Hello there,

We seem to be scattered all over the world & I got to wondering, where are you all from & how far have you come & how far have you to go?

Hope you don't mind me starting this thread... :guess

here's my info

My name is Audrey, I'm 32 and come from Glasgow in Scotland. I've been married to Chris (my second husband) for a little over 2 years. I don't have any kids. but do have a black floppy eared rabbit called Eddie... He was born on the same day as I has my band ! lol & he's WAY too cute!

I was banded on 26th August 2003 and to date have lost Lost 104 lbs/7 stone 6 lbs/47.1 kg - I am 5 fool 11" tall (180cm)

I've gone from a size 32 to a 22 in clothes & have even lost a shoe size ! lol

I still have a long way to go i'm only at 56% of excess weight lost.. in it for the long haul as they say! lol

How about you?

Aud x

Hi Marcia,

I was banded by Dr. Cirangle on June 3rd. I live in Eureka, about 200 miles north of you. How has your experience been so far? I'm plugging along on liquids, starting to transition to Soups.

I am also 49 years old.

Hi everyone I have been out of town lately but now I am back for awhile my name is Ginny Karr and I live in Vidor, Tx I am a 31 yr. old hairdresser with a wonderful husband of 1 year ( my 2nd ) the first wasn't so wonderful. I have no children and two Labs Maggie and Brandy they are rotten. I was banded 4/19/04 and have lost 30 pds so far. I love my band.

4/19/04

299/ 269/130

Dr. Spiegel

Wow, it is nice to see so many encouraging posts. This board really ROCKS!!!

I am 39 years old and live near Sacramento, CA. I am a product manager for a software company and work from my home. Divorced and that happened so many years ago, it feels like it happened to someone else. I am just a completely different person than I was in my late teens/early 20's. I have a wonderful boyfriend, we have been friends for almost 10 years and in a committed relationship for the last 3. Right now, we have somewhat long distance relationship (about 100 miles apart), but see each other when ever we have free time. I don't have any "real" children, but I do have 2 babies... Cinnamon & Bandit. They are my 7 month old dachshund/yorkie mix... we call them dorkie's... no I'm am just kidding. They keep me quite busy.

I was banded on 2/3/04 and am down about 15 pounds. I have had 3 fills, but we think I may have a leak, so I go back next week for another check and most likely an appointment for a floro check. I don't really have any restriction. I am supposed to be at 1.5 cc in a 4 cc band, but who knows if I truly do have a leak.

I work out about 4-5 days per week and try to eat healthy, but I must admit that when times are stressful... and they have been extremely stressful as of late... I eat the wrong things.

I have gotten so much support from this site and I appreciate having such a wonderful place with such great people to come to for support.

Thanks everyone! :)

Dorkies... lol... that is absolutely priceless, Anne.

Hello, I live in Verona, NJ. I am married (for 12 years) and have a 10-year-old son. I work as a Project Manager in the IT area in a French Bank in NYC. The job is pretty stressful but kind of fun. I get to travel to Paris once in a while and the people around me are very nice.

I have been overweight all my life and fighting the battle for almost as long. I am not yet banded but I am scheduled for July 30, 2004. My insurance has finally been submitted and I am waiting for a reply (hopefully positive). My husband is totally supporting my decision, but I cannot say the same for the rest of my family. They will just have to get over it.

I have recently began lurking on this web site and must say it has been very enjoyable. I am hoping to become a regular......

Angela, we're neighbors!! I'm in Morris County. Who is your doctor and where are you being banded? And my perennial question to NJ bandsters, who is your insurance carrier?

Feel free to tell me to buzz off if you don't feel like sharing.

Hello

It feels like I'm walking into a ladies dressing room ...there aren't many other guys posting here!

I'm 44 from Chicago and was banded by Dr Horgan on 4/21/04.

Including the 10# I lost on the preop diet I've lost 43#, I have had one fill (2.8cc).

I have another fill tomorrow as I've only lost 3# in the last 4 weeks (despite 3 or 4 1hr gym sessions each week,and following all the rules!) ...frustrating!

Love this site ...when you feel your problem(s) is unique....just check in and you find your more probably 'typical' than 'unique'.

Intant

410/367/220

Welcome to the Ladies Room,

I think that you will find that we are equal opportunity Band-its here! Wow, I am amazed that your Dr. filled you to 2.8 on your first fill. I am have had three fills, and am only at 2.0. Maybe you have a bigger band? I know that I have a larger Inamed band--not sure why my Dr. chose a larger one. Congrats on your weight loss, and keep posting!

Sultana:cool:

Thanks so much for your wonderfull replies !

Nice you meet ya !

Aud x

Well, all these introductions seem fairly recent. Interesting, since I actually joined this forum when it first started a year ago. :-)

It's interesting how much we all really do have in common.

As for me, my name is Leatha. I am 43 yrs old, about to be 44. I am single now, since 1998. I was married over 20 yrs and have two beautiful children. Mimi is 22 and Jeremy is 18.

Mimi and her husband currently live here in Texas with me and my son is in Ca. with his father.

We just returned to Texas after living in northern Cal for nearly 2 yrs. In that time, I had my band placed by Dr. Albert Wetter in San Francisco.

I originally sought surgery in Texas, but due to having Systemic Lupus and a history of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, the guy I wanted refused to do my surgery.

I travel 100% for my job, so it didn't really matter where I lived. My daughter and son-in-law wanted to move to Cali to be closer to my ex-husband and son, so I went with them for awhile to help with expenses.

I had met another lady online who also had Lupus and had a history of clotting problems who raved about her surgeon, Dr. Wetter so my mission in moving was more selfish. I had banding in mind.

We moved in August, 2002 and I gained an additional 20 or so pounds. I reached my all-time high of 250 lbs. At 5ft even, my body was ready to give-in. My cholesterol reached a whopping 309 and I had to make a choice of whether I was going to fight this monster or die. I wasn't through living, so I put in motion my quest to be banded. I was banded successfully on May 29, 2003 and was the first person ever to have a vena cava filter placed at the time of my lapband surgery. Thankfully, I never developed high blood pressure or diabetes, but I knew those weren't far behind, if I made it much farther without a cardiac event or stroke.

To date, I have ONLY lost 55-60lbs and am currently un-filled due to a recent diagnosis of slippage. Interestingly, my slippage has been totally silent, until I recieved an overfill from someone who called my 'slippage' 'pouch dilation'. Even with pouch dilation, he should have UNfilled, instead of overfilling. Even then, I only had nighttime reflux which I had not had at all before.

As for my history with weight. I was a very vivacious teen. Very curvy but petite. I thought I was 'fat' at 124. Boy, what I wouldn't give to be that 'fat' again. Interestingly, I went from that 18 yr old at 124 to nearly 200 lbs by the time I was 20. All I can attribute that to is depression and a change of activity. I married a man who didn't dance or swim, which I had always done with gusto. We ate out instead. Not his fault really. I allowed it to happen. Again, I think depression played a large role.

I, too, am the daughter of an abusive alcoholic and have done much research into co-dependency and the over-eating correlation. I find to be a very common link to many, but not all of us.

So, that's quite alot about me before and up until now. Now, I am waiting for tomorrow morning, so I can call Denise, from Inamed, back. She called on Friday. I missed the call, but I'm sure it has to do with my emailing Don Mills to tell him I'd been told I had slippage. I am also on a quest to locate a surgeon in the DFW area who actually sees new patients and takes my insurance too.I really would like to get this slippage seen about before it presents with more serious complications and I really cannot afford to gain any of this weight back. I had just gotten to a place where I could see the 180's coming and now I'm just trying to keep from gaining.

So, thanks for allowing me to return to the group after so long. It has been a really great, but busy year. Thank God I was allowed to live it. :-)

Leatha

May 29, 2003

Dr. Wetter

250/194/wherever I stop, but not here.

Hello everybody!!!

My name is Felicia and I'm 28 years old. I have been married 4 1/2 years and have a handsome 13month old son.

I live In Houston, TX. I was banded by Dr. Hadar Spivak on March 3rd 2004. To date I have lost 23 lbs and have 2cc's in a 4cc band (1 fill). I would like to lose about 100 more lbs. I am currently 6'2 and 287lbs. Hopefully I will be getting another fill very soon.

Hello everyone! My name is Sandy. I live in the "wonderful" state of La. I am 35 years old. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 15 1/2 years. We have no children, just fur babies - 1 dog and 1 cat. Ginger the dog, and Bartholamew (Bart) the cat. The cat is my baby and the dog is my husband's baby! I was banded on September 30, 2003 in Shreveport, LA, by Dr. George Merriman. I was his first band patient!!!! My starting weight was 215-220. I have had one fill of 1 cc (six months after my surgery) and have lost 76 lbs. I now weigh 139. My goal weight is 115 -120. My highest weight ever was 230. I started out in size 22 pants and size 24/26 shirts. I am now in size 8 pants and M/L/XL shirts, depending on how they are made.

I do forsee plastic surgery in my future for my arms, legs, stomach and these wonderful tube sock boobs (sorry guys - but you girls now what I am talking about).

That's enough about me!

Sandy in La.

LOL, welcome Sandy!

I had a friend who once said she started with 38dd boobs and wound up with 36 longs. lol..

Sounds like you've done extremely well. Congratulations!

btw, I love La. too.

Leatha

I'm Terry,

I will be 50 August 8th, 2004. I was banded on April, 8 2003.

I weighed 301, now I weigh 207.

I am 5' 2" - Brown gray hair @ shoulder- Green eyes

married for the 3rd time- but has lasted 25 years

3 Sons , 30,28 & 28-(not twins, step son/ but mine anyway)

1 daughter 20, also banded same day as me

4 dogs- 2 pit bulls: Jordy and Blade

1 pekingnese - Sascijo (my internet name)

1 poodle - peke mix named: ZuZu (my favorite movie is: Its a wonderful Life" can you tell

1 peke mix I just lost 2 weeks ago, can't help it I still love her, named: Timber

1 Cockatiel named: Spike

I live in the center of Texas, and tiny town called : Zephyr (about 300 people)

I went from a size 26-28 to 18-16w

Don't have to take diabetic medicine or half of the high blood pressure meds I used to

My Doctors name is : Dr. Patrick Dillawn - Austin Tx (he is the surgeon that sewed up Darlie Routier's neck when she claimed someone came in her house and killed her sons in Rowlett Tx.- if any of you know who I am talking about. She is the one with silly string at the boys grave on TV having a party)

first fill 2.o

Small increments after that - need a fill now I think

Had to have gall bladder surgery almost 1 year later - was told that did happen a lot

NEVER BEEN HAPPIER IN MY LIFE.........................

Oh yeah, I only knew hubby #3 for 2 weeks. What the heck! It's been 25 years.... I agree with the one that said , " when you know you know".

It's so cool to read everybody's bios...it's so nice to MEET all of you fellow bandsters! :D

LOL on the "ladies' room" gibe, Intant. I LOVE what you say about thinking we're unique, and finding out we're typical instead. Makes a challenging journey muuuuch easier, at least for me.