wish412

"totally out of control. I had no routine, no discipline, no structure and was just lurching from day to day" Jachut, you finally managed to put into words my daily routine. It seems so sad when I see it in print, but that describes my day to day before my surgery to the tee! I seemed to spend most of my day mullygrubbing over what all was going wrong in my life due to my own faults, obesity being the biggest one hanging around in my head. Now I am down 80 lbs., and even though I still don't have a "glamorous lifestyle" so to speak, I do enjoy the things that seemed so tiring, like gardening..shopping...even visiting with friends that I don't have to be embarrased to eat in front of. I know that weightloss also helped my body to perform daily routines without so much pain and discomfort, like cleaning,laundry,cooking. These are just some things that came to mind when I read your post. I suddenly feel I am normal, and not alone in this changing period in my life. Thanks!!!

I am from Hope Arkansas also. Been hereall of my life except early childhood! MIZBOO

You need to pose this question to Dr. HEKIER who really does a great job of answering questions on this board. I remember sitting in his office asking why I went from always craving food to gong half a day, and then it hitting me...Oh, I haven't eaten anything yet today, I need to get in my protein. His response was related to something about this nerve response thing in the brain/stomach. He always does such a good job of explaining things......Give it a try MIZBOO

Just a bit of a slant on this: You sound as if your FAMILY has been your life, not neccesarily your marriage. When the romance of marriage starts to fade, it is so normal to spend all your energy on being the perfect picture of family to those watching. Your husband has probably gotten VERY used to he and the kids being the first priority with you, and now that you have had to focus on yourself for a change, he could be feeling almost jealous of your focus being shifted. I have always thought that men become your additional child at times(my observation, not a slice at men in general)and they can even become jealous of their own children if they feel left out, and neglected. My own has been through that phase as our kids grew up, but we managed to get it talked out before it grew too big to handle. Plan a night alone for the two of you, let him know that he will always be your love, and tell him you need his help with this. It has been my experience that men WANT to be the hunter gatherer for their families, and they thrive on feeling needed, not just tolerated. I hope all works out for you, and that you both come out of this situation with a renewed love for each other, because this will definitely change the way you feel about yourself, and hopefully how he feels about you too!!! Shame on him for the food things, but he may be testing you to see just how dedicated you are to this thing you have done, after all I bet he has seen you diet and fail before, so again this may be a test, only a test. Show him you mean business, beat him at his challenge!!!!!! MIZBOO

Well, I have lost 77 lbs. in the last eight months, and I can sure see that some of it has been in my boobs. I am down to a 38long from a 42dd, but the wierdest thing is the texture of the skin. once I get it all picked up in my hand to shove in the bra pockets, it is all wrinkled up like the butt on a sharpe' (spelling?) doggie . It is all wrinkly,crinkly, and crepey feeling. It really wierds me out. Oh well, for Christmas this year I get a tt,boob job,and my arms done. So I can only fret till then, as I know it won't suddenly get better as time goes on. I just buy those hard cup bras and fake everyone out!!!!!

I really hate to cook. __________________ BubbleButt, I sure wish we were neighbors, cause we could sure keep our spouses on their toes every day. They would be scared to go to work and leave us alone together for fear they would have no place to come home to after work. My hubby is glad I have no close neighbors who like to get together for coffee and cake, or anything else you have to concoct in the kitchen. He has told folks our appliances are for decoration only, non functional in hopes I will not try to turn them on. I feel so much better than I am not the only one!!!!!!MIZBOO

I sense that something is wrong with your doctor's math skills or something because the Inamed 9.75 band will hold 4 cc's of saline. If you only have 2.5cc's now, that will allow for another 1.5cc's. I have 2.9 cc's in now, and have really just now gotten the restriction that stays with you long enough for you to think"wow, I don't know if I really want any more fills". My first few fills would last a week or so and then fade away, but I was losing so fast then too. Since loss has slowed way down, so has the time it takes for fills to fade away. I am just saying, get your amounts correct from your doctor, so you will know exactly what is going on. A fill of 2.5 is only a bit over half full. Somehow measurements got mixed up. Check it out so you will know exactly where you are so you can quit worrying needlessly. MIZBOO

GREETINGS TO THE NEWBIES!!!!!! My husband and I both are banded, so if we can answer any questions, go for it!!! Jaycee, we are in Arkansas, not far from you, who will be doing your surgery, and just to let you know there is a support group that meets in Texarkana, and one I think in Idabel. Drs. Keilin and Hekier started them both. Again WELCOME TO BANDLAND!!!!! Mizboo

Just a thought::::: If they go there, how could it still be an all white church anyway. Unless they consider themselves to not be a part of the church they would invite someone to. Sounds a tad puzzling to me!!!!

I guess I am the speedy gonzales in this procedure LOL as I went to my meeting on June 26,2006, met with the doctor the next day, and told them I wanted my surgery on July 5, 2006. They said they weren't sure we could get it all done, but, I had the psych evaluation, and the sleep study done the day before surgery, my insurance papers were sent on Friday, they approved the Monday before the 4rth of July, so they could all be off I guess, and I had it done on the 5th as planned. I guess it all worked out, though, I only had to do the liquids for 9 days. I could not have a salad , just slim fast, but it passed quickly. I had my sister arrange for those days off to help me, and it all went perfectly. My husband went to his meeting, had all his stff done, and insurance approved within the two week liquid diet, and all went great. Our insurance stuff all went perfectly for us. Hope this helps.....MIZBOO

here is my input on the subject: My husband has been large all of our married life(30 years so far), and has always struggled to lose weight, only to gain it back, plus some. When he retired from his job as a fire fighter, he weighed 357lbs. Can you even imagine rescuing someone on a ladder at that weight!! As we watched our youngest son enter college and play college baseball weighing 320 lbs there was such a sense of guilt over not teaching him better habits. So the two guys pledged to do the Subway thing, and son lost down to 199 lbs. and husband lost 150 lbs total. Soon afterwards, husband had a heart attack, and needed a stent put in. And guess what, all the weight came right back on!! He blamed it on the meds that slowed his heart rate, but I watched him eat his way back up to 330 lbs. After the son graduated from college after 5 years of baseball, he is also almost back to his precollege weight. Now to the good part of all this,,,, after I had lapband surgery to shed my excess weight(mainly for vanities sake, since I had no real health problems to blame it on) my husband watched quietly as the pounds fell off, without hardly any exercise to speak of, and no changes to his love of eating out all the time. So six months later he signed up for the surgery!!! He was so impressed with how it all worked, and he was bandes on Jan. 31, 2007. To dATE HE HAS LOST ALMOST 50 LBS, with not really much effort, and only a walking schedule for exercise. The thing he loves the most is that without any problems, he can be sure of the weight not coming right back like it always has. He will always have his safety net against weight gain to help him. He is almost 50 years old, and for the first time in his life he feels safe against the obesity demon that controlled his entire life. What a blessing the surgery has been for both of us, hopefully it will work out for others as well as it has for us. MIZBOO

My family story is this: I had surgery 7-05-06 lost 75 lbs Sister had surgery 8-30-06 lost 46 lbs. Husband had surgery 1-31-07 lost 45 lbs. We have all been very pleased with our results so far.

HELLO, GHETTOFARM24, IT APPEARS THAT YOU AND I WERE BANDED ON THE SAME DAY. WELCOME TO THE BOARD, AND TRY NOT TO GET DISCOURAGED. YOU HAVE DONE GREAT, 40 POUNDS SO FAR, KEEP UP THE WORK AND IT WILL HAPPEN FOR YOU!! mizboo

Best of luck to you, and I want to tell you that once the smoke clears you will see this as the best thing you ever did to insure that your life can be all YOU WANT it to be. Fat will never be your dictator again. Keep us posted!!!!

I was down for about 1 full week, having had to have some stitches done to repair a hiatal hernia, but my hubby had his on 1/31/07 and was at his office the next day. He was sore and tired but just could not stay in the house, and in a chair. He is quite hyperactive, so I think it really depends on your own personal strengths. Makes me sound like a big ole baby, doesn't he????? Mizboo

My husband just got through paying for our part of his surgery, and he also has bcbs of Arkansas, we paid the doctor 700.00, since he had met our 250.00 deductible, and the hospital 600.00... they will bill the rest if there is any, after the insurance settles. This is exactly what I paid,and the hospital wound up refunding me 215.00, and the doctor refunded me almost 300.00 because I had also reached my stoploss for the year during all of these charges, so my top out of pocket could not exceed 1000.00 for the year, and since I had already seen the psychiatrist, and had the sleep study and all of that figured into my stop loss. I had my sleep study done at Wadley, but the hubby had his done at St. Micheals because Wadley was booked up. He is on his 5th day of liquid diet, and has already lost 13 lbs. He has really done much better than I expected. I tried to keep him busy today moving furniture around since Saturdays are our usual date night, and we always go to Texarkana to eat out. This was a really hard day for him but he has made it really well. Hope this helps, and hang in there, as it will all be worth the hassles in the end. Keep us posted of your surgery date and time. Mizboo

I also have been banded for six months, so I know EXACTLY how you are feeling right now. Pat yourself on your much narrower back, pull on those size 16 jeans, and walk into the store that you felt the most fatsnobbery in, and then tell then they have nothing that appeals to you! That is what I do when I reach a small goal, I know it is childish, but it sure helps me wrap my head around the fact that I can shop anywhere I want to now and not be a slave just to oversized clothing stores. I have felt very much rejected by some skinny salesclerks, that don't even look up when you enter their store. That probably explains my vast collection of shoes, purses, and jewelry. They are not big girl specific like some things are. Keep up your good work, treasure your band, and enjoy every changing day , knowing that you have already won this war, wow what a weight loss. I will follow your progress and use it as motivation for my own journey. Mizboo

I also have an appt. on Monday for a fill, wasn't thinking I would need it this time, but after eating ALL weekend long I think I might need to pump up the volume just a tad. Man, everything we did this weekend centered around food, Italian once, mexican twice, and one pot luck with birthday cake thrown in just for good measure!!!! Boy, is my belly full!! We will see what the doctor says. I have lost about 12 lbs since my last fill on December 11th, so he may want to hold off. I hope the weather allows me to get to Texarkana with no problem. Hope all goes well with you Hipmom, and hope you get all your insurance stuff together,Sugarbear, as I know finances are probably the biggest concern going into this thing. Most folks can deal with the band, but not with the excess expenses. Keep in touch ya'll. Mizboo

It may just be me, but I do so much better with warm foods, and liquids. Cold stuff makes my esophagus spasm or something, and I really have to wait a long time between bites. I can almost feel cold things just scraping along in my throat. Warm things never did that to me, but even before banding I never got the "brain freeze" that some people get from ice cream, it always made my back hurt between my shoulder blades. Doctor said it was because my esophagus was closer to my spine than to my ribs,so my back hurts,,,,,,,,,,,,splain Lucy!!! Mizboo:eek:

I was just asked that question on Sunday, and my response was a wholehearted YES, YES, YES. I would do it again today if for some reason my band failed. As for dieting, if you call eating what you like in very small portions a diet, so be it, but I have really just learned to rearrange the way I eat those foods. Always the meats first, veggies next, and usually I would have to have any desserts injected because there is noooo way I could swallow it after eating the bit of foods it took to fill me up. I still go for ice cream on Sunday nights, but instead of getting the cone, I get it in a cup because I know after two ot three bites of the cold stuff I don't want to swallow anything else cold so the spouse gets it from there. We sure have learned to eat out cheaper. For exercise, once we closed the pool for the summer, that got to be just a few things I find myself doing while washing dishes(leg kicks, kneebends, toe raises, etc.) or while watching t.v. What is really funny though, is that when the weather is beautiful out, once you start losing, you can hardly fight the urge to strap up your shoe laces and head outside to walk, stroll and look at flowers, or just be outside moving... and trust me, I am a home body. This is not for sissy's , but what sissy even considerers surgery as a choice in the first place. You are strong enough for this, that is evident by the fact that you have already made preparations to do it. Best wishes to you....Mizboo;)

Just got a chance to read the boards after having been gone out of town till just before time for the meeting last night,( to respond to a question about meetings in Texarkana, they are on the second Monday nights of the month), so I am a bit behind in responding. I am from Hope, so Texarkana is just a hop away. I usually go there at least twice a week for something. Since my son and daughter in law live and work around there I look for an excuse to go. Had a good meeting last night. I really enjoy watching folks get their pins, since I know what a sense of pride they must have in themselves to have reached their goals, pound by pound. Some are sooner than others, but everyone has their own pace. Keep everyone posted about yourself. Mizboo:clap2:

Sugarbear,,,, I also had Arkansas Blue Cross, and they paid the usual 50%,, which left me owing the hospital about 2300.00. They are in my network so they had to accept the pay schedule for in-network providers. I paid them 600.00 on the day of the surgery, Dr. Heiker got 700.00, but they ended up refunding over 300.00 back to me when insurance paid them. The hospital bill also included what insurance didn't pay for the sleep study that I had there 2 days begore my surgery. I got a very small bill(less than 25.00) for lab work, and another small bill from radiology for reading my barium swallow I guess, they read something... Anyway, my hubby is having it the end of January, so we know what we will be out of pocket since we use the same insurance. Hope this helps you some, and by the way, Wadley will let you set up payment schedule for your part if you need to since they got there money from your insurance for the most part. Mizboo

I was banded on 12-27-06 in Texarkana.............. I also had surgery in Texarkana, did not have excess bleeding, but my sister did from taking aspirin therapy for a while prior to surgery. She had horrible bruising around her port site, very blackish bruising all the way down to her groin, and a lot of swelling. She was hospitalized for a week, but all is well, and the problems eventually resolved themselves. Hope yours do also ,,,,,Mizboo

Cindy, banded May 1st 2002 Cindy, I noticed from your post how long you have been banded, and wanted to ask you this.......Have you had any troubles with the band, how much have you lost.....maintained, and if you lost your band do you think you have learned from it the way to control your weight. I am just wondering about how long term banders get along with life after eating this way for extended time. Thanks in advance, and I have now been banded for six months, not long enough to know how it goes long term. Mizboo

I hope all goes just perfect for you tommorrow, and congratulations on taking hold of your life, and making it what you want it to be. It is amazing to me to have learned that as a large person, everyone seems to just expect you not to succeed at your goals, but they think that if you are slim that you can do anything(my personal life observation) that you set out to do. Well, this is so different, you choose to change you life as a large person, and you are not accomplished at it until you are a smaller person,,,,,,,,,, it really messes people up in their perception of what we can do if we want it bad enough. Just for a test, as you lose weight, pay attention to how people approach you, listen to you, and respond to what you have to say. It is really an eye opener, or it was for me. After you have gone through the three day WHAT HAVE I DONE phase you will start on the best journey you can ever take, the road to health!!!! Again, good luck, take your pain meds, and welcome to bandsville!!!!! Mizboo:kiss2: