Hey everyone! I hope you guys don't mind that I've started a new thread. I've been talking to Terri from Dr. B's office, and she wants to email all of Dr. Bagnato's patients about this website and this support chat that all of us Bagnato Bandsters have going on. She was really impressed by how we've been supporting each other and wants all of Dr. B's patients to be able to come here and get support.

I wanted the title of the thread to be clear and make sure everyone who was banded by Dr. Bagnato knows that they are welcome here, even if they don't live in Albany.

For anyone who is interested, we have formed a support group and have decided to meet once a month.

Our first group meeting will be Feb. 7th at Ruby Tuesday in Tifton, Ga at 6:00 pm. This meeting is basically just a "get to know each other" meeting. I hope to see all of you there!

Happy Trucker~ I'm right there with you, no family or true support group. I'll be having my band in a few weeks and I'm incredibly nervous. I go in on April 5th to do all the pre-op stuff and start the sugar buster diet. Maybe we'll meet at one of the meetings....when are they?

Also, anyone out there that has had problems with acid reflux? A friend of mine had the band 2yrs ago and has had serious issues~ so much to the point that he is now on meds for the esophogeal erosion. What causes the reflux? Are there certain foods to avoid that will prevent it?

Yeah the esophageal erosion has been a concern of mine also. The meeting times are posted on Dr. B's website. Sugar Buster diet is not that bad, but I'm going to do the last couple days with just clear liquids just to be safe.

Maybe someone with more experience will chime in...Good Luck to everybody.

I'm from Fitzgerald, When did you get banded? I got banded June 25th and I haven't lost like I thought I would I'm down 25lbs since surgery.

Hi excitedmama, I got banded 3 yrs ago and lost well at first. I have since gained a bit back. It really is upsetting for me, but I am the only one who can turn it around. I am down a total of 25 pounds, but was down 45 pounds before gaining 20 back.

Are you following a specific diet? I need to start working out. Do you exercise?

Hi Excitedmama~ You're actually doing really well if you're already down 25lbs. I was banded April 16 and to date I'm only down 32 lbs....I'm very happy to be down that much but thought I would be down a lot more. My company relocated me from Georgia to Tennessee about a month after my surgery so I had to find a doctor here to do my fills...found one a couple months after I moved here. I'm averaging weight loss of about 4-6lbs a month. I figure the slower I lose it the better I am, I won't have sagging skin and will keep it off longer.

Drinking water and walking are my new "best friends." Don't get discouraged, keep up the great work and you'll get there!

Hi guys, banded March 12th 2010. I've had a very slow loss thus far- 33lbs. BUT I have also been planning a wedding and my dad had a MASSIVE heart-attack and double bypass surgery in September so I missed 3mos of fills.

I just went yesterday and it's liquids for 2 days- minus the bite of noodles I snuck last night (I chewed them up really really well even tho my soontobe hubby told me NOT to eat them, he was right).

I am hoping to looooooose more and at a faster pace since this fill will put me at 6.75cc and the nurse said between 6.5 and 7.5 is most people's sweet spot!

I love the Bariatric Institute of SW GA...those girsl ROCK!!! I had a lot of questions and felt discouraged yesterday only loosing 8lbs in 3mos, but she reminded me it was a LOSS and not a GAIN and that jumping back on the bandwagon was easy since I am through recovery and through the rough spot! I am very very hopeful that this is my restart to loosing- since my wedding is in t-minus 99 days and counting. If I can loos 5lbs per week I could loose 70lbs before my wedding...which would kick me out of the 200 club and put me right at a size 14, which was my original goal- I'm just gonna have to work REALLY REALLY hard and Water, excercise, water, excercise...like it's NOOOO tomorrow!!!

Wish me luck!!!

CONGRATULATIONS on your upcoming wedding. I hope you reach your goal. I go Wednesday for another fill up to 4.5cc maybe 1/2 c this time. I'm looking for a faster loss also maybe 8-10 per month this 3-5lbs is discouraging!! I've had to call the office also and they are very helpful. Have you been to any of the support meeting. Living an 1hr away is not good so I depend on websites for support. Hope you have a Great Thanksgiving and a good weight lost this month. My email is iewelder@hotmail.com if you would like to email me,

Hi everybody I am a Bagnato Bandit too. I started Sugar Busters at 3 weeks priof to surgery. I weighed 297 when I started Sugar Busters, 276 on the day of surgery on October 19th and I now weigh 248. I am so excited about my band and I am already starting to feel a little more like myself. I have so much more energy, sleep better and my joints do not hurt nearly as bad. I just love Dr. Bagnato and his staff and Leslie at the Bariactic Institute has been great (haven't met the other ladies yet). I am starting to feel hungry, so I am looking forward to my first fill on Nov 30th. I hope to hear from other Bagnato Bandits. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Hello Bandits:

I have not posted on this forum in forever, but things are going well for me. I've thrown my share of the classic :argue: "You are *not* the boss of me and I *will*eat (fill in the blank with what I know my band says I can't have)" tantrums with my band. My band just saucily responds, "Oh, I *am* the boss of you. And if your hard-headed butt wants (fill in the blank) that badly, you can have it. Matter of fact, you can have it TWICE...once going down and then again coming back up."

Sigh. Some people just can't out grow being hard headed.

In spite of the occasional battle of wills, I am still loosing. I was banded in February 2008, by Dr. Bagnato. At that time I was 325 lbs and in a 26/28. I am now 204lbs and in a 16/18. If I could just get out of the holiday drama and get back on track with my exercise, I might even see one-der land some time in the next month or two.

But I am working on that..

I hope to meet some of you at the Christmas party today. If you see me come and say hello!!

To the Bandits (old and new) Happy Holidays and Great success. :welldoneclap:

Hello

So excited to find other patients from Dr. Bagnato. I have talked to several people on facebook that have had lapband but none are from my area. I live in Cairo and work in Mitchell County. Had my surgery on Dec. 21.

Didn't lose much before (during sugar busters) but have lost 15 since. Going for 1st fill on Feb. 1. Wasn't hungry at all first 2 weeks but this week has been harder! I liked the not being hungry feeling and am worried now that I will start eating too much and not lose!!!

Hello

So excited to find other patients from Dr. Bagnato. I have talked to several people on facebook that have had lapband but none are from my area. I live in Cairo and work in Mitchell County. Had my surgery on Dec. 21.

Didn't lose much before (during sugar busters) but have lost 15 since. Going for 1st fill on Feb. 1. Wasn't hungry at all first 2 weeks but this week has been harder! I liked the not being hungry feeling and am worried now that I will start eating too much and not lose!!!

Hey everyone! I hope you guys don't mind that I've started a new thread. I've been talking to Terri from Dr. B's office, and she wants to email all of Dr. Bagnato's patients about this website and this support chat that all of us Bagnato Bandsters have going on. She was really impressed by how we've been supporting each other and wants all of Dr. B's patients to be able to come here and get support.

I wanted the title of the thread to be clear and make sure everyone who was banded by Dr. Bagnato knows that they are welcome here, even if they don't live in Albany.

For anyone who is interested, we have formed a support group and have decided to meet once a month.

Our first group meeting will be Feb. 7th at Ruby Tuesday in Tifton, Ga at 6:00 pm. This meeting is basically just a "get to know each other" meeting. I hope to see all of you there!