Hello everyone...I am being banded on April 10th. I am so excited! Seems like it's been forever to get to the countdown, but I think it'll be here before we know it!

Anyone else scheduled in April? We need to come up with a group name!

Carol

That was the first step....calling your doctor. Good for you!!!! I agree, I am glad to be back on here....it makes me realize I am not alone and it is also nice to talk to others in the same situation. I wish you luck and let's keep the numbers going down. (BTW, I changed my ticker this morning...but that is ok, it will start going down again).

That was the first step....calling your doctor. Good for you!!!! I agree, I am glad to be back on here....it makes me realize I am not alone and it is also nice to talk to others in the same situation. I wish you luck and let's keep the numbers going down. (BTW, I changed my ticker this morning...but that is ok, it will start going down again).

Ok April 14 I go to the Dr. My hubby is banded also and hasn't had a fill in 6 months but he hasn't gained any just stayed the same (men suck LOL!!) so we both go at the same time for the fill so it makes meal planning easy. I also thought about what you said casjosh and I updated my ticker just now. It will help me to see it go down again and it will make me accountable so I will check in to this site again. You have helped so much in just this little exchange. I have a renewed sense that this is going to work again for BOTH of us. We can do this!!!! We can be succesful!!!

That is great news!! Well, here we go, a new journey for us!!!

i can't believe that it's almost been 3 years since i was banded. in one sense, it feels like just yesterday because i'm still having acid reflux issues and may need a slight unfill but i also feel like this journey has taken FOREVER!

i finally made my goal weight 2 years 10 months after surgery.... 68 pounds lost. i want to lose another 5 so i can fluctuate a few pounds without going back into the "overweight" bmi. i haven't gained any weight back but it sure as hell has taken me a long time to lose!

it's been a year since i've been to see my surgeon so i need to make an appointment to get a yearly check-up. i want to make sure my band is still placed correctly AND to show him that i lost an additional 26 pounds during this past year... something he told me i probably wouldn't be able to do. when i went in for my check-up last april, i was 171 pounds. he said i was a "success case" because i lost 60% of my weight. he told me i wouldn't lose any more. he was wrong : )

That is great Kalipso. You give us hope that we will also get to our goal. Thanks for updating us and letting us know how you did.

Good to see everyone. It's amazing all the stories about doctors one, two, three years later. Seems to me that some of them really have surgeon syndrome. They're good when there's cutting but for long term, they don't like to hear about problems, etc. There are exceptions of course of course of course....but seems like I wasn't alone with a doctor who didn't care once I wasn't a "poster child" for him. This is such a special field because of the lifetime challenges that surgeons have to realize that they're dealing with a population with an addiction problem as well as a physical problem. Maybe they should have a two doctor system....like having an internist and surgeon for other diseases. Maybe we should get hte ongoing care from someone other than a surgeon....just thinking out loud.

I'll check in if others stop by as well. I need all the motivation I can get.

Good to see everyone. It's amazing all the stories about doctors one, two, three years later. Seems to me that some of them really have surgeon syndrome. They're good when there's cutting but for long term, they don't like to hear about problems, etc. There are exceptions of course of course of course....but seems like I wasn't alone with a doctor who didn't care once I wasn't a "poster child" for him. This is such a special field because of the lifetime challenges that surgeons have to realize that they're dealing with a population with an addiction problem as well as a physical problem. Maybe they should have a two doctor system....like having an internist and surgeon for other diseases. Maybe we should get hte ongoing care from someone other than a surgeon....just thinking out loud.

I'll check in if others stop by as well. I need all the motivation I can get.

Ok!!! Hi Everyone! I will stop by too as I have gotten into a slump. It took personal tragedies this past year and a half to realize that my band will work if I just let it!! I spent so much time trying to "figure" it out. Turns out, there is no science to it. Just to my brain! I just have to slow down. I find that my brain catches up easier when I do that. For a while, the weight just melted off. I felt so good! Then I gained about 17-25 pounds back after some of the major stressors calmed down. I found that I was right back to the same bad rut. So I too am at a place where I need to get back on track. I loved how I looked 25 lbs ago. I can't believe the difference that only that small amount of weight can make!!! I thought 100 lbs was bad!!! LOL I won't be able to wear any summer clothes if I don't get this off, so I need to get busy.

I need motivation too! My ticker needs adjusted, but I'm not gonna change it!! I will be back down that 25! Let's go back to supporting each other like we did before. So many of us ARE success stories

I'm so glad to see folks posting on this thread again. I was dismayed no one replied when I posted back in November. I can't bring myself to change my ticker - I was down to to 251 at one point, back up to 272, and now 269 as of this morning. I can't believe it has been nearly 3 years! It is really helpful to read everyone else's comments about their ups and downs. I turn 50 later this year and while I don't expect to have lost all the weight by then, I do want to feel better than I feel right now. So, cheers to everyone getting back on track!

It is so great to hear from all of you. Ok April Bandsters....lets get to it!!

Well, I've decided to go ahead and update my ticker with the current numbers. It's depressing, but I need to see the ticker move...so, here it goes. After looking back at my November post, I realized I've gained 8 pounds since then..geez...the hits just keep coming. I am down one pound since yesterday

So, here's one more item to add to the sad state of my weight loss efforts - my initial efforts to secure private insurance now that I am self-employed have met with denials so far. One of the things no one is discussing in the big build up to getting approved for surgery is the fact that should you need to get your own private insurance later on after your surgery, no company will be willing to cover you. I was so focused on making sure I would be able to afford coverage when I was planning my new business- I never dreamed I couldn't get it! So now, not only have I not realized the benefits of the surgery, I've also jeopardized my ability to have coverage in the event of some future medical problems, much less basic preventive/maintenance care. I can only hope I find a solution before March 2012 when my COBRA runs out. Maybe by then I'll also be happier with my weight loss....

Oy!!

I'm really shocked!!!!! I thought Obamacare was supposed to eliminate refusals for pre-existing conditions.....this is CRAZY! Hope you can work it out soon. Now you have me thinking I really can't leave my current job until I hit Medicare in 5 years. OUCH! Please let us know what happens.

If I can remember how to fix my ticker, I"ll take he plunge as well. I'm down 10....I was up about 60 at the worst of it, and am going to OA because I need the mental help. I need to be able to let the band do what it does and not eat around it. I so often am angry at the band when I can't eat instead of being happy I can't eat....so I need some work.

More later- SOOOOOOOOO happy to see some familiar "avatars" and people. YAY.

Gwenn

Hey y'all. Well i've failed, the band has failed. I was throwing up all the time with any kind of fill. My surgeon is kinda like those y'all have talked about, I'm not one of the success stories. I had a complete um fill in June 2010. I was having slot of pain and throwing up alot. The pain was my gallbladder. But even with no fill at all I still have some restriction, and throw up some too. But not nearly as often as I did with a fill. I had to have surgery in august 10 (gallbladder) and the surgeon said my band looked very good, so that was encouraging. But I have only lost 10 lbs from my surgery weight. I only lost 25 total, ever.

Hello all..I too am frustrated. Have been stuck at this weight and cant seem to get more off...havent been to the gym because work has been so busy and working overtime and I aknow my food choices havent been good. I am gonna get my rear in gear and see what happens. Going to the doctors on the 29th and maybe get a little fill done to see if that helps...I was hoping to be at goal by this point and I am not near it grrrrr...i would just be super happy to see 199.

Well, it may just be water-weight fluctuation, but I'm calling it a win for today - I'm down 4 pounds this week. It's nice to see the ticker move in the right direction. I will get this turned around. I may never be the poster child for weight loss surgery, but I'm determined to get at least 60 pounds off so my knees won't hurt and my butt fits in the airplane seat.