Ok Banded pro's this is my first time posting , I would like to know if n e 1 has been banded in columbus, ohio at the Mt. Carmel hospital and if so how was your experience? I have just sent in my first set of paper work to be approve by their Dr. Also they are charging $300.00 for administrator fee (paper pushing to the Ins.), not to mention I will have to spend another $200.00 for their nutritionist and this $500.00 is not covered by my insurance:faint: . Are fee's normal? I was just wondering because I feel as much as the surgery cost, these things should be included! N E help would be nice

Hi again guys!

I seem to have tightened up all of a sudden again like I did this summer. I haven't had a fill for about 3months and only got.25cc then. Last three days can't eat much solid. I have been doing ok with liquids and musshies as long as I go real slow. Does this happen to anyone else? I really don't want to get unfilled but I am in pain when I eat solid food. what gives? I have lost rapidly but not sure if I'm willing to keep this up for the sake of a better number on the scale. I am down to 224 though woo hoo.

Sarah

I was banded April 14, 2008 at Mt Carmel West. The doctors and staff were great! I am a slow loser - it's been 55 pounds to date (3 dress sizes). Good luck.

Nice hearing from you Wildercrews. I think you are doing great.

Sarah, I have noticed with the colder weather that I think the barometric pressure is exerting force on the fluid in the band and that is making me feel tighter when the atmospheric pressure is really high like when we had the coldest weather and things seem a little looser when it warmed up to 40-50 degrees and a low front was in the weather.

I've heard of telling if its going to rain based on the ache in my knee but not being able to detect or forecast the weather due to my lapband. Ha Ha!!!!

Thanks SPK for the reply. I am better these last 2 days. I am thrilled hitting the 75lb mark!! I moved my appt. up a couple of weeks to see if everything is okeydokey. I am totally excited though wearing a size 16 now yeah!

I look at your posts and can't wait to get to that point. I have reached the first 20 pounds and can't wait until the next 20 pounds is gone.

Hi Candy,

Congratulations on your first 20 lbs. :blushing: I was banded on Dec. 15 by Dr. Choban, so we are just a few days apart. I also can't wait until I reach the pounds off that some have on this message board. I am making the right choices when it comes to eating. But when it comes to exercising, I just can't seem to get off my butt and do it! How did you all make yourself do it when you didn't want to? Or did you all just bounce back and want to exercise? With this cold weather all I want to do is hibernate. At least this year I am not eating with the hibernation!!

Edited February 18, 200917 yr by swood
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Hey guys! Sorry I have been away for awhile, but I started back to Grad school and my free time is little! Things are going well for me band-wise. I am down 92lbs and looking forward to celebrating that one year mark!

I plan on taking some time and catch up on all of the posting I have missed! Tlk to you all soon!

Great Job Niki! Today is my bandiversary and I am down 75. Not bad for a 5 month plateau!!! Wish it was as much as you but I am thrilled with my accomplishment. Never thought I'd be here a year ago!!

Yipee! yeah for today, Sarah! You had some issues with your band this year that caused your plateau! Look at the amzing year you still had! 75lbs and wearing a size 16 is awesome! Congrats!

Niki,

Look at you going back to school! What are you doing? Where are you going?

I see a pattern where we get our butts in gear about doing what we want, losing weight, going to school, living the heck out of this life.

I sooo agree. I would have never had the energy or confidence to do all that I am doing without the surgery. I told my mom the other day that I feel like the me I had inside is finally having a chance to come out!

I am back in school to get my MSN (Masters of Science in Nursing) and to be a midwife! I have talked about this since high school, and it just seemed like the kids are in kindergarden and preschool, so it just worked! I am only going part time (6 credit hours) so it will take me about 3 years to be finished, but it will be worth it!

There is not a day that goes by that I don't feel blessed to have this amazing tool!

Way to go Niki! Yes, we are living life more fully everyday. I always said I didn't let my weight hold me back from doing things I really wanted to do, like going white water rafting in Alaska in September 2008, but the price I paid was the embarrassment of being the biggest person, not having a normal dry suit fit me, and struggling to get in the boat and up a really steep hill at the end. I loved every minute of it but I look forward to the day when a "normal" size of something fits me and I don't have to worry about being turned away from something fun due to my size.

I also don't want to worry about whether my weight was holding me back professionally. You'd think in today's business and work world where Diversity and acceptance are promoted, weight or size wouldn't keep you from the ideal job or promotion you deserve but it does happen. I wish for our kids and the next generation to not have to face that because we tell them about healthy eating and model it ourselves.

Study hard and take care! I have my MBA and I think Julie finished hers in the past year so now its MSN for you Niki!

K

K,

I know what you mean about not letting your size hold you back, if you could, but there are times being too big really means you can't participate even when you muster the gumption and say I will not be embarassed.

Those times are in the past however. Regular is either here or just around the corner.

And not to correct you, I wish my MBA was finished. I'm nearly done. 5 more weeks. March 28th is the class. I walk in May.

XO,

J

This past Monday night's Mt. Carmel Bariatric Support Group monthly meeting was titled "Chat with Choban" and it was super. It really helped me to get to know Dr. Choban as a person as well as the respect I already had for her as a terrific bariatric surgeon. Some notes I thought I'd share included:

I think it was Cindy who asked her "What got you into bariatrics as a specialty in the field of medicine?" and it was crazy because I was going to ask the exact same question to see if she had ever struggled with weight or had a family member that did or what got her going in the career direction she now excels at. Her answer was that both her and her husband were finishing their medical residency work and both were in the Navy or some branch of the military and thought they'd be able to do some medical work for the military and then get into practice later and it turned out that her husband got shipped overseas on a Navy ship for an extended time and she ended up a year ahead of him finishing medical residency so she ended up applying to work in research in the nutrition field for a year and fell in love with that and later got into surgery with nutrition research as a specialty, got invited to help with the FDA research on the Allergan Lapband, and found her way into bariatric surgery. She said she gets asked about why bariatrics and she said its because I work with patients who are incredibly grateful that I've given them their life back. WOW.

She mentioned she is a pretty dedicated exercise person herself, setting an example for us, and says she tries to get at least 30 min of exercise in a day and its often at home where she can make sure she gets it in rather than going to a gym. She is a busy mom of two teen boys I think about 16 and 18 years old plus being a busy surgeon.

We asked different questions about medical care for us as patients as well and one of the ones I struggle with is the subject of gas or flatulence and I know others do too. She indicated it is directly related to the amount of fat in our diet, that some of us are just less tolerant of fat absorption and that we should shoot to keep it under 30g of fat in a day when possible. Also, a sign you are eating more fat than you can absorb, besides the gas, is that your stools (poop) will float when you go to the bathroom because fat floats and what is left over at the end of digestion has to still come out. Anyway, I looked at my own food journals and I'm finding it pretty hard to stay under 30 grams of fat in a day. I do good and then it seems one thing blows me out of the water but at least I know something to try. She mentioned Beano as an option too and I think most of us know about that.

I asked her a question about my eating habits at 11+ months out that when I haven't eaten for awhile and I do eat, in about 2-3 bites sometimes, I am so full I have to stop, give myself a few minutes for my body to realize I've started eating, and then continue on eating very slowly in small bites in order to finish my meal. She challenged me to look at my portion of food and make sure I'm not trying to eat more by taking more time to eat it (a way of eating around the band) but on the other hand, if I haven't eaten enough calories and enough protein, to then just take my time eating to get in the right nutritional content. She really emphasized again trying to eat solid lean proteins and veggies/fruits rather than rely on smoothies because you can eat that faster. She said you'll be much more satisfied with 'real' food and I believe that. She said beware of how many calories you can consume with smoothies.

Last, they had the Allergan lapband account rep there his name is Dave Corey, and he demonstrated the My Lapband site info that you can get to off Mt. Carmel's website and they have a program now where we get free access to the full version of FitDay.com without the advertising and pop-ups so if anybody is looking to be able to have a good tracking mechanism of goals, exercise, diet, etc. go to lapband.com website. I think you put in what hospital and surgeon you are working with and that gets you a registered account and then you are off and running. I started this and then switched and use a different food and exercise tracker now.

Okay, my last thing to share is Dr. Choban is a Quilter -- my favorite thing too. So she gets an extra ++ in my book just for that besides being a great surgeon.

Take care. K

That is so cool to know a little personal stuff about the surgeon. I had my first appointment with her (Choban) last week,and ofcoarse now I am starting to make all the appointments for the clearances. She was in,and out so fast. I am excited,but unfortunately my partner isn't as happy about the possibility of the surgery as I am... We are both overweight,but she is totally against the surgery. After reading the booklet they give you at the doctor's visit,my partner seems to think nobody ever reaches their ideal weight,and that I will go through the surgery,and ONLY lose about 66 pounds. I think a lot of it depends on how devoted you are to losing the weight; like making the good food choices,and commiting to excercising. And at this point 66 pounds would be awesome! I have a huge kidney stone that can't be lithrotripsied until my body mass is less,and being that much lighter on my feet when I work 13 and 14 hour days would be helpful too. I am a dialysis technician right now,but would love to go back to school to get my R.N. At this weight I do NOT have the stamina to do that,and work. It is hard enough to make the decision to have surgery,but even harder when your partner,wife,husband,whatever, doesn't support you. Anyone else in this situation? I know she is insecure,and thinks I will leave if I lose the weight,and who knows what will happen,but I HAVE to get healthier. Thank God my Mom,and sister are supportive. I keep trying to reassure her that I need this surgery to help me get healthy. This is the first year my bp has been high,and I have been lucky so far by not being diabetic. I feel that isn't far off if I don't do something now. So far I have three of my appointments made for the clearances,and am trying to remain positive. You all help me keep my chin up,and my hope for a normal sized body alive. Thanks!

Joyce