Lindsay

Karen - you're totally on the right track!!!!!!!! You're losing weight. You're staying healthy. As long as you're making the right food choices, and exercising, you WILL lose weight. Just remind yourself that we got the band as a weight loss tool - i wish it was a miracle, but it's not. And yes, that's me in the picture. REMEMBER! The more lean muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism will function. whoohoo! Start liftin' girl, and you'll get yourself out of this funk of failure. You're doing awesome. And remember that!!!

ya know ... i only suggested it was psychological, because even when i'm full and my stomach is saying 'NO MORE!!', i used to keep eating anyways. for me, my food issues are far beyond physical - but very much psychological. i think this is something a lot of people don't realize, or hope the band will evaporate. which is a false hope. i've had an eating disorder for almost 7 years now. and the psychological challenge is far more difficult to live with than the physical - even when I was training for contests. i would highly recommend finding a therapist in your area that specializes in eating disorders. this really saved my life, in so many spectrum's. while the band will physically make your stomach smaller, the psychological aspect is not corrected, and never will be unless you address it. lets face it - most of us who have the lapband have serious over-eating issues. we don't become over weight by accident. we are now eating for fuel. we're not eating for pleasure. that's what the band is all about. i really hope you seek alternative dr advice. sometimes medical doctors skip over and forget the most important aspects ... on another hand, geez! you've lost so much weight already ... you're doing an amazing job, whatever it is you're doing! why you're doubting yourself, is beyond me! :-? xo

may what's going on be psychological? and i wouldn't wish for a gastric bypass. it's not reversible, the band is - god forbid you may need to get it removed. just think about what the worst case scenario would be. not all that bad. you get it removed, and go with another option. i would go with a gastric sleeve, before going for a bypass.

Hey everyone, Just thought I'd share my recent correspondence with the Fill Centre USA. I already have my first fill appointment booked in Tijuana on April 21st, but after further investigation, the thought of saying closer to home, sounds far more appealing. Not to mention, at such a lower cost. My main concern was getting my first fill via fluoro. I emailed Fill Centre USA, to see if this option was even avail as I couldn't find anything on there website about it. This is the reply I just received: It seems like such a perfect option, for me, as I was NOT looking to the long trip back to Mexico, including the inflated cost of flying at the moment from Toronto. Does anyone have any feedback on this? Including this specific centre? Or feedback on the centre's themselves? I'm just concerned that they'll screw up somehow, and because this is my first fill, I wouldn't know.

What is that? And why are you getting it done? "making sure my stomach is going to be good". HUH?

i can't imagine any insurance plan covering teeth whitening. it's definitely cosmetic. but the crest white strips do work amazingly!

people are potatoes. i didn't hear that at all during my first weight loss phase. even though i had lost over 75lbs! girl, we'll tell you here. you DO look freakin' amazing! =D> and i hope you're taking your progress pictures to remind yourself of this. Remember: you're losing weight to be HEALTHY. And most importantly, you're doing this for YOU.

my dr didn't recommend this either. ... maybe to help maintain your blood sugar levels? are you on hormone replacement therapy or the pill? or diabetic?

ah, you have lots of time! i lost my 15lbs in 7 days. I only did the pre-op diet for only 7 days! I didn't do the shakes, as I'm familiar with the grams in real food, so i went that route. I also don't believe in chromium, as long term studies have shown no improvement in weight/fat loss. It's a waste of money, IMO. I didn't use the salad spritzer, b/c of the artificial ingredients they contain. I just used salt an vinegar on my salads, and ate eggs (it's just what i felt like at the time!) for protein. But sub's other protein sources when I felt like I wanted it. I'm not a fan of pre-made food (ie slimfast, artificial salad dressing) so i went with the whole-food option. I also don't find protein shakes filling, and they upset my stomach, so I stayed away from.

Great decision I kinda wish I had gone without my boyfriend. He did a lot of waiting, and every time I fell asleep in the hotel, i felt guilty for for ditching him! He actually went GOLFING on the day after my surgery, so I could have some sleepy time. It was also difficult, as i was fidgety the day after, and didn't sleep well. I was up a lot, walking around to help with the gas pains. I didn't NEED my boyfriend there. I think he got bored of watching me sleep, to be honest! And by the time we left, he was just frustrated at listening to me complain about the long flight home. You'll be perfectly fine. They (the clinic & hotel) will take very good care of you.

In Canada, there is no way any insurance will cover a lap band. It's a 18k surgery here. and it's considered cosmetic. I paid a lower price at the OCC, because I negotiated the cdn dollar with the clinic. And my travel costs were $900 for me to fly from Buffalo (I live in Toronto) to San Diego. Over all, it was still VERY expensive.

The Tums will help with everything! Gas X strips are apparently fine too, but are pricey. I didn't have heartburn, just the gas. So whatever you pick, just don't forget it at home, like i did! You'll just be gassy after wards, but walking around (as mentioned above) works like a charm, just to get things going. My trip was LOOONG. It was a 9+/- hr flight, plus a 4 hour DRIVE to/from the airport, as I flew out of Buffalo (I'm from Toronto). It was the flights that I had that killed me. I also had a flight transfer in Chicago, which really extended my trip. The pressure from being in the air for so long was very painful, and the WORST part of it all. I had my surgery on a Tuesday, flew back on Thursday. I slept when I got home. I was so exhausted, and the day after I got home, I got a huge cold sore on my lip - just proof that my immune system had been in chaos! Any polysporne will increase your healing time - the incisions are so freakin' tiny! You'll be shocked when you see them for the first time.

i told my mom, but that's only because she paid for it. what i didn't tell her, is that i went to mexico to get it done, to save $9,000. she would NOT have supported the decision to get it done out of the country. i told my best friend. she was scared to DEATH for me. my boyfriend, who i live with, went with me to get it done ... so of course, he knew, but he didn't tell any of his friends or family. it's too personal to tell people. but i haven't told anyone else. i knew they'd worry about nothing. and at the point prior to surgery, i needed support -- not negative reactions & people telling me i didn't need it.

doesn't liquid Tylenol have a massive amount of alcohol & corn syrup (sugar) ? lotsa empty calories. buyer beware!

they give you some pain killers called 'supradol'. that lasts about a day. i wish i had brought Motrin, or Tylenol with me. it would have made me feel more like i was at home. i forgot the tums at home, too. so i went for a ride to the local pharmacy and picked up the mexican version, Melox. it wasn't so much pain, but gas. the plane ride home SUCKED b/c of the pressure. i took Tylenol for a few days afterwords, just to help my recovery .. the lowest incision was the most painful, as it seemed stretch every time i moved - and i walk dogs for a living, so it was difficult for a few days. but after i started applying polysporne on the incision sites, everything really healed up very quickly.

recovery for lipo is horrible. ugh.

Yeah, it definitely sounds like your immune system is being challenged. A full blood panel should answer some of those questions for you. Being female, there are so many little things that can effect our immune systems. From low zinc, to low potassium.

Welcome Angie! I know exactly what you're feeling ... the anticipation was outrageous!!

awesome post, darlin'!

How did you feel after your 1st fill?

Well, in a nut shell, you just got a 'new' pouch for a stomach. You don't want to stretch it out. Eating solids too soon will stretch it out, and can also cause your new band to slip. Dr Martinez explained it to me as allowing your band to heal, and allowing for the natural scar tissue to build up - this will help preventing your band from slipping in the future. Just because you don't feel it now, doesn't mean in 6 months, you won't experience the side effects from eating solids - stretching your pouch. At the OCC, they also don't restrict (or fill) your band until you've reached the 6-8 week mark, to enhance healing. From everything I've read, some doctors have a far more in depth post-op diet. For us, it's only clear liquids for the first 7 days. Then creamy liquids for the next 21 days. Liquids go through you a lot quicker, and they don't stretch your stomach out like solids do - they just sit there, until your body digests them. Sorry I can't explain this better -- but hopefully I'm making sense.

One feels natural, the other one doesn't.

I know in Toronto, a tummy tuck *they don't do lower body lifts nearly as often* will cost you 30k. It's NOT cheap, but personally, not something I'd get done away from home. With all of the issues that can go wrong or pop up afterward, follow up care would be my #1 priority.

aww, i totally know how she (and you, as a mom) feels. it's such an awkward and disheartening time when you feel like nothing fits your body. just hang in there - she will find her footing, it just may take awhile. Has your daughter tried that Under Armour sports bra? I know someone who wears them, and she's a 38DDD ... Google it, and see if you can track them down!! They don't leave that too-tight-around mark, and are apparently amazingly comfortable. Another great company that caters to ALL sizes: http://www.barenecessities.com

Because it costs 'them' more!!! Can you REQUEST it every single time???