KathrynRose

I am glad to see everyone doing well. I have now had four fills and I might have restriction. The restriction did not come after the last fill, it actually came after a bad stomach virus this weekend. We'll see if it lasts. This stomach virus has worked wonders for me, not eating for two days has helped me to refocus my brain. Lack of desire for food helped me to see what I was eating in a new light. OK it also helps that the thought of food still makes me feel kind of queasy.

I Will be at the meeting tonight, I really need the support, I really hope to meet everyone.

No, I am an adoptive mother, hoping to adopt another child. I actually hate the term birth mother, but I have learned that most people at least know what I am talking about. I call my son's birth mother his mother, I am also his mother. I see no problem with him having two mothers, but other people think I am weird for that. The baby is due in South Carolina, that is why I would have to cancel my appointment.

I am in bandster hell, so I have not lost or gained any weight since the first week. Dr. C. did not have any openings at 6 weeks post op, so I have an appointment with him at 7 weeks post op, which I may have to miss because another birth mother has chosen us and she is due any day. I am hoping the baby waits to come until after I get my first fill! I think I would have to wait another six weeks for a fill if the baby comes sooner.

I am drinking the Carnation stuff. I feel like I am starving to death. I still have five more days of liquids. I also have to slow myself down when drinking. I think I could actually gulp the stuff down. I now try to wait three minutes in between drinks as a way to stretch it out 30 minutes.

I just got banded at UMASS, and I can agree that they are impersonal (I like it that way), but they did not require me to go on South Beach, all they required was some weight loss between the time you saw the doctor and the time you met the surgeon. I was told it could be as little as two pounds. The time between when I met Dr. Gitkind and when I met Dr. C was four months. This is a far cry from requiring someone to lose two pounds a week. According to their scales, in four months I lost 13 pounds (and I lost more than most people in my group who got surgery) This comes to a little over three pounds a month. I did not even really change the way I ate except to eat smaller bites and chew them thoroughly. My friend is still in the program and she has gained 15 pounds since she started. They are working with her still because she quit smoking and they know that people gain when they quit. Their only weight loss requirement for her is that she lose some of the weight she gained since she quit smoking. I just wanted people who read this thread to know that everyone's experience at UMASS is different.

I had a mild cold at the time of my surgery and they still did it. If you have enough time to get over the worst, you should be fine.

Got my band May 5th at 9:30, went home at two. I still have a lot of pain where my port is if I move around. my port is about an inch above my waistline. I am already tired of protein drinks.

This is the insurance I have. They approved me in 10 days for surgery. I adore this insurance! Yes it only costs the co-pay, it is just lovely.

1st Orientation Meeting: 9/13/07 2nd Orientation Meeting:9/27/07 Met Doctor: 11/15/07 Surgery Consult 4/1/08 Barium swallow 4/21, Pre-surgical testing4/30 Endoscopy 4/25 Met Therapist: 12/9/07, 3/05/08 Met Nutritionist: 01/14/08 Series of four classes 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26 Series of five physiological classes 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8