quakergirl

Ginger, don't worry, you can't really feel the band after it's in. In fact, I can't even feel my port even though I know where it is because I just got a fill! The only evidence of my surgery is just the incision scars (and they're quickly fading away). For me, having a foreign object in me wasn't very upsetting. It makes me feel almost like a "bionic" woman, having these cool state-of-the-art silicone and titanium parts in me.

Hi. I'm also a post-op bandster from Michigan. What kind of info would you like to know? Have you decided on a surgeon yet? I went with Port Huron, and even though they always seem to be so busy with all the new patients they're getting, I am very happy with my choice. Oh, and if you haven't already joined, you might be interested in the mailing list for MI bandsters: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eastside_Bandsters_MI/

Malcolm, I agree that your experience is very inspiring so I hope you stick around and tell us more about your experiences. What were the port operations like? I've heard that sometimes port problems can be fixed with a local anesthesia, instead of being put all the way under. True?

Congrats on your success! Hope that your new port works better. It is encouraging to hear about people like you who have had success at a higher starting BMI. I started out at 372 (2 months post-op now). When I was in the research phase, I felt discouraged by the way that most webpages seemed to be saying "Don't bother getting the band if you weigh over 300 because it won't work". Fortunately, I discovered the ExtraordinaryBandsters mailing list after that and realized we who are bigger CAN make the band work.

I agree with the others to not ask for trouble by mentioning it for the insurance approval. But once you've gotten the surgery, it may be a good idea to talk to a counselor about how to be sure you don't fall into that trap again, just to be safe. I've never been anorexic, so I don't know just what it's like, but I can see how WLS might aggravate the problem if you're predisposed to it. Like you, my intention is not to be super-thin; I just want to be healthy and active. Right now, I am so heavy that I figure I will be content if I get down to 250 and THRILLED if I make it down to 200 lbs. However, I've heard that many people's perspectives change as they get closer to goal weight...so, honestly, I can see how someone like me might think "Well, since I made it to 200 lbs maybe I can get to 150" and keep trying to lose weight until it becomes a problem. Although I feel like the RNY is more likely to encourage unhealthy eating habits, we all need to be careful to stay on the path to good health instead of just being thin.

Hi guys. I was banded 5/16/03. I lost 19 pounds during the first two weeks of post-op liquid diet...not a bad start, I thought. But then, when I went back for my fill yesterday, I discovered I had GAINED BACK five pounds! Well, obviously I needed the fill, but I'm still discouraged because it seems like almost everyone else on the mailing lists I read who had surgery when I did has already lost a lot more than that. For those of you who also started out slowly, how long did it take before you started to see steady weight loss? I am really scared that I will keep going back up, because all this time I still FELT like I was losing and wasn't eating so much, so the five pounds was an unpleasant surprise.

Thanks for the support everyone! I think you're right that this was just a pre-fill thing. The fill does seem to be helping me with my appetite. I didn't expect much because it was only 1 cc, but it definitely seems like I'm staying fuller longer. I was concerned about not eating enough during the liquid phase, but now eating too little is definitely not a problem.