imb316

I am a frum female from ny. I am apatient of Dr. Ren @ nyu. I would imagine there are a lot of frum people on this site based on the patients I see in their waiting room. Anyway, maybe someone should just start a new thread on the main page for frum people.

Mags, I also live in Westchester but lived in the city until 2 years ago. I had my lap band done on 12/31 with Dr. Ren. I have had 3 fills already and feel SOME restriction. On my last fill sh loaded me up so much that I never made it out of her office. I literally chocked on my own saliva. I guess I was such a pain in the you know what she wanted to show me that I have a band. The thing is that now she took out some of the fill (so I can breathe)and I don't feel so much restriction. I am to embaressed to go back so soon. OH THE DRAMA.

I know I should ask my dr but I don't want them not to give me a fill. I had my surgery 6 weeks ago and whenever I take a deep breath in it hurts a lot in my port site (I think). Has anyone ever experienced this? I though maybe my insides just need to heal, but now it's 6 weeks later and I am getting nervous.

better safe than sorry! Just call the doc, what's the big deal???

How much away are you from a BMI of 40? I was 10 lb's and I used weights. If you want to know how, let me know.

I just got my band and it is just starting to work (2 fills). Why would you get rid of it. Just get it filled so you can lose weight. The hard part was the surgery and you are done with that so why get it removed?

I just had to respond - every band is different - if you are like me then you have a large band and NO restriction until your first fill - I had an esophogram 2 weeks after my surgery and they said the band was loose and that's why I can eat ANYTHING!!! I go for my first fill tomorrow so I will keep you posted. All the people commenting on how THEY could never eat etc. etc. well maybe they have a smaller band to begin with and therefore felt restriction from day 1. Just my take on it.

Everyone keeps saying that the band is only a tool. The thing is that for the first month or so until you have a fill it's like a tool without a battery. I had my surgery 12/31 and have no restrictio. I have gained back most of my pre-op weight loss and have been eating everthing since week 2. I feel discouraged but hopefully once I get my fill this band will do what it is supposed to do. Has anyone else gained and then lost the weight after their first fill?

I am in the same boat as you. I had the surgery on 12/27 and will have my first fill 2/1. I am also depressed and anxious to start losing weight already. I know the band is just a tool, but the way I look at it is that they gave me a tool but will not put batteries in to make it work for 6 weeks. IT SUCKS! I just hope that once I am filled it will work and I won't be able to eat so much. The hardest part is that we went through so much to get to this point and for now I have no benefit from it. If I would not have seen the results from my esophogram I would question if they actually pu the band in!!! UGGG this waiting is worse than the wait for my surgery date. I am so ready to go. It's like a tease. Sorry for the rant but misery loves company.

OK Here it goes. I was banded on 12/31/07 along with my best friend. We are on this journey together. After 3-4 days I was able to eat some mac & cheese from the kids etc. I asked her what her experience was and she said she can eat as well. In order to solve the mystery why we BOTH had no restriction, we called the Dr. What we found out is that they are using a new band now that is much larger than the band that was used in the past (like my mom and other friend has). The old band was much smaller and therefore you had restriction RIGHT AWAY. With the new band you have hardly any restriction until your first fill. The reason they do this is because with the smaller band some people had a lot of swelling and the band slipped. I was also concerned that I damaged the band because I have been eating everything and anything but I had my esophogram a few days ago and the Dr said - yes there is teh band and you are correct it is wide open. I don't know if this is the case with everyone but this is my story. HOWEVER I know a lot of people will say that the band is just a tool and that you need to stop eating BUT if I was able to do that I would not have gone through all this PAINFUL surgery. I need my tool to be in working order in order for me to succeed. THANKS for listening!!!!

I know how you feel. The night before surgery it was surreal. I just went through the motions right up until I was in the OR. Once I was in the OR I contemplated going home but told myself that I had come this far and this is the last step. I literally closed my eyes from that moment on and the next thing I knew I was in recovery. BTW I was banded on New Years Eve.

It has been exactly a week since I was banded and I feel pretty good. The problem is I know I should not eat but I started to just pick and now I feel hungry all the time. I have not had an entire meal but I did have mashed potatoes tonight and have had bites of mac & cheese from the kids etc. I know the band is a tool and you need to watch what you do but if I had self control and did not have these issues with food than I would not have been so overweight to begin with. I know that in weeks I will get a fill and then will be restricted (hopefully) but I wanted to know if anyone else was able to eat so soon after banding. I am also scared that I will harm the band, but I don't feel any pain when I do eat. HELP. Is it only me? Did the banding not work?

I know what everyone is saying about not eating food 1 week out from surgery but that is not the issue. We all know it is wrong myself included. The point is that for some of us (me) we have no self-control and feel hungry all the time. Once you start eating and you have absolutely NO pain or feel any resistence you think that you must be all healed and it is ok. Has anyone ever spoken to their Dr and started getting fills after 2 weeks? I though about calling my DR but I am scared to tell her I have been eating since I had my surgery 8 days ago. Be honest. I can't be the only person who is eating so soon can I?

I have Oxford that has an automatic approval if you have a BMI of 40 or 35 with co-morbidities. I had a BMI of 5 when I started and was in perfect health. While I saw the psychologist and got my papers in order I gained some weight. When I had a BMI of 37 I went to the surgeons office to meet with the nutritionist and see the nurse practitioner who gave me a kind-a-physical and weighed me. You see some people say to wear weights but at the initial visit they check you (measure etc) so it is hard to hide the weights. At that visit because I did not weigh enough we discussed self-pay or my gaining some more weight. I made an appointment to meet the surgeon as if I was self-pay and said that if by the time I had the appointment I did not gain enough then I would pay. It was at that meeting, when you meet the surgeon, that all they do is weigh you. Needless to say I was quite nervous but I hid 10 lb weight in my bra and my BMI was 41! I was accepted by my insurance and had the surgery 2 weeks later. Anyway, I am less than a week pre-op and am happy to share my story with you.

I just had my surgery done by Dr. Ren and my insurance covered the whole thing. If it covered your husband, why not you?

I had my surgery on 12/31. I was told to do a 2 week liquid diet BUT the kids had vacation, nanny took off for the holiday's and my stress level was out here SO I did not do any diet up until 3 days before surgery. Naturally I was very nervous but because I read so many threads that said they did not have a liquid diet I hoped I would be OK since I only have a BMI of 9. Well the surgery is over and they said everything went great. I don't think I am alone in saying that most people eat when they are stressed and what is more stressing than having this surgery? I mean most people must eat. If they are able to control themselves at this stress level then they would not be in this situation to begin with NO?

Anyone being banded on New Years Eve at NYU in NYC?

WOW! I thought I was going to be first becsause I have a latex allergy. I should have started my liquid diet on Monday but I didn't. I read other posts that say they only had to do one day of liquid (the day b-4 surgery). I guess I am in a bit of denial that the surgery is so soon. I only got approved on Tuesday! I am having the surgery on the same day as my best friend and our other best friend who had the surgery 5 years ago is comming in from washington to ring in the new year in NYU Hospital!!!! What is your story?

I am having surgery on Dec. 31 and have not started the pre-op diet. I was planning on only doing one week not two. Did anyone else not do the full two weeks? It's not that I can't do it, but something is stopping me psychologically. I don't know, anyone else feel this way? It is stressing me out.

I am being banded on 12/31/07 YIPPPPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Dec. 31 with Dr Ren? Me to. Would love to have support.

Anyone here being banded on 12/31/07 with Dr. Ren @ NYU in NYC?

I gained over 20 lb's but still need about 10 more. I would gain more but my body can't tolerate it. My knees hurt, I can't breathe.... I am definitely going to use weights. My friend had the surgery and she told me they weigh you with clothing ON. Once I am weighed I will HAVE to lose some of this weight on my own because I feel like I am going to burst. I have always been able to lose a lot of weight quickly but I can never keep it off. I gain it back as fast as I lost it an then some. Some people think it is lying or fraud. I feel like everyones body is different and those extra 10 lb,s that I will be fudging do not make it any more medically necessary for me to have the surgery. Besides, if I do not get my onsurance (Oxford) to cover me I will pay $25,000.00 out of pocket. Did you think of using weights before I posted? I am just curious if anyone else though of it or maybe even did it.

what does PCP stand for. I am prepared to pay for the surgery but it seems so simple to use weights. It's only 10 pounds.

I need advice. I really want my insurance to cover the surgery but I only have a BMI of 37. When I go for my weigh in before they schedule my surgery I need a BMI of 40 for my insurance to automatically cover me. Has anyone ever carried weights or something heavy in thier pockets? AM I NUTS?