general_antiope

What kind of lotion??? Did you rub it on your wounds? I will be doing my last minute shopping tomorrow. I want to pick up hibiclens and some baby wipes for sure. I'm staying overnight at the hospital one day, then an area hotel for another night. Wednesday morning I'll be showering for the first time with mom's help, and the doc says he wants to make sure I don't pass out or "have any leaks"...lmao. There is definitely some differences in my healing plan than most other people here. My doc does not believe in binders. He's used them most of his career for body lifts (it's his specialty) but the past 3 years he stopped, and says the results are better. He feels the blood needs to flow to the healing areas, not be constricted. He also does a quilting of the skin, attaching it directly to the muscles which reduces the drainage post op, so we'll see. He says I can wear one if I feel I need one, but stresses it cannot be tight - ever - and not to sleep in it. I'm on the fence. I've seen his work, it's ridiculously good, and the guy has over 600 body lifts under his belt. I kinda believe him. So we'll see!! I'm game to try. Allie, most people know about it but I am not posting ANY pictures on facebook...too many acquaintances :wink2: I'm not ashamed of the band or the PS :biggrin: I've come too far. Thanks for your sensitivity though. Just friended you.

Hi everyone! Wow, is all I have to say. I can't even believe the surgery is in two days. I don't know where the past few weeks went, I've been getting crushed in my dad's business. I think it's a good thing, because the surgery has just been an event I had to plan logistics for. I haven't been sleepless, I don't get any bubbles of fear inside. On the other hand, it all caught up with me last night and I had an emotional cleansing. Just for no reason, I was crying last night. I tried to write through it...I wasn't afraid, I wasn't angry. I just had to cry, and boy did I let it out. Since I had my monthly friend over a week ago, I couldn't chalk it up to PMS. I suppose it's normal. I have conflicting feelings right now. On the one hand: AH MAH GAH ITS FINALLY HAPPENING! My mind continues to blown. I cannot BELIEVE I was able to get this done. I cannot BELIEVE I could finance it, I would never have dreamed in a million years this would be done in 2009. The opportunity only presented itself because I started searching for an "eventual" surgeon and it all fell into place. I hear about people whose self confidence SOARS after surgery of this type. I'm a confident person, but I have zero body confidence. Anything will be a mental improvement. I have plans for rollerblading, biking, actually attempting to date in the spring. Wearing clothes that flatter me, looking less bulky and blocky. Having a band that WORKS! Oh my LORD I can't wait. The end game of being in the 150's is back. I thought it was out of my reach - again. It's the green grass on the other side. Thrilling and nerve wracking. On the other hand: It's not a huge, epic deal. It's healing I have to go through, it's being put out of commission for a few weeks. It's complications, and they must be dealt with. This is just cosmetic surgery. I want to tell everyone, and yet, not tell anyone. Yesterday, I had an interview with a MRT, a musculo-skeletal reconstruction firm. I opted to donate the excess skin to this foundation. The interview was incredibly nice. They kept calling it a "gift" I was giving. My skin will go to a few different endeavors, facial reconstruction, arterial repair, even breast reconstruction for women who survive breast cancer. It makes me put this surgery into perspective, you know? Yes it's life changing for me, but I can help change someone else's life, too. It made me feel a million times less self-centered. I laughed with the interviewer and told him this is USDA Grade A skin...it's been well fed, well protected, and has never seen the sunlight. Today and tomorrow will be whirlwinds. I am up early to write my final paper and email it in, I have to clean the whole house top to bottom, have my neighbors over this afternoon who will be feeding the cat and watering the plants. I'll be packing today. Sunday I have to get my car cleaned, get my food together/food shopping, and drop the dog off to be boarded for a week. I won't have time to sit around and think about this. Allie - 24 hour care for 4 days was great info. I'm staying with my mom until Saturday. The docs feel I will be off narcotics within 4 - 5 days. I asked them about the pain, and they said the breasts and arms will be almost nothing, according to their patients, it's just the abs that hurt. I'm having a breast lift, not implants...I have pleeenty of bewbs for a D cup so it's just skin being stitched together that will hurt, not muscular pain. When I get home, my neighbors will be on call to help, and I have 3 friends who offered to drop by that second week, also I have a service coming in to run the doggie since I won't be able to do more than shuffle around with her. I am not sedentary, I walk her over an hour a day, so I think I will heal pretty quickly or at least get back into walking her (slower probably) fairly quickly. I do have a high pain tolerance and a stubbornness to be indepedent. I just hope it's enough to get me through :biggrin: But I will have people coming to visit daily. skinnyjeans: LOL I am DYING to jump out of this skin. haha! I actually bought some mineral oil. I had a really rough time with constipation after back surgery, I ended up impacted. UGH sorry for the visual, but it's reality. I've also got a fantastic dietary Protein shake called Shakeology and it has fiber and probiotics in it, which I'm on today and tomorrow, and all next week. I think this will lube up the ole intestines and keep stuff moving. I'm definitely concerned! My mom is a nurse, so if this doesn't keep me healthy there are enemas and suppositories and alllll kinds of fun she can inflict on me. I'll let y'all know. smitten: Thank you for the congrats! I'm expecting to be useless for 2 weeks. By the end of the second week, I expect to be driving again, fully independently functional even if I'm slow moving. I work from home, so I'll be back to work sooner than most. If I worked in an office I'd need a minimum of three weeks off, according to the docs. Well ladies, I WILL post pictures. I'll have to get a Make Me Heal account because I will post the full monty, it's just a body and I gotta stop be embarrassed by it. Even though I am still overweight. Dammit. Is anyone on facebook? Please add me -> Kate Eryn Campbell in Exton, PA. I will post there from my iPhone right after surgery, not sure I can login here for a few days. In the midst of all this, my main laptop asploded :wink2: and Dell is coming to my mom's house on Thursday to fix it, not sure I will have my backup laptop. I am an internet addict. I realize this. LOL. Thank you guys so much for the love and support. Can't wait to get on with it. Kate

Men. LOL! Skinnyjeans, you look AWESOME!! I have a similar belly, and I'm so excited to have no "hangover" my panties. Woo hoo. Hibiclens? I don't know about this. Can I get this over the counter??

Shalee, lol, I failed on liquids so far. Heh. I'm eating well, but after a fill on Sunday I'm loose again :thumbup: oh well, it's the LAST TIME this will happen after a fill. The suggestion was great for that Protein bullet. Never heard of it! I use Shakeology + a Peanut Butter bolster. I like it because it also has Probiotics, anti-oxidants, Vitamins, minerals, and Fiber, and will be a great post-op regimen to help with the slow-down of digestion. Man those percocets really mess me up, so I might get some additional stool softeners. Thanks too for the reassurance about the "not being at goal" thing. I'm taking this as the blessing it is. :biggrin: Kydime - I asked the doctors I interviewed: - Did they have experience with lap band patients - How many similar surgeries have they done (Mine has done over 600) - How many required revisions has he had within 6 months - What is their revision clause - Did they have anyone else in the OR performing the operations (am I a teaching patient) 80% of the docs could not answer the first question right...so I kept going. I ended up choosing the surgeon my lap band doctor (Dr. Ren) suggested. It was important to me to find someone who knew lap band/massive weight loss. I'm so, so glad I held out. Well it's ten days away. I sent all money away. Every last penny. I'm not really nervous, just impatient for it to be over. I do get a little nervous thinking about waking up after surgery...I absolutely hate that feeling of disorientation and realizing it's over and I missed it all. LOL. It was the reason I never took naps as a five year old, much to my mother and pre-school teachers' dismay hehe. I also don't like the feeling of gas and drugs in my body as soon as I wake up from surgery. Just ready to get on with healing.

tlambright - WOW this friday!? That's tomorrow! You must be so excited/nervous! Hope you will keep us posted on your recovery! Good luck!

WOW 16 syringes of fluid! lol, that qualifies as a lake. What a relief it must have been for you :confused: I guess those drains have a job to do. Was it on the side where the drain fell out? Glad you got it checked out. Thanks for sharing with us!

/HUG allie!!! Best wishes and prayers for a smooth operation and speedy recovery.

Mimilou, lol, I have the same visual of myself, too, since I'll have my arms done. Skinny, I really appreciate your openness with us. I think Sue's right, it's a natural cycle of emotion when there's something traumatic done to the body. Sorry to hear your husband is not being totally supportive...but hey, it is a huge change in your life, and perhaps he feels like you're passing him by. Men are odd creatures... Your job is to heal, now. You did something HUGE for your body and mind. It's the home stretch. You are going to be as happy and proud of yourself for the PS as you were when you got banded! Hang in there sister. Hugs!!!

Thanks skinnyjeans...I really hope it works too. Because I've never been able to join a local support group, I think I went down this rabbit hole of belief that slowed my weight loss. I thought I found the "secret" to the band and that somehow I was now used to the restriction and it didn't work anymore. I miss the days of not being hungry. I miss not thinking about food!!! Once in a while I get it from a fill but it is empty or under filled within a week. I'm trying not to be bummed that I'm still 50 lbs from goal while doing this. I tell myself, if the doc is to be believed and he will take 15 lbs off in skin, then I am looking at 35 to lose. Either way, I am looking at the PS as a "re-banding." Gonna do my BEST to do 14 days of all liquid up to the surgery. Except Thanksgiving of course. LOL.

Well I have a leaky port that's going to be fixed in a few weeks! I found out that Phoenixville Hospital has a new bariatric center and a doctor who will fill me even though I'm not a patient. A 15 minute drive compared to the 2+ hours to Gaspar! Thank god. Pages - Bariatric Surgery Dr. Kaczmarski 610-983-1975 I have lost some of the weight I gained, but have decided that post-op I really need to get a local support group together. So I hereby would like to announce I'm forming a Chester/Delaware county support group!! I'd like to meet my fellow bandsters in person every now and again, have meetups, etc. I think a huge problem for me is I am a solitary eater. When I'm with other people I talk a lot and am not interested in food. When I'm alone, I'll peck at something for 2 hours unconsciously, so, having people around will really help me stay on track. I've been isolated for a long time, and now that I work from home, it's becoming imperative that I meet with other people! We can share recipes, stories, shoulders to cry on, go out and do things when the weather is nicer if we like. Anyone interested??

Wannabe - congrats on finding your doc! I would have added the question "What is your revision clause" to the list. If a scar needs revising or if anything goes wrong whatsoever. Some docs have a 1 year revision, etc. Where they will not charge you to fix it, though you may need to pay hospital charges. I'll be staying at a hotel the second night after my surgery, too, to make sure there's no complications. I agree with you, it's a smart move! March will be here before you know it!!

WOO HOO Skinnyjeans! You did it!! How exciting for you :w00t: Thanks for posting about the pain and sleeping, etc. I'm making plans to create a Pillow Mountain on my couch and bed so I can be comfortable. Did you get an unfill, and do you find any problems taking the narcotics if your band is filled? Like, did the pills get stuck?? Trying to decide what I need to do.

Allie, it's two days away!!! :w00t: Are you unfilling your band at all?

Hey skinnyjeans!! Excited to share your journey with you. Thank you so much for posting. I started having lap band "possible leak" issues about 3 years ago. I lost 100 lbs, was ready to lose about 35 more to be finished when it abruptly stopped. I was 2 years post op so I figured I had learned how to eat past the band, that the magic was over, and it was some psychological thing. I went back in dutifully for fills, sometimes I would lose no fill, other times I'd lose all of it, or 1cc. It is really unpredictable. The docs aren't sure whether the port is just hard to stick 100% (and as a result it is not making it into the band) or if I have a hairline leak that shows up if I bend certain ways. I stopped all exercising, thinking my yoga was the culprit, and over a 1 month period still lost volume in the band. My upcoming PS will also replace my port with a low profile one, and I am PRAYING this fixes the issue. I look decent at 210 lbs, but I'm still 210 lbs. I really want to get into the 160's or 150's. I'm struggling with unreliable fills and no support group. (I was banded 2 hours away from where I live) I went from 190 to 210 and am clinging to this weight for my dear life. LOL. Losing is hard. Is the PS replacing your port as part of the procedure? The part doesn't cost that much, $500 - 700...my PS is swapping it out at cost for me. Much better than having a separate procedure if its just a leaky port, which is common. EDIT: So I thought it was all psychological and my fault, til I spoke with the NP last week. I said look, is it that I'm 5 years post op? Do I know how to trick the band? And he looked at me funny, and said "It either gives you restriction or it doesn't...Can you guzzle Water? Do you burp?" and I realized I can chug water, eat bread, chicken with no problem. So, it was wonderful to know it wasn't me screwing it up.

Allie, I appreciate the reply :w00t: Oh my gosh I'm reading your thread and am so FREAKIN excited for you. I know how you feel. I wake up suddenly, eyes pop open, and think, in a month I'm going to be Different.

Looking great Shalee!!

Katie! I am thrilled to see you sharing your PS journey, too. My surgery is in 4 weeks - Dec 7. I'm more nervous about the before and after pictures Out There On The Web but hey, with you bandsters doing it for me, I must pay it forward :thumbup: I am SO EXCITED for you!! I am thinking about you and saying little prayers for your OR team to be on the best game ever today. Much love!!! GO GIRL!!!

Hi Allie!! I'm scheduled for Dec 7th, getting similar stuff done (mons lift as well). I went with Dr. Capella in Hackensack, my band Dr. Ren recommended him. I am SO excited to see your progress. My surgery came up quite unexpectedly, and while I'm heavier than I'd like to be, I am thrilled to be getting my leaking band fixed at the same time. So I don't feel so bad. LOL. One thing I'm curious about is when I will be fully self sufficient. I live alone with a dog and cat, and am spending one week with my mom after surgery, and am wondering how mobile I'll be week 2. Doc says I'll be off pain meds in 4 - 5 days (less or more depending on my pain tolerance, which is high) and can drive 2 days after I'm off the narcotics. Did they give you any info on that?

Hi luv2teech! Sorry for the delay in responding...I can't believe how crazy my life has gotten! I wasn't even going to look into surgery until my mother suggested I was putting my life on hold, which is silly. Then I just decided to talk to surgeons, loosely plan for a surgery date of a year later. Take my time finding the right guy. Well what I found was, as I met with surgeons, the whole concept became more real. They told me that it didn't matter if I lost weight after surgery, it just mattered that I didn't continue to gain. And then surgery became that much more possible for me. So my recommendation to you is - if it's all you ever think about, what's keeping you from investigating surgeons?? Nothing! At least start meeting them, figuring out what you want, what it will cost. It really changes your perspective...you may decide it isn't for you. Or you may decide it is...but being "paralyzed by fear" is a wasteful emotion. Get out there girl! You can do ANYthing, you survived morbid obesity!! :thumbup: Woo hoo! (I'm so caffeinated this morning) There's more than one surgeon around - so don't hang your hat on one office that has a waiting list that long. Really, by the time I found Dr. Capella I knew everything about the operation itself AND the surgery and could ask intelligent questions like, what's your revision clause? But, let's defang the fear. Why are you so afraid to even look into cosmetic surgery? Are you afraid of the operation, or the results? Why did you swear you'd never do it? It's not for everyone, but I can say with conviction at this point in my life, that for me the only way I can boot fat Kate into the pages of history and truly let go of that old self is to have the surgery. It's a psychological boon to roll over in bed and not be dragging a heap of skin with me. I know I will be so much happier and proud of my accomplishment. It's different for everyone. As far as price... My price tag came to under $20,000.00 Yes, hideously expensive. That includes replacing the port, arms, breast, FULL circumferential body lift (not just a tummy tuck) and flank lipo. I did not want the tube body post op, so he's contouring. I'm only doing this once, so it's gonna be complete. The only way I was able to add arms in is because Dr. Capella has a physician assistant who's been working with him for a few years and together they get the procedure done quickly. Initially I was going to add arms later...but they will be finished with me in 5 hours, and do not feel it is a risk to my health. My arms aren't bad, but are in need of help, and will not take long to do. So why not? :smile2:

Hi luv2teech! First of all I am in love with Boston, and visit it regularly So jealous you live there. This is not covered by insurance...I'm paying for it. I refused to consider PS until I was in the 160's but, with a leaking lap band, I felt it was futile. My mom took me aside one day and told me she felt I was using this surgery date as a reason not to finish my weight loss, or date, or be social. I thought about it, and I think she's right. I feel unfinished. I talked to my surgeon frankly, and he said I'm an excellent candidate even at 210 lbs. He said I'll come out of it 15 lbs lighter and totally flat. No bra rolls, contoured. I am mystified...but seeing the results other folks have had, I believe!! For me, this is a much needed move. My band will be fixed, my body will be proportionate, and the last 30 lbs will come off. What are you thinking of getting done?

Hi everyone, I haven't been here in a long time but wanted to reconnect with you guys :scared2: I'm getting ready to finish my journey. I'm getting cosmetic surgery in 5 weeks. I can't wrap my head around it. I've wanted this for so long, but yet, having the band for 5 years, I seem to be doing everything in my power to sabotage myself from being lean. My band is leaking - we think it's the port - and there have been a lot of bumps along the way that has stalled, reversed, and slowed down my weight loss. I'm not mad about it; my journey has been unique. I can't even begin to describe the things I have learned about myself. It all unfolded the way it should have, I suppose. But, just when the surgery was most out of reach - I'd gotten laid off - miracles happened and now I'm not only having my leaking port/tube fixed, I'm getting everything done, by one of the top cosmetic surgeons for post bariatric weight loss, two weeks before my 34th birthday. What an amazing turn of events. I'm scheduled for a body lift, breast lift, brachioplasty (arms) and flankplasty. The only thing he's not doing is my thighs because they don't need it. Yet. lol. They're also replacing my port to a low profile one. Dr. Joseph Capella in Hackensack Medical is my guy. I researched tons of surgeons - this dude is mine. All this, and I am still clinically overweight. I am shaking my head at the irony of it all. Yet, why not? My leaking lap band is getting costly for twice-a-month fills. I have no local support group and live alone, so solitary eating is the biggest culprit. Getting the lap band fixed will help me in January shed the last 30 lbs of fat, and work on my lean muscle building. I suspect that having the surgery will drastically change my relationship with food -- by having beautiful, reliable restriction that helped me lose 100lbs a few years ago (and mercifully helped me totally forget about food) and will give me a shot to my self esteem that has been sabotaging me. I know it's purely psychological, but I would work SO HARD, and work out, and track my food...especially over the summer...and start losing..10 lbs, 15 lbs...but I would look in the mirror at the "frownie moustache" of my stretched belly, suck it in, ALMOST see a normal shape...and then become depressed knowing that nothing I did would ever fix 30 years of being obese. Then, I would stop trying. I have loved watching my fellow bandsters go through the surgeries and can think of nobody better to share it with. Dec 7th is the date. Oh my gosh :thumbup: Kate

Thanks Britt - I realize my post was kinda longwinded :thumbup: but I felt like I had to write the timeline and story down for some reason. For myself, I guess. I gotta get my head around this notion that it's not "all fine" and I really have to step up, here. Well insurance denied it as I suspected, so I'm waiting to hear what the cost is going to be, and I'll attempt to get financing. I had a rough week last week, dinnertime was unusually hard. This week I feel like I'm more in control. Right now I'm living for friday night pizza, but the fact that I'm choosing steamed brussel sprouts over pizza fries is a huge victory Let me know how things go with ya, britt - feel free to email me too!!

Hello. I was banded on 11/26/04. In April of 05, I got my magic fill and the weight loss began. I admit I was not a perfect band student. I ate horrible calories, but in perfect band quantities. I was so excited that I no longer had hunger - and along with that, I lost the "lust" for food that has plagued every diet and every waking minute of my life up to that point - that I was thrilled to have no limits on whatever I wanted to eat. My band told me when to stop. I listened. It was so glorious putting down the reins and letting this little thing inside me take up the steering. The nutritional impact wasn't so bad. Sure, my hair started getting a little voluminous on the backs of my suit jackets. I didn't let that get too bad...I made sure I was eating more Protein first, but salads were out of the question because of the pain involved in eating them (I was tight) and the struggle for protein. I hated Protein shakes. At worst, I got one cavity and dropped 100 lbs. My energy was fine. So there I was, 193 lbs. I stayed there for about a year. I haven't seen that weight since high school. I was in size 14's that were starting to get a little loose. I could suck in my stomach and look NORMAL. I began making plans for weight loss surgery. I researched surgeons in 2007, two years after my surgery, figuring it would motivate me to drop at least another 20 lbs. The problem was, I couldn't get under 193. It seemed like the magic was gone. I was so used to letting the band do the work, that I didn't notice it started getting loose on me. I was happy to throw all responsibility on the band, therefore, it took months to realize my eating habits were the same, but the quantities were slowly increasing. I went for a fill after 6 months of no weight loss. My hunger was back. And of course I panicked for a good 2 months, eating whatever, jamming in the calories and foods who were my friends and habits before dealing with it again, reverting back to all my horrible mental "lust" and obsession that marked my existence pre-band. God, how I hate that feeling. Then I started thinking that the band was working just fine, and it was me that was the problem. Once in a while I would have to PB, something would get stuck, but if I chewed really well I could get a couple of pieces of bread in, some fettucine alfredo...and if I kept at it for two hours, I could eat the whole thing. I was relating a stretched lower belly to being satisfied. I forgot how to be on the band. I went to my doctor and told her my hunger was back, and I believed it was my fault with the secret eating and long dinners I was finally enjoying again. My band felt empty. I thought I'd stretched it with my forced eating. Every good thing about this band was slipping away and I didn't know how to stop myself. Why did the band stop working? Why did I start eating more? Was I getting used to the discomfort of eating? I wasn't throwing up a lot... The doctor thought my band had slipped. I went for a procedure where they stuck a camera down. It's perfect. it's in place, there's no erosion. Then she tried one last thing....to give me a fill. My last fill was an overfill, so we couldn't figure out why I had zero restriction. The band was empty. As is common, the first response was, perhaps the port wasn't hit all the way the last time I got a fill. Which I think was 6 months - 1 year previously. Dammit!! I was really angry. I spent a whole year not losing weight, and maintaining, but thinking I'd screwed something up. She refilled me and all was good again. Life got in the way again, I was traveling extensively, I was in the middle of a divorce, and once more I found myself a year later (bringing us to Fall 2008) having actually gained a few pounds. I was living in a hotel from June to October for my job and eating hotel food every day. I gained about 10 - 15 lbs. When I went to try to lose it, I only gained more. The "lust" and obsession was back again. I decided to try to unfill (as I was having acid reflux, night coughs) and work on eating bigger healthier portions because I wanted to exercise. I finally, at 200 lbs, had a good time exercising. It didn't hurt. I felt powerful and strong. I felt GREAT afterwards, as opposed to on death's doorstep. It was wonderful. Well, my habits still suck. I cannot. CANNOT. control my eating easily. I tried to go to a weight loss therapist and she just wanted me to log everything. There is a psychological/compulsive underpinning to my issues with food that one day I will get to the bottom of. I know they're there. I know there is no magic fix...but good god, now I'm 230 lbs!! I don't fit into my 14's anymore. I'm fat around the middle. I'm turning back into the unhappy girl again and I'm panicked. I went to get another fill with Gaspar in NJ, and he noticed I was bone dry again. He said I may have a port leak, it's pretty common, I've had the band for 4.5 years. If this last fill didn't work, and I lost restriction, he said, go to Dr. Ren again and she can revise it. Simple procedure, not as traumatic as the band itself...great. Well I got filled that last time in the middle of March. I'm empty again. The second day after the fill, I could guzzle Water. I contacted Dr. Ren and let her know what was going on with me. I told her I was afraid I've messed something up with this problem in my head/genes with food, and I messed up the tool, and she assured me I did not. And it makes sense. There is NO WAY, with a proper fill, that I could force food down without feeling very sick, uncomfortable, or throwing up. I've had that feeling before, I told her, that sucker was the perfect tool for me, and I want it back. She said we can get it back easily. So I'm waiting to hear if my insurance will cover it. I'm pretty sure they won't. But the surgery is scheduled and I will take out financing if I have to to get this done. I have learned a few things about the lap band. There is, however, a difference between knowing something and experiencing something. And now I've experienced it. 1. I cannot rely on my band 100% to do the work for me. It was a wonderful year long vacation when it was working. I felt like normal people feel. I viewed food in a normal way - as fuel, not a hobby, or a friend. I made good decisions because I wasn't hungry. However... 2. Hunger and band efficiency will fluctuate and I must know how to deal with it and be WILLING to deal with it. I always knew it was a partnership with the band, it did its part and I did mine. I was trying to do my part for the last two years, I figured the honeymoon was over. Luckily for me, it's not! The band wasn't working properly. But I didn't have to let it go so far. So right now I am tracking my food, watching calories, practicing mindful eating. It's not easy, but it's better than not having the band at all or being 300 lbs again. I refuse to quit. I can't quit. I'm so damned close!!! It's a different ballgame for people who once were thin, and were now obese...you have that memory to draw on. I've never seen myself at a healthy weight, looking remotely attractive physically, so it was a vision I could never relate to...the "nothing tastes as good as thin feels." That phrase is meaningless to me. Well, WAS meaningless. I tasted normalcy for the first time in my life and I am now gonna chase it with everything I have. I will let you guys know how my revision drama and subsequent weight loss pans out. I just want you all to know that it never has to end. You just have to keep getting back up. You HAVE to try. And fight.

hi ladies! I have some good news for you guys looking for band fills. I am a patient of Dr. Ren's and now one her awesome nurses, Gaspar Rosario, has opened his own "fill station" in Old Bridge, NJ. His fills are $75. Access Weight Loss Care, LLC. Gaspar is also a banded person, too, so he is definitely one of us :thumbup: I have gained 40 lbs back. I thought it was stress, and all the traveling I did for 6 months, but Dr. Ren and Gaspar think I have a leak. I'm 4.5 years out from the band and stopped losing weight about 3 years ago. I honestly thought I had someone ruined the band, or stretched it, because I never felt the same restriction I once had. Very frustrating!!! Anyway, I am scheduled for a revision on May 18. I hope my insurance covers it...and if they don't, I'm going to see about financing it. Or something. Dr. Ren is so freaking awesome, she emailed me back personally and told me I am NOT crazy, there is no "window" I missed, and the band WILL work for me :tt2: God I love that woman!!!! We seem to have a few peeps in the same area here. I would love to start up our own support group. I've been kind of isolated without any real person (not online) support, and I want to finish this damn journey. Anyone interested in meeting up? I dunno, June or July?

Ellen - Funny you should mention France. I was looking into France - they have some of the most advanced plastic surgery around - much of it non-surgical!! I was amazed at some of the procedures. It'll be a long time before the overly cautious Puritan-like FDA gets its crap together to investigate and approve it. The band for example is in heavy use in Europe and has been for over a decade! And yet the FDA stalled approval for 11 years or so citing bypass as "safer." Ugh. Also, when I was drilling Dr. Capella about why he didn't do certain procedures, he mentioned that some docs in France were making the "no drains" tummy tuck/body lift standard practice, tho he'd been doing it for some time :tongue2: So he's definitely in tune with Europe. Sorry to hear about your unsatisfactory work. Is this all at your own expense, the revisions? :smile: Becky....EEEE!!! You must be so excited! :thumbup: Are you keeping a thread on it? /will go look