Kalipso2

the surgeon i chose is 4 hours away from where i live. i did have to drive down for all my testing and nutrition class but they scheduled everything so i could have it done in 1 day. since you've already had your pre-op testing, you may be able to get the results transfered to the next surgeon you choose. i do have to travel the 4 hours for my fills but that's because the first 2 years of fills were included in my surgery cost. just make sure you find someone close to home who will do your fills before you travel anywhere for sugery!

hi there... it sounds like we have the same body type. i'm 5'-4" and weighed 213 the day of my surgery. i'm now a little over 3 months post-op and i've lost 36 pounds. after my second fill, i feel a lot of restriction (maybe too much) and my weight loss has tapered off a bit. i'm giving myself 1 full year to lose the 80+ pounds. the slower it comes off the more likely you'll be able to keep it off!

i haven't been able to eat red meat since my 2nd fill. it makes me sad... before my 2nd fill, i gave up the bun and got used to just eating the burger but now even that doesn't stay down.

i've been banded for just over 3 months and i'm still having problems adjusting to my band. i've thought about having it removed because i'm not sure i can emotionally handle the small amount of food i can eat. my stomach tells me i'm done but my head wants to keep eating so i'm left either giving in to temptation and throwing up or i listen to my stomach and left depressed. even though i receive compliments daily on how good i'm looking, i just don't see it and i don't believe what they say. i think they're just telling me what i want to hear. maybe it's time for some intense therapy...

I was banded by Dr. Curry in April. He is a great surgeon and his staff (who have all been banded) are VERY helpful. I just called today to schedule a fill and when I gave my last name the Office Assistant (Michelle) knew exactly who I was and that I travel from out of town. It's a good feeling. Also, Dr. Curry encourages you to contact him after surgery if you have ANY questions. I emailed him about 4 times after my surgery and he always responded within 24 hours... personally. He answers questions on this site under "complications" and has his own "Ask Dr. Curry" section on ObesityHelp.com so you can tell he truly dedicates his knowledge to helping us. The only negative thing I could possibly say is that I haven't seen Dr. Curry since my surgery. He has people on his staff giving fills. It caught me by surprise during my first fill but as I thought about it, he's a surgeon and he's where he SHOULD be. I hope this helped!

this topic really hits home with me because i've been experiencing it since my surgery in april. growing up i was always thin. my older sister and i used to share clothes in high school. as i entered my 20's i steadily started gaining weight while she remained basically the same... even after having 2 children. i've tried all the fad diets, weight watchers, even a nutritionist but nothing ever really worked so i looked into the lap-band. when i was preparing for surgery my sister decided it was time she lost some weight too so she joined weight watchers. so we both started our "diets" at the same time. she has lost almost as much weight as i have but she's obviously much thinner than i am, topping out at 125 right now. am i jealous? hell YES i'm jealous. am i angry? yep. do i feel like it's a competition? uh huh. i don't know what made her decide to lose weight just when i was going to begin my journey. maybe she was afraid i would weigh less than her at some point? i don't know. i do know that she has been very supportive of me... listening to me cry because of depression and just the overall struggling of learning how to use my band. she has given me the clothes that she's grown out of (size 12 woo hoo along with some size 10's that i hope to fit into soon) but i call them "my sister's fat clothes". i just don't know how to be envious instead of jealous of her.

my port can be felt if you run your hand over my abdomen. when i eat too much it actually protrudes a little. i guess i thought it would be more inside my body but then it would be more difficult to fill i guess?

my advice... EAT WHILE YOU CAN!!! lol sorry... probably not the best advice because i've been struggling lately just being 3 months post-op and going thru a depression phase because i can't eat as much as my brain wants. you'll get back on track after you get refilled! i hope you're healing well!!

i'm a little over 90 days post-op and have lost 36 pounds and still have over 50 to go. this surgery was the BEST thing i could have EVER done for myself. even if i never lost another pound it would have been worth it!

what a horrible experience. you have EVERY right to be pissed off! i wouldn't wait for your doctor... any doctor can give a fill. shoot, i haven't seen my surgeon since the day of my surgery. he has other people in his practice giving the fills... and i'm okay with that. he's a surgeon and it doesn't take a surgeon to give a fill! just my opinion...

i had my surgery done on 04/21/08, 1st fill in May, 2nd fill in June. (my doctor is 4 hours away). after my 2nd fill i PB'd a lot... almost everything solid i ate. i thought of it as learning to deal with my band or maybe i need a little taken out? as of today, i've learned when to stop eating so that i don't PB but i don't think i eat nearly enough. here is my basic menu: 8:30am: slimfast 12:00pm: string cheese 3:30pm: slimfast 7:00pm: 3 ounces of chicken my nutritionist said i'm getting enough Protein so she's not too worried about the low calories. i'm not hungry and am satisfied with what i'm eating but now my weight loss has hit a plateau. i'm down 35 pounds and i haven't lost any weight in about 2 weeks. do i need another fill? do i need a de-fill? any suggestions??

i've had similar problems lately but i've always been able to make the stuck food come back out by PB'ing. after a few days of this happening i asked myself what i was doing wrong. then it hit me... i wasn't listening to the band. it was telling me i was full but my brain was telling me that the food smelled so good and looked so yummy that i should continue eating... even though my band told me i was satisfied. it's ALL part of the lifestyle change. you'll think twice now before eating those extra 2 or 3 pieces next time!

i went to my parents for dinner last night and i made a comment that i was hungry. my mom asked "isn't that why you had the surgery... so you wouldn't BE hungry?" duh... everybody gets hungry eventually!

they took my picture at the surgeon's office but i also took my own before pictures. a close-up of the face, full body front, fully body side. the face pictures REALLY show the weight-loss quickly. you won't be disappointed you did!

i'm single, no kids and was self pay. i live paycheck to paycheck and yes, i was worried... i'm still worried. the first couple months are hard because your food bill doesn't really go down in price. that doesn't happen until you're restricted. my grocery bill is now cut in half. i still live paycheck to paycheck but i'm MUCH happier and self confident now!

i have light skin and my scars are dark. at first i was worried about if they'd ever fade but now i think of them as my "battle to be thin" scars... a reminder of everything i'm working so hard for. i'm not ashamed of my scars and when i lay out in the sun i lift the bottom of my tankini up so my stomach gets some sun too... i feel very comfortable showing my scars.

I was worried too and had my Living Will and Power of Attorney forms completed and given to my mom. I made sure I was on the organ donor list. I made sure I had family and friends agreeable to take care of all my pets... even my mean cat. Worrying is part of this entire process. By the time of your surgery you'll probably find 100 reasons why you think you should cancel but something about the band led you to all the reading and research I'm sure you've done. Yes, there are stories of erosion and slipped bands. It happens. But if you look at the statistics you'll find that most people live happier, healthier and thinner lives!