Lucky # Sevens- July 07 Bandsters

[FELICIA17 0]

Hey Felicia--Its GREAT to hear from you. Glad to hear that the weight loss is going well. Good luck with the job hunt. What kind of jobs are you looking for? I'm not a good execise motivator, but lots of others here are! You will find the motivation you're looking for!

I was a mortgage underwriter in the now infamous and oh so dead, sub-prime mortgage industry that you hear about on the news everyday. I've been doing that for so long, no one seems to want to hire me for anything else, so I'm seriously thinking of taking some classes in January so that I can work in an hospital office......and Kathy I'm asking for a treadmill for christmas so that I can get my exercise jumpstarted.

[salsa1877 10]

I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am pretty sure that if you lived anywhere in the western United States, you probably heard me screaming this morning. 199.5. YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jackie506 1]

CONGRATULATIONS SALSA!!!!!!!!!!! CAN'T WAIT TO JOIN YOU. :whoo::clap2:

[ribearty 544]

The news report last night said they can now do the "arm lift" surgery with a scar half the size they use to. Now the scar starts in your armpit and goes down about four inches(about half way). The price is about $8,000. I'm sure it's cheaper in Mexico.

If you have a teaching university you can get plastic surgery done at a very reasonable rate. I visited mine the other day and still do not have enough weight off to do my Tummy Tuck. My tummy tuck, anesthesia and overnight stay plus surgeon's fees is going to be $3,850.00 and that is at Washington University in St. Louis one of the most renowned medical schools in the US. I hope I can do this by June because the surgeon I have been seeing is graduating in July. He is the husband of a person with whom I work. He is a MD plus he has a PHD and is a Rhodes scholar. I will see if I want to get more done later. I have to have my weight off and be stable for at least 3 months. He really wants me to wait until I get where I want to be weight wise because then you get the best results as opposed to rushing with the surgery and then losing another 30 pounds. I just got finished exercising. My goal is to walk 30 miles week.

I am finally finished with all the overtime until January. Thank goodness now I get to work a normal week for awhile and have several days off in December. I am having arthroscopy on my knee on 12/21 so am not sure how long that will slow my exercise. Hopefully, not for too long. Talk to you soon. Hi to all.

[ribearty 544]

Kathy, I have you down on the list!!

Put me down for level 3. I'm getting fill number 3 on Dec 14th, so I'm being optimistic.

~Nichole

Put me down for maintaining since I am having surgery and probably won't be able to exercise.

[kirajh 0]

Salsa - great news!! Sure wish I was there with you.

Rebearty - That is good to know about the plastic surgery since my insurance won't cover it and I can tell already I am going to need it. Just, don't forget to donate your excess skin to Gift of Life.

Kari

banded 7-16-07

Dr. Ortiz, TJ

down 52 lbs total

Lots more to go

[lindaa 1]

Hey Salsa--so that's what I heard! Good for you!!

Guess what? My sister who is at least 300+ lbs. told me today that she is starting to think about surgery. She was negative about it before, but now she is willing to at least look into it. I hope she does it, but it has to be her decision. She's apprehensive about mortality rates--for some reason she is convinced that it is high (She's a nurse, but i think she doesn't realize the difference between banding and by-pass) and she doesn't want to change her lifestyle. So maybe by-pass is better for her. I'll support her no matter what. She has uncontrolled diabetes, severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and heaven knows wht else. . .

[NJGrannie 0]

I was banded on unlucky Friday July 13th

I didn't believe it was unlucky, I do now.

My lap band/becameinfected and I wound up with 2 weeks in the hospital/multiple Cat scans(yucky drink and all)- two drains put in,intraveneous IV antibiotics. Then because of my insurance Medicare - I spent 4 weeks in a rehab facility receiving the IV treatments 4 times a day [thoughI escaped and went home fo rseveral hours each day).

The good news is that I am now on oral antibiotics, feel great, and I have

LOST 60 POUNDS [i'm shouting!]. My Dr. says that oncemy weight stabalizes the lap-band will have to come out, because"onceinfected itcannever bestablalize."

Isanyone else copingwithan infectedlap-band? How long haveyou had it? ect.

NJGrannie

PS -Miralax for Constipation is a Miracle Laxative http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[forgve70x7 0]

Congrats Salsa!! That's awesome...I hope I'll be joining you sometime in January.

I just wanted to share with everyone that I'm FINALLY down 40 pounds. I had that 3 month plateau where I didn't lose anything, and now I'm down 8 pounds since fill #2 on Oct 11. I am going in for fill #3 on Dec 14th though because I want just a little more restriction.

NJGrannie, I have not had those problems, but feel for you that you are having to go through this. I really hope that everything works out for you though. Did the Dr say if the lap band would be able to be put back in once the infection is completely gone or will you not ever be able to have it put back in? I'm just curious because I've never heard of this happening.

~Nichole

[peaches9 3]

Hello everyone!! Sorry I haven't posted much this past week. Been a little busy. Congratulations EVERYBODY!!! We are all doing amazing on the weight loss. I am so proud of al of us!!

My superviser had Gastric Bypass 2 and a 1/2 weeks ago and I was 'acting' superviser while she was gone. Things were a little screwy at first because, love her to death, but she is VERY unorganized. LOL Her and I are like best friends but in the area of organization we are 200% opposites. I like things just so and to be done AHEAD of time not right before. She is doing AMAZING! You can see an amazing difference in her already. I am so happy for her. She is no longer on her diabetic meds either. It is like she never had it. After talking with her and all though FOR ME I know that lapband was the right choice. At first when I seen her results after 2 weeks for a fleeting moment there I thought 'she will lose it so fast and I will be lossing slowly.' Just a VERY fleeting moment though. I reminded myself of all the reasons why I chose lapband instead of RNY. That moment passed right on by.

This new fill is wonderful. I don't think I could be loving my band anymore. I have a goal of 199 pounds by Christmas. That is 10.6 more pounds. Anyone else gonna sign up for the Thanksgiving to Christmas challenge? Anyone else want to keep track of the progress because I am not here as much as I would like to be. Lets get lined up!!!!

Salsa so glad to hear your band will be ok. When I was to tight a while ago my doc told me that can cause damage and no one should keep a too tight fill. One of the complications she talked of was the esophagus dilation. Heres another tid that she told me Moday. We were talking about taking meds whole instead of crushing them because I got brave and tried taking my capsule of the gullbladder whole. She told me that I should not be taking any capsules whole and pills should be crushed. I am on a diuretic and that is really small. About the size of a birthcontrol. She told me to cut that one in half. I said that I hadn't had any problems getting them down or stuck and then she told me that another problem that can cause is while meds lay in your little pouch dissolving they can cause an ulcer. Back to crushing and drinking meds for me. Anyone else here of this?

Great post! I thought I was the only one with Medication issues.

I was taking and swallowing my pills fine... but then I'd sometime get this horrible heartburn/reflux thing.. as my pills were dissolving in my UPPER pouch and not my lower stomach. So my nutritionis advised a Acid reducer.. prevacid or ranitadine OTC... it is doing the trick .

My medications can not be crushed they are enteric coated ment to disolve in the lower GI tract.

[FELICIA17 0]

Congrats Salsa, that's huge milestone:)

[Brandy 0]

Hi Everyone! I'm back from my cruise and surprise, surprise, after ten days, I only gained two pounds....can't believe it! I ate a lot and although got tight a few times, I only Pb'd once!

I ate ice cream, french fries, bread, steak, Breakfast meats, etc., but I did a lot of walking on the ship and on the islands and went to the fitness center and rode the exercise bike on five of the ten days, which I thought was very good of me!

So, I regained my two pounds, so I won't be meeting the T'giving challenge, but I'll lose ten by Christmas!

Next fill appt is the Thurs after T'giving! Not sure whether to get one, however....I'll see how I feel on that day!

[Brandy 0]

Nichole, Congrats on your weight loss since your last fill!

Kathy, Sorry to hear about your Dad's diagnosis, but glad you got a little better news afterwards. My Mom died of cancer in 2004 and I was able to move home and take care of her for the last two months of her life. It was the saddest time of my life, but also life changing for me.

Karri, Congrats on reaching onederland!

Sounds like everyone has been doing well with their diet and exercise, more power to you all! I'm going to keep up with the exercise and start monitoring my Portion Control again. Should be back down by end of the week.

Take care everyone!

[Dini 0]

Hi all!

just popping in to say hi and i hope your all well xx

[forgve70x7 0]

Hi all!

just popping in to say hi and i hope your all well xx

Hi Dini!! I think if I remember right you are either here in NY or you're coming very soon. I hope you have a great week and enjoy your vacation. :scared:

~Nichole