Cowboy

GO THROUGH HIS OFFICE You will need the year of fills and aftercare more than the cost of the testing. My wife got banded by Dr. Jay, through TLCEdge, she loves him. You WILL want fills from Dr's office, not from fill tech. I am NOT knocking TLCEdge.They were a Godsend. Wife and I were both self pay. Best cash price we could find was about 16K and TLC was 10K. I had trouble with 10K, 16K was out of possibility. The fills and aftercare from the same Doctor that did your surgery is priceless. TLC does not work nights or week-ends. Problems rarely occur from 9 to 5. Whatever you decide will be better than doing nothing. GOOD LUCK db

mr b; welcome to the band wagon. The reason they don't fill your band to restriction at surgery is the same reason they told you to do liquids at first then mushies. Your stomach has been aggrevated by the procedure, let it heal up and then restrict it. You have fat around your stomach, the band cinches down around fat and all, when you lose some of the fat your pouch expands to fit the band and you don't feel as much restriction. You get another fill and the process starts all over. My first 2 fills didn't last very long but my third fill has lasted nearly 6 months. I guess I got to the sweet spot and the weight melted off. Good luck db

I paid $120 for psych exam and about $300 for shakes. That was enough shakes for 2 weeks prior to surgery and about 3 weeks after. I liked the optifast shakes better than anything I could find at the stores. GOOD LUCK with your lapband journey. Your only regret will be not doing this sooner. My wife is so impressed with my success and the TLCEdge people that she has started process to get a band herself. db

I appreciate vegetarians.....leaves more meat for me.....

I never thought I would be PROUD to be overweight. I weighed a mere 245 lbs this morning. The BMI charts show that puts me into "overweight" and that sure looks better than "morbidly obese" category that 338 lbs put me in around the first of this year. Thanks for letting me brag and I hope everyone else is reaching their goals. db

I am OVERWEIGHT and PROUD of it !!!!!Hidy, Hidy Everybody especially my TLC Edge family that helped me sooo much before and after surgery. I am happy to announce that this morning I weighed 245 lbs. According to the BMI charts I am now "overweight" and not "morbidly obese" like I was when I weighed 338 lbs, around Christmas '07, when I started this journey. Thanks for letting me brag. I hope everyone else is shrinking and out livin' life. Doug db

I second the nomination for Dr. Kim. He is my hero. TLC Edge had a cash special for 10k at the first of this year. Great people and brand new surgery center. I would use him again in a heart beat. I guess I will be using him again because my wife wants a band and she wants Dr. Kim to do it. Best of luck with whomever you choose. db.

my guess is that in the morning is "nothing" and in the evening is the "tons" that is normal. Gravity makes everything (including your pouch below your band) sag or loosen up. After lying down all night fluids find their normal place and your pouch is taking up more space in your band. Drink warm liquids in morning to help relax pouch faster. db

Welcome to the Bandwagon Time to start shrinkin' db

Dianne; good to hear from you. I hope everything is going well at home. I went to the Arlington dinner last week and I plan on going back in August. It is the 3rd Thursday so that will be the 21st. It was good to see and talk to others that were banded. There was one guy that had only been banded about 3 weeks and another guy that was on his second band in 5 years, ...and everything in between. Everybody stay cool db

Git-R-DoneI was self pay and had second, third and fourth thoughts about the procedure and the money. I was already in the pre-op area with an I V started and the thought crossed my mind to get up and leave. Glad I didn't. After the surgery I realized I wasted a lot of time worrying about nothing. Since starting pre-op diet on 2-1-08, I am down 65 lbs. Best decision I ever made, I would do it again in a heart beat. Good luck with your decision. db

Cynthia, when and where are the dinners in Dallas and Arlington?

Cynthia, When and where are the dinners in Dallas and Arlington? I would like to check into the support mtgs but the one at the TLC center in Plano conflicts with work. Thanks Doug Burkham

Jennifer, I felt the same way last week. It was also after my 3rd fill. Post op and first 2 fills were fairly uneventful. This 3rd fill is more like what I envisioned life to be like on the band wagon. I made myself sick and I am always worried about messing up my band. Thank God the band is pretty tough and I am learning to follow the rules better than I had been. Hope all goes well for you. db

Steph; Welcome to the band wagon. I am amazed everyday how the band has changed my life and it just gets better every day. Remember to walk, walk, walk. The walking really helps with the gas and the pain. I hope all goes well for you. db