at the following link http://www.the3day.org/michigan07/oldelderlylady Your Team Page link: http://www.the3day.org/michigan07/enryfordmotorcitylosers

I'm sorry to hear your news.  I haven't had the same experience.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer and was treated in 1998.  I had wls in 2004.  My cancer returned to my bone and right lung and was diagnosed in 2005.  I've been on chemo ever since.  I'm sure you can have wls after you've healed from your cancer treatment. It will be something to focus on and look forward to.  You'll be on 2 journeys ~ the journey to breast cancer survival, and your weight loss journey. Take care and please email me anytime you need to talk. God Bless, Paula    299/124 @5'3"

First of all, look at this way the Lap band has already saved your life and it hasn't even been installed yet!  I am a 2 1/2 year survivor of Breast Cancer and am in the final stages of being approved for lapband surgery.  My oncologist is my biggest supporter.  I have to get the weight off to avoid a reoccurance of cancer.  I had 6 weeks of radiation and my docs think I'm a perfect candidate.  Just waiting on the insurance to give the go ahead.  Good luck to you and if you have any questions as you start your journey to be a survivor, please fell free to contact me. Carla

Hi Barbara! I was DX with thyroid cancer 9 years ago. I gained about 120 pounds over those 9 years. No matter how much I exercised, how well or how little I ate...all I did was gain. Finally the over the last 4 years I was able to maintain the weight...and those 4 years were spent dishing out big bucks for personal trainers (former marines from hell LOL) 3 times a week, an hour each session. I would do diets like South Beach and Atkins and only lose a few pounds then nothing else. I even spent two weeks as a weight loss spa busting my butt from 7am to 9pm...eating whole food, low fat, high fiber, yadda yadda yadda...and only lost 5 pounds. My levels have never stablized either. I don't necessarily believe that it was my thyroid cancer that caused the weight gain, although the slow metabolizm didn't help, but rather it did prevent me from losing any weight. In other words...where most people will gain 10 pounds over christmas, but then be able to take it off after the holidays...i would gain the 10 pounds, but no matter what, I could not get it off again because of the hypothyroidism. My surgeon's requirement for me to get the WLS was that my cancer was non-detectable for 5 years and I needed to get the OK from my oncologist. I had the surgery on 9/11 and so far have lost 82 pounds. I am right there with the other people that had surgery around the same time. I have been a stop and go loser all along, but it IS coming off. I was on a low carb diet pre-op, but that was more because I had developed insulin resistance and that is how I was able to control it. I'm not sure about how many calories I was consuming...but it was within normal ranges for the most part. Good luck with everything...email me if you want to chat! Heather

Hi Loretta.. I have not had breast cancer, but was looking at this Board as a friend was recently diagnosed with a lump malignancy. I saw your post.. and justed to say that I work in the insurance field. The below website may help you.. read the 4th note about Breast cancer and then go down to #14.. it speaks more on it. This is governed by HIPAA which is Federal Law.. not state which I know many ERISA plans do not have to follow state, but must follow Federal. Hope this helps and I had to giggle about your delimma with the one breast only getting longer. I started out *pre WLS* with DD, and after reaching goal find that I'm still a DD after I roll my breasts up and place them in the cup..God love us http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/top15tips.html