KarenB

Is this the same doctor who did your banding?

Hi. Kudos to you & to your PCP as well. In my experience, doctors are not exactly the first people in the world to admit they've been wrong! My doctors are amazed too, and it's only been 38 lbs. for me! My internist is the one I told about the South Beach diet, and HE's the one who lost the weight. My plastic surgeon (I have had breast cancer, but am o.k. now) is so amazed, he wants to see me every two months, and when I get to goal, he'll give me a complimentary mini tt (my reconstruction came from my abdominal tissue, so I had a tt to begin with, but gained a lot after). Maybe when I lose 80 lbs, they'll be recommending it like your doc is. Good work!

Too funny, Alex. You wild thing. The only times I've been nearly caught was by my children! I remember when I was a kid thinking my parents NEVER and I mean NEVER "did it". My DH & I took some very mild nudie pics when we were first married (& I was thin, or they never would have happened). I look back now & wonder if I'll ever be that comfortable w/my body again. Although now, the only person who wants to take my picture naked is my plastic surgeon, to document his work!

Interesting though, I would & do always try on clothing in a store w/my daughter, now 17 & overweight, but she is soooo modest around me. She makes me close my eyes in the dressing room, if she even lets me in at all. I think she's embarrased, especially now that I weigh less than she does.

Did you find out what training and by whom he has had with the lap band? Inamed, the manufacturer of the only lap-band that's FDA approved for use in the USA, won't let docs just start banding, they have to attend seminars & be proctored by more experienced docs. I would try & find out all that info. That's an amazing price. I had found an experienced doc who would drop his price to $8,000, but the hospital would have been twice that! So, I was happily banded in Mexico (my insurance wouldn't pay a dime!)

Keep us posted.

Believe me, I do know. Fills area really hard for me to get used to, and I have had to have amounts removed. Mostly my own fault, but once not. Also, I have had a terrible PB on jello--it had to be liquid in my mouth before swollowing or else it just goes down as a blob & gets stuck. Weird but true!

Natalia, I know my dr. advises 24 hours of liquids after a PB. I didn't realize that at first and learned the hard way that it becomes a viscious cycle if you don't give your band, esophagus, etc. a rest.

Good luck & let us know how you're doing.

Grammi, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure your husband is very grateful that you are by his side right now. Everything happens for a reason (why can't I remember that for myself) and May is almost here.

Take care,

I never thought I was as fat as I really was until the past 2 years. Then I took some trips and the seat belt was at its longest. I thought it was a faulty belt, until it kept happening. Not to blame everything on my mother, but she is totally disgusted by anything/anyone not attractive,and she let me know from an early age. One time when I had lost a good amount on WW, she actually put her hands under my loose sweater to see how much weight I had lost. I was so mortified...I felt like she only loved me if I was thin. I know my grandmother (her mother) was bullimic, so that might have something to do with it.

I was always quietly disguested by MO people, but wouldn't admit it out loud. And to think, some people were probably disgusted by me.

This is a great thread. Thank you.

Hi KH. Glad you had such a good experience. So did I. I love both Drs. Ortiz & Martinez, they're so terrific & caring. Keep up the good work & keep us posted.

Karen

Hey Sensy. I'm SO glad you had some Fluid removed. Been there, done that. I was getting worried about you. I totally agree with Donali, PLEASE take it easy. Also, when it happened to me, I was told to take Pepsid AC for about 1 week. The pills are real small. Give it time, take it real slow, and you'll do fine.

Karen

Hi Flower. There's no figuring other people out...a co-worker of mine stayed in an abusive marriage for 20+ years. She had a terrible time and finally got rid of the creep. She also thinks that "anyone can lose weight, they just have to eat less & exercise more". Duh! Some people just don't get other people's issues, and they never will.

This band is the best thing I ever did for myself. I have been VERY selective about who I've told. No, I never did tell that woman from work.

I've not tried the Senecot. The Benifiber works somewhat, but I should own stock in that company by now; I have to take a TON.

The only thing that really & truly works for me is the Phillips MO. It's non-stimulating and good for hemmeroid (sp?) sufferers, which is what we'll all be from being constipated, and it really works great. 2 TBSp. w/a lot of Water at night.

If that stops working, I'm next in line for the dynamite.

Estella, that's so wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Continued Blessings,

Karen

Congratulations, Brenda. Ditto for what everyone else said. Looking forward to hearing how everything's going.

Best,

Karen

Dear Bright, I'm so sorry I didn't see this before. I feel what you're going through. I don't have anything to say in addition to what's been said. But, do you really know about childbirth? You look like you're about 16 years old! AND, if you're old enough, you'll know that I mean that as a huge compliment.

Look at how much you've already lost--you will succeed!

Love,

After my 1st fill back in TJ, I have had my fills w/Dory without flouro & she never misses. She has tons of experience. She (& most fill people in the U.S.) has a more conservative approach to fills than the MX dr's...it just takes longer to get to your sweet spot.

In my case I became overfilled & she sent me for a barium swollow (flouro, it's the same, but they just took the picture & printed it...she knew she had to take out quite a bit cause of swelling). I've gone back 2 weeks in a row for small fills, and Thank God, it seems to be o.k. She also will do your fill under fluoro if you ask, you just meet her @ the imaging center & she'll do it there. You pay her the same amount & pay the lab $110. It's funny, when I was swollen, the imaging center asked my symptoms & I said relflux & difficulty swollowing, which were true, so my insurance paid! Ha Ha, they wouldn't pay for my banding, but they paid for that.

Happy Bandiversary to you both. Great jobs! As the song goes, "You're the inspiration..."

Hi Tina. I STILL haven't told my mother. Some mothers are just always negative, and you and I have them. I know we should be grateful that we still have our moms, and I am, but sometimes it's soooo draining. So, we just live our own lives. But I think that at least for me, a part of me will always be craving her approval. It's never gonna happen, and I just have to accept that.

Take care,

Hi Newlife. 1. The gas does go away. GasX chewables helped me a lot. I did have the left shoulder pain for about a month. I thought something was terribly wrong, but the doc says sometimes it happens. It's actually also gas, but feels worse.

3. I also use the source of life Vitamins. I sprinkle powdered Vitamin c on watered-down grape juice & take viactive chewable Calcium.< /p>

4. My co-workers don't know, but keep commenting on my weight loss. From other conversations I know they're very judgemental on the "will-power" issues. It's none of their business. Only my very immediate family knows & one close friend. I'm still waiting to tell my mother (notice that I was banded in December)

Also, you do have other choices for Protein drinks. Check out your local healthfood store. I use Spiru-Tein, but there are others.

Sounds like you're already doing great. Best of luck, and you're at the right place for support.

I misunderstood, thought you were BEING BANDED over the holiday. That would be rough. I still have to moisten my chicken for it to go down o.k. Good luck to all of us.

Note to Lisa & anyone else: Passover is the holiday were Jews Celebrate being freed by God and lead by Moses from slavery in Egypt. We don't eat "leavened bread", cause when the Jews were leaving, they had to go really fast, so didn't have time for their bread bread to rise, hence we eat Matzah for those 8 days. Instead of "pass over" the food, it's pretty much "dig in!"

Wait, you mean chocolate ISN'T one of the 5 food groups?

I felt like I was being judged, but then I'm a bit (o.k., a lot) insecure. Upon reflection last nite, I realize there is a big difference between ages 13 and 17. I don't know that I would have been quite so enthusiastic if Hanna were only 13.

Have a good day everyone.

BTW, it's Yankees opening day & the weather here is LOUSY!

I only just say this thread, but, Michelle, how many docs do you know who give you their cell #'s? I too loved Drs. Ortiz & Martinez. When I tell my docs here that I have their cell #'s they look a little nervous, like I'm gonna ask for theirs!

Happy w/Mexico, Happy w/aftercare.

Hi Bigmom. I'm o.k. w/matzah; most people, even if they can't eat bread, can manage crackers. And besides, you only need a little at the seders! I survived Purim (threw out a lot of candy & hamentashen). But, that's besides the point. If you're getting banded over the holiday, you'll be on liquids, so you won't have to worry about the matzah! You can have grape juice for liquids if you're worried about the last 2 days (which are a holiday and require meals as well, for those of u who don't know).

Best of luck,

My daughter is 17 and desperately wants to be banded. I am all for it, having gone with her to w.w. and nutritionists & adolescent endocrinologist. She is border-line for getting diabetes. Apparently, her body over-produces insulin. The only cure for that is losing weight, but this makes it harder. It's a pretty viscious cycle. She was on metformin for a while, didn't help. She was a preemie (ha) & didn't gain weight till puberty. She is 5'1" & weighs 207 lbs. As soon as I can get the $ together, we're going to TJ. I already have after-care lined up for her. She is my child. I did not abuse her. She can eat all the healthy food in the world in my house & still pig out @ school & @ friends. When she was in a program when she was 14, she used to be good @ home & sneak non-diet snapple out of the house.

She's done a lot of reasearch on her own at this point, as well as being a tremendous support for me. I totally support her decision. I fully believe that if you are not in a situation you really have no business making a judgement.

DeLarla, it's moving that you know the pain of being an overweight teen; I know that pain too and don't want my Hanna to go thru it any more. I know she can lose weight on a diet, so does she. But as she so astutely said "but I'll just gain it back like you did". My husband supports her decision as well. He trusts my surgeon and as long as it's reversible and obviously when she gets married the band will not interfere with pregnancy, he's all for it. I didn't tell him that some dr's call it the fertility band!

By the way, in case it takes more months than we hope to get the $, for $12,000 she can get banded in a low BMI in study in NY that's run by my after-care nurse when she turns 18 in Dec. The point's pretty moot anyway!

So, please don't judge a mother who's trying to do the best for her child. Last time I checked, its my decision, and a pretty well-informed one at that.