GinaJ

Congratulations Tammi, and Welcome.

I have lost 70 lbs since June which brings me to 205. At a family Christmas gathering my uncle decides to announce to the entire group, "Gina sure doesn't sweat much for a fat girl". No one said anything so he repeated it louder. What an A**.

Drew:

I'm glad you are as happy with Dr. Carcamo as I am. You are so close to getting your date. I know how excited and anxious you must be.

I hit my halfway mark today. 65 lbs lost, 65 lbs to go.

I don't think this is true. I have said this before. Lap Band Talk is organized in such a way that you don't have to wade through everyone else's posts to find what you are looking for. the other surgeries are down at the bottom of the home page, and nobody has to go there, unless they want to.

I think Alex has done an excellent job of organizing LBT in such a way that you can go right to where you want to find information you are looking for.

At OH the other WLS patients don't have to click on lap band message board, but they do and they bash the band on the lap band message board.

I voted no because of the "MY WLS is better than your WLS" feuds on OH. I don't like going to sites that put down the band. It is also very confusing to people who are at the begining of their research to read so many negative posts about the band from people who have had other WLS. I like having a support site for lap banders only.

I too am a RN, and researched for over a year. I know nurses that work in the OR at various hospitals and asked them who they would choose. Several of my coworkers, nurses, went with Dr. Wright and Dr. Carcamo. You should ask around.

Mine started doing this about 2 years ago for a period of 2 months. It stopped when the doctor took me off of Yaz. Then, yesterday it did it again. My heart beats fast for about 1 1/2 to 2 min, and then it gets very irregular as it is slowing down. Yesterday I thought I might pass out. I had an EKG done yeserday which was normal, and lab drawn. I guess I will have to go back to my cardiologist.

I am considering the lap band and have been to the consultation with True Results in San Antonio. I want to have it done in the worst way, but researching all aspects before making my final decision. This is a big decision for many reasons, but since I am self pay I want to make sure it is right for me. For all those out there that are banded, do you have any regrets? Also, I see several have chosen Dr. Carcamo as their surgeon. Is he better than Dr. Wright or the others in that practice? I would love to have your input.

Dr. Carcamo and Dr. Wright are both in the OR at the same time when you have your surgery. They work together. You will only see the one that you chose when you go for your visits. Go to a seminar and see which one you prefer. I liked the fact that with them, one surgeon is assisting the other.

I never realized what a toll their treatment took on me until I did break away, we have to live for ourselves, no one else is going to value us if we don't value ourselves! So to hell with 'em, :w00t:

Amen, sister.

I did not tell my family I had surgery. My mom has made numerous negative comments about my friends who have had WLS. I would never hear the end of it if they knew.

In 2005 everything I had, including my job, was destroyed by hurricane Rita. I ended up moving 6 hours away from my mom. As hard as it is to be away from all my friends, and my support, it has been wonderful to be this far away from my mom. I hardly ever cry since moving away, and I use to cry all the time about the way I was treated.

Wow. Reading these stories has been heart breaking.

When my son was about 4 or 5 months old, the Water heater in the apartment above us burst and flooded our unit. It was around midnight. We called maintenance and they get everything taken care of, stopped the leak, etc., but the guy had to wet/dry vac our apartment because the carpets were totally soaked.

I asked the guy how loud the machine would be because I didn't want to wake the baby. He looked at me--in front of my husband--and says, I swear to God he says, "What baby? The baby in there?" He then points at my stomach and starts laughing really hard. He says, "Ma'am, they can't wake up when they're inside you." This guy thinks I'm so retarded that I'm worried his noise is going to wake up a baby I'm carrying. ?!?!

I said, "No asshole, the baby that's asleep in the bedroom. I'm not pregnant."

What a JERK!

I am the only one in the family with a weight problem. My mom and one of my sisters use to walk ahead of me when we were in public because they did not want to be seen with me. When I was a substitute teacher where my youngest sister went to high school, my mom told me that I better not let anyone know that I was related to her. My mom and youngest sister actually told me that I was gaining weight to get back at them.

My mom use tell me, "Just when I think you couldn't possibly get any bigger, you go and prove me wrong".

She brought me to my first weight watchers meeting at age 16 and 135 lbs. The lady weighing me in asked my mom if she was serious, or was this a joke. My mom told me she said that because she felt sorry for me.

Some of my mom's comments stick out the most to me right now.

When I was 3 mos pregnant, and had a 17 month old, my husband left me for another woman. When I called my mom to tell her that my world was falling apart, she said, "Well, what did you expect him to do with you being so big?". My family actually felt sorry for him for having to live with someone as fat as me.

My mom called me to bring something to her work. She said to call her when I got there so she could come out to the parking lot to get it. She said for me not to come in to work because she did not want the people there to know she had a fat daughter.

5 years after my divorce I started dating some one from work. When my mom found out she said, "Anybody that would have anything to do with you can't be worth much".

I am a nurse, and there is no way I would have surgery at a hospital that had patient care issues with their patients. I want to be some where that is following the doctors orders.

Some are better than others. It is nice to see people that don't look like they have ever had a weight problem. That is very inspiring to me.

Ooh I can't wait to be banded. I'm going to have my band done by Dr.Carcamo as well. He seems like a very nice man.

Hi Drew. When will your paperwork be submited to the insurance company? Have you been to one of the monthy support group meetings? I have been to 2. One in January, and the one last month.

I was banded August 19, 2008. I lost most of my weight preop. I lost 12lb after surgery, and 4 lbs after my first fill on 09-22-08.

Gina - that is plain awful and evil, and I am sorry that's how they treated you!I can absolutely relate, but that is truly brutal. Do you intend on seeing them when you get to goal? Do they know about your surgery? Elusive, it's my dad's family, not my husband (I'm actually single) but I completely agreed with what you said. I recently cut ties with many many friends because they were just plain awful. Now I have a lot less to do on the weekends, but I don't have to have anything to do with their lifestyles I don't agree with or their negative energies. And I never thought about it, but you are SO RIGHT that they will find other stuff, like not doing it sooner or having a band in the first place. Thanks again for all the insight.

I will not tell them I had the surgery. My mom use to make ugly comments about my friends that had gastric bypass, like there was something wrong with them to resort to surgery.

My husband left me for another woman when my oldest was 17mos and I was 3mos pregnant. My family could not believe how shocked I was. My mom told me, "Well what did you expect him to do after you gained so much weight". No support at all.

I am scheduled to back in 4 weeks, and he will decide at that time if I need a fill based on how much I'm eating, how long I stay full, etc.

The doctor did place a pillow under my hips, and had me do an abdominal crunch.

I have never seen before where some one complained of how much it hurt. I'm sorry you guys felt pain too, but now I see that I am not alone.

Maybe the second one will be better.

I went for my fill thinking it would be along the lines as receiving an injection, or getting blood drawn. I almost came off the table when the needle went in because it really hurt. Did anyone else have an experience like this. I do know that he did not enter at the correct site, but was able to find the right site by moving the needle without having to restick.

I have never before had a low tolerence for pain, and am now very apprehensive about the next fill.

Thanks everybody!

My weight loss is from June when I went back on WW. Since starting the preop diet, and after banding, I have not lost much at all.

Choosie:

What time are you getting banded? I was scheduled @ 1:30. I was suppose to go home the same day, but due to issues with nausea, I had to stay over night. Good Luck and keep us posted!

Gina

I have an AP 10cc, and I can chew my food like I did prior to the band. I'm really kind of nervous about the fill tomorrow. I know it can take some people up to 6 fills before they fill restriction. I hope I adjust well with the changes.