I'm sorry I don't have a before picture, will put one on later. In the current picture, I'm the one in the purple. I just wanted to say for anyone feeling that it isn't working; it will trust me. I live in Chicago,IL and found a surgeon in Detroit that would do it for about $7,000 less than Illinois. That was a hassle going back and forth to Detroit for fills. I had a program that said that I would get fills for free for one year. So stupidly I went back and forth to Detroit for about 5 months after surgery to get fills. I finally found a fill doctor in Chicago that was only $80 per fill. So now it's been almost two years and I am down 170 lbs. I started at a size 30/32 and I am not a size 6/8. Never in my life did I ever think that I would be skinny!! I am so happy.

So for those who are having plateau's, you will get past that. I had many many plateau's and everything is great now!

I do have some pb's every now and then and some air bubbles that seem like they will never go away but it is a learning process. Just work with your doctor, let them know EVERYTHING!! If you don't tell them something, they may misdiagnose you and you'll have more problems. Get on the forums, they help. Even though this surgery has been around a while, it still has some surprising things that you may have never heard of. All I know is that through all of the frustration and then not being able to eat even though I soooooooo wanted to, it's worth it. To be able to go into a "normal" store and put on something knowing that it will fit, That is the best feeling in the world to me! I am finally...... "normal". :-)

Congratulations!!

I am also in Chicago--do you attend a support group of any kind? If so, I'd be interested in getting more info from you, and/or meeting up sometime to chat. I would really like to make some banded friends in the city!

Take care, and congrats again on your wonderful success!

Val

awesome!!! i hope to one day be mimicking your same words. I go in for the realize band on Feb 5th!! exciting!!!