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Hi i am from Laplace louisiana..i was banded by Dr. Thomas Lavin from Southern surgical Specialist of Louisiana....I have my pics on the before and after thread not sure what page but somewhere in the 60's.

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I'm originally from New Orleans but now living in the UK with my British hubs. I am soooooo homesick!

I'm stil in my liquids phase and can't wait for my mushies so I can make some red Beans minus the rice. lol

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Hi everyone! My name is Vanessa and I am in Covington, LA. I was born and raised in St. Bernard Parish, I'm sure you all know what Katrina did there. Anyway, I have my first consultation with Dr. Warden of Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. How long did it take you from first consultation to being banded?

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Hi everyone! My name is Vanessa and I am in Covington, LA. I was born and raised in St. Bernard Parish, I'm sure you all know what Katrina did there. Anyway, I have my first consultation with Dr. Warden of Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. How long did it take you from first consultation to being banded?

I was self pay... about 2 to 3 weeks. :rolleyes:

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2-3 Weeks..That is quick! My insurance will be covering it so I am sure it will take longer than that. I'm not sure if my job is going to let me take some time without pay to get it done this year. I may have to wait until next year when I have vacation time. I am going to talk to my boss about it after my consultation.

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Im from slidell la my family lives in picayune... i just got my band about two weeks ago and im feeling kinda depressed i dont feel any different i know it hasnt been long but i had high hopes plus my parents payed alot of money and now i feel like im letting them down again so any help you can give me i would really really apreciate

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i just got my band about two weeks ago and im feeling kinda depressed i dont feel any different

Hey there... please don't get down. You're still WAY too early to have felt much different. If I remember correctly, I had very little restriction. Just follow your surgeon's instructions. Up until my third fill, I had only lost about 30 pounds (a lot of it Water weight) because it wasn't until my third fill that I really started feeling restriction. After the third, the weight really started to drop. I'm down 75 now. Just hang in there, ok?

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Swimmer.........Don't let yourself get down.....You need to take the first month or two and make sure you insides are healed. Just because you feel good on the outside doesnt mean your insides are healed

You are not alone when you say you dont feel any different. Besides having the cuts on my stomach I would have never known I had a Lapband...for the first few months I wondered if my doc just took my money and didnt give me a band. You will know that your band is there before you know it and when you do know its there your gonna want to wish it away sometimes....LOL............After the first week of having my band..all the swelling subsided and i was Starving.....For the first 2 months before my fill I had to pretty much watch what i ate....i did Weight Watchers to stay on track.....just hang in there ...you will get through this. I was just like you....frustrated....depressed....and now i am a year out and down 98lbs..so yes, you will start losing...just heal right now. Any questions ...just ask. Good Luck.....You will make it through this part of it!!!

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Thanks so much... that made me feel alot better the other question i have is i know that im not suppose to eat some stuff but i have cheated a little bit just a little cuz im scared to do any damage... anyways i know it can slip but i dont know what it feels like so how do you know if it slips cause that would be sooo bad for me if it did my parents would die

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Hey Swimmer! Where were you banded? I am having mine on Nov 1st by doctor Warden of Surgical Specilists of Louisiana. I'm not sure about the whole band slipping but that does make me nervous as well. I am excited about being banded but nervous as well. Keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out.

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2-3 Weeks..That is quick! My insurance will be covering it so I am sure it will take longer than that. I'm not sure if my job is going to let me take some time without pay to get it done this year. I may have to wait until next year when I have vacation time. I am going to talk to my boss about it after my consultation.

Nessa ask your empolyer about FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) you should be able to take the time w/o pay. I asked my HR office and got the papers and the Dr. office will fill them out. BTW I am using Dr. Thomas from Metairie.

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Nessa ask your empolyer about FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) you should be able to take the time w/o pay. I asked my HR office and got the papers and the Dr. office will fill them out. BTW I am using Dr. Thomas from Metairie.

I've spoken with my boss and she said that whenever I wanted to have it done was fine with her. I am shooting for November 1st. I will not be getting paid but I am only going to miss three days. I am taking off Thursday (surgery day), Friday and Monday. Dr. Warden said that I should be fine to go back to my office job after a few days.

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I'm in LaPlace. I haven't had surgery yet. Dr. Lavin is my surgeon though!

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Being banded Weds 10/31 by Dr. LAvin from Surgical Specialists. EXCITED. Tomorrow is the day I start liquids. I have not been on any kid of pre-surg diet.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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