tskelli

Hey there all you SC folks! I live in Lexington, but I'm from Spartanburg originally. Riverside Surgical, Dr. Antonetti, did my surgery at LMC. I love my band! Keep us updated on how y'all are doing! Kelli

Glad to hear that. I have been very pleased with Dr. Antonetti and the staff at Riverside. Keep in touch and much sucess on your journey!

Thanks, Gibson! You'll be there before you know it! I think I may have the advantage of already having 2ccs in my 10cc band from surgery. I still have some restriction. It's fading, though. I get a 1cc fill this Thursday...8 weeks and 2 days after my surgery! I'm so ready!

The highest recorded is 328. I may have been more at some point, not sure. I got down to 260 a couple of years ago, but gained it all back. I think it will be a milestone when I get below that. I weighed 240 when I was 16. I think I may have been lower at some point during my adult life, but I don't remember. I don't think I've been under 200 in a long, long time.

Really glad to see you're back, Gibson. I'm glad that the band is finally beginning to work for you!! :biggrin:

You look fantastic, Angie!!! Congrats!! :biggrin:

My surgeon said no rice, bread, or pasta when I was on the mushy stage. After that, the info he gave us was that we could eat them in moderation. I try to stay away from all 3 because of the carbs, but I do have a bite or two sometimes. Rice goes down fine, pasta goes down fine, bread doesn't feel good, so I tend not to eat it.

Anybody seen her?

I didn't really miss soda til one day last week when I was in the convenience store trying to find something lo-cal to drink. I was so thirsty! Man that soda looked good! But, I got a flavored Water, got in the car, and forgot about it. I missed popcorn, too. I tried the light butter kind the other day and it went down okay. I only ate a little, though. I used to eat the whole bag with butter, cheese and whatever else I could throw in there.

I had the good fortune to visit Canada 3 times last year on business trips. We drove from Buffalo to Waterloo the first 2 trips. I got to visit Niagara Falls 3 times! The Kitchener/Waterloo area is really nice. I thoroughly enjoyed the markets and the Minnonites. I would love to visit again one of these days!

I finally cleaned out my closet this past weekend. I got rid of all the size 26 jeans/pants. Gave them to charity. I can comfortably wear 24's and some are loose, and I can get in, with a little squeeze, size 22! Yipee!

I agree. I started at 319 and the weight has dropped pretty quickly.

Typical day for me: B - Scrambled egg w/cheese or whole wheat mini-bagel with ff cream cheese L - Whatever meat and veggies they are serving in the cafeteria at work. I had a salad today with boiled eggs and cheese. About 1/2 - 3/4 cup D - Tonight I had 1 small piece of cubed steak, about 2 tablespoons of rice, and green Beans. I usually have a Protein shake between lunch and dinner. If I get hungry after dinner, I will have a yogurt or sf popsicle. I did have to start counting carbs. Even though I was eating less, I was getting in way too many.

I won't have a fill until 4/17 - 7 weeks after surgery. My surgeon put in 2ccs at surgery, and they said I will get 1 cc at my first fill. I have a 10cc band.

Just checking in. Life has been hectic the past week or so, so I haven't been around a lot, but I have come at least once a day to read posts. I don't get a fill until 4/17/08, and I'm okay with that. I did call the other day after reading all of your posts because I didn't know what size band I had or how much I would get on my first fill. They said I have a 10cc band and that they put in 2ccs at surgery. She said I would most likely get 1cc at my first fill. I still have some restriction, or at least I'm telling myself I do. I can eat pretty much anything, but I do get full a lot faster than pre-band days. I have not any of the complications like PB, nausea, or sliming. I have had some pain around my port occasionally, but she said it was nothing to worry about at this point. I have been walking about 2 or 3 times a week, 2 or 3 miles each time. When I called I asked if I could do other exercises now and they said yes. I've been looking into a gym membership, but I'm trying to shop around. I don't want to get sucked into a year-long contract and then wish I had gone someplace else. Just want to say thanks to all of you for being here. I have learned so much from all of you. You inspire me everyday!

I am using that one tonight!

I think my doc would have let me go back sooner, but I had 2 weeks of pre-approved leave, so I took advantage of it. I felt like going back after a week, and I've heard others say they've gone back in only a few days. As for the meds, I did get a narcotic prescription, had someone hold me accountable, took them only a few times, and then asked my husband to throw them away. Really, after day 2, I was ok on liquid tylenol. I would suggest telling the doctor your concerns so you can find out what your options are. Much success on your journey! Let us know how it goes!

Yay! :thumbup: Gibson, we need you around! Isn't that what we're here for? To listen to each other and support each other? I believe you would support me if I came here depressed. But we can't support you if you're not here! I believe you are going to do this! You don't have to believe it, just believe that we believe it! Your sense of humor and honesty are just what I need when I come here! So keep it coming! I won't get a fill til 8 weeks! It's frustrating. I've lost a good bit, but look where I started from. Now that I've lost, I have less restriction. I'm going to see if I can wait til 8 weeks. If not, I may have to pull a Gibson on them. :w00t:

EVERYBODY CALLS ME: Kelli MY PRIMARY RELATIONSHIPS INCLUDE: My husband, Tommie, and my 5 daughters. Jamie, 18; April, 17; Adriana, 16; Jasmine, 14; Brittany, 13 MY NON-HUMAN FAMILY CONSISTS OF: 3 cats - Kizzi, Shadow, and Lily. We rescued a dog recently, but I'm not sure if we'll keep her. The kids call her Bacon. I LIVE IN: Lexington, SC OCCUPATION(S): Inventory Analyst AVOCATION(S): I have a yearly vegetable garden, I'm currently writing a book, I also like to travel FAVORITE EXERCISE: Right now, walking. I COLLECT: Children...lol. I don't really collect anything except photos.

I have UHC and also had a 10% copay, but I haven't had to pay anything yet. I haven't received a bill yet, except from the anesthesiologist. I'll let you know when and if I do. I was banded in SC, so my surgeon may be different, but he didn't require any money up front. That was one of my earliest concerns, so I asked when I went to the first appointment.

Thanks for the update! Glad you're home! Sorry about the catheter. Did they say how long you have to keep it? I'm sure it's only a temporary problem, right? Keep us updated!

I had my gallbladder out in 2000 laproscopically. As far as I can remember, the two are comparable. It has been a while since my gallbladder surgery, so it's hard to really remember exactly how it felt. I do know I wouldn't have wanted to go back to work after only a few days after getting the lap-band. After a week, I felt like I was ready to go back, but had a 2 week leave approved, so I took advantage of every day. I was raring to go by the time I went back. I had already lost 17 lbs, and my energy level had improved. Getting rid of all the caffeine and sugar helped my energy level tremendously. No more crash and burn. Much success on your journey! Keep us updated on how it goes!

Welcome! Yes, I went through that before surgery also. I think when I went for my initial appointment, I was around 290 lbs. As I went through all the pre-op testing, and especially when I was approved by the insurance company, I started eating like there was no tomorrow. I weighed 319 at surgery. I guess it's psychological? I'm not sure. I think I finally felt like there was some hope, and at the same time I gave up fighting and any amount of willpower I may have had left. Much sucess on your journey! I think you'll find a lot of support and guidance here!

I live in Lexington, probably about 2 hours from you. I don't know if the group of docs I go to would do fills and follow-up for surgery performed elsewhere, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. They may be able to tell you someone who will. Riverside Surgical is part of the SC Obesity Surgery Center. Their phone number is 803-791-2828. You can also find out more about them at South Carolina Obesity Surgery Center Let me know how it goes!

To jomarie and anyone else considering the band, I just want to say that not everyone goes through all these things. I only had to take pain meds the first 2 days after surgery, and liquid tylenol a few times after that. I didn't have problems with gas pain, and I was back on my feet in no time at all. I don't want you to think it is inevitable to be miserable during the first weeks after surgery, because it's not. I was hungry after several days of the liquid diet, but it didn't take much to make that go away. I learned that a lot of it was in my head. I didn't know anything but eating, so it felt odd that I wasn't stuffing my face all the time. I wanted to share some good along with the bad so you could get a complete picture. It's possible to get through it without looking back. I certainly have. I have no regrets. No matter what I went through, it has all been SO worth it. I wouldn't change it for anything! :sneaky: