Dr. Gonzalez Support Thread

[BlueEyedKitty 0]

Hey Sunshine...Good luck with your Drs appointments and everything else...you're in my prayers!!!!

[NM Sunshine 1]

Hey Sunshine...Good luck with your Drs appointments and everything else...you're in my prayers!!!!

Thanks, the nephrologist wanted to see me today. He was a young doc. He said that he is reeally glad I got the lapband surgery and that it was the best thing I could have done for myself. He said when he was in med school that doing the gastric banding was a mess. The scars were like the panama canal and lots of infections so on. He said that was because the docs in the USA were new to it

He said I have CKD stage 3. That means Cronic Kidney Disease stage 3 on a 5 stage scale. He told me that his job was to keep it from progressing. I had to go to hospital lab for some more labs and set up for a kidney imaging test. That's a sonic imaging, I think.

Anyway, I am sooooo happy that I don't have to go into dialysis, at least not now. :whoo:

Back to my diet. The doc said he was anxious to see what his scales will say every month.

[Newblew 0]

First...NMSunshine, I'm so sorry to hear about your health concerns. Not that the timing of something like that would ever be good, but to be blindsided right when you've taken some permanent steps to positively impact your health with the lap-band must be soo frustrating. Add to that the seriousness of what's going on, it's very easy to see why you fell off the 'band-wagon'.

I pray for you all good news and also inspiration to keep plugging through this challenge with the support of the band (and all of us, of course).

BEK, you are my inspiration. I am hoping that I don't have to jump right into the fill cycle. I will get the fills as soon as I need to, but I'm hoping to lose some weight just with the band, so it's really nice to hear that someone else has had that experience. Although right now, it's hard for me to relate to a lack of interest in food, I'm sure I would find it jarring - just because it's so not what I'm used to.

Hi Christine, Omlagirl, OnenOnly, Wasa and anyone else I might have missed. Only 10 more days until I join you all - yay!

[NM Sunshine 1]

Newblew

Thank you for the kind words and concern. I decided to pull myself up by my bootstraps and keep plugging away at the diet. The Nephrologist felt that losing the weight was one of the best things I could do for myself and my health. When tough times like this happen, the support of all the wonderful people here on the forum makes all the difference in the world.

10 days until banding. WOW I remember when I was where you are. It seems like yesterday. You'll be so happy that you did it. I'll be in TJ on Dec.4th for my 2nd fill. That is just a few days before you are due down..right?

[NM Sunshine 1]

Just dropped in to see how everyone made it through the last week. I'm doing well. I put on a few pounds over Thanksgiving and then had my BDay yesterday.

I'm due for a fill next Tuesday. I sure don't want to get on that scale and it show that I haven't loss much so am going to try to diet real hard the next few days.

:eyebrows:

Well. Hoping to keep our thread going and to see how everyone is handeling the holidays

:girl_hug: to you all

[mehean 0]

Hi all... It's been awhile since I popped in on this thread. I was banded by Dr. G on 8/27/07 and I am so happy with my results so far. I went back to him twice for fills and have definitely hit a nice restriction level. Anyway, just wanted to be back and chatting with fellow Dr. G patients to see how everyone is doing. Hope all is well! :girl_hug:

NMSunshine: My thoughts and prayers are with you to get and stay healthy!

[NM Sunshine 1]

Hi all... It's been awhile since I popped in on this thread. I was banded by Dr. G on 8/27/07 and I am so happy with my results so far. I went back to him twice for fills and have definitely hit a nice restriction level. Anyway, just wanted to be back and chatting with fellow Dr. G patients to see how everyone is doing. Hope all is well! :girl_hug:

NMSunshine: My thoughts and prayers are with you to get and stay healthy!

Hi, and thanks for the kind words.

I go to Dr. G for my next fill on Tue. Dec 4. Am hoping this 2nd fill really works for me, because right now it takes a lot of food to reach the restriction point and I can eat anything. Thus it is easier to gain than lose.

[mehean 0]

The second fill really did it for me. I think I was a bit afraid of being "too filled" the first time around and overcompensated the second time. Good luck on Tuesday! Let us know how you feel afterwards.

[omlagirl 0]

I went to a local fill doctor yesterday not for a fill but just a consultation to make sure everything looked right. He told me that my port was very deep. He actually had a hard time locating it. He suggested that when I have my first fill it be done under floro since the port was so deep. His office doesn't have a floro machine as of yet. They have ordered one but not sure as to when they are going to get it. I'm three weeks post op and starting to get that hunger feeling. Dr. G said to have my first fill at 4 weeks. The local fillcenter here says 6 weeks. So I guess I'm at a point were I need to decied if I'm going to head down to Dr. G or wait it out for the local fillcenter. Has anyone else been told that there port is very deep or had a hard time locating it? Just wondering.

[NM Sunshine 1]

I went to a local fill doctor yesterday not for a fill but just a consultation to make sure everything looked right. He told me that my port was very deep. He actually had a hard time locating it. He suggested that when I have my first fill it be done under floro since the port was so deep. His office doesn't have a floro machine as of yet. They have ordered one but not sure as to when they are going to get it. I'm three weeks post op and starting to get that hunger feeling. Dr. G said to have my first fill at 4 weeks. The local fillcenter here says 6 weeks. So I guess I'm at a point were I need to decied if I'm going to head down to Dr. G or wait it out for the local fillcenter. Has anyone else been told that there port is very deep or had a hard time locating it? Just wondering.

I have no idea why your port is so deep,but, I had a curious thought. I think the port is attached to the top layer of the abdomen muscle. If that is so and you have a lot of extra fat over the muscle, wouldn't that make the port as deep as that fat layer? And if this is true, seems that as you lose weight, the fat shrinks and port seems closer.

This could be way off but, as I feel my port it is in a part of the abdomen that has the least amount of fat. Perhaps yours is in a fattier area of the abdomen?

[judy2291 0]

I had my first fill yesterday and could only tolerate 1.2cc's. Now that I'm home, I'm wondering if I was so afraid of the fill that I didn't get an adequate amount. I was able to eat normally last night and today only noticing the slightest difference in restriction. I'm 5 weeks post op and initially lost 19 pounds the first 2-3 weeks. After that, I started putting weight on (went on a cruise) and gained 5. At fill, the total lost the first month was 14 pounds.

Good news! My sister is being banded by Dr G next Wednesday and we will continue this journey together. I'm hoping a little sibling competition will keep me motivated. I really do need the support and someone to talk to.

Thanks for listening,

Judy

[NM Sunshine 1]

Mehean, Judy2291, New Blew

Thank You:girl_hug:.

I saw Dr. G. yesterday for a fill. Laura mentioned that you (Mehean) had recently been in. This is my 2nd fill. I took 6cc on the first and 2.1cc on this one. I'm nicely restricted. But as we were driving home in the RV, I went into throw-up-mode. My body kept regurgitating but only a little slim would come up. I'm barely eating anything. I figure if I can still drink Water, it's all fine with me. About time I lost some weight!!!:clap2:

Judy2291 losing 10 pounds in a month is a fantastic loss. I'll bet those extra five will melt off. You don't feel much restriction? That is how I was after first fill.

[Newblew 0]

I can't believe that it is finally here. I spoke with Laura and she will be picking me up tomorrow.

I'm anxious to meet Dr. G and Dr. V. and actually have the surgery over with. Last night I had extreme anxiety about dying. :faint: Morbid, silly and (hopefully) normal, but it was a long night. I'm ok today, but I won't really relax at this point until I wake up from the anesthesia. I'm sure that a lot of people feel like this with any surgery, so I just have to ride it out. I had a C section with my youngest 8 years ago, but I've never been "under" anesthesia and I'm having a problem with being asleep. Like somehow if I was awake, I would be able to will myself not to die, but if I'm asleep I might not notice until I was already dead. OK, I giggled as I typed that last sentence - I can't believe some of the stuff that my crazy brain comes up with!

I'll be back home on Sunday - hubby is picking up the Christmas tree and putting it in the stand before I get home, so I am just going to spend the next two days focusing on being with my family on Sunday decorating our tree...I feel better already:)

NMSunshine, hope that your fill settles in a little bit and you keep the restriction without the sliming!

Thanks to all for you support - talk to you on the flip side!!

Newblew

[omlagirl 0]

Newblew,

Have a wonderful trip. It goes by so quickly Sunday will be here before you know it. Laura, Dr. V and Dr. G are all so warm and welcoming you'll feel right at home. Goodluck and we'll see you in Bandland! :clap2:

[NM Sunshine 1]

NEWBLUE

Anxiety does crazy things with your mind. You're going to a foreign country alone. That's how I went and about one minute with Laura set my mind at peace.

Dr. V hurt his back and was laid up on Tuesday. Hopeing he is over it by now. You'll feel very comfortable with Dr. G He's quite good looking.

I think the new expresion is 'They Rock!'