julie.ann

Hello all! I am a patient of Dr. K's and I have moved to Alabama. I know Dr. K retired. Where do we get our old records from since I'm going to be finding a doctor down here? Can you help me out?

I just moved down to the Eastern Shore 3 months ago and I need to find a good doctor for my fills. Can anyone help me out? Who do you suggest? How do they fill? How do they charge?

I would love to join a support group as well. I just moved down here 3 months ago and I need to find a good doctor for my fills. Can anyone help me out? Who do you suggest? How do they fill? How do they charge? Thanks!

Do any of you have problems if you eat right before bed???? Background: I was banded in 2008. I am still down 100 lbs from start. I have had an unfill about a month ago. I have found not twice that I get EXTREMELY uncomfortable if I eat right before bed. I don't know if it is because I have food in my pouch when I go lay down but it feels like a lump in my chest....just like it did when I was too tight before my last unfill. It hurts. I can drink and eat. The last time it took about 48hrs to feel normal again. I've never had this issue before. Anyone out there experienced this?

OMG that is so funny. A perfect way to put it. My doctor said if by the end of the summer if after the swelling goes down I still have an issue with it then he will lipo the area. Thanks so much!

Thanks to both of you. I will try to be patient but let him know that is a concern of mine. By the way my surgeon didn't require an unfil. Actually none of the surgeons I interviewed required an unfil. I'm so glad! Julie

I am two weeks out of TT and Breast Lift. I paid just under $11K. My question for you is if you have swellng below your pubic suture line. I feel like it looks like I have a "package" down there. I hope it will improve but that is a big worry of mine. Was this ever a concern of yours? Julie

Okay I am 2 weeks Post TT. I am overall so much happier with how I look. I can't wait to get my drains out next week. (I hope) My biggest concern at this point is a pudgy pubic area. I am not tiny. I carry my weight well but still am in the 180's I am (before surgery) a size 12 for the most part. I was worried about how pudgy my pubic area was before surgery but my doc said that would improve after. I feel like he could have done a better job spreading out the area under my surgical suture line. Am I worrying over nothing? Is this swelling that will get better? Is this something I have to live with or get fixed later? Can you share your experience with this? Thank you! Julie

Hey I am 2 weeks Post PS. TT and Breast Lift. I am wondering how much drainage you are having out of each. I am hoping to get mine out Monday but realistically I think I will lose two and keep two. What sucks is I am back to work Monday so if I have drains I am traveling onsite with my drains. Yuck. I also have a big question for you. Do you have a lot of swelling below the pubic line? I feel like I have a package down there! I hope that goes away but I am worried that I am going to have to have that fixed! Julie

I know I've been gone a while. I was banded in October 2008. I have lost over 100 lbs. I may not have hit my goal in fact I have been the same for about 2 years give or take 15 lbs at times. Not unhappy. In fact I ran my first 5K in September. I am ready to get back to running in the next 4 weeks. I just wanted you to know that I am post PS by about 10 days. A few months ago I finally decided that I didn't know what it would take but I would get it done. Sort of the same way I finally moved forward with band surgery. I had a breast lift and Tummy Tuck. I almost cryied today looking in the mirror. I still have 4 drains. One in a breast and 3 in my tummy. I am having to pack my belly button to help it heal but I tried on a few pieces of clothes today. Why am I crying? Because I look normal. I am still a good size. I have a ton of swelling still and I have been about a size 12 but of course with all the extra skin and such I have been wearing undergarments to try and pull in the layers and rolls. I didn't do this to look sexy (not like a model or anything) I did it to feel better about myself, be able to look more professional in my top level meetings, and feel better about myself, but at 10 days post op I am looking in the mirror and all I can say is I look normal. I finally look normal. That sounds so mild but I am jumping up and down inside. (not on the outside I would pull something). Before PS I didn't even want my husband to see me without my clothes on and now I am so happy. I can't wait to get the drains out. I am back to work in a week. I wanted to share...I LOOK NORMAL with or without clothes on. I feel like I have come full circle. Couldn't be happier.

Great news! I am getting consults and plan to have a mommy make-over in March if I can't get everything to fall into place! I CAN"T WAIT!!! I really want to lose another 20 lbs before then. Oh by the way...I ran my first 5k in September!!!!

You guys have done great. Yes my wt loss stopped the same time my journaling stopped. There is a direct corolation for me. Well...off to the gym right now. Keep up the posting. I am following the thread as always. Isn't it hard to believe how long it has been?!?!?! Seems like just a few months ago we were all hoping this would work for us.

Hey there. I am doing well. With personal family issues and getting a second night job in January I gain 15 back but have gotten back on working out. I ran a 3K a couple of week s ago and I am planning to do a 5K next. I started running and am working out. My new job has be traveling about 60% of the time so I am being very careful and watching my calorie intake. I am happy with my health but desparately need plastic surgery to be happy with my body. I think that with PS I will be very happy with everything. I haven't had an adjustment in a year and really am in a good spot. I'm not sure what my signature will show but I am still about down about 100 lbs. I haven't stepped on a scale in quite a while. I have gone from a size 24 to a size 12. Best money I have ever spent!

I am doing better. Are you ready for this? I have RAN/WALKED to the gym twice in the past week. That is huge for me because that gets 1 1/2 miles in one way....work out with weights and then 1 1/2 miles home. That has been a good way for me to get my cardio in. It addes time to my gym time, but if I can find the time it is a good thing. Eating is doing okay. I still have been having problems with sweets. My jeans (one size up from my smallest) is getting baggy on me again. TY!!!!! but I have gained a lbs. Well a smaller body with better muscle tone, I guess I will take it and hope that if I am more careful with sweets I'll not only see the work from the way my clothes fit, but also on the scale too. Still working at it. Always working at it. Worth it when you feel great about how you look AND fit into a smaller size.

Great job!

That is great! Welcome to Bandlandia!

I hope you just joined and didn't do anything. Let yourself heal. Then have a great time at the gym.

Keep the protein up to keep the hunger and cravings away. Eat if you are hungery (really hungery..listen to your stomach, not your head. Wait I see you just had surgery. You just had surgery! Post op is about HEALING. NOT weightloss. Put the weightloss out of your head, or at least back behind healing. What is more important right now. What if you lost weight, but didn't heal right and had problems. First thing first. Heal. Protein helps with healing too. Keep your calorie intake up so your body can heal. One week out you should be getting more than 500 cal. Use protein shakes if you have to since you might still be on liquids. Take care of your self and in a few weeks we can talk strategy.

Well okay. I need to review how I am doing since I started back to blogging. I haven't done so well keeping track of what I ate. Actually I only did it one day because of the sweets I have eaten which is exactly why I need to do it. I'm going to work on that! I did go to the gym three times with week and I went to the doctor yesterday to get an inhaler so I can get back to cardio. I walked/ran to the gym. 1 1/2 miles to get there.....worked out..... 1 1/2 miles home. I am very happy. I got my cardio in and I wasn't completely bored. It will also help me to improve because I will work on running more than walking. Eat only when I am hungry???? Pretty good except for the sweets. We had a bunch of stuff at work this week. Subway cookies were given away all week. That will get better as I record what I eat on SparkPeople.com. The weekend will be hard. My last two night shifts until at least the end of the summer. (Hopefully) Eating healthy is all about making good choices while I pack my meals to go to work. So let's review. Okay...better than before, not as good as the first 9 months post-op. Room for improvement and a desire to improve. I

Hello all, It has been so long that I'm sure no one knows me or remembers me. That is okay. I need to be here. Hello...my name is Julie and I have a problem. Now that you know my name I need to share more about me. It isn't that I want to be here (althought I love this place!) it is that I need to be here! I was banded in October of 2008. I weighed 285.5 starting my pre-op. I lost 14 lbs the 2 weeks prior to surgery and I lost 115 total in the year after I started this journey. In January we put our daughter in a Christian based residential program and I had to get another (week-end night) job to pay for it. Being the emotional eater that I am I gained 20 lbs. Wow! That sounds like a huge amount doesn't it? I guess it is. In the past few weeks I have lost about 5 lbs so that puts me up 15 from my lowest, down 100# from my highest and 30# away from my goal that I want to get to before I get a tummy tuck. I can't afford a tummy tuck right now, but I have to get down to that weight and should be there a year before the surgery so I better get started now. I have started a new ticker....one that starts today and shows that I need to lose 30.5# to get to my P.S. goal. I have done better getting back to the gym. I don't have to work my weedend night job through the summer. I got a new job working from home and traveling so it will be a whole different set of challenges. It's got to be better than trying not to each when you are awake for 24 hrs straight! 3 goals for me to start with: 1. KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I EAT ON SPARK PEOPLE!!! (I think this is my best tool with the exception of the band!) 2. Cardio 3 times a week for 30 minutes. ( I have been lifting weights and I can't seem to lose # when I lift, only inches) 3. Eat only when I am hungry. Solid protein first. The good eating habits will fall into line if I can just get back to the basics. I have to keep my eye on the goal. I am VERY goal oriented. So here I go. I hope to be back often. High /Surgery/Current/Goal 285.5/ 271 / 185.5/142.5 Banded - 10/29/08 Five fills - 5.9 cc/10cc 1 Unfil 5.65cc/10cc Read My Blog: My Secret Journey

Hi guys. So long since I have been here. I have gained a little and then held steady there. I am kind of in the middle of a personal crisis so I think that if I can hold steady I will be SO HAPPY! We put our 16 yo daughter in a residential Christian private school/counseling program. That also put me working a second job on the weekends at night. We have to drive 4 hrs away for counseling and classes every other week so I have to work late every day to make up for the and try to take off early on Friday to get a nap before I work all night Friday and sleep all day Saturday and work all night saturday. ...oh don't forget the boys we still have at home. THe gym is missed very much. When I get back there it is like an old friend that gives me comfort. I am still a stress eater and I am SO THANKFUL for the band. I just wanted to check in. I know this year will be hard but I know I still have the tool I desperately need. Take care. I hope all is well for all of you!

Thanks and good luck to all of you in the new year. I just got back from the gym. I plan to be back on track for a long time.

That is great. I was disappointed that my family didn't want to jump on the "Band-wagon" when I surprized them with my 100+ weight loss. I have had 1 unfill. I didn't realize how miserable I was until I got my unfill!

That is amazing and btw...you look awesome! Merry Christmas!