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It's difficult bc you know you will be judged. You know others might have nasty thing to say. I was ok with that. I chose to tell people. My family, friends, and coworkers (who are great friends as well). I expected negative feedback, but I have gotten much more positive. Here were my reasons for sharing: 1) hiding it is more difficult-- people are going to know. And I feel like they are more judgmental if you hide it as if you're embarrassed by it. It's like when you point out a flaw, then no one will talk about it. ex: hey, I have a big zit on my face.. Then no will feel the need to talk about the big zit behind your back. 2) my mentors were not quiet about it-- the ones who have been through this, educated me, encouraged me were not secretive, and I'm very thankful for that. Had they not been an open book, I may not have had the tools to become a success story. I'm not loud about it. I don't preach about it. But I have had ppl interested about wls. If I need to be a mentor for someone else, I think I owe it. 3) I wanted to be held accountable-- especially at work. If I'm at work and about to bite into a pizza, I want someone to be like, "umm, are you supposed to be eating that??" Or with friends if I'm about to eat something that isn't good for me, I WANT the nasty judgemental face. I respect people's reasons for not sharing, but I felt it was best for me.

I feel like I swallow gallons of air every time I take a sip, bc its just that much gas in my chest and esophagus area, but then again everything i drink is ice cold. Im going to try room temperature to see how that goes down. I sleeved 2/15

no. shes about 5'5 and rail thin. shes got her issues. but no deaths or weight problems. she's just a little bitter i think bc im not close with her anymore. she still thinks she can talk to me like that. i've had problems with her cursing at me and i reported that. we're always fighting because she takes it beyond that professional level.

I am almost 8 months. I met with my ob/gyn and told her I wanted to start trying at the end of the year and she thought that was fine. Then when I had my 6 or 7 month follow up at my surgeon's office, she suggested I use some form of bc since I wasn't on the pill (we use condoms right now) and "we don't want you getting pregnant... but I mean, if you do, you do and we will work with you". So I take that to mean that yes it would affect my weightloss but I think I would be ok since I can eat 4oz at a meal and eat 1200 calorie a day. Sorry that was a long response lol but just my 2 cents

I have stalled.... This week I only lost [.2 ] lbs. I even started a new workout regiment....I think its bc Im not getting enough calories. I re-started an online food journal (fitness pal) and according to it, in the last week i haven't gone above 400 calories this past week. Im trying....but the point of getting sleeved is to CUT food consumption.....right? My mind is trying to wrap itself around how im supposed to eat MORE to LOOSE weight... pureed food looks like puke. Protein shakes taste like ass & they make me wanna puke. Imma greek yogurt-it more this week &see what happens. I will be glad when I can eat food ya chew. I'll KNOW what to eat then! Veggies & whole foods that DON'T taste like ass & look like puke! Ha! #thisSOMEstr8BSyo

I started walking my first day home. I just walked a block or two...really to help with the gas. I started walking the mile about 8-10 days later. I will tell you that I used to wear Nike Shox, but found out they are horrible for walking because they raise your heal. I went and bought real nike walking shoes and it makes such a difference. Dont be afraid of being hungry! It was kind of fun at first bc I hadnt felt real hunger in forever! I just wish I had known it was going to be up to me to eat good those first 3-4 weeks after surgery. From all the nutrition classes I attended pre-surg, they made it sound like the minute after surgery how and what I ate would change. But that's not the case.

I was wondering the same thing.....my ob/gyn has me on bc for 2 months to get my cycle on track and then she is going to give 6 months of trying to get pregnant before referring us out to a specialist. This will make me 15 months out, before we are able to start trying. I'm hoping it happens pretty fast, because I have endometriosis and adenomyosis, so my periods are very painful and heavy.

Tiff, hang in there. I know exactly how you are feeling. My husband fought on the front line in the first Gulf War back in 1991 and I didn't hear from him for the duration of the war. He was away for 6 months too and my daughter was only a baby then. We lived in Germany in an age before the internet or mobile phones. I had no family nearby and the unit my husband was detached with didn't even realise he had a wife and family! He also did other tours of duty where he was away for months at a time but luckily had done his time by the time Iraq and Afghanistan came up again. Anyway, on a lighter note, we used to love your PX when we were in Germany. We were allowed to shop there and the stuff was different to what we were used to and a lot cheaper. We would travel for 3 hours to the one in Frankfurt just to get a Burger King! There were no Burger Kings in Germany at that time and the American ones were just out of this world! And the Americans are far more polite and well mannered than the Brits too! Soldiers would hold the door open for you..... I'm fed up today although i don't really know why. I'm still not feeling 100% better as my abdomen is still swollen from where I had my muscles stitched up. I went to the hospital on sunday as I was worried and they gave me some antibiotics just in case it's a hematoma. I just want to be better know but I think that having 2 ops in the space of 3 weeks has really taken it out of me, especially as the last was 2 ops in one! Sorry about your losses too Judy. Hope you are feeling much better soon. You are all so lovely and friendly on this site. I am glad I found you. Take care all, Helenxxx

I am super frustrated bc I cannot seem to get a roll with losing the last 40! I upped my working-out and now I am hungry more often. I think I need a fill but when I went for a scan they said it was perfectly balanced! FRUSTRATION is taking over and I need a little support- anything?

I had my sleeve 9 weeks ago. Things are going great, I've had a couple bad days but nothing major to complain about. I've lost 40 lbs in two months. So I am feeling really great with no regrets. As we have all just gone thru the holiday season with lots of opportunities to fall off the wagon, I had no desire to eat anything bad for me. My in laws, mostly my mil and sil were so extremely rude throughout the holidays. On thanksgiving my mil announced at dinner I had had surgery and that's why I wasn't eating much. My husbands entire family was there. I was so mad. I chose to keep my surgery quiet. It's a personal matter and I tend to be a very private person and I didn't want all the attention. Well I know my mil was hoping for someone to make some rude comment Bc even before the surgery she was very rude about it. But it back fired on her and everyone was praising my lose and my decision. I could tell she was mad. Well two weeks later we have my sons bday party at a local arcade. They had pizza and cake. I ate a healthy lunch before we left for the party. My mil once again announced in front of my sons friends and their parents that I wasn't eating Bc I had surgery. I was pissed. Then when I was serving cake to everyone a little while my sil says "I'm sure you are regretting your stupid surgery now. You know you want cake!" At that point I was done with both of them. I told her I was very happy with my "stupid surgery", I have no regrets, and I have no desire to eat sweets so if she could kindly keep her negativity to herself I would appreciate it. As soon as I left the room they both started talking crap about me to my ex mil who is like my mom. She shut them both down very quickly. Even she wasn't excited about my surgery but she has always been supportive. So now we are at Christmas, my husbands family is talking to me about my weight loss and how good I'm looking and asking how things are going. Both my mil and sil kept interrupting making rude comments, bringing up how I had a bad day recently so it wasn't worth it, how the holidays have to suck for me Bc I can't eat like a normal person, and how they can't see a difference in my weight (I've gone down 3 sizes), and so on. I finally pulled them to the side and told them they need to cut the negative, rude, unnneeded comments. I told them they seem very jealous and hopeful for me to fail and i didn't appreciate that from people who are claiming to be family. If it continues we would no longer take part in their family gatherings. So my mil turns around and tells my husband I was being a bitch (sorry for the language) and threatening to disown them. My husband was clueless to most of these comments and incidents other than the thanksgiving incident. And on thanksgiving he told her she was rude and disrespectful and it needed to stop. I filled him in on everything else and was furious. He called her and told her I had every right to say what I said and to be mad. And he stood by me completely. I'm sure this will not be the end of it. But it's getting to the point I just don't want to be around them. Or I am gonna turn into that mega bitch she claimed I am. Anyone else deal with this kinda stuff from family or friends?

I have BC/bs Ohio but it's an employee plan.

Thank you banana Babes I am here Nov 15th took control instead of leaving to dr's office and it worked everything with in 1 week approved they had the wrong code and the girl @ dr's office said it was investigational I did a 4 way call UHC and my case manager @ Empire BC BS and they verified I was eligible and approved for the sleeve yessssssssss! Now the jitters are setting in! Thank you all

Me personally I told everyone bc I'm starting a Vlog and sharing every step of the way Sent from my iPhone

no I don't think ive been over 80k per day & that was only for a month. Mostly it's about 50k. I usually recheck labs every 3-4mo. Only 3x in 4 yrs has the D touched the lowest of normal range. It's mostly way below normal in teens. The A & E have never been even close to normal no matter what I've tried. Does your low D cause depression & fatigue? I deal with that, as well as the last 3 months, dizziness & nausea but not sure if that's coming from any vitamin deficiency or something completely different. Thankfully my calcium & Bs have stayed normal.

Would like to know the following things from TX teachers stuck with the TRS Activecare from BC/BS: 1. How long did it take to get approval? If not approved how long have you been working to get approved? 2. Did they require a psyche eval? Nutritionist consult? sleep Study? 3. How many months supervised weight loss did you have before approval? 4. Did you have to call them constantly? 5. Were you denied the first time? Did you have to appeal? 6. Any recommendations for people trying to get approved? 7. What plan are you on (1, 2, or 3) and what was your total out of pocket? Thank you for your input! This will help greatly! Know there are a lot of teachers out there trying to get approved and a little hope will help! Here are my answers: 1. How long did it take to get approval? If not approved how long have you been working to get approved? Not approved. Working on it since Oct '05 2. Did they require a psyche eval? Yes Nutritionist consult? Yes Sleep Study? Yes 3. How many months supervised weight loss did you have before approval? They want 12, submitted with 6 but not approved yet. 4. Did you have to call them constantly? 5. Were you denied the first time? Did you have to appeal? 6. Any recommendations for people trying to get approved? 7. What plan are you on (1, 2, or 3) and what was your total out of pocket? Activecare 2, about $910.00 out of pocket so far.

I am a Texas Teacher, but I opted to stay under my husbands insurance - it was actually cheaper for me at the time. I have a teacher friend that checked on having bypass done. Her doc told her that to qualify under the plan that she had to do a year of supervised Optifast and that NO doc in the area was doing it, so might as well kiss it goodby - she would not get approval. I'm going self-pay. My husbands insurance which is also BC/BS of Texas, but through the city, not school district, won't even talk to anyone about anything Obesity related. WHEN WILL THESE PEOPLE GET IT! Terry

Oh, HELL NO! If I ask my doctor a question about my healthcare, I expect an immediate and honest answer. My body, my right to know, my right to to be fully informed before I consent to any course of action and treatment. I have a 10 cc AP Lap Band. It was filled with 5 cc of saline at time of surgery. My first adjustment added an additional 1/2 cc for a total of 5 1/2 cc. Angi, you have every right to know precisely how much saline is in your band. That is a crucial piece of information that you need to know. It is your body, your band. If your doctor won't tell you, take control, grab your chart and read it. You can, you know. I've done it. Shocked the hell out of the doctor who thought that the sweet faced blonde girl in his exam room would just sit there and swallow his line of condescending BS. LOL Be an advocate for yourself. If you don't do it, who will?

Nicole I'm in Broomfield and used Dr. Johnell. He was wonderful, has the most amazing practice and my insurance BS of CA was approved in a week. I can't say enough great things. PM me if you want to talk.

Plain LOL What Canada are you referring to. We have an Ultra Conservative government in and the only socialist province (NDP) is Manitoba last I heard. In BC we have far right liberals. No, I just think the Canadians respect the needs of all, eh! Doddie

georgia girl, you are going to surpass that goal girl! you're doing so great at it! look at your over all loss of 62lbs! thats amazing!!! i remember thinking if i could just get to the 230's i'd be happy....i started out at 264.4.....and now i'm at 224.0 and i can't wait to see the number 200 on the scales!! and then i'll bust my behind to see the 199 show up...ahhh, dreaming about ONE-derland! still seems so far off. i hope i'm at 200 by this june, before our family reunion! they haven't seen me in 2yrs and none of them are aware that i've had the surgery. i'm thinking that i may tell them - when they ask how i lost the weight - by eating less and exercising more. which in part is truth....but, i know me, ill probably go on to be the natural born lapband sales woman i am! lol. dr. spivak should hire me in to talk to potential clients! i could sooo tell them what its like just at a 40lb weight loss and the achievement and success you feel. and just overall healthier and lighter step. i was at church tonight decorating and we had to climb a ladder to hang stuff from the ceiling and a few of the girls were like, "make christie do it, it has a 250 weight limit on it!". it took me a minute to realize thats another NSV! i'm under the weight limit for a rickity old wooden church ladder! lol. and no, i didn't climb it....i still felt like someone smaller should do it, but mostly bc i hate ladders! but the fact is, I COULD have done it! thats a great feeeling! xoxo, Christie keep posting updates and for everyone else in on the "sweetheart goal" please feel free to step in on our lil chats. just our way of staying sane through the huddles and struggles of weight loss. and its been a great tool to get to know each other better as well! XOXO, christie

Oh I'm well aware of how much I'm taking in and I know it's too much bit my behavioral issues are the problem. that's why I was counting on the band to give me a hand. I'm definitely not doing my part as much as I could bc I'm frustrated that I got this surgery and don't feel any different.

Yes. Very slowly though bc the wound is so deep. But all the nurses that come to repack me always say it looks meaty lol. Apparently its good that the inside of the hole looks like a fresh cut of meat

here was my menu for the day: (what i ate) brkfast: 1oz atkins Protein shake mixed w/ 3oz 1% skim milk lunch: 16oz bottled Water dinner: 10oz watered down sweet tea and 1 pintos n cheese (tacobell) yea so i shouldn't have done the taco bell....BUT, bc we have church on wednesday night, i almost never cook on wednesday nights...theres just too much going on to take the time out to cook on wed nights. haven't weighed today since the scale was misreading, but hubby got it straightened out...apprarently it was sitting in the crease of the ceramic tile flow and was reading improperly....much to my dismay, since it was weighing me like 30# lighter!! lol. xoxo, christie

Good morning, I am just 9 days post op. Up until I added the Protein shakes in-they have just 3 carbs, my BS was running from 129-159. Now I can't get them back down under 200. Even before surgery-it was never that high. I am taking a sliding scale of insulin 3-6 units. Will this ever go down? I am frustrated as insulin was the big reason I did this surgery-I want off of it! I went back to work on Wednesday-I wear a FitBit to see how much I walk during my work day-that's about 1 1/2 miles daily. Anyone else having these issues? I think I am going to switch also back to plain Water. I wonder if the Crystal Lights are adding to it too. It just doesn't make sense to me. Nell

well, if you ever come across a FASHION BUG stop and shop! its my all time FAVORITE place to shop. they carry both regular and plus clothing but have EQUAL amounts of BOTH! and the prices, well, you just cannot beat them! oh, i have an nsv to share w/ya'll...i know its not the right thread...but, today, while shopping @ the fashion bug, i bought new panties! and i got to buy a size 9 instead of a size 10! i have been in size 10 panties for as long as i can remember and well, i was just excited bc all my panties have been baggy on me for the past month but i kept putting off buying any bc i didn't want the 9's to be too tight....but i finally broke down and said, no more saggy undies! it is time! had to share! xoxo, christie