Hi all!!

Anyone here from Toledo or Bowling Green area?

I'm a newbie to this site so forgive me if I ask a lot of questions.

Jackie

I was banded on April 3nd of 2007. I have lost 40lbs and had 1 fill so far. Need to make an appointment for a second fill! Very glad I made the choice to have the lap band. It has been wonderful!

Hi everyone,

My name is Melissa. I am from Ottawa - those of you from Northwest OH probably know where that is. ( 1/2 hour from Findlay).

I had my band placed on 10/6/06 at the Cleveland Clinic. I wanted to go the best- my surgeon Dr. Schauer has performed thousands of surgeries and is the President of the American Bariatric Surgery Society. I've lost 86lbs since October and I feel great. I finally weigh less than 200lbs - it's been 10+ years since I could say that.

Nice meeting all of you - do any of you attend a support group? Someone was trying to form one in Lima but it didn't work out - only 2 people showed.

Hi MellyWelly- Sassafras is from Findlay and she said she was going to attend the support group at Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center. They already have a support group in place so you can probably go there.

GIRL YOU ARE AWESOME-86 POUNDS IN 8 MONTHS?!?! I'M SOOOO PROUD OF YOU!! YOU MUST FEEL GREAT, HUH?

I just got my band Monday afternoon and got home yesterday. I had mine done at St. Luke's Hosp. in Maumee by Drs. Duckett and Oweiss. Feeling pretty good today, but it was a little rough getting to this point. I had some kind of reaction to Fenergan and it made me quite nauseous and out of it. The gas has been terrible, but like everyone says-WALK, WALK, WALK....

So what kind of foods did you eat to lose that much weight? You are my idol!!!! I hope I do that well.

Type to ya later,

P.S. Let me know if you found out anything about the support group and if you went and how it was. There is also a support group at St. Luke's Hospital in Maumee on the second Monday of every month (except July-they're not having one in July) from 6-7 p.m. Maybe I'll see you at that one. Let me know.

Jackie

Good luck on your continued success!!!:clap2::clap2::clap2:

I just did a search for that group in Findlay. Go to Home - Blanchard Valley Health System and click on Bariatric Solutions on the left side of the screen, then click on support groups on left hand side. They have a phone number you could call to see if you could attend that meeting.

Just thought you'd want to know.

Jackie

Thanks - I'll check it out. There was another support group in Lima but you had to be a patient of theirs - which since I went to the Cleveland Clinic didn't apply to me.

I would have to say the secret to my success is exercise. I've had the mindset since the start that the lapband is only a tool - it's not a miracle cure. I'm I was going to have to work really hard - it also helped that my sister works in the bariatric dept at the Clinic and I couldn't fail and embarrass her or myself :-) I make sure I eat my Protein and drink Water. I lost 50lbs by x-mas - eating only 1000 calories a day and exercising 5-7 times a week. My weight loss has slowed down compared to what it was but I'm still loosing 1lb a week - which my doctor is happy with. I'm eating a few more calories - probably around 1200-1400 and exercising 3-4 times a week - so I'm sure that has alot to do with my weight loss slowdown. I better get ready for work - talk to everyone later.

I tried to respond last week but it didn't go through......how are you doing Jackie? I am looking forward to hearing all about it. I am just waiting on my psych eval to be turned in then my dr's office will submit everything to my insurance then I can only hope.............

I haven't been on here for about 4 days. I just got a job working 2nd shift and it's kickin' my butt!!!

My surgery went very well and so did my husband's. I got sick from the phenergan they gave me post op so I wasn't real coherent till about midnight that night (had my surgery at about 11:30 a.m. I think). Hubby was up and walking in the hallways at 4 p.m. or so. (he had his surgery at 10:30 a.m.). I was up from 2 a.m. till the morning off and on, walking the hallways about every 2 hours. The only real pain I had post op was my port incision (the pain is just uncomfortable, not really painful) and my hernia repair. It was so bad they had to stitch it up and I had more pain with that than anything else. Some gas pain in the shoulder too. Had to sleep sitting up on my sofa for the first 2 to 3 nights because it hurt to lay down. Hubby slept in bed from first night. He did so much better than me. I'm just a big baby I guess!! We've both lost about 43 pounds since May 20, when we first saw the dietician and started the pre-op diets. We have to go back to see the doctor in a month and I guess that's when he decides if we need a fill or not. We started on pureed/blenderized foods just this past Tuesday. It's okay I guess. I'm still eating Soup and drinking Protein drinks. I did have some mashed potatoes Tuesday and Wednesday and thought I had died and went to heaven!!!!! I've never really cared for mashed potatoes, but these were heavenly!!!! Tonight I'm fixing homemade mashed potatoes with blenderized chicken and dumplings. We'll see how that goes. It sounds yummy, I hope it is!!

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for you!!!:) Did the doctor say how long it would take for the approval once they sent everything in to the ins. company? I know it seems like forever, but let me tell you, once you're approved things move so fast it'll make your head spin. At least that's what happened with us.

I love my band!!!!! I actually feel like I have an ally against food for the first time in my life. I don't regret the surgery one bit!! Best thing I've ever done for myself, and also learning of better, healthier things for me to eat.

Type to ya later,

Jackie

Hi,

I haven't been on in quite sometime - but will any of you be attending the support group meeting at Bariatric Solutions in Findlay next Wednesday at 5:00? I was thinking about going? I called and even though I didn't have my surgery there she said I was welcome to come.

I havent had my surgery yet so I don't know if they would let me go.........if you are going to go I could call and see if they will let me go, too!!!! I usually work until 6 but I am taking that day as a vacation day.

Hey all, esp Jackie-how are you doing? I am sorry I haven't been around in a while. It took so long for me to see the surgeon and everything, and I figured I wouldn't get approved by ins so I didn't even bother coming on this site for a long time. However, I got my approval letter in the mail yesterday!!!!:clap2: I was really excited for about 2 hours and then I got a call from my family dr. with results on an MRI I had last week. I have been having back pain and weakness in my legs. Well evidently I have a fatty mass that is on my spinal cord and now I have to see a NEUROSURGEON!!!! That kind of ruined the happiness from my good news........I am just waiting for a neuro appt now, as well as waiting to get all my pre-surgical appts made for my band. I hope I can get the band before back surgery. Don't get me wrong, I am REALLY excited about the band, and I am SO happy to be approved, I just hope this back thing doesn't interfere!! Hope everyone is well and I promise I will be on here a LOT more now!

Hello out there? There HAS to be more people out there from NW Ohio.............come on everyone!!! Don't be shy!

Hi everyone! I hope you all still check this page! I am new to the site...was hoping to meet others from my area. How is everyone doing?

FINALLY, someone close to my area. I live right outside Oak Harbor. I am just starting the process of having the surgery. I go to a seminar on Feb 11th at St Lukes w/Dr Duckett (whom I am having do my surgery) and then on to the next step. I start my 6 mo required observed diet Monday w/my PCP. Glad to know there are others in my area and am looking forward to chatting with you guys. I have heard nothing but good things about Dr Duckett, so that is a good thing. Others who have had the surgery have had nothing but good things to tell me about it (not all were done by Dr Duckett). I guess I will learn alot more and have alot more questions answered on the 11th. Nice to meet you guys.

Hello VOLEMT23!

I wasn't sure that anyone ever came to this thread anymore! I'm so happy for you. The 6 months go fast. I just finished mine and the time flew. They keep you busy logging your food and exercise. Depending on your insurance, doc, etc. you may have other tests too. I seen that doctors' name posted here quite a bit, but don't know really anything about him. I'm glad you found someone you are comfortable with. How long have you been looking into this?

Good to chat with you

Turler, Nice to hear from you. My name is Mollie by the way. I put that VOLEMT in there, because I am an EMT and it was short for a user name. Plus didnt want to list my name at first since wasnt familiar with the site. So you are more than welcome to call me by my name if you want. Doesn't matter. I have Medical Mutual Super Med Plus, and I guess that is a requirement of one thing I have to do. I hope it goes FAST!!! I have been looking on and off into it for about a year,but never got past seeing how it was done. I continued to think just dieting would work,but it would for about a week then gained all back. So seriously looking into it now. What kind of ins do you have? Anything you can tell me you learned either from this site or others? It is sooooo nice to have someone close to my area going thru it also. Support helps:)