Jaffa

Kathy is doing great. Same exact feelings as you. She has lost 24lbs!!! 3 pant sizes down.

I'm doing great. I only have 12lbs to goal.

Kathy is adjusting but it is hard sometimes....she just misses her food friend also, but this should go away. I know it did for me at about 6 months.

She is taking the Nexium, and one day she forgot and didn't realize what was causing her stomach to feel upset.

She also feels like getting her water in is a chore, but it is worth it. She had the normal regret period, but is happy as a clam now.

How are you doing? Just thought we would check in with you. Kathy was wondering how you were doing?

Perfect, I think they are the best in the 4 state area. You have nothing to worry about. If your doing ok, they will let you go to the hotel down the road that night. It is much nicer to sleep at have a place of your own.

Yes lap band for sure. I used Dr. Dahodia. Dr Nigro was my original Dr, but had surgery right before my surgery. They brought in Dr. Dahodia at that time.

I think Dr. Selim is a great choice.....lots of experience. I really liked Dr. Dahodia because he had lots of experience with laprosopic surgery.

Placing a lapband isn't all that difficult for an experienced surgeon. Aftercare experience is definitely better with people who specialize in lapband aftercare.

Absolutely the AP Lapband. I have noticed that the realize band people almost never get any fluid in the band in after the surgery. This makes post op a complete nightmare because they are starving and have nothing to help them.

I suspect, but can't prove it, that this causes people to eat solids more then they should right after surgery. The stomach moves around a lot to digest the solids and keeps the scar tissue from healing as well around the band. Then later, about a year or so, when they finally get tight, they slip.

The realize band is basicially just a band that was bought from someone who has been making it for a long time. The Ap lapband is much newer in style and try's to get rid of problems. Also the lapband port is stiched in and then scar tissue develops to hold it in place. The realize band uses little claws that dig in when they extend them....I think this port has about three times the rate of flipping or moving in reality.

Let me know if you have any other questions before or after.

Say Hi to everyone for me!!!! I won't be back in for a fill until the end of the month.

Usually, they weigh you, then they talk about your qualifications and what the lapband will and won't do for you. What kind of things you can expect and what living with a lapband is like. They will also go over any requirments for your insurance, or if you are self-pay, they will go over the different financing options.

I was selfpay and I had the money so, I just paid with my credit card. But, most people who are selfpay tend to use one of the finance companies that they know of, becuase they offer much lower interest rates.

They are also going to look at any medical history that you have that may or may not require any extra testing. This is the same office you would get your fills at later most likely.

Usually, it is Theresa that is at the front desk, and Dyann who you talk to about stuff, she is also the fill nurse. Feel free to ask them anything, they are really nice people. They only do lapband, but they can answer other questions if you have them.

The Des Moines office is fairly new, so there aren't very many of us, but the Surgical Center in Kansas City does by far more lapbands then anyone else in the kansas Missouri Iowa Nebraska area.

Perfectly happy with it. I was doing so well after the sugery, they paid for my hotel room, right down the road that night, and I got to sleep in a nice comfy bed.

I haven't had any problems. If I was going to get banded again, I was use them again.

If I was going to get a gastric sleeve, I would use Dr. Aceves in Mexico. I have known of several people who went to him and his statistics are the best anywhere.

We have a support group meeting coming up on the 16th in Des Moines, if you want to come, let me know. It will just be a few of us, since we are a new group.