julieburns

Will you actually came up in conversation at the get together....we've missed you. Knew you'd have to comment on this one... Glad to see you are still here. And Yoyo took alot of pics, as were others. Look for them soon I hope

I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all who attended and to those who wish they could have attended and couldn't!! For those of you who came a long distance a special thank you for taking the time away from your busy schedules, I hope it was worth it , I think it was. This was a true banded bonding experience for sure. What a joy to meet all the people behind the words and faces I have become to know as family. Each one of you left a piece of your experiences with me that will only help me along the way. This experience cemented the fact that yes we all have so much in common and need to take the time to share it whenever possible. I ended up not going out dancing, much to my surprise I took a nap and woke up late. Perhaps it was those 2 bloody mary's??? I hope you had a great time as I am sure you did but sorry I missed it. So once again my banded friends I love you all and can't wait to meet more of you in person!! Always here Julie

:lb10: You are doing awesome. Keep up the good work Trav

Both of those NSV's........PRICELESS!!

Just wanted to clarify a few things First of all the time is 1:00, that's what all the votes were for except 2 so 1:00 it is. I talked to Anita (restaurant owner) and she is just going to have us order off the menu. The buffet idea was when they thought we would have tons of people. I think we will have between 10-20 hopefully, although only 8 people actually RSVP'd. Can't wait to meet all of you. Thank you all for setting this time aside to come to this. We'll have fun times!! Also and maybe Stormy posted this but once again the name of the restaurant is the Diamond Back Grill. 10287 SE Hwy 212, 97015 Take exit 12A off of I-205. Go east towards estacada. Go through 2 lights and at the 3rd light is where they are. They are on the corner of the North side. You'll see a big yellow banner that says Ole's because it's the old signage, the actual Diamond back grill sign is smaller. Any questions just call Anita at 503-656-2432

Liquids, including creamy soups go right through the band. The volume will not stretch your pouch as long as you don't chug a ton at once.

I love the new Jillian Boot camp. It has numerous challenges, several levels to choose from according to how hard you want to work out and you can choose the time from 5-60 minutes. Each time I have done it it is always different in what comes up next. It has a nice variety and I really enjoy it. You can also choose certain types of music that you like to listen to. I highly recommend this as an addition to the FIT system. Much more focused on a good overall workout with lots of variety. And it fun too!!

On first fills it is RARE to get restriction, if you do it is not lasting. This is normal. Make an appointment to get another fill ASAP. It takes 2-3 fills to get to your "sweet spot".. There is another post currently about fills and what to expect. It's called Fill issues. I just replied to it as well and others have put in some great info. Check it out.

Eating out for lunch is very convenient and a habit of many. For me this is a set up for failure. Yes there are healthy choices but it's hard to know what they are and most fast food is not band friendly, especially when you have restriction. Yes a whole chicken sandwich is alot. Half should be about it but with no restriction you can eat as much as you want. It would be very unlikely if you have stretched your pouch unless every day you overeat at every meal. The stomach tissue is also part muscle and it takes some repeated effort to stretch out muscles. If you must continue to eat out cut your sandwich in 1/2 and then throw the rest away immediatly. Yes I said throw it in the garbage before you get tempted to over eat. Better there than in your small pouch perhaps causing pressure on it and slowly stretching it out. You must take a long hard look at your lifestyle and make some very difficult choices to be successful at this. This means pre-planning most all your meals. Packing your lunch the night before. Having a shopping list with your items you need for your lunches and having them on hand. It's lack of planning I believe that causes us to make spur of the moment choices which are unhealthy. No worries about your first fill sweetie. I have never read of anyone being overfilled the first time. It will be a piece of cake so please try and not stress about it. No reason to. Good luck and also if you stress it tightens your band and they won't be able to fill you as much as if you weren't stressing. Read the post by Dolittle on how to get a good fill. It has alot of helpful hints I have used before my last fill. I think it worked so well that's why I got overfilled maybe. Drink tons of water tomorrow like minimum 64 ounces, force yourself. You can use the special K stuff or just plain water but this is a must for a good fill to be hydrated also. Hope this helps and I can't wait to see you Saturday.

As far as fills go I know everyone is different. On my first fill at the OCC I got 2 cc in my 4 cc band and was told that is the MAX for a first fill allowed by the powers that be. Makes sense to me. I know we need to assert ourselves but we also must remember we are not the "experts" on how bands should be filled. I think we all get numbers floating around here and then get an expectation of what we should have. I think also it is not clear or perhaps people just don't want to accept the fact that a first fill often DOES NOT give restriction. If you get it at 6 weeks your stomach is still healing so you can do harm by overfillling. I encourage everyone to trust the fill people especially with the first fill. Now if you are getting jerked around and go numerous times etc and feel like they are just wanting money that's another issue. Reality is the first fill will not give you lasting restriction if any, it takes 2-4 even to get it. This is a process and we must also know this ahead of time and try to be patient. It is unrealistic to expect and then to demand to be filled to restriction point on a first fill, also unwise. Cara please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying you didn't do what you thought was good for you but again I urge others to understand how the band is meant to work. An overfill can be almost a life or death emergency and sometimes the swelling from a fill takes a day or two and then you could be in trouble on fills other than your first. Just my 2 cents.

Thank you Heidi for reminding me of the David psalm. I am glad I could help lift you up.. That's what we're all here for.

:lb10: :lb5: Happy Birthday to my dear friend Mona. What would I do without you here? So glad you feel successful on your birthday, you did use great control and you deserve a piece of cake on your birthday, especially one specially made by hubby!! Happy day to you and know I love you ...XOXOXOXO

Amy I missed the original post so am a little unclear. I think I have gathered that your mom passed away. Is that right. Recently? If so my deepest heartfelt prayers go out to you. I lost my mom 5 years ago and the pain is still unbearable at times, we were close though I don't know your situation. Anyway the loss of a parent is no easy walk. And then it sound like you hubby is being non-supportive for sure, but again I didn't read it so I am assuming from what others have written who read the post. Anyway so you overate, it will not kill you. Do not let the guilt cause you to spiral downward, that is so easily how it happens. Dust yourself off, pick yourself off and restart a new day. We all will have emotionally driven slips for the most part at least once, perhaps some are perfect, but I know I am not. You have come a long way in your journey and you can continue. :lb4:

Heidi: Satan is evil and he is trying to draw you away from God any way he can. He is attacking the most precious thing you have right now and it won't be his last attempt either. I ask you what my pastor asked me last week..."Do you believe in God and his mighty power?, Will you be faithful to Him throughout this tragedy?. If you truly believe then you will know that God will carry youo through this. He already knows the end result. It is through your faithfulness to him that you will ward off evil. So here's a few scriptures I have been using during my difficult time... Matthew 6:25... Therefore I tell you , do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Psalm 50:15..."And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Psalm 55:22-23... Cast your cares on the LOrd and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. John 14:27..."Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 16:33..."I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I Peter 5:7,8,9.... Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion loooking for somebody to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 for the verses talking about the Armor of God. here's a snipit...Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to this take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Matthew 6:14-15...For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive you your sins. I think forgiveness is the hardest thing going through what you described. I know I've been there too. Lost my 1st husband from both of our neglect but his alcoholism was the kicker for me. I also rebelled and it did me no good but to dig me deeper into Satans snare. Heidi I will pray for you and I thank you for being here on the forum. Hang in there and one more favorite"Draw near to him and he will Draw near to you"(James 4:8) XOXOXOXOXO I lied I have 1 more favorite...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...!!

Kimmy :lb13: , you sexy mama!!! And the legs, oh man I bet your hubbie is drooling!!! Good for you my friend, you are a true example of what sticktuitiveness means. thanks for the motivating pics!!

Can't wait here either. We'll have some good old fun...watch out Portland the Mexican Bandsters are on the loose!!

Hi G: First of all... :lb9: Congrats on your super weight loss thus far. What an inspiration. I had the same thing happen to me with my 2nd fill...almost exactly as you described yours. I went to the OCC, had the fill on Friday, wondered on Saturday if I should go back but could drink water a little so came home to Portland. By Tuesday I wasn't keeping ANYTHING down, went to a fill center 50 miles away and got unfilled. I was scared and boy was it mserable. I did lost some good weight then buth gained it back in 2 days as soon as I started eating again. Anyway Welcome and this is where to come for support.

Taz, I have used a pedometer for a few months since I got banded. It truly upped my motivation to get walking more. As a nurse my first day at work I logged in over 10,000 step in one shift!!! I'll have to up my expectations since I do walk so much at work, thankfully. I am actually taking a medical leave now so I will have to force myself to get out and do this. Not just getting it done easily at work but I will have to work at it. Great idea, this is what a support forum is all about!!!

I take numerous medications. After I was banded they suggest only liquid meds or to crush the ones you can. Be careful though as some meds cannot safely be crushed as they are time released. Check with your pharmacist if you are not sure. You can mix the crushed ones in a little fruit juice to swallow while on liquids then move on the applesauce when on the next phase. Just 1 tsp. of it will do the trick. I actually was able to take my capsule that I couldn't crush without difficulty. Only if you absolutely cannot crush it should you take it whole, Some capsules you can also open up and mix like a crushed pill but again check to see if it should not be opened up. It usually sats on the label also.

You are not alone by any stretch. I have been a very slow loser but at least I am not gaining and maintaining what I have lost. I struggle with getting enough exercise due to chronic pain and also my cravings for sweets get the better of me sometimes. I recognize this and am working on it daily. From where I was before the band and where I am now is a total different planet. I eat maybe 1/4 of what I used to eat including snacks so that is progress. Just having the band is 50% of the game . The other half is up to us though and sometimes we don't even have control over how our own bodies react to what we eat or don't. :lb4: You can do this so don't ever give up.

Welcome to our forum. I think others have given good answers so far. I just replied to another poster named Carla with the topic "New here, my husband does not want me to get the lapband" so I suggest you read that thread. It will give you some more good info. You may also want to read the testimonials section to get an idea of what to expect also. I have no clue about medicaid, I have my doubts but maybe you will be lucky , I sure hope so. As others suggested call the actual number to find out this question. Most of us here were banded in Mexico by Dr. Ariel Ortiz and were self pay patients. His price is about half of what is in the states. Insurances can be very difficult if they even cover it but there are a few here who have gotten it that way. Best of luck to you in your fact finding journey

Hi Carla: So glad you found this forum and Dr. Oritiz. Most of us here were banded by him with a few wonderful exceptions. I was banded 6/4/08 and have lost about 30 pounds since. It's slow for me but than again I am older and cannot do much exercise. So having a hard time convincing hubby.....hum that's a tough one. Do you live close to Dr. Ortiz since you said you are going for a consult? That will be the best way ever to convince him. Dr. Ortiz is a people person and believes in what he does wholeheartedly. He is the top Dr. in the world I believe and was trained by the company that makes the band. He has traveled the world teaching other Docs how to do the surgery. He's done thousands, more than any other Dr. doing them by a long stretch. Perhaps your husband is concerned about the Mexico thing...no need to worry there. I am a nurse for over 20 years now and his facility has top ratings in my book. I have been on numerous committees to inspect hospitals and their adherence to sterility, cleanliness, equipment, and staff. The OCC gets an A+ for all of this. The area it is in is like any small cosmopolitan city, tall buildings, sidewalks, Starbucks across from the hotel and anything you may need within walking distance from the hotel as well. The hotel Lucerna is a beautiful place filled with very attentive staff. The restaurant caters to Dr. Ortiz's patients by having menu items like chicken broth, jello etc just for us. At least 2 of the waiters that I know there have had the lapband for several years and brag about Dr. Ortiz over and over. They will give you tips as well for better success is you talk t5o them about it. There is a beautiful pool and over all it's a great place to stay. Now the surgery itself is a piece of cake. Take it from me the biggest wimp there is. I brought my own Vicoden because I was afraid they wouldn't give me enough for the pain. I had literally no pain, I'd call it a little discomfort, truly. You take a few non-narcotic pain pills and are fine. The total time in the OR is maybe 40 minutes while the surgery takes about 20 minutes max. I woke right up in the OR and went to my room. Sat on the bedside off the stretcher and got up and walked down the hall to the bathroom. As soon as I was done in the bathroom a housekeeper came in behind me to clean it since you share a bathroom. They encourage to walk as much as possible as about 50% of people get some gas pains. Walking is the best cure for this so plan on doing alot of it. You get juice and frozen pops right away. the nurses cater to your every need. At no time did I ever feel scared or nervous, really never. Many people go shopping the next day on what's called Revolucion Avenue, a huge market where you barter for everything, never pay asking price, pay about 20-50% of it at most. I chose not to shop but rather was out by the pool and walked laps. I didn;t even stay the recommended night at the clinic after my surgery but chose to go back to the hotel. I even changed my flight to go home the next day instead of waiting another day. I traveled alone, no problems. The van picks you up from the airport and takes you anywhere you need to go as far as your surgery. You can get cabs if you want to explore a little for under $5. I did not know about this forum before surgery so you already have a huge advantage. Read some of the testimonials..we are not paid actors but real people just like you who needed a permanent solution to a lifelong problem. You will be asked to do a pre-op diet for at least 2 weeks before your surgery. Most people choose 2 protein shakes (slim fast type) and then a lean cuisine type frozen dinner. You can have some salad type stuff and minestrone soup if you are starving on this too. There are other choices but this one is what most do. The goal is to lose 5% of your starting weight. So I think you said you weigh 185ish , you need to lose about 9 1/2 pounds. The purpose of this diet is because you lose fat around your liver first when dieting, the liver fat can get in the way for the Dr. to be able to visualize your stomach area during surgery, so it's best to try and reduce it as much as you can prior to surgery. You will have 5 incisions, 4 are less than 1/4 inch and the 5th just under your left breast is about 1 inch at most. This is where the band goes in. Under your skin is the small port where you will get your fills put in starting 6 weeks after surgery. The band is like a flat tire with an inner tube. The inner tube is left flat when the band is first placed allowing the stomach time to adjust and heal with the band in place. The flat tire alone is not enough to give you restriction which is the goal of the band. At eh 6 week point and then every 4-6 weeks thereafter (everyone is different in timing but approx) you go and get saline injected to start to fill the inner tube to add pressure on your stomach which eventually gives you restriction to where you can only eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food at the most. You will still be able to eat what we call "slider" foods like ice cream, cookies, guacamole, sour cream and many other very fattening things so you also must follow a careful diet plan once you get the band. It will not do it on it's own. You must work with it and for many we have had to change our entire way of eating. I hope this gives you some info you can use. Again I wish you well on this major impending decision you and your hubby will make. do your homework and share as much with him as you can before your consultation so he knows a little going in. Good luck

Congrats on the big decision. Now Jude already posted what I would have told you to look up. The whole thing is listed under "Questions" down at the bottom of the main menu page if you want to see anything else. By the way, I was wondering and you don't have to answer this is you don't want to but did you adopt a girl(s) from china? We have no children and I have thought about this.

The secret is he is MALE.....ALL men lose faster. Even 5 pounds a week is super TAZ. It also of course depends on how much you have to lose. Also how the body reacts differently depending on how many diets you have done before, the more you have done the slower you lose weight. Great success!!

1 week from today all...Cast those votes and RSVP's. This will be one to remember for sure!!