Hi all you April Bandsters! We have our own April '09 Forum here. This will be our 1st Master Thread to chat, share dates, diets, feelings, etc. When it starts getting too long (loads too slowly) we can start a 2nd and so on.

Sherry (Sissyh1006) has started a list with all our surgery dates, so she'll be along soon and you can give her updates.

If you want a "Bunny Bandsters - April '09" signature line (see below) then click HERE (feel free to change anything). On LBT go to 'User CP' (in the top banner) then down to 'Edit your Signature' (on the Left column). Now copy the PICTURE of the Bunny signature with the peep and paste it into the edit your signature box.

Can't wait to meet you all! -BG

hey Jen--I'm in Maryland too! Where'd you have your surgery? And yes, I am going to ask about lidocaine. But the good news is, the assistant said it gets easier to access the port as you lose weight. Man, I hope so....

When I asked my doc at my first fill if it hurt he said "I don't know, I've never had a fill" ha ha ha. It ended up being uncomfortable, but not too bad.

hey Jen--I'm in Maryland too! Where'd you have your surgery? And yes, I am going to ask about lidocaine. But the good news is, the assistant said it gets easier to access the port as you lose weight. Man, I hope so....

Hey Kath. I had my surgery at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin Md (which is also where I work). I absolutely love my surgeon. It is kind of funny because even though I have worked at that hospital for almost 2 years now, I never knew who my surgeon was until I started this process. I knew him by name of course, but would not have known who he was if I sat right next to him...LOL. I am going tomorrow for my second fill (YUCK OUCH :wink2:) but I am sure I will make it thru. Where did you have your surgery?

Murphy - I have 5 siblings and know that rule too!!! lol For the most part I do good at the pace but 3 times I've eatten too big of a bite and omg thought I was going to die. It's scary.

My surgeon did numb the port area before the fill. I would definetly ask for it everytime for those who didnt get it.

I'm down 30 pounds last I check, and not many ppl have said anything. :wink2: You know...I think I must be so fat that it's not noticeable. Hubby notices, I notice in the way my clothes feel...

Hey Jen--an Eastern Shore girl, huh! :thumbup:lol

I had my surgery at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore but I live in Westminster.and work at Carroll Hospital Center. Are you a clinical staff person? (I'm an RN)

Kath,

Well depending on when it suits the hospital I can be classified either clinical or non-clinical. I am a Medical Technologist. Since most people, yes even many RN's in our hospital, have no clue what that is I will enlighten you. This means that I (and my coworkers of course) run all the tests in the lab. I work in Chemistry, Hematology, Urinalysis, Serology and Blood Bank. Pretty much everything but Microbiology. And no this is not something that you can do with on the job training, it requires a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science (or to be a medical Lab technician you can get an associate degree). But it is actually kinda funny that I dont work in Microbiology since my first BS was in Biology with a Micro speciality...LOL. But general Biology/Microbiology is completely different than the Microbiology you do in a hospital lab. Anyway sorry to ramble about my job. I do love it though, it is just a vastly underappreciated job, and not many people have any idea what it entails.

I am quite familiar with Sinai hospital. My mother was in and out of that hospital all the time. She was actually in a coma there for a little over a month. But I am not at all familiar with Caroll Hospital Center. Is it a small or large hospital? Where I work, we are very small. I think we only have 65 beds and all rooms are private rooms.

Oh by the way, I had my 2nd fill yesterday. This time it hurt much less than the first one and I did not have any lidocaine. They talked me out of the lidocaine because they said that it would sting so much more than the actual needle. He tried his trick again about using a smaller needle this time. My reply again was "there is nothing small about a huber needle..LOL" But I think it hurt so much more last time because of going thru so much scar tissue to get to it.

If you ever get over to the "eastern shore" let me know, maybe we can hook up for lunch or something.

Hi guys, I hope all is well with you. I had my first fill on June 2nd. It wasn't too bad, and everything seemed to go well. Then last week, I got on the scales and had gained almost 2 pounds. I was so upset. Heck I thought after getting my fill, I'd lose a few more. Has this happened to anyone else? I still don't feel any restriction, and I'm not due to go back until July 23rd. Is this normal? lol

Hey everybody! I had my second fill today, so I now have 6.25 cc's in my 10cc band. I was down three lbs since a month ago. Hoping with this fill or the next one in four weeks I'll start to see some restriction! Have a great weekend!

Getting jealous everyone it getting second, third and some have even more fills, I still have 3 weeks for my second.

Hey guys! Just found this thread! Where have I been, ha. I was banded April 6. I have lost 18.8 lbs so far (hey every ounce counts, LOL).

I have been a little frustrated with the slow weight loss. Lately .5 per week. I now it is in the right direction but...

One thing I think is odd, my pants are so baggy everywhere EXCEPT my waist! I feel like my stomach is bloated or something - anyone else?

Still also struggling with old habits and emotional eating.

Glad I found you guys! :tongue:

Me too JayTee!!

My first fill was put on hold due to the insicion site opening up and now my second one is on hold because I have a mass underneith my arm pit they want to remove. I've had it for years but when I started to lose weight it either a. grew, or b. now we can see how large it is. So that's my surgeons main concern right now rather than another fill. I agree...but still..lol So I go for my first mammogram to see if it's effecting my chest area as well. I pray they dignois if anything at all correctly.

Foxterp - i struggle occassionally as well...three times I've had too big of a bite and thought I was going to choke to death. Scary. I just eat too fast.

Hi Jaytee,

I'm in the same boat as you are I had my first fill in mid May and they will not do my second until July 25. They said I have to wait 8 weeks in between, even though I do not have much restriction. So I'm pretty bumped about that.:tongue:

Hey guys! Just found this thread! Where have I been, ha. I was banded April 6. I have lost 18.8 lbs so far (hey every ounce counts, LOL).

I have been a little frustrated with the slow weight loss. Lately .5 per week. I now it is in the right direction but...

One thing I think is odd, my pants are so baggy everywhere EXCEPT my waist! I feel like my stomach is bloated or something - anyone else?

Still also struggling with old habits and emotional eating.

Glad I found you guys!

Welcome aboard, FoxTerp !! You and I were banded the same day, how bout that !!! I have noticed also that I'm not losing the weight in the "normal" places that I usually lose first in. First of all, my waist in the 2nd to go (you know whats are the first !!) and that is not the case now, I was thinking that maybe I was still swollen also. I have lost some in my waist but not as much as I normally do. How many fills have you had ? I've had 1 and I get my next one 7-02, no restriction yet maybe next time. As for as the emotional eating and bad habits, you need to maybe use this no restriction time to "practice" on how to eat when you do reach the sweet spot. If you keep up the bad habits, then I'm afraid your going to have problems with your band! And from what I've been reading here, you don't want that to happen !!! Maybe you should just work on one bad habit at a time, and when you feel emotions coming at you, go for a walk or log on to here and get them in here and not in your mind!! There are a lot of good people here that are willing to help and will give you some good advice !! I know, cause I have to do that !! Didn't mean to lecture you, :tongue:, just a little concerned !!

Paxie

You definately want to take care of that before worrying aboout fills I hope all is well and the mass is contained. Good Luck