Nette Fosters

Hi :-) First of all, if you have a band and are in SLO county and would like community, send me a message. I'd love to connect :-) Next, I just read online that the Bay Area's famed Dr. Cirangle has an affiliate office in Templeton where fill are given for local patients with bands. Does anyone here have experience with getting fills at this Templeton office? I had my band placed in CO years ago but have now moved to the Central Coast and am looking for an office where I can have an annual band check up and have adjustments as needed. What resources are there for WLS or band patients in SLO County? Thanks! Annette

Hmm... I just learned that if a "P" is right next to a colon ":" they combine here as an emoticon sticking its tongue out. Okay, good to learn that. Won't make that mistake that again. Also, Rojasanol, I left out a letter of your username, sorry. As you know, I'm new here but learning more every day.

:::peers down the road and waves warmly at Rojasnoll:::: "How cool! I didn't realize we were neighbors. I was glad to hear that there are TWO band surgeons in Santa Barbara and had planned to go there for check ups and fills. But then I heard that a Bay Area surgeon (Cirangle) drives down to Templeton to give fills to SLO County patients. That's about an hour closer to me than SB so I'm hoping I'll be able to go there- have been waiting two days for a return phone call. I was THRILLED to find out yesterday that my new insurance is willing to cover fills even though I was banded years ago with a different insurance. Anyway, thanks for letting me know that you're nearby and get your fills in beautiful SB."

I'm another happy bandster who sometimes whirrs up a protein-drink based mocha in the blender. Frappucino Style: I make *strong* coffee the night before and put it in a mason jar in the fridge. In the morning I pour a cup of cold coffee into the blender, add a scoop of GNC's 100% Whey Protein Powder- Chocolate Flavor. I like to also add a splash of milk but you don't have to. Add a cube or two of ice and blend until mixed. Hot Mocha Style: I've done this two ways and both worked fine. 1) Make a hot cup of coffee how you like it (Black? Milk? Sweetener?) Let it cool a little so it's not boiling hot then pour it in the blender and add a scoop of chocolate flavored protein powder. Take care when you put the blender lid on and blend it gently- hot liquids can cause the lid to unexpectedly pop off but doing this with only one cup of warm liquid has never done that for me. Some people hold a dish towel over the lid just in case. 2) If I'm more in the mood for a richer cafe' au lait (milky) protein drink, I warm a cup of FF or 1% milk in the microwave for a minute or so, add either strong coffee (or espresso or even a spoon of instant coffee if I'm in a rush) then blend it with chocolate protein powder until just blended. (If I let my blender run and run, it whips air into the drink and I don't like that as much.) If my band is fairly tight I can't drink this all down at once but instead, I just keep sipping it all morning and enjoy how indulgent it feels. :-) PS I was never once told to stop drinking coffee but a bariatric surgeon did once state "Weight loss surgery patients have no business drinking coffee drinks that come in domed cups." I think he had in mind frappucinos with whipped cream.

Oh Goodness! I think it's kind of cool that you are required to only go to a Center of Excellence, and yet if it's a long drive away, well, that's not so excellent for you. Congratulations on shedding 100 pounds! That's a remarkable achievement by any standard. Warmly and with respect, Annette

I'll join in too :-) Banded May 2003 Surgery weight 255 Currently 188 Short-term Goal 179 Final Goal 160

Thanks Marci! I moved here to be closer to a family member and have totally fallen in love with this area! The beautiful climate, the beautiful Pacific Ocean, the wide open spaces...I could go on and on. But...back in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, I had my choice of surgeons within a short drive. Here in SLO, my confirmed choices are to drive 100 miles south or 200 miles north, but my band has been so good to me that it's still worth it :-) I *may* be able to get a fill 45 minutes away in Templeton, but I'm not yet sure. I wish you luck on your soon-to-begin WLS journey. I hope it helps you live the life of your dreams. :-)

I'm new here- just downloaded an iPhone app and registered 5 minutes ago so I hope I'm not blowing some rule or posting in the wrong place but I wanted to just share this: Last night I realized that it's been almost 10 years since my Lap Band was put in and I'm positive that it was the healthiest choice over made for myself. I had just turned 40 and had been overweight since puberty. Weighed around 190 lbs. at 18 years old and by 40 I was weighed more than 250 . I was taking medication for asthma and high blood pressure and had a few other minor but obesity related health issues as well. I read an article about Sharon Osborne having had Lap Band surgery and not knowing what that was I looked it up. It made so much sense to me and didn't have the nutritional concerns that stopped me from other bariatric surgeries. I found a local surgeon, felt deeply grateful that my insurance covered it and had my surgery on May 9, 2003. I followed the rules (generally but not perfectly) and lost weight slowly but surely (compared to my online bypass friends), going from 255 to 190 in about a year. (I'm 5'8.") Then by adding in some counseling and learning to speak up more instead of stuff my feelings, I went from 190 to 170 over the next year. I used to wear size 22 tent dresses and got down to size 8 business skirt suits. I was able to go off all of my medications and be as active as I wanted to be, as far as bike riding, hiking, climbing stairs, etc. Like lots of people, there have been really challenging chapters in my life (mostly financial stress and family issues) in the past 10 years. I KNOW that, had I not had my faithful Lap Band in place, I would have continued gaining weight from eating over stress (and anger, loneliness, grief, boredom, etc.) and I would now weigh over 300 pounds. I recently turned 50 and kind of did a Middle Age assessment of who I am now and who I wanna be . After being laid off from a job I loved 2 years ago, moving to a new state and then moving again from a rental to buying a fixer-upper, I will be honest here and admit that I wasn't making my band or my health a priority. I was pretty much in survival mode. So some weight crept back on and now I weigh 188 (down from 190 last week though!) and my blood pressure is higher than when my weight was lower. A size 14 feels too tight on me and I'm really missing some of my favorite clothes. I'm here to tell you, the Lap Band has allowed me to live a much healthier life than I could have had without it. But ... it doesn't do everything all on its own if I'm not being active (like regular walking) and if I'm not following the rules. So ... here I am- ready to make my health a priority and follow the rules again. Feeling grateful and humble and hopeful and eager to make this happen. May I join you lovely people on your journeys as we work towards similar goals? :-) Annette

Thank you Sparkplug! Aww, what a lovely message. I feel all glowing inside. :-)

Hi everyone :-) My name's Annette and in my enthusiasm to connect with online Lap Band community (I found and downloaded an iPhone app this morning, registered and posted within my first few minutes) I didn't even notice this "Introductions" board and went ahead and introduced myself on the "Post Op" Board. Oops, please forgive my newbie clumsiness. I'll learn my way around in time and appreciate your positive suggestions and compassionate feedback when I make mistakes. If you have the time and interest, please take a look at my intro on "Post Op." I will read your introductions and I look forward to getting to know each of you over time. As I share about on the other board, I've had my band since 2003 so I'd be happy to answer questions you may have about my experience as a long-time bandster but I also want to acknowledge that my experience (surgical, type of band, etc.) may be somewhat different or outdated compared to you fresh new Band owners :-) but I bet the overall journey of weight loss and the subsequent adjustments (physical, mental, emotional, social, and even spiritual) will be fairly similar. Thanks for being here! Talk to you soon :-) ~Annette

Luci, I can't promise what you'll feel like over time but honestly, I have had moments, long frustrating moments, when I felt a flush of anger or resentment towards my band, like on vacation thinking to myself, "Look at this GORGEOUS buffet! This is so unfair that I can only eat a little bit of food. I want to taste EVERYTHING here! Arrgghh!!" I figure that's just me being human and having feelings. BUT feelings come and go and the band is my tried and true, very loyal friend. It doesn't give in to my whining and self-pity. It is consistently "there" for me, silently reminding me to choose small portions (on good days) and forcing me with a sick feeling or PB if I try to eat too much (on rare not-so-good days). I no longer have the option of using binging or stuffing myself as a coping tool for life's challenges. Food is no longer my painkiller or mindless entertainment. It's still sometimes a sensual pleasure (in small amounts) and cooking for friends and family will always be a joy for me but... food, nutritious food, is now what I eat in modest amounts for the purpose of fueling my body to have energy and be well. I hope it becomes a loyal and beneficial tool for you too, Luci! :-) As a fellow mom, I can sure tell you this - its waay more fun to be an active healthy mom! Good luck to you! :-)

Eek! (Sorry for the re-post! I'm new here, not sure how that happened. Will try not to do that again.)

Dr Johnell was my surgeon back in 2003 and truly, it was the best thing I ever did for myself. His staff was fantastic and helpful from day one through my last appt there in 2009 before I moved out of state. He's not so much a gushy, warm-fuzzy kind of person. (For anyone who absolutely needs that, try Dr Snyder in Denver- I experienced him as super warm and friendly during a project I did with him post-op.) But if you want a surgeon who is attentive, careful and serious, I feel good recommending Dr. Johnell. He was always professional and so was his staff. They were amazing at getting insurance approval very quickly! Good luck on your own journey!

Dr Johnell was my surgeon back in 2003 and truly, it was the best thing I ever did for myself. His staff was fantastic and helpful from day one through my last appt there in 2009 before I moved out of state. He's not so much a gushy, warm-fuzzy kind of person. (For anyone who absolutely needs that, try Dr Snyder in Denver- I experienced him as super warm and friendly during a project I did with him post-op.) But if you want a surgeon who is attentive, careful and serious, I feel good recommending Dr. Johnell. He was always professional and so was his staff. They were amazing at getting insurance approval very quickly! Good luck on your own journey!

Thanks for the warm welcomes! Yay :-) feeling cozy and definitely wanting to stick around for a good while. I'm going to make a commitment- (really to myself but it helps me to declare it in front of others) that even when life is extra busy and stressful or if I'm feeling stuck and not proud of myself, I might not be here every day but I commit to checking in honestly at least once a week about my weight and what's working well and what needs improvement. Also thank you for reminding me about fills. I had a great check up with my surgeon before I moved out of state but haven't had the band checked since then, over two years ago. So... as part of making my health a priority, I want to find and meet with a well respected Lap Band surgeon within driving distance of where I live now. (I'm about three to four hours from any big cities so this will take some research and planning.) Thanks for being here you guys. ☺ I'm grateful to have company on this path. I look forward to "meeting" and getting to know each of you over time. Annette PS I reread my post and noticed some typos. Sorry- I was excited and tapping it out fast.