thought it would be really cool so show everyone out sucess and show all our before and after pics, i know it will really help pre-bansters to know that we do so well!...c.mon, show them pics!

first pics in red top are pre band pics, and the white ones are a two stone lost.... new ones coming soon!

the before pic....

WOW!

Leo, I see it in more than just your face! You look great!! keep up the good work, (1) fill is all you have had, is this right? I think I read that on one of the other boards. How have you been eating do you mind me asking? I love pics that show off the progress - kudos to you!!!!!!!!!

Terri pre-band

Dr. Kuri 01/24/04

Originally posted by azgirl

WOW!

How have you been eating do you mind me asking?

I am not doing anything special. The band really changed the way I look at food. I used to love to eat Pasta, bread, rice but I haven't or actually I can't eat that after the surgery.

I had only 1 fill, a total of 3cc. For some reason the restriction is very tight lately. Its hard to even drink Soup.

another photo... i have only lost about 10 more...i guess my shape is changing though...

Michelle -

You're looking fabulous!!! Congrats!! Whoo, hooo!

you really are looking marvellous Shelly, can't believe the difference!

I'll post "afters" when there's an after to post!

My all time high a year ago - 427 lbs, BMI 53

banded by Dr Kuri 5/8/03 at 378 lbs, BMI 50

currently 269lbs, BMI 33

goal - 227lbs, BMI 29

personal goal 180, BMI 22

here's the before:

whooo hooo!! You go, Mike!

Congrats on your wonderful success. Nice to see your picture, too, after reading so many of your posts.

HEY POLAR BEAR MIKE! YOU LOOK GREAT!

YOU HAVE A GREAT STORY! DID I READ IT ON YOUR WEB PAGE? DO YOU HAVE A WEBPAGE? IF YOU DO WOULD YOU MIND LISTING A LINK? I WAS TRULY INSPIRED BY YOUR BANDING JOURNEY. MAYBE I JUST READ IT IN POSTINGS????

YOU LOOK GREAT!

THANKS Donali and MIchelle! i live for those kind words! )

Well, it's LONG but you asked for it, so here's my story:

In January 2002, I weighed 427 lbs, my BMI was 53 and I didn’t even know what “BMI” meant! I could barely fit behind the wheel of my pickup truck. As I was driving down the freeway one afternoon, I heard an add on the radio for laproscopic minimally-invasive surgery at Cedars-Sinai to assist you in losing weight. I memorized the number in the add, and called it as soon as I could do so. I got an appointment with Dr Scott Cunneen for May 3, 2002. I went to see him on that date, and could barely walk up the slightly sloping ground to his building! I struggled just to get into his office! When I finally got to see him, we talked about the RNY which is what I had come to see him for! After listening to my history for a few minutes, he said “I don’t think that this is the right surgery for you! Have you given any thought to having a lap-band” Given any thought to it, I’d never even HEARD of it! Dr Cunneen spent the next hour explaining it to me! We tried to get insurance approval for it, but I told him to ask for RNY approval, too, just in case, and we’d see what happened. Then I went home and started MONTHS of research and headaches with the insurance co. (BS of Cal administering PERSCare PPO for public employees) In the process of researching, I found the Bandsters site, and from that, the Extraordinary bandsters. The info I received here opened my eyes and helped me decide – it would be the lap-band! I also found and joined the Original Southern California Bandsters support group! The bar-none best bunch of people I have ever met in my life! So, naturally; the RNY came back approved, and they denied my lap-band as “experimental, the efficiency and efficacy of which has not been proven” I hired attorney Walter Lindstrom, and the fight was on! I kept reading everything I could about the band for about 7 months – when a bright idea occurred to me: I hadn’t lost an ounce, my weight was affecting my work (I’m a land Surveyor for the Calif Dept of Transp) I was going to have to make big changes in my eating habits, and I knew by then what the bandster rules were! So why not try to make the changes NOW!? See what it would be like to LIVE as if I had a band on already! What would the rest of my life be like after banding? I started following all the bandster rules as best as I could without actually having the band – and I lost 49 lbs in five and a half months! – it worked, even without the band! So WITH the band should be AWESOME!!!

Meanwhile, 4 insurance appeals later, still no luck.

At our December OSCB meeting, we had our annual Christmas party; I’m a professional, trained Santa, so I came to be Santa for all my OSCB friends and their children! A man I had not met before was at that party and unbeknownst to me, was impressed with me. His name was Pedro Kuri-Santiago; Dr. Kuri! I got to meet him briefly at the party and liked him instantly! I became even more involved in OSCB, starting up a weekly chat room and beginning to answer questions in other posts instead of just reading!

4 months after that at our OSCB April 28, 2003 meeting, Dr Kuri was with us again to present a paper he had written on self esteem. Afterward, we each stood to introduce ourselves and announce our surgeon, weight lost, and any other pertinent info we wished. I stood when it was my turn and told everyone that I was STILL preband, and STILL fighting insurance after a year, but I had lost 49 lbs with my “mental band”. When I did that, Dr Kuri told Joanne Naryan” Tell him he can have his band!” Debbie Lancaster told him ” Dr Kuri, you don’t understand – he has no money – he can’t pay!” and Dr Kuri repeated to her what he had just told Joanne! Joanne came to tell me immediately, and I’m afraid I rained on Jackie’s parade as she was receiving a baby shower, then in progress! There’s a photo of me taken about 10 minutes before that happened posted on the OSCB board on yahoo groups! God BLESS Dr Kuri for this GENEROUS gift!

A week and a half later, on May 8, 2003, Dr Kuri placed my lap band and saved my life! I was close to having a heart attack, or a stroke – I’m sure with my work and the summer heat and humidity we’ve had this year - i would have had one or the other, and probably died. That didn’t happen! I’ve seen SO MANY changes since beginning I don’t know where to start! I’ve gone from size 5x and 6x shirts to size 2x, my pants were 58/30 and are now 42/32. Shoes went from 13 wide to 12 regular. I fit easily behind the wheel of my truck and can even FASTEN the seatbelt again! I have energy, I have an appetite for life I didn’t have before, I have health! My pcp has taken me off most of my meds, and cut my hypertension meds from 120 mg to 40 mg with a promise to stop them completely if I continue to have a good blood pressure! I fit into chairs with arms, now, and movie theater seats. I can walk up slopes and hills with my survey crew, and do the work I’m paid to do. I have a whole new outlook on everything – my boss at work commented that I seemed changed – more confident, happier, stronger! I can stand up out of a chair without having two grown men pull! I haven’t BROKEN a chair in months! I’ve become even MORE active in OSCB and the bandster community, assisting with the BASH 2003 and becoming a Moderator on Bandsters and SmartBandsters! I could go on and on! Every day is better than the one before. I wake up happy to meet the day instead of sorry that I woke up! I AM worth being loved! I’m not a failure – I’m a LOSER, and don’t anybody forget it!

This has been, at the same time, both the hardest and the easiest thing I have ever done! Giving up the head hunger and poor food choice habits were very difficult – the band can’t help you with that, but if you do fight your dragons, the band helps you lose the weight – unquestionably! And it’s easy! I’m well over half way to my goal now; 160 down and 80 to go! I will have lost 244 lbs when I get there, but I WILL get there! I don’t know what life will be like when I do get there, but I’m sure it will be as different and wonderful from what I have now as where I am now is from where I started – I’m looking forward to the trip, and to getting there! With my band, and my bandster friends, I can do this – I can do ANYTHING!!

Polarbear Mike Reed, Hesperia CA

Dr Kuri, 5/8/03, 378 at surgery

427/267/227-183

BMI 53/38/22

What a great thread !!!

You have done so well!!!

I cant wait to be able to show off my before & afters too! lol

Audrey x

CONGRATS to everyone on their wonderfull success!!!!!

Mike, you ran across someone who is obviously a terrific person.

It's good to know that there are still people out there in this world that are loving and caring and DO have a heart. You won't find a doctor like that on every street corner. I'm so happy for you. You look great and I know you will reach your goal.

Linda

If I did this right, you should see my photos at the following address

http://geocities.com/denisepgalloway/weightloss.html

Denise

Wow! I see the difference!!!. Your hair looks healthy too(mines a mess, falling out/dry)

How nice it must be to go through your lap journey with your spouse.

Life is good...Congratulations

Thanks for posting your pics:D