BANDIT GIRL

congratulations!!! good job! good luck on your journey!

i haven't been banded yet but i wanted to wish you a very happy birthday and i hope you found a way to celebrate!! congratulations on your new life....what a great birthday gift to yourself!:huh2:

hello yvonneb3, i recommend telling your surgeon about ANY AND ALL meds u are taking to be safe. u don't wanna mess around with anesthesia.

you just have to be positive and patient. i know it is frustrating to wait when u know u finally have a tool that will really work to help u get to ur goal. but just remember u didn't gain weight over night. at least now u can c a light at the end of the tunnel. good luck on ur journey!!

hello wendell, i know this post is old but i was wondering if u r still here and would like to congratulate u on your success! i would love to know how u have been and if u have had any complications being banded this long? i am currently going through a program to get banded and praying for approva.

congratulations!!! good luck to ya!!! and welcome!

welcome to the forum! i am happy for you! i wish you the best on your journey! i am excited and hoping to get approved for my band soon. :sad_smile:

some people's dr's recommend bypass if they are super obese and have alot of comorbitities like diabetes etc......people who need to lose weight NOW for severe health problems and cannot wait because the lap band tends to be a little slower than gp. i am happy with the slower weight loss myself. have u gone to any seminars? that is a great way to get info on both procedures.

hello heather, mine name is della and i am currently going through nsg w/dr fontana. i went to the seminar and he was the one speaking. i was gonna go with dr woghlemuth but i really liked dr fontana when i met him. i have been to my first appt with him and he was very nice vert knowledgeable and answered most of my questions b4 i even got a chance to ask them. the people there are all nice and i felt comfortable! i have been moving right along with the program and should be done with everything by the end of the month. the only thing i can say to u about not making an appt yet is maybe u aren't quite there yet with being sure u want this. it is soooo ok to take ur time and make sure u r making the right decision 4 u. i know way back when i went t a seminar for gastric bypass and i was not sure and didn't do it. but now i am 100% sure and i called about a wk later and made my appt and my seminar was on the 27th of feb and my appt was 3/11. i will be done with all my appts by 4/28. sorry this was sooooo long but i wanted to be thorough:smile2: just know we all completely support u here in whatever u do and u will get great advice and answers to all ur questions here. good luck on ur journey!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!:thumbs_up:

:thumbup:i am sooo happy for u and cannot wait till i am where u r and hope to have an early success too!

hello behindherlens and welcome! i know exactly how u feel. i am 38 and feel 58! i hate feeling tired all the tme and not having any energy.hips,knees and feet hurting.my body wasn't too bad till i got closer to 40.now it is telling me it is tired of all this weight 294lbs last time i weighed last wk.(lost a few lbs) i wish u luck on getting ur band and on ur journey! i am half way through the program and praying to God my insurance approves me. good luck!!!:thumbup:

hello pixiedust, welcome back! all will go great! it worked once and it will again. i am in the process of getting banded and i am also from va. was wondering where in va u r from? i'm in va beach and my dr is in norfolk.

hey, u can im me at work if u use the group messenger....della gobble :wink_smile:

testing 123

welcome alsobrook71! glad to hear ur great progress! i am in the process of getting banded and it makes me feel better hearing someone being honest saying it has been a challenge but yet they would do it again. thanks and keep truckin on! good luck to ya!

hello socalgal, i c u were unfilled recently....do u min if i ask why? and how far r u from goal weight? and do u know why ur band slipped?

hello wheetsin, i c u have been banded for 2yrs.....have u had any problems with ur port? i've read people needing surgery to flip it back. thanks Della

is there anyone here with sentara employee optima hmo insurance??? anyone who has already gotten an approval?

hello stlouisgal, it is sooo nice to hear ur experience is going well! i realize i may struggle in the beginning especially the recovery period. i've never had surgery b4 and i admit i am scared but i am ready. i hope my experience goes as well as yours.

so when u say everything has gone according to plan does that mean u haven't had any complications? i've read alot of people on here with vomiting and not losing weight ,gaining weight. i am a lil concerned. i kinda think some people r probably not eating rigt or not using their bands well.not really sure what to think.

ahhhh, i had first considered dr wohlgemuth but i met dr fontana at the seminar and i really liked him.so why do u feel it is "your fault" that u haven't lost more than 50lbs? have u had any complications and do u really feel full with small amounts of food? and 50lbs is alot of weight and i congradulate u on ur loss! i cannot wait to get there.

i c u have lost over a hundred lbs!! congrats! how long have u een banded and how has ur experience been from coming home post-op till now. would love to know as much as possible ....trying to find people who r not just post-op. thanks

yeah, it does.....i spoke to my dr yesterday and she is gonna write me a letter about the work i've done in the last yr. i have been off/on weightwatchers for the last 3 yrs. i took her all my records from the online ww site and she is gonna c me for a couple more months and we will c. i know optima is gonna be mad when they c all these sentara employees trying to get surgery...lol! i called optima and i got a letter from lola the insurance coordinator and it said it has to be 1yr and it has to be documented in the dr record.i think it's bogus but i will jump through the hoops to get where i need to be. it has to be a actual diet not just the recorded weights.

yes, we r sentara employess also.this is soo cool to have met u guys! we are seeing kati lynch too! wow small world.yeah, i thought this whole process would be much longer . i am happy it is moving fast.we r just concerned about out 1yr dr supervised weight loss attempt. but i may have that under control though.(hopefully) that is soooooo horrible to put a yr stipulation on that, most insurances do 3-6months.like i haven't tried to lose weight the last 20yrs of my life! what do they think i can do diff in a yr? lol anyway i look forward to maybe meeting u at the wellness class.