million times over and I'm ready to live my life!

Wootsie, I am only a year in recovery from bulimia and my doctor still said yes. For me, bulimia was my primary weight loss method for many years. And I actually knew better, the whole time. My mom is a nutritionist/dietician. I felt so desperate to get off the weight. I feel that learning, with the help of the lap band, how to lose weight in a healthy way by listening to my internal cues will be my final step in recovery. I'm one of the 20% of bulimics who are obese and for that sub group weight loss surgery has the best outcomes long term. Side note: When an anorexic girl weighing 80 pounds says that they are too fat, their rational mind still knows on some level that they are actually very thin and with therapy that rational voice becomes stronger... enough to combat the irrational, eating disorder voice. For me, it is very difficult to deal with the eating disorder, irrational voice because it's true in some areas. I AM morbidly obese. I AM a musician and performer that cannot get hired because of my weight. I AM dealing with health problems that shouldn't affect ANYONE my own age. My treatment team thinks that the lap band will be able to help me and eventually lead to full recovery from the eating disorder mentation. Anyway, long post but I hope it was helpful.