Hi everyone, I would like for all of us in Ohio to start talking and getting to know how we are doing with our Lapband or if your are thinking about having the surgery, how things are going for you.

I had my surgery Oct. 18, 2006 and I have lost 30# so far. I wish it would be more but hey at least I'm losing and not gaining. I really haven't had any problems with my lapband. I have had two fills so far and I think I might need another one when I go back to my Dr. in January. I chose not to tell anyone about getting the band except for my parent's, not even my two grown sons. You see I have failed at so many attempts in losing weight that I didn't want the pressure of everyone watching me and feeling that I would be under a microscope. For the first time in many years I do feel in control and I know that I can make it happen and finally win this battle that I have been fighting for so many years. Don't get me wrong I know that it's not going to be easy but at least now I have a tool that I know will help me get there because it has already started me on my way.

I hope to here from some of my Ohio bandster family, because I really do care how you all are doing, I feel that we could be such a help to each other.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and I am looking forward to a fantastic New Year.:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I have attended the free seminar, have been to the exercise therapist,psychologist,and dietician. Medical papers were filed with Anthem BC/BS and now waiting for approval. I am so excited and anxious to have the lap band procedure ! I am a "baby boomer", widow, mother of 3, grandmother of 4 and turned 60 this past Sept. My family is so supportive of my decision and will probably have everybody on a diet by the spring ! LOL

I have been up and down since the age of 12, always gaining it back and more. The most I ever lost watching my diet has been 50# and gaining back 70# !!! That loss (twice) has been before surgeries, (hysterectomy & hip replacement).

I have a new life ahead of me and have to get this weight off before I face more surgeries for knee replacements, other hip replacement, and would love to be able to just breath normally again.

I am looking forward to meeting area banders and keep in touch with each other for support in our new lifestyle ! After my surgery,hopefully in January, I plan on attending the support seminars with Kettering Bariatrics.

Let's hear some more from SW Ohio !!!

Ohio Raintree Acres,

272#

Dr. David Schumacher

Kettering Bariatrics

Thanks for starting this thread!

I'm not yet banded, but hope to be in January. My surgeon requires a psyche exam, and the doctor I chose for that really wasn't too good. He sat me in a cold, quiet room to take personality tests -- two separate sessions -- and then went over the results with me for about 20 minutes. He concluded that I am "not ready" for this procedure.

What a lot of falderall.

I saw him a total of four sessions -- and had to pay for each one -- and spent a total of 30 minutes with him. Had he taken the time to actually SPEAK with me -- now THERE'S an idea -- then he would have known who I am, and what I'm about.

Anyway.......my surgeon requires that I quit smoking before the surgery, so I did!! I am SO proud of myself! Today makes 35 days smoke-free, and as of this morning I can honestly say that I'm no longer irritable and edgy, cranky and anxious (like I was when I took the silly personality tests......'nuff said).

So, THANKS, Dr. Curry -- if you're lurking there -- for finally giving me the incentive to quit smoking after 22 years of a pack-a-day habit.

Also, linadu, you said it best when you said that this is a TOOL that will help me lose weight. I know for a fact that it will take great effort on my part to change my eating habits, but this TOOL will be in place to help me do it.

Hey....if I can quit smoking, I can change my eating habits.

So......anyone else in Ohio out there wanna join our little group?

Hi Raintree and Bullwinkle, it's good to here from you. Now we have to keep this thread going. Raintree I have Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and my Dr. office told me that they were the best for approval. Bullwinkle what do you have to do now? Do you have to see the psyc. again, is there any way you can see a different Dr.

It's funny that you mention Anthem BC/BS. I HAD that, and then our company switched to UHC. I was told that UHC was THE BEST at getting any kind of WLS approved.

Wrong!

My UHC policy has a written exclusion for any kind of WLS -- because we are such a small group. So, it happened to be open enrollment for my husband's UHC policy, so we signed me up on his plan, and I am effective 01-01-07, and his group os SO LARGE, and they cover every kind of WLS!! The insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office told me that I should have no trouble getting approval because UHC is so easy to deal with.

As far as the new psyche doctor, I called today and got an appointment for 01-15-07 to see another psyche doctor in my surgeon's office. I've been told that she interviews the patients one-on-one -- no silly testing -- and then makes an assessment. I wished I would have gone to see her from the get-go. But, hindsight is always better than foresight, eh?

I'll let you know how it goes!

Bullwinkle I'm glad that your getting to see another psyc. and that your getting on your husbands insurance, it's only a matter of time now and it'll be here before you know it. I have been so happy about my decision to have the band, this is the first holiday season that I haven't gained in I couldn't tell you how long. I also like that I really haven't had to cut out any foods, just eat slower, which is a problem for me and I continue to work on everyday. Please keep me posted and if you have any questions I'll be happy to try and answer them if I can.

Lisa - I see that you've lost 30 pounds since the banding. Were you required to follow a pre-op diet? If so, did you lose any of that weight during that phase? Just curious.

I've done a ton of research about the band, and I'm convinced that I need this procedure, especially after reading posts such as yours. I read post after post -- affirmations to me that I need this. I have no problem losing weight. It's maintaining that loss that eludes me. I lost over 150 pounds in 23 months following a low carb way of eating, and maintained that loss only by eating around 1,000 calories a day. The moment I started eating "regular food" again in "regular amounts" -- amounts that my thin counterparts can eat without gaining weight -- then I gain weight at an alarming rate. I maintained the weight loss for a few years, and then the weight "creep" began, and now I'm over 100 pounds overweight -- again. In fact, my surgeon requires that I quit smoking before the banding procedure -- and I've gained an additional 15 pounds since quitting smoking.

Aside: I'm truly glad that I quit, however, and got that 20-year monkey off my back -- THANK YOU, DR. CURRY!!!

Anyway, Lisa, thanks for your posts. I read these boards avidly and glean much information from those who have "first-hand" knowledge. You said if I have any questions, to ask. So, here goes:

When you say you have to learn to eat slower -- well, how slow? For instance, if you have one slice of cheese, how long should it take you to eat it without fear of PB repercussions?

I eat very fast, and will hafta learn to slow it down.

:clap2: Hello All,

It's great to hear from other bandsters in Southwest Ohio! I was beginning to think that there wasn't anyone out there that got on the message boards.

I was banded October 11th of this year and have lost 30 lbs. My surgeon was Dr. Schumacher. I've had two fills, the last one kicking my a$$. The first week after the fill, I could still eat just about anything without any problems, then WHAM, the little #$%@& just tightened right up! I've pb'd more the last few days than I care to. So, I've put myself on liquids for a couple of days so my stomach will settle. I know now to chew, chew, chew and pay attention to what I'm eating. I no longer can eat eggs or ham (as well as bread or anything doughy).

The good news is I haven't gained one pound over the holidays! In fact, I've lost. This is the first time in a long, long, long, time that I haven't gained over the holidays. The nice thing is, I still ate what I wanted. Just couldn't eat as much.

Does anyone go to Dr. Schumacher's support group meetings? Maybe we could meet up before or after one of them. What do you think?

By the way, I also have Anthem and was approved without any problems.

Love my band!!

Barbara

Hi All,

Bullwinkle when I said that I need to eat slower I really ment take smaller bites. I take to big of bites and sometimes it doesn't go down smoothly. Before my surgery Dr. Schumacher didn't have me go on a pre-op diet. You said that you had lost weight doing low carb, I did also and I was able to keep it off for about a year then I put it all back on and then some. So unfair it seems. But not again.

Barbara I'm so glad to here another Ohioian (don't know if I spelled that right) and you go to Dr. Schumacher also, isn't he great. I had my 2nd fill a week before Christmas and I didn't really tell any difference until a week later and then I had my 1st PB and tonight I had another PB while I was driving on the interstate, I had to pull over to the side of the road and I think I scared my son. He doesn't know about my banding and I just told him I swallowed to big of a bite and it came back up. He was ok with that, like I said I need to take smaller bites and eat slower, maybe I'll start listening to myself sooner or later. I haven't gone to the support groups because I work 3rd shift and I wouldn't beable to get to work on time if I went. I would really love to go though, I think it would be nice to meet with others going though the same thing and getting advice and hints to help me along.

Hi All,

Called Anthem today & found out that I have been approved for surgery!! YEAH!!!! So, guess my next step is for the pre-surgery doctor's appointment. Will let you know when that will be scheduled. I am already a very slow eater,a thorough chewer, however, will have to work on the size of the bites and pay attention to what I am doing instead of either talking or watching tv ! My biggest obstacle will be NO MORE COKES ! That is where alot of my weight is coming from in the first place. I was raised on pop and between the Cola and cigarettes, I wonder if there is life after quitting both ? :heh:

I'm not quitting smoking just yet, thought I might take on one challenge at a time ?

I do hope to attend the support group as I would think it would most definitely be beneficial if for nothing more than psychological. This endeavor is more than a minor adjustment in all of our lives.

Glad to have companionship from this board.

Until later..........

Carolyn

Ohio Raintree Acres

Dr. David Schumacher

Kettering Bariatrics

Hi Guys!

I'm new here but saw this section and had to post. I'm from Columbus. I get banded on 1/10/07 by Dr. David Schumacher. I'm so psyched :biggrin1: to see that several of you have had him. I'd like to know whether all of you were perfectly satisfied with your care from him AND from Sycamore Hospital. I think I made a good choice but it's a bit scary. When I saw him, he told me I was the first patient ever to see him the same day and get my surgery date the same day. I had approval from my therapist and submitted a letter and since I've been seeing a dietician for 2 years for another health condition, he approved me for the band right then. Insurance coverage was a given in my case and so here I am. He didn't give me a pre-op diet and I'd like to know from all of you what his post-op diet is like. I go on 1/2/07 for pre-admission testing and for the 3-hour required class. Can't wait to hear from some who are ahead of me. I also posted a poll at the Introductions Forum because I think it may be time to start a band-only support group here and I bet if we had enough people, Kettering would help us with it. What does everyone think? I know of one other in Columbus who may be interested too. Happy New Year.

Hi. I'm from N.E. OH and have my surgery scheduled for 2/22 w/

Dr. Ben-Mir, St. Vincent Hospital. I've tried about EVERY diet, trick, and pill known to human kind, so hopefully this will work! Keep in touch and good luck to you all!

Mindful,

I have been very satisfied with the care that I have gotten from Dr. Schumacher and his team. Also, the care at Sycamore was wonderful. Of course, my surgery went just fine. I had very little pain and I was up walking around in no time. I did my laps very faithfully.

The pre-admission classes are very informative and thourough (sp). You should be able to get all your questions answered then. I didn't have a pre-op diet and the post op diet was fairly easy to follow. Clear liquids, i think for one or two weeks, then full liquids for two weeks, and on to mushies then regular foods. (I don't remember the exact time on each). He does do your first fill at 4 weeks and the second on 4 weeks later. You meet with a nutritionist after your first fill to go over what you should be eating after your fill.

I'll be glad to answer any other questions you might have.

Good luck.

Barbara

Thanks Barbara: Your information put me at ease. I'm sure I'll have a lot to say after Tuesday when I do the pre-admission testing and 3-hour class. Happy New Year!

Hi - My name is Lisa also, and I live in Dayton. My surgeon is Dr. Allison Clarey, and am waiting for my insurance to approve.

Have Anthem Federal, and they aren't approving the band until after the New Year.

For those of you that have had the surgery, was there anything that you wished you knew a head of time??? What have you found that works for post-op diet???

Take care, and envious of you all!!!!

Lisa,

I live in the Dayton area too!

The only thing I wish I knew ahead of time is that I had heard about the band sooner. I would have had this done years ago if I had known about it. It's been the best thing for me and my health. It's always been hard for me to lose weight and with the band I haven't done too bad. My surgery was on October 11 of this year and I've lost 30 pounds. About half of it came off in the first two weeks and the last 15 pounds has been slow. But it is coming off. And, I'm not suffering from it. (No feelings of deprivation.) I eat pretty much whatever I want, I just can't eat very much. And that's okay. Sometimes you just need a taste.

Anyway. It's been great for me.

Love my band.

Barbara