Willi333

I haven't been on in ages, but thought I stop by to say C-O-N-G-R-A-T-S on your amazing results/weightloss

I had an AL and ETT on 11/30/09 and my insicion goes maybe 3/4 around (front and both sides pass the hips towards the backside) and like Denise said, it helped a little with the outter thighs, but it really didn't do anything to the inner/upper thighs - so this needs to be taken care off separately. For now, I decided to give my girls a lift

here some pics:

(I take weekly pics to see the progress, but haven't added any recent ones since I look the same LOL)

http://www.makemeheal.com/pictures/brachioplasty/before-after-a10323?password=stuggi

HTH - Good Luck!

DH & myself could pay cash for both of our surgeries, but maybe you have a 401K to borrow from?

Just a thought ... GOOD LUCK

I went to IRS.gov and tried to find that sec 125 article. I couldn't find it. I do know if you have a letter of nessessity from your doctor you should be OK. I'm going to email a coordinator up in the Chicago area and ask her about FSA and fills. I'll get back to you soon.

I could not find it either ... ? ...

The ppl from the FSA want to get the "letter of medical nessecity" from the fill provider not from the doctor - but still did not say if it will be accepted or not. We shall see ...

I spoke to my fill provider and she said that she knows this form and will be happy to do that for us.

Thank you very much for your replies ladies >

After talking to my PS and my fill provider ... NO UNFILL for me YAYYYYYYYYYY

Guess I don't have to move the fridge and cut up the pills in case of a problem

... on top of that I save a lot of chi-chingg for an unfill and then to get a fill again - so I'll spend that on some cute new clothes ???? LOL

Have a great day!!!

congratulations on everything Ute!

I just had a 7 hour spinal neurosurgery. I did NOT have an unfill before going through this extensive surgery as both the surgeon and his team did not feel having an unfill would be necessary. I was fine and able to take all of my pills within hours.

I cannot tell you what to do...just sharing my experience. Good luck!

Cara - Yikes! Hope you are doing better?

Pammie- I CAN'T WAIT to get rid of my bat wings and my jelly belly LOL I'll keep you ladies posted

Smiley- thanks for the tips! I really don't want an unfill but my fill provider (Fill Center USA) said I absolutely should ?!?!

I think the only concerns I have is taking the meds the first few days - every 4-6 hrs. (Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning - being thursty, I can only have small sips but don't know if I could do pills) And second, that I would have to drive 4 hrs. to get an unfill (Provider is only every other week in Atlanta so I would have to pay her a visit further south and that fresh out of sx?)

BTW How did your AL and TT turn out? Are you happy with the results?

On the other side the fridge is WAYYYY to close for me while recovering with no restriction! Desicions - desicions ...

If you would have needed an fill after sx - when would you have felt comfortable ?

Hey Ute--

I haven't had any plastic surgery since having the LapBand, but I just wanted to congratulate you on your "smoke-free" success. You are amazing!!

Thank you Diana! It is hard though ... NO FOOD & NO SMOKE --> NO FUN lol but I know it is for the best, right?

I did cheat a little I bought the Chantix/Champix back in TJ last year and now they came in handy! I only had a 2 weeks supply, but stretched them to 4 weeks (1/2 dose) and that did the trick

Thanks Dave for responding!

Yeah, I'm pretty &ç%*? about that. The best thing is, this FSA needs to be renewed every year and if you do not use the/your money by the end of that year it actually goes completely BYE BYE

We received a credit/debit card as well, but after the fact (after our last fill) so we had to send in the receipts. They stated, that -->

the expense of Lap Band Adjustments is not a qualifying expense under the IRS Sec 125 guidelines

I'll give them a call and see what they say! Why would I save up money for medical expenses if I can't use it and on top of that the money get's WASTED ? This is redicioulos !

I'll keep you posted!

Oh, last year, we did write of ALL expenses (surgeries, fills, hotel, airfares etc.) and it worked out just fine!

... at least we got a little bit of chi-chingggg back there

Pammie you look FRIGGN' HOT with those lips of yours!

O.K. I thought since posting the one issue - I continue with another question

I'll have my sx (AL & TT) next month and going back and forth about getting an unfill/partial unfill/complete unfill :lb12:

Obviously my body is retaining water while sleeping (always has), and thus I'm kinda tight in the morning for the first hour or two, but then loosen up quite a bit and could eat pretty normal and really have to watch myself!! (I guess quitting smoking and not getting a fill because of sx is also not helping with the major plateau I have).

Any suggestions ???

Hi there,

I know I haven't posted in ages, but life keeps me very busy and I am also preparing my PS sx in a month as well

Well, here s my (?) .... DH changed jobs in January of this year and through them, he was able to open a FSA (Flexible Spending Account) .... We thought, why not, we're going to have a pile of "Fill Bills" anyways (DH is banded too) and could use the FSA money for that, right? NOOOOO! Althought we first got the information that we could, they now came back to us declining it ??? WTH ???

At the same time they did send a form called " Letter of Medical Necessity" and ask us to get the form completed and then send it back ?

Did anyone experience the same issue ? Who would be the one filling it out - Dr. Oritz - or - Fill Center USA - ?

HELPPPPP PLEASEEEE

Yep, ask anything that concerns you! I know, working in the field she does, she must know her stuff!

The lady who did mine was one of the first ones doing the permanent make up thingy (in Germany) and is still considered one of the best. I don't think that it was her fault and I'm probably not the norm - just my body reacting weird (not taking the ink etc.) and those darn wrinkles lol

Good Luck and keep us posted !

NO NO NO NO NO heck no LOL no wayyyyy would I redo them again

But that is only my experience

I picked a more light bordeau'ish color and it still turned out kinda pinkish ... dunno, for me it just turned out alright. Also, like Carrie said it looked kinda flat/dull. I always used some lip gloss to make it look better -> defeeding the purpose?

Mostly why I regret it, is that I had gotten those deep, long "looking like I'm 100 y/o" winkles. If I don't use a gooood lipliner, my lipstick would bleed in all those wrinkles I'm sporting. Talking about looking like a clown.

Sorry to be so negative about it! A friend of mine had her lips only outlined and uses glossy type of lipsticks anyway and it looks great. But she is complaining about a few wrinkles here and there too.

Don't mess with your beautiful new smoochie lips of yours LOL

Congratulations BeBe how exciting !!!!

that "one" pound just has to wait a bit longer

Hi Pammie,

About 7 years ago, I had my black "eyeliner" done (also upper & lower) turned out great and the pain wasn't that bad at all.

But my lips .... ahhhhh... pure torture! Somehow my lips didn't want to take on any ink that consisted mainly of red pigments (red/orange/pink/purple) so she re-did it about 4 times in intervalls of a few weeks to get it heeled up each time and let me tell you, it did hurt like a $@!)% :lb12:

At the end it worked out, but was left with really deep winkles all the way around the "edges" (where the lipliner would be) and the color did only stick for about mmmhhh 1-2 years or so ...

.. back to the lipliner & lipstick ...

HAPPY BANDIVERSARY LISA >

The girls have said it all. You are just the best inspiration, ever. I remember when I was a newbie, how stunned I was, lurking in the gallery and seeing your piccies ... What a "transformation" you have accomplished!

But not only that - for all us bandsters on here - to stick around with your always right on posts & great advise is simply ...

....... PRICELESS

YOU FRIGGIN' ROCK

(((BIG GERMAN BEAR HUGS))))

Congratulations Pammie & Happy Bandiversary - you are truly an inspiration to all of us

Thank you so much for sticking around !!!

Welcome on the "other side" you are doing awesome

This ride is maybe not always easy, but the best thing I've ever done for myself !

- very little discomfort after surgery, no gas pain at all

- other than bread I can pretty much eat anything

- learned to eat healthy and small portions

You are in the best of hands at the OCC

Thanks Red - when I first found the piccie, I was ROFL

I stayed at the Lucerna back then and they had bottled water in the room. We asked for more and got it right away - free of charge -

G' LUCK with your upcoming surgery!

Never heard of it - but I definately give it a try!

Thanks for sharing

PAMMIE you look H-O-T-T-T-T-T

WTG

Lena, I'm sorry to hear about your loss, hope you're doing OK!

Its been a great topic, and made me think about the changes I've made in this area.

I am actually very shy about my body and have never posted this link before - as you can see I was pretty big at my tummy tuck, 200 pounds. (This is a bit hard for me). And the back and side fat he lippo'd out has never come back - and I've always had it no matter how thin I'd get.

http://www.nytesurgical.com/index.cfm/Acti...513/PageID/2968

We each need to make our own decisions on the surgery, I'm glad I chose my surgeon, I've had 3 surgeries with Dr Nyte and I'm going in for my fourth later this month.

I'm a big believer in plastic surgery, it can make great changes in your life - I don't think I could have gotten into exercise like I did with that big tummy around my middle - no way, no how. I know the cost is high, but the rewards are worth it if you can do it, and its something you want - go for it, you’re worth it. (However the need to buy all those expensive little underwears that are so cute and you just can't pass up - can be costly)....

Best,

Lisa

Lena, I am very sorry for your loss!

And as always ... THANK YOU LISA >

This is exactly what I needed to hear/see!

I'm on a major plateau and with little restriction I have a hard time right now (my band closed shut for no reason - I had an unfill and now have to wait for another fill) ... so I decided, whatever the weight might be ... beginning of December, I will have my ETT/LBL and AL.

You really look s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g !!!

Hi Mindy,

I haven't had a thigh lift yet, but gathered a lot of information about it since this is maybe next on the list.

First I will have my Brachioplasty (arm lift) and ETT.

What I did was taking pictures, sending them off to different PS's here in the US and in MX to see if they can give me an estimate without having an actual consultation. A few did not even bother writing back, others ask me to schedule a visit, some where really nice and gave me tons of information ...

The tigh lift estimates range anywhere from $4400 to $6900 but that also came with different opinions like "only" a groin incision or a "T-incision" which is the groin incision combined with the long incision down the leg towards the knee.

The tigh lift in general seems to be a real biatch - most of the time it is a difficult and long healing process. Maybe you also wanna go to makemeheal.com they have message boards for each specific procedure and you can read up quite a bit of information and also check piccies.

Hope this helps a bit

OMG both, the arms and the TT look A-W-E-S-O-M-E in this short amount of time CONGRATS !!!!!

This gives me hope that my "double whobble bat wings" going to look halfway decent oneday